Using Motion Charts to Improve Your SEO Keyword Targeting

September 29th, 2011 posted by Doug Anderson 12:08PM | View Full Story

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I love to look at visual representations of my analytics data whenever possible. Line graphs, pie charts, scatter charts…they all do a pretty good job of presenting data in a relational way. But wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to visualize your data and then interact directly with the results over time to dynamically discover unique patterns and trends? Well, you’re in luck because there is! It’s a powerful feature within Google Analytics called motion charts.

Google Analytics - Motion Chart

Motion Chart plotting Visits, Bounce Rate, E-commerce Conversion Rate & Revenue

Motion charts allow for the analysis of large amounts of data across several parameters and provide a powerful way to visualize that data in five dimensions (x-axis, y-axis, size and color of dots representing data points, and time). In fact, technically, it’s even possible to increase the chart to deal with eight dimensions if you select combination metrics (e.g., conversion rate, bounce rate, and pages per visit).

Now for those of you who have some advanced experience using Google Analytics, the value of motion charts may not be that big of a revelation…after all, it’s been an available feature of Google Analytics for some time now. But for the rest of you, motion charts can be a valuable tool in search marketing as it helps to point out some critical data patterns and relationships you might otherwise have overlooked.

What metrics to use on the motion chart?

You’ll want to first understand the objectives as it relates to your website and thereby the metrics that should be used to measure and improve upon these objectives. The other area to determine is whether your site is an e-commerce site or not. E-commerce sites make interpreting the data a little bit more intuitive because you’re dealing with metrics such as e-commerce conversion rate and revenue as it relates back to keywords that are either paid, non-paid (organic) or both.

Below, we’ll look at an e-commerce scenario where we may want to observe traffic-driving keywords which have the best conversion rates along with pointing out areas to improve on regarding keyword optimization.

We’ll start by navigating to the Keywords report under the Traffic Sources of Google Analytics. From there, we have the option of setting some parameters such as the keyword medium (whether or not we want to view paid keywords, non-paid (organic) keywords, or both), time range, the number of keywords to include (defined here as rows – the more rows you include the greater number of points on your motion chart), and any filtering options (useful when you want to analyze branded keywords exclusive from non-branded keywords).

Once you’re ready, simply click on the “Visualize” button in the upper left area of the report. Google Analytics will then generate the motion chart accordingly. It’s important to keep in mind that the motion chart data is defined from the report where it was initiated…in the case of our example, that’s the Keywords report.

Click the Visualize button to access the motion charts

Click the Visualize button to access the motion charts

Next, we’ll set the x-axis to show us Bounce Rate and the y-axis to show us Visits. The size of the dot should represent Revenue while the color of the dot should be set to represent the E-commerce Conversion Rate.

NOTE: If e-commerce tracking is not enabled for your site, you won’t see related metrics such as E-commerce Conversion Rate and Revenue. Instead you may want to set the size of the dot to be Per Visit Goal Value and the color of the dot to be Goal Conversion Rate.

What can our metrics show us?

The Visits metric simply shows the amount of visits for each keyword.

Bounce Rate shows the percentage of bounces for each keyword. This is very helpful since it can help demonstrate whether or not a keyword matches the expectation a user might have when they arrive on your landing page. In addition, by analyzing bounce rate trends for keywords, we get a feel for landing pages that may be under-performing.

  • WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Here you’ll want to look for dots that are plotted farther along the x-axis…especially ones that are large or red.
  • WHAT TO IMPROVE: You’ll want to optimize the landing pages for these particular keywords.

E-commerce/Goal Conversion Rate shows your keyword conversion rate and this is important to plot because it can point out keywords that are highly converting but that aren’t receiving a high level of traffic.

  • WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Look for small, red dots located close to the x-axis as these are the keywords which should get the most attention from any optimization efforts.
  • WHAT TO IMPROVE: Increase these keywords’ exposure on your website and focus on these within any of your PPC campaigns.

Revenue/Per Visit Goal Value shows the amount of money each keyword drives to your website.

  • WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The large, blue dots are the ones to focus on here as that indicates that while the keyword brings a decent level of revenue to your site, if converting better, it could bring even more.
  • WHAT TO IMPROVE: Optimize the pages related to these keywords in order to improve the conversion.

TIP: Check the boxes next to any of the keywords on the right side of the chart to enable Google Analytics to tag their respective dots for a quick and easy way to pick them out of the crowd.

