June 2008
Mike Moran Exits IBM, Joins Converseon
Mike Moran is leaving IBM after 30 years to take a position in the newly created role of Chief Strategist at social media marketing agency, Converseon. Moran will be involved in the development of Conversation Miner as well as provide consulting to Converseon clients.
“We're thrilled to have Mike join us,” said Rob Key, Converseon CEO. “He brings to the table the perfect combination of industry-leading expertise with hands-on knowledge of how to internally adopt and promote these practices within complex, enterprise environments. As we often say, social media can be technically relatively simple, but culturally quite difficult. His experience will be invaluable as we help leading brands develop and execute innovative social media campaigns. He will also play a key role in consolidating Converseon's position as a leading social media marketing and consulting agency offering end-to-end services, from listening to engaging to measuring.”
While at IBM, Moran led several search technology projects including IBM's OmniFind search and text analytics products, the first commercial linguistic search engine, and automatic categorization technology for business search at ibm.com. He has been granted multiple patents and is the author of Do It Wrong Quickly: How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules.
“With their focus on pushing the edges of innovation in reputation management, search marketing and social media, Converseon is the ideal fit for me,” said Mike Moran. “I look forward to working with their standout team and clients.”
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 30, 2008, 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Maps Inks 5 Year Deal with Tele Atlas
Google Maps has signed a five year agreement with Netherlands-based digital mapping company, Tele Atlas. Google will now have access to Tele Atlas' content for over 200 countries for current and future projects, including Google Earth and mobile applications.
"Google's innovation and leadership is undisputed, and we are proud to have the opportunity to be the map foundation for one of the world's most progressive web companies," said Bill Henry, CEO of Tele Atlas. "This agreement is important too because it gives us access to input from a significant online community of map users, whose feedback can help us keep our maps fresh and accurate."
"Geospatial data enhances global search significantly by organizing data and delivering results based on location," said John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Google Maps. "Tele Atlas' map quality and the company's innovative approach to business were the key drivers for our decision."
Related Reading:
Google Maps Adds Richer Data to Search
Google Launches Google Map Maker
Google Opens Location-Aware Application to 3rd Party Developers
Google Maps for Mobile Adds Public Transportation Directions
Google Launches Google Earth API and Browser Plug-in
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 30, 2008, 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
SLI Rolls Out Learning Search Update with New Auto Complete Feature
On-demand search provider, SLI Systems has upgraded Learning Search, a hosted site search solution. The update will include:
- Faster generation of results. Search queries will return results up to 50% faster.
- Redesigned merchandising console. SLI says the new design will help customers more easily change the order of search results, create banner ads, and customize landing pages.
- Auto Complete. This is a new feature which provides search suggestions.
Shaun Ryan, CEO of SLI Systems had this to say about the announcement:
"We're always looking for new ways to improve our search solutions, and to give our customers more flexibility in how they can maximize the functionality of our offerings. The newest enhancements help everyone, regardless of their technical ability, to make decisions about merchandising, and make changes themselves -- without having to rely on their IT departments."
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 30, 2008, 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Another Year, Another Reorganization for MIVA
Yahoo is known for its (in)famous reorganizations, but they now face a contender for the title of "Most Likely to Shake Things Up." Just over a year after its last reorganization, MIVA has headed back to the drawing board in the hopes of revising the struggling digital ad company.
On the chopping block is 15% of its workforce as well as the MIVA Media operations in Italy. MIVA says this will save them $4 million a year plus a one time savings of $1.4 million.
The recent reorganizations are just the latest of what ails MIVA. In 2006, Craig Pisaris-Henderson and Phillip Thune resigned as CEO and President respectively. And in 2005, the company agreed to an $8 million patent settlement with Yahoo.
As a result, MIVA dropped their partnership with Yahoo and made one with Google. Boy, that sounds familiar.
MIVA licensed FAST technology in 2005. FAST was recently acquired by Microsoft. Since MIVA has such an admiration for the way Yahoo does things, we offer the following words of advice: If Ballmer offers to buy, say YES.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 30, 2008, 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
AOL's Platform-A to Offer Guaranteed CPM to Facebook, Bebo Developers
AOL has announced that its online advertising solution, Platform-A, will offer a guaranteed CPM to third party developers creating Bebo and Facebook applications. But the guarantee comes with a catch: it's only good for the first three impressions for each unique U.S. visitor who visits an approved developer's application.
Boasting one of the highest CPMs in the industry, AOL says the offer is part of WIDGNET™ publisher network launched earlier this year by Platform-A's Advertising.com. WIDGNET brings advertisers and third party developers of widgets and social networking applications together.
“This announcement reinforces Platform-A's commitment to helping developers generate revenue and monetize their Bebo and Facebook applications in the rapidly evolving social networking space. Advertiser interest in social networks is rising at a steady rate, and Platform-A is making an unprecedented flat-fee commitment to help application developers generate revenue and guarantee monetization of their applications,” said Dave Jacobs, Senior Vice President of Publisher Services, Platform-A Advertising.com Networks. “Platform-A views social networking applications as an area where we can add significant value by letting developers focus on expanding their install base, without worrying about monetization of applications.”
Earlier this year, AOL acquired Bebo for $850 million.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 30, 2008, 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
EveryScape Goes Where Google Maps Does Not
Going where no man - or search engine - has gone before, Everyscape has launched an online mapping feature that allows people to go inside shops and restaurants.
Users can navigate through neighborhoods and tourist sites. A special icon next to a building invites users to enter and have a look around.
"While Google has focused their technology on building a better map, we wanted to do more and replicate the experience of actually being somewhere," Everyscape chief executive Jim Schoonmaker told ABC News.
Everyscape employs independent contractors to operate specialized equipment. "Destination ambassadors" are assigned regions and are paid per mile to map. By getting locals involved, Schoonmaker hopes to "enable the world to build the world."
On top of earning $10 for every street mile, destination ambassadors receive a commission whenever they convince a business to have its interiors photographed.
Joe Ryan, owner of the Press Box Sports Bar in Manhattan, was quickly sold on the idea when he was approached with an offer to lease his locale on the interactive map.
"It's absolutely worth the price of the lease," Ryan said. "We have a very nice private party room upstairs and whenever people call to see if they can have a party there, it was very hard for me to describe it. Now I just tell them to go to the site, and they can take a look around. It's a big help."
Everyscape has secured $7 million in investment from venture capital firms. Some experts say to cut into Google's market, the company would need to extend its mapping capabilities abroad to popular destinations like Sydney and London, where the legality of such technology has been challenged.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 30, 2008, 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Cutts Talks Spam While Obama Supporters Flag Blogspot Blogs
Matt Cutts is addressing the ever-present topic of spam again, only this time it's on the Official Google Blog. Cutts wrote about coming across spam links in the search results. He says this doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to, thanks to Google's anti-spam metrics.
One of those metrics is data from search logs. Many have worried what Google does with the data collects, and Cutts assures that data such as IP and cookie information is used to help improve the search results.
"The IP and cookie information is important for helping us apply this method only to searches that are from legitimate users as opposed to those that were generated by bots and other false searches. For example, if a bot sends the same queries to Google over and over again, those queries should really be discarded before we measure how much spam our users see. All of this--log data, IP addresses, and cookie information--makes your search results cleaner and more relevant."
But Cutts is also aware that the war against spam continues on:
"If you think webspam is a solved problem, think again. Last year Google faced a rash of webspam on Chinese domains in our index. Some spammers were purchasing large amounts of cheap .cn domains and stuffing them with misspellings and porn phrases. Savvy users may remember reading a few blogs about it, but most regular users never even noticed. The reason that a typical searcher didn't notice the odd results is that Google identified the .cn spam and responded with a fast-tracked engineering project to counteract that type of spam attack. Without our logs data to help identify the speed and scope of the problem, many more Google users might have been affected by this attack."
Another unsolved webspam problem - that was not addressed by Cutts - is letting humans in on the reporting of spam. Over at Blogspot, supporters of Presidential candidate Barack Obama have reportedly been flagging anti-obama blogs as "spam." As a result, several of the blogs, including ones created by Hilary Clinton supporters, have been frozen.
Of course, this problem is experienced in the 'paid links debate' as well. Google accepts anonymous reports about paid links, which is an easy way for competitors to attempt to flag each other out of the results.
What do you think of Cutts comments? Do they reduce your fears about Google's data collection? Should Google let third parties flag sites? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 30, 2008, 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
If Google Gives You Comics...
While the announcement of the Seth "Family Guy" MacFarlane link to Google was not new, the way in which Google has announced it will distribute and monetize reflects a deeper reach for the online media behemoth. Google is going into the content production space.
The caveat about this is the actual information given for advertisers about publishers and their audience.
As NYT reports: "The innovative part involves the distribution plan. Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane's target audience, typically young men."
The question is how are they determining the target audience? Topic-based decision or cookie-based?
Is Google making an across-the-board push to present as many of the new methods that they want to use to track, distribute and develop traffic? Are they headed for a period of controversy and legal challenges?
Hey, they have weathered them so far in numerous continents, so maybe they have it written into their growth program.
The creation of an online-only broadcast of popular content is interesting for the US, where over-the-air television goes digital early next year. The use of the Family Guy creator, popular with a large number of internet users and online spenders, is a smart move, if when the smoke clears they can monetize it in acceptable ways.
I am waiting for the day when Google and Yahoo are bidding for online presentation of the Olympics. Right now, it seems NBC is starting their Olympic online connection.
Bob Costas was pushing people off the TV and onto the NBC Olympics sites to follow the rest of the Swimming Olympic trials Sunday night. His closing was " Bob Costas telling people to turn off TV and watch online live Olympic trials. "if you are not online already online, fire up those computers and start watching."
In the meantime, I look forward to the new characters from MacFarlane.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 30, 2008, 12:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
If You Give Google A Cookie
If you give Google a cookie it will probably want to store your search behavior and given the scope of its publishing network....
Something tells me this story does not end happily.
Though this story has been developing for months, the New York Times article on Friday seems to have sparked a deeper look and the issue of privacy has come in to play.
And so it should at this stage. What really needs to be discussed is the establishing of what is allowed to be collected; how it is collected, stored and shared; what would be needed to opt in or out; and consequences of breaches of any limits set.
There seems to be a need to monitor what is being done and the extent our privacy can be invaded - since many times it is the fringe that uses technology to grab a little more than what we want.
The NYT article by Saul Hansell quotes Nick Fox, who - just so NYT knows for the future - is Senior Product Manager for Ads Quality. Nick will have a lot more to measure for Ads Quality if the traffic can be sorted in some quality manner.
As a marketer I would gladly use the information to improve my media buys. But then again we largely do with almost all other media and ours could be more accurate. I am sure the argument distills to Google would be providing the best connection possible between marketer and audience.
The synethesis of the "good user experience" with the "successful marketing effort" may be more than a cyberUtopia. But there are many who see this as the "belly of the beast".
Given the beta launching of Ad Planner - which Google intends to give away free (guess another industry is in jeopardy) - the depth of knowledge available could be quite large. Marry the cookie with Ad Planner information and the knowledge of our online behavior is soon extensively recorded.
As the Wall Street Journal noted:
"Some ad executives say they are concerned that Google could use the data it compiles about their campaigns to make a business pitch to a competitor. They imagine a scenario in which the biggest online advertiser in a category is running its campaign through Google's ad-serving systems. Not only would Google be helping that marketer deliver ads to particular Web sites; it would also be capturing data about which Web sites and types of ads work best. Advertising executives fear that Google could then resell that same intelligence to competitors. (Any data that marketers put into Google's ad systems will remain confidential, a Google spokesman says.)"
Interestingly I have had a presentation from Microsoft that used aggregated industry info and five 'not named' competitors' information. Nothing specific or against rules but enough that I would not want to share. And the advantage of the marketing pioneers is given away to late entries - so why do the exploration, just wait for the report.
Steve Baldwin of Did-It made an interesting comment during OMMA Behavioral 3.0:
"Whenever I read something about Behavioral Targeting, I am reminded of the classic television show, “The Prisoner,” in which the doomed protagonist #6 repeats that he is “not a number, but a free man!” Today, #6 would be protesting (in vain) that he is:“not a target”
“not a set of behaviors”
“not a source of data”
“not a click”Of course, no amount of protesting matters because there's so much money to be made in BT."
Though there is, as Zachary Rodgers at ClickZ notes, "a loose coalition of Internet watchdogs that have bent their will toward fighting this new breed of comprehensive behavioral targeting."
Interesting that he was talking about recent legal problems with NebuAd and their attempts to gather behavioral information using ISPs and other access providers. When you have the internet user information available to Google the reach is even greater.
Nick Fox told NYT "Google's approach was different from what Yahoo, AOL and others call behavioral targeting. Those companies look at what a user did a few days earlier to show them ads about the same topic today. Google says it believes that search engine advertising is most effective if it relates to what the user has most recently searched for."
But then Larry Page has already told Reuters: "On the more exciting front, you can imagine your brain being augmented by Google. For example you think about something and your cell phone could whisper the answer into your ear."
Danny Sullivan openly admits he had the implant.
Google has the technology and wants to use it. In the mobile space it is being offered to jump start advertisers apparently. Democratic Media's Digital Destiny reported:"Google has made presentations to advertisers about its mobile marketing capabilities. It appears that mobile cookies are part of their targeting marketing plan. Google told advertisers that “Google provides mobile conversion tracking on phones that support cookies. Google can measure clicks, impressions and conversions for all campaigns.”
How all this plays out will change the way many things are done. Being aware of the various directions at least has you thinking. Add to the opinions at the forum.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 28, 2008, 12:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Yahoo Registers Meal Search Patent
Bill Slawski, of SEO by The Sea, has uncovered another patent filing. This time Yahoo is applying for a patent for meal search technology. Bill's article gives a much better interpretation than I ever could and should be read.
The interesting parts include technology that ties photo recognition to meals and ingredients and places to buy either the meal or the ingredients to make them.
The details Bill gives shows the scope of what is planned and it definitely covers a lot of work for some of the Yahoo programmers in the near future.
With thinking outside the usual search box, Yahoo may have come across the best way to meet Google in the search arena. They are suggesting a whole new potential for search.
And yes I will have fried with that!
Posted by Frank Watson on June 27, 2008, 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Maps Rotten Neighbors
Rotten Neighbors, founded last July, is the U.S. twist on ""human flesh search engines." The site singles out neighbors for offenses ranging from sanitary to violent.
Using Google Maps, Rotten Neighbors shows homes of the accused, represented by red Monopoly-style houses (for rotten) and green (for good).
Most of the postings are anonymous on Rotten Neighbors which averages several hundred thousand "hits" per day. Neighborhood ratings can be given for Noise, Safety, Appearance, Services, Traffic based on a star system that rolls up into an Overall rating.
Yes, you can find where registered sex offenders live in your neighborhood.
Co-founder Brant Walker, a 27 year--old Web site designer from San Diego, created the site after he moved into a new apartment and noticed a rotten stench coming from his neighbor's door.
Rotten Neighbors added a "flag for removal" after people targeted as bad neighbors complained. If a post gets flagged a certain number of times, it is now removed as with Craigslist.
Rotten Neighbors gives people a window into "The Lives of Others" - allowing neighbors to turn each other in for alleged offenses. It's just one more way the Internet acts as Big Brother.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 27, 2008, 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Human Flesh Search Engines in China
In China, online vigilantes, or “netizens,” use the Internet as a “human flesh search engine” to find and punish people who publish material they consider inappropriate.
“Human Flesh Search Engine” is an imprecise translation of “ren'rou sou'suo,” which can be translated as “human-assisted search engine.” In China, though, the Internet is searched by people to hunt down other people and conduct muckraking campaigns.
A mob of Chinese ‘netizens' tracked down and punished a 21-year old video blogger whose clip they deemed unpatriotic.
Gao Qianhi, a 21-year old Chinese woman, recently posted an online video of herself complaining about the huge amount of TV coverage of the southwest China earthquakes: “You guys, if you're hit by the rubble, just go suffer by yourself quietly.”
Hours later, intimate details about Ms. Qianhi's life were spread across the Internet.
With internet mobbing, the victim's personal information is published to a broad audience, along with derogatory comments and death threats.
While Internet mobbing occurs in other countries, the movement appears to be particularly powerful in China because large-scale human flesh search engines are unique to are made easy by ubiquitous manpower and China's ingrained tradition of ‘people's war' dating back to Mao, along with a justice system that's less than perfect.
Hat tip to search engine Finding Dulcinea for uncovering this terrific story.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 27, 2008, 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Microsoft to (Finally) Acquire Powerset? Should Someone Tell Icahn?
Microsoft must have been putting on a good poker face a week ago when it said they weren't looking at any internet-based acquisitions in the wake of failed talks with Yahoo. Venture Beat is now reporting that Microsoft is poised to acquire semantic search company Powerset in the neighborhood of $100 million.
Meanwhile, Carl Icahn is still living his proxy dreams. He's calling on Microsoft to not make an alternative deal with Yahoo unless a $33 per share guarantee is in place, according to Reuters.
The question is: Which of Microsoft's bluffs should we call? The one where they said they weren't interested in acquisitions? Or the one where they're buying Powerset (to once again put pressure on Yahoo)?
Call bluffs in the comments!
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 27, 2008, 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Updates BlackBerry Search Results Pages
Two weeks after launching faster pages for mobile search, Google Mobile is announcing updates to search results pages for BlackBerry devices. Included in the update:
Need a visual? Here's a video demo of the new BlackBerry search pages:
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 27, 2008, 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Local Advertisers Shifting Dollars to Internet
This year, local advertisers are expected to shift $13.1 billion of their budgeted funds to the Internet, according to Borrell Associates. The number is up 50% over last year.
In 2009, local online ad spending is projected to grow another 40% to $18.2 billion in 2009. By 2012, the growth in spending will eventually slow down and plateau at about $23 billion, but still average 15% growth over the next four years.
Online advertising is cheaper than traditional methods of marketing and is thought to be the reason for the change. According to Borrell, internet CPMs average $3.65, the lowest of any media, while an offline Yellow Pages ad carries an average CPM of $9.29.
The numbers seem to be in line with recent projections for global internet advertising, expected to exceed $106 Billion by 2012.
Of course, search engines are gearing up for the increased ad spends. Google recently announced its brand new media planning tool, Ad Planner. Microsoft recently acquired Navic Networks, a TV ad company that will likely help Microsoft clients integrate online and offline campaigns. And Yahoo inked an online and mobile advertising partnership with Publicis.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 27, 2008, 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Geoff Ramsey of eMarketer spots three key market trends
Geoff Ramsey, the co-founder and CEO of eMarketer, recently shared 0.001% of the information that his team of researchers and analysts knows about Internet market trends during his morning keynote at Electronic Retailer's LiveEdit Lab.
Why can I be so precise?
He presented 60 slides out of the 54,000 charts available to eMarketer's subscribers. You do the math.
Now, I'm not going to try recapping all 60 of his slides here.
Instead, I'm going to highlight three key market trends that Ramsey touched on. Plus, I'll pass along his analysis of how each of these new trends is profoundly affecting the business landscape.
Slide #15
The first market trend that is worth highlighting is the percentage of Internet users who are watching video online monthly.
According to eMarketer, it's 73% – or 137 million Americans. And by the end of the year, eMarketer estimates that 154 million, or 80% of Internet users, will be watching online video.
About a year ago, I reported on a survey conducted by PR News and Medialink which found that “PR pros aren't using online video as often as they're watching it.”
Well, they better start using it now. Online video isn't an emerging market trend. It's already emerged – big time!
Slide #18
Ramsey said, “Online video is a great way to engage with your customers.” And he recommended:
• Placing video footage of your products on your Web site (e.g., create a video demo!);
• Placing video ads on other content video sites, e.g., on YouTube and product category-related sites; and
• Creating your own Webisodes – content so entertaining that people will come to watch it (and share it with others).
Slide #24
The second market trend that deserves serious attention is the percentage of large companies that already have a blog. According to JupiterResearch, it's 34%.
Last August, at Search Engine Strategies San Jose, I caused a stir in the blogosphere when I said, “Getting excited that you've got a blog is like getting excited that “the new phone book's here!'”
Now, less than a year later, it appears that if your company doesn't have a blog already, it's going to feel even more like Steve Martin in “The Jerk.”
Slide #28
Ramsey said, “Advertisers should explore creative ways to leverage the power of blogs.” And he advised:
• Monitoring the blogosphere not only with professional services, but also on your own;
• Working with existing relevant bloggers, in ways that will encourage them to link to your site;
• Placing advertising on popular blogs; and
• Creating your own blogs -- to create a community of interest around your product.
Slide #44
While the third market trend didn't surprise me, it may come as a shock to some others in the industry.
A survey by AdMedia Partners found that 69% of senior media execs think social media is “over-hyped.” (I should disclose that AdMedia Partners is a client.)
And Hitwise has validated this skepticism by reporting that only 4% of US online retail traffic is driven by social sites, which is significantly less than the 29% of online retail traffic that is driven by search engines.
Slide #48
So, what's a marketer to do? Ramsey outlined four strategies for gaining consumer insights into social networking:
• Looking, listening, lounging and learning;
• Advertising on the big social networking portals, e.g., MySpace and Bebo;
• Getting vertical with your social advertising on smaller, niche sites like Flip.com; and
• Building your own social network, e.g., Procter & Gamble's Capessa community site.
Now, six slides out of 60 are only 10% of Ransey's presentation. And that's just 0.0001% of the information that eMarketer knows about Internet market trends.
So, you may want to dig deeper. Nobody wants to be the last one on the block to spot key market trends.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 27, 2008, 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: SEO Basics: Effective Iterative Keyword Research in 2008
The value of any SEO effort lies in the keywords you choose. It's really that simple -- you can't overestimate the importance of strong keyword research. In today's Search Marketing Crossfire column, "SEO Basics: Effective Iterative Keyword Research in 2008," Chris Boggs and Frank Watson share some methods for performing keyword research.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 27, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Creative Messaging in a Direct Response World
Should a company focus on building their messaging around their brand image, or on driving direct response via their Web site and online media? In today's Vertical Search column, "Creative Messaging in a Direct Response World," local search expert Gregg Stewart shows that branding and direct response messaging can co-exist online, and local business profile pages are a good place to meld writing techniques for both.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 27, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Launches Latin American AdWords Blog
Multilingual search is one of the growth areas of our industry and Google has added its own help in the space by launching its Latin American AdWords Blog. Written in Spanish, the launch today introduces itself and gives an overview of its intentions and direction.
I used a machine translator to get the English version of the opening post - but its seems to be pretty good (guess the translators are improving).
All the Team of AdWords of Google for Latin America welcomes you to our Blog: Inside AdWords for Latin America.We are very happy to announce the launch of this new channel of communication that will permit us to share with you all our news. In it you will find counsels to improve your campaigns, information on the network of contents, launches of products and tools, dates for special training, strategies for attract clients in important dates, events of our region in which we been present and a lot more. Besides, the entrances will be in charge of the own Googlers and of some special collaborators of the industry of the marketing and the publicity.
But also we invite you to that participate, responding the surveys and sending us your comments, whether in the same blog or by mail to blog-adwords-latam@google.com
Posted by Frank Watson on June 26, 2008, 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Google Holding Free Webinar On Analytics, Optimizer and Tools
Set the date aside, July 8th, if you want to get the inside scoop on Google's website tools. As announced today over at the Official Google Blog, they will be holding a webinar about Google Analytics, Website Optimizer and Webmaster Tools.
These Google products have become an invaluable set of tools for most serious web owners and marketers and it will be a great opportunity to see if there are any methods one is not using at the moment.
It will be interesting to see what numbers sign up for this and if Google can handle the potentially huge crowd signing up for this event.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 26, 2008, 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Getting Sued For $1 Billion Over Gmail Tool
Apparently Chicago-based firm LimitNone is suing Google for misappropriating the trade secrets of its "gMove" application that Google allegedly used to develop its Email Uploader.
The two-count lawsuit also claims Google violated Illinois' consumer fraud laws.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by Kelley Drye & Warren LLP - "the same commercial litigation group which challenged Google over the company's online advertising system," SlashDot noted.
Details of the suit can be found in the press release sent out by the law firm.
“Its shocking that Google would engage in this type of conduct; particularly when the other party is a small software company that built its business specifically to help Google sell its existing and future products,” said Susan Greenspon of the Chicago office of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. “People need to realize that Google is just another large publicly traded corporation that will do whatever it takes to increase its revenue, even if that means risking its reputation among developers.”The lawsuit alleges that in February, 2007 Google launched a suite of business software applications called Google Apps. The software was designed to challenge Microsoft's Office suite of products (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) which has 500 million users. According to the lawsuit, unlike Microsoft's products, Google Apps does not require a customer to download software onto his or her computer. Instead, Google Apps is a collection of web-based applications that reside on Google's servers. The lawsuit alleges at the time of its launch, however, Google did not have a workable way to enable Microsoft Outlook users to easily migrate their email (called gMail), calendar and contacts to Google's platform.
In early 2007, LimitNone developed just such a product to solve this problem and in March confidentially demonstrated the migration tool to senior members of the Google Apps team. According to the complaint, the Google Apps executives invited LimitNone to be part of the Google Enterprise Professional Program, to further develop and market the tool, and assured the company that it had no intention of developing a similar product.
The lawsuit alleges the tool, which was originally named “MY GRATE” was later renamed, at Google's insistence, “gMove”. Though the product retailed for $29, Google asked that LimitNone sell it to Google's customers for $19.
The lawsuit claims that throughout the remainder of 2007, Google promoted LimitNone and gMove and repeatedly told company executives that it would not develop a competing product. Google highlighted gMove on its website and introduced the company to its largest customers (including Proctor & Gamble, Intel, Orbitz, Morgan Stanley and Toys “R” Us). In addition, Google asked LimitNone to present the product to its technical sales personnel, to meet with the Google Open Source team and to continuously share updated versions of gMove.
In December, 2007, as detailed in the complaint Google told LimitNone that it would, in fact, be releasing a competing product and giving it away for free to its “Premier” customers. The lawsuit alleges that Google's product, called “Google Email Uploader” steals gMove's look, feel and functionality.
According to the complaint, Scott McMullan, a senior executive in the Google Apps partner program, told LimitNone that the potential for 50 million users – was “just too big to come from someone else” and that “this is how Google operates.”
Posted by Frank Watson on June 26, 2008, 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Yahoo Plans Reorg: More Centralization
Confirming recent rumors of another coming reorganization, Yahoo today announced its plans to centralize many of its product and engineering teams into one regional group in the U.S., rather than maintaining separate divisions for each set of products.
Yahoo is creating three new teams that will report to President Sue Decker:
- An Audience Products Division will assume responsibility for companywide product strategy and product management. It will be led by Ash Patel who previously managed the company's Platforms & Infrastructure group.
- A U.S. region with accountability for all go-to-market activity in the U.S. will be led by Hilary Schneider, who previously headed the company's Global Partner Solutions group.
- An Insights Strategy team will assume responsibility for centralizing and executing a common strategy for the use of data and analysis across Yahoo. The company plans to name this group's leader within the next few weeks.
According to Decker, these moves have been in the works for several months, and complement last year's changes to centralize more of Yahoo's business.
"The changes we're making today will help deliver superior global products for users and enable faster and better decision-making," Decker said in a statement. "This is a logical next step in light of our success last year in moving to a more centralized approach to developing world-class marketing products. We have planned these changes deliberately over the past several months to clarify responsibilities and to capitalize on the scale advantages while allowing for fine tuning to meet local market needs."
Yahoo has restructured its search group, which recently lost SVP and General Manager of Search Vishal Makhijani to Russian search engine Yandex. Prabhakar Raghavan has been tapped to direct search strategy, and Tuoc Luong is the interim leader of the search product team. Both Prabhakar and Tuoc will also continue in their roles as the leaders of Yahoo! Research and Search Engineering respectively. In addition, David Ku will lead the Advertising Technology Group within Search.
Yahoo is also making changes to its technology organization, devoting resources to developing a cloud computing and storage infrastructure; moving more of Yahoo onto common platforms; and creating a stronger partnership between product and engineering teams.
