It had to happen sooner or later... Google brings the power of Search to eCommerce!

Why oh Why eBay, did you not think of That!

Hmmmm - maybe eBay can sign up for Google Commerce Search and scrap this whole "finding" experiment... Maybe with Google Search installed on eBay.com, the term Best Match might actually mean that the best product matching the search terms entered will be presented.

Oh - what a novel idea - Actually allowing the person doing the search to determine what it is they are searching for...

But I Digress - eBay and Google burned bridges long ago and ever since that time, Google has grown stronger while eBay - well we all know where eBay's numbers are - in the hands of PayPal!

So... what is Google Commerce Search anyway? (Get most of the scoop at this link Google Support)

Evidently Google has a few tricks up their collective sleeves...

Google is making it easier than ever to improve search in your own online store

From Google:

How it Works

Once you've signed up for Google Commerce Search, your site administrator will follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Submit your product data to the Google Merchant Center and Google Product Search. Visit www.google.com/merchants to upload your items via data feeds, direct uploads, or use our API.

Step 2: Customize the look and feel of your on-site search engine. Log into the administrative console to manage product promotions, upload synonym dictionaries, and control parametric search options.

Step 3: Analyze your site's traffic and search effectiveness. View custom reports on top queries, special feature usage and more.

Benefits

Search is a critical part of the shopping experience; in fact, 71% of online shoppers use keyword searches to find products (eTailing Group). Google Commerce Search addresses this need by offering an easy-to-deploy solution with Google speed and relevancy.

Increase your website conversions -- and sales

The average conversion rates of retail sites is barely 3% (Forrester). Yet, with effective tactics, retailers can achieve a much higher conversion rate. For instance, the top 10 visitor-to-buyer conversion rates ranged from 16% to 45% (Nielsen Online). Effective search can bridge this gap considerably: customers who use the search box on e-commerce sites convert at nearly three times the rate of general browsers (MarketingSherpa).

Increase customer lifetime value

Forrester projects that 47% of online retailer revenue comes from repeat shoppers. By enhancing shopper experience, Google Commerce Search can improve customer loyalty, and ultimately increase customer lifetime value.

Deploy within days

Google Commerce Search is an entirely hosted, software-as-a-service offering. You simply upload your product information to Google Merchant Center, and Google Commerce Search intelligently leverages the product feed and provides your website with search capabilities.

Easy to scale

With Google Commerce Search, you are leveraging the powerful Google platform: the speed, relevance, reliability, and certainly scalability. As your customer base grows, you can scale your search solution effortlessly - without adding any servers or other infrastructure.

Add features -- without upgrading

By deploying a Software-as-a-Service solution, you'll be able to enjoy the ever-growing number of Google features and updates automatically, without any sort of deployment or upgrade on your end.

Measure and streamline

Retailers who excel at understanding and responding to usage metrics are able to improve conversion rates by as much as 24%, while less responsive companies' conversions tend to stay flat (Jupiter Research). Google Commerce Search provides you advanced reporting tools to measure and streamline - so you can maximize the effectiveness of your website.

What it Wont Do:

Using Google Commerce Search will not improve your rankings within Google Product Search or in Google.com searches. Google Commerce Search will allow you to promote and order your product listings when users search for items on your website.

Links are what makes the Internet work, and links are what make your website grow.

There are many ways to collect links to your sites, some easy, some not so easy.

• Beg for links from everyone you know (how long is that list? people you know with ranked websites that are relevant to your own website?)
• Cruise the Internet chat rooms and discussion boards, posting messages and creating links back with your signature in these posts (Most likely marked No Follow by the discussion board webmaster)
• Offer a link exchange - Ok if you know the other website or blog owner, but not usually too effective with ranked sites with any real Google Juice and Google will actually deduct from your page rank score if you have too many reciprocal links on your site. One way links are best for you.
• Join a Web Link Echange Ring - alright, these have been around since Moby Dick was a minnow - some swear by them but I have heard that Google really frowns upon collecting links for your site this way, and if Google does not like it, I don't do it.
• - Sometimes this can get you in trouble, unless it is done right. and to do it right you need to have a strategy and you should know more than what is promoted in link exchange groups.
• - Offers education in the form of a free guide to link buying which explains more than just why you should buy your links through Text Link Ads.  I have read it and I was impressed with the amount of real education included in this guide which is offered with for trying the service.

I have tried the old fashioned methods of web rings and I have gone through all of the can't miss super affiliate long sales letter "Systems" for building links and page rank and ultimately traffic and I know there are very few easy or free ways to build up traffic to a site besides old fashioned content generation (some say free - I say valuable) and a well placed and yes - monetized link building plan.

