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 Customer Reviews
What a good book, 05 Nov 2008
This is a really good book - informative and easy to follow and full of useful tips and know-how.
Welcome to the Magic Circle, 21 Jun 2008
Search Engine Optimisation has acquired a status which might be regarded similar to that of the magic circle:
It's secretive - only those in the circle really know the tricks
There's an element of magic - SEOs do things we don't understand
It's competitive - we all want to get to the top
It's closed - those within the circle do not disclose all the tricks
They even categorise their tricks as good and bad with the terms "white hat" and "black hat"
Well, in this excellent new book David Viney has let us all into the circle, and what we learn is that it's not magic!
However, I should like to follow that statement by immediately saying that it is plainly not easy either. Also, by the very nature of the fierce competition for the top spots, it will always be competitive, and you will always have to work at it.
What this particular magician sets out for us all here is a structure and a method which we might follow to improve our own success.
The author uses the analogy of cookery; there are ingredients, recipes to follow - and I would add, a great deal of time needed to be spent in the kitchen!!
You will be surprised to learn the breadth of things that you will need to do to be in with a competitive chance. The book covers the many factors that contribute to your ultimate success. I was surprised at just how many areas contribute to a site becoming successful, in 240 pages David Viney covers a lot of ground.
The title is so clever; Step 1 in David's plan focuses on finding the "phrases that pay", and sure enough, the title of his book is of course just one such example - nicely wraps-up in a phrase what the book is all about AND is what we are all searching for!
As other reviewers have written here, the book strikes an excellent balance in readability, suitable for reading and use by other professional SEOs and equally works very well for the novice.
The seven step procedure does categorise the areas of focus well, and does give a guide to chronology, but it's not his intention that you should remain in a step until you have done everything you possibly can, more that you need to do a wide number of things, and that over the longer period you will need to track back and forth through the steps and re-visit activities.
The book does a great job of illustrating the size of the market, the strength and importance of Google in that market, and the potential prizes available to the top of page one winners.
"Having your site in the top 10 is like having your store right on Main Street or near the entrance of the largest shopping mall in human history. Being outside the top 20 is like having a corner store on the very outskirts of town."
You should buy and read this book before building your website, probably even before naming you business. The tips within it on subjects such as targetting a niche, phrases that pay, finding and targeting keywords, domain names, hosting locations, etc. are all key considerations in the choices you should make in the very early days.
But there's no need to worry if you are already well into the life of your business and your website, there is plenty within this book for all to heed and follow.
I would strongly recommend the book to anybody interested in getting their website "to the top on Google", you will learn a great deal, and will be able to take action based upon the guidance within the book.
However, go into this exercise with the awareness that it is a long game. You may read the book in just a few hours, but you will need to work persistently at your website's optimisation continuously to reach the top and stay there .........The prizes are Great. It is fiercely competitive. The web is continuously evolving. Your competitors will read this book too.
This is probably the best book on this subject that you can buy.
Take the first step, buy and read the book.
Then keep it next to your computer, keep dipping into it, follow its recommendations.
Then, be prepared to buy an updated version or follow-up next year, with more and new recommendations for you to implement!
The Mother of all SEO Books, 16 Jun 2008
I want to keep this short and sweet as copywriting is not my strong point. If you are looking for a book that spells out the key issues on SEO in an order that actually makes logical sense - then this is the book for you. Rather than a book full of information (although it is very informative) - its best used a step-by-step tool to any SEO project. I can understand why one of the reviewers read it twice.
I had purchased SEO for Dummies but that was really a 'bits n pieces' kind of book and left me unguided. This book follows a chronological path and makes you stick to it.
I shall be using it on every SEO project from now on.
5/5
Buy IT! BUY IT!, 19 May 2008
I have read this book from cover to cover TWICE!!! Then I bought my collegue a copy for his birthday so he wouldn't keep taking mine!!
This is full of practical knowledge to get you up and going and also a great reference book for the more knowledgable. BUY IT NOW!!! You wont be dissapointed!!
A book that covers EVERYTHING finally...., 15 May 2008
I have to admit, I couldn't wait for this book to come out so I purchased a few other before hand and wasn't too impressed! When the book arrived I said to myself that I would read it through once quickly and then go over it in more closely 2nd time round. Well, I just finished it for the 1st time and it took me 2 weeks LOL - I just had to test everything as soon as I read it!
This book is by far the best of 6 SEO books I have read (not going to name the others) - I can't recommend it enough, you will gain so much from reading it - right, i'm off to start it for the 2nd time - kudos to David Viney aka "LEGEND"
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Customer Reviews
What a good book, 05 Nov 2008
This is a really good book - informative and easy to follow and full of useful tips and know-how.
Welcome to the Magic Circle, 21 Jun 2008
Search Engine Optimisation has acquired a status which might be regarded similar to that of the magic circle:
It's secretive - only those in the circle really know the tricks
There's an element of magic - SEOs do things we don't understand
It's competitive - we all want to get to the top
It's closed - those within the circle do not disclose all the tricks
They even categorise their tricks as good and bad with the terms "white hat" and "black hat"
Well, in this excellent new book David Viney has let us all into the circle, and what we learn is that it's not magic!
However, I should like to follow that statement by immediately saying that it is plainly not easy either. Also, by the very nature of the fierce competition for the top spots, it will always be competitive, and you will always have to work at it.
What this particular magician sets out for us all here is a structure and a method which we might follow to improve our own success.
The author uses the analogy of cookery; there are ingredients, recipes to follow - and I would add, a great deal of time needed to be spent in the kitchen!!
You will be surprised to learn the breadth of things that you will need to do to be in with a competitive chance. The book covers the many factors that contribute to your ultimate success. I was surprised at just how many areas contribute to a site becoming successful, in 240 pages David Viney covers a lot of ground.
The title is so clever; Step 1 in David's plan focuses on finding the "phrases that pay", and sure enough, the title of his book is of course just one such example - nicely wraps-up in a phrase what the book is all about AND is what we are all searching for!
As other reviewers have written here, the book strikes an excellent balance in readability, suitable for reading and use by other professional SEOs and equally works very well for the novice.
The seven step procedure does categorise the areas of focus well, and does give a guide to chronology, but it's not his intention that you should remain in a step until you have done everything you possibly can, more that you need to do a wide number of things, and that over the longer period you will need to track back and forth through the steps and re-visit activities.
The book does a great job of illustrating the size of the market, the strength and importance of Google in that market, and the potential prizes available to the top of page one winners.
"Having your site in the top 10 is like having your store right on Main Street or near the entrance of the largest shopping mall in human history. Being outside the top 20 is like having a corner store on the very outskirts of town."
You should buy and read this book before building your website, probably even before naming you business. The tips within it on subjects such as targetting a niche, phrases that pay, finding and targeting keywords, domain names, hosting locations, etc. are all key considerations in the choices you should make in the very early days.
But there's no need to worry if you are already well into the life of your business and your website, there is plenty within this book for all to heed and follow.
I would strongly recommend the book to anybody interested in getting their website "to the top on Google", you will learn a great deal, and will be able to take action based upon the guidance within the book.
However, go into this exercise with the awareness that it is a long game. You may read the book in just a few hours, but you will need to work persistently at your website's optimisation continuously to reach the top and stay there .........The prizes are Great. It is fiercely competitive. The web is continuously evolving. Your competitors will read this book too.
This is probably the best book on this subject that you can buy.
Take the first step, buy and read the book.
Then keep it next to your computer, keep dipping into it, follow its recommendations.
Then, be prepared to buy an updated version or follow-up next year, with more and new recommendations for you to implement!
The Mother of all SEO Books, 16 Jun 2008
I want to keep this short and sweet as copywriting is not my strong point. If you are looking for a book that spells out the key issues on SEO in an order that actually makes logical sense - then this is the book for you. Rather than a book full of information (although it is very informative) - its best used a step-by-step tool to any SEO project. I can understand why one of the reviewers read it twice.
I had purchased SEO for Dummies but that was really a 'bits n pieces' kind of book and left me unguided. This book follows a chronological path and makes you stick to it.
I shall be using it on every SEO project from now on.
5/5
Buy IT! BUY IT!, 19 May 2008
I have read this book from cover to cover TWICE!!! Then I bought my collegue a copy for his birthday so he wouldn't keep taking mine!!
This is full of practical knowledge to get you up and going and also a great reference book for the more knowledgable. BUY IT NOW!!! You wont be dissapointed!!
A book that covers EVERYTHING finally...., 15 May 2008
I have to admit, I couldn't wait for this book to come out so I purchased a few other before hand and wasn't too impressed! When the book arrived I said to myself that I would read it through once quickly and then go over it in more closely 2nd time round. Well, I just finished it for the 1st time and it took me 2 weeks LOL - I just had to test everything as soon as I read it!
