Search engine marketing is about the now. You want to know where to buy a stove, check Google. You want to find a Chinese restaurant in Topeka, Kan. ask Yahoo! You want to find the answer to a question that has you stumped, Ask Jeeves, of course. This instant gratification mentality is both the blessing and curse of the current state of search analytics.

Behavioral targeting (BT), a practice of "finding" potential customers (or segmenting users into large clusters of likeminded consumers) based on their online activities can seem very complex when you first hear of it. For many advertisers, another technological concept can seem daunting - acting as the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. Fortunately, this challenge can be simplified by separating BT logically into two views: macro or micro, making it easier to comprehend and much less insurmountable.

Everybody has heard of behavioral targeting by now, and most tend to think it's a good thing. But frequently, that's as far as it goes. Relatively few can say what the different types of behavioral targeting are, or even know that there are different types; and it sometimes seems that barely a handful understands exactly how they differ, or what this means for the various players involved. This confusion is a pity, and it will need to be resolved before behavioral targeting (BT) can reach its full potential. Thus, here is a quick stab at bringing much-needed clarity to the …

Many online marketers are sitting on a similar mother lode of wealth. These advertisers fail to mine the data they've already collected, and thus forfeit millions of dollars of value. In contrast, smart online marketers increasingly recognize the value of what they already know and design targeting campaigns around this existing data. Based on their historical observations, most online advertisers know the answers to a handful of basic questions. Smart advertisers incorporate these insights into their campaign planning.