The new Cloud Computing & Data Infrastructure Group will be charged with developing a computing infrastructure that balances scalability with cost effectiveness. It will also move all consumer-facing platform teams to the Audience Technology Group, led by Venkat Panchapakesan.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 26, 2008, 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Maps Easter Egg Discovered
Google Maps features a very funny Google Easter Egg: If you ask for directions from an address in Australia to an address in the USA the ever helpful "Get directions" tool gives some great tips on how to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Easter eggs are hidden surprises created by programmers.
Tip of the hat to Michael Smith of Technocrat.net for uncovering the Google Maps egg.
Now at least I know how Aussiewebmaster made his way to the USA.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 26, 2008, 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Twellow: Twitter Member Search
The people who give us WebProNews have launched a search engine for Twitter members - Twellow. Smart move given the popularity of Twitter and one Twitter itself could have launched if it was not already trying to lift a whale with a bunch of small birds.
The site has categories and will be interesting to see the breakdown of users by these categories. Something tells me the search space will be one of the leading categories.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 26, 2008, 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Names Patrick Pichette New CFO
Google has announced their replacement of outgoing CFO George Reyes. Former Bell Canada CFO Patrick Pichette has been offered the position along with an employment package as good as many first round draft picks in sports.
As the San Jose Mercury News details, Pichette will get a $500,000 signing bonus and the rest of the package makes his first year's pay in the millions.
Welcome to the team Patrick.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 26, 2008, 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Searchme Adds Media Search and Visual Bookmarking
Visual search engine Searchme has announced the addition of two new features. The first is Media Search, which allows users to search for videos and images from YouTube and Flickr. The second is "Stacks," a visual bookmarking and sharing features that enables users to share what they find on blogs, social media profiles, email and web sites.
"These visual search applications enhance our core search engine by allowing people to use Searchme in fresh, innovative ways across various media and all over the Web," said Randy Adams, Searchme CEO. "It's another step in our long-term plan to add features and functionality, improve our beta engine's relevance and coverage, and create a world-class search experience."
"Until now, most web users have had to check multiple bookmarks every day, click on dozens of links pasted into an email, and hunt multiple times for sites they saw once but didn't have time to check out," said Adams. "With Stacks, they can now bypass these methods, saving time and creating an organized web experience."
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 26, 2008, 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
State of Missouri Releases Collaborative Search Portal
The State of Missouri has launched a collaborative search portal, enabling citizens of the Show-Me state to explore millions of historical documents. The search, dubbed Missouri Digital Heritage, is powered by Deep Web Technologies' Explorit Research Accelerator. Included in the searchable material are nearly 20 "Collections" such as Transportation, Sports, Women, and Agriculture.
"This is a unique project because of the queries this site is designed to handle," said Abe Lederman, CTO of Deep Web Technologies. "A family historian may have only a fragment of a name or a street address that they want to explore. By delivering every hit -- even the most remote -- we significantly increase their opportunity to put another piece of their family tree in place. Missouri Digital Heritage is truly designed to support every local researcher's needs."
Related Reading:
Google Helping State Government Sites Get Indexed
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 26, 2008, 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Hottest Google Search of the Summer
The hottest Google search of the blockbuster movie summer is "Wesley Gibson."
The film "Wanted" features a Matrix-like opening with star James McAvoy playing a working stiff unaware of his super powers (as an assasssin) just as Keanu Reeves was clueless as Neo at the start of The Matrix.
According to Wikipedia, Wesley Gibson, was a pathetic, cubicle-dwelling hypochondriac. His boss frequently chewed him out and his girlfriend regularly cheated on him with his best friend. His depressing life plodded on interminably and it seemed to him that he would never amount to anything. One day Wes is contacted by The Fox (Angelina Jolie in the film), who reveals to him that his father, who had been absent through out Wesley's life, was actually a super-criminal called The Killer who had been recently assassinated, and that Wesley had inherited his perfect aim and uncanny skill with any weapon in addition to the name, twenty-five million dollars and his father's place in the fraternity.
The vanity search by McAvoy when he Googles himself comes up with no results. (shown above)
The irony? A search for the keywords "wesley gibson" now shows results for the character in the comic books and film rather than any real-life Wesley Gibson.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 26, 2008, 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Apartment Guide Launches Mobile GPS Search Application
Apartment Guide has launched a mobile search application allowing users to find apartments via GPS. They've partnered with Mobile Accord to provide the location-based listings, available through participating carriers.
“Apartment Guide makes finding apartments easier through mobile GPS,” said Arlene Mayfield, president of Apartment Guide. “Powered by Qualcomm's BREW® Platform, the application also enables mobile phone subscribers to search for apartments anywhere in the United States, access prices, photos and property features and contact the leasing office directly.”
“According to ABI Research, North American subscriptions to ‘personal locator services' using GPS-enabled mobile phones will grow to more than 20 million by 2011,” said James Eberhard, chairman, Mobile Accord. “By enabling consumers to find apartments through GPS on their cell phones, Apartment Guide addresses a growing technological demand and meets the needs of renters ‘on the go.'”
Related Reading:
Google Opens Location-Aware Application to 3rd Party Developers
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 26, 2008, 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
1.8 Billion Internet Users by 2012, China to Overtake US Internet Use by 2011
By 2012, 1.8 billion people will be using the internet, according to JupiterResearch. That will be a 44% increase from 2007. China, India, Russia and Brazil will see the highest growth rates. China will overtake the U.S. in internet use by 2011.
"Even though the emerging economies will have lower online penetration rates compared to the developed countries, JupiterResearch believes that they will ramp up the learning curve in adopting sophisticated online activities compared to the developing countries," explained Vikram Sehgal, Research Director and lead author of the report for JupiterResearch.
Recent moves in the search industry seem to echo those projections. Yahoo's reorganization is mostly focused on a global strategy, likely building on their success in Asia. Last November, Yahoo added 9 countries to its mobile search, and recently expanded partnerships in the Asia/Pacific region. Yahoo has also invested heavily in India. They have a research lab in Bangalore and recently began testing "Glue Pages," a different way to view search results.
Meanwhile, Yandex, the leading Russian language search engine, has hired a Yahoo exec away to lead their San Fran-based operations.
Not to be outdone, Microsoft and Google have their eye on the big enchilada by staffing up in China, a market that is currently dominated by Baidu.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 26, 2008, 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hillary Clinton out-Googled by Barack Obama 2008 campaign
Was the more seasoned Hillary Clinton presidential campaign out-Googled by the more search savvy Barack Obama 2008 campaign? According to Kate Kay, senior editor of ClickZ, our sister site, Clinton Spent Far Less Online Than Obama.
And there are lessons here that every search engine marketer is going to want learn regardless of his or her political stripes.
BNN (Business Network News) recently interviewed Kate Kay, who explained that the Barack Obama 2008 campaign also used pay-per-click advertising on Google for different purposes than the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. You can watch the video interview with Kate below.
Obama Ads Online: Search Advertising Analysis by Kate Kaye
So, are you using geographic targeting? Are you using a soft offer in your PPC advertising and then using an email marketing campaign to follow with direct response marketing?
If you are trying to out-Google your seasoned PPC competitors, consider borrowing a couple of SEM techniques from the search savvy people working for the “skinny kid with a funny name.” Yes, yes, I know they're from Chicago, not New York. But, there's nothing “Second City” about their approach to search engine marketing.
In April, Li Evans reported that Barack Obama was Rocking the Youth Vote. In May, Kevin Heisler reported that the Obama campaign was advertising on the Search Engine Watch Jobs Board. In June, Nathania Johnson reported that Google's Peter Greenberger had tied the Obama and McCain victors to their AdWords spend.
And, now the Barack Obama 2008 campaign is getting ready to make history in American presidential politics. To borrow a line from Abraham Lincon, find out what Chicago-style deep-dish pizza they eat and give it to your other generals.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 26, 2008, 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Link Building Ideas for Local Auto Dealers
The beauty of certain industries -- and the challenge -- is they're international, national, and local all at the same time. Such is the case with auto dealers. In today's Link Building column, "Link Building Ideas for Local Auto Dealers," Justilien Gaspard shares two link building ideas for a local auto dealer that can be applied to various types of local businesses.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 26, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Can Google Predict the Next President?
A look at Google Trends comparative data can help guide companies in making strategic decisions. In today's Building Brand Equity column, "Can Google Predict the Next President?," Erik Qualman shows how the same can be done in the political world, as McCain and Obama are trying to build up their respective "brands" in the eyes of voters.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 26, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo Sends Shareholders Letter About Google, Microsoft
Guess the wagon circling has begun over at Yahoo in preparation of the stockholders' meeting August 1. They sent out a letter to stockholders outlining the various events of the past few months and promoted voted for the existing board of directors.
The letter attacks Carl Icahn.
"It is time for Yahoo! to turn its undivided attention to implementing its key strategies, and we therefore urge you to reject Mr. Icahn's slate and his ill-defined agenda," the letter from Yahoo CEO Roy Bostock states.
The letter - posted below - is very slanted towards the actions of the existing executives. Right now the Microsoft offer of $31 to $34 looks good given the stocks major slump to the low $20s.
The letter read:
Dear Fellow Stockholders:We are writing to update you on the latest developments here at
Yahoo!, including our recently announced commercial agreement with
Google and the outcome of our discussions with Microsoft regarding a
potential transaction.On June 12, we announced a non-exclusive agreement with Google that we
expect will generate approximately $250 to $450 million in
incremental operating cash flow for Yahoo! in the first twelve months
following implementation. This cash flow will enhance our
profitability as well as help support achievement of our key
strategic objectives. Combined with continuing advances in our own
search capability, the agreement is an important step in our efforts
to capitalize on the high-growth online advertising opportunities
where we are best positioned to compete successfully and create more
value.Let us explain why we find this new agreement so exciting.
The Yahoo!-Google Agreement is Financially Attractive and Strikes the Right Strategic Balance.Under the agreement with Google, Yahoo! will continue to provide
algorithmic and sponsored search results, but now will also have the
ability to run sponsored search ads supplied by Google alongside
Yahoo!'s search results. Advertisers will pay Google directly for
each click on Google paid search results appearing on Yahoo!. Google
will then pay us a fee (in industry jargon, traffic acquisition cost)
based on revenue realized from click-throughs on ads supplied to
Yahoo! by Google.This carefully structured agreement strikes the right strategic
balance, enhancing our financial results while advancing our
strategic objectives of being the "starting point" for the most users
on the Internet and offering such compelling value that advertisers
will see us as the "must buy" in online advertising.One of our key strategies for achieving these objectives is to
capitalize on the increasing convergence of search and display
advertising, where we are especially well positioned to compete and
succeed. We have already accelerated our efforts to strengthen our
presence in display through a variety of initiatives and acquisitions
in recent months. Our new commercial agreement with Google enhances
our ability to pursue this strategy.Another key strategy is to open our platform to other developers to
optimize monetization for our advertisers and publishers and provide
the best experience for our users. We see this agreement as a natural
extension of the efforts we have already made toward an open
marketplace.The Google agreement is non-exclusive and provides strategic and
operational flexibility for Yahoo!. It allows Yahoo! to use Google's
services in those areas where Google monetizes our inventory more
effectively but also permits us to continue to use our own search
technology in areas where we believe we are most competitive. The net
result is that the agreement helps us accelerate one of our strategic
aims--closing the monetization gap. At the same time, it allows
Yahoo! to continue to compete aggressively in search and display
advertising.Importantly, the agreement does not prevent Yahoo! from pursuing other
alternatives that could increase stockholder value. Because the
agreement can be terminated by either party upon a change in control,
it would not preclude a transaction with Microsoft or any other
potential acquiror in the future.
The Yahoo!-Google Agreement Does More for Stockholder Value than
Microsoft's Search-Only Hybrid Proposal.We also want to update you on the conclusion to our discussions with
Microsoft regarding a potential transaction. As we explained in our
last letter, our board and management held numerous meetings and
conversations with Microsoft about its proposal to acquire Yahoo!,
both before and after Microsoft withdrew that proposal on May 3. On
June 8, our Chairman, Roy Bostock, other independent board members,
and members of Yahoo!'s management team again met in person with
Microsoft representatives. At that meeting, Microsoft stated
unequivocally that it has no interest in acquiring all of Yahoo!,
even at the price range Microsoft had previously suggested.Microsoft did propose an alternative transaction. Rather than acquire
our whole company as it had been proposing for months, Microsoft now
proposed to acquire only our search business for $1 billion and a
share of future search advertising revenue. This proposal also
included an $8 billion investment in Yahoo! but required Yahoo! to
commit to a 10-year exclusive arrangement that would have made us
dependent on Microsoft for all of our search business. It would also
have given Microsoft veto rights on certain future Yahoo! actions,
including a sale of Yahoo!. Our board of directors and management
made a great effort--and conducted in depth negotiations--to elicit a
feasible proposal from Microsoft that made strategic and financial
sense for Yahoo!, but without success.While Microsoft's search-only hybrid proposal may have been helpful to
Microsoft, our board and management concluded it would have had a
significant adverse impact on Yahoo! strategically, leaving the
Company without the operational control of search assets and
technology we view as critical to our objective of becoming a leader
in the converging search and display advertising business. The board
and its advisers also carefully studied the financial impact of
Microsoft's proposal and concluded that it would have provided no
meaningful improvement to our operating cash flow. In short, this
proposal would have generated substantially less value for Yahoo!
stockholders than Microsoft has suggested.Based on all the key factors--strengthening our competitiveness,
protecting our strategic position, generating attractive financial
returns--the Google agreement is far better than Microsoft's search-
only hybrid proposal. That's why we moved forward with it.Your Current Board of Directors Has the Knowledge, Experience and
Commitment to Best Represent Your Interests and Maximize Stockholder
Value.The events of recent weeks underscore the fact that your board of
directors is far better qualified to represent your interests in the
effort to maximize stockholder value than the slate put forward by
Carl Icahn.Based on Mr. Icahn's narrow agenda, it seems highly unlikely that
either he or his slate would bring added value to Yahoo!. Consider
the following:-- Mr. Icahn put forward his slate so as to sell Yahoo! to Microsoft,
even though he had no knowledge of the sustained efforts made by your
current board and management to determine whether Microsoft was
willing to engage in a transaction that would provide appropriate
value and certainty of achieving that value. On June 8, Microsoft
once again made it perfectly clear that it is not currently
interested in acquiring Yahoo!.
-- Mr. Icahn publicly opposed any alternative form of transaction
with Microsoft. Your board and management, after thorough and
deliberate negotiations and evaluation, separately concluded on its
own that the alternative hybrid deal proposed by Microsoft was,
indeed, not in the best interests of the Company or its
stockholders.
-- Mr. Icahn urged, as an alternative to a Microsoft transaction,
that Yahoo! find a way to partner with Google that would not
preclude a transaction with Microsoft in the future. We have done
exactly that through the commercial agreement with Google we
announced on June 12.Simply put, you can choose to vote for a slate of nominees with no
articulated plan for the future of Yahoo!--and who now have
essentially no alternative agenda to offer you--or you can choose to
vote for your existing board of directors which has the independence,
experience, knowledge and commitment to navigate the Company through
the rapidly-changing Internet environment, execute on our strategic
objectives and deliver value for Yahoo! and its stockholders.It is time for Yahoo! to turn its undivided attention to implementing
its key strategies, and we therefore urge you to reject Mr. Icahn's
slate and his ill-defined agenda.We strongly urge you to vote your WHITE Proxy Card today for your
current board of directors.We look forward to sharing our progress with you as we move forward
and we thank you for your support.Sincerely,
Roy Bostock Jerry Yang
Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer
Posted by Frank Watson on June 25, 2008, 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer Sees All Media Electronic in 10 years
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told the Washington Post today that trees will have no fears from newspaper publishers as all media will be eletronic.
Funny to see someone with such influence on our lives be so far off the track. Guess it is a long time since he used public transportation, Unless Microsoft is working on some method of running cars using paper and give the world electronic readers to stop them from wanting newspapers. Or the advertisers sponsor the giveaways in return for strategically inserted ads?
Either way I have the comment time logged.... wonder where Ballmer will be in ten years? Fighting off a Google takeover perhaps, if that prediction comes true.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 25, 2008, 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Searches Lead to One Conviction, One Arrest
CNN/crime nailed one Google search crime story but missed the other. CNN caught the man who murdered his wife and daughter but missed the sex offender practicing medicine in Florida.
Neil Entwistle, the British husband and father who did a Google search on "how to kill with a knife" four days before the slayings of his wife and daughter, was convicted today. The jury found him guilty of two first-degree murder charges, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.
The story CNN/crime missed was in Florida where a Google search by a patient uncovered that a doctor practicing medicine lost his license.
On Tuesday, a man accused of practicing medicine without a license was arrested after a South Florida woman who sought treatment from him discovered he was a registered sex offender during a Google search of his name, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Reginald Phillips was arrested on a charge of practicing medicine without a medical license.
Carol LaGraves was being treated for rheumatoid arthritis at the Center for Rheumatology, Immunology and Arthritis in Oakland Park since last year. Her doctor recommended she receive an intravenous medication to treat arthritis from Phillips. He agreed to perform the procedure late last month and spoke to LaGraves on the telephone.
But days before the planned treatment, LaGraves conducted a Google search of Phillips and found a link to the Florida Department of Health's Web site, which revealed that his license had been revoked. He also appeared as a registered sex offender.
Phillips was arrested in 1995 and convicted of sexually molesting two men who sought medical care from him when he worked as a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic. He spent more than seven years in state prison.
When LaGraves and her husband met with Phillips on the day of their appointment and recognized him from his mug shot, they canceled the procedure and contacted the sheriff's office.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 25, 2008, 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Q&A with Darby Sieben of the Yellow Pages Group
Search engine marketers in the US tend to look West when trying to spot new SEM trends. As Frederick Jackson Turner first observed back in 1893, the frontier has always had a significant influence on American perceptions.
But, if you stare into the sunset too long, you might not see the other “new frontier” North of the Canada-United States border that's also shaping search engine marketing trends. While Search Engine Strategies Toronto ended last week, I'm still sorting through some of the new SEM trends that I spotted by looking in a different direction.
One of the more intriguing trends that I noticed was this one: More than 80 employees of the Yellow Pages Group (YPG), Canada's largest directory publisher, attended SES Toronto. YPG also owns and manages Canada's most visited online directories, YellowPages.ca and Canada411.ca, so the company is no stranger to local search or Search Engine Strategies Toronto.
Now, I've often encouraged SES alumni as well as first time attendees of Search Engine Strategies to “bring a couple of colleagues along with you” to an upcoming SEM conference. And I've seen companies send teams of more than a dozen people to other SES conferences. But, I've never seen a group quite as large as the one I saw at SES Toronto last week.
So, I tracked down one of the key players behind this new trend. His name is Darby Sieben and he's the Director of Online Services at the Yellow Pages Group. You can watch my interview with Darby on the SES Conference Expo channel on YouTube.
Yellow Pages' Darby Sieben at SES Toronto 2008
Or you can read my interview with Darby Sieben of the Yellow Pages Group below. He has some very interesting insights into small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Q: The Yellow Pages directory story started 100 years ago by connecting Canadian buyers with sellers. YellowPages.ca went online in 1995. Has the Internet dramatically changed the way people approach the shopping experience?
A: Yes and No. By this I mean, the need of connecting buyers and sellers has not changed and never will. The way in which they go about doing it has changed and will continue to evolve and the Internet is only one way. Consumers are more complex today and depending on the need and particular circumstances will connect using a combination of ways including print, internet, voice, mobile, etc. The key piece of advice to a SME in this evolving world is to understand that this is about syndication of their information across multiple media platforms.
Q: According to comScore Media Metrix, the Yellow Pages Group reaches 41% of all online Canadians -- and ranks #8 out of the top properties in Canada. In the United States, the SuperPages.com Network reaches about 16% of all online Americans and ranks about #21 out of the top properties in the United States. What's going on in the Great White North?
A: The main difference between Canada and the US is the fact that the Yellow Pages brand in Canada is trademarked; we are the sole owners and users of the brand. In the US, the value and strength of the brand has been diluted as there is confusion. Second, I believe we are a very progressive directory player. We were the first to sign a deal to license data to Google, we work with all the major search players and we continue to push the envelope on technologies such as our 411 voice services, SMS, IM and our mobile platforms. Syndication of our advertiser's information is very important. We believe in the anywhere, anytime and on any platform to get information.
Q: The content and keywords found in a print advertisement in the Yellow Pages Group and contained in a business profile on YellowPages.ca are fully searchable on the web and made available to your online partner network including Google, MSN and Yahoo! Isn't that that a strange brew?
A: We don't think so. If we examine a key barrier to search, that would be content. YP.ca and the search players are only as good as content that is digitized. The issue is that half of Canadian SME's don't have a website. We view print as the start of a very incredible journey for a SME because it contains very important pieces of content that consumers look for in the buying process. Those ads get digitized; keywords extracted, bucketized and distributed on YP.ca for our users as well as being pushed to search engines who index. It creates some incredible synergies and creates an ROI for our advertisers. To add one point here – a few years back we launched an initiative called the WebNumber. This is where we have mapped every phone number in our directory to a URL. For example – http://7804517857.yp.ca (this is the phone number for a Harley Davidson Dealership in Edmonton, Alberta). If you type that URL in – you land on their merchant page and can see their video and a host of rich content about that business. Many of our clients will register a domain name and simply point it to their page instead of investing in expensive design services.
Q: More than 80 people from the Yellow Pages Group attended Search Engine Strategies Toronto last week. Why did you bring everyone except the McKenzie brothers to the conference?
A: Well Bob and Doug are launching a cartoon version of their hit from SCTV to be aired this fall, so they were unavailable. On a serious note it is all about further learning's and understanding. In 2007 we signed Canada's first reseller agreement with Google and have bundled AdWords with our print and YellowPages.ca advertising. We also launched last year full customized search marketing solutions based on a budget spend and have been testing and continue to sell a guaranteed clicks product. To really become the CMO for small businesses you need to understand all sources of generating results for your customer.
Q: You mentioned that you are bundling Google with your print and YellowPages.ca advertising – isn't Google considered a competitor?
A: We are definitely in a world of cooperative competition. You referenced ComScore earlier; here is a key fact that best explains the strategy. If we examine the unduplicated audience between Google Maps and our properties – what you realize is that there is a significant boost in audience reach. Both of us have around 31-32% reach and combined we reach over 50% - that is incredible for any SME who is looking to be placed in the path of consumers when they are making buying decisions. One thing I would like to add is that in terms of the purchase funnel – YellowPages.ca generates a very high ROI because by the time users come to us they tend to already know what they want to buy or are very close to a buying decision and need to do some comparisons. We tend to be further down the purchase funnel than search engines and the measurement for SME's has to go beyond clicks to include phone calls and store visits. As we often say, nobody comes to YellowPages.ca to surf they come to buy and this remains a key focus for us.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 25, 2008, 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Twitter Gains a Googler and Amazon's Bezos
It's no secret that Twitter has been struggling lately. At any given moment, the social chat platform can go down, preventing a plethora of Tweets from being broadcast to the socially adept.
But that hasn't kept the company from getting another round of funding, and help from friends in high places. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is investing in the social network using his personal venture investment company, Bezos Expeditions.
Meanwhile, Rudy Winnacker is leaving his Google position of 5 years to tackle the operations going (or not going) on at Twitter.
Hopefully, these new additions can help the birds finally lift that whale once and for all. (If you don't know what that means, you're not Twittering enough!)
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 25, 2008, 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Global Internet Ad Spend to Exceed $106 Billion by 2011
IDC has released new projections for global internet ad spending. This year, they expect internet advertising to reach $65.2 billion, which accounts for roughly 10% of all ad spending. And despite current economic woes, spending will continue to increase. By 2011, the worldwide spend is expected to exceed $106 billion.
Earlier this month, IDC released data showing that online advertising was up 23.9% in the first quarter of 2008 over the same period in 2007.
"Compared to more mature types of advertising, Internet advertising is growing at a phenomenal rate," said John Gantz, chief research officer at IDC. "But Internet advertising is still relatively new and growing from a much smaller base. By the end of the forecast period, spending for Internet advertising will trail direct mail – the third largest form of advertising – by more than $30 billion, while spending on TV and print ads will each be nearly twice as great as for online ads. The long-term opportunity for Internet advertising can be seen in the disparity between per capita spending. Total advertising revenues equate to more than $105 per inhabitant of the planet, while Internet advertising revenues are less than $50 per active Internet user."
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 25, 2008, 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Joins the "Internet for Everyone" Initiative
Like a politician making campaign promises, Google has announced its involvement in the launch of the "Internet for Everyone" campaign. Unlike politicians, we actually know what the campaign is all about from the title and there's a higher chance of Google carrying out this platform than politicians keeping their promises.
The "Internet for Everyone" campaign is based on four principles: Access, Choice, Openness, and Innovation. Yup, that sounds like Google. Here's a brief history.
- In August of 2006, Google makes Wifi available for free in the city of Mountain View, California, where their headquarters are located.
- One year later, Google announces its plans to lobby for "white spaces" on unused TV spectrum, in the hopes of expanding wireless internet. Google has been very vocal about this push in 2008 as well.
- October 2007 - Google announces OpenSocial, a set of common APIs designed to work with social networks participating in the initiative.
- November 2007 - After months of speculation about Google releasing its own mobile phone, the rumors are laid to rest with the announcement of a mobile platform, Android. Google's plans for open spectrum come into clear view.
- In March 2008, the FCC holds a spectrum auction. Though Google does not win, they bid high enough to force Verizon, the winner of the C block spectrum, to open the spectrum open to third-party applications and handsets. And just to let everyone know they're paying attention, one month later Google releases a reminder to Verizon and the FCC to keep the spectrum open.
- Later that month, Google teams with MySpace and Yahoo to form the OpenSocial Foundation, to promote the development of cross-platform applications, driven by an open community.
- May 2008 - Google joins a coalition of investors supporting Sprint and Clearwire's combining of their WiMax businesses.
- Last month, Google launches "Friend Connect," which enables developers to create social media applications that can span several networking sites as well as be expanded to non-social sites.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 25, 2008, 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo's Latest Partnership: Online and Mobile Advertising Integration with Publicis
Today, Publicis announced the launch of their new digital advertising initiative, VivaKi. And Yahoo wasted no time sending out a press release regarding the new partnership with Publicis, perhaps in an attempt to compete with the news of Google's Ad Planner. But with Google already having its own agreement with Publicis, Yahoo is really just playing catch-up.
Yahoo's partnership is a dizzying array of product integrations between the two. Let's dive in:
First up, mobile marketing. Publicis' mobile marketing agency, PhoneValley, will be the first global agency to integrate Yahoo's Blueprint, a mobile developer platform language. The integration aism to aid brands in scaling their messages to a global level. Publicis will also be creating "microsites" to leverage Yahoo's Smart Ads, a mobile advertising tech solution.
Another part of the agreement is Publicis' integration of Yahoo's Right Media Exchange with their current media buying systems. Yahoo touts Right Media Exchange as "the largest open community of buyers and sellers including advertisers, agencies, publishers and networks." Yahoo hopes the integration will help clients of Publicis be able to target demographics with a single campaign buy.
"Our goal in working together with advertisers and agencies is to help them build brands, reach consumers and increase sales in new ways," said Yahoo President Sue Decker, who recently spoke about the online advertising transformation and is believed to be behind Yahoo's latest reorganization. "Through this relationship, Yahoo! and Publicis will empower the next generation of innovative advertising solutions."
"This partnership with Yahoo! takes the biggest challenge facing marketers today-the need for hyper-personalization on a massive scale-and turns it into a scalable, direct opportunity for Publicis Groupe clients," said David Kenny, Managing Partner of Publicis Groupe VivaKi. "By creating an evolved business structure built specifically to capitalize on this medium, we'll advance the larger industry and in the process set new standards for online advertising innovation."
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 25, 2008, 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Microsoft and Yahoo: Are They or Aren't They?