This book is by far the best of 6 SEO books I have read (not going to name the others) - I can't recommend it enough, you will gain so much from reading it - right, i'm off to start it for the 2nd time - kudos to David Viney aka "LEGEND"
A must have for anyone who's serious about web analytics, 25 Sep 2008
Web analytics isn't about numbers, page views, hits and sessions. It's about discovering what your users want, what they're doing on your website, and how you can help them get to where they want to be. Avinash does a superb job of explaining this in his book, and if you're in any way serious about doing web analytics the right way, you need to get this book.
The best guide to actionable insights from data, 02 Nov 2007
Web Analytics is a must read because it learns you how to view analytics the right way.
One of the hardest part when first diving into analytics is figuring out how to focus on the right data - the data that tells you what is happening with your site.
One of the first questions Avinash gets you to focus on is: "What's the purpose of your web site?" Your analytics strategy should be very much aligned with the answer to this question.
With this attitude towards the data, we can "infer the intent" of the user - ultimately, inferring is the best you can do with this type of data. Inferences are important, as they will inform strategy. If the strategy is then met with improved performance of the site, your confidence in the data and its interpretation grows. If not, you should re-analyze and re-strategize. Early in the book, Avinash identifies this as your top priority in analytics. In fact, he says, "Is it a bit extreme to dump clickstream in favor of measuring outcomes first? Yes. Necessary? You bet."
The challenge is that the quality of the information available from your traditional web analytics tools is too poor for you to analyze outcome. In order to make sense of the data, we need broader research and analysis, so that we can find relationships between the different types of data, and infer meaning from them.
To achieve this, Avinash enriches the data with Focus group analysis, continuous surveys, multivariate testing, etc.
Avinash also integrates competitive intelligence in his interpretation of the data. Services such as comScore and Hitwise can provide direct information about what your customers are doing.
It is a great book that teaches you all this from the ground up, and goes into amazing detail. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Excelent book on on line marketing and web analitycs, 22 Sep 2007
Avinash has written a book that covers in depth everything related with web analytics from the perspective of an user centered web management and marketing. Excelent reference book to undestand what are users doing in your web in qualitative terms not just as a "clickstream" of numbers in a list.
A must if you want to learn what web analytics really is.
More than just analytics, this is a manual for customer focused web marketing, 24 Aug 2007
This is the best hands-on guide to web analytics and the importance of analytics to any on-line marketing project I have yet found.
The book balances both the high-level aspects of web analytics -- the philosophy, if you like -- with a huge amount of specific, practical, how-to information. It may seem like a big book, but I don't see how it could have been any shorter and still delivered so much.
Fortunately, it's an extremely readable book. I like the language and the style of the book. Avinash's enthusiasm for the subject comes singing out of the pages. He makes the subject seem fun and he sustains that over hundreds of pages. That's a remarkable achievement when you consider the length.
I have a shelf full of business or self-improvement books which try to make themselves readable and accessible by interjecting folksy anecdotes full of people with made up names every few pages. It's a very common approach. The result is often repetitious fluff. This book is very different. There is no padding of that kind: the examples given are all very clearly based on personal experience and are there for good reason. They are informative. They are not simply structural devices.
The language itself is also distinctive and entertaining. I believe that Avinash grew up listening to the BBC World Service. Although it's an American book, there are notes in the language which echoe a different world in a way which I find refreshing.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. One of my colleagues has a copy where most of the pages are thick with highlighter ink. The quality of information is that high. It really is that good. If you can buy only one book on the subject, this is the one to get.
Web Analytics: A must for ever web team, 01 Aug 2007
I'm not a web analyst. Nor am I a statistician. However I've just finished reading `Web Analytics: An Hour a Day' and I feel like I could do a pretty good job of the former without being daunted by the latter.
It all comes down to one concept - that of a data driven decision making culture. Or put another way, how to maximise the return on all your hard work. Avinash describes it wonderfully and provides lots of useful advice about how to achieve it.
If that sounds dull, fear not - Avinash does a much better job of making it interesting and exciting.
If you're a web analyst, you shouldn't need this review to convince you to buy the book - read some of Avinash's blog posts and you'll soon work it out for yourself. If you're not an analyst but you're involved in managing a website or sites you'll find it incredibly refreshing and useful (failing that make sure at least one person one your web team has read it).
Personally I can't recommend it highly enough. You don't have to read it cover to cover, and even the most experienced web professionals should find plenty to think about.
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Customer Reviews
What a good book, 05 Nov 2008
This is a really good book - informative and easy to follow and full of useful tips and know-how.
Welcome to the Magic Circle, 21 Jun 2008
Search Engine Optimisation has acquired a status which might be regarded similar to that of the magic circle:
It's secretive - only those in the circle really know the tricks
There's an element of magic - SEOs do things we don't understand
It's competitive - we all want to get to the top
It's closed - those within the circle do not disclose all the tricks
They even categorise their tricks as good and bad with the terms "white hat" and "black hat"
Well, in this excellent new book David Viney has let us all into the circle, and what we learn is that it's not magic!
However, I should like to follow that statement by immediately saying that it is plainly not easy either. Also, by the very nature of the fierce competition for the top spots, it will always be competitive, and you will always have to work at it.
What this particular magician sets out for us all here is a structure and a method which we might follow to improve our own success.
The author uses the analogy of cookery; there are ingredients, recipes to follow - and I would add, a great deal of time needed to be spent in the kitchen!!
You will be surprised to learn the breadth of things that you will need to do to be in with a competitive chance. The book covers the many factors that contribute to your ultimate success. I was surprised at just how many areas contribute to a site becoming successful, in 240 pages David Viney covers a lot of ground.
The title is so clever; Step 1 in David's plan focuses on finding the "phrases that pay", and sure enough, the title of his book is of course just one such example - nicely wraps-up in a phrase what the book is all about AND is what we are all searching for!
As other reviewers have written here, the book strikes an excellent balance in readability, suitable for reading and use by other professional SEOs and equally works very well for the novice.
The seven step procedure does categorise the areas of focus well, and does give a guide to chronology, but it's not his intention that you should remain in a step until you have done everything you possibly can, more that you need to do a wide number of things, and that over the longer period you will need to track back and forth through the steps and re-visit activities.
The book does a great job of illustrating the size of the market, the strength and importance of Google in that market, and the potential prizes available to the top of page one winners.
"Having your site in the top 10 is like having your store right on Main Street or near the entrance of the largest shopping mall in human history. Being outside the top 20 is like having a corner store on the very outskirts of town."
You should buy and read this book before building your website, probably even before naming you business. The tips within it on subjects such as targetting a niche, phrases that pay, finding and targeting keywords, domain names, hosting locations, etc. are all key considerations in the choices you should make in the very early days.
But there's no need to worry if you are already well into the life of your business and your website, there is plenty within this book for all to heed and follow.
I would strongly recommend the book to anybody interested in getting their website "to the top on Google", you will learn a great deal, and will be able to take action based upon the guidance within the book.
However, go into this exercise with the awareness that it is a long game. You may read the book in just a few hours, but you will need to work persistently at your website's optimisation continuously to reach the top and stay there .........The prizes are Great. It is fiercely competitive. The web is continuously evolving. Your competitors will read this book too.
This is probably the best book on this subject that you can buy.
Take the first step, buy and read the book.
Then keep it next to your computer, keep dipping into it, follow its recommendations.
Then, be prepared to buy an updated version or follow-up next year, with more and new recommendations for you to implement!
The Mother of all SEO Books, 16 Jun 2008
I want to keep this short and sweet as copywriting is not my strong point. If you are looking for a book that spells out the key issues on SEO in an order that actually makes logical sense - then this is the book for you. Rather than a book full of information (although it is very informative) - its best used a step-by-step tool to any SEO project. I can understand why one of the reviewers read it twice.
I had purchased SEO for Dummies but that was really a 'bits n pieces' kind of book and left me unguided. This book follows a chronological path and makes you stick to it.
I shall be using it on every SEO project from now on.
5/5
Buy IT! BUY IT!, 19 May 2008
I have read this book from cover to cover TWICE!!! Then I bought my collegue a copy for his birthday so he wouldn't keep taking mine!!
This is full of practical knowledge to get you up and going and also a great reference book for the more knowledgable. BUY IT NOW!!! You wont be dissapointed!!
A book that covers EVERYTHING finally...., 15 May 2008
I have to admit, I couldn't wait for this book to come out so I purchased a few other before hand and wasn't too impressed! When the book arrived I said to myself that I would read it through once quickly and then go over it in more closely 2nd time round. Well, I just finished it for the 1st time and it took me 2 weeks LOL - I just had to test everything as soon as I read it!
