SD Business Journal Ranks Magnifi the Fastest Growing Ad Agency

On May 11, 2009, Magnifi Online was named one of the Top 25 Advertising Agencies of 2008 by the San Diego Business Journal. Each year the journal releases its annual Book of Lists and this is the first year that Magnifi Online made the cut.

The company’s founder and CEO, Kris Hutchinson, said, “I am so honored to see our company on this list. We’re only three years old but we are truly competing with the big shops in town.”

Founded in early 2006, Magnifi Online is both the youngest ad agency on this year’s list and the fastest growing. “We may not have the most sales (yet), but we are growing faster than any other agency in San Diego,” said Hutchinson. With impressive 218% income growth over 2007, Magnifi Online outpaced other well-known interactive agencies like Geary Interactive, eVisibility, Red Door Interactive, and SiteLab.

In terms of geographic breakdown of clients, Magnifi Online was similar to NYCA, Epicenter Advertising, and 760 Media in that their 2008 client base was well diversified between local San Diego businesses, California companies, national corporations, and internationally based organizations.

Many of the agencies on this year’s list specialize in broadcast, print, direct mail, and other traditional advertising media. Meanwhile, Magnifi Online predominantly falls in the “Other” category since about 80% of the company’s sales come from online marketing services (and the balance come from web design services). Magnifi Online specializes in paid search management, search engine optimization strategy, landing page design and optimization, and social media marketing.

Hutchinson added, “our plan is to continue doing what we’ve been doing: thrilling our customers with exceptional customer service and phenomenal ROI. Despite the state of the economy, I am confident that we’ll be even closer to the top of next year’s list.”

To download a PDF of the San Diego Business Journal’s Top 25 Advertising Agencies, click here. To contact the Magnifi Online team and discuss ways to partner, please click here or the button below. To learn more about Magnifi Online’s services, click here.

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Search Engine Marketing Agency Providing Full Range of Services for ThePeloton.com

October 23, 2008

The Peloton, a luxury condo and loft community in Boulder, CO has aligned with Magnifi Online, a full-service Search Engine Marketing agency to promote their website through popular search engines.

While The Peloton had been running pay-per-click advertising on Google, Magnifi Online, working in tandem with The Peloton’s agency of record, Epiphany, Inc., recommended an advanced search engine marketing strategy. The strategy included optimizing The Peloton’s website for organic search engine rankings and simultaneously re-structure the pay-per-click search engine advertising and including conversion tracking and optimization toward The Peloton’s objectives.

“We quickly saw the opportunity to apply advanced strategies to increase targeted traffic to The Peloton’s website through SEO and PPC, while increasing the ROI on their existing Search Engine Marketing program. Our experience in optimizing PPC campaigns to deliver increased traffic and leads at lower costs was leveraged to build a successful PPC campaign for The Peloton,” says Kris Hutchinson, CEO and Founder of Magnifi Online.

Real estate is one of the most competitive industries for Search Engine Marketing as recent studies show that 3 out of every 4 homebuyers are turning to search engines to begin their search. As the industry becomes more competitive, less sophisticated advertisers often start increasing their bids wildly in an effort to stay at the top of the search results while more advertisers are competing for the same amount of traffic. The Peloton is staying ahead of the curve by proactively refining their Search Engine Marketing strategy to capture organic and paid search traffic efficiently.

Through Magnifi Online’s partnership with Epiphany, Inc., the search engine marketing strategy was integrated into The Peloton’s general marketing plan. With proven experience in generating leads for real estate developers and improving the cost efficiency of search engine marketing campaigns, Magnifi Online was able to greatly improve The Peloton’s PPC performance by utilizing smart, data-based bidding strategies; thorough keyword research and data analysis; extensive ad testing; and in-depth strategic thinking.

Magnifi Online’s approach to SEO involved providing a thorough audit and actionable recommendations for improving the website’s architecture, content, and link building techniques. Magnifi Online employed analytical keyword research utilizing industry tools to identify the most opportunistic keywords for organic rankings.

The Peloton (www.thepeloton.com), a new-urban community two blocks from Boulder’s vibrant 29th Street Entertainment District, is a thriving development where luxury amenities meet a down-to-earth community atmosphere. Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Freddy Halcomb says, “The Magnifi Online team has taken us to a new level of Search Engine Marketing. With full tracking and optimization capabilities we now have the full picture and can understand the cost of each lead, which has exceeded our expectations.”

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Magnifi Online, a Leading Search Engine Marketing Agency, to Optimize HeatherGardens.org

August 4, 2008

With an increased focus on utilizing the HeatherGardens.org community website to generate new prospects, Heather Gardens hired Magnifi Online to optimize their website to increase search engine rankings and increase traffic from search engines. This effort is part of a comprehensive marketing plan aimed at attracting prospective real estate buyers and future residents to Heather Gardens.