Yesterday, TechCrunch reported that Microsoft and Yahoo were talking again. I was immediately skeptical. Recently, All Things Digital had called out TechCrunch as conducting piggyback reporting instead of doing their own heavy-lifting. While I thought that was a bit harsh (All Things Digital is a project of the Wall Street Journal, and quite frankly - who has their connections?), it came as no surprise that TechCrunch would attempt to break a big story.
Still, the mainstream press ran with the story. Surely, they had done their homework.
Maybe not.
This morning, Kara Swisher of All Things D explained why she didn't run with the story: she couldn't corroborate it. I read her story with a firm sense of "I thought so" until she said that her Yahoo and Microsoft sources "emphatically went out of their way yesterday–which is not so typical–to deny any talks were going on..."
Sounds like Ms. Swisher's sources are protesting a little too much.
If talks have resumed, it sounds like they might be doing it the right way this time - keeping the conversation behind closed doors instead of blasting rhetoric through the press. But that might be a big IF.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 25, 2008, 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Yahoo's Suicide Pact with Google
Who cares if Yahoo outsources its search advertising to Google? You should. In today's Searching for Meaning column, "Yahoo's Suicide Pact with Google," Kevin Ryan asks, 'On what planet is having only one place to buy anything a good thing for competitive pricing?'
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 25, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Uncovering Site Problems for Landing Page Optimization, Part 2
Web analytics on your Web site can help you uncover and prioritize potential site problems. In today's By the Numbers column, "Uncovering Site Problems for Landing Page Optimization, Part 2," Tim Ash offers some additional techniques to discover conversion issues on your landing pages, including mining onsite search, or conducting usability testing, focus groups, and surveys.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 25, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Launches Google Map Maker
How many maps would a mapmaker make if a mapmaker could make maps online?
Google will soon have the answer. Today Google launched Google Map Maker, a new product that enables users to contribute and edit Maps data for regions around the world.
Building a map is a complex process that's made easier by a worldwide geo-wiki.
Google Map Maker promises to be an easy-to-use tool to build high quality maps of neighborhoods, cities and countries. Map Maker allows people to add, edit and moderate most features on maps including roads, lakes, parks, points of interest, businesses, cities and localities. People will be able to trace many of these features using satellite images; as users trace, maps are immediately updated.
Currently it's possible to build maps in Cyprus, Iceland, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Caribbean nations of: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago. The existing mapping data for these countries would benefit tremendously from local knowledge and expertise that users and other map makers possess.
This product is a labor of love by many engineers based in Bangalore who have a desire to see the world mapped. Google has showcased before and after images from the Mapplet created to support relief efforts in Myanmar that was created with Map Maker.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 24, 2008, 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
SpyFu Expands Search Competitive Intelligence Service to UK
SpyFu, a site that allows you to see what the competition is up to online, has announced the expansion of its search engine analytics services to the UK.
SpyFu says it's the first service to offer comprehensive data to the UK.
Here's the data that will be available through SpyFu UK:
- Natural search competitors
- Paid search competitors
- Competitors' Keywords
- Competitors' Cost per click
- Rankings
SpyFu launched in May 2007 and says it already sees 1 million visitors per month.
"With our tremendous growth over the past year, we were considering several opportunities for expansion," said Michael J. Roberts, president of Velocityscape, the creator of SpyFu. "We found that UK data was the most-requested feature in the SpyFu.com forums. Listening to our customers and addressing their needs is always our first priority."
Related Reading:
Tools for Competitive Search Intelligence
Avinash Kaushik Talks About Competitive Intelligence Tools
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 24, 2008, 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Google Officially Introduces Ad Planner
Earlier today, we brought you news of Google's new media measurement tool. The official announcement has been published on the Inside Adwords blog. The new tool will be called Ad Planner (yes, there is a space between the two words), and is in a private, invitation-only beta. You can request an invitation, if you're interested.
Ad Planner was developed for media planners in the hopes of creating a better connection between advertisers and publishers. Here's how it works: Media planners enter their target audience demographics as well as sites that their audience already visits. Ad Planner will use the data to determine what other sites the target audience is visiting. The list of sites will include those on and off the Google Content Network.
The data can then be used to create plans, which can be exported via CSV. You can also export data to DoubleClick's MediaVisor, another media planning platform. Google completed its acquisition of DoubleClick earlier this year.
Here's what the Ad Planner platform will look like:
What do you think of Ad Planner? Will you request an invitation? Let us know by leaving a comment.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 24, 2008, 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Search Engines are Preferred Method for Researching Products and Services
Search engines are the preferred method of researching a product they're considering purchasing, according to data released by Opinion Research Corporation. 63% of those surveyed say they consult online news, blogs, and consumer feedback before making a purchase. And if you've been tempted to abandon organic based on the "SEO is dead" debate, you may want to think again:
- 70% go online to find information on brands, especially for travel, leisure, and recreation
- 83% say online reviews had at least some level of influence in their buying decision
“Businesses today exist in an era in which it's nearly impossible to escape the likelihood of being evaluated...there's nowhere to hide,” said Linda Shea, SVP and Global Managing Director of Customer Strategies for Opinion Research Corporation. “Companies must be extremely mindful of the power of proliferating online forums and their ability to shape consumer's perceptions about brands. Even a single negative review, when posted in a very public forum, can have a significant impact on a prospective buyer's decision to purchase.”
So when does the internet first enter the decision-making process?
- 38% use the internet from the start
- 27% go online when trying to decide between 2-3 options
- 21% are at the narrowing-down phase
And here's what's being researched, along with the percentage of those surveyed who go online to research the various categories:
- Travel/Recreation/Leisure 82%
- Electronic goods 80%
- Household products/services 66%
- Clothing 55%
- Automotive 55%
- Personal care 40%
- Food 24%
What do you think of these numbers? Does it affect your view of how important SEO is? Give your thoughts in the comments.
Related Reading:
Get in on the Conversation about the Future of SEO
What's In Your Travel Tool Bag?
What's In Your Travel Tool Bag? - Part 2
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 24, 2008, 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Conversion Optimizer Now Supported by Adwords Editor and API
Google's Conversion Optimizer was released in January and was designed to streamline the AdWords bidding process. Now, Google has announced that the tool is supported by AdWords Editor and Adwords API.
In order to use Conversion Optimizer, you must have AdWords Conversion Tracking enabled and have accrued 200 conversions over the past 30 days. Conversion Optimizer uses several factors to determine an optimal CPC bid based on the maximum CPA set by the user. Factors include broad matching, content network or search partner site where an ad is displayed, and where the user is located.
Writing on the Inside AdWords blog, Trevor Claiborne explained, "The keyword "flowers" may have a 2% conversion rate while the keyword 'roses delivery' may have a 7% conversion rate. That doesn't mean that you don't want any clicks on 'flowers,' but you probably wouldn't want to spend as much on that keyword as you might be willing to spend for clicks on 'roses delivery' The Conversion Optimizer uses information like this to adjust your bids based on how valuable each click is for you."
What do you think about Conversion Optimizer being supported by AdWords Editor and API? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 24, 2008, 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo's Urban Mapping License to Aid Geographic Targeting
Yahoo! has licensed Urban Mapping's Urbanware: Neighborhoods, which contains data for 40,000 neighborhood boundaries covering more than 2,000 U.S. cities and towns. The agreement will help Yahoo provide geographically-targeted results based on actual search behavior.
"Urban Mapping's neighborhood boundary information helps us offer our users access to more complete and relevant content," said Bob Upham, Director of Business Development for Yahoo! Geo Technologies. "Allowing users to search by neighborhood yields more appropriate results, adding value and relevancy to the overall experience."
Ian White, Urban Mapping CEO. "Yahoo! clearly sees the value and benefits of delivering neighborhood-based information to their community of users, advertisers, publishers and developers."
The license is expected to help Yahoo provide improved results in local search, mobile search, yellow pages, maps, and real estate among other applications.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 24, 2008, 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google to Unveil Media Planning Tool
Google is planning to launch a media planning tool which will aid advertisers in targeting audiences, according to published reports. The tool will be free and feature audience measurement data. While geared specifically towards advertisers, though web publishers will have access as well.
Additionally, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a separate tool will be launched to show how web users respond to online ads.
Audience measurement is already an established field with players such as comScore, Hitwise and Nielsen. Though, comScore did come under fire earlier this year for their measurements of search advertising, which Wall Street used to devalue Google, which ended up posting strong first quarter results.
And as we reported yesterday, Google is taking on sites like Compete and Alexa by offering a new website comparison tool as part of its Trends product.
We expect to have more details about the new media measurement tool when the official announcement is made later today.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 24, 2008, 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: Combine Freshness and Links for Long-Term Results
Fresh content will help you achieve top rankings right away, and help your Web site become an "authority" site. But fresh rankings don't always last. In today's Organic Search Engine Optimization column, "Combine Freshness and Links for Long-Term Results," Mark Jackson shows you how to create a concerted effort to generate links and traffic to the post, and keep those rankings long-term.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 24, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: The Big Picture -- Well-Rounded SEM for SMBs, Part 3
In past weeks, we discussed some ways to drive traffic to a small business Web site and get their marketing message in front of the right people. In today's Small Business Search Marketing column, "The Big Picture -- Well-Rounded SEM for SMBs, Part 3," Carrie Hill shares a few more elements a small business should consider when looking at a well rounded SEM campaign, including local search, usability, and creating a Web site that will increase conversions.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 24, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google 411 Launches in Canada
Google is the world leader among search engines and even Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has conceded Google's won the search game.
But most people don't think of Google as an offline information service - until they try GOOG 411. Canadians now have their chance to experience GOOG 411. Not French Canadians, though. Google has launched GOOG 411 in the Canadian market only in English.
Canadians can dial 1-800-GOOG-411 to connect to a computer that's armed with voice recognition software software.
The automated voice will ask for city and province. A voice menu will assist users by finding the information they're looking for.
Users can ask for directions to a business or location, phone numbers, or receive a voice spoken text message about the business or restaurant that they're researching.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 23, 2008, 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Matt Cutts Shares 5 SEO Tips with USA Today
USA Today recently asked Google's Matt Cutts for tips to help sites rank in their search engine. Cutts offered up 5 tips plus a word of advice in implementing the tips. Here they are:
- Spotlight your search term on the page. If you want to be found for your keyword, make sure that term is on the page you want to rank. The term should be at the top as well as peppered throughout your copy.
- Fill in your "tags." The two most important tags are Title and Description b/c that's what is displayed on the search results.
- Get other sites to "link" back to you. This is one of the most important of the 100 factors Google considers when ranking sites
- Create a blog and post often. This can help you get links.
- Register for free tools. Cutts recommends using the tools at google.com/webmaster, as well as creating a text-based sitemap www.xml-sitemaps.com, and adding your business to Google's Local Business center (google.com/local/add)
And that word of advice? Don't overdo it. In other words, don't stuff your pages full of keywords.
What do you think of Cutts' advice? Leave a comment!
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 23, 2008, 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (49)
Yandex to Open Labs Office in Bay Area
Russia's most popular search engine has officially announced plans to open a labs office in Silicon Valley. This news began to leak last week with the departure of Yahoo SVP and General Manager of Search, Vishal Makhijani. Makhijani will be President of Yandex Labs in the Bay Area, and will report directly to the CEO of Yandex.
Yandex says it sees about 1 billion searches per month. Last month, Google saw 6.8 billion searches, while Yahoo saw 2.2 billion, according to comScore. Yandex came in third in European search market share data for the month of March.
"We did not hesitate to go the extra mile to find this rare talent,” said Arkady Volozh, CEO of Yandex, the parent company. “We are excited to add a leading technology and business veteran in Silicon Valley to the Yandex team. Vish and his group at Yandex Labs will help to extend and improve Yandex's core technology capabilities including the quality of algorithmic search for the Russian audience."
What do you think of Mr. Makhijani's move to Yandex? Let us know in the comments.
Related Reading:
Yandex Going Public, IPO On Nasdaq Later This Year
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 23, 2008, 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google Trends for Websites Adds to Comparison Sites Confusion
If you want to see how your site is doing compared to the competition, then the new Google Trends for Websites is yet another option to conduct your research. Following the lead of sites like Compete.com and Alexa, Google Trends for Websites allows you to see a graph of traffic to the sites you designate.
But Google Trends for Websites is only adding to the confusion caused by Compete and Alexa. I used all three to compare SearchEngineWatch.com, SearchEngineLand.com, and SEOmoz.org, three of the leading search blogs. I got three very different graphs. Check out these screenshots.
With all three, there are definite seasonal dips. But these graphs may speak more to the popularity of Google, Alexa and Compete than they do of the websites you may search. Alexa makes the sites look like they've seen traffic decline, and Compete makes the sites look like the traffic has increased, beginning with a big jump last June. Incidentally, almost any site related to internet marketing seems to have a big jump last June on Compete, which was discussed at search marketing conferences and made known to a wider audience.
Furthermore, Google Trends for Websites does not offer numerical values to give you a ballpark figure of how a site is performing. Alexa and Compete do. Still, Google Trends will likely become the most authoritative source for comparison data since Google has access to far more data than Compete or Alexa.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 23, 2008, 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
So Far, Twitter Falters On The Political Front
This weekend, the Personal Democracy Forum hosted a Twitter-only political experiment. The participants gave it the old college try, including a Time magazine blogger and Obama and McCain representatives. At least so far, Twitter falters on the political front.
My main complaint is that it's too hard to follow the topics among the participants. Also there's no simple way to browse all their tweets together, beyond the most recent 20 messages. Finally, a search mechanism is conspicuously missing in action.
To see the commentary, please link to any of these formats: (1) individual tweets from Time's Ana Marie Cox, Mike Nelson for Obama, and Liz Mair for McCain; (2) side-by-side tweets from all three; and (3) mixed tweets based on time posted.
One bright light? The participants intended to communicate about the presidential candidates' tech policies and positions. Everyone adhered to that mission pretty faithfully, and here are a few tweets about net neutrality:
* For the last q tonite, we acknowledge the elephant in the tweets: Net neutrality. Responses in the AM, pls. (Jun 21 22:21:31)
* JSM warns "caution" ( http://tinyurl.com/69y9b8 ) abt the gov't enforcing net neutrality-that means he's against it, y? (Jun 22 17:14:59)
* Re: Net Neutrality. Barack has set clear goal of NN and an open Internet: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/ (Jun 22 18:18:10)
* What I've said previously being noted, JSM favors market-based approach except where gov't intervention abs. nec. (Jun 22 19:45:49)
* But note JSM pledge to seek perm. ban on internet taxes & track record of leadership on keeping net free of taxes. (Jun 22 19:46:20)
While Twitter messages seem almost long enough to say something, it takes too much effort to "connect the dots" among the participants. Old-fashioned chat rooms worked better than this!
Posted by on June 23, 2008, 4:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
SEW Experts: Hot, Tiny Ads: Banner Ads for Mobile Screens
Mobile content ads have to work especially hard, given their small size. In today's Content Advertising column, "Hot, Tiny Ads: Banner Ads for Mobile Screens," David Szetela winds up the Content Advertising series with a recap of best practices for designing small ads with big impact.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 23, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Recruiting SEM Employees: Job Boards, Headhunters & Account Planning Boot Camp
One inescapable reality of the SEM industry is that finding great employees is a challenge, even if one knows precisely where to look. Mainstream and niche job sites, specialized SEM job boards, trade organizations and word of mouth are common channels for recruiting. However with demand growing sometimes it's necessary to get creative in recruitment efforts.
Whether seeking employees in-house or for an agency, as offline channels continue to fold into the 'net at a dizzying pace, finding incredibly smart staffers to service growing task lists can be a problem in this competitive environment.
Here's a 24 point list of of SEM/SEO recruitment channels and ideas, including classics and a few off-the-beaten-path sources with which aimClear and our partner agencies have had some luck. They're not listed in any particular order of importance:
SEW Job Board
Free for SEM job seekers, employers pay between $375.00 and $4750.00 (multi-post packages). SearchEngineWatch is an important SEM industry player and parent of the ubiquitous SearchEngineStrategies conference series. There are many cross-over users who come from more traditional marketing industries and mainstream businesses.
Marketing Pilgrim Job Board
Free for SEM job Seekers, posting costs employers $57.00 for 30 days. Andy Beal's audience is all about reputation management, natural search and his audience is comprised of well respected industry players and up-and-comers.
StuntDubl Job Board
Free for SEM Job Seekers, posting costs employers $30.00 for 30 days. Todd Malicoat is well known on the SES, SMX and major trade publication circuit. His blog is frequented by industry insiders and newbies alike.
SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professionals) Job Board
Free for SEM job seekers, posting reserved form members @ the $1000.00 annual level and above. SEMPO is as close as the SEM community gets to a consensus trade organization. They also offer training programs for SEM types.
Marketing Sherpa Job Board
Free for SEM job seekers, free for employers to post. MarketingSherpa is a case study research team surrounded by some of the industries brightest minds. Advertising to this community may serve your needs.
SEOMoz Job & Contract Position Listings
Free for SEM Job seekers, Join SEOmoz to build your company profile and post jobs. Rand Fishkin's venerable SEOmoz is the gold standard for "street cred" and his recommendations mean a lot. Marketplace, an SEO services directory, is a very sweet resource.
Miami Ad School
This ad, design & and account planning school turns out cool copywriter-specialists focused on branding across multiple channels including interactive. Miami Ad School trains promising graduates of other design/marketing colleges, professionals in other fields (like lawyers and accountants) and helps designers build "books" (portfolios). With locations Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Hamburg, Madrid and Sao Paulo the placement department emails job listings to all current and previous graduates around the world-at no charge to the employer.
OASEO
An "SEO Job Community," OASEO is free for SEM Job seekers, posting costs employers $99.00 for 30 days.
ProBlogger Job Board
Free for SEM Job seekers, posting costs employers $50.00 for 30 days. This site is especially strong for recruiting writers who are blog savvy and understand the game.
SEOBook Job Board
Free for job seekers, free for employers. Aaron Wall is one of SEOs pioneers and the blog remains tremendously popular. SEOBook attracts a large audience of SEM insiders and other potential employees crossing over from other industries.
SEM Jobs @ Monster.com
Interestingly enough, Google allows this hardwired search result to index. Everyone in the HR world knows about Monster. See site for pricing details.
Jobster hardwired SEO jobs search result. See site for pricing details
Harry Joiner – Marketing Headhunter
A dominant recruiter in multi-channel client side e-commerce space and a player in the SEM recruiting trades.
Cii Associates – SEO recruiter in Raleigh-Durham
A regionally focused SEM recruiting firm. The Raleigh-Durham IT market is hot and these folks are local.
Onward Search
Recruiting, staffing and temporary contract, temp-to-hire and direct-hire placements at search marketing agencies, & advertising firms. Check out VP Josh Gampel's LinkedIn profile and meet a power player in the SEM recruitment field.
Most college graduates these days are plugged into the social Internet and can use basic office tools. Journalism majors seem to excel @ SEO and social media, accountant school grad's are natural PPC wizards and don't forget to check out he marketing club of your local university's Facebook group.
English teachers are wired for keyword research and traditional media buyers (like the ones getting laid off from local network affiliates) can be terrific at account planning and media seller.
Find an Associate degree IT grad' who's freakish about blogging and APIs and keep in mind that Paralegals make awesome SEOs. Here's the best tip of all: Musicians make fabulous SEOs and link builders.
There's tons of demand out there for SEM and SEO employees from office helper to executive. Hopefully these resources provide a good starting place for your company in growing your department or agency. Please feel free to join in and suggest any additional recruitment channels by commenting.
Posted by Marty Weintraub on June 20, 2008, 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Google Porn Lawsuit Tossed in Manhattan
A New York Supreme Court judge has tossed out a $100 million lawsuit against the ex-employees a doctor blames for associating his name online with hard-core porn Web sites - and creating his own obsession with Googling his name, according to the New York Post.
SEW Expert Chris Boggs has written about the benefits of Googling your name in "Confessions of an Online Reputation Management Junkie." But Chris never warned readers of the hazards. It may be an incurable disease.
The three ex-employees sued Dr. Arden Kaisman for sexual harassment last year. Since then, Google searches under his name lead to hundreds of raunchy Web sites.
Dr. Kaisman claimed the trio and others "conspired" to have his name linked to the porn sites, and that the anesthesiologist has lost business and developed a strange form of mental distress as a result.
"I find myself obsessed with 'Googling' my name," Dr. Kaisman said. "The Internet, the great information equalizer, has been corrupted to hurt me. . . . I'm told I have an 'incurable Internet disease.' "
State Supreme Court Justice Jane Solomon didn't buy Dr. Kaisman's diagnosis and said there's no evidence the three former employees are linked to the postings.
Even if there was, Kaisman couldn't sue over having his name linked to pornography. It seems the women complained about - and Kaisman has admitted to - e-mailing employees "sexually explicit images."
Kaisman's lawyer, Sidney Segall, said there's a big difference between the types of e-mails his client was sending and the types of sites he's now linked to.
Solomon said there are "qualitative differences" between the sites and Kaisman's e-mails, but ruled in favor of the employees.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 20, 2008, 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Microsoft Adds Record Number of Employees, Rules Out Acquisitions
Last year, Microsoft added a record 11,200 employees last year, according the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Many of those employees were gained through acquisitions that are part of Microsoft's attempt to make a land grab in the search market.
The acquisition of aQuantive added 2,600 employees to Microsoft's payroll. Travel search site Farecast and enterprise search company Fast Search & Transfer out of Norway were also acquired by Microsoft in the past year.
But don't expect any more internet acquisitions anytime soon. Microsoft is ruling out buying up major internet real estate, such as Facebook, in the wake of its failed attempt to acquire Yahoo, according to the Financial Times. Steve Ballmer and Kevin Johnson told FT that search is a part of the larger goal of generating revenue from advertising.
Now it seems those goals will be pursued internally. Microsoft just announced plans to build a search technology center in Europe. And recently, they rolled out the Cashback program, which rewards searchers who conduct online shopping at Live Search.
Microsoft did make an ad-related acquisition recently, but it was for television ad solutions provider Navic Networks. Still, this looks like an attempt to catch Google, which released opened up its Television Ads in Adwords up to everyone last month after being in private beta since last summer.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 20, 2008, 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Summer Solstice is First Day of Summer and Google's Hot
Today is the first day of summer. Google is celebrating the summer solstice with a hot, new Google Doodle.
"When does summer start?" is always one of the most popular questions people ask. Today is the longest day of the year.
There are lots of ways to celebrate the summer solstice. Here are a couple proven ones handed down through the ages:
Modern-day druids (no, not the Grail Movement) meet at England's Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice. Many still wear Celtic attire, even though a civilization known as the Beaker People finished Stonehenge a millennium before the Celts were known to exist.
The Tropic of Cancer—the latitude on Earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon on the summer solstice—got its name because the sun appeared in the constellation Cancer.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 20, 2008, 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Yahoo Releases Three Updates to Traffic Quality Center
If you notice a change to the volume of clicks on your Yahoo paid search account, the Traffic Quality Center can help you figure out what caused the change. Now, there are three new updates to help you figure out what's going on.
The three updates are:
- A submission form to initiate a click investigation
- ”Ask Ace“: A new question-and-answer column written by one of our traffic quality experts.
- Animation on the homepage highlighting our stance on “bad clicks.” Refresh your browser to watch different versions.
Reggie Davis, VP of Search Quality wrote on the Yahoo Search Marketing Blog that there are several reasons why your clicks may fluctuate. Here are several examples he gave for a change:
- Changes to an ad's ranking in search results
- A change to the match type used for your ads
- Keyword seasonality
- A new distribution partner added to the Yahoo! network
- Yahoo! Buzz placement, where searches on certain popular keywords can be performed directly from the page content.
- Yahoo! Front Page placement, where searches on certain popular keywords can be performed directly from the page content
What do you think of these updates? Have you had success with the Traffic Quality Center? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 20, 2008, 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google News Testing Updates
Google News has announced that they will be testing updates in the coming weeks. Only a few users will see the "experiments," which will be based on research and feedback. Expect any changes to be related to the design of the site and the "evolving state of online journalism."
Back in 2006, Google explained its testing process. "To learn more, we sometimes randomly select a group of people to see a possible improvement to search options. Or we may select a group of people and try out a new element while they're searching. If you ever wonder why your Google site looks slightly different from that of the person sitting next to you, this is why."
If you see any changes to Google News, let us know in the comments!
Related Reading:
Google News Clusters: Keep 'Em Un-Separated
Google Finally Copies Microsoft, Adds 'Related Searches' to Google News
Google News Unveils Two Updates to Comments Feature
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 20, 2008, 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo Re-Organizes, Execs Drop Like Flies
Carl Icahn may not have to worry about the Yahoo! severance plan as much as he originally thought. Yahoo is reorganizing and execs are bailing left and right, and they're not even waiting for a proxy board takeover to make their moves.
Earlier this week came the news that Jeff Weiner was leaving the search company. Now, Qi Lu, Yahoo's Executive Vice President of Search and Advertising Technology is headed out the door. So is Vish Makhijani, Senior Vice President of Search, is also exiting.
Brad Garlinghouse, author of the (in)famous Peanut Butter Manifesto, is "considering alternatives" but is widely expected to bolt as well.
Lu, Makhijani, and Garlinghouse were all moved to the newly created Global Products group, to be headed by Ash Patel, the current Exec. Vice President of Yahoo's Platforms and Infrastructure, according to Kara Swisher. Patel has been with Yahoo since 1996 and is not seen as the type of leader needed to jumpstart the company.
However, the LA Times reported that Lu was already planning to move to China while Makhijani is heading over to Russia's leading search engine, Yandex, to lead SF-area operations.
Another move expected in the reorganization is the expanded responsibilities of Hillary Schneider, Executive Vice President of Global Partner Solutions. Schneider and Patel will be peers and report directly to Yahoo President Sue Decker, who is said to be largely responsible for the re-organization.
Still, the founders of at least 2 acquired companies aren't sticking around for the new arrangement. Flickr co-founders Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake and del.icio.us founder Joshua Schachter are saying, "Adios!" to Yahoo.
At least, that "Now Hiring" notice from a few weeks ago is finally starting to make sense.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 20, 2008, 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google Website Optimizer Offers Flexible Service Plans
Google Website Optimizer has announced three flexible service plans that will be offered through their Authorized Consultants. The plans can help users with the design, implementation, training and analysis of Website Optimizer tests. Here are the details of the three plans:
- $250 for 1 hour: For specific questions and quick answers. Maximum 1 call per hour. No commitment, no obligation.
- $600 for 3 hours (in increments of 30 min): For more complex issues at discounted hourly rates. The three hours must be used within 6 months after first hour of service is used.
- $1,200 for 8 hours (in increments of 30 min): The 8 hours must be used within 12 months after first hour of service is used.
Earlier this week, I spoke with Tom Leung, Senior Product Manager of Website Optimizer. He told me that some companies paid upwards of $10,000 a month for testing. He also said that if your competitors are doing testing and analytics and you're not, that it's like going into a gunfight with a knife.
The new service plans are certainly more affordable and accessible to small businesses and startups, and can help you be more competitive in your industry or niche.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 20, 2008, 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
comScore May 2008 Search Engine Rankings Data is Out
comScore has released their May 2008 U.S. Search Engine Rankings and no major changes have occurred. Google sites came in first, at 61.8% up .2% from April. Yahoo and Ask also saw .2% gains, and they came at the expense of Microsoft and AOL, which suffered .6% loss and .1% decline respectively.