This book is by far the best of 6 SEO books I have read (not going to name the others) - I can't recommend it enough, you will gain so much from reading it - right, i'm off to start it for the 2nd time - kudos to David Viney aka "LEGEND"
A must have for anyone who's serious about web analytics, 25 Sep 2008
Web analytics isn't about numbers, page views, hits and sessions. It's about discovering what your users want, what they're doing on your website, and how you can help them get to where they want to be. Avinash does a superb job of explaining this in his book, and if you're in any way serious about doing web analytics the right way, you need to get this book.
The best guide to actionable insights from data, 02 Nov 2007
Web Analytics is a must read because it learns you how to view analytics the right way.
One of the hardest part when first diving into analytics is figuring out how to focus on the right data - the data that tells you what is happening with your site.
One of the first questions Avinash gets you to focus on is: "What's the purpose of your web site?" Your analytics strategy should be very much aligned with the answer to this question.
With this attitude towards the data, we can "infer the intent" of the user - ultimately, inferring is the best you can do with this type of data. Inferences are important, as they will inform strategy. If the strategy is then met with improved performance of the site, your confidence in the data and its interpretation grows. If not, you should re-analyze and re-strategize. Early in the book, Avinash identifies this as your top priority in analytics. In fact, he says, "Is it a bit extreme to dump clickstream in favor of measuring outcomes first? Yes. Necessary? You bet."
The challenge is that the quality of the information available from your traditional web analytics tools is too poor for you to analyze outcome. In order to make sense of the data, we need broader research and analysis, so that we can find relationships between the different types of data, and infer meaning from them.
To achieve this, Avinash enriches the data with Focus group analysis, continuous surveys, multivariate testing, etc.
Avinash also integrates competitive intelligence in his interpretation of the data. Services such as comScore and Hitwise can provide direct information about what your customers are doing.
It is a great book that teaches you all this from the ground up, and goes into amazing detail. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Excelent book on on line marketing and web analitycs, 22 Sep 2007
Avinash has written a book that covers in depth everything related with web analytics from the perspective of an user centered web management and marketing. Excelent reference book to undestand what are users doing in your web in qualitative terms not just as a "clickstream" of numbers in a list.
A must if you want to learn what web analytics really is.
More than just analytics, this is a manual for customer focused web marketing, 24 Aug 2007
This is the best hands-on guide to web analytics and the importance of analytics to any on-line marketing project I have yet found.
The book balances both the high-level aspects of web analytics -- the philosophy, if you like -- with a huge amount of specific, practical, how-to information. It may seem like a big book, but I don't see how it could have been any shorter and still delivered so much.
Fortunately, it's an extremely readable book. I like the language and the style of the book. Avinash's enthusiasm for the subject comes singing out of the pages. He makes the subject seem fun and he sustains that over hundreds of pages. That's a remarkable achievement when you consider the length.
I have a shelf full of business or self-improvement books which try to make themselves readable and accessible by interjecting folksy anecdotes full of people with made up names every few pages. It's a very common approach. The result is often repetitious fluff. This book is very different. There is no padding of that kind: the examples given are all very clearly based on personal experience and are there for good reason. They are informative. They are not simply structural devices.
The language itself is also distinctive and entertaining. I believe that Avinash grew up listening to the BBC World Service. Although it's an American book, there are notes in the language which echoe a different world in a way which I find refreshing.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. One of my colleagues has a copy where most of the pages are thick with highlighter ink. The quality of information is that high. It really is that good. If you can buy only one book on the subject, this is the one to get.
Web Analytics: A must for ever web team, 01 Aug 2007
I'm not a web analyst. Nor am I a statistician. However I've just finished reading `Web Analytics: An Hour a Day' and I feel like I could do a pretty good job of the former without being daunted by the latter.
It all comes down to one concept - that of a data driven decision making culture. Or put another way, how to maximise the return on all your hard work. Avinash describes it wonderfully and provides lots of useful advice about how to achieve it.
If that sounds dull, fear not - Avinash does a much better job of making it interesting and exciting.
If you're a web analyst, you shouldn't need this review to convince you to buy the book - read some of Avinash's blog posts and you'll soon work it out for yourself. If you're not an analyst but you're involved in managing a website or sites you'll find it incredibly refreshing and useful (failing that make sure at least one person one your web team has read it).
Personally I can't recommend it highly enough. You don't have to read it cover to cover, and even the most experienced web professionals should find plenty to think about.
This book is a must have if you want to understand AdWords, 11 Feb 2008
This book is both informative and fun. Howie Jacobson obviously knows Google AdWords inside and out. The layout is logical and the text easy to understand. It is a must have if you want to unleash the potential of Google AdWords to help your business in the world of eCommerce. If there is something about Google AdWords that you think is unclear or mysterious then this book removes the "mirrors and smoke". I wanted to give it six stars but that wasn't an option. So five stars plus is my rating!
Great Book, Good Knowlege, Great Read, 13 Jan 2008
I've read many books on pay per click (ppc) advertising and found book this by far the easiest to read/understand. It's well paced and has the human touch, felt more like a conversion than reading an AdWords manual.
Great book & even comes with a companion site for even more knowledge.
Entertaining as well as Informative, 10 Oct 2007
Who would have thought it was possible to make a book on Adwords as entertaining as this? Not only does this provide a How-To guide on setting up Google Adwords, it has some very sensible advice on more general marketing aspects. A really useful read for anyone who is getting involved with internet marketing and Adwords in particular, especially for the first time. Howie Jacobson's tone is encouraging throughout - you know he's used the techniques he's talking about and they worked for him. Best of all, he doesn't take himself too seriously.
There are links to other sources of useful information and tools included, which helps to make sure you'll have the most up-to-date information to hand.
The edition I bought even came with a voucher for Google Adwords although you have to set up a new account to use it.
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Customer Reviews
What a good book, 05 Nov 2008
This is a really good book - informative and easy to follow and full of useful tips and know-how.
Welcome to the Magic Circle, 21 Jun 2008
Search Engine Optimisation has acquired a status which might be regarded similar to that of the magic circle:
It's secretive - only those in the circle really know the tricks
There's an element of magic - SEOs do things we don't understand
It's competitive - we all want to get to the top
It's closed - those within the circle do not disclose all the tricks
They even categorise their tricks as good and bad with the terms "white hat" and "black hat"
Well, in this excellent new book David Viney has let us all into the circle, and what we learn is that it's not magic!
However, I should like to follow that statement by immediately saying that it is plainly not easy either. Also, by the very nature of the fierce competition for the top spots, it will always be competitive, and you will always have to work at it.
What this particular magician sets out for us all here is a structure and a method which we might follow to improve our own success.
The author uses the analogy of cookery; there are ingredients, recipes to follow - and I would add, a great deal of time needed to be spent in the kitchen!!
You will be surprised to learn the breadth of things that you will need to do to be in with a competitive chance. The book covers the many factors that contribute to your ultimate success. I was surprised at just how many areas contribute to a site becoming successful, in 240 pages David Viney covers a lot of ground.
The title is so clever; Step 1 in David's plan focuses on finding the "phrases that pay", and sure enough, the title of his book is of course just one such example - nicely wraps-up in a phrase what the book is all about AND is what we are all searching for!
As other reviewers have written here, the book strikes an excellent balance in readability, suitable for reading and use by other professional SEOs and equally works very well for the novice.
The seven step procedure does categorise the areas of focus well, and does give a guide to chronology, but it's not his intention that you should remain in a step until you have done everything you possibly can, more that you need to do a wide number of things, and that over the longer period you will need to track back and forth through the steps and re-visit activities.
The book does a great job of illustrating the size of the market, the strength and importance of Google in that market, and the potential prizes available to the top of page one winners.
"Having your site in the top 10 is like having your store right on Main Street or near the entrance of the largest shopping mall in human history. Being outside the top 20 is like having a corner store on the very outskirts of town."
You should buy and read this book before building your website, probably even before naming you business. The tips within it on subjects such as targetting a niche, phrases that pay, finding and targeting keywords, domain names, hosting locations, etc. are all key considerations in the choices you should make in the very early days.
But there's no need to worry if you are already well into the life of your business and your website, there is plenty within this book for all to heed and follow.
I would strongly recommend the book to anybody interested in getting their website "to the top on Google", you will learn a great deal, and will be able to take action based upon the guidance within the book.
However, go into this exercise with the awareness that it is a long game. You may read the book in just a few hours, but you will need to work persistently at your website's optimisation continuously to reach the top and stay there .........The prizes are Great. It is fiercely competitive. The web is continuously evolving. Your competitors will read this book too.
This is probably the best book on this subject that you can buy.
Take the first step, buy and read the book.
Then keep it next to your computer, keep dipping into it, follow its recommendations.
Then, be prepared to buy an updated version or follow-up next year, with more and new recommendations for you to implement!
The Mother of all SEO Books, 16 Jun 2008
I want to keep this short and sweet as copywriting is not my strong point. If you are looking for a book that spells out the key issues on SEO in an order that actually makes logical sense - then this is the book for you. Rather than a book full of information (although it is very informative) - its best used a step-by-step tool to any SEO project. I can understand why one of the reviewers read it twice.