Heather Gardens is a resort-style active adult community located in Aurora, CO, just outside the Denver metro area. The community is home to nearly 3,800 residents who enjoy a range of clubs, community activities, and an executive 9-hole golf course. The community is facing increased competition in the area and has launched a campaign to attract Baby Boomers to the community.

“With an increased focus on attracting younger buyers, Heather Gardens realizes the importance of marketing their website through search engines. Many homebuyers turn to Google and other search engines as the first step of their home search,” explains Andie Jones, Director of Client Services.

Magnifi Online’s approach to optimizing Heather Garden’s website involves employing a thorough site audit and analysis of the website’s technical structure, content, and link popularity, as well as in-depth research to refine the selection of target keywords.

Keith Schmaus, Heather Gardens’ General Manager, says that keyword selection was a challenge for Heather Gardens because the terms the target audience uses to search for senior communities varies greatly and often includes phrases that are not part of the Heather Gardens brand. “Magnifi Online was able to provide a thorough analysis of our market and search trends to guide us in a keyword direction that wasn’t necessarily intuitive but makes a lot of sense strategically. Their in-depth thinking will allow us to cast a broader net and that will impact our search engine rankings and traffic,” says Keith.

Magnifi Online will recommend strategic amendments to the website that will allow Heather Gardens to compete with, and surpass, other active adult communities that are using search engines as a means to attract new buyers.

Heather Gardens (http://www.heathergardens.org) is an age-restricted resort-style residential community located in Aurora, Colorado, about 10 miles southeast of downtown Denver. Heather Gardens’ homes are located in a 198-acre park-like setting around a premier executive 9-hole golf course. Their active adult community has become a favorite among empty nesters, seniors and retirees — persons wanting a more carefree lifestyle without all the burdens of single-family home ownership.

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Top Search Engine Marketing Agency to Present Two Seminars on Paid Search Management and Organic Search Optimization

July 29, 2008

Magnifi Online has once again been asked to speak with top California real estate agents and mortgage brokers at this year’s CAR Expo, October 14-16, 2008 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Magnifi Online, a top search engine marketing and optimization agency with years of experience and many clients in the real estate industry, is a natural choice for the California Association of REALTORS (CAR)’s annual event.

Kris Hutchinson, the company’s founder and CEO, presented an informative speech at last year’s CAR Expo, held in Anaheim. The event was a smash hit, but unfortunately many real estate pros were turned away at the door due to the stellar turnout and lack of additional seating.

This year, however, CAR Expo organizers have acknowledged the popularity and importance of search engine marketing and booked Hutchinson for two separate presentations to ensure that all interested real estate agents have an opportunity to attend and learn. You can catch Hutchinson during the October 14th “Tech Tuesday” lineup at either 9:30am or 2:00pm.

The focus of this year’s presentations will be to build upon last year’s discussion about the basics of Paid Search management and Organic Search optimization. Hutchinson will educate attendees on ways to maximize the impact of their online marketing campaigns. He will also provide best practices specific to the real estate industry, as well as answer questions from the audience.

Magnifi Online will also have a booth on the conference room floor, and encourages REALTORS to come by and ask any additional questions they may have. If you are a real estate agent or other real estate professional in the Southern California region, you owe it to yourself to hear from Magnifi Online. You can expect to leave with actionable ideas for improving your online marketing efforts.

For more information, contact Magnifi Online or visit the California Association of REALTORS website.

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Google is an impressive company, but what impresses Google? Magnifi Online does, and Google wants you to know all about it.

In a recent case study, Google details how its content and search networks were used in tandem and to near-magical effect by search engine marketing agency Magnifi Online for its client, RealAge.com.

This rare move by Google — publicly singling out a search engine marketing company for praise — is yet another trailblazing success story for Magnifi Online founder, Kris Hutchinson, a search engine marketing pioneer for more than a decade.

“Our client was looking for what most companies look for when they enter the SEM space: maximum exposure, minimum investment. We were looking for opportunities to deliver and found ourselves focusing more and more on the Google content network, which has been a losing proposition for most paid search management companies.”

“We realized that by running a few Placement Performance Reports and treating the content and search networks like they should be treated — as different channels with different audiences — we could get a lot more bang for our buck and for our clients’ bucks, too.”

“Magnifi Online optimized our account for the Google search network and content network, helped us to understand the nuances of each, and successfully managed ROI-positive campaigns that generated 40% more conversions in 2007 than in the prior year!” said RealAge.com Marketing Director, Ron Grinblat.

“Getting kudos by having Google use us for a case study was the icing on this cake,” says Hutchinson. “But the sweetest part was figuring out the Google content network, and getting it to perform like paid search should.”

Read the Google case study.

