Welcome to the December NZS.com Newsletter - is it that time of year already? The end of the year is a time for reflection on achievements, successes and growth throughout the year, both personally and professionally.
Here at NZS.com, 2007 has brought incredible changes - a relaunch of the site, new faces in our team, and further progress on the journey to becoming the home of search in New Zealand.
Contents:
- Top Ten Sites
- 'Tis the Time For Seasonal Website Content and Keywords
- New Zealand Online Advertising Spend Grows
- The Future of Search in New Zealand
- Choosing Search Engine Friendly Domain Names
In case you were in any doubt about the arrival of the festive season, our top ten Entertainment sites are distinctly red-and-green themed. Also featuring in the month's favourites are perennial performers Competitions and the iconic New Zealand Cup and Show Week event.
Top Entertainment Category Sites
| Rank | Site Name | URL |
| 1. | Christmas Shop | www.christmasshop.co.nz |
| 2. | Christmas For Everyone | www.santas-christmas.co.nz |
| 3. | Christmas Treasures | www.christmastreasures.co.nz |
| 4. | Contest | www.contest.co.nz |
| 5. | Christmas Heirloom Company | www.christmasheirloom.com |
| 6. | New Zealand Cup and Show Week | www.nzcupandshow.co.nz |
| 7. | I Love Christmas | www.ilovechristmas.co.nz |
| 8. | NZ Lotteries | www.nzlotteries.co.nz |
| 9. | NZ Lotto Results | www.lottochecker.co.nz |
| 10. | Dunkley's Great New Zealand Craft Show | www.craftshows.co.nz |
As our top sites for November showed, people are thinking about (and preparing for) Christmas well in advance. Taking a look at our site statistics over recent weeks, we've seen further evidence that our onto-it searchers are taking an interest in all things festive. Top search results that brought visitors to NZS.com last week included:
- Christmas lights
- Christmas decorations
- Christmas trees
- Artificial christmas trees
- Christmas recipes
- Christmas hampers
- Christmas shop
- Christmas presents
- Christmas present ideas
- Christmas songs
For business success in the holiday season, think about featuring useful seasonal content based around popular searches. You can collate useful information and resources for your clients and site visitors, tailored to the time of year. As well as Christmas and the New Year, there are numerous commercial, social and cultural holidays: Valentines Day, Waitangi Day, Easter, Anzac Day, Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day, seasons and regional celebration days. These are all opportunities to provide specific content and launch relevant campaigns.
For ideas, check out what we've done with our guide to Christmas, which features sections on gift shopping, recipes, holidays, carols, trees and decorations. Remember, Christmas is a time for celebrating with family and enjoying the summer weather, even if you're juggling a hectic schedule and feeling seasonal stress!
As the newest recruit to the NZS.com team, Dean Stirling brings a passion for the Web and over three years experience in B2B sales in online marketing. When he's not in front of a computer, he's golfing on the green, wakeboarding on the water, cycling around the city or coaching his son's rugby team. Dean gives us the latest trends in the world of advertising online...
I read with interest that New Zealand online advertising has grown by 23% in 3 months. In the last financial quarter, businesses and individuals have spent nearly $41 million! That brings the year to date spend to $98.6 million - and experts predict the total for the full year to exceed $120 million.
When you think about it, though, it's not a great surprise. With so many more websites out there it's getting harder to stand out. A report from IBM Global Business Services claims that 30% of global ad revenue currently spent on traditional media will shift to online ad exchanges in the near future. Growth in New Zealand online advertising is expected to continue for some time yet, considering global figures are still in double digit growth.
For New Zealand businesses, NZS.com is a great choice for promoting your website online. As the number one NZ -based search directory, with more than 300,000 unique visitors a month and over 80,000 listings, we've got plenty to shout about.
Click here for more information on Sponsored Listings, Marketing pages or Site Sponsorship on NZS.com. Book your six month Sponsored Listing before Christmas and we'll throw in another month free!
As the home of smart New Zealand search online, NZS.com like to stay on top of both local and international search trends, so it was a must for us to attend the inaugural New Zealand Search Engine Room Conference in November.
The first major search engine industry event in New Zealand was attended by companies from within the growing New Zealand search industry, as well as by the heavyweights of global search - Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft - and business people keen to learn more about performance-based search advertising.
Observations were made on interesting recent developments in the local search market. Head of Yahoo! Search Marketing, Willie Pang, was adamant their introduction to the market will increase competition dramatically and help shift some of Google's majority share (90%) of the search market in New Zealand to Yahoo! And don't forget MSN - their New Zealand Business Manager was optimistic about the role they have in New Zealand search, as viable competition for both major rivals.
Gary Jensen, NZS.com General Manager, discussed the emergence of local directories in the small New Zealand market, with our own directory and search engine as an established example of a local search site.
Don't underestimate the importance of choosing a domain name that will be recognised (and liked) by search engines. Search engines are the first port of call for any New Zealander navigating the Web, so when you choose a domain name consider:
- Age - search engines recognise domains that have existed for some time, viewing them as well-established and legitimate.
- History - if you do buy an existing domain, make sure you know its back-story. Has it been banned or blacklisted by search engines?
- Keywords - your URL should contain keywords that are relevant to your business. Don't go overboard though, as long or hyphenated domains will only cause confusion.
Find out more about domain name registration from the experts.
Getting listed on NZS.com is free and will give you access to targeted traffic. There are also advertising options for those wanting a higher profile for their business.
We're interested in your opinion, if you have anything you'd like to hear about in the newsletter, let us know.
From all the team - have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable Christmas!
Kind Regards
Greta
for NZS.com Ltd