I had purchased SEO for Dummies but that was really a 'bits n pieces' kind of book and left me unguided. This book follows a chronological path and makes you stick to it.
I shall be using it on every SEO project from now on.
5/5
Buy IT! BUY IT!, 19 May 2008
I have read this book from cover to cover TWICE!!! Then I bought my collegue a copy for his birthday so he wouldn't keep taking mine!!
This is full of practical knowledge to get you up and going and also a great reference book for the more knowledgable. BUY IT NOW!!! You wont be dissapointed!!
A book that covers EVERYTHING finally...., 15 May 2008
I have to admit, I couldn't wait for this book to come out so I purchased a few other before hand and wasn't too impressed! When the book arrived I said to myself that I would read it through once quickly and then go over it in more closely 2nd time round. Well, I just finished it for the 1st time and it took me 2 weeks LOL - I just had to test everything as soon as I read it!
This book is by far the best of 6 SEO books I have read (not going to name the others) - I can't recommend it enough, you will gain so much from reading it - right, i'm off to start it for the 2nd time - kudos to David Viney aka "LEGEND"
A must have for anyone who's serious about web analytics, 25 Sep 2008
Web analytics isn't about numbers, page views, hits and sessions. It's about discovering what your users want, what they're doing on your website, and how you can help them get to where they want to be. Avinash does a superb job of explaining this in his book, and if you're in any way serious about doing web analytics the right way, you need to get this book.
The best guide to actionable insights from data, 02 Nov 2007
Web Analytics is a must read because it learns you how to view analytics the right way.
One of the hardest part when first diving into analytics is figuring out how to focus on the right data - the data that tells you what is happening with your site.
One of the first questions Avinash gets you to focus on is: "What's the purpose of your web site?" Your analytics strategy should be very much aligned with the answer to this question.
With this attitude towards the data, we can "infer the intent" of the user - ultimately, inferring is the best you can do with this type of data. Inferences are important, as they will inform strategy. If the strategy is then met with improved performance of the site, your confidence in the data and its interpretation grows. If not, you should re-analyze and re-strategize. Early in the book, Avinash identifies this as your top priority in analytics. In fact, he says, "Is it a bit extreme to dump clickstream in favor of measuring outcomes first? Yes. Necessary? You bet."
The challenge is that the quality of the information available from your traditional web analytics tools is too poor for you to analyze outcome. In order to make sense of the data, we need broader research and analysis, so that we can find relationships between the different types of data, and infer meaning from them.
To achieve this, Avinash enriches the data with Focus group analysis, continuous surveys, multivariate testing, etc.
Avinash also integrates competitive intelligence in his interpretation of the data. Services such as comScore and Hitwise can provide direct information about what your customers are doing.
It is a great book that teaches you all this from the ground up, and goes into amazing detail. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Excelent book on on line marketing and web analitycs, 22 Sep 2007
Avinash has written a book that covers in depth everything related with web analytics from the perspective of an user centered web management and marketing. Excelent reference book to undestand what are users doing in your web in qualitative terms not just as a "clickstream" of numbers in a list.
A must if you want to learn what web analytics really is.
More than just analytics, this is a manual for customer focused web marketing, 24 Aug 2007
This is the best hands-on guide to web analytics and the importance of analytics to any on-line marketing project I have yet found.
The book balances both the high-level aspects of web analytics -- the philosophy, if you like -- with a huge amount of specific, practical, how-to information. It may seem like a big book, but I don't see how it could have been any shorter and still delivered so much.
Fortunately, it's an extremely readable book. I like the language and the style of the book. Avinash's enthusiasm for the subject comes singing out of the pages. He makes the subject seem fun and he sustains that over hundreds of pages. That's a remarkable achievement when you consider the length.
I have a shelf full of business or self-improvement books which try to make themselves readable and accessible by interjecting folksy anecdotes full of people with made up names every few pages. It's a very common approach. The result is often repetitious fluff. This book is very different. There is no padding of that kind: the examples given are all very clearly based on personal experience and are there for good reason. They are informative. They are not simply structural devices.
The language itself is also distinctive and entertaining. I believe that Avinash grew up listening to the BBC World Service. Although it's an American book, there are notes in the language which echoe a different world in a way which I find refreshing.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. One of my colleagues has a copy where most of the pages are thick with highlighter ink. The quality of information is that high. It really is that good. If you can buy only one book on the subject, this is the one to get.
Web Analytics: A must for ever web team, 01 Aug 2007
I'm not a web analyst. Nor am I a statistician. However I've just finished reading `Web Analytics: An Hour a Day' and I feel like I could do a pretty good job of the former without being daunted by the latter.
It all comes down to one concept - that of a data driven decision making culture. Or put another way, how to maximise the return on all your hard work. Avinash describes it wonderfully and provides lots of useful advice about how to achieve it.
If that sounds dull, fear not - Avinash does a much better job of making it interesting and exciting.
If you're a web analyst, you shouldn't need this review to convince you to buy the book - read some of Avinash's blog posts and you'll soon work it out for yourself. If you're not an analyst but you're involved in managing a website or sites you'll find it incredibly refreshing and useful (failing that make sure at least one person one your web team has read it).
Personally I can't recommend it highly enough. You don't have to read it cover to cover, and even the most experienced web professionals should find plenty to think about.
This book is a must have if you want to understand AdWords, 11 Feb 2008
This book is both informative and fun. Howie Jacobson obviously knows Google AdWords inside and out. The layout is logical and the text easy to understand. It is a must have if you want to unleash the potential of Google AdWords to help your business in the world of eCommerce. If there is something about Google AdWords that you think is unclear or mysterious then this book removes the "mirrors and smoke". I wanted to give it six stars but that wasn't an option. So five stars plus is my rating!
Great Book, Good Knowlege, Great Read, 13 Jan 2008
I've read many books on pay per click (ppc) advertising and found book this by far the easiest to read/understand. It's well paced and has the human touch, felt more like a conversion than reading an AdWords manual.
Great book & even comes with a companion site for even more knowledge.
Entertaining as well as Informative, 10 Oct 2007
Who would have thought it was possible to make a book on Adwords as entertaining as this? Not only does this provide a How-To guide on setting up Google Adwords, it has some very sensible advice on more general marketing aspects. A really useful read for anyone who is getting involved with internet marketing and Adwords in particular, especially for the first time. Howie Jacobson's tone is encouraging throughout - you know he's used the techniques he's talking about and they worked for him. Best of all, he doesn't take himself too seriously.
There are links to other sources of useful information and tools included, which helps to make sure you'll have the most up-to-date information to hand.
The edition I bought even came with a voucher for Google Adwords although you have to set up a new account to use it.
A good read if you are new to internet. That's all there is to it., 21 Oct 2008
If I get one good idea from each book I read, I'm quite happy.
This book truly has some good ideas like an analysis of the most over-used and under-meaningful phrases in PR. But apart from a handful of nice-to-knows this book is really disappointing. Too many pages for too few need-to-knows.
This book is probably good for newbies to online (and social) media (i.e. they who don't know what a blog is), but I certainly cannot recommend it for "advanced users".
For the former it's a nice kickstart, for the latter it's merely an overview of what you already know and hence a waste of precious time.
this is a bad boring book..., 30 Sep 2008
this book is really bad!! other than telling us that blogs are the new PR and that content is king, nothing is NEW, the book keeps repeating itself..i dont reccomend it to anyone!
Authoritative and eminently readable, 27 Aug 2008
Reputed consultant and keynote speaker David Meerman Scott hits the bull's eye with a timely, well-written and thoroughly enjoyable book that does just 'what it says on the tin'.
Full of relevant examples and in a conversational tone, Mr Meerman Scott reveals the new rules of PR and online marketing and shows how to engage in a meaningful dialogue with clients and stakeholders bypassing the traditional media stronghold on information.
Not to be missed.
Excellent resource for online marketing, 20 Aug 2008
My business targets pre-start ups, new businesses and established businesses and I have found this book extremely helpful in its extensive detail about the ever-increasing opportunities for companies to promote themselves online. If you have a limited marketing budget this book will give you lots of ideas which can be implemented at a manageable cost. As a marketing strategist who always insists on goal setting and target audience definition as a starting point for any business or business project, I particularly liked Section III, which deals with establishing organisational goals and identifying buyer personae for products and/or services. An excellent resource which is very relevant to the modern world of online marketing.
New lamps for old, 03 Mar 2008
There are some real gems and lots of good, solid, practical insights in this book. And I have to admit after some initial scepticism, this book is the first to provide me with real insight into how the Web, and blogging more specifically, can be used to aid PR and marketing strategies.