10.8 billion searches were conducted in May, a 2% increase over April. Google sites saw 6.7 billion of those searches while Yahoo saw 2.2 billion. Microsoft sites saw 920 million searches on their sites. Check out the charts below for a breakdown of the data.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 20, 2008, 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: Step into the Ring for a SEM Pitch
Search marketing business strategists live for the thrill of the pitch. And with a slew of services that can confuse even the savviest client, they have their work cut out for them. In today's SEM Agency Issues column, "Step into the Ring for a SEM Pitch," William Flaiz takes you inside the pitching process, where it takes a shrewd intellect and steady hand to deliver the knockout pitch that makes the client wonder how they ever got along without your firm.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 20, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Stop the Web, I Want To Get Off! Drop Me at the Global Village
Web 2.0? Web 3.0? It's time we take a bigger view. With all the innovations that are available to the online world, it's about time we dropped thoughts of categorization and departmentalization. In today's SEM Crossfire column, "Stop the Web, I Want To Get Off! Drop Me at the Global Village," Frank Watson and Chris Boggs wonder, if the Web is an integral part of our homes and work, isn't it time we embraced it? And that means all of it, not just the parts we profit from.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 20, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Travel Search 2.0 -- Know Your Audience
The online travel industry has the benefit of being one of the most mature verticals in the Web today. In today's Vertical Search Marketing column, "Travel Search 2.0 -- Know Your Audience," travel search expert Elisabeth Osmeloski explains that because of that, any new entrant has to seriously consider their value proposition and how they fit into the Travel 2.0 space, and remain laser-focused on their core differentiator.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 20, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEM Industry Exceeded 2007 Projections as SEMs Look to Video, Mobile
The SEMPO 2007 State of the Market Survey Results are in, and the data shows robust growth in the North American SEM industry year. Spending reached $12.2 billion in 2007, exceeding projections of $11.5 billion. In 2006, the spend came in at $9.4 billion. As a result, the projection for 2011 is now at $25.2 billion, up from the $18.6 billion projection set a year ago.
Now that marketers are getting the hang of traditional search, many are looking to new channels, including video and mobile. 43% of participants are interested in contextually targeted advertising attached to video search results, while 40% are interested in mobile search. But most respondents said pricing would need to be the same as or less than it is for traditional search advertising.
Pricing was also an issue in paid search. About three quarters of those surveyed could afford a price increase, but it would need to be an increase of 30% or less.
Other stats from the survey include:
- Marketers found more search dollars by grabbing from print magazine, website development, direct mail and other marketing budgets.
- Organic SEO's popularity was up to 89% in 2007, from 80% in 2005 and 76% in 2006. Agency respondents offering organic SEO rose to 91% in 2007, up from 80% in 2005 and 87% in 2006.
- 4 out of 5 respondents would increase their budget in order to add behavioral targeting to their pay-per-click campaigns.
- 57% of online advertisers would spend an average of 11% more on demographic targeting, such as age and gender.
The numbers are on par with revenues posted by the search engines. Earlier this year, Google beat analysts estimates by posting strong Q1 2008 revenues, despite data indicating a slowdown in paid search growth. Yahoo and Microsoft also held steady financially despite declining search shares and the acquisition drama.
What do you think about this data? Are you looking to video and mobile? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 19, 2008, 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Dogpile.com Releases a Searcher's Best Friend, a Desktop Widget
Dogpile.com has released a desktop search widget. The widget features a single-search bar, which blends results from Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.com. Dogpile's SearchSpy, which features searches conducted all over the world, is also included on the widget.
But this isn't your average search widget. Dogpile's mascot, Arfie, is featured on the widget and you can pet him and play fetch with him. Awww!
“Offering a little fun with your search is one critical element our team is focused on as we continue to improve Dogpile.com,” said Mark Whidby, director, search product management of InfoSpace, Inc. “Our users have always loved Arfie, and now we're giving them a way to take him home with them. This widget is the first of many new engaging and useful tools we hope to launch in the coming months. A top priority as we continue to upgrade Dogpile.com is to engage and entertain our users while providing a superior search experience.”
To download the Dogpile widget (and Arfie!), visit www.dogpilewidgetdownload.com.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 19, 2008, 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Quality Score Now Affected by Landing Page Load Time
Google warned us this would happen and beginning today, landing page load times will affect Adwords Quality Score. The reason behind the change is something that Google often touts: it's what's best for the user. Google argues that faster load times are better for users, so pages that load faster will be rewarded accordingly.
In May, the Adwords team launched a load time metric to help you evaluate your pages.
And you might be surprised what you can do to improve your load times - and increase your conversions. Recently, the Website Optimizer team suggested testing best practices. They gave an example of a page that removed an image of a customer service rep. Best practices said leave the picture up, but the tests showed conversions increased by leaving the picture out. Of course, images generally increase load times.
Before you do any drastic changes to your pages so they'll load faster, testing your new page can help you know whether or not your changes will convert.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 19, 2008, 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Semantic Search Engine hakia Launches Syndication Web Services
Semantic search engine, hakia, has announced the launch of Syndication Web Services. The new service will allow third parties to use hakia search on websites, mobile applications and document management systems. Site owners can offer hakia's generic search, implement a custom search, or utilize a vertical search on their websites.
I spoke with hakia CEO Dr. Riza Berkan, and he says that the advantage with hakia's web search is the focus on the quality instead of popularity when it comes to delivering search results. hakia targets precision and accuracy in the goal of providing relevant results on a searcher's first attempt at a query.
Today's announcement includes 7 different ways in which third parties can utilize hakia's Syndication Web Services:
- Web Search – Brings search results from the World Wide Web
- News Search – Brings news articles for a given query
- Vertical Search – Brings search results from a vertical (for example, health) or from a particular database (such as PubMed.org)
- Summarizer – Provides a summary of a given text block or URL, ideal for content management systems
- Categorizer – Identifies categorical terms from a given text (URL or text block
- Characterizer –Identifies and expands descriptive phrases, keywords or tags. Ideal for SEM professionals and publishers
- TMR (Text Meaning Representation) – Provides text meaning representation of a given text block, suitable for core technology development
Have you checked out hakia? Would you be inclined to use their new Syndication Web Services? Give your thoughts in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 19, 2008, 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Top stories and blog posts from SES Toronto Day 2
Search Engine Strategies Toronto wrapped up yesterday. I'll be analyzing some of the new trends that I spotted in Canada over the next couple of weeks. But I wanted to share the top stories and blog posts for SES Toronto Day 2 this morning, so you can get a sense of the highlights from the SEM conference.
Fredrick Marckini, the Founder of iProspect and Chief Global Search Officer of Isobar, gave the opening keynote. Mona Elesseily, the Director of Marketing Strategy of Page Zero Media, interviewed Marckini for the Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo Channel on YouTube right after his keynote.
Fredrick Marckini of Isobar on Tracking Offline Conversions
Accordion Guy Joey deVilla provides a full set of notes from the keynote in a post entitled, “Fredrick Marckini's Keynote at Search Engine Strategies 2008 Toronto.”
Bryan Eisenberg, the Co-Founder of Future Now Inc., gave the keynote presentation on Day 2 of SES Toronto. Mitch Joel, President of Twist Image, interviewed Eisenberg about the impact of the economy on search engine marketing.
Bryan Eisenberg on Site Metrics and Optimization
Jennifer Laycock of the Search Engine Guide Blog says, “If you only read one link from today's Puppy's Picks, you should check out Chris Winfield's fantastically creative Twitter presentation from SES Toronto.” Winfield made his presentation at the “Twitter: Ultimate Time Waster or Great Tool?” session.
Rahaf Harfoush, aka The Foush, also weighs in on this session in a post entitled, “SES Toronto - Is Twitter A Time Waster?”
Chris Ragobeer of The Toronto Marketing and Technology Blog covered “SES Toronto 2008 Day 2 : Web 2.0 & Search Engines.”
Lisa Tarticchio of the aimClear Blog covered the “Introduction to Search Engine Marketing” session in a post entitled, "SES Toronto: Essential Return To Basics."
Jim Crocker of the Boardroom Metrics CEO Blog “took a break from reality” to attend the Search Engine Strategies Conference in Toronto and reports his observations in a post entitled, “SES Toronto Day 2.”
Naoise of NVI's Blog also provided some perspective on the conference in a post entitled, “SES Toronto - There's something sticky going on here.”
Stephan Spencer shared some Social Media “Hacks” (at SES Toronto) in his presentation on the “Social Media Success” panel and commented on them in his Scatterings blog.
Meanwhile, south of the border, The Austin Business Journal reported that Austin-based Apogee will open an office in Toronto, Canada, in an article entitled, “Apogee Search sees big potential in Canadian office.”
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 19, 2008, 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Scott Richter Is the $6 Million Man of MySpace
Call Scott Richter the $6 Million Man of MySpace. For the self-proclaimed "Spam King," lawsuit losses are becoming just another cost of doing business.
"Spam King" Scott Richter must pay $6 million in legal fees and damages to MySpace for spamming subscribers in August 2006. The judgment was handed down in arbitration.
Richter's company, Media Breakaway, won't appeal because the judgment is much lower than MySpace had originally sought. Earlier this month MySpace won a record $230 million in damages against spammers Walter Rines and Sanford Wallace, who fled before judgment was handed down.
MySpace had accused Richter sending unsolicited emails to thousands of MySpace customers purporting to be from MySpace friends promoting a website called consumerpromotionscenter.com.
The social networking site said that Media Breakaway used phishing tactics to obtain the email addresses.
MySpace sued Richter in January 2007 for damages under California's Can-Spam Act. The legislation awards $100 per email sent, which would have run into hundreds of millions of dollars.
Richter's previous company, OptInRealBig.com, declared bankruptcy in 2005 after Microsoft and the New York Attorney General sued Richter for spamming. They were asking for $50 million, but Richter settled with Microsoft for $7 million and the New York Attorney General for $50,000.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 19, 2008, 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: The Link Bait Recipe
A good link building philosophy is to always start with great, compelling content, and let the links follow naturally. But it's difficult to garner links by being positive, helpful, and excellent. In today's Link Building column, "The Link Bait Recipe," Sage Lewis shows how links will come easier if you're negative, conniving, and base.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 19, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: SEO Educational Standards: the Aftermath
Most people agree that there should be some kinds of educational standards for SEO in place for various reasons. In today's SEM.EDU column, "SEO Educational Standards: the Aftermath," Ron Jones explains that the big questions surround how those standards would be created, implemented, and if or how they would be enforced.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 19, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Earth Pool-Crashing Parties Latest Teen Craze
Tech savvy UK teens are using Google Earth's aerial shots to create the latest summertime craze – pool crashing. The Register Hardware site confirmed several pool trespassing cases with local UK police.
Google Earth is used to locate suitable pools and then Facebook is used to organize the pool crash parties.
Teens begin by surfing Google Earth's satellite images to find houses with swimming pools. Once a target has been identified, teens then use Facebook to arrange an organized, but uninvited, pool-crash.
A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police has already told the Daily Mail that owners of swimming pools should be on their guard. The spokesman reminded any readers planning to google for swimming pools on Google Earth that “using someone else's pool is trespassing and therefore illegal”.
Owners of several upscale poolside properties have already returned home to find teenagers "taking a dip in their man-made lakes or their spoor: beer cans, dog-ends and vomit floating atop their once crystal-clear pools," according to RegHardware.com.
Mobile phones, of course, seem to be an invaluable tool for a good pool-crash. Apparently, mobile numbers were doled out on Facebook for the organizers of one such event held earlier this week between midnight and 3am – the late hour because, well, it was a school night.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 18, 2008, 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Microsoft Continues Pursuit of Google with Navic Acquisition
Microsoft continues on in their pursuit of Google, this time enhancing their digital media advertising offering. The Redmond-based software giant has announced the acquisition of Navic Networks, a provider of television advertising solutions.
"Television media represents the largest percentage of advertisers and agencies' media budget today," said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group at Microsoft. "Together, Navic and Microsoft will deliver addressable television advertising solutions to help our partners better manage media spend by increasing advertiser reach and ROI, and maximizing publisher yield on television advertising."
Navic Networks will join Microsoft's Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group. The group developed Microsoft's comprehensive advertising platform that includes television and video advertising.
Related Reading:
Microsoft to Acquire AQuantive
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 18, 2008, 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Doesn't Kill People, People Do
Kate Knight, 28, from Wirral, was convicted of attempting to murder Lee Knight by lacing his food with ethylene glycol, had her appeal rejected by the Court of Appeal.
The jury heard Knight used internet search engine Google to find a method of killing, settling on anti-freeze.
Knight served the anti-freeze in red wine and Indian takeout on their wedding anniversary.
In a separate murder trial:
A detective testified in a US court that a laptop computer taken from the home of a British man accused of killing his wife and nine-month-old daughter was used to search online on "how to kill with a knife", four days before the slayings.
Medford police Detective Lawrence James, a computer expert, said the Google search was done on January 16, 2006.
Neil Entwistle has pleaded not guilty to murder charges stemming from the killing of his 27-year-old wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Lillian Rose, in their rented home in Hopkinton, Massachusetts on January 20, 2006.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 18, 2008, 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Paid Search Key in Projected Online Overtake of TV in UK Ad Spend
Paid search will take a lead role in online overtaking TV in the UK ad spending this year, according to Enders Analysis. Search ads are expected to surpass £2 billion, making up 60% of the online ad spend this year. The projections are in line with an e-Consultancy survey where 63% of companies said they planned to increase their paid search budget.
Google will see 80% of the search spend, possibly more with the recent announcement of an ad deal with Yahoo. 85% of search ads went to Google in the first quarter of 2008.
The total online ad spend is expected to reach £3.56 billion, while TV ad spend is expected to be £3.39 billion. Online ads will make up 19% of total advertising in the UK.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 18, 2008, 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Local.com Launches Ratings and Reviews Engine
Local search engine Local.com has announced the addition of ratings and reviews to their offering. Users can create a free account and give their opinion on businesses listed on the site. Ratings will use a 5 star system and users will be allowed to make comments to accompany their ratings.
“According to Jupiter Research, 77 percent of online shoppers use ratings and reviews when making a purchase,” said Kim LaFleur, Local.com vice president, product management. “We are pleased to launch our own ratings and reviews engine to allow consumers visiting Local.com to both add and access important information on local businesses throughout the U.S., enabling them to make more informed purchasing decisions. In addition, this allows our business customers to more proactively manage their own reputations and understand their customers' opinions (both good and bad) of their own products and services.”
The news comes at a time when data is showing that searchers are looking for answers. Additionally, search engines are beginning to move toward more comprehensive search results.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 18, 2008, 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Social Networks: We Are All Animals
People don't talk anymore. They misinterpret information, fly off the handle, and dehumanize the people around them. To them, people on the receiving on end of communications aren't people at all. In today's Searching for Meaning column, "Social Networks: We Are All Animals," Kevin Ryan says that a lot of human complications could be reconciled by being forced to experience the tears, smell the anguish, and see the bloody devastation that one has created, live and in person.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 18, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: 4 SEO Tips for Higher Search Rankings
Search engine optimization is tough, and the rules for ranking vary from site to site. In today's Web Analytics and ROI column, "4 SEO Tips for Higher Search Rankings," Eric Enge explains that authority, domain age, penalty factors, and freshness all play an important role in your Web site's ranking. Is your site ready for greatness?
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 18, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Top stories and blog posts from SES Toronto: Day 1
Weather delayed my arrival in Toronto for the start of Search Engine Strategies, but I was able to catch up quickly by reading what other journalists and bloggers were saying about the SEM conference. Here's a roundup of the top stories and blog posts that I found this evening:
SES Toronto Day 1: State of Search Marketing in Canada
Andrew Goodman of Traffick provides a brief update from conference-land.
Hello from Search Engine Strategies 2008 Toronto!
Joey deVilla, aka The Accordion Guy, covered Fredrick Marckini's Opening Keynote and the best thing in the goodie bag given to attendees.
Notes From SES Toronto 2008: Day One
Toronto Mike's Blog threw down a quick entry with some thoughts about search engine marketing.
Going to Search Engine Strategies (SES) Toronto 08
nicolask7 of Montreal Social Media covered some of the panels as well as the other Montrealers at SES Toronto.
SES Toronto 2008: Opening Keynote
Louis-Dominic of Adviso covered the opening keynote.
SES Toronto 2008: Universal and blended search
Simon Lamarche of Innovation Web is covering the SEM conference in French: "Nous sommes actuellement à Toronto pour le SES Toronto 2008."
Updates - Exciting News on the Foush!!
Rahaf Harfoush is live-blogging the Toronto Search Engine Strategies Conference.
David Snyder
As a result of both Twitter and SES Toronto 2008, Mike of Drop the Mike Blog had the pleasure to meet up with and spend some time with a very good up and coming Internet Marketer, David Snyder.
Getting Authoritative Online Mentions (SES Toronto)
Stephan Spencer came in late to the "Beyond Linkbait: Getting Authoritative Online Mentions" session, but he did have notes from Jim Hedger's presentation for Scatterings.
SES Toronto - Day 1
Evan Carmichael of the YoungEntrepreneur.com Blog outlines the sessions that he's selected to follow at SES Toronto.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 17, 2008, 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Code Jam Rocks Summer '08
Registration opened today for Google Code Jam 2008. Programmers will use their coding skills, creativity, and ingenuity to solve a series of challenges. The top 500 contestants will win an all-expenses paid trip to the semifinals at regional Google offices, with the top 100 advancing to the finals at Google's Mountain View headquarters.
"Google Code Jam is an incredible opportunity for the most talented computer scientists in the world to come together and compete on an international stage," said Vic Gundotra, Vice President, Engineering in a statement. "Google is proud to support these coders as they take on some of the world's most challenging programming problems, and we're pleased to have the chance to introduce them to our research and offices around the world."
This year marks the first year with regional semifinal playoffs in over ten countries. "It's an incredible opportunity to introduce the best of the programming world to our offices across the globe and demonstrate the incredible diversity of experiences that Google offers engineers worldwide," said Nelson Mattos, Vice President, Engineering, EMEA, in a company statement.
This year's Google Code Jam will be powered by tools created by a 20%-time team that includes previous Code Jam winners, and will allow contestants to program in any language.
In addition to the trip to local engineering offices and Mountain View, finalists will also divide over $80,000 in prize money, ranging from $10,000 for the grand prize to $250 for the 76th to 100th place winners.
Participants can register throughout the qualification round, which ends July 17.
In 2006, more than 21,000 competitors from over 100 countries took part in the Google Code Jam, and Petr Mitrichev of Russia won the grand prize.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 17, 2008, 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
iWidgets Launches Public Beta, Makes Widget Development Easier
To compete in social media or with open source search applications, widget development is key. But it can be costly if you don't know what you're doing. iWidgets is demystifying the widget development process by launching their platform into public beta. The service is free to use and brings widget creation to a wider audience.
“Private beta users were so enthusiastic about iWidgets, we knew the market was ready,” said Peter Yared, CEO of iWidgets. “Our robust tools provide an unmatched ability to display personalized content from a source website without requiring experienced programmers. The result is incredibly viral - a fun, interactive application people want to use and share.”
Widgets created through iWidgets can be used on iGoogle, Facebook, MySpace and others.
If you've been holding back on widgets, are you inclined to check out iWidgets? Give us your thoughts in the comments.
Related Reading:
Testing Applies to Widgets and Accessories, Not Just Landing Pages
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 17, 2008, 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEMPO Institute to Develop Career Opportunities for Young Chicagoans
The SEMPO Institute is teaming with SIM Partners and i.c. stars to create search marketing career opportunities for young adults in Chicago. The president of SIM Partners, Jon Schepke, sits on the board of the SEMPO Institute. His company has been working with i.c. stars for over four years.
“As co-chair of the SEMPO Institute, it made perfect sense to connect these two organizations when the SEMPO Institute launched in 2007,” says Schepke.
i.c. stars is a nonprofit organization designed to develop community leaders in Chicago. The organization uses project-based learning to groom adults (who have at least a high school diploma or GED) for careers in business and technology.
“The i.c.stars partnership with SEMPO and SIM Partners has enabled a new and growth-oriented career option for graduates in the area of Internet Marketing,” states Eric Lannert, vice president of i.c. stars. He continues, “the volunteer efforts of SIM Partners have enabled us to modify our internal curriculum so students can manage their own Google Adwords campaigns for startup websites and gain experience. At a time of economic uncertainty, we see this partnership as a strategic initiative to continue providing meaningful and challenging job opportunities for our students.”
Earlier in the year, SEMPO Chairperson Dana Todd included expanding the Institute's baseline for education in her mission for the industry organization.
Related Reading:
Top 10 Toughest Jobs to Fill? The Top 3 Are In Search Engine Marketing
Search Engine Marketing Career Development
Search Marketing: A Rewarding Career Path
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 17, 2008, 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
It's Official: Weiner to Leave Yahoo
Last week, rumors were rampant that Yahoo's Network Division Executive Vice President, Jeff Weiner, would be leaving the Sunnyvale search engine. The news is now official, with an announcement of Weiner's new role as an Executive in Residence at Accel Partners and Greylock Partners, two venture capitalist firms.
Weiner will split his time evenly between the two firms, advising leadership on their existing tech portfolios as well as consulting on new investment opportunities.
“Jeff's operational experience in scaling products, teams and revenue will help Greylock enhance our capabilities and add value to our investments,” said David Sze, General Partner at Greylock.
“We are thrilled to have access to Jeff's perspective on web product strategy and operations,” said Theresia Ranzetta, General Partner at Accel. “Additionally, we look forward to leveraging Jeff's expertise regarding the convergence of media and technology for existing and future Accel portfolio properties.”
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 17, 2008, 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Microsoft to Build Search Technology Center in Europe
Ever since the Yahoo! acquisition deal fell through, many have wondered what Microsoft will do to make headway in the search market. Shortly after, they launched Cashback, which seemed to indicate a dedication to build search internally. Then Bill Gates said that one of his post-retirement projects would be seach. Today, Microsoft is showing its commitment to developing Live Search with an announcement to build a Search Technology Center in Europe.
"Today Microsoft has 68 percent reach to Internet users throughout Europe through our online assets and strengths in display advertising; however, we're not yet where we'd like to be in search in this critical geography," said Kevin Johnson, president of the Platforms and Services Division at Microsoft. "Success in search in Europe is paramount, and we see the investment in this new Search Technology Center as an important step in doubling down on our long-term investments."
Though no city was named, Microsoft said the European center will be modeled after their Search Technology Center in Beijing. Additionally, engineers may work from multiple locations to contribute to the search technology efforts conducted at the European hub.
"Searchers have different expectations and experiences in every geography in the world, so we believe it is critical to make deep investments in physical locations in multiple markets to ensure that we're applying the best local expertise to our research and development efforts," said Satya Nadella, senior vice president of the Search, Portal and Advertising Group at Microsoft. "We're already doing some great work in Europe in the enterprise search space through our January 2008 acquisition of Fast Search & Transfer SA, and we're looking forward to opening the European Search Technology Center to further our investments."
What do you think about Microsoft's announcement? Do you think they have what it takes to develop a more robust search product? Leave a comment and let us know.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 17, 2008, 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Yahoo! Mobile Expands Partnerships in Asian/Pacific Region
Playing on their popularity in the region, Yahoo! Mobile has announced the expansion of its search and advertising partnerships with Asia/Pacific companies. Yahoo! has scored 5 new partnerships with mobile operators agreeing to include oneSearch in their mobile search offering. Over 60 oneSearch partnerships have been developed over the past 18 months.
Yahoo! Mobile is also rolling out new mobile widgets for the region including Yahoo! Answers, Yahoo! India Movies, MTV Asia, and Yahoo! Cricket.
In Singapore and India, oneSearch with voice for English now recognizes accents spoken in those countries, and there are new localized versions of Yahoo! Go 3.0 for Australia, India, and Southeast Asia.
In Malaysia, Yahoo struck mobile advertising partnerships with two mobile operators. The deal includes graphic ads and are similar to deals struck with AT&T, T-Mobile International and Vodafone UK.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 17, 2008, 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Download Firefox 3 Today: Firefox Download Day to Set a Guiness World Record
Firefox 3 will be released today which makes today Firefox Download Day 2008.
To build its user base, Mountain View-based Mozilla will attempt a Guinness World's Record for the most software downloads in 24 hours.
You can download Firefox 3 here.
Firefox 3 promises exciting new features, including one-click bookmarking, the smart location bar and lightning fast performance. Other features include built-in spell checking, session restore and full zoom.
Firefox 3 will also offer more than 5,000 add-ons, including Shareaholic which allows you to share, bookmark, and e-mail web pages quickly via a wide array of web 2.0 social Web sites. Shareaholic currently supports: digg, del.icio.us, facebook, foxiewire, friendfeed, google bookmarks, google reader, healthranker, kaboodle, magnolia, mixx, myspace, pownce, reddit, simpy, stumbleupon, streakr, truemors, tumblr, twitter, ycombinator, bzzster and others.
Firefox 3 release time is 10 a.m. PDT today. You can pledge to join the World's Record attempt on the site and receive a reminder when Firefox 3 is officially released.
Or you can follow "mozillafirefox" on Twitter for status updates.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 17, 2008, 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
SEW Experts: SEO Issues with Global Expansion
When a U.S.-based company expands globally, they typically spend little or no time with their expansion plans overseas. In today's Enterprise Search Marketing column, "SEO Issues with Global Expansion," Aaron Shear explains why that's a mistake. Big business is commonly lost with their overseas Web sites.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 17, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Domain Strategies for Search Engine Optimization
You're optimizing your Web site. You're working on building links to your site. But are you paying attention to your domain name strategy? In today's Organic Search Engine Optimization column, "Domain Strategies for Search Engine Optimization," Mark Jackson describes the importance of developing and instituting a domain name strategy for your Web site.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 17, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEMPO Holding 'Great Debate' on Agency or In House
If you are in or near New York Wednesday you may want to stop by Stich to see SEMPO's first 'Great Debate' - and I am on one of the sides (has not been determined since I have both backgrounds).
There will be a solid turn out of search people, so could be a fun event. I am sure there will be people there blogging it for those who can't make it.
Stich is at 247 W 37th St and the event starts at 6:30 - come early and grab a drink.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 16, 2008, 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Planet Google: How One Company is Transforming Our Lives: Sold!
The most talked-about book in the search engine industry was just bought by Atlantic Books' editor-in-chief Ravi Mirchandani. He bought the investigation into internet superpower Google by New York Times columnist Randall Stross.
Planet Google: How One Company is Transforming Our Lives looks at the company's story so far and its impact on business and culture.
Rights in the UK and Commonwealth, excluding Canada, were acquired from Free Press / Simon & Schuster. Atlantic will publish in October.
News comes courtesy of Tom Holman over at Bookseller.com, which just awarded the annual "oddest title" to "Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs" was crowned the winner of the Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, after a record-breaking 8,500 votes online.
The runner-up is "I Was Tortured By the Pygmy Love Queen" (20%) and in 3rd place is "Cheese Problems Solved" (19%).
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 16, 2008, 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Associated Press Wants To Set Rules For Blog Usage
Seems the Associated Press wants to meet with members of the blogging community to set rules for how their content is used online, following the 'interaction' between AP and the Drudge Retort over usage.
AP had sent a letter to the Drudge Retort - part of the larger Drudge Report group - demanding that they take down 7 stories that heavily referenced AP stories. On saturday AP sent a follow up letter dropping the request and apologizing for the "heavy handed" letter.
Jim Kennedy, vice president and strategy director of The A.P., said in an interview that the news organization had decided that its letter to the Drudge Retort was “heavy-handed” and that The A.P. was going to rethink its policies toward bloggers.The quick about-face came, he said, because a number of well-known bloggers started criticizing its policy, claiming it would undercut the active discussion of the news that rages on sites, big and small, across the Internet.
Since then AP has reported it will hold a meeting with bloggers - specifically "to meet Thursday with Robert Cox, president of the Media Bloggers Association, as part of an effort to create standards for online use of AP stories by bloggers that would protect AP content without discouraging bloggers from legitimately quoting from it."
Criticism of the original action of restricting use of AP stories has been extensive in the blogosphere - do a blog search.
Everyone should be on the side of the Drudge Retort on this one - especially given they link out to news sources and track comment numbers that give people an idea of the popularity of various stories.
The fact that AP is now 'meeting' with bloggers - well the Media Bloggers Association - whose site seems motivated:
"The Media Bloggers Association is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting, protecting and educating its members; supporting the development of "blogging" or "citizen journalism" as a distinct form of media; and helping to extend the power of the press, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails, to every citizen."
Shows they want to control how their information is used - understandable given they are paid by newspapers and other sources for providing that news that bloggers grab for free.