About Magnifi Online

The search engine marketing experts at Magnifii Online know which dials to turn, which buttons to push, and which creative to run to generate greater returns for their clients. Google calls Magnifi Online “a search engine marketing agency that offer[s] the right combination of strategy, consultation, and analysis.” Contact them here.

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Search Engine Marketing Agency’s Founder Explains Google’s Non-Search Products and is Asked to Address the Los Angeles Chapter Next Month

April 15, 2008

The Direct Marketing Association is serious about staying ahead the curve, and so is Magnifi Online. That’s why today’s speech by Magnifi Online’s founder to members of the Orange County DMA was so well received.

Google was the topic of the day, but not the Google product savvy marketers have grown to know and love. Rather, the group discussed the plethora of other marketing opportunities now available through Google. The list is long and includes text, banner, video, and rich media ads on sites throughout the Google Content network…the world’s largest network of websites, reaching 3 out of 4 internet users worldwide.

But that isn’t all! You can also buy TV ads, radio ads, and print ads through Google. Hutchinson shared Magnifi Online’s experience with these new products, and the audience was pleasantly surprised to learn that when purchased through Google, advertisers get best-of-breed tracking capabilities, an easy-to-use online interface, and deeply discounted rates.

Hutchinson then showed how Google’s move into traditional media should not be looked at with alarm. Traditional advertising agencies tend to feel threatened when they first learn of these new products. Hutchinson reassured the crowd that there will always be a need for strategic planning and compelling creative.

The organizers of the day’s seminar were so impressed by the information learned, they asked Magnifi Online to return on May 21st and address the Los Angeles chapter of the Direct Marketing Association. For more information or to reserve a seat, visit the Los Angeles DMA’s website at ladma.org.

To download the complete presentation, click here.

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Kris Hutchinson, Founder and CEO of Online Marketing Agency, Magnifi Online, to Address the Direct Marketing Association on the Topic of Google’s Non-Search Product Offerings

April 5, 2008

Everyone knows that Google provides the best paid search marketing products around. But did you know that you can also use Google to buy ad space on TV, radio, newspapers, and other non-Search media? Better yet…Google’s prices are often much lower than traditional outlets!

On April 15, Magnifi Online’s founder and CEO, Kris Hutchinson, will speak at a conference entitled “Google: Everything BUT Search”, to be held at the Wyndam Hotel in Costa Mesa, CA. Hutchinson will be joined by Chris Deon, founder of San Diego’s iMarketers Association (iMarketers.org). The event will kick off at 11:30 am with networking and lunch, following by presentations from Hutchinson and Deon explaining the new products, how to identify which are the best fit for your business, and how to maximize your return on investment.

Cost for the event is $45 for members of the Southern California DMA and $55 for non-members (if registered before April 8, 2008). More information can be found at DMAsc.org.

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Magnifi Online, a Leading Search Engine Marketing Agency, to Provide Full Range of Services for deBonoConsulting.com

April 2, 2008

Frustrated by increasing costs and withering returns on investment, de Bono Consulting was all but ready to abandon their existing pay-per-click (PPC) internet marketing campaigns when they approached Magnifi Online President & CEO Kris Hutchinson for advice. Hutchinson, an expert in Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, assured them that such drastic measures were unnecessary.

“The beauty of pay-per-click advertising is that, when done right, we have so much control over ROI. An experienced Search Engine Marketing agency can optimize PPC campaigns to deliver maximum revenue at minimal cost. Years of such experience will allow us to help de Bono Consulting build successful pay-per-click campaigns despite industry-wide CPC increases,” Hutchinson explained.

As more advertisers begin competing for the same amount of search traffic, less sophisticated advertisers often start increasing their bids wildly in an effort to stay at the top of the search results. Similarly, advertisers who have poor ad copy and ineffective landing pages are forced to bid higher CPCs to maintain their top positions. Rather than solving the problem through analytical ad copy and landing page testing, advertisers often simply increase their bids. In doing so, they drive up the bid prices for all the other advertisers as well.

Magnifi Online’s approach to creating custom PPC campaigns for de Bono Consulting involves employing smart, data-based bidding strategies; thorough keyword research and data analysis; extensive ad copy and landing page testing; and in-depth strategic thinking. Also, by leveraging direct ties with their dedicated Google team, Magnifi Online has provided de Bono Consulting with insights most advertisers wouldn’t be able to get on their own.

de Bono Consulting (deBonoConsulting.com), a global training and management consulting firm that specializes in the field of innovation by facilitating idea generation sessions and delivering innovative thinking seminars for organizations throughout the world. Business Development Manager, Amy Hoey, says that hiring Magnifi Online to get their PPC campaigns back on track was a critical first step to online marketing success.