This said, I found Scott less good with the underpinning theory; he has a tendency to make a few too many assumptions and is a bit too loose with the generalisations. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself, as it can make the writing `pacy' and accessible. However, I would certainly take issue with the way he defines marketing. It's a pretty one-eyed view, and to make matters worse its advertising he focuses on in the list he draws up detailing its shortcomings. At the best of times resorting to `man of straw' arguments is dubious rhetoric, and initially this made me doubt the book's `authenticity' or thought leadership, as Scott would perhaps call it.
I would also argue that `interruption advertising' still has its place both of itself and when integrated into Web-based strategies. The creative variations of Cadbury's `Gorilla' advertisement on YouTube offer an intriguing insight to what can be achieved.
The issue I have with Scott's book is, that to begin, he is so concerned to argue the old marketing and PR rules are dead, that he dilutes the message about how the old and the new might be better integrated to deliver more effective communications, at whatever level of access. But by the end of the book, his more measured, thoughtful and practical approach had turned me around.
For me, Scott sums up his book in the following statement. The new publishing model on the Web is about. . . delivering content when and where it is needed and, in the process, branding you or your organization as a leader. When you understand your audience, those people who will become your buyers, you can craft an editorial and content strategy just for them. . . . In order to implement a successful strategy, think like a publisher.
Two final comments: understanding your audience is classic, `old marketing'. Secondly, thinking like a publisher is not exactly easy, but it's what conventional PR attempts to achieve when crafting messages for its audiences. So, let's be careful not throw out the baby with the bath water.
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Customer Reviews
What a good book, 05 Nov 2008
This is a really good book - informative and easy to follow and full of useful tips and know-how.
Welcome to the Magic Circle, 21 Jun 2008
Search Engine Optimisation has acquired a status which might be regarded similar to that of the magic circle:
It's secretive - only those in the circle really know the tricks
There's an element of magic - SEOs do things we don't understand
It's competitive - we all want to get to the top
It's closed - those within the circle do not disclose all the tricks
They even categorise their tricks as good and bad with the terms "white hat" and "black hat"
Well, in this excellent new book David Viney has let us all into the circle, and what we learn is that it's not magic!
However, I should like to follow that statement by immediately saying that it is plainly not easy either. Also, by the very nature of the fierce competition for the top spots, it will always be competitive, and you will always have to work at it.
What this particular magician sets out for us all here is a structure and a method which we might follow to improve our own success.
The author uses the analogy of cookery; there are ingredients, recipes to follow - and I would add, a great deal of time needed to be spent in the kitchen!!
You will be surprised to learn the breadth of things that you will need to do to be in with a competitive chance. The book covers the many factors that contribute to your ultimate success. I was surprised at just how many areas contribute to a site becoming successful, in 240 pages David Viney covers a lot of ground.
The title is so clever; Step 1 in David's plan focuses on finding the "phrases that pay", and sure enough, the title of his book is of course just one such example - nicely wraps-up in a phrase what the book is all about AND is what we are all searching for!
As other reviewers have written here, the book strikes an excellent balance in readability, suitable for reading and use by other professional SEOs and equally works very well for the novice.
The seven step procedure does categorise the areas of focus well, and does give a guide to chronology, but it's not his intention that you should remain in a step until you have done everything you possibly can, more that you need to do a wide number of things, and that over the longer period you will need to track back and forth through the steps and re-visit activities.
The book does a great job of illustrating the size of the market, the strength and importance of Google in that market, and the potential prizes available to the top of page one winners.
"Having your site in the top 10 is like having your store right on Main Street or near the entrance of the largest shopping mall in human history. Being outside the top 20 is like having a corner store on the very outskirts of town."
You should buy and read this book before building your website, probably even before naming you business. The tips within it on subjects such as targetting a niche, phrases that pay, finding and targeting keywords, domain names, hosting locations, etc. are all key considerations in the choices you should make in the very early days.
But there's no need to worry if you are already well into the life of your business and your website, there is plenty within this book for all to heed and follow.
I would strongly recommend the book to anybody interested in getting their website "to the top on Google", you will learn a great deal, and will be able to take action based upon the guidance within the book.
However, go into this exercise with the awareness that it is a long game. You may read the book in just a few hours, but you will need to work persistently at your website's optimisation continuously to reach the top and stay there .........The prizes are Great. It is fiercely competitive. The web is continuously evolving. Your competitors will read this book too.
This is probably the best book on this subject that you can buy.
Take the first step, buy and read the book.
Then keep it next to your computer, keep dipping into it, follow its recommendations.
Then, be prepared to buy an updated version or follow-up next year, with more and new recommendations for you to implement!
The Mother of all SEO Books, 16 Jun 2008
I want to keep this short and sweet as copywriting is not my strong point. If you are looking for a book that spells out the key issues on SEO in an order that actually makes logical sense - then this is the book for you. Rather than a book full of information (although it is very informative) - its best used a step-by-step tool to any SEO project. I can understand why one of the reviewers read it twice.
I had purchased SEO for Dummies but that was really a 'bits n pieces' kind of book and left me unguided. This book follows a chronological path and makes you stick to it.
I shall be using it on every SEO project from now on.
5/5
Buy IT! BUY IT!, 19 May 2008
I have read this book from cover to cover TWICE!!! Then I bought my collegue a copy for his birthday so he wouldn't keep taking mine!!
This is full of practical knowledge to get you up and going and also a great reference book for the more knowledgable. BUY IT NOW!!! You wont be dissapointed!!
A book that covers EVERYTHING finally...., 15 May 2008
I have to admit, I couldn't wait for this book to come out so I purchased a few other before hand and wasn't too impressed! When the book arrived I said to myself that I would read it through once quickly and then go over it in more closely 2nd time round. Well, I just finished it for the 1st time and it took me 2 weeks LOL - I just had to test everything as soon as I read it!
This book is by far the best of 6 SEO books I have read (not going to name the others) - I can't recommend it enough, you will gain so much from reading it - right, i'm off to start it for the 2nd time - kudos to David Viney aka "LEGEND"
A must have for anyone who's serious about web analytics, 25 Sep 2008
Web analytics isn't about numbers, page views, hits and sessions. It's about discovering what your users want, what they're doing on your website, and how you can help them get to where they want to be. Avinash does a superb job of explaining this in his book, and if you're in any way serious about doing web analytics the right way, you need to get this book.
The best guide to actionable insights from data, 02 Nov 2007
Web Analytics is a must read because it learns you how to view analytics the right way.
One of the hardest part when first diving into analytics is figuring out how to focus on the right data - the data that tells you what is happening with your site.
One of the first questions Avinash gets you to focus on is: "What's the purpose of your web site?" Your analytics strategy should be very much aligned with the answer to this question.
With this attitude towards the data, we can "infer the intent" of the user - ultimately, inferring is the best you can do with this type of data. Inferences are important, as they will inform strategy. If the strategy is then met with improved performance of the site, your confidence in the data and its interpretation grows. If not, you should re-analyze and re-strategize. Early in the book, Avinash identifies this as your top priority in analytics. In fact, he says, "Is it a bit extreme to dump clickstream in favor of measuring outcomes first? Yes. Necessary? You bet."
The challenge is that the quality of the information available from your traditional web analytics tools is too poor for you to analyze outcome. In order to make sense of the data, we need broader research and analysis, so that we can find relationships between the different types of data, and infer meaning from them.
To achieve this, Avinash enriches the data with Focus group analysis, continuous surveys, multivariate testing, etc.
Avinash also integrates competitive intelligence in his interpretation of the data. Services such as comScore and Hitwise can provide direct information about what your customers are doing.
It is a great book that teaches you all this from the ground up, and goes into amazing detail. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Excelent book on on line marketing and web analitycs, 22 Sep 2007
Avinash has written a book that covers in depth everything related with web analytics from the perspective of an user centered web management and marketing. Excelent reference book to undestand what are users doing in your web in qualitative terms not just as a "clickstream" of numbers in a list.
A must if you want to learn what web analytics really is.
More than just analytics, this is a manual for customer focused web marketing, 24 Aug 2007
This is the best hands-on guide to web analytics and the importance of analytics to any on-line marketing project I have yet found.
The book balances both the high-level aspects of web analytics -- the philosophy, if you like -- with a huge amount of specific, practical, how-to information. It may seem like a big book, but I don't see how it could have been any shorter and still delivered so much.
Fortunately, it's an extremely readable book. I like the language and the style of the book. Avinash's enthusiasm for the subject comes singing out of the pages. He makes the subject seem fun and he sustains that over hundreds of pages. That's a remarkable achievement when you consider the length.
I have a shelf full of business or self-improvement books which try to make themselves readable and accessible by interjecting folksy anecdotes full of people with made up names every few pages. It's a very common approach. The result is often repetitious fluff. This book is very different. There is no padding of that kind: the examples given are all very clearly based on personal experience and are there for good reason. They are informative. They are not simply structural devices.