Excerpt from the Link Buying Guide

Buying links through a service like is not all that expensive when you consider the time you will not have to waste on building these links through other means.  Do yourself a favor and check out this method of link building, it could just increase your sales and the effects of building up page rank are long term.

Established eBay sellers know the importance of selecting the right "keywords" for the titles of auctions and store listings within eBay.  While most eBay sellers may not be aware of the work eBay does "behind the scenes" to make sure each and every one of your listings is optimised throughout the Internet. The work that eBay does assures eBay Stores sellers are the beneficiaries of one of the most effective SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) tools available today. That tool is eBay. Read More....

As I was working on this blogs transition to our own hosting and a new wordpress theme... to: www.allbusinessauctions.com/blog ....

I started to think about all of the businesses in the world who could benefit by blogging. I came to the conclusion that there is not a single business I am familiar with which could not benefit by establishing a company blog...

Blogs are simply an amazing way to get your name and information recognized throughout the world. There are many reasons why blogs are beneficial...

• Fastest way to get your site indexed by the search engines
• Best way to increase your rankings in the search engines - fresh content is king
• Gives your audience (customers) a feel for what you do and how you do it. Write your blog as though you were talking directly to your customers.
• Quickest way to get your new information, idea, products known in the world.

If you have not really caught on to the "blogosphere" thing yet, don't think your too late because blogging is still in it's infancy and your company still has time to get in to the mix.

While our blog story here at All Business Auctions may not be typical... and I can not promise your company will have the same experience when establishing a blog... I would like to share a quick run down or the positive results we have experienced since starting this free wordpress.com blog less than 90 days ago.

1. Learned volumes about the blogosphere and how a single post in a wordpress blog can be indexed by google in less than 12 hours.
2. Gained recognition among like minded business owners in our field.
3. Became known as a source of information by major news organizations. (blog post: Quoted in the New York Times technology section).
4. Gained international business inquiries through blogging about relevant news in our field. (Inquiry about eBay Stores design work from Romania)
5. Won a small blogging award - first place SEOLogs blog contest
6. Broadened our company appeal by detailing just a few of the services we can provide and simply writing about the benefits of those services.
7. With the move to our own hosting and attaching the blog to our AllBusinessAuctions.com website we will increase the exposure for our company and increase the traffic on our Joomla based website. Fresh relevant content is indexed quickly in the search engines and is the most powerful for SEO tool in the toolbox.

I could increase the list above but after only 90 days online with a "free" wordpress.com blog, I think these are significant points.

Should you look into blogging for your business? While some people blog as a business your company or small business could benefit greatly by blogging for business.

It's a whole lot less expensive than pay per click advertising, or the yellow pages and may not replace either for your business needs... But unlimited indexed content with your company name attached, could not hurt!

Does your business use eBay as a tool?

This may seem like an odd term for the largest online sales producer on the planet... but in reality, no matter how large or small your business is, eBay is an effective and often under utilized tool.

eBay is not the only tool in your marketing toolbox and even though it is a very effective device, eBay should not be the only tool your company uses to generate online sales. Other tools are more familiar, website marketing, Google Adwords, Amazon.com to name a few.

But why should any business consider using eBay as a part of their online marketing plan? - Numbers - Search - Rankings - Sales - All of the Above

Look at eBay's numbers, they are well publicized, and immediately you will understand the best possible place to be when your goal is to gain exposure for your firm. With over 230 million registered users and sales figures, even in an off year, which are staggering, the plain truth is that eBay is the 500 lb gorilla in the room when it comes to online sales.

Search - No other single expenditure can yield as much exposure and rankings in search engines than a focused eBay Stores campaign. When eBay spends 4 Billion dollars of their own money to provide AdWords campaign exposure for its sellers, how can your company leave that money on the table by not participating?

Rankings - When your products, blog posts, item descriptions and other related links are combined with an organized and focused eBay stores program, your own website rankings will rise faster and farther than you could possibly expect with simple SEO optimization.

Sales - An effective, well organized and detailed eBay Stores program is a proven sales producer. We would be remiss to not mention the fact that even if any single eBay stores program did not result in any sales or profit whatsoever (highly unlikely) the benefits listed above in search engine rankings, paid (by eBay) search, and just plain worldwide exposure in the form of Internet advertising of your brand and your products... Any costs associated with an eBay stores marketing campaign can be easily offset by the amazing benefits associated with the program.

EBay is an amazing venue for online sales and for online advertising.  If your business is looking for the highest return on an online advertising budget, you should consider using the power of eBay and eBay Stores.