Earlier, I mentioned there was a fifth dimension, “Time.” Well, here’s the cool part of the motion chart (as if motion charts weren’t already cool) and how it gets its name. Below the chart is a slider that allows you to view the data interactively as it relates to time (based on the date range you set for your report). Move this slider from left to right and you’ll begin to see how your keywords do over the data range you’ve set. This adds some very interesting layers to the patterns and trends you’ll be able to discern. For example, if you notice the conversion rate for a certain keyword goes up during a particular time of the year, you may want to consider investing more PPC dollars for that keyword during that time period.

TIP: Check the “Trails” checkbox in the lower-right corner of the chart to maintain a visual path of each selected dot as it moves through your timeline.

For those of you who hadn’t yet discovered the power of utilizing motion charts to better analyze data and reveal previously unnoticed patterns and trends, I hope this has helped convince you of their value as another go-to tool in your ongoing SEO improvement efforts. And keep in mind that motion charts are available for most reports within Google Analytics that show tables. So now get out there and improve your SEO keyword targeting…Happy charting!

Posted in Analytics

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10 things users need to know about Facebook Timeline

September 28th, 2011 posted by Trevin Shirey 12:08PM | View Full Story

(Note: September 29, 2011 is no longer Facebook Timeline day. A lawsuit involving the name “Timeline” has delayed the full launch. – ts)

September 29, 2011 is Facebook Timeline day. The new layout for the social networking giant will be pushed live to all users and the Internet as we know it is probably going to change forever.

Timeline marks the biggest update to Facebook’s design ever and considering the backlash the Facebook team receives for even the smallest of changes, I won’t be surprised if the reaction to Timeline reaches never-before-seen levels of vitriol. Already, their blog post announcing Timeline has been trolled to oblivion and the introduction video already has over 2,000 dislikes on YouTube.

Despite the predictable hoopla, Facebook users with the developer app enabled have had the new profile for around a week now and got a jumpstart on other users. I have 240 friends on Facebook. Only 9 have started using Timeline. I’ve been using it for almost a week now and have come away mostly impressed with the changes.

For the sake of my 231 friends and millions of other Facebook users who have no clue what Timeline is, here’s a list of 10 things you need to know about Facebook Timeline before Facebook’s D-Day on September 29.

1. Cover photos are breathtaking

 

One of the drawbacks to Facebook’s old designs was the lack of personalization. Giving all profiles the same basic look was a big upgrade from the eyesore that Myspace turned into, but letting users make their profiles their own was a needed upgrade. Cover photos add an emotional and personal touch to each profile without letting things get out of control.

As mentioned in their F8 Conference, one of Facebook’s main goals now is to increase user engagement with the site. Huge, personal photos on prominent areas of the site are going to increase the emotional ties and nostalgia that Facebook offers. It’s one of the best additions that Timeline offers.

2. You can jam with your friends

Despite a gigantic user base with millions of music fans, Facebook has never really taken of advantage of their reach in the music realm. Timeline changes that. Facebook now integrates with dozens of the most popular music apps including Rdio, Spotify and Soundcloud. Apps have the ability to publish which songs you are listening to onto your feed in real-time. If 10 of your friends are listening to the new Blink 182 album, for example, Facebook will let you know about it. There’s also a music page that tracks your most played albums, songs and artists each month and all-time.

Facebook Music is Last.FM meets music streaming sites. And it’s awesome.

3. About those crazy college photos…

photo by andres rodriguez

One of the keys to the Timeline design is a year-by-year breakdown of your posts to Facebook and easy access to historical data. Facebook gave a sneak peek of this feature by beginning to integrate “On this day” posts several months ago. It only takes a click to look at every single one of someone’s posts from 2009, for example, which can be good and bad. It’s interesting to see what I was posting in college and a lot of awesome memories came flooding back when I scrolled through my old posts. There are, however, a lot of things that people will regret posting. Even seeing photos of of you and an ex from a few years ago can be pretty awkward. One of the nice things about the old Facebook design is that it was easy to forget about what you posted a year or even a month ago. Timeline brings all of that back in a major way. Be prepared to spend some time tidying up your Timeline.

4. Add important ‘life events’ to your Timeline

There is a new series of built-in updates tailored specifically to major life events. Instead of posting a status update about a new job, a graduation or a new pet, you can use one of Facebook’s integrated options. This is a cool way to track and graph out major events, but some of the options are definitely a little creepy. Facebook has integrated updates for “Lost a loved one” and “Had a surgery.” I’m sure some people will make use of these, but, for me, some major life events are a little too personal to highlight on Facebook.