The language itself is also distinctive and entertaining. I believe that Avinash grew up listening to the BBC World Service. Although it's an American book, there are notes in the language which echoe a different world in a way which I find refreshing.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. One of my colleagues has a copy where most of the pages are thick with highlighter ink. The quality of information is that high. It really is that good. If you can buy only one book on the subject, this is the one to get.
Web Analytics: A must for ever web team, 01 Aug 2007
I'm not a web analyst. Nor am I a statistician. However I've just finished reading `Web Analytics: An Hour a Day' and I feel like I could do a pretty good job of the former without being daunted by the latter.
It all comes down to one concept - that of a data driven decision making culture. Or put another way, how to maximise the return on all your hard work. Avinash describes it wonderfully and provides lots of useful advice about how to achieve it.
If that sounds dull, fear not - Avinash does a much better job of making it interesting and exciting.
If you're a web analyst, you shouldn't need this review to convince you to buy the book - read some of Avinash's blog posts and you'll soon work it out for yourself. If you're not an analyst but you're involved in managing a website or sites you'll find it incredibly refreshing and useful (failing that make sure at least one person one your web team has read it).
Personally I can't recommend it highly enough. You don't have to read it cover to cover, and even the most experienced web professionals should find plenty to think about.
This book is a must have if you want to understand AdWords, 11 Feb 2008
This book is both informative and fun. Howie Jacobson obviously knows Google AdWords inside and out. The layout is logical and the text easy to understand. It is a must have if you want to unleash the potential of Google AdWords to help your business in the world of eCommerce. If there is something about Google AdWords that you think is unclear or mysterious then this book removes the "mirrors and smoke". I wanted to give it six stars but that wasn't an option. So five stars plus is my rating!
Great Book, Good Knowlege, Great Read, 13 Jan 2008
I've read many books on pay per click (ppc) advertising and found book this by far the easiest to read/understand. It's well paced and has the human touch, felt more like a conversion than reading an AdWords manual.
Great book & even comes with a companion site for even more knowledge.
Entertaining as well as Informative, 10 Oct 2007
Who would have thought it was possible to make a book on Adwords as entertaining as this? Not only does this provide a How-To guide on setting up Google Adwords, it has some very sensible advice on more general marketing aspects. A really useful read for anyone who is getting involved with internet marketing and Adwords in particular, especially for the first time. Howie Jacobson's tone is encouraging throughout - you know he's used the techniques he's talking about and they worked for him. Best of all, he doesn't take himself too seriously.
There are links to other sources of useful information and tools included, which helps to make sure you'll have the most up-to-date information to hand.
The edition I bought even came with a voucher for Google Adwords although you have to set up a new account to use it.
A good read if you are new to internet. That's all there is to it., 21 Oct 2008
If I get one good idea from each book I read, I'm quite happy.
This book truly has some good ideas like an analysis of the most over-used and under-meaningful phrases in PR. But apart from a handful of nice-to-knows this book is really disappointing. Too many pages for too few need-to-knows.
This book is probably good for newbies to online (and social) media (i.e. they who don't know what a blog is), but I certainly cannot recommend it for "advanced users".
For the former it's a nice kickstart, for the latter it's merely an overview of what you already know and hence a waste of precious time.
this is a bad boring book..., 30 Sep 2008
this book is really bad!! other than telling us that blogs are the new PR and that content is king, nothing is NEW, the book keeps repeating itself..i dont reccomend it to anyone!
Authoritative and eminently readable, 27 Aug 2008
Reputed consultant and keynote speaker David Meerman Scott hits the bull's eye with a timely, well-written and thoroughly enjoyable book that does just 'what it says on the tin'.
Full of relevant examples and in a conversational tone, Mr Meerman Scott reveals the new rules of PR and online marketing and shows how to engage in a meaningful dialogue with clients and stakeholders bypassing the traditional media stronghold on information.
Not to be missed.
Excellent resource for online marketing, 20 Aug 2008
My business targets pre-start ups, new businesses and established businesses and I have found this book extremely helpful in its extensive detail about the ever-increasing opportunities for companies to promote themselves online. If you have a limited marketing budget this book will give you lots of ideas which can be implemented at a manageable cost. As a marketing strategist who always insists on goal setting and target audience definition as a starting point for any business or business project, I particularly liked Section III, which deals with establishing organisational goals and identifying buyer personae for products and/or services. An excellent resource which is very relevant to the modern world of online marketing.
New lamps for old, 03 Mar 2008
There are some real gems and lots of good, solid, practical insights in this book. And I have to admit after some initial scepticism, this book is the first to provide me with real insight into how the Web, and blogging more specifically, can be used to aid PR and marketing strategies.
This said, I found Scott less good with the underpinning theory; he has a tendency to make a few too many assumptions and is a bit too loose with the generalisations. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself, as it can make the writing `pacy' and accessible. However, I would certainly take issue with the way he defines marketing. It's a pretty one-eyed view, and to make matters worse its advertising he focuses on in the list he draws up detailing its shortcomings. At the best of times resorting to `man of straw' arguments is dubious rhetoric, and initially this made me doubt the book's `authenticity' or thought leadership, as Scott would perhaps call it.
I would also argue that `interruption advertising' still has its place both of itself and when integrated into Web-based strategies. The creative variations of Cadbury's `Gorilla' advertisement on YouTube offer an intriguing insight to what can be achieved.
The issue I have with Scott's book is, that to begin, he is so concerned to argue the old marketing and PR rules are dead, that he dilutes the message about how the old and the new might be better integrated to deliver more effective communications, at whatever level of access. But by the end of the book, his more measured, thoughtful and practical approach had turned me around.
For me, Scott sums up his book in the following statement. The new publishing model on the Web is about. . . delivering content when and where it is needed and, in the process, branding you or your organization as a leader. When you understand your audience, those people who will become your buyers, you can craft an editorial and content strategy just for them. . . . In order to implement a successful strategy, think like a publisher.
Two final comments: understanding your audience is classic, `old marketing'. Secondly, thinking like a publisher is not exactly easy, but it's what conventional PR attempts to achieve when crafting messages for its audiences. So, let's be careful not throw out the baby with the bath water.
Detailed and Relevant, 17 Jul 2008
If you are working in online marketing and not taking web analytics seriously then it's time to do so. Brian's book is a good way to get started with one of the most popular, and cost effective (it's free), web analytics solutions around.
The book reflects Brian's extensive knowledge of the Google Analytics package and provides clear and practical techniques for using the product. It is useful either as self study material or as part of a more formal training course and something I would certainly recommend to delegates attending our own Google Analytics classes.
Highly Recommended, 18 May 2008
I've been running Google Analytics on a number of web sites since it was first released in 2005. I've got a lot of good information out of it, but I've always suspected that I'm not using it to its full potential. Having read this book I now have a much better idea of what I'm missing and, more importantly, how I can put that right.
Brian Clifton has written a really useful guide to getting the most benefit out of Google's free web analytics system. He is, of course, well-placed to do that as he leads the Google Analytics team for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Part one is a good overview of web analytics is. Chapter one explains what web analytics is and what you can get out of it. Chapter two goes into more detail about the method that people use to analyse their web site traffic and chapter three introduces Google Analytics and explains where it fits into the web analytics landscape.
Part two gives an introduction to using Google Analytics. Chapter four looks at the interface to Google Analytics. This chapter gives the reader a good free for the interactivity of the Google Analytics interface. It's this interactivity that makes Google Analytics far easier to use than many of its competitors. Chapter five looks in more depth at ten of the reports that the system generates. By the end of this chapter I was already learning new little tips about the system.
Part three is about implementing Google Analytics on your web site. chapter six shows you how to tag your web pages so they are included in your reports. This is about as far as my Google Analytics knowledge goes. So chapter seven introduces ways to customise the Google Javascript code in order to have more control over what data is recorded, it was all new (and very interesting). For example, the chapter has techniques for measuring page load time and tracking outgoing links. Chapter eight is all about Google Analytics best practices and is full of the kinds of tips that only an expert in using the tool would be able to share with you. Having read this chapter I configured up some of my sites to track search queries and set up more goals on my sites. Chapter nine is called "Google Analytics Hacks" and is a really useful cookbook of tips and techniques for getting even more out of Google Analytics. Top of my list of things to implement from this chapter is to add tracking to all of my error pages.
The sections we've discussed so far have all been about generating as much useful data about your web site traffic as possible. But, of course, huge piles of data don't do you any good at all unless you can make some sense of the data and then act on your findings. This is what part four is about. Chapter ten offers some useful hints on how to make sense of all of the data you have collected. Clifton looks at a web site from a number of points of view (sales, marketing, web content creator and webmaster) and for each of them suggests a number of key performance indicators that will be of interest to them. He then shows how to construct these KPIs out of the data that Google Analytics has captured. Chapter eleven moves on to the next stage and looks a number of real-world examples where data from Google Analytics can be used to identify poor performance from areas of a web site and suggests ways to improve matters.
