An empty desk for thinking

On:
In: Search Behavior, Usability

The holistic approach is a simple concept. It says to us, “Create, develop and market with empathy for all people.” The heavens opened to me several months into my new position as a software QA usability engineer after overhearing a salesman marketing a project I knew was a wreck. It was a website I was assigned to help design, but my usability recommendations were ignored. By the time it entered the development phase, I was chosen for a newly formed software QA team that needed a usability person. My duty was to prove it was defective, failed UX standards and missed the business requirements. That I was… Continue Reading Empathy for the SearcherRead More →

Woman looking off to the side.

On:
In: Ecommerce, Internet Marketing, Search Behavior

Keyword searches and browsing strategies tracked by analytics may be frustrating because searchers can’t be counted on to behave as you want them to. Humans are unpredictable and spontaneous, and trying to plan to rank in the top position on a topic for unpredictable people is not something I ever thought was rewarding. Making the landing stick, however, is. An eight-year research study of a software tool created for educators found that of the three types of ways their users searched for information, it was the case studies that were the most sought after. Not the keyword matches. Not browsing patterns. They watched how teachers… Continue Reading The Unpredictable Website Visitor and How to Capture Their AttentionRead More →

On:
In: Internet Marketing, Search Behavior

Google has figured how to perform remote viewing and knows what I’m doing, while Bing is completely out of touch with reality. The painstaking work by SEO’s performing keyword research has intrigued me ever since Google came along to kick its competition out of the pool, creating competitive war games for top positions in search engine results. Unpredictable Search Engine Playbook Changes It is this search engine playbook that SEO’s grabble with. Copyright ezplayz.com Have you ever seen a football team’s playbook? Each page has a plan, with arrows, numbers, rules and code names to be memorized by the team. Headphone wearing, yelling Coaches call out… Continue Reading Keyword Relevance and The Stories They Could Tell UsRead More →

Person sitting with computer and cup of tea.

On:
In: Blog, Search Behavior, Usability

When you land on a webpage, what frustrates you? Is it how long it takes to load, ads covering up content, or the visual complexity of the page? The answer depends on who you are, what device you are using and what you need. If you are to believe search engine marketing experts, the ultimate end goal for all web pages is to rank at the top for users’ search queries.  This is their truth. Page load time is the main goal for user experience. When Google launched its mobile test tool, marketers sounded the alarm because now web pages must render on smart phones to be… Continue Reading What Does User Experience Mean to SEO’s?Read More →