Short passage quotes with attribution have always been a standard use of other sources of news even in the print medium - especially in editorials.
What AP is missing is that most of the users are giving links back to their source and thus giving more authority to them as a permanent web news reference. Hope that gets tabled by the bloggers they speak with.
As the print industry continues to shrink there are many stories of their efforts to reach out to the online world, guess AP is a little slow on reading their own articles.
Maybe they read some of the blog posts about the controversy and decided it was time to reach out. The growth of Google News as a source could have had an impact.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 16, 2008, 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Gary Price of ResourceShelf Wins SLA President's Citation
The former news editor of Search Engine Watch just won one of the nation's most prestigious awards granted to library professionals at the annual Special Libraries Association (SLA) conference in Seattle.
Gary Price, the founder of ResourceShelf and a former executive with search engine Ask.com, won the first President's Citation, granted at the discretion of the SLA president. Gary was honored for “raising the visibility of librarians.”
The SLA was founded in 1909 in the state of New York and is now the international association representing the interests of thousands of information professionals in over eighty countries worldwide.
Onstage at the conference, Charlie Rose interviewed Google's Vinton Cerf, who said his goal is to get affordable infrastructure in place so the number of Internet users will double by 2010, to three billion users. This milestone will depend significantly on the further penetration of mobile phones.
Cerf said he's deeply concerned about digital preservation and the “born digital” challenge; he hopes to avoid a “bit pile” of inaccessible, extinct content and urged companies to open up development for digital preservation applications.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 16, 2008, 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Former Search Technologist and Yahoo Investor Mark Nelson Supports Icahn
Even though Carl Icahn has said the Yahoo-Google deal might have merit, former search technologist Mark Nelson has announced his support for Icahn's proxy board, according to Barron's. Nelson founded search technology company Ovid Technologies and sold it to Wolters Kluwer for $200 million in 1998.
Today, Nelson is a partner at Mithras Capital, which holds 1.7 million shares of Yahoo.
In a letter addressed to Jerry Yang, Susan Decker and Roy Bostock, Nelson explained the reasoning behind his difficult decision to sell a company he built:
"Despite my emotional commitment to the company, and despite 10 years of enviable growth and profitability, in 1998 the Board and I came to the conclusion that selling the company was the best way to fulfill our fiduciary responsibility to maximize value for all shareholders."
The letter continued on with much of the same arguments we've heard from Icahn in his letters, including references to the poison pill.
Earlier, investor Eric Jackson announced his support for a combo board, that would keep 5 of Yahoo's current board and bring in 4 from Icahn's board. Jackson leads a shareholder group with 3.2 million shares.
Former Search Technologist and Yahoo Investor Mark Nelson Supports Icahn
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 16, 2008, 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Q&A Interview with Google's Matt Cutts
Here's a must-read for the week: a great interview with Google's Matt Cutts by Eric Enge, CEO of Stone Temple Consulting, in his blog this morning.
There's terrific information on link building from Google's perspective, among other topics.
What Google looks for are links that will stand the test of time. In Matt's words:
So, what are the links that will stand the test of time? Those links are typically given voluntarily. It is an editorial link by someone, and it's someone that's informed. They are not misinformed, they are not tricked; there is no bait and switch involved. It's because somebody thinks that something is so cool, so useful, or so helpful that they want to make little sign posts so that other people on the web can find that out.
Matt also clarified Google's views on links originating with Digg:
Whenever you pay money to a social media consultant to try to show up on Digg, you are not paying for links. You are funding some creativity; you are sponsoring your page for some creativity.It's not like you held a gun to anyone and said “Okay, you have to link to me.” The people who link to the site are linking because it's something compelling instead. So, there is still some editorial choice there.
Don't miss Matt's take on widgets either. For that you'll have to go to the interview.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 16, 2008, 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Icahn Goes Soft on Yahoo-Google Deal, Investor Urges Combo Board
Carl Icahn has gone soft in the wake of the Yahoo-Google deal, telling Reuters that the deal "might have some merit." Icahn hasn't made any actions (such as withdrawing his proxy board) or written any more letters.
Meanwhile, Yahoo investor Eric Jackson is urging other shareholders to vote on a board that would keep 5 of the existing board members while bringing in 4 of Carl Icahn's proxy board, again according to Reuters. Jackson leads a group of 146 shareholders with a collective 3.2 million Yahoo shares.
Eric Jackson has been vocal in his disapproval of Yahoo's failure to strike a deal with Microsoft. But his fears may have been exaggerated. Once the deal fell through, he expected Yahoo shares to fall back to their pre-Microsoft bid levels of $19-20 per share. While the stock fell, it never has returned to those lower levels, instead hovering in the $23-25 range.
Perhaps Mr. Jackson is softening just a bit as well?
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 16, 2008, 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Dominates Mobile Search Market Share in Q1 2008
Continuing its dominance in search, Google saw 61% of mobile searches in the first quarter of 2008, according to data released by Nielsen Mobile. Yahoo came in second at 18%, while MSN lagged behind at third with 5%.
65% of Google searchers were male while 63% of Yahoo searchers were male.
When it comes to what mobile searchers are looking for, Google and Yahoo users are alike:
Google searches:
Information 33%
Local listings 29%
Websites/navigation 27%
Yahoo searches:
Information 33%
Local listings 24%
Websites/navigation 26%
But finding satisfactory results is still a bit of a challenge when it comes to mobile search. Only 44% of Google searchers and 40% of Yahoo searchers rated their experience in the 8-10 range on a scale of 10.
Last week, Google announced that it updated its mobile search offering to make it faster for searchers on the go.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 16, 2008, 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Google Mobile Advertising on the Content Network
Creating a mobile ad campaign that displays banner ads on Google's mobile content network can be ideal for businesses that rely on phone calls to start or close a sale. In today's Content Advertising column, "Google Mobile Advertising on the Content Network," David Szetela explains how to do this without requiring a mobile Web site design, because clicks on the ad will be directed to a Google-supplied mobile-friendly page describing your business.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 16, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Mobile Search Feels the Need for Speed
Mobile is the wave of the future and accessing the web is increasingly becoming a must for mobile phone users. Smartphone sales are up and the iPhone is hot! But the internet is not as fast on your phone as it is on your laptop. That's why Google's news about an update to mobile search will come as welcome news to many.
Writing on the Google Mobile blog, Software Engineer James Watts explains:
"When you navigate to google.com in your browser, we cache the homepage on your phone. If you bookmark this homepage, then returning to Google using the bookmark is almost instantaneous."
iGoogle has also been improved for mobile. Start by going to iGoogle on your computer, and choose which widgets you want to access on your phone. Again, bookmarking iGoogle on your phone helps it load faster.
Related Reading:
Google Releases Study on Mobile Search Query Suggestions
Google's New Wifi Push Will Drive Mobile Search
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 13, 2008, 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google Website Optimizer's Technology Partner Program Shows Compatible CMS
Google Website Optimizer has launched the Technology Partner program, which shows which CMS platforms are compatible with their JavaScript-based testing tool.
Website Optimizer can still be used on CMS platforms not listed in the program, but the certified CMS partners come with documentation and support.
Jon Stona of the Website Optimizer team, wrote on their blog, "We see this program as a win for CMS providers and website-owners alike. CMS platforms of any size can offer their customers a powerful A/B and multivariate testing solution, which might have cost them millions of dollars to develop internally."
What do YOU think of the Technology Partner program? Useful or useless? Let us know in the comments.
Related Reading:
Testing Landing Pages Includes Testing Best Practices
Testing Applies to Widgets and Accessories, Not Just Landing Pages
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 13, 2008, 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Live Search Cashback Now Available for ebay "But It Now" Products
In an effort to boost its search game, Microsoft recently announced its Live Search Cashback program which rewards those who make purchases as a result of Live Search ads with cash rebates. Now, eBay is part of the program, but in a more streamlined way.
When searching for a product, you'll now see a cashback gleam next to eBay paid search ads. You'll be able to get cashback on "Buy It Now" products directly through eBay instead of going through the cashback site.
Live Search says that doing cashback this way requires some coding with partner merchants, but it hopes to offer more advertisers like this in the future.
What do you think of this new cashback offering? Has cashback changed the way you search? Share your experience in the comments.
Related Reading:
eBay Wants To Team Up With Yahoo And/Or Microsoft To Compete Against Google?
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 13, 2008, 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google's Related Searches Fresher Than Ever
Google has announced that their related search suggestions are now extra fresh. Writing on the Official Google Blog, Rajat Mukherjee, Group Product Manager, Search and Adam Westall, Software Engineer said, "Recently, we improved our algorithms to process new information faster, and the result is quite tangible -- you should now see fresher suggestions for queries on current topics of interest."
They gave several examples. One is the iPhone. Now, if/when you search for the iPhone you'll get a suggestion for the iPhone 3G, announced this week. This suggestion should come as a surprise to no one informed about the relationship the search engine has with the fruit.
Other examples include:
1. Searching for tomatoes and getting a suggestion about the recent salmonella situation
2. Searching for us open and seeing a US Open Golf Tournament suggestion
3. Searching for kung fu and getting a tip about the Kung Fu Panda movie (which my kids loved, btw).
I personally could not duplicate the results for any of these examples in Firefox, but I could in Internet Explorer.
What are you seeing when it comes to Google related searches? Let us know in the comments.
Related Reading:
Google Finally Copies Microsoft, Adds 'Related Searches' to Google News
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 13, 2008, 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Two dozen search blogs buzzing about SEM conference
If you're getting ready to go to Search Engine Strategies Toronto next week – or still on the fence about whether to attend SES Toronto June 16-18 – then check out the buzz from more than two dozen search blogs that has been leading up to the SEM conference.
If fact, the buzz in Canada has been louder this year than the one coming from the periodical cicadas that emerge every 17 years from underground haunts on Cape Cod. (Hey, I'm not making this up. Just read “Cape is again abuzz” from The Boston Globe.)
What Google calls “the buzzing blogger community” has been blogging about the speakers who will be speaking at Search Engine Strategies Toronto. I should know. I was among the first bloggers to start buzzing about “Why search engine marketers should attend SES Toronto 2008.”
But, I haven't been alone.
More than two dozen other search blogs joined the chorus. Here's a list of the posts about next week's SEM conference that I was able to find today – and I'm sure that I'm missing more:
An Analytic Approach to SEO and PPC
Entrevue - Eric Morris de Google Canada
Search Engine Strategies (SES) Toronto
Speaking Schedule for June: Millennial Financial, DM Days & SES Toronto
Interview with Eric Morris from Google
Portrait Québecois des moteurs de recherche
Search Engine Optimization - Toprank's CEO shares tips and Tricks
Interview: Jane Motz Hayes on SEO and Usability
SES Toronto 2008: Interview with Jill Whalen on SEO Donts, Myths, and Scams
Metamend Speakers at SMX Advanced and SES Toronto
Mission Critical for Non-Profits to Make the Search Connection
My interview with Matt McGowan, VP of Marketing - Incisive Media
SES Toronto - Combine Professional Development with Family Fun
SEO Myths with WestJet's Lyndsay Walker
Urban Mapping to Speak at SES Toronto 2008
Is There A Need For More Search Conferences In Canada?
So, “the buzzing blogger community” has really been abuzz about the SEM conference that gets underway on Tuesday, June 17, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (South Bldg.), in Toronto, Canada. It's not too late to register to find out what all this buzz is about for yourself.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 13, 2008, 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Jerry Yang Opens Up About Google Deal, Keeping Yahoo Independent
Jerry Yang has opened up about the non-exclusive search advertising deal with Google with a post over at the Yahoo! Anecdotal blog.
Yang started off by writing, "It's no longer a rumor." Considering Yahoo! issued a press release regarding a test of Adsense last April, I'm not sure rumor is the right word here, but let's move on.
Yang justified the deal by saying the move is part of Yahoo!'s open strategy:
"WebMD sells their audiences on Yahoo!, Yelp can customize how their local search results appear using Search Monkey, advertisers and publishers will buy and sell in an open marketplace with our upcoming AMP! from Yahoo!, and we're now opening our paid search results to Google."
Then, Yang offered assurance that Yahoo! wasn't exiting the paid search biz, but is instead positioning themselves better within the marketplace:
"As search and display continue their convergence, it puts Yahoo! in a better position to innovate and compete aggressively with Google and others for ad dollars."
One sentence stood out above all the rest.
"An independent search business is critical to our future."
Shareholders could grab onto that statement as a sign that Yang was never interested in selling to Microsoft, something Carl Icahn has been saying as part of his proxy board campaign.
Google also wants an independent Yahoo, per statements by CEO Eric Schmidt earlier this week. Though, we would assume that's for different reasons.
Of course, in order to make money from this deal, Yahoo needs to get eyeballs to their site and searches need to be conducted. But their numbers are falling in U.S. search queries, so they're going to have to do a lot more than a Google deal to save themselves.
Yang seems to understand this, "It is, of course, just one step. We'll continue to look at all of our alternatives to advance our strategies and enhance growth and profitability." But he doesn't have much time to prove himself before the August 1 shareholder meeting.
What do you think about Yang's statements? Is comparing Google to WebMd and Yelp like comparing apples and oranges? Did his blog help or hurt him with shareholders? Sound off in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 13, 2008, 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Confirms Yahoo-Google Deal on Friday the 13th
Google's official spin on the Yahoo-Google search deal portrays the pact as a technology play. Yahoo will have access to Google ad technology under the terms of the agreement.
Yahoo stated to Microsoft yesterday that an independent search business is critical to its future. We're puzzled how a partial outsourcing of search ads to Google would somehow ensure its independence.
If anything, the Google deal will weaken Yahoo's position in the search marketplace and likely lead to a defection among software engineers.
Our agreement to provide ad technology to Yahoo! 6/12/2008 03:28:00 PM Posted by Omid Kordestani, Senior VP, Global Sales and Business DevelopmentToday, we announced a non-exclusive advertising agreement that will provide Yahoo! with access to our AdSense for search and AdSense for content advertising programs on their U.S. and Canadian web properties. In addition, we will work to enable interoperability between our respective instant messaging services allowing users better, broader communication online.
We are proud of the advertising technologies we have built, which show users a relevant ad whether they are searching for a specific item or browsing the internet. This arrangement extends those benefits to Yahoo! and its many users, advertisers and publisher partners. We currently provide similar services to sites like AOL and Ask.com as well as many other partners, and we work closely with all of our partners to ensure that our partnership drives their long term success.
Why did we make this agreement? Quite simply, we think it is good for users, advertisers and publishers. By offering Google's industry-leading technology to Yahoo!, the whole system becomes more efficient, and everyone benefits:
* Consumers will see more relevant ads when they are looking for information and browsing the web. And with interoperability between IM services, users will have easier access to even more of their contacts.
* Publishers currently in the Yahoo! Publisher Network will benefit from Google's advertising technology, potentially increasing the revenue they earn from their sites.
* Advertisers will have new ways to reach their target customers online more efficiently.
We also think this is good for competition. The truth is, this kind of arrangement is commonplace in many industries, and it doesn't foreclose robust competition. Toyota sells its hybrid technology to General Motors, even though they are the number one and number two car manufacturers globally. Canon provides laser printer engines for HP, despite also competing in the broader laser printer market. Google and Yahoo will continue to be vigorous competitors, and that competition will help fuel innovation that is good for users.
It is important to say what this agreement is not:
* This is not a merger. Rather, we are merely providing access to our advertising technology to Yahoo! through our AdSense program.
* This does not remove a competitor from the playing field. Yahoo! will remain in the business of search and content advertising, which gives the company a continued incentive to keep improving and innovating. Even during this agreement, Yahoo! can use our technology as much or as little as it chooses.
* This does not prevent Yahoo! from making similar arrangements with others. This arrangement is not exclusive, meaning that Yahoo! could enter into similar arrangements with other companies.
* This does not increase Google's share of search traffic. Yahoo! will continue to run its own search engine and advertising programs, and the agreement will not increase Google's share of search traffic.
* This does not let Google raise prices for advertisers. Google does not set the prices manually for ads; rather, advertisers themselves determine prices through an ongoing competitive auction. We have found over years of research that an auction is by far the most efficient way to price search advertising and have no intention of changing that.
We have been in contact with regulators about this arrangement, and we expect to work closely with them to answer their questions about the transaction. Ultimately we believe that the efficiencies of this agreement will help preserve competition.
The Internet is a healthy, competitive environment where content creators, advertisers and users come together to access information, communicate and create new business opportunities. We think this deal extends these benefits -- it's good for users, advertisers and publishers and good for the industry.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 13, 2008, 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
CNN.com Beats Google in News Video Search
A year after launching a comprehensive search offering, CNN.com beat out Google when it comes to searching for news, according to a survey conducted by ROI Research for DoubleClick. 57% of the 500 participants surveyed said they search CNN.com for news while 53% say they search Google. Here are the top ten sites, with the percentage of participants who use them for news search:
- CNN - 57%
- Google - 53%
- MSNBC - 41%
- Yahoo - 40%
- MSN.com - 31%
- Foxnews.com - 25%
- YouTube - 22%
- Google News - 18%
- Aol.com - 15%
- Google Video - 14%
And just how successful are those searches?
- One-third of respondents find a relevant news video for their specific query on their first search Almost/Every time.
- One-third of respondents find the most up-to-date news video for their specific query on their first search Almost/Every time.
When video pops up in a search result for a news story...
- 36% of respondents are Very Likely to click on a video that is listed on a search engine results page while searching for a news story.
- 35% of respondents are Very Likely to watch a news video that is embedded in a news article that they are reading.
Would participants like to see more or less video in their news search?
- 33% agree or strongly agree that they would like to see more video in search results
- 47% are neutral
- 20% disagree or strongly disagree
How much online video news are participants consuming?
- 51% watch 1 hour or less per week
- 49% watch 1 hour or more per week
When it comes to local news, 79% of respondents use Search. Here's how they query:
- 42% use a local news station name in their search query
- 31% use a city name in a query
- 17% use a zip code
- 12% don't search any differently
- 21% don't use search to find local news
If you liked these numbers, then check out the following:
PR News survey finds online video is underutilized
AP, Microsoft Joint Venture Video Platform
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 13, 2008, 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Yahoo Google Deal: Yahoo Adds AdWords Search Deal
Yahoo signed a new advertising deal with Google that will face antitrust scrutiny during the next 90 days or so. The deal, which will not be executed until regulatory review is completed, will allow Yahoo to display some ads sold by Google.
U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, issued the following statement in response to the announcement by Google and Yahoo:
"We will closely examine the joint venture between Google and Yahoo announced today. This collaboration between two technology giants and direct competitors for Internet advertising and search services raises important competition concerns. The consequences for advertisers and consumers could be far-reaching and warrant careful review, and we plan to investigate the competitive and privacy implications of this deal further in the Antitrust Subcommittee."
The benefit to Yahoo? An estimated $800 million in annual revenue come come through improved monetization of search. For now, the deal is limited to search. Google and Yahoo are looking at ways to expand the partnership, most likely into display advertising.
Yahoo will determine how Google's ads are displayed. Yahoo's pitching the agreement as part of its "open strategy" but it's a clear indication that Yahoo Panama failed to deliver.
Yahoo President Susan Decker called the pact "a bridge" that will help the company create a unified display and search business. Yahoo said either party can end the agreement in the event of a change in control. If that happens in the next 24 months, Yahoo would be penalized with a termination fee of $250 million, less some of the revenue Google had earned through the deal.
Full text of the agreement after the jump:
Yahoo! to Strengthen Competitive Position in Online Advertising Through Non-Exclusive Agreement With Google
Agreement Advances Yahoo!'s Open Strategy; Enhances Ability to
Compete in Converging Search and Display Marketplace
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jun 12, 20 -- Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO), a leading global Internet company, announced today that it has reached an agreement with Google Inc. that will enhance its ability to compete in the converging search and display marketplace, advancing the company's open strategy. The agreement enables Yahoo! to run ads supplied by Google alongside Yahoo!'s search results and on some of its web properties in the United States and Canada. The agreement is non-exclusive, giving Yahoo! the ability to display paid search results from Google, other third parties, and Yahoo!'s own Panama marketplace.
Under the terms of the agreement, Yahoo! will select the search term queries for which - and the pages on which - Yahoo! may offer Google paid search results. Yahoo! will define its users' experience and will determine the number and placement of the results provided by Google and the mix of paid results provided by Panama, Google or other providers. The agreement applies to paid search and content match and does not apply to algorithmic search. The agreement also applies to current partners in Yahoo's publisher network.
Yahoo! CEO and co-founder Jerry Yang said, "We believe that the convergence of search and display is the next major development in the evolution of the rapidly changing online advertising industry. Our strategies are specifically designed to capitalize on this convergence -- and this agreement helps us move them forward in a significant way. It also represents an important next step in our open strategy, building on the progress we have already made in advancing a more open marketplace."
"This agreement provides a source of funds to both deliver financial value to stockholders from search monetization and to invest in our broader strategy to transform display advertising and advance our starting point objectives with users," said Yahoo! President Sue Decker. "It enhances competition by promoting our ability to compete in the marketplace where we are especially well positioned: in the convergence of search and display."
Agreement Provides Attractive Economics and Enhances Search Monetization
Yahoo! believes that this agreement will enable the Company to better monetize Yahoo!'s search inventory in the United States and Canada. At current monetization rates, this is an approximately $800 million annual revenue opportunity. In the first 12 months following implementation, Yahoo! expects the agreement to generate an estimated $250 million to $450 million in incremental operating cash flow.
The agreement will enhance Yahoo!'s ability to achieve its goal to grow operating cash flow significantly, while at the same time providing flexibility to continue to invest in ongoing initiatives such as algorithmic search innovation and search and display advertising platforms. It gives Yahoo! complete flexibility to continue to use its Panama paid search results.
Significant Benefits Will Flow to Users, Advertisers, Publishers and Employees
Users will also benefit from Yahoo!'s ability to invest incremental operating cash flow in ongoing improvements to its search services, building upon recent major innovations such as Search Assist and SearchMonkey. Advertisers will continue to benefit from multiple marketplace alternatives including Panama, Google and others. Publishers will benefit from a winning combination of distribution, monetization and services to help them grow their businesses. The financial benefits will enable Yahoo! to broaden the scope of its investments and initiatives, enhancing Yahoo!'s ability to offer attractive career opportunities to its employees.
Terms of the Agreement
The agreement will enable Yahoo! to run ads supplied by Google's AdSense(TM) for Search and AdSense(TM) for Content services next to Yahoo!'s internally generated paid search and algorithmic search results. Yahoo may also run Google-supplied ads on non-search Yahoo web properties, as well as on current members of its partner network. The agreement has a term of up to ten years: a four-year initial term and two, three-year renewals at Yahoo!'s option. It applies to Yahoo!'s operations in the U.S. and Canada only. Advertisers will continue to pay Yahoo! directly for clicks served by Yahoo! from Yahoo!'s Panama and Content Match marketplaces. Advertisers will pay Google directly for each click on Google paid search results appearing on Yahoo! owned and operated network or certain affiliate sites. Google will share a percentage of such revenue with Yahoo!.
In addition, Yahoo! and Google agreed to enable interoperability between their respective instant messaging services, bringing easier and broader communication to users.
The agreement allows either party to terminate the agreement in the event of a change in control of either party. The agreement also requires Yahoo! to pay a termination fee if the agreement is terminated as a result of a change in control that occurs within 24 months. The termination fee is $250 million, subject to reduction by 50 percent of revenues earned by Google under the agreement.
Although Google and Yahoo! are not required to receive regulatory approval of the deal before implementing it, the companies have voluntarily agreed to delay implementation for up to three and a half months while the U.S. Department of Justice reviews the arrangement.
Goldman, Sachs & Co., Lehman Brothers and Moelis & Company are acting as financial advisors to Yahoo!. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as legal advisor to Yahoo!, and Munger Tolles & Olson LLP is acting as counsel to the outside directors of Yahoo!.
Yahoo! will host a conference call to discuss the agreement with Google at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time today. To listen to the call live, please dial 877-391-6847 (reservation number 70308474#). A live audiocast of the conference call can be accessed through the Company's Investor Relations website at http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/index.cfm. In addition, an archive of the audiocast can be accessed through the same link. An audio replay of the call will be available following the conference call by calling 888-286-8010 (reservation number 84138579).
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 13, 2008, 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Yahoo, Google Collaborate on Search Ads. Apocalypse Expected Soon.
In what must be one of the seven signs of the apocalypse, Yahoo and Google have agreed to extend the advertising tests they participated in last month to a broader-scale distribution partnership.
Under the agreement, Yahoo would outsource a portion of its search ad inventory to Google, and potentially to other providers in the future. Yahoo now has the option to display Google ads alongside its own natural search results and other Web properties in the U.S. and Canada.
Yahoo will select the search term queries and the pages where Google AdSense for Search or AdSense for Content ads will be shown. The deal does not affect Yahoo's algorithmic search.
Yahoo expects the deal to improve monetization of its pages, potentially adding $800 million in annual revenue. In the first 12 months following implementation, Yahoo expects the agreement to generate an estimated $250 million to $450 million in incremental operating cash flow.
The open bidding system will likely utilize the abilities of Yahoo's Right Media Exchange software to deliver those third-party ads on Yahoo's search results. Such a deal could still include spurned suitor Microsoft, which could also allay regulatory fears that Google is getting even bigger than it already is. To play nice with regulators, the two have agreed to delay implementation for up to three and a half months to give the U.S. Department of Justice time to review the arrangement.
The agreement has a term of up to ten years: a 4-year initial term and two 3-year renewals at Yahoo!'s option. Financial terms between the two companies were not disclosed. Either party will have the option of terminating the agreement in the event of a change in control of either party, but if Yahoo initiates it within the next 24 months, it will owe Google a termination fee is $250 million, subject to reduction by 50 percent of revenues earned by Google under the agreement.
The two-week test in April reportedly affected about 3 percent of Yahoo search queries, and only applied to search traffic from yahoo.com in the U.S. and did not include Yahoo's publisher network or other partners.
As an additional token of newfound camaraderie, Yahoo and Google agreed to enable interoperability between their instant messaging services.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 12, 2008, 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Yahoo on MicroHoo: Stick a Fork In It - We're Done
MicroHoo is dead. RIP Microsoft-Yahoo. Today Yahoo made the official announcement that they've concluded discussions with Microsoft. The possibility of a full acquisition or a partical acquisition are nil.
What's more, Yahoo indicated that an independent search business will be critical to its strategic future and would not be in the best interests of Yahoo! stockholders. That casts doubt on the veracity of the TechCrunch rumor.
Full Text:
Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) today announced that discussions with Microsoft regarding a potential transaction -- whether for an acquisition of all of Yahoo! or a partial acquisition -- have concluded. The conclusion of discussions follows numerous meetings and conversations with Microsoft regarding a number of transaction alternatives, including a meeting between Yahoo! and Microsoft on June 8th in which Chairman Roy Bostock and other independent Board members from Yahoo! participated. At that meeting, Microsoft representatives stated unequivocally that Microsoft is not interested in pursuing an acquisition of all of Yahoo!, even at the price range it had previously suggested.With respect to an acquisition of Yahoo!'s search business alone that Microsoft had proposed, Yahoo!'s Board of Directors has determined, after careful evaluation, that such a transaction would not be consistent with the company's view of the converging search and display marketplaces, would leave the company without an independent search business that it views as critical to its strategic future and would not be in the best interests of Yahoo! stockholders.
Yahoo! remains focused on maximizing value for stockholders by continuing to execute on its strategy of being the "starting point" for the most consumers on the Internet and a "must buy" for advertisers. The online advertising industry is projected to grow from $40 billion in 2007 to approximately $75 billion in 2010 and the company believes it has the right assets, strategic plan, Board of Directors and management team to capitalize on this growth opportunity.
UPDATE: Microsoft has issued a response:
"In the weeks since Microsoft withdrew its offer to acquire Yahoo!, the two companies have continued to discuss an alternative transaction that Microsoft believes would have delivered in excess of $33 per share to the Yahoo! shareholders. This partnership would ensure healthy competition in the marketplace, providing greater choice and innovation for advertisers, publishers and consumers."As stated on May 3rd and reiterated on May 18th Microsoft was not interested in rebidding for all of Yahoo!. Our alternative transaction remains available for discussion."