5. Some sharing is now done automatically


This is one of the biggest changes to Facebook. In the past, if users listened to a song or read an article that they enjoyed, they would have to browse over to Facebook and manually share the link. Not anymore. Facebook integrates with a lot of web apps and news sites to automatically share what you are listening or reading, for example. Yahoo! News has already integrated this feature and you can expect to see it on most major content sites. Music apps like Rdio and Spotify have the automatic sharing live, as well.

It’s important to note that you have to give the application permission to publish automatically. You won’t see posts on your profile if you simply head to news.yahoo.com and start reading. It’s a feature that users have control over. If you and several of your friends have it enabled, however, it adds a social layer to online media consumption that no one has seen before.

6. Facebook wants to see your baby picture.

Yes, the Timeline goes the whole way back to your day of birth and Facebook even prompts you to upload your baby picture. This is great for those people who say, “Oh, if only I had Facebook as a one year old!” Be prepared to see a bunch of baby photos of your friends. It’s not just baby photos you can publish though. You can add posts instead to any date. Everybody can look back and see you hitting that big home run in Little League or watch your first dance recital.

7. “Old Facebook” is back…sort of

photo by soleio cuervo

A lot of the concepts in Facebook Timeline are similar to a project Facebook’s team worked on in 2004/2005 called Social Timeline. The yearbook-like organization and highlighting of important events are present in both designs. Maybe now everybody will stop clamoring for the “old Facebook?” Hey, a guy can dream!

8. ‘Feature’ your important updates

The new Timeline design features 2-columns to show all of your updates. But Facebook lets you click the “star” to feature the updates that are most important to you. This causes them to span both columns and is a great way to share your most memorable events and photographs. Older designs of Facebook didn’t offer a way to designate more important updates or photos. Timeline allows you to separate these must-see updates from the pack.

9. Location, location, location

Remember all of the check-ins you made on Facebook places? They now have a prominent place right on the top of your Facebook profile. The new Bing-integrated maps show all of your location check-ins, geo-tagged photos and any other updates with a location attached to them. By featuring maps alongside friends, tagged photos and likes, Facebook is encouraging users to not only “check in” but to add the location of a status update, a photo, a video or an event.

10. Facebook is always going to push the envelope

The safe move for Facebook would be to limit major design changes and, in general, steer clear of anything that could ruffle the feathers of their 800 million active users. Their strategy is the opposite of this. Regardless of whether you agree with it or not, Mark Zuckerberg has a grander vision of the social web and he’s not afraid to make enormous changes to further his cause.

The 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning won a Stanley Cup by following the motto “safe is death.” They won a championship by being aggressive on the ice, taking risks at every turn and creating organized every night. Facebook seems to be following the same strategy. If they get complacent and fail to update their concept and product, they risk being caught by Google or an up-and-coming social startup with a brand new way to socialize online. While I don’t agree with Facebook’s constant tracking of data and am not comfortable with some of their data mining, it is refreshing to see a large and already successful company continue to aggressively press forward and try new things.

 

What are your thoughts on Facebook Timeline and the new features?

 

Posted in Social Networking

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Top 10 iPhone apps for SEOs

September 22nd, 2011 posted by Trevin Shirey 12:08PM | View Full Story

Like a lot of Internet marketers, I try to get away from the computer and do a decent amount of traveling on the weekends. My iPhone is often my only method for staying updated on my client’s campaigns and the SEO industry in general.

Here’s a list of my go-to iPhone apps that I have put together over the last year or so. Feel free to chime in with any others you use in the comments.

Name

About

Price

1AnalyticShows quick snapshot of Google AnalyticsFree
2iRankTracks up to 10 keyword rankings; historical dataFree/Paid
3DomainStormGreat brainstorming tool for new domain namesFree
4AllFacebook StatsTrack/compare the performance of your FB pagesFree/Paid
5TwitterBest way to stay connected with industry newsFree
6TLD LookupComprehensive list of all TLDs + countryFree
7SEO AutomaticProvides quick on-page analysis; server down oftenFree/Paid
8iSEO ToolsShows Whois, robots.txt, source code, rankings and moreFree
9ReederMy favorite Google Reader app$2.99
10SenseEarnMonitor data from your AdSense campaigns$3.99

 

Posted in Search Engine Optimization

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10 Fundamental Conversion Rate Optimization Tips

September 20th, 2011 posted by Gina Menario 12:08PM | View Full Story

If your website receives plenty of traffic, but those visitors don’t do what you want them to do, then this post is for you!  Use these 10 fundamental conversion rate optimization tips to get more out of your website.