* Key to a global and local eBay marketing strategy
* Essential to take advantage of global branding & marketing opportunities
* Greater exposure for brand & products
* Increases ancillary sales

EBay Stores are an essential part of any online marketing plan.  An eBay store provides exposure which is unrivaled in the marketplace.  With an eBay Store set up correctly through All Business Auctions, you are not only selling product, you are gaining exposure in ways which were unattainable by small businesses until eBay provided this opportunity.
With an eBay store your brand and identity is tied to the products you offer on eBay.  Your buyers will gain confidence in the items you offer because your store on eBay will have a consistent theme and will show you are a real business and not a home based fly by night venture.  With an eBay stores account and our graphic design department the stability of your business will be projected on every item you offer for sale.

Ebay Stores offer competitive advantages that simple eBay auction style listings lack and as a business you should take advantage of every aspect of eBay and eBay stores.

Included with any eBay Stores account:

* Multiple eBay web pages available for use
* Shopping environment which increases consumer confidence
* Additional search engine exposure
* Longer exposure for inventory items (up to 365 days per year – 24 hours per day!)
* Greater access to eBay Express
* Up-selling opportunities – Increase Ancillary Sales
* Display all your auction and fixed price listings from your own, customizable web store with built in access to traffic
* Low monthly fees starting at $15.95 a month
* Marketing and merchandising tools to help drive traffic to your eBay Store
* Advanced business tools to help you track and analyze your eBay Store's performance
* In addition to auction and fixed price listings for 1, 3, 7 or 10 day durations, eBay Store sellers can list in fixed price for 30 days or leave their items up until sold or cancelled - at a reduced fee

See eBay’s tutorial and description of eBay stores here:

http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/content/stores.html

Let's begin by pointing out one of the major advantages of owning your own eBay store...

eBay Store “Me”  or About the Seller Page

Put simply, the “Me” page of your eBay store is your chance to tell your customer about you and your business.

And… It is actually quite a bit more.

There is no better deal in website marketing than the eBay “Me” Page. For the price of an eBay store account you can have one of the most effective online marketing and click producing engines on the planet working for you 24 hours per day.

Here’s the reason:

Trying search engine optimization (SEO)  to get your web page to the top of search engines is almost impossible. Working on your own to get your website e-commerce store to show up could be a long and grueling road.

What if there was some magical way to shortcut all the hard work and get your name to the top of the search engines? There may not be a magic pill for SEO but there is one secret weapon very few business owners consider -  eBay “Me” pages.

Think about it, how many times have you searched for a product and found eBay pages in the results. Let's look at an example:

Type in, "Dolphin Hat" or any other seemingly obscure product in Google.

The results will invariably include eBay ads on the first page of the results. The seller may not even have a “Me” page and look how well placed the ads are.

Just think how well placed a search engine optimized (SEO) eBay “Me” page would do.

Why do eBay pages rank so highly?

eBay links and pages hold a lot of weight in search engines. eBay pays Google over 4 Billion a year for adword marketing. And eBay has done a majority of the search engine optimization (SEO) work for eBay store owners. All Business Auctions knows how to put that eBay marketing power to work for our clients.

Good design

The first step in search engine optimization (SEO)  for your “me” page and eBay store is good design. Lets say someone clicks on your “me” page which they found in their search for “Dolphin Hats”. If they click on your link and end up on some poorly designed page, they are just going to hit the back button and move on.  You need to coordinate the look of your eBay listing template, the eBay “Me” page and any other eBay pages (My World, etc…) with your website design and they all should look professional.

Adding content

Search engines love fresh content, Adding content without the “Me” page ending up with the look of an encyclopedia is where the skill of our web design department comes in.  Make it fresh and exciting and the search engines will like it, make it interesting and your buyers will love it!

Keywords
The backbone to any search engine optimization (SEO) campaign is good keywords and phrases. A key word is the term people use to find you through search engines. You probably use them daily with out even knowing it. Almost anything you type into a search engine is a keyword.

Key words and phrases are how search engines know what your website is about and how relevant it is to a search request.

One of the reasons that eBay store owners consider this to be one of the most important pages in their store is because it is the ONLY page that eBay allows you to include links to outside sources on. So, if in addition to your eBay store, you run a website, this is your one chance to direct eBay shoppers to your site. Why is this so desirable? Because when people buy directly off your website, you don't have to pay eBay's listing and selling fees. And you can take advantage of cross marketing efforts we will detail for you when you become a client. Or you may check our resources pages on the iBusinessLogic website.

eBay, in conjunction with an eBay store and your own website, present or future, is a whole toolbox full of marketing tools available to any business wise enough to use them.   There are multiple methods of generating traffic to your website or e-commerce outlet and eBay is simply one of those methods.  albeit a very intriguing and profitable one, of utilized in the right fashion.

For more information Call 727-596-6900 iBusinessLogic/All Business Auctions