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 12, 2008, 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Google-Yahoo Search Partnership Today?
Google and Yahoo may announce a partnership this afternoon at 4:30pm EST / 1:30pm PST. At least, that's the rumor coming from TechCrunch. Of course, this is the same rumor that the Wall St. Journal published on May 2, 2008.
There's no question a Google-Yahoo partnership would throw a wrench into Microsoft's merger plans to create MicroHoo. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn's efforts to oust the current Yahoo management would also be derailed.
We're skeptical there's a billion dollars in cost savings through a Google-Yahoo search partnership. In the short term, it's a Yahoo win.
In the long term, a search partnership would turn Yahoo into just another portal.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 12, 2008, 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Google's Schmidt Talks Yahoo, Newspapers, 'Don't Be Evil', and iPhone
Yesterday, Google's CEO Eric Schmidt was interviewed by Ken Auletta on stage at a San Francisco event hosed by Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications. Schmidt offered up insight on a variety of issues. Let's dig in.
Yahoo
An independent Yahoo would be better for innovation and competition, in Schmidt's opinion. He feels that Microsoft has delivered products such as Windows that limits the choice of consumers.
Newspapers
Schmidt said that Google has a 'moral imperative' to help newspapers, who've lost money in recent years to online publishers, who often provide their content for free. DoubleClick will be a part of the effort, though specific details were not revealed.
Of course, newspapers haven't traditionally been Google's biggest fan. A Belgian newspaper group has been going after Google for years for indexing their site.
'Don't be Evil'
The famous mantra is misunderstood, says Schmidt. Instead, the phrase was designed to facilitate internal conversations about corporate ethics, but most people interpret it as an absolute moral stance.
iPhone
Schmidt said that a "vast majority of searches" performed on Google via mobile phones are generated on iPhones. But since Google is preparing its own mobile platform, Schmidt has been excused from Apple board meetings a couple of times. He said that Android will "likely be quite different" from the iPhone.
via InfoWorld, USA Today, Reuters, and MarketWatch
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 12, 2008, 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Kayak.com Launches Display Ad Platform
Travel search site Kayak.com has announced the launch of a targeted display advertising platform. The platform was developed by SideStep.com, which Kayak acquired in December 2007.
Kayak says display advertisers will be able to target a variety of search criteria, similar to existing text ads offered through the Kayak Publisher Network. Examples of search criteria are:
- Destination
- Origination
- Trip dates
- Length of stay
- Specific airline/hotel/car brands and car type
Three ad sizes will be available, which are in line with IAB standards:
- 180x150 pixels
- 160x600 pixels
- 300x250 pixels
Kayak and its affiliates generate 200 million ad impressions per month on air, hotel, and car search results pages. Currently there are over 30,000 text placements from more than 2,000 brands on the Kayak Publisher Network.
"Our advertisers have repeatedly told us that display ads can communicate travel services in a way that text ads cannot," said Steve Hafner, Kayak.com co-founder and CEO. "Yet we know that some consumers dislike these ads and find them distracting. I believe we've found the right balance by allowing our registered users to suppress or view them, whichever they prefer."
Related Reading:
What Matters Most to Travel Search Marketers in 2008?
Online Advertising Shifting from Branding to Direct Response
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 12, 2008, 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo! Partners with Coupon Inc. for Mobile Coupons
Yahoo! and Coupons Inc. are launching a mobile coupon platform. Coupons Inc. is a leading online coupon distribution network and has relationships with 800 brands. The mobile network will immediately be available to all brands within the network.
“We see mobile coupons as a natural extension of our leading digital marketing platform and a way to turn coupons into a strategic marketing vehicle that delivers value,” said Steve Boom, Senior Vice President, Mobile, Yahoo!. “Our global reach, leading position in mobile advertising and the ability to deliver the right offer to people, coupled with Coupons, Inc.'s leadership in coupons, creates a unique opportunity to define and catalyze the market for mobile coupon promotions. When consumers get a coupon they want it's not seen as an ad – but a gift.”
While the mobile coupon market is relatively new, the strategy is expected to be a fruitful source of revenue for mobile publishers.Recent data from Hitwise shows that traffic to coupon websites is up 56% from 2007. Yahoo! and Coupon Inc. are hoping that translates to mobile.
“Coupons, Inc. has been innovating coupon technology for a decade. Mobile coupons are a logical next step in the industry's evolution, and we continue our commitment to drive interactive coupons with our new mobile initiative,” said Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons, Inc. “By partnering with Yahoo!, we will extend our customers' reach to a new generation of consumers — especially teens and young adults — in a medium that best fits their lifestyles.”
What do you think of this partnership? Are mobile coupons going to be lucrative? Let us know in the comments.
Related Reading:
Local Search at the Pump
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 12, 2008, 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Google Custom Search Creates New Developer Guide
Google Custom Search has created a new developer guide, which is now available at the Google Code site. The guide was built from scratch with a new organization, search box, and navigation. There's also more pictures to break up an otherwise monotonous document (what's useful isn't always what's exciting).
The new developer guide also digs into background information and complex information as well as makes suggestions to help you on your way.
With the new guide, users can now search across multiple APIs. Google Custom Search fuels the search on the Google Code website.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 12, 2008, 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Will FriendFeed Change the Face of Search?
Earlier this year, I wrote about FriendFeed's new search feature and how it was a powerful tool for finding conversations about your brand. I've used the site a little more, and I know it's a great way to find user-generated content as well. Now, Steve Rubel is weighing in on the discussion over the power of FriendFeed's search, saying it could disrupt traditional search methods.
Rubel suggests that the real power lies in searching among a network of trusted friends. He says there will be a whole advertising strategy built around it, which he dubs social contextual search advertising. Rubel thinks this is where Facebook and Google are headed as well.
Really, all FriendFeed needs to do is sell contextual ads for this to happen. But FriendFeed is a long way off from disrupting search or changing search ad models. And is that the true mission of the social aggregator?
One of the best things about FriendFeed and all social sites is discovery of new things. It's difficult to search for things you're not aware of, making discovery more powerful than search, in my opinion.
Even so, FriendFeed needs to figure out ways to help its users manage all the noise. When you're tracking a bunch of people who are all sending their blogs, social bookmarking votes, Tweets, etc. to FriendFeed, it gets a bit overwhelming. The new "rooms" that have been created are helpful and so is the hide feature, but tagging friends would be even better.
Plus, FriendFeed needs to watch the mobile space carefully. The attention economy will be streamlined even further and all the noise will be a distraction.
Finally, sites like FriendFeed and Twitter are all primarily used by internet marketers, bloggers, web developers, and other tech power users. Search appeals to the masses for obvious reasons, but social media sites have yet to prove staying power (Friendster, anyone?).
What do you think the future of search and social media are? Will social media overtake search or is Google here to stay? Let it fly in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 12, 2008, 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Yahoo! to Integrate Right Media and AMP Ad Management Platforms, But When?
Yahoo! is planning to combine their AMP and Right Media ad management platforms, reports Zachary Rodgers over at ClickZ. The question is when, and the answer is vague at best.
The AMP platform is expected to launch in Q3 but only to newspaper consortium partners. But it could take longer to integrate Yahoo!'s BlueLithium Network and the Yahoo! Publisher Network.
Still, display advertising is where Yahoo really shines over Google. Despite its recent DoubleClick acquisition, display ads aren't something Google really "gets" yet.
Read Zachary Rodgers full post on Yahoo's ad management integration plans on ClickZ.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 12, 2008, 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: Think Links from New Sites Have Little Value? Think Again
It's often assumed that new sites haven't earned enough trust in Google to pass real value. But if you flatly skip over links from new sites, you're losing out on immense opportunities. In today's Link Building column, "Think Links from New Sites Have Little Value? Think Again," Justilien Gaspard advises link builders to think of it as investing in the stock market by looking for undervalued, or unnoticed, sites that have a high likelihood of rising in popularity.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 12, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Live Search Cashback vs. Google: A Case Study
It's an interesting marketing concept, but how do the Live Search results measure up to Google, the de-facto search engine standard? In today's Building Brand Equity column, "Live Search Cashback vs. Google: A Case Study," Erik Qualman performs a test of product-based queries on each finds the results promising, but mixed.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 12, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Say Au Revoir to French E-Mail
Email has finally been banned in France. That doesn't mean you'll be forced to use IM, SMS or Twitter to communicate online.
It just means French email no longer exists under the name "email."
Email is now "courriel."
Search Engine Watch was way ahead of the curve reporting on the upcoming ban. ClickZ's Kate Kaye blogged about French e-mail on the SEW Blog back in June of 2006.
The original plan was to replace email with "courrier electronique" (electronic letter), while a start-up would be known officially as a jeune pousse (young plant).
We haven't heard whether jeune pousse has caught on yet.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 11, 2008, 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Yahoo Exec Set to Bail?
Yahoo's Jeff Weiner, Network Division Executive Vice President, is rumored to be leaving the company after a month's long paternity leave, according to Kara Swisher. Weiner is reportedly tired of all the drama caused by the failed Microsoft acquisition and Carl Icahn's proxy board. Weiner may become an executive in residence at a Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm (he wouldn't be the first to do so).
Four Senior Vice Presidents are rumored to be the most likely candidates to fill Weiner's shoes.
- Front Door and Network Services' Tapan Bhat
- Brad Garlinghouse, who heads Yahoo's communications and communities arenas
- Media Group head Scott Moore
- Yahoo Search's Vish Makhijani
A fifth option is not to replace Weiner at all and to re-organize the company structure once more.
What would you do? Leave now or wait in case the severance plan is enacted. Tell us in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 11, 2008, 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo! Says Severance Plan Unlikely to Cost $2.4 Billion
In a series of letters, Carl Icahn has been giving Yahoo's Board of Directors a hard time about a severance plan that would be enacted if a "Change of Control" occurred at the company. He claims the plan would would cost $2.4 billion, making an acquisition or change of board of directors very costly.
But Yahoo has filed an FAQ with the SEC defending the severance plan and attempting to explain why the $2.4 billion number is unreliable.
- The severance plan would only take place if a Change of Control occurs.
- Voting in Carl Icahn's board at the shareholders meeting would trigger the plan, and the closing of an acquisition deal with Microsoft would trigger the plan.
- Yahoo cannot retract the plan until 30 days after the abandonment of a potential Change of Control, including an announcement of Change of Control. Essentially, Icahn himself made a termination of the severance impossible by announcing the proxy board so soon after Microsoft abandoned its bid.
- Yahoo's compensation consultant did not call the severance plan "nuts." He called the idea that 100% of Yahoo employees would use the plan "nuts."
- Icahn got the $2.4 billion number from a shareholder lawsuit filed in the state of Michigan. Using the same assumptions as the lawsuit, Yahoo says the number would be closer to $845 million if 30% left and $514 million if 15% left. This is all based on a $35 per share stock price. Icahn is urging Yahoo to sell for $34.375.
- The plan would be enacted for employees who were fired without Cause or those who left for Good Reason. Cause is used by companies to fire employees who aren't doing their job. Good Reason could be used if an employees salary or bonus target was decreased substantially, if they were relocated further than 35 miles from their current office, or if there was a big change in an employee's duties and responsibilities.
And what about the "poison pill" characterization by Icahn? Here's what the FAQ had to say about that:
The term “poison pill” is widely understood to refer to stockholder rights plans which work by allowing existing stockholders (except the acquiror) to buy more shares at a substantial discount to the then current share price of the target if the acquiror purchases above a specified level of stock of the target (usually 15%) without the consent of the target's board. As a result, this substantially dilutes the acquiror's holdings and makes the acquisition much more expensive. The Plan, which is designed to preserve the value of Yahoo! during a period of uncertainty, has no such purpose or effect.
What do you think of Yahoo's FAQ? Are they really looking out for their employees or are they trying to prevent an acquisition or a proxy board takeover? Sound off in the comments!
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 11, 2008, 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google's Greenberger Ties Obama, McCain Victories to Adwords Spend
More than any previous election, search advertising will influence the vote of the presidential election. Google, in its ever-present planning for the future, planned for this shift when it employed Peter Greenberger as part of its sales team. Greenberger's job is to convince candidates that advertising on Google search is essential to political success. Recently, ClickZ's Kate Kaye interviewed Greenberger for his insights into the 2008 election.
Reading Greenberger's statements, you get the idea that spending on search ads will make or break the election. He attributes the success of John McCain and Barack Obama to their paid search campaigns. Greenberger also points out that Hillary Clinton was inconsistent in her Adwords campaign, dismantling it for the last two quarters of 2007 and starting it up again only after the New Hampshire primary.
Of course, polls during those times showed Clinton with a substantial lead. It wasn't until after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries that a tight race was clear. Some political analysts have suggested that the ultimate difference between Clinton and Obama was that Clinton's campaign was focused on a top-down strategy while Obama's strategy was more grassroots, building from the ground up. Looking at campaign strategies in that light, it makes sense that Obama would engage a response-directed campaign. But Greenberger's job is to persuade the candidates that Adwords is the chicken and not the egg.
Greenberger also talked about how Obama used geotargeting during the Texas primary and how John McCain is ahead of the game in the use of video ads. Read the full interview with Google's political ad guy, Peter Greenberger, over at ClickZ
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 11, 2008, 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
New Version of Google Trends Released
Recently, changes to Google Trends have been noticed, and today Google is finally announced a new version of the tool on the Official Google blog. The latest version includes a numeric metric dubbed 'relative scaling' and the ability to export trends data.
With relative scaling, the numbers will not provide exact data, but will give you ballpark of how certain terms are trending. Here's how Heej Hwang of the Google Trends team explained relative scaling:
You'll notice a number at the top of the graph as well as on the y-axis of the graph itself. These numbers don't refer to exact search-volume figures. Instead, in the same way that a map might “scale” to a certain size, Google Trends scales the first term you've entered so that its average search volume is 1.00 in the chosen time period. So in the example above, 1.00 is the average search volume of vanilla ice cream from 2004 to present. We can then see a spike in mid-2006 which crosses the 3.00 line, indicating that search traffic is approximately 3 times the average for all years.
The export function offers two options: relative scaling or fixed scaling. Fixed scaling is data scaled to a specific timeline.
Previously, users noticed the removal of the ability to view trends hourly.
What do you think of the new Google Trends? Give us your thoughts in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 11, 2008, 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Sergey Brin: Astronaut or Cosmonaut?
Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, is planning a trip to outer space in 2011, according to a report in the New York Times. Space Adventures flies wealthy explorers on Russian Soyuz rockets to the International Space Station. The Virginia-based company plans to buy a Soyuz flight all its own in 2011, with the option of buying more.
At the Explorers Club in NYC, Space Adventures is expected to announce that Sergey Brin will be one of two passengers on the flight. Brin made a $5 million investment in the company that will serve as a deposit on a future flight.
Brin said in a Space Adventures statement, “I am a big believer in the exploration and commercial development of the space frontier, and am looking forward to the possibility of going into space.”
His company is a sponsor of the Google Lunar X Prize, a $25 million competition to land an unmanned craft on the moon.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 11, 2008, 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Microsoft Launches Beta Release of SearchTogether Plugin
Three months ago, Microsoft announced three projects they were working on to enhance the search experience. One of those projects, SearchTogether, has been launched into beta. SearchTogether is a free Internet Explorer plugin that allows groups to collaborate on search. The plugin displays a sidebar in the IE Browser and features:
- Group query histories
- Split searching
- Page-level rating and commenting
- Automatically-generated shared summaries
- Peek-and-follow browsing
- Integrated chat
Here are some ideas from Microsoft on how to use the plugin:
- Business colleagues can perform joint research and share information on projects.
- Students can likewise collaborate on group reports and assignments.
- Friends often work together to find entertainment opportunities or housing.
- Families can SearchTogether to jointly plan vacations or find medical information for a loved one
What do you think of the plugin? Are you going to give it a try? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 11, 2008, 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Carl Icahn Can't Save Yahoo
Last week's public exchange between Icahn and Yahoo management is just the latest round of treating symptoms while ignoring the illness. As is often the case when corporate spats go public, lots of questions remain in the minds of searchers, search marketers, Yahoo shareholders, Microsoft employees, and the general public. In today's Searching for Meaning column, "Carl Icahn Can't Save Yahoo," Kevin Ryan explains that it's not the poison pill that's killing Yahoo, it's short-term thinking.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 11, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Uncovering Site Problems for Landing Page Optimization, Part 1
How do you find problems with your landing page hidden in your test results? Instead of waiting only for good news, filter it out instead. In today's By the Numbers column, "Uncovering Site Problems for Landing Page Optimization, Part 1," Tim Ash shows you that the key is to accentuate the negative, focusing on problems and things that are askew.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 11, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Lauren Bernat Google YouTube Wii-Fit Social Media Sensation
The LA Times and the UK Telegraph beat us to the punch on this video search engine sensation. We didn't want to be left out of the loop now that Lauren Bernat has become one of Google Trends hourly "Hot Trends" and Dugg by thousands.
The LA Times reported that Giovanny Gutierrez, director of Interactive Media at Tinsley Advertising in Florida, recorded his girlfriend, Lauren, playing the Wii Fit hula hoop game. When he posted it on YouTube, the video scored 500,000 views and racked up a monstrous 9,000 Diggs.
Gutierrez has said that even though he works at an advertising firm, the video wasn't a viral ad for Wii, even if it really should have been.
"She loves Wii Fit" he told the Times, and "looks hot doing it."
How did she react when she found out that he'd posted the video without telling her, and that hundreds of thousands of Wii fans were now drooling over her?
"She was FURIOUS," wrote Gutierrez, who said she "called me on the phone screaming her head off and then hung up on me."
"But now [she] finds herself actually laughing about it and enjoying her 15 minutes of fame as the Wii Fit girl. It's just crazy how it's blown up."
The sensational social media Wii Fit search engine video after the jump:
Here's the video of Lauren Bernat filmed by her boyfriend, entitled "Wii Fit - Why You Should Buy It For Your Girlfriend."
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 10, 2008, 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Favicon Bookmarks the Best Internet Research
Google has a new favicon for the first time in 8.5 years. A favicon is the small icon you see in your browser next to the URL or in your bookmarks list.
While the reviews on the change have been mixed, Google designers went through more than 300 versions of the favicon to determine the best one.
Here are the ones that didn't make the cut. Let us know if you think favicons on this grid beat the "small g" that Google chose.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 10, 2008, 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Google Maps Adds Richer Data to Search
Adding richer data to search results is a bit of a trend, and now Google Maps is jumping on the bandwagon. The Google LatLong blog has announced the addition of richer data to its search results. The data includes photos, reviews and a "more info" link that opens an "info window" that features more data.
Below is a screenshot of a search for pizza in Raleigh, NC. If you have a local business, you'll want to add your company to the Google Maps Local Business Center in order to show up in the results.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 10, 2008, 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Continues to Dominate US, UK Searches in May 2008
Google continued its dominance over the U.S. search market in May, grabbing 68.29% of all searches in May 2008, seeing increases both month-over-month and year-over-year, according to Hitwise. Both Yahoo and MSN saw decreases from April 2008 and May 2007. Yahoo! saw 19.95% in May 2008, down from 20.28% in April and 20.89% last May. MSN was at 5.89% this may, down from 6.26% last month and 7.62% in May 2007. Ask.com, on the other hand, saw increases. They were at 4.23% last month, up from 4.17% in April and 3.92% in May 2007.
In the UK, Google's dominance is even bigger, grabbing 87% of searches in May 2008. That's a 12% increase year-over-year. Yahoo! saw 4.09%, a 2% increase. MSN got 3.72%, up 2% and Ask.com saw 3.07%, up 6%.
Related Reading:
comScore releases U.K. search rankings for April 2008
Nielsen Online Releases April 2008 U.S. Search Rankings
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 10, 2008, 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Social Networking the UK Continues to Rise
Social networking is a hot topic this year and the numbers continue to rise in the UK, according to new data released by eMarketer. In 2007, 11 million UK internet users visited social networking sites regularly. Also, in 2007, 27% said they had created a social network profile, but in 2008, already 60% of survey respondents said they had created a profile.
The ad spend for social networks in the UK is projected to rise a whopping 77% despite ongoing concerns over how to monetize social media. By 2012, social network ad spend is expected to have increased 148% over 2008, reaching £285 million ($533 million). This year, an estimated £115 million ($225 million) is expected to be spent on social network ads.
The UK is ahead of the rest of Europe when it comes to social network spending, making up 68% of the market.
Related Reading:
Social Networking on Mobile Phones is Hot in the UK
YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook: Most Popular Social Media Sites in UK
Consumers Ok with Social Ads, But Rarely Find Them Targeted
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 10, 2008, 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Online Ad Spend Intact Despite Weakening Economy
Though the economy has been a source of financial pain in some industries, the first quarter of 2008 saw online advertising remaining quite intact. According to new data released by IDC, total revenue increased by 23.9% to $7.1 billion in the first quarter. That was up from $5.7 billion in Q1 of 2007.
IDC projects online advertising to continue growing at a rate of 15-20% this year despite their expectation for ad spend across media to decline by 7%. IDC anticipates online advertising to double over the next five years.
"What happens is that the current economic crisis puts pressure on advertisers to save money and find more effective marketing channels," said Karsten Weide, program director, Digital Marketplace and New Media at IDC. "Effectively, the crisis accelerates the shift of advertising budgets from traditional media into new media."
Related Reading:
Search Spend Seems Healthy Despite Slowing Economy
How to Survive a Recession ... In Search
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 10, 2008, 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
McCain to Use Google to Choose Vice Presidential Candidate
Republican presidential candidate John McCain joked to a small crowd of supporters that he was using Internet search engine Google to research his list of potential vice presidential candidates for his ticket.
"You know, basically it's a Google," Mr McCain said, to laughter, when asked how the selection process was going during a 10,000 dollar per person lunch in Richmond, Virginia. "What you can find out now on the internet - it's remarkable."
We tend to agree with ClickZ's Kate Kaye, who interviewed Google political guru Peter Greenberger who concluded Hillary Clinton's campaign was hampered by its failure to use search advertising consistently throughout the primary season, as both the Obama and McCain campaigns did.
We like the fact that McCain calls Google "a Google" as opposed to President Bush who referred to the search engine giant as "the Google." It proves he's much more Internet-savvy.
So who might be on McCain's short list of candidates?
Based on a Google search for "vice president" there's the obvious choice:
US House approves prolonged protection for Vice President Cheney - 13 hours ago
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The US House of Representatives passed a legislation on Monday to prolong the protections for Vice President Cheney
Then there's Condoleeza Rice, who's actively campaigning for the slot according to ABC News:
Political Radar: Dan Senor: Condoleezza Rice Is Pursuing the VP Spot
If you don't like Dr. Rice for Vice President, then you are a liberal ...... The Republicans who think that Condi is qualified to be VP or President have to ...
blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/dan-senor-condo.html -
We like the dark horse candidates found on the bottom of Page One:
Blog Search
Brian Schweitzer for Vice President - The Creature Politic - 20 hours ago
Arianna Huffington for Vice President - Financial Post - Diane Francis - 17 hours ago
Vice President - Flimsy Sanity - Jun 8, 2008
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 10, 2008, 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: The Big Picture -- Well-Rounded SEM for SMBs, Part 2
There are many different elements a small business can use to put together a well rounded online marketing campaign. When it comes to marketing your small business, the key is keeping your mind open to the possibilities -- you never know where the next big thing will be. In today's Small Business Search Marketing column, "The Big Picture -- Well-Rounded SEM for SMBs, Part 2," Carrie Hill looks at tactics for branding, reputation management, social networking, viral marketing, images, and videos.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 10, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: SEO Competitive Analysis
Ranking reports don't mean nearly as much as they once did. Search engine rankings change regularly, are different on various data centers, and won't generate traffic to the Web site, much less generate leads and sales.In today's Organic Search Engine Optimization column, "SEO Competitive Analysis," Mark Jackson suggests that marketers should instead be focused on reports that mean something, like a competitive SEO analysis.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 10, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo! AMP! plus Full Text: Yahoo Proxy Statement
There are no surprises here except perhaps the branding of Yahoo's new advertising platform as "AMP!"
Dear Fellow Stockholder:The vote you will cast for directors at Yahoo!'s August 1, 2008 annual meeting is the most important for stockholders in our history.
We believe that the reelection of our current board is in the best interests of Yahoo!'s stockholders. Under the leadership of the current board and management team we are executing on our strategy to create value that is gaining traction. In addition, in responding to Microsoft Corporation's proposal to acquire the company and exploring strategic alternatives, Yahoo!'s board has been focused on one central goal: how best to maximize stockholder value. In this regard, you should know that we have at all times been open to a transaction with Microsoft if it offers our stockholders full and certain value. We write to ask you to support our slate of highly qualified and capable directors standing for reelection.
You are probably aware that Carl Icahn proposes to replace our entire board of directors with his hand-picked slate. Mr. Icahn has no credible plan except to sell the company to Microsoft -- despite the fact that Microsoft has publicly indicated that it has no current interest in such a transaction. Given Microsoft's stated position of not wanting to acquire Yahoo!, the election of Mr. Icahn's slate could result in substantial erosion of stockholder value.
We Urge You To Act Now To Protect Your Investment By Rejecting Mr.
Icahn's Slate
And By Voting For Our Board Today, By Telephone, Internet, Or By
Signing, Dating,
And Returning The Enclosed WHITE Proxy Card.
Last year, after making changes in management, our board oversaw an intensive review by the new management team, led by Jerry Yang, of Yahoo!'s business and strategy. The result was a more focused strategy, a more streamlined company and a significant acceleration of specific initiatives to capitalize on the fast-growing online advertising market. As part of that strategy, we made a deliberate, disciplined decision to make investments that would generate greater long-term value for stockholders.We started from a great place. Yahoo! is clearly a one-of-a-kind asset. We're a leader in search, a pioneer in mobile advertising, and the clear leader in display advertising -- where we see the greatest growth opportunity in online advertising. With more than 500 million monthly users worldwide, many best-in-class technology platforms, and strategically unique Asian assets, we are well-positioned to capture growth in an online advertising market that is projected to grow from approximately $40 billion in 2007 to approximately $75 billion in 2010.
The key is the knowledge and experience to execute with this unique asset. We believe that successfully executing on our strategy of being the "starting point" for the most consumers on the Internet and the "must buy" for advertisers will enable us to generate double-digit growth in operating cash flow and will lead to improved stockholder returns.
Our recent financial results, coupled with a number of strategic acquisitions and a string of significant product rollouts demonstrate that we are executing on our strategy:
-- We're continuing to see benefits from last year's rollout of Panama, our new search monetization platform that is helping to close the monetization gap.
-- Our acquisitions of Right Media, BlueLithium, Zimbra, and Maven Networks have all helped advance our core strategies.
-- We are winning new business partners and expanding relationships with existing partners -- WPP, Wal-Mart, CBS, and more than 770 newspapers now in our newspaper publisher consortium.
-- Soon, we will roll out our new advertising management platform -- AMP! from Yahoo! -- that will enable us to offer advertisers and publishers an extraordinarily simple, seamless way to market over the Internet, helping us further our goal of becoming the "must buy" for online advertising.
Our Board Is Committed To Maximizing Stockholder Value.
Our board carefully evaluated Microsoft's original offer and determined that it substantially undervalued our company and was not in the best interests of our stockholders. Over the ensuing months, we engaged in serious discussions with Microsoft, including numerous face-to-face meetings, some of which included one or more of our independent directors. During this period, our board was fully engaged, meeting more than twenty times to review the status of the discussions with Microsoft and to consider other available alternatives to maximize stockholder value. At all times, our board and management have made clear that they have been open to entering into any transaction, including a sale to Microsoft if it valued the company fairly and offered our stockholders certainty that they would receive that value, an important consideration given the likely lengthy regulatory review process before a deal would be approved.Our board also explored and continues to explore a variety of other ways to maximize stockholder value.