Every site as a goal – it’s an action its users should take. The action can be as simple as viewing a certain page. Popular actions include downloading a document, submitting a contact form or purchasing a product. When a user completes a desired action, it’s known as a conversion.

Most sites convert only 1-3% of its visitors. Why don’t the other 97% convert too? Maybe they are not in the purchasing stage of the buying cycle or maybe they found the information they were seeking. But most likely, they do not trust the site enough to conduct the action.

Use these 10 tips to build more trust with your users, gain more conversions, and experience more business through your website.

1. Have credible content with a professional look.

What web user is going to trust a site with typos or broken links? Make sure that your web copy is grammatically correct. Double check that all links work and bring users to the right page. Take advantage of web site conventions and ensure that your site logo always links to the homepage. A fresh and professional design helps too.

2. Maintain scent.

fundraiser page

Fundraising Page

Scent refers to the site-wide consistency of page location, colors, graphics and words when it comes to special content. With visually consistent content, a user is more likely to see the content and trust it. Inconsistent content could confuse a user. For example, this fundraiser page uses a third party site for donations. We customized the donation site to maintain as much scent as possible from the homepage. If you were on this fundraising page and went to donate, would you be more likely to trust the original donations page or the customized one?

bad donations page

Original Donations Page

good donations page

Customized Donations Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Reinforce offers site-wide.

Web-pages contain a lot of content, so many visitors just skim a page. They may miss the content you want them to see. If you think something is important (a free brochure to download or 25% off all products) include it on every page. Do this especially with e-commerce sites and do not forget to include the offer on the shopping cart page. If a user goes to checkout, but no longer sees anything about “free shipping” that cart will be abandoned in seconds.

4. Provide all contact information.

People need to know that there is a reputable person on the other side of their computer screen, not a scam. Show that you are legitimate. Provide a physical address, phone number and email address. This also tells your visitors that you’re accessible to help with any issues.

5. Utilize point of action assurances.

Communicate guarantees, return policies and safe shopping credibility. Also, offer alternative methods of transactions such as phone orders or paypal for users who do not feel comfortable ordering online via credit card.

6. Communicate reciprocation.

When users convert they provide you with something: contact information, revenue, leads, etc. What will you provide users in return? Always convey what users will get if they convert. Ideas:

Action: Receive:

Sign up for email newsletter  =  Coupons, expert advice, latest news, etc
Submit contact form  =  A response within 24 hours
Sign up for account  =  A free trial
Buy a product  =  24/7 product assistance

 

7. Frame choices.

Choice paralysis occurs when a user is given too many options and they become overwhelmed and  confused. With more options, users spend a considerable amount of more time during the selection process and become “paralyzed.” Prevent choice paralysis by framing choices. Here are some good examples:

framing exampleexample of framing

8. Convey scarcity.

When something is limited, it appears to be more valuable. Make sure to include text that conveys scarcity, such as:

“Hurry! Only 4 more left.”

“Hurry! Limited Downloads Available”

“Available for a limited time only!”

9. Demonstrate social proof.

Humans strive to meet social expectations. To fit in with the crowd, we judge what’s normal by observing other people’s behavior. Convince users that converting on your site is a normal behavior. Convey statistics, such as, “Downloaded by 1 million people!” Show what other customers bought who viewed similar products; this might spark interest in an additional item for users to add to their shopping carts. Most importantly, display reviews and testimonials so users can receive feedback from experiences of previous purchasers.

10. Show authority.

Testimonials can also be used to express authority. People are more likely to act on information that is conveyed by an expert. Show them that you’re the expert in the industry by displaying client and customer testimonials and their logos.

By following these tips, you’ll be sure to convert more users. But of course the basics must be in place: substantial traffic, an easy to use site and appropriate content. Want to learn how your site fairs? We offer a one-time conversion analysis.

Now it’s your turn to share. What works best for you? How does your site convince users to convert?

