Although Google Instant was met with skepticism in some quarters, it appears to be gaining traction pretty rapidly. After launching in September, the number of searches which led to the searcher clicking on an Instant search result increased from 9% in September to 14% in October, according to Eli Goldman of ComScore; including results where no click occurred (perhaps because the searcher found what he/she was looking for in the blurb-length search results produced by Instant), the numbers increased from 15% of all searches in September to 22% in October. And all this is translating into increased market share for …

I mean really, really smart. Per his request.

Jim Koehler, director of research for Google (who as several other attendees have noted via Twitter, is very, very smart) shared some interesting methods that search marketers can use to quantify the effect of search ads on offline or brick-and-mortar retail sales. Basically, what does having a prominent placement on Google paid search results yield in offline sales -- presenting a plan of action for addressing this hot button issue. Basically Google and a well-known manufacturer partnered to conduct a national, randomized trial in which the manufacturer paid for an Ad Words campaign in half of U.S. markets, leaving the …

For many of email marketers it's all about a specific intense ten-minute period in the day. But should there be more planning -- especially when it comes to relevant emails? Emailing company HauteLook typically sends out 1.5 million emails in a ten minute period -- 7:50 am to 8 am PT -- perhaps one of the key email time periods of the day. "Our number one goal is getting those emails delivered to the inbox," says Hayley Osher, director of member engagement of HauteLook, who has a lot of retailing apparel clients. "Many members tell me it's the …

Though research suggests email is the preferred method of consumer communications with companies, click through rates continue to be a problem. Judy Loschen, senior director of online analytics for Epsilon, in presenting research at the Email Insider Summit, says click-through rates declined to 5.4% in the third quarter 2010 from 6.2% in the third quarter 2009. Why? Glut of digital messaging efforts. "The marketing landscape of channels have increased," reasons Loschen for some of the decline. But for the future Loschen believes click through rates will stabilized -- just as email open rates have. She notes email …

While family and friends emails are still most dominant form of emails, permission email grows. Family and friends email communications represents anywhere from 35% to 37% of all emails, with permission emails from companies at around 30% -- this, according research presented by Rich Fleck, vp of of interactive strategic services for Merkle, during the Email Insider Summit. "Interestingly, family and friends is dropping; permission email is going up," says Fleck. Right now email engagement is steady -- with 86% checking their email account one or more times a day; around 40% check at least four times …

Getting senior executives to think differently about email can be a difficult task. But the goal is not to bite off too much. In speaking at the Email Insider Summit, David Bronson, lead engineer of Turner Broadcasting, says one key is to "starting thinking interactively in the work place." Bronson says you can do that by "taking the temperature on change" in one's workplace. "What can you do to turn them around?" he asks. "How can you motivate that person? Let's make it interactive." Identifying those in a company that can offer up initial small degrees of …

You go into a retailer's site, look around, start to fill up your shopping cart -- and then think otherwise. How can retailer's get those consumers back? A cart recovery email program, according to email company Silverpop. The good news is that 40% of retailers do employ an overall cart recovery email program; with 29% planning to start one up in 2010 and 14% planning one in 2011. Silverpop says 40% of marketers using cart recovery messages achieve a high click-through rate of greater than 20% -- almost double the general broadcast emails. Open rates can be …

Email marketing is a lot like a guy trying to get a girl's interest -- even when it doesn't seem from their personal likes and dislikes that it is going to happen. In a presentation at Email Insider Summit, Chris Marriott, vp of Acxiom Corp. showed a clip of the movie "Groundhog Day" featuring Bill Murray as a TV weatherman and Andie MacDowell, as his new producer. Trying to move in on his new producer, Murray is at a bar ordering "Jim Beam, ice, water", with McDowell ordering "sweet vermouth". Later Murray changes his usual bar order with …

Lifetime value for regular email consumers can generate big dollars. In speaking at the Email Insider Summit, Fred Barber, chief operating officer of interactive agency, Directive Corp, a Meredith Corp, says for a number of their car clients, especially, there can be big value. "If they clicked one, two or three emails -- and know they are going to buy a car -- you can take that to the bank," he says. Barber says return on investment can be 20 to 30 times the money put into a program. "You are still looking at hundreds of dollars …