Carl Icahn Has No Credible Plan To Create Value.
Mr. Icahn's only plan for Yahoo!, if his slate is elected, is to hope that Microsoft -- which withdrew its acquisition proposal more than a month ago and has since publicly reaffirmed that it is not now interested in a full acquisition -- can be persuaded to come back to the table and agree to acquire our company. But this is not a strategy.In our opinion, Mr. Icahn and his slate are not the right individuals to guide Yahoo! as a standalone company.
Our current board has the independence, the experience, the knowledge, and the commitment to navigate the company through the rapidly-changing Internet environment, execute on our initiatives to capitalize on the fast-growing online advertising market and to deliver value for Yahoo! and its stockholders.
The future of Yahoo! and the value of your investment are in your hands. We ask you to vote for your highly qualified and dedicated directors today. If you have questions about voting your WHITE proxy card, please call MacKenzie Partners, Inc. Toll-Free at (800) 322-2885.
Thank you for your support.
Roy Bostock Jerry Yang
Chairman of the Board Chief Executive OfficerPosted by Kevin Heisler on June 9, 2008, 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
New 3G iPhone 2.0 Gets Loopt
Social Search may be the killer app for the new 3G iPhone 2.0 release.
Loopt launched its native iPhone social search app onstage at WWDC, Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. The free application will connect users with their friends by using location technology built in to the iPhone, Like Google Maps, Loopt will drop pins onto a map showing users where their friends are.
CNET reports that Loopt also offers other social-networking features, such as calling, texting, and sending invitations to meet up. The example used was seeing if any friends are in your area for lunch. Once you have located friends, you can send them an invitation for lunch, and if they agree, you will be one touch away from directions to their location. As Sam Altman from Loopt put it, "You will never have to eat alone, or at a bad restaurant again."
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 9, 2008, 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
User 927: U Are What U Seek: Search Engine Drama
"User 927" - subtitled "U are what U Seek" - is the first drama inspired by search engine keywords such as Mange, human mold, and white camellia. Not to mention the bizarre combination of "dying Elmo." First noted in the blog Consumerist back in April, User 917 is a thriller about cyberstalking, search engines, and the way information is obtained, manipulated, and released in our wired world
The Associated Press published an interesting article today about a theatre production based on AOL keywords that were released inadvertently by AOL and posted on the Internet. In the play, the keywords are clues to finding a missing person.
"User 927" is a new production in Philadelphia that combines fact with fiction to tell the story of a disappearance from a small Midwestern town. It's the story of a mother and her teenage daughter who move from Brooklyn, N.Y., to fictional Osterville, Ind., in search of a simpler life. The story's central clue is the real-life online search log of an AOL subscriber — identified only as User 927 — that was released to the public two years ago in a well-publicized privacy faux pas.
Brat Production also produced "A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pagaent" - unrelated to the ongoing Google-YouTube controversy pitting Anonymous versus Scientologists.
AOL released some 19 million search requests made during a a three month period by more than 650,000 subscribers. The logs were intended to help academic researchers, but they were posted on a public site.
User 927 has never been identified publicly. Not surprisingly, no one has claimed credit for being User 927.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 9, 2008, 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Expands 3D Cities to Europe
Last week Disney World, this week Google Earth has expanded its 3D program to select countries in Europe. And with gas prices (and jet fuel!) higher than ever, many Google Earth users may use the apps to virtually wander the streets of their dream vacation destinations.
The European program is open to local governments in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands. Google hopes that those governments will upload local data in the hopes of displaying 3D visuals of their cities.
Related Reading:
Google Launches Google Earth API and Browser Plug-in
Google Releases Updates to Google Earth; Includes Street ViewPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 9, 2008, 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Opens Location-Aware Application to 3rd Party Developers
Last year, a Google maps for mobile upgrade included the "My Location" feature. It allows users to find out where they are even if their phones don't have GPS. Now Google is opening up the application to 3rd party developers.
My Location uses cell phone towers to approximate the location of a cell phone user. Writing on the Google mobile blog, Zhengrong Ji and Ravi Jain of the Google mobile team explained:
"If the phone has GPS, the Maps application on the phone sends the GPS coordinates along with the cell ID to the Google location server. Over millions of such updates, across multiple phones, carriers, and times, the server clusters the GPS updates corresponding to a particular cell ID to find their rough center. So when a phone without GPS needs its own location, the application on the phone queries the Google location server with the cell tower ID to translate that into a geographic location, i.e., lat/long coordinates."
Gears for Windows Mobile and Android already have location APIs, and Google says they expect to see the My Location API implemented on the Apple iPhone applications as early as this month, as Apple launches their highly anticipated store for iPhone apps.
Related Reading:
Google Patent Details Mobile Search PlansPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 9, 2008, 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo's Call for Search Developers: Bad Timing?
In the midst of preparing for a proxy board fight brought on by Carl Icahn, the Yahoo! Search team has put out a call for new employees. A recent post on the Yahoo! Search blog implores, "We're looking for the brightest technical minds in the business to help us build the next generation of search."
The timing is curious. Any developer that's paying attention must be wondering if signing on with Yahoo will ultimately have them at Microsoft. Or perhaps have them out the door in a "last hired first fired" scenario resulting from inevitable staff cuts that follow most mergers and acquisitions.
On the flip side, Yahoo is needing to show its strength more than ever if Jerry Yang and the current Board of Directors hope to come out victorious at the August 1 shareholders meeting. Then again, their call for developers may be part of the strategy. Visiting the Yahoo! Jobs page feels like a tour of the latest talking points in the quest to remain independent.
Visitors are greeted with a big image demonstrating just how many people are using Yahoo:
Not so sure the "Think Purple" appeal is going to go over well with the male-dominated pool of software developers, but to each his own.
Then the site is peppered with these gems:
"With 1 out of every 2 people online visiting Yahoo!, we need some seriously big thinkers to fill these positions. Are you up for the challenge?"
"It would take 7,000 years for all the photos on Flickr to be developed at a one-hour photo!"
What do you think of Yahoo's recruitment of developers for its search team? Bad timing or marketing to shareholders? Sound off in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 9, 2008, 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Webmaster Central Blog Addresses Duplicate Content Issues
Over at the Google Webmaster Central blog, Search Quality Team member Sven Naumann is tackling the issue of duplicate content. Naumann says there are two primary types of duplicate content, within a domain and cross-domain, and offers up tips in how to deal with each.
Within a Domain
This type of duplicate content is when the content from one page appears on other pages with your site. In this case, most webmasters or site owners usually have a preference as to which page they want to rank. Naumann offers up the following tip, "Include the preferred version of your URLs in your Sitemap file. When encountering different pages with the same content, this may help raise the likelihood of us serving the version you prefer."
Cross-Domain
Cross-domain duplicate content is when content from your site appears on other site, usually through syndication or blogs that scrape content. When it comes to syndication, asking your partners to link back to your page is a good way to help Google know that your site is the original source. As for scraped content, Naumann insists that Google is good at knowing what's scraped and what's real: "You shouldn't be very concerned about seeing negative effects on your site's presence on Google if you notice someone scraping your content."
Still, once in a while, scraped content may rank higher than your page. In such an instance, Naumann suggests the following:
- Check if your content is still accessible to our crawlers. You might unintentionally have blocked access to parts of your content in your robots.txt file.
- You can look in your Sitemap file to see if you made changes for the particular content which has been scraped.
- Check if your site is in line with our webmaster guidelines.
Wrapping up, Naumann assured webmasters and SEOs that, "In the majority of cases, having duplicate content does not have negative effects on your site's presence in the Google index. It simply gets filtered out."
What do you think about this duplicate content post on the Google Webmaster Central blog? Does it line up with your experience in dealing with duplicate content. Share your thoughts in the comments.
Related Reading:
Adam Lasnik comments on Spam Complaints and Dupe Content
Large Enterprise SEO: Content DevelopmentPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 9, 2008, 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Marchex Consolidates Ad Platforms
Marchex has announced the consolidation of its local ad platforms into one solution which is being called Adhere. The new platform will offer CPC ads on 200 partner sites as well as Marchex's own network of 100,000 generic and local domains.
Marchex is touting 2 major benefits for the change:
- It enables national advertisers to efficiently fulfill their online budget in the same manner as they purchase offline advertising; namely national, spot and local in a single media buy.
- It provides small- and medium-sized businesses the opportunity to reach local customers directly through Marchex's OpenList and reach national customers through premium, vertically focused publishers.
Along with the consolidation announcement comes news of new partners joining Marchex's content network:
- IDG – Publishers of PC World, CIO Magazine and Macworld
- Ziff Davis Enterprise – Publishers of eWeek, CIO|Insight and Publish
- Banks.com – covering banking, loans, investing, insurance, taxes, real estate and autos
- RealtyTrac – an online marketplace for foreclosure properties
- AmericanTowns.com – a national network of community-based websites where people can find & share local information for every town in America
- YourStreet.com – Indexes and maps thousands of articles, blogs, and conversations down to the street level
- Lat49 – an online ad network providing local and brand advertisers with delivery of geo-targeted and contextual ads across a network of online maps
- HelloMetro – city level information on local history, attractions, real estate, jobs, Yellow Pages, White Pages and local resources
Related Reading:
Marchex Shows How to Cash In on Local Search
Marchex's Local Advertising Branches Out into Mobile MarketPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 9, 2008, 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Q&A with June Li, Founder and Managing Director of ClickInsight
With SES Toronto coming up June 16-18, 2008, we interviewed June Li, the founder and managing director of ClickInsight. June will be one of the speakers at the “Giving Credit Where It's Due: Which Campaign Sold What?” session, which will be held on Wednesday, June 18, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m.
June has over 20 years of e-business, marketing, manufacturing, logistics and sales experience. She is also an associate instructor for the web analytics program at the University of British Columbia, as well as an instructor for a web analytics course at the University of Toronto Professional Learning Centre, Faculty of Information Studies.June has spoken and moderated at the Emetrics Summit and is a contributing writer to OneDegree.ca and the AIMS blog.
Q. You founded ClickInsight, a business that creates successful strategies for clients to multiply their online leads and sales. Can you provide SEW readers with a sample of some of your latest Web analytics projects? What is the latest “buzz” in the field of Web analytics?
A. We use web analytics to help businesses accelerate their results from marketing initiatives. Almost all of our business breakthrough projects involve an analysis of search marketing, either organic or paid. And since Canada is a net exporter of goods and services, with the Canadian dollar as strong as it is, there's been increasing interest in using search to get more qualified leads. Cold calling is such a probability game, why not attract the buyers who are need your goods and services and are looking for what you have to offer?
Analytics is a necessity for defining baselines for improvement. Businesses that have not optimized their site for search or are not using paid search should look at their organic search keywords using their web analytics system. What searches are driving traffic to their site? More often than not, the search keywords include just the company name in some way. This means only the people who already know about your organization are coming to your site, and you're not reaching new prospects. And if you are getting generic, non-branded searches, don't stop there? You may not be visible to your target market, and unless you drill down to see who your visitors are, you won't know what you're missing.
What's the latest buzz? Social media measurement and mobile analytics. Both have great linkages to search and positioning on the search results page.
Q. How does your company make use or not make use of Google analytics?
A. We and many of our clients make use of Google Analytics (and other tools) to assess the impact of marketing and site changes. We want to see whether our changes have the intended impact on where our visitors are coming from, what's driving them to our sites, and what's not. Google Analytic's new benchmarking availability is interesting and has definitely triggered some very interesting discussions. We also use Google Analytics to mine and analyze onsite search to see what people think you should have on your website. Perhaps what they're looking for isn't present or is difficult to find.
But Google Analytics can't tell you what might work better. So we also use and recommend Google Website Optimizer for testing alternate options and 4Q (4Q.iperceptions.com) to “listen” to the voice of the customer. Without listening, you won't have the insight on what might be improved or the reason why people behave as they do on your site. And if this still doesn't provide what you need, surveys and usability testing might be next.
Q. What got you fascinated about Web analytics to begin with? Did you ever suffer any of the experiences that so many of your clients come to your company for to help solve?
A. Since I started with web analytics on the client side, I'm quite familiar with the issues companies have managing web analytics data, reports and analysis.
Without analytics, you're guessing as to what's happening on your website and with your online marketing initiatives. And who can afford to guess, particularly now that we're seeing the economy slowing down and in Canada, coping with a stronger dollar. Web analytics won't solve everything (it's not magic and it's not perfect) but you're much better off with the insights analytics can provide than none at all. Web analytics practices continue to evolve, integrating with data mining and expanding to include social media and mobile analytics.
Q. What excites you about Search Engine Strategies Toronto? What do you look forward to most?
A. This will be the 4th Search Engine Strategies I'll have attended in Toronto, and they get better every time. Last year, I was happy to see there was much more discussion “beyond the click” and about landing page conversion, the money-making “value event”. I'm sure this year will bring yet another advance in the community.
SES is a great place to gauge the pulse of the search community, where businesses are at with search, learn what leading organizations are doing, and have fun discussions about the current myths of search and what the crawlers are up to now, where they're going next.
Q. You teach a Web Analytics Training course at the University of Toronto. Do you plan to draw upon any of it for your presentation at SES Toronto?
A. Absolutely. The Web Analytics training course at the University of Toronto is an introductory course intended to help those who need to show value from website content understand not only the technical basics but also the management and organization pre-requisites for success. Key to using web analytics is a clear understanding your goals. Only then can you set up your analytics plan to properly (and sanely) assess performance and progress towards attaining your goal. I'm really looking forward to the panel I'm on. We're tackling the topic of Multi-Channel Measurement. Goal setting is critical to ensuring you don't drown in multi-channel data and can actually make sense of what you're measuring.
Q. Put on your prognosticator helmet: What is the future of Web analytics? Say over the next 10 to 20 years?
A. 10-20 years? We're having problems with 2-3 years! Web analytics will become “analytics”. With new online and integrated technologies proliferating, the tools to measure will evolve, perhaps not fast enough but they'll evolve. For sure things will get more complicated, and that's what keeps it interesting and fun!Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 9, 2008, 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Google Mobile Advertising: Start Now!
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 9, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Download Day 2008: Mozilla Looking To Set World Record
Mozilla is looking to set a world record for the most downloads in a given day when it launches Firefox 3. They are using all the various social media to get the message out. With all the plugins this user friendly browser has available it is hard to ignore.
"We want to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours. With the backing of our community and your help we know we can make it," they state on the site set up for the effort.
Hey they are also looking to give away T-shirts, so go sign up and join the party.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 8, 2008, 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google Chooses Diego over D-Day
Google honored Diego Velasquez with its first Fine Arts logo instead of the standard Google Doodle. We don't know exactly what this means in the grand scheme of things. Do you?If you figure it out, let us know.
We do know the Baroque artist was born and baptized this day in 1599, so it's not a 500 year anniversary or anything.
Most people would have loved to see a D-Day Google logo, excerpt perhaps some Germans.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 6, 2008, 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Q&A with Ken Jurina, President and CEO of Epiar
Search Engine Strategies Toronto is coming up June 16-18, 2008. To give attendees a sneak preview of some of the trends in search engine marketing that will be discussed at the event, we've interviewed Ken Jurina, the President and CEO of Epiar.
Ken will be one of the speakers at the “SEM Toolkit: Marketers Share” session, which will be held on Wednesday, June 18, from 12:45 to 2:00 p.m. And Epiar and Yahoo! Canada will be hosting The Official Search Engine Strategies Toronto After-Party on Tuesday, June 17.
But, we interviewed Ken primarily for his expert opinion. Scoring tickets to his party was only a secondary consideration. (As Maxwell Smart would say, “Would you believe I'm from New England, which still thinks the term ‘party' means Boston Tea Party?”)
Seriously, as president and founder of Top Draw and Epiar, Ken has more than 15 years of expertise in traditional advertising and Internet marketing. And I've heard him speak at SES New York, Chicago, San Jose, and Toronto.
Q. Can you give me a brief overview of some of the trends the search marketing industry is seeing this year and what the next 5 to 10 years might look like?
A. The Microsoft bid for Yahoo! accompanied by the subsequent bid withdrawal, along with the much talked about Google-Yahoo! search advertising partnership have certainly resulted in much speculation regarding the future of search marketing as we know it. I also don't think the deal is entirely off the table just yet.
Ask's withdrawal from mainstream search as it abandoned its efforts to compete against the search giants in March has also affected the search landscape. Over the last 12 months Google's search share has increased slightly, Yahoo! search share has remained stagnant in aggregate, and Microsoft's share has fallen.
If we look at trends from the perspective of consumer behavior we continue to see increasing growth in the use of image and video search. Another consumer trend significantly affecting the search marketing space is the astronomical increase in the influence of social media marketing, in the form of consumer feedback and reviews, on brands, ecommerce conversions and tactical refinements of on-page content.
Google's Universal Search results have been seen to have an impact on the traditional F-shaped heat maps generated by eye-tracking studies as eyes are now first drawn to image and video search results. The inclusion of the OneBox, as well as Sitelinks and ‘Search Within a Site' search box features, are all affecting the usability of the results in the organic listings. User interaction is facilitated by these features and the probability is that the trend in click-throughs will skew towards increased searcher interaction with more ‘visible', usable, graphic listings – assuming the relevancy factor is retained.
Google has also recently revised its display URL protocol in AdWords, and has been experimenting with the inclusion of video results in the paid search listings.
As to what the future holds, I think current behavioral trends and further improvements in the relevance and universal appeal of results provided by the search engines will continue unabated. However, based on the dramatic events in the industry in the last few months alone, at this stage I think it would be fool-hardy and irresponsible to attempt to predict anything more specific.
Q. How will marketers have to adjust their budgets to compensate for the upcoming changes?A. Marketers should seriously consider budgeting for continued SEO initiatives, particularly regarding Internet market research on consumer search behavior. Assigning marketing dollars to image and video production and optimization is imperative, as is integrating with relevant social communities. Brands need to aggressively begin to empower brand proponents and embrace reputation management (RM) tools. RM has only recently gained the recognition it should have attained years ago. With the huge growth in both social influence and social media marketing, and the impact of reviews and consumer feedback on online purchase decisions, the need for brand transparency is becoming ever more important. Consequently, the need to facilitate consumer feedback and interaction is key to future success in the search and ecommerce space.
Q. How important is it to understand all the online touch-points of your visitors?A. This answer is basically an addendum to the previous one. Understanding where and how your online market interacts online, what they do, and what they want, need and expect to achieve at each touch-point is imperative.
Meeting them on common ground in forums, on blogs, and in the social space is very important. Openly dealing with detractors and embracing and supporting evangelists is best done in this space.
Consumer exposure to your brand and online offering is unlikely to be limited to the information housed without your official web site. Review sites, feedback consumer forums and blogs are going to discuss businesses with or without official permission – freedom of expression online has reached previously unimagined new heights as regards the impact of this freedom on brand reputations. Proactively embracing the social space via RM tools and facilitating interaction on your own blog or site is no longer something to merely be considered, it has become a necessity. Advertising these social – touch-points via paid search is also something to be considered.
Q. When we talk about “tricks of the trade” used by search marketers, can you share a bit on what kind of “competitive intelligence” is required and what exactly is “exotic analytics?”A. RM tools allow you to see what's being said about you and your competition in the online space. Internet market research allows you to see how your consumers are behaving online and what terms they are utilizing when searching for your offering.
By understanding what your online market is really looking for – not what you think or want them to look for – can provide competitive intelligence on brand awareness and market share. It can also identify new product or service opportunities, consumer feedback and trending data, and a host of other factors that will allow you to refine your online offering.
As for “exotic analytics”, different web analytics software packages offer different levels of service and different features. Some are highly advanced for sure – trying to predict visitor behavior based on trending for example. However, a wealth of information is available through the basic measurement standards if it is analyzed properly and thoroughly.
Q. What excites you about Search Engine Strategies Toronto? What do you look forward to most?
A. The Epiar / Yahoo! Canada Party on Tuesday June 17 of course! There will be more details to follow closer to the event but you can expect it will be a party to remember like we are known for.
Q. Are there any advantages to being a Search Marketer based in Canada rather than any other place in the world?A. Numerous advantages:
• 85% of Canadians have high-speed Internet access (one of the top ten levels of broad band penetration in the world);
• 94% of online Canadians interacted with Google and Microsoft sites in February;
• Canadian online business reaped $62.7B in 2007, an increase of 26% year over year, but the proportion of private sector companies who sold goods and services online remained relatively stable at 8%.The market is big, it's relatively untapped, and the returns are obvious. The future of search in Canada is promising. In fact, PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that online ad spend will grow faster in Canada than anywhere else in the world over the next 5 years for two primary reasons:
1. high broadband penetration
2. lower online market saturationIt's great to be Canadian, eh!
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 6, 2008, 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo Response to Icahn: You're Not the Boss of Me!
Below for your reading enjoyment we offer the full text of the Yahoo! Inc. Statement on Carl Icahn's Letter of June 6, 2008.Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) today issued the following response to Carl Icahn in response to his letter dated June 6, 2008:
Leaving aside Mr. Icahn's inaccurate interpretation of our retention
plan, we again note that he has no credible plan to operate Yahoo!.
We believe that Mr. Icahn's suggestion that we cancel our retention
plan would have a destabilizing impact on Yahoo! and would clearly
not be in the best interests of our shareholders. Furthermore, his
suggestion that we put out a price publicly to see if Microsoft will
alter its stated position is ill-advised. As we have stated numerous
times publicly and privately, we are open to any transaction
including a sale to Microsoft if it is in the best interests of
shareholders.Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 6, 2008, 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Icahn Wants Yahoo to Offer Itself Up for $34.375 Per Share
Hardly a Friday goes by without a good dose of Microhoo drama leading into the weekend. Today, Carl Icahn released his second letter in a week to Yahoo's Chairman Roy Bostock. He responded to yesterday's Yahoo response to his earlier letter ripping Yang. Plus, he suggests that Yahoo publicly offer itself to Microsoft for $34.375 per share.
Hey Carl, just one suggestion. That second paragraph is a doozy. Next time, chop those sentences up into more pretty paragraphs, ok?
Anyway, Icahn also outlined 5 steps his board would take if successfully elected at the shareholders meeting on August 1. Check out the letter in its entirety below.
Carl C. Icahn
ICAHN CAPITAL LP
767 Fifth Avenue, 47th Floor
New York, NY 10153June 6, 2008
Roy Bostock
Chairman
Yahoo! Inc.
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089Dear Roy:
While you may take issue with the content of my letter, I take issue with your oversight of Yahoo! Again, I stand by my characterization of your "poison pill" severance plan and I find it humorous to see you attempt to defend it.
Roy, it is you who "misrepresents and misstates the details" of the plan. Much like the rhetoric in many well known political campaigns, you keep repeating misstatements in the hopes that by repeating misstatements enough times it will convince your shareholders that these misstatements are valid. For example, you repeated, "the plan was fully disclosed at the time of its adoption and should be no surprise to anyone at this point." This is simply not true. The egregious magnitude of the dollar amount cost of the plan was never fully disclosed, nor was the email from your compensation advisor calling the plan "nuts." While you keep repeating that the severance plan was in the "best interests of shareholders", you neglect to mention that the financial cost of the plan could be immense. The documents obtained during discovery and released in the shareholder complaint show that Yahoo! estimates the maximum change in control severance expenses to be a staggering $2.4 billion if Microsoft bids $35 per share for Yahoo! You neglected to mention that the true cost to an acquirer may be even higher as the perverse change in control severance incentives may diminish the work effort of Yahoo! employees. In case you do not understand the plan, in addition to the $2.4 billion of severance expenses, I believe the plan will negatively impact employee behavior and degrade the ability of an acquirer to successfully integrate the acquisition. In the event of a change of control, the employee may decide not to work as hard in the hopes of cashing in on a robust severance package that awards up to two years salary and benefits, $15,000 of outplacement expenses, and accelerated vesting of stock options and restricted stock units. To make matters worse, it is not just the acquirer firing the employee that can trigger the severance package but the employee who may decide on his or her own to resign for "good reason" at any point within two years of a change in control. It is quite obvious to me that this plan impacts the price an acquirer would pay. Is it any wonder than an acquirer, once fully comprehending this plan, might not wish to negotiate any further? I again call upon you to honor your fiduciary duty to your shareholders and rescind this "poison pill" severance plan.
You asked, "what exactly would happen to our Company if you and your nominees were to take control of Yahoo!" I will give you my perspective on that.
-- First, I would work to have the board replace your "poison pill"
severance plan with an acceptable alternative.-- Second, I intend to ask our new board to hire a talented and
experienced CEO (attempting to replicate Google's success with Eric
Schmidt) to replace Jerry Yang and return Jerry to his role as "Chief
Yahoo". Indeed, it was much speculated that Jerry would serve in the
CEO role temporarily until a permanent CEO was hired after the board
asked Terry Semel to resign.-- Third, I intend to ask our new board to inform Microsoft that unless
any alternative transaction can insure a $33 or higher stock price (of
which I am skeptical) all talks of alternative transactions are over.-- Fourth, I will ask our new board to offer publicly to sell Yahoo! to
Microsoft in a friendly and cooperative transaction.-- Fifth, to the extent Microsoft does not want to make a proposal, I will
ask our new board do a deal on search with Google, but only if it
contains termination provisions that would in no way impede a
subsequent acquisition by Microsoft.
Now let me ask you a couple of questions, Roy:-- Why don't you, now that you have the opportunity, remove the "poison
pill" severance plan that I find to be ridiculous and thereby remove a
major obstacle to a Microsoft acquisition?-- In my opinion, Microsoft does not believe you will ever sell the entire
company on a friendly basis. So why don't you stop dancing around the
subject and publicly offer to sell the company to Microsoft for $34.375
per share and promise to cooperate completely?-- Why are you still giving hope to Microsoft that there is a possible
"alternative deal"? As long as there is the possibility of an
"alternative deal", isn't it obvious that Microsoft will not make a bid
for the whole company?
Sincerely yours,CARL C. ICAHN
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 6, 2008, 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Vote on Proposed FCC Free Broadband Plan Delayed
A vote on a proposed FCC nationwide free wireless plan has been delayed. Originally scheduled for the June 12 meeting, Chairman Kevin Martin has postponed the vote to give the commissioners more time to review the proposal, according to the AP.
The vote could now be held in July. If approved, spectrum for the plan could be auctioned off by the end of the year. The auction would see 25 megahertz of spectrum go to a single bidder to build a nationwide network, 25% of which would have to be dedicated to the free wireless plan. 50% of the country would need to have access to the plan in 4 years and 95% in 10 years.
Related Reading:
Google to Internet, FCC, Verizon and Viacom: Keep it Open
We May Not Need Standards But FTC, FCC Want To Gives Us Regulations
Google Opens Up About Spectrum Auction
Google's New Wifi Push Will Drive Mobile SearchPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 6, 2008, 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
AOL's Platform-A Now Available in Europe
AOL has announced the expansion of its online advertising solution, Platform-A, to Europe. The move is a natural one when considering AOL's recent acquisition of UK-based social network Bebo and the European ties existing partners already have:
- Advertising.com has sales offices in nine countries in Europe
- ADTECH is based in Frankfurt, Germany
- buy.at is a leading affiliate network based in the U.K.
“By bringing Platform-A to Europe, we can offer advertisers the best marketing tools and technologies available to help them effectively and efficiently deliver their messages to online audiences across Europe,” said Randy Falco, AOL Chairman and CEO. “This builds on AOL's strong presence in Europe, and positions AOL for growth in three key areas – publishing, people networks, and our advertising network.”
Related Reading:
AOL's Platform-A is Top Ad Network for March
Verizon Chooses AOL's Platform-A for Online, Mobile Web Advertising
Future of Search Marketing? Behavior-AOLPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 6, 2008, 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Launches New Features in Advanced Search
Google has updated and enhanced the UI for its Advanced Search page. In addition to the recent "date range" options that expand from the menu, Google has now added topic-specific searches.
In effect, that's Google's answer to the explosive growth of vertical search engines. Tip of the hat to Chris Granier for highlighting this change in Twitter.