Posted in Web Design

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5 Link Bait Lessons from The Tipping Point

September 8th, 2011 posted by Shane Jones 12:08PM | View Full Story

the tippoing point book cover
[photo by jeremy page]

Nearly everyone has been the victim of typical teenage drama.  Remember those times in high school when Johnny so and so kissed Kate behind the football stadium?  In a matter of minutes news of the kiss was spreading from clique to clique, from the marching band to the cheerleaders, until everyone knew about the scandalous kiss.  From notes passed in class, to whispers and giggles at the lunch tables, word spreads like an infectious disease, informing even the most remote social bystanders of the act that occurred behind the stadium.  There is a certain mystery to how news seems to spread so fast in high school; a certain quality that makes rumors and behavior spread exponentially.  And it’s something I’d like to recreate over the Internet.

Over my summer vacation, I finished reading a brilliant book entitled, The Tipping Point, written by Malcolm Gladwell.  “The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips and spreads like wildfire.”

Despite the relaxing sounds of the ocean waves and the beautiful scenery, I did exactly what any workaholic would do: I began to think about work.

But to be fair, as a link builder, how am I supposed to ignore this secret recipe that could promise viral link bait success?  I mean, The Tipping Point isn’t directly about SEO or Linkbuilding in particular, but it still explains the necessary factors towards creating viral content that may catch the same social attention as Johnny and Kate’s scandalous kiss!

So without further ado, here are the key ingredients to Internet success!

Lessons 1 – 3: The Law of the Few

These are must have personality types to help your content go viral.

1. Connectors

Connectors are those with a special gift for bringing the world together. These individuals have an extraordinary ability to make new friends and acquaintances, and more importantly introduce others to them. It is the Connectors that broadcast the trends to individuals far and wide, through their vast social interactions, and whom we rely upon to connect us with other people.

In the world of SEO, this highlights the importance of having relationships with bloggers who have a strong readership or those friends with thousands of Twitter followers.  People like Lady Gaga could be considered Connectors with the largest following on Twitter over any other celebrity.

2. Mavens

“A Maven is a socially motivated person who has information on a lot of different products, prices, or places.  This person likes to initiate discussions with consumers and respond to requests.”  Mavens are individuals that want to help, for no other reason than personal enjoyment, and because of this attitude, they are extremely effective at getting the attention of others, and being taken seriously.

Again, this is why we as link builders rely so much on our relationships with bloggers — especially for niche categories. Usually, readers make their daily rounds to their favorite sites to learn and experience. They trust the information that comes from their “bookmarked” sites and favorite bloggers.   One example of a Maven would be SEO wiz Rand Fishkin who provides tons of valuable advice, simply because he hopes to help the industry gain a more reputable standing.

3. Salesmen

But Connectors and Mavens simply aren’t enough.  Both personalities lack the ability to persuade.  For a social epidemic to start, Salesmen are need.  This select group of people has the ability to persuade us when we are skeptical.  “Connectors are the social glue: they spread it.  Mavens are data banks.  They provide the message. And Salesmen, convince people to act.”

Consider Apple’s (now ex) CEO.  Steve Jobs is a natural salesman.  With every product presentation he is able to convince millions to purchase the newest, most expensive gadgets, with no track record, on a whim.

Lesson 4: The “Stickiness Factor”

It is the Law of the Few that makes a message spread.  However, the content of the message matters as well.  Gladwell refers to how memorable a message is and whether it can spur someone to action as “stickiness.”  For instance, the bestselling author relates back to the story involving Paul Revere.  It is with the phrase “The British are coming” that Revere started an epidemic.  However, if he had instead decided to ride across the land at midnight to inform people of a sale on mugs at his silversmith shop, he could not have convinced the entire Massachusetts countryside to come to his store.

This “Stickiness Factor” highlights the importance of content.  Only if you try to provide real knowledge and benefit in your blog posts, articles or social interaction will your content really gain attention.  I try to focus my content by always thinking about how I can improve the Internet for individuals. You can gain so much more SEO value by spending the time to create good content than you can by writing a mediocre article and using an article spinner to duplicate hundreds more.

Lesson 5: The Power of Context

This principle suggests that epidemics are sensitive to the conditions of its environment.  Therefore, the circumstances of the times and places in which they occur have to be just right.  Again, in terms of Paul Revere, because the warning ride occurred at midnight, individuals were a lot easier to reach.  The townspeople were all at home in their beds, rather than working in the fields or running errands.  And because someone is waking us up in the middle of the night to speak of news, individuals will always assume it is urgent.  Gladwell jokes, “one can only imagine how ‘Paul Revere’s afternoon ride’ might have compared.”

