Google has been on top in the search engine wars for a long time, but it may be getting some competition. A new search engine called Cuil (pronounced “cool”) is on the scene, and it’s going to try to take over. Some users already like it better than Google or the other search engine options, mostly because Cuil is different. The type of search indexing that the company uses is completely different than what is used by Yahoo! and Google, and it’s designed to give people a user-friendly – and fast – interface, and give Web users an easier way to locate the knowledge that they’re after.

Google ranks Websites more by the links that come in to the site and less by the relevance of the words found on the page. Cuil looks at things the other way and uses a relevance algorithm that’s unique to the search engine to find pages that not only contain the search terms, but that contain them in relevant context. That’s the most important thing to note with Cuil, because it helps to keep down the spammy pages that put all sorts of common keyword terms on their pages to make sure that the search engines pick them up in their lists of results.

Another benefit with Cuil is the ’safe search’ button, and users can also search by category instead of using a more traditional type of search. These are both advantages that Google and other search engines don’t offer.

Some users of Cuil are unsure how they feel about the layout of the search results. They appear either in a two-column or a three-column format depending on how you set your user preferences, which looks drastically different when someone is used to seeing the straight vertical list that the other search engines provide. That doesn’t mean that Cuil’s design is bad, though. Just that it’s different, and anyone who isn’t used to the site might have to take some time to figure out what they like and don’t like about it, or whether it really works for them.

A comparison of Cuil and the other search engines shows that the results for basic searches about people in the news today, common terms, or other easy-to-find information is very different between the standard search engines and the Cuil search engine. More complex or abstract searches still seem to be better on the older engines, but that will likely change as Cuil continues to grow and index more sites. No need for Google to panic right now, but Cuil and the way it searches is just different enough that more and more Web-savvy users might start moving toward it.

Michi Beck is a YouCanSubmit writer. Learn more about her writing on her Website.

Real estate agents have the knack of sharing benefits before features down pat. They are skilled in sizing up the customer and asking a few key questions to find out exactly what the client is after. This is savvy business and cuts to the core of what the client needs and how you can meet those needs, saving time and frustration for both parties.

Your Website About Page
It’s the same with your website About Page or landing page. Concentrate on outlining benefits before features. Clients are interested in how your services or products can solve their problem or need. It’s the old “What’s in it for me?” principle.

An example of benefits vs features is buying a vehicle. Four wheel drive is a feature. The benefit is the flexibility of being able to go almost anywhere on all terrains, for freedom or practical outcomes. This is the benefit of the four wheel drive feature.

What Are Your Competition Doing?
Check out the About pages of others in your field. What do they say? It’s a sure bet that most of them will start off with features. They’ll outline who they are, what their credentials are, how long they’ve been in business and maybe a few testimonials. This is all about you, not about the client or what’s in it for them.

Standing Out From Your Competition
If you want to stand out from your competition, the simple strategy of putting your benefits up front before your features often puts you way ahead. Nailing your headline and some savvy copywriting will strengthen your About Page or landing page, but it’s your benefits and promise to the client that capture their attention.

Knowing your market is key to knowing which benefits to highlight and the type of language to use when crafting your website About Page or landing page. This approach is true for all your advertising materials. It’s savvy marketing to highlight the benefits you are offering the customers before the features.




Yvonne Russell is a YouCanSubmit writer. She also blogs at Small Biz Mentor and Home Biz Notes. Her personal blog is Grow Your Writing Business.

When you flick through a magazine or a newspaper, it’s the headline that grabs your attention.

Nail Your Headline
It’s the same when you scan landing pages, blog posts and websites. So it stands to reason, that if you don’t have a powerful headline, you may as well pack up and go home in the online marketing stakes. Many copywriters and online marketers, say they spend up to 80% of their time on the headline alone. You need to nail your headline.

Brad Shorr, a writer and marketing professional shares advice on writing headlines from advertising industry great, David Ogilvy. A well written headline is like having an attractive window display that catches the eye and draws people through the door into the store. If you don’t have a reason for people to connect with your business and wanting to know more, you have a problem.

Headline Know How
There are many copywriting and marketing experts with advice on headlines. But the common thread is that a headline is not just about words. It’s about the psychology of persuasion and selling.

Let’s look at a basic landing page or sales page headline
Save $1000 Off Your Next Car - Buy Now

This basic headline could do with some tweaking, but already it’s off to a good start with -

• A verb at the beginning (not necessary for every headline). A verb is a strong word to start a headline
• Offers a benefit or a promise which addresses the customer’s need or problem
• Is specific in terms of the promise is and time frame
• Includes a call to action (buy now)
• Is clear
• Is believable and realistic

A Word Of Caution
Some people use headlines as teasers. Picture this. Your eye is caught by the window display but when you walk in, the store is empty. You feel cheated. It’s the same with a headline. The rest of your landing page copy, blog post or website, and of course, your product or service has to deliver what your headline promises.

Our team of professional writers, web designers and online marketing professionals can take your project from the headline, landing page, blog or website through to online marketing and SEO. Just contact us.

Yvonne Russell is a YouCanSubmit writer. She also blogs at Small Biz Mentor and Home Biz Notes. Her personal blog is Grow Your Writing Business.