I'm no web analytics expert and, to be honest, some of the stuff in part four made my eyes glaze over a little. But my company doesn't rely on its web site for income so I've never had to worry about the number of visitors I get or how long they spend on the site. Web analytics has really just been a hobby for me. If I was in a company where those kinds of things were important, then I feel confident that this book would be the right one to turn to in order to learn more. This book certainly goes into more depth when talking about both the technical side of Google Analytics and how to interpret the data than any other book I've read on the subject.
This book has taught me a lot of new and interesting things about Google Analytics and I feel sure that I'll be going back to it in the future when I need to know more. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to get the most out of their Google Analytics installation.
A book providing instant ROI, 29 Apr 2008
It only took me three evenings to read this book. This book is catchy, it has coherency and is very well written. It contains numerous tips and has a lot of clarifying images.
Don't expect the full story about web analytics and how to interpret figures and metrics provided by Google Analytics. And I guess this wasn't the true purpose of the book. Web Analytics is quite difficult. It can't be explained on paper.
But you can surely expect an excellent in-depth overview of Google Analytics and how to properly collect and find actionable data in the generated reports.
After a first reading, this book remains highly valuable. I'm sure I will use it a lot as a reference book (with a handy index). Therefore, I suggest a hard cover for the next issue. A special edition for the fans?
If you're interested in the measurement side of online marketing, this book is highly advised. I've you like to learn more, if not everything about the Web Analytics power tool of Google, this book is a must read. You will not regret it.
It is a recipe for a growing enthusiasm for Google Analytics and Web Analytics. Brian Clifton gives you a long enduring ROI with his book. Five thumbs up for that!
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Customer Reviews
What a good book, 05 Nov 2008
This is a really good book - informative and easy to follow and full of useful tips and know-how.
Welcome to the Magic Circle, 21 Jun 2008
Search Engine Optimisation has acquired a status which might be regarded similar to that of the magic circle:
It's secretive - only those in the circle really know the tricks
There's an element of magic - SEOs do things we don't understand
It's competitive - we all want to get to the top
It's closed - those within the circle do not disclose all the tricks
They even categorise their tricks as good and bad with the terms "white hat" and "black hat"
Well, in this excellent new book David Viney has let us all into the circle, and what we learn is that it's not magic!
However, I should like to follow that statement by immediately saying that it is plainly not easy either. Also, by the very nature of the fierce competition for the top spots, it will always be competitive, and you will always have to work at it.
What this particular magician sets out for us all here is a structure and a method which we might follow to improve our own success.
The author uses the analogy of cookery; there are ingredients, recipes to follow - and I would add, a great deal of time needed to be spent in the kitchen!!
You will be surprised to learn the breadth of things that you will need to do to be in with a competitive chance. The book covers the many factors that contribute to your ultimate success. I was surprised at just how many areas contribute to a site becoming successful, in 240 pages David Viney covers a lot of ground.
The title is so clever; Step 1 in David's plan focuses on finding the "phrases that pay", and sure enough, the title of his book is of course just one such example - nicely wraps-up in a phrase what the book is all about AND is what we are all searching for!
As other reviewers have written here, the book strikes an excellent balance in readability, suitable for reading and use by other professional SEOs and equally works very well for the novice.
The seven step procedure does categorise the areas of focus well, and does give a guide to chronology, but it's not his intention that you should remain in a step until you have done everything you possibly can, more that you need to do a wide number of things, and that over the longer period you will need to track back and forth through the steps and re-visit activities.
The book does a great job of illustrating the size of the market, the strength and importance of Google in that market, and the potential prizes available to the top of page one winners.
"Having your site in the top 10 is like having your store right on Main Street or near the entrance of the largest shopping mall in human history. Being outside the top 20 is like having a corner store on the very outskirts of town."
You should buy and read this book before building your website, probably even before naming you business. The tips within it on subjects such as targetting a niche, phrases that pay, finding and targeting keywords, domain names, hosting locations, etc. are all key considerations in the choices you should make in the very early days.
But there's no need to worry if you are already well into the life of your business and your website, there is plenty within this book for all to heed and follow.
I would strongly recommend the book to anybody interested in getting their website "to the top on Google", you will learn a great deal, and will be able to take action based upon the guidance within the book.
However, go into this exercise with the awareness that it is a long game. You may read the book in just a few hours, but you will need to work persistently at your website's optimisation continuously to reach the top and stay there .........The prizes are Great. It is fiercely competitive. The web is continuously evolving. Your competitors will read this book too.
This is probably the best book on this subject that you can buy.
Take the first step, buy and read the book.
Then keep it next to your computer, keep dipping into it, follow its recommendations.
Then, be prepared to buy an updated version or follow-up next year, with more and new recommendations for you to implement!
The Mother of all SEO Books, 16 Jun 2008
I want to keep this short and sweet as copywriting is not my strong point. If you are looking for a book that spells out the key issues on SEO in an order that actually makes logical sense - then this is the book for you. Rather than a book full of information (although it is very informative) - its best used a step-by-step tool to any SEO project. I can understand why one of the reviewers read it twice.
I had purchased SEO for Dummies but that was really a 'bits n pieces' kind of book and left me unguided. This book follows a chronological path and makes you stick to it.
I shall be using it on every SEO project from now on.
5/5
Buy IT! BUY IT!, 19 May 2008
I have read this book from cover to cover TWICE!!! Then I bought my collegue a copy for his birthday so he wouldn't keep taking mine!!
This is full of practical knowledge to get you up and going and also a great reference book for the more knowledgable. BUY IT NOW!!! You wont be dissapointed!!
A book that covers EVERYTHING finally...., 15 May 2008
I have to admit, I couldn't wait for this book to come out so I purchased a few other before hand and wasn't too impressed! When the book arrived I said to myself that I would read it through once quickly and then go over it in more closely 2nd time round. Well, I just finished it for the 1st time and it took me 2 weeks LOL - I just had to test everything as soon as I read it!
This book is by far the best of 6 SEO books I have read (not going to name the others) - I can't recommend it enough, you will gain so much from reading it - right, i'm off to start it for the 2nd time - kudos to David Viney aka "LEGEND"
A must have for anyone who's serious about web analytics, 25 Sep 2008
Web analytics isn't about numbers, page views, hits and sessions. It's about discovering what your users want, what they're doing on your website, and how you can help them get to where they want to be. Avinash does a superb job of explaining this in his book, and if you're in any way serious about doing web analytics the right way, you need to get this book.
The best guide to actionable insights from data, 02 Nov 2007
Web Analytics is a must read because it learns you how to view analytics the right way.
One of the hardest part when first diving into analytics is figuring out how to focus on the right data - the data that tells you what is happening with your site.
One of the first questions Avinash gets you to focus on is: "What's the purpose of your web site?" Your analytics strategy should be very much aligned with the answer to this question.
With this attitude towards the data, we can "infer the intent" of the user - ultimately, inferring is the best you can do with this type of data. Inferences are important, as they will inform strategy. If the strategy is then met with improved performance of the site, your confidence in the data and its interpretation grows. If not, you should re-analyze and re-strategize. Early in the book, Avinash identifies this as your top priority in analytics. In fact, he says, "Is it a bit extreme to dump clickstream in favor of measuring outcomes first? Yes. Necessary? You bet."
The challenge is that the quality of the information available from your traditional web analytics tools is too poor for you to analyze outcome. In order to make sense of the data, we need broader research and analysis, so that we can find relationships between the different types of data, and infer meaning from them.
To achieve this, Avinash enriches the data with Focus group analysis, continuous surveys, multivariate testing, etc.
Avinash also integrates competitive intelligence in his interpretation of the data. Services such as comScore and Hitwise can provide direct information about what your customers are doing.
It is a great book that teaches you all this from the ground up, and goes into amazing detail. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Excelent book on on line marketing and web analitycs, 22 Sep 2007
Avinash has written a book that covers in depth everything related with web analytics from the perspective of an user centered web management and marketing. Excelent reference book to undestand what are users doing in your web in qualitative terms not just as a "clickstream" of numbers in a list.
A must if you want to learn what web analytics really is.
More than just analytics, this is a manual for customer focused web marketing, 24 Aug 2007
This is the best hands-on guide to web analytics and the importance of analytics to any on-line marketing project I have yet found.
The book balances both the high-level aspects of web analytics -- the philosophy, if you like -- with a huge amount of specific, practical, how-to information. It may seem like a big book, but I don't see how it could have been any shorter and still delivered so much.
Fortunately, it's an extremely readable book. I like the language and the style of the book. Avinash's enthusiasm for the subject comes singing out of the pages. He makes the subject seem fun and he sustains that over hundreds of pages. That's a remarkable achievement when you consider the length.