This all revolves around choosing the right avenue to send your material.  If you are writing great articles on social media, you obviously don’t want to publish them on cooking websites.  Context is extremely important.  You won’t reach interested individuals by providing your link bait on irrelevant sites.  Focusing on the niche areas where individuals are already looking to find similar information to your content is key! You can also utilize Google Trends and Twitter hashtags to discover the most current popular topics of conversation for your content.

Lessons Learned

“The Law of the Few states that there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics.  All you have to do is find them.  The lesson of stickiness is the same.  There is a simple way to package information that can make it irresistible.  All you have to do is find it… With the slightest push – in just the right place” – the INTERNET can be tipped.

Now go out there and try to recreate these same principles and let me know of your success rate! Also consider this: Are you a Connector?  A Maven? Or a Salesman?

Posted in Link Building

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Save Squats for the Gym, Not the Internet

September 1st, 2011 posted by Lauren Frankel 12:08PM | View Full Story

cybersquatter

No, I’m not implying that there is a way to work out while surfing the web, but that would be pretty cool (and a goldmine for late night infomercials). I am referring to the practice of cybersquatting, which is a far cry from the strength-training, muscle-building, leg-aching exercises you see at the gym.

Cybersquatting refers to the bad faith practice of purchasing domain names with the intent to profit from the goodwill of a preexisting personality. Specifically, cybersquatters buy up domain names that incorporate references to existing businesses, celebrities, athletes, and political figures with the purpose of selling the domain names to those parties for a hefty profit.

Note: For the safety of all parties, cybersquatting should not happen at the gym. And if Amy Winehouse’s father, the White House, Madonna and countless other personalities and businesses losing millions from squatting had their way, it wouldn’t happen on the internet either.

After the sudden death of his daughter just last month, Mitch Winehouse—father of the late Amy Winehouse—planned to start “The Amy Winehouse Foundation” to help young people suffering from substance abuse. However, just hours after announcing his charitable intentions at her funeral, Winehouse’s plans were halted. Even if he created the foundation, he would not be able to have an online presence because almost any relevant domain names were already purchased.

With the desire to make a quick buck, only mere hours after Mr. Winehouse’s announcement, Martin McCann purchased several domain names incorporating variations of “The Amy Winehouse Foundation.” McCann ultimately offered to sell the domain names to the grieving father for an inflated amount. (One can only assume that Mr. Winehouse responded to the offer of sale with a resounding “No! No! No!”)  On account of McCann’s cybersquatting, Mr. Winehouse sees no option but to delay pursuing his philanthropic mission and return the generous checks he received after announcing his plans for The Amy Winehouse Foundation. McCann remains unapologetic and justifies his actions by saying people should “detach from emotions and think business.” As of now, the memory of Amy Winehouse will live on only through her music.

Unlike McCann, many cybersquatters are successful in extorting millions from their targets.  For example, WallStreet.com, AltaVista.com, and Business.com were all snatched up by cybersquatters and later sold for upwards of $1 million.  In fact, Business.com was repurchased for over $7.5 million.  Panasonic, Fry’s Electronics, Hertz and Avon are a few other notable targets of cybersquatters.  Madonna, the White House, PETA and Jethro Tull are just a few examples of cybersquatting victims were successful in “evicting” the cybersquatters from their domain sites through legal action.

Similar to cybersquatting, typosquatting involves the practice of purchasing domain names that are common misspellings of existing high-traffic websites.  The typosquatter hopes to capitalize on inattentive and careless internet users who make typographical errors while inputting a website’s address.  The three most popular websites, Google.com, Facebook.com, and YouTube.com have all faced problems with typosquatting.  Notably, Facebook recently sued over twenty defendants for such practices.  Facebook’s theory is that websites such as Facebok.com and Faecbook.com infringe on their well-established trademark and harm their goodwill.

So what remedy is available to victims of cybersquatting? In 1999, the United States enacted the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) which contains a clause aimed at combating cybersquatting and typosquatting.  Pursuant to ACPA, a trademark owner or personality can sue to obtain the right to use the domain name—and possibly secure monetary damages in the process. Foreign parties can also initiate arbitration under the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and win the name back without the expense of a lawsuit or an attorney.  Despite the fact that these and other trademark laws offer some protection, cybersquatter victims often find it cheaper to buy the domain name directly from the cybersquatter because litigation is extremely expensive and comes with no guarantee.

Businesses should also think of taking preventative measures before cybersquatting and typosquatting become an issue.  They can easily do this by registering basic variations of the company name. After all, as Ben Franklin once said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If only it were that easy to lose pounds at the gym.

Posted in Internet

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