“Kris and the Magnifi Online team took an in-depth look at our needs, goals, and historical performance, and used that analysis to begin building highly focused, more strategic pay-per-click campaigns. They showed us how to work smarter in the complex world of online advertising.”

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Magnifi Online, a Leading Search Engine Marketing Agency, to Provide Advanced Search Engine Marketing and Optimization Programs

March 12, 2008

Denver, CO – The Rabuck Agency, a full-service advertising agency based in Los Angeles, CA, has a track record for creating comprehensive marketing plans with measureable results. In their pursuit for a search engine marketing (SEM) partner, it was crucial that they select a company with advanced optimization, tracking, and reporting capabilities, that would provide scalable services to The Rabuck Agency’s diverse client roster. Magnifi Online exceeded these requirements and was selected as the agency partner to provide custom, performance-based search engine marketing solutions to their clients.

Through Magnifi Online, The Rabuck Agency provides advanced search engine marketing and optimization services, as well as full reporting and analysis. Magnifi Online’s full-service approach to search engine marketing has led to growing business with The Rabuck Agency. “Together, we have provided extremely successful pay-per-click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) results to many of the agency’s clients, which has led to expanded programs,” said Magnifi Online President & CEO, Kris Hutchinson.

“Magnifi Online has been an incredible partner. As a full-service, ROI-based advertising agency, we are always looking for ways to help our clients build their business. The search engine marketing, search engine optimization, and other online programs offered by Magnifi Online have provided us with the ability to not only expand our agency offerings, but also add more value to our clients’ marketing investments,” said Betsy Roddy, Director of Client Services at The Rabuck Agency. “There are many companies offering SEO and SEM programs, but what sets Magnifi Online apart is their careful consideration of each client’s needs and objectives to properly match the right investment to the expected outcomes. They provide the personal touch and true sense of partnership that is hard to find these days.”

As expressed in the slogan ‘Transactional Branding(TM)’, The Rabuck Agency believes that branding is not mutually exclusive from measurable, actionable results. The Rabuck Agency has historically emphasized the importance of measuring the success of advertising campaigns through tracking mechanisms and found that search engine marketing was a natural extension of this emphasis on accountability.

For more information about The Rabuck Agency, visit their website at Rabuck.com.

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Magnifi Online to Manage Search Engine Marketing Campaigns for Web Retool’s Real Estate Agents

February 29, 2008

As the real estate industry gets more competitive, the importance for an online presence becomes increasingly more important. The latest figures show that more than three out of every four home buyers search online as their first step of the home buying process.

Web Retool, a web design and online marketing company specializing in the real estate industry, recognized the importance of marketing their client’s websites through search engines.

“Web Retool was interested in partnering with Magnifi Online to provide their clients with services that help them gain visibility on the search engines, so that the Realtors can be easily accessible to real estate buyers and sellers and increase lead generation through their websites,” said Andie Jones, Director of Client Services at Magnifi Online, a full service search engine marketing agency.

Magnifi Online made a foray into the real estate industry in 2007 when Kris Hutchinson, President and CEO of Magnifi Online, presented to more than 300 Realtors® at the California Association of Realtors Expo in Anaheim, CA. Through this initiative, Magnifi Online aligned with Web Retool and recently held a joint presentation at a Keller Williams meeting in Santa Monica, CA.

“Search engine marketing is especially relevant for my real estate clients. Their prospects are typically searching for them through Google and other popular search engines using generic terms, such as ‘Santa Monica real estate’,” said Jon Varsano, President of Web Retool. “We need to ensure their sites are found when the potential clients are looking for them, and I’m confident that Magnifi Online can accomplish this through their advanced search engine marketing expertise.”

The partnership between Magnifi Online and Web Retool will provide real estate agents with a one-stop shop for online success, where they can have their website developed, optimized for the search engines, and promoted through fully-managed, scalable Pay-Per-Click (PPC) search engine advertising campaigns.

“During this time, when the real estate market has softened, Realtors are realizing that they must strengthen their focus on marketing,” said Jones. “And, because so many people use the Internet to begin their house search, Realtors are discovering that they need to have a website that is easily located on the search engines, where their target audience is searching for them.”

Web Retool and Magnifi Online have put together flat rate search engine marketing programs for Web Retool’s clients that work well within the average Realtors’ budget.

Web Retool specializes in web-based marketing for the real estate industry offering personalized service to help simplify the intricacies of the World Wide Web through custom websites, web video, internet marketing, and email marketing. Real estate professionals do not need to spend valuable time learning how to create and promote a website. By providing the most comprehensive service for real estate agents, brokers, property managers, financing companies, and developers, Web Retool takes care of the technical details while the client concentrates on their core business objectives. For more information about Web Retool’s search engine marketing programs, visit their website at www.webretool.com/internet_marketing.html

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