I have a shelf full of business or self-improvement books which try to make themselves readable and accessible by interjecting folksy anecdotes full of people with made up names every few pages. It's a very common approach. The result is often repetitious fluff. This book is very different. There is no padding of that kind: the examples given are all very clearly based on personal experience and are there for good reason. They are informative. They are not simply structural devices.
The language itself is also distinctive and entertaining. I believe that Avinash grew up listening to the BBC World Service. Although it's an American book, there are notes in the language which echoe a different world in a way which I find refreshing.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. One of my colleagues has a copy where most of the pages are thick with highlighter ink. The quality of information is that high. It really is that good. If you can buy only one book on the subject, this is the one to get.
Web Analytics: A must for ever web team, 01 Aug 2007
I'm not a web analyst. Nor am I a statistician. However I've just finished reading `Web Analytics: An Hour a Day' and I feel like I could do a pretty good job of the former without being daunted by the latter.
It all comes down to one concept - that of a data driven decision making culture. Or put another way, how to maximise the return on all your hard work. Avinash describes it wonderfully and provides lots of useful advice about how to achieve it.
If that sounds dull, fear not - Avinash does a much better job of making it interesting and exciting.
If you're a web analyst, you shouldn't need this review to convince you to buy the book - read some of Avinash's blog posts and you'll soon work it out for yourself. If you're not an analyst but you're involved in managing a website or sites you'll find it incredibly refreshing and useful (failing that make sure at least one person one your web team has read it).
Personally I can't recommend it highly enough. You don't have to read it cover to cover, and even the most experienced web professionals should find plenty to think about.
This book is a must have if you want to understand AdWords, 11 Feb 2008
This book is both informative and fun. Howie Jacobson obviously knows Google AdWords inside and out. The layout is logical and the text easy to understand. It is a must have if you want to unleash the potential of Google AdWords to help your business in the world of eCommerce. If there is something about Google AdWords that you think is unclear or mysterious then this book removes the "mirrors and smoke". I wanted to give it six stars but that wasn't an option. So five stars plus is my rating!
Great Book, Good Knowlege, Great Read, 13 Jan 2008
I've read many books on pay per click (ppc) advertising and found book this by far the easiest to read/understand. It's well paced and has the human touch, felt more like a conversion than reading an AdWords manual.
Great book & even comes with a companion site for even more knowledge.
Entertaining as well as Informative, 10 Oct 2007
Who would have thought it was possible to make a book on Adwords as entertaining as this? Not only does this provide a How-To guide on setting up Google Adwords, it has some very sensible advice on more general marketing aspects. A really useful read for anyone who is getting involved with internet marketing and Adwords in particular, especially for the first time. Howie Jacobson's tone is encouraging throughout - you know he's used the techniques he's talking about and they worked for him. Best of all, he doesn't take himself too seriously.
There are links to other sources of useful information and tools included, which helps to make sure you'll have the most up-to-date information to hand.
The edition I bought even came with a voucher for Google Adwords although you have to set up a new account to use it.
A good read if you are new to internet. That's all there is to it., 21 Oct 2008
If I get one good idea from each book I read, I'm quite happy.
This book truly has some good ideas like an analysis of the most over-used and under-meaningful phrases in PR. But apart from a handful of nice-to-knows this book is really disappointing. Too many pages for too few need-to-knows.
This book is probably good for newbies to online (and social) media (i.e. they who don't know what a blog is), but I certainly cannot recommend it for "advanced users".
For the former it's a nice kickstart, for the latter it's merely an overview of what you already know and hence a waste of precious time.
this is a bad boring book..., 30 Sep 2008
this book is really bad!! other than telling us that blogs are the new PR and that content is king, nothing is NEW, the book keeps repeating itself..i dont reccomend it to anyone!
Authoritative and eminently readable, 27 Aug 2008
Reputed consultant and keynote speaker David Meerman Scott hits the bull's eye with a timely, well-written and thoroughly enjoyable book that does just 'what it says on the tin'.
Full of relevant examples and in a conversational tone, Mr Meerman Scott reveals the new rules of PR and online marketing and shows how to engage in a meaningful dialogue with clients and stakeholders bypassing the traditional media stronghold on information.
Not to be missed.
Excellent resource for online marketing, 20 Aug 2008
My business targets pre-start ups, new businesses and established businesses and I have found this book extremely helpful in its extensive detail about the ever-increasing opportunities for companies to promote themselves online. If you have a limited marketing budget this book will give you lots of ideas which can be implemented at a manageable cost. As a marketing strategist who always insists on goal setting and target audience definition as a starting point for any business or business project, I particularly liked Section III, which deals with establishing organisational goals and identifying buyer personae for products and/or services. An excellent resource which is very relevant to the modern world of online marketing.
New lamps for old, 03 Mar 2008
There are some real gems and lots of good, solid, practical insights in this book. And I have to admit after some initial scepticism, this book is the first to provide me with real insight into how the Web, and blogging more specifically, can be used to aid PR and marketing strategies.
This said, I found Scott less good with the underpinning theory; he has a tendency to make a few too many assumptions and is a bit too loose with the generalisations. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself, as it can make the writing `pacy' and accessible. However, I would certainly take issue with the way he defines marketing. It's a pretty one-eyed view, and to make matters worse its advertising he focuses on in the list he draws up detailing its shortcomings. At the best of times resorting to `man of straw' arguments is dubious rhetoric, and initially this made me doubt the book's `authenticity' or thought leadership, as Scott would perhaps call it.
I would also argue that `interruption advertising' still has its place both of itself and when integrated into Web-based strategies. The creative variations of Cadbury's `Gorilla' advertisement on YouTube offer an intriguing insight to what can be achieved.
The issue I have with Scott's book is, that to begin, he is so concerned to argue the old marketing and PR rules are dead, that he dilutes the message about how the old and the new might be better integrated to deliver more effective communications, at whatever level of access. But by the end of the book, his more measured, thoughtful and practical approach had turned me around.
For me, Scott sums up his book in the following statement. The new publishing model on the Web is about. . . delivering content when and where it is needed and, in the process, branding you or your organization as a leader. When you understand your audience, those people who will become your buyers, you can craft an editorial and content strategy just for them. . . . In order to implement a successful strategy, think like a publisher.
Two final comments: understanding your audience is classic, `old marketing'. Secondly, thinking like a publisher is not exactly easy, but it's what conventional PR attempts to achieve when crafting messages for its audiences. So, let's be careful not throw out the baby with the bath water.
Detailed and Relevant, 17 Jul 2008
If you are working in online marketing and not taking web analytics seriously then it's time to do so. Brian's book is a good way to get started with one of the most popular, and cost effective (it's free), web analytics solutions around.
The book reflects Brian's extensive knowledge of the Google Analytics package and provides clear and practical techniques for using the product. It is useful either as self study material or as part of a more formal training course and something I would certainly recommend to delegates attending our own Google Analytics classes.
Highly Recommended, 18 May 2008
I've been running Google Analytics on a number of web sites since it was first released in 2005. I've got a lot of good information out of it, but I've always suspected that I'm not using it to its full potential. Having read this book I now have a much better idea of what I'm missing and, more importantly, how I can put that right.
Brian Clifton has written a really useful guide to getting the most benefit out of Google's free web analytics system. He is, of course, well-placed to do that as he leads the Google Analytics team for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Part one is a good overview of web analytics is. Chapter one explains what web analytics is and what you can get out of it. Chapter two goes into more detail about the method that people use to analyse their web site traffic and chapter three introduces Google Analytics and explains where it fits into the web analytics landscape.
Part two gives an introduction to using Google Analytics. Chapter four looks at the interface to Google Analytics. This chapter gives the reader a good free for the interactivity of the Google Analytics interface. It's this interactivity that makes Google Analytics far easier to use than many of its competitors. Chapter five looks in more depth at ten of the reports that the system generates. By the end of this chapter I was already learning new little tips about the system.
Part three is about implementing Google Analytics on your web site. chapter six shows you how to tag your web pages so they are included in your reports. This is about as far as my Google Analytics knowledge goes. So chapter seven introduces ways to customise the Google Javascript code in order to have more control over what data is recorded, it was all new (and very interesting). For example, the chapter has techniques for measuring page load time and tracking outgoing links. Chapter eight is all about Google Analytics best practices and is full of the kinds of tips that only an expert in using the tool would be able to share with you. Having read this chapter I configured up some of my sites to track search queries and set up more goals on my sites. Chapter nine is called "Google Analytics Hacks" and is a really useful cookbook of tips and techniques for getting even more out of Google Analytics. Top of my list of things to implement from this chapter is to add tracking to all of my error pages.
The sections we've discussed so far have all been about generating as much useful data about your web site traffic as possible. But, of course, huge piles of data don't do you any good at all unless you can make some sense of the data and then act on your findings. This is what part four is about. Chapter ten offers some useful hints o | | |