Topic-specific search engines from Google now include:
* Google Book Search
* Google Code Search
* Google Scholar
* Google News archive search
* Apple Macintosh
* BSD Unix
* Linux
* Microsoft
* U.S. Government
* UniversitiesWith Google's "search-within-a-search" box option, Google has the option of expanding vertical search exponentially. Any site that offers "site search" in a specific vertical could become a repository of vertical knowledge.
Which company is the first to exploit Google's new Advanced Search option?
Microsoft.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 6, 2008, 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Maps for Mobile Adds Public Transportation Directions
When Google Maps added a public transportation feature for bus and train routes, it was only available on the desktop maps product. Now, Google Maps has brought the feature to its mobile maps product, which is where it should really shine, don't you think?
The mobile version will have a few tricks that the desktop version does not have. Writing on the Google mobile blog, Software Engineer Joe Hughes explained. "For instance, you can find the last transit trips of the day (to figure out how late you can stay at the party) and more easily browse through earlier or later trips. The My Location feature, available on most phones, also makes it easier to set the start point of your journey."
The update is available for Blackberry and other java-based phones. Google made a video about the update, check it out:
Will you be using the public transportation feature on Google Maps for Mobile? Leave a comment.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 6, 2008, 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google Analytics Adds Adwords TV Campaign Reporting
Google has added Adwords TV campaign reporting to their Analytics product. If your Adwords and Analytics accounts are linked, you should see any TV campaigns you're running automatically. You'll be able to view web traffic right along data showing how many times your ad was aired.
According to the Google Analytics blog, available TV metrics include:
- Impressions delivered
- Number of ad plays
- Cost
- CPM
Will the addition of Adwords TV campaign reporting to Analytics make your day easier? Tell us in the comments!
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 6, 2008, 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google Launches Adwords Editor 6.0
Google has announced the launch of Adwords Editor Version 6.0. According to the Adwords Agency blog, here are the new features:
- New bulk editing tools: Spell check, append text, and drag and drop ad groups within the tree view.
- Account statistics features: Export performance statistics to CSV, update minimum CPC bids, and experience improved downloading of account performance data.
- Compatibility with AdWords features: Version 6.0 now supports CPC placement targeting and certain functions with Conversion Optimizer campaigns.
Kerrie Lenhart, Product Specialist Team, writing on the Adwords Agency blog, reminded users to export an archive of current accounts before upgrading. Once installed, simply import the archive file.
What do you think the upgrades? Have you given Version 6.0 a spin yet? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 6, 2008, 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Yahoo Joins CBS Audience Network
Yahoo has joined the CBS Audience Network as a distribution partner. Yahoo TV will add CBS'x online catalog of full episodes and network programming to its lineup, which already includes NBC, FOX and over 15 cable networks.
CBS will get a boost from the Yahoo TV's audience. With Yahoo, the CBS Audience network will reach 92% of U.S. web users with 300+ video partners.
"As the #1 online TV site, Yahoo! TV is committed to offering our users the most comprehensive television experience on the Internet," said Karin Gilford, Vice President of Entertainment and Lifestyles, Yahoo!. "The partnership with CBS significantly expands our video offerings and provides our users with a consistent and best-in-class viewing experience. It's all part of our strategy to become the starting point for the most consumers on the Web."
"This announcement underscores the value of CBS's open, non-exclusive, multi-partnership strategy for distributing our content online," said Anthony Soohoo, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Entertainment, CBS Interactive. "We are delighted to add Yahoo! to the Audience Network, not only because of their reach, but also because they offer a great user experience for CBS content. This is a win-win in that it bolsters the distribution of CBS content while giving Yahoo! users access to programming that has proven to be among the most popular professional content online."
This won't be the first TV partnership between Yahoo and CBS. In December 2005, Yahoo announced that it would be offering four episodes of CBS sitcoms in what was dubbed the CBS Comedy Bowl.
Related Reading:
Yahoo Signs Deal With Reality Programming Company
Fox, NBC and Others Testing Online TV With Hulu.comPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 6, 2008, 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: What is Valid Link Bait?
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 6, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Keywords Without Ego
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 6, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Winning the Local Search Battle
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 6, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Trends Goes Daily; Drops Hourly Updates
For anyone following the Search Zeitgeist, this is a sad day. Google has just changed updates on Google Trends from hourly to daily.
The change is so new, Google hasn't even updated its FAQ on Google Trends:
How does Hot Trends work?Hot Trends reflects what people are searching for on Google today. Rather than showing the most popular searches overall, which would always be generic terms like "weather," Hot Trends highlights searches that have sudden surges in popularity. Our algorithm analyzes millions of web searches performed on Google and displays those searches that deviate the most from their historic traffic pattern. The algorithm also filters out spam and removes inappropriate material.
For each search, Hot Trends shows related searches, a search-volume graph, and the top cities. We also display news, blog, and web results to help give context about why a search may be appearing on the Hot Trends list today. Hot Trends is updated hourly. You can also choose a date in the past to see what the top Hot Trends for that date were.
It's a shame Google has made this decision. The company shares very little data about searches done on the search engine. Google Trends was the best way to keep abreast of what captured people's imagination in more-or-less real-time.
We hope Google didn't make this change due to our report on glitches in Google Trends or the appearance of spam more frequently in the Google Trends results.
We also hope Google returns Google Trends to an hourly basis before the service comes out of beta.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 5, 2008, 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Google to Build New Offices at NASA
NASA has agreed to Google's plans to build a 1.2 million square foot office complex at the Ames Research Center near its Mountain View, California headquarters. Google will rent 42.2 acres of land for $3.6 million per year. Construction begins in 2013 and the final phase of the project, which is expected to include employee housing, will start in 2022.
The initial lease is set for 40 years, but could be renewed for as much as 50 years. This isn't the only agreement Google has with the government space program. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin park their private planes at Moffett Federal Airfield for a mere $1.3 million per year and an agreement to fly NASA's equipment on research missions.
via AP
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo Search Toolbar to be Bundled with InstallShield
Just days after Microsoft announced a Live Search toolbar distribution deal with HP, Yahoo has announced a toolbar distribution deal of its own. Acresso will bundle the toolbar with its installations of InstallShield. Yahoo says the distribution will reach 71,000 organizations. InstallShield has been deployed on over 500 million PCs worldwide.
"InstallShield is the de facto standard for authoring installs - from the top 100 software producers in the world to the individual developer. By simplifying the addition of Yahoo! Toolbar into their installs, software producers of any size can bring Yahoo!'s powerful search functionality to their end-users while opening up brand new revenue opportunities," said Mark Bishof, CEO, Acresso Software.
"Our goal is to offer users access to the most comprehensive and relevant content on the Web. With InstallShield being deployed on more than 500 million PCs worldwide, this partnership gives us the ability to extend our reach with Yahoo! Toolbar and become the starting point for InstallShield's global community," said Vish Makhijani, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Yahoo! Search.
So, who out-toolbared who? Microsoft or Yahoo? Let it fly in the comments...
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Answers.com to Integrate with a Growing Wikianswers.com
Answers.com is planning to integrate some of sister site Wikianswers.com results in order to provide a better user experience, according to Reuters. Fast growth on Wikianswers.com is spurring what CEO Bob Rosenschein is calling a 'cross-pollination' of the sites. Included in the plans is a shared search bar.
Wikianswers has grown to 2 million page views per day, up from 250,000 a day in early 2007. The site is now at an 18.35% market share as of March 2008, stealing market share away from Yahoo! Answers, which dropped 21% from March 2007. Overall, traffic to answer sites grew 118% from March 2007 to March 2008.
Related Reading:
Hearst Jumps on Answers Bandwagon, Acquires Answerology
Yahoo Answers Gets FriendlyPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Yahoo's SearchMonkey Launches Public Gallery
Yahoo's SearchMonkey has launched the Yahoo Search Gallery, which displays applications built by third party websites for their search results. Beginning today, the Search Gallery can be accessed by clicking the Customize dropdown menu from the search results page. Also, today developers and site owners may begin to share their applications even if they haven't been selected for the Search Gallery.
Yahoo is holding a contest for SearchMonkey applications. The deadline for submissions is June 14.
What do you think of SearchMonkey? Will it improve Yahoo's search results? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Live Search Displays Paragraph Under Wikipedia Results
Microsoft's Live Search is now displaying a portion of the first paragraph from Wikipedia results. On the Live Search Blog, Program Manager Kemp Peterson wrote, "We realize that often you just need to get a sense of what your query is about. Wikipedia is great for that — you can learn enough from the first paragraph of a Wikipedia article to start you out on the right path."
Take a look:
Wikipedia's traffic has grown 8,000% in the past 5 years due largely to search referrals.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo President Sue Decker Talks About Online Advertising Transformation
Speaking at the 2008 Advertising 2.0 Conference in New York, Yahoo President Sue Decker spoke about the company's role in the greater online advertising transformation.
"Yahoo! is helping to accelerate the transformation of how display advertising is both bought and sold," Decker told the audience earlier this morning. "First, we are developing the technology, products and platforms that are designed to help advertisers find the right audiences and publishers find the right advertisers. Second, we are partnering with publishers to secure and monetize inventory that advertisers and agencies find desirable. And third, we are partnering with advertisers and agencies to channel demand to the right consumer."
Decker also touched on four announcements coming from Yahoo about advertising:
- Yahoo will sell online display advertising for retail giant Walmart.com
- Yahoo! enters into multi-year global advertising partnership with Havas Digital
- Yahoo launches newspaper circular personalization program
- 94 more newspapers have joined the Yahoo newspaper consortiumWhat do you think about Yahoo's online advertising plans? Will shareholders be won over and vote against Carl Icahn's proxy board? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Related Reading:
Yahoo Unveils Details of New AMP Advertising PlatformPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Faces Louis Vuitton Trademark Case in Europe's Highest Court
The European Court of Justice (ECJ), Europe's highest court, will hear a case brought forth by high fashion retailer Louis Vuitton regarding trademark issues associated with Google's Adworsd program. The retailer previously won a case in France over the matter.
Louis Vuitton says that Adwords offers advertisers the ability to bid on terms like "Louis Vuitton fakes" and "Louis Vuitton replicas," but claims that Google does not have the right to offer their trademarked name as part of their search advertising program.
Similar cases brought forth in various states within the U.S. have yielded differing rulings.
No court date has been set and it could take up to a year for the ruling to be decided.
via NYT
Related Reading:
Google Updates Trademark Rules for UK/Ireland Adwords
Court Orders Negative Keywords Used To Block Trademark Terms
Others' Trademark Terms In Meta Tags Illegal: Georgia Court RulesPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Google Earth Maps Walt Disney World Resort in 3D
Google Earth has created a 3D tour of Walt Disney World's 4 theme parks and 22 hotels and resorts.
If you have kids, here's the must-see site: www.disneyworld.com/3dparks. Google Earth 4.3 users can see Walt Disney World Resort in 3D by enabling the “Gallery” folder within Google Earth, or by selecting any of the 3D buildings within the resort.
“You know the phrase ‘next best thing to being there'? Walt Disney World Resort in 3D is going to deliver on that,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in a statement. “Guests and travel planners can now explore our world with just a few clicks of a mouse, and they can book vacations while being immersed in what the destination has to offer.”
Disney's digital mapping project, Walt Disney World Resort in 3D, hopes to become the ultimate online travel guide for Walt Disney World Resort, integrating the Google Earth 3D experience with the planning features of Disney.com.
Whether guests book through the Disney reservation center, a travel agent or online, nearly 90 percent of Walt Disney World guests use the internet to plan their vacations. Walt Disney World Resort in 3D provides the latest Google Earth technology available to enhance that experience.
From Google Earth, guests and travel planners can click on images of their favorite attractions and hotels to purchase tickets, make reservations, and map out the vacation that is right for their families – in 3D and with the click of a mouse.
The depth and vivid detail of Walt Disney World Resort in 3D project promises to makes the site a unique, truly immersive experience within Google Earth. Visitors begin their virtual tour of Disney World with a stratospheric view of the globe, a starting point familiar to anyone who has ever used Google Earth.
A skydive takes visitors past the flatlands of Florida to a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon in the Magic Kingdom. Guests can then fly through the streets and explore in and around the hotels and resorts, down Main Street to Cinderella Castle, from the heights of The Tower of Terror to base of the Tree of Life. To enter the virtual park:
* Download Google Earth 4.3 by visiting www.disneyworld.com/3dparks.
* Launch Google Earth and search for 'Disney World'
* Click the Gold Mickey Ears to open an info window.
* In the info window, click “Show Disney World in 3D.”No doubt more resorts and travel destinations will follow Disney's lead into 3D. Whether their choice is Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth, the big winners are consumers doing research on the Internet.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 5, 2008, 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Yahoo Responds to Carl Icahn's Allegations
Yahoo wasn't too thrilled about Carl Icahn's recent allegations that they hadn't taken the Microsoft acquisition offer seriously. So they're attempting to clear things up with their latest response letter.
Here it is for your reading enjoyment. Who needs daytime television with drama like this?
Dear Carl:
We are in receipt of your letter of June 4th and take issue with its
content.Your letter seriously misrepresents and manipulates the facts
regarding the recent events pertaining to Microsoft and Yahoo!. You
rely on, as "facts," a series of unsubstantiated allegations from a
complaint filed in a Delaware court which grossly misstate the very
clear record and position established by the Yahoo! Board. Let me
elaborate:You make reference to our employee retention plan but you
significantly mischaracterize its purpose and its effect. In fact,
you refer to it as a "Poison Pill" which could not be further from
the truth. To set the record straight, the employee retention
program is designed to protect the Company's assets and value
during a time of uncertainty. The claim that the plan gives each of
Yahoo!'s employees "the right to quit his or her job and pocket
generous termination benefits at any time during the two years
following a takeover..." is just plain wrong. In fact, our plan has
a "double trigger" which means that in order for an employee to be
eligible for benefits under our plan, there would need to be a
change of control AND the employee would need to be terminated
"Without Cause" or resign for "Good Reason." That means that in
contrast to your assertions, an employee who simply quits his or
her job would receive nothing under our plan.The retention plan is intended to help us preserve and enhance
shareholder value by allowing Yahoo! to continue to attract and
retain the industry's best talent, and to allow employees to stay
focused on implementing Yahoo!'s business strategy. In fact, the
plan was adopted in order to protect the value of Yahoo! in
anticipation of a possible acquisition by Microsoft which would
have resulted in a lengthy regulatory review and a significant
period of uncertainty for our employees. In adopting this plan, we
believe Yahoo! did the right thing for its employees and its
shareholders alike.This plan was fully disclosed at the time of its adoption and should
be no surprise to anyone at this point. It was disseminated to
employees, publicly filed and extensively covered by the media.
Significantly, as you note, Microsoft had indicated that it was
prepared to spend $1.5 billion on retention incentives indicating
that they too recognized that the retention of Yahoo! employees
would have been critical if there had been an acquisition.Finally, you significantly misrepresent the events of the recent
past. Notably, you accuse us of turning down a $40 per share offer
and "sabotaging" a $33 per share offer. Again, this is patently
untrue. Yahoo!'s Board of Directors has at all times been focused
on maximizing shareholder value. As has been well documented,
Yahoo! has engaged in thorough discussions with Microsoft over a
series of months culminating in Microsoft's decision to walk away
from a potential acquisition of Yahoo!. Throughout this process,
which has included an exploration of multiple strategic
alternatives with multiple parties, the Board has repeatedly stated
that it is open to any transaction, including a sale to Microsoft,
as long as it is in the best interests of shareholders.You seem to be under the impression that somehow Microsoft will come
back to the negotiating table for a full acquisition of Yahoo!.
This is puzzling as I know you are aware that we have reached out
to Microsoft proactively and met with them many times in the last
several weeks. During this period, their message to us and to the
markets has been and remains that they are not interested in
pursuing a full acquisition of Yahoo!.Conspicuously absent from your letter is any credible plan for
Yahoo! other than a repetition of your insistence that the Company
should sell itself to Microsoft. Indeed, your stated view that "the
only way to salvage Yahoo! in the long if not short run is to merge
with Microsoft" demonstrates that you have no other plan and causes
one to wonder what exactly would happen to our Company if you and
your nominees were to take control of Yahoo!.Sincerely,
Roy Bostock
Chairman of the BoardPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google Opens Up About IP Delivery, Geolocation and Cloaking
Over at the Google Webmaster Central blog, Maile Ohye is giving insight into IP Delivery, Geolocation and Cloaking.
IP Delivery is serving up targeted content to users based on their IP address. This is ok as long as you treat Googlebot the same as you would a user with a similar IP address.
Geolocation is serving up content based on a user's cookie data, login info or IP address. Ohye says, "The key is to treat Googlebot as you would a typical user from a similar location, IP range, etc. (i.e. don't treat Googlebot as if it came from its own separate country—that's cloaking)."
Cloaking is not ok because it shows humans and the Googlebot different content. Ohye explains, "If the file that Googlebot sees is not identical to the file that a typical user sees, then you're in a high-risk category. A program such as md5sum or diff can compute a hash to verify that two different files are identical."
To sum, treat Googlebot the same way you would your human visitors!
Ohye also discussed Google News' first click free policy. Basically, news sites with premium content can have those paid pages indexed by Google News if they allow visitors to view their first click on the page free. But any clicks deeper into the site are permitted to display a login or payment request first.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 5, 2008, 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: 3 Ways to Spy on Your Competitors
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 5, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Do We Need Educational Standards for Learning SEO? - Part 2
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 5, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
World's First Search Engine For Hostels Launches
TFTHostels.com is the world's first hostel search engine. It combines the directories of all major hostel booking websites into a single interface, saving visitors time and money. Visitors can:* Search the largest directory of hostels in the world
* Compare rates, reviews and recommendations
* Check availability, specs and location
* Book the hostel of your choice by visiting the hostel booking website
TFTHostels.com is powered by Travelers for Travelers and currently in beta. The site says "The service is free, in speech as well as in beer. There are no additional fees, and we don't fancy any hostel or booking service more than any other."
We don't know exactly what free "in speech as well as in beer" means, but it sounds good to us.
So how are the rates? Well we found a hotel in the Dominican Republic for $27 per night. We also found this guest house in Cuba for $44 per night (22 euros).
Casa Novo Guest House
"We rent 2s room in a very big 1900's house with air conditioning, TV, fan, External window, fridge, private bathroom, hot water the 24 hours in the center of Havana. All our staff speaks english.You can enjoy 2 balconies. We are at 400 meters from the sea (malecon), 10 minutes walking from old Havana, 15 min. walking from Vedado and 5 min. walking from chinese town."Best of all, the head honcho, Marco Van de Kamp, recommends combining his service with Twitter, Summize, (Twitter search engine) and Google Blog Search to get the latest comments and reviews on hostels.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 4, 2008, 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Google Launches Website Workout Contest
Google has announced the launch of its Website Workout Contest. Four winners will get consulting to help improve their sites' ROI. Google's Website Optimizer will be used to test graphics, copy, design and other web page factors.
The contest deadline is June 17th. Google has created a promo video for the contest. View below.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 4, 2008, 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Microsoft to Work on Live Search Reputation
Kevin Johnson, Microsoft's president of platforms and services division, has said that the company will work to fix their search brand image, according to USA Today. Microsoft has a history of holding the third largest search market share. But with Google dominating roughly 60% of the market and Yahoo holding onto 20-ish%, third place is not exactly competitive.
So far in 2008, Microsoft has tarnished their brand image. Their failed Yahoo acquisition attempt brought attention to their lackluster search product. Still, Microsoft has made no secret of their desire to catch Google. Even Bill Gates is making search one of his post-retirement projects.
The focus of any future search success may lie in what Johnson called "commercial intent queries." These types of queries relate to those that end in a monetary transaction. Recently, a program was announced where searchers get cash back on products purchased as a result of searching on Live Search. Product search has been getting updates, including being added to Live Search for Mobile. Microsoft also relaunched travel search site Farecast, which it acquired earlier this year.
Johnson mentioned that the company would like to expand into another commercial intent niche: real estate.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 4, 2008, 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Acxiom Partners with Moon Valley for Comprehensive Local Search Results
Axciom, developer of online telephone directories, has announced a partnership with Moon Valley to provide comprehensive listings for local search. Moon Valley is the developer of software that searches the web for in-depth business information.
Together, the two hope to provide more substance to local search results. Listings will have more than just an address and a phone number. They will have additional company information to empower buying decisions.
“Say you're searching for a pet-friendly hotel,” said Jonathan Cohn, Acxiom InfoBase_X™ data products leader. “Getting back a hotel name and phone number is just the beginning of the process in deciding where to stay that night. If the local search engine you're using doesn't give you more than that, you'll go to another one, and the first service loses the chance to be your go-to source in future searches.”
What do you think about the Acxiom/Moon Valley partnership? Can technology boost local listings or will social media take the cake? Tell us how it is in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 4, 2008, 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yahoo Sets Aug 1 Shareholder Meeting, Icahn Wants Yang Out
In the ongoing saga of Microhoogle, two major announcements have been made amidst the rumors and the ever-present speculation.
First up, Yahoo has set an August 1, 2008 date for its postponed shareholders meeting. That gives them almost two months to ready the troops to fight Icahn's proxy board.
And Jerry Yang has more reason than ever to fight and fight hard. Carl Icahn has announced that he wants Yang out as CEO of Yahoo. The news came in the wake of unsealed court documents claiming Yang had not given serious consideration to Microsoft's offer.
What do you want to happen? Do you even care anymore? Should the world be caring about two search engines that trail Google by such a wide margin? Sound off in the comments!
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 4, 2008, 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
CondeNast Portfolio: Google Baffles Us
Understanding search engines and natural search may be the most important skill of the 21st century. At the very least, search engine knowledge will save you from an embarrassing faux pas.
For example, Felix Salmon of Conde Nast Portfolio posted this morning on "Google's Top 10 Universities." The only problem? He doesn't understand how the Google search engine works.
Vanity Fair quotes Google's Larry Page on the logic behind the Google search engine: "Even in the very early days when we were at Stanford, you could type "university" into Google, and you actually got the top 10 universities. I think that basic notion really helped us a lot."
In Porfolio.com, a sister company of Vanity Fair, Salmon blogged about the VF article and conducted the Page search on his own:
"So, of course, I typed "university" into Google, wondering where Stanford would come up. And the answer is: 12th. On the first page, the Wikipedia page for "university" comes top; the rest of the page is five UK universities (Cambridge, Oxford, Leeds, Warwick, and Durham); two Canadians (Toronto and Queen's); and two Australians (Monash and Sydney). Not necessarily most people's idea of the top 10 univeristies, but an interesting list all the same.Of course it's not everyone's idea of the top 10 universities because Salmon was based in the UK. Google still thinks he is. Or perhaps, he did the search from the UK. Based on the early posting hour, that's a good possibility.
Salmon's bio:
Felix Salmon arrived in the United States in 1997 from England, where he worked at Euromoney magazine. He also wrote daily commentary on Latin American markets for the former news service Bridge News, freelanced for a variety of publications, helped set up the New York bureau of a financial website, and created the Economonitor blog for Roubini Global Economics. He has been blogging since 1999.Salmon is a graduate of the University of Glasgow.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 4, 2008, 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Microsoft Unveils AdCenter Desktop Beta
Microsoft on Tuesday took the wraps off a new application for webmasters: the AdCenter Desktop Beta.
The tool extends the capabilities of Microsoft online tools for adCenter, especially in the areas of bulk campaign management, research tools, and "Creation Wizard" functionality for creating new campaigns through a simple interface.
"From a platform standpoint, we've taken leaps in what we offer. A lot of what we're doing on the ad platform side gets lost in the question of volume. But the platform is well poised to take advantage of the volume as it builds," Brian Boland, director of adCenter for Microsoft, told SEW.
Microsoft will continue developing its Web-based tools alongside the offline application, although some functionality will only be added to one or the other, Boland said. For example, the wizard functionality and bulk management tools are only available in the desktop application. But many users will continue to prefer the simplicity and portability of the online tools, so they will not be abandoned, he said.
Microsoft began offering offline tools with its adCenter Add-in for Excel 2007, which launched in December.
The adCenter Desktop tool, which Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's Platform & Services Division, first mentioned during his keynote at SMX Advanced, is currently in closed beta. To be considered for participation in the program, users can fill out an interest form at Microsoft's site.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 4, 2008, 2:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Google, Amazon Survive Rest Fade Away, Analyst Claims!
There is a 310-page report that basically sees only two major internet companies surviving in the future, "U.S. Internet: The End of the Beginning" will be available to buy Tuesday - am guessing Amazon will have it. Amazon and Google were singled out to continue dominance, Reuters reported.
Read it but think how all industries offline have a group of competitors of varying sizes. The report was written before MicroHoo split, talks of IAC and Ebay being broken up - one happening when written, the other a suggestion by the Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Jeffrey Lindsay.
I don't think I will be the only one thinking many of his arguments will not come to pass. This is a strong controversial stance that will see many who have their own argument make comment.... will Google see it as link bait? No, but Ask and Yahoo should,
Guess EBay CEO Meg Whitman can run for the Democrats now - heard her as a possible VP candidate. Lindsay sees auction model dying... guess he has never seen the attendance at off line auctions.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 4, 2008, 12:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
SEW Experts: Measuring the Impact of Multichannel Marketing
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 4, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Who Owns the Brand?
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on June 4, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hacker Grabs Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan MySpace Private Pics
Okay I really wanted some witty headline or opening paragraph for this one, but these two make it tough to be original given all that has been written about them. Realistically the issue is really the hack of MySpace.
Seems some clever Canadian is using a hole in the access to MySpace using a Yahoo integration flaw, according to TrendHunter who has the pictures.
Now for everyone who clicked through to see them. Here are the Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton private pics.
But the bigger issue is how the advancement of the new catch phrase, "data portability", may hold a lot more of these types of problems. What happens when some hack is discovered for the information in Google Health? Or for that matter any ecommerce site with credit card information, etc.
While having unlimited ways to access information is a much desired goal of the online world, it must be secure or the trust everyone takes for granted will be lost and we could end up back to the days when porn was the only industry that made money online.
Yeah I know I am going to get a few protests on that one... but hey think Paris and Lindsay are using MySpace anymore? Now if I worked at Facebook I would be reaching out, or they could just go over to FriendFeed and start a private room - until the Canadians start over there.
Posted by Frank Watson on June 3, 2008, 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Google Trends KO'd - Up Off the Mat After 15 Hours
UPDATE: Google Trends is back up and running. We offer our sincere apologies since the #1 search today is: "what to do if inside of girl gets wet."
We sincerely hope that search is spam. We're confident it has nothing to do with the #4 hottest search: Brigitte Bardot.
It's Groundhog Day today at Google Trends. When everyone woke up this morning and checked the hottest stories in Google Labs' Google Trends service, nothing had changed.
As of publication, none of the fastest rising search terms has changed since yesterday.
Bo Diddley died ... yesterday.
Sandro Kopp made the news (yesterday) as actress Tilda Swinton's boyfriend in her open marriage.
Yesterday it was alleged in a Vanity Fair article that former President Bill Clinton had an affair with actress Gina Gershon (Bound, Showgirls), even though most people spelled her name "Gerson" when searching for who she is.
Frasier star Kelsey Grammer? Had a mild heart attack (yesterday).
The FlavorChase sweepstakes somehow made the Top 10 - even though no media outlets were writing about them.
The Best Life Diet and Skinny Cow fat-free ice cream are yesterday's news; as is "The Bachelor" Aaron Buerge.
Nickelodeon's NickArcade.com/dojo also made the Top 10 without support from the news media, which may indicate that the average age of searchers is much lower than Google has ever revealed.
Today's Hot Trends (USA)
1. bo diddley
2. sandro kopp
3. gina gerson
4. kelsey grammer
5. flavorchase.com
6. skinny cow
7. best life diet
8. the bachelor aaron
9. aaron buerge
10. nickarcade.com/dojoWhile this may just be a glitch in the system, we're hoping the real reason the service paused was to clear out the "trend spammers" who somehow manage to get their sites improbably listed.
Google states:
"With Hot Trends, you can see a snapshot of what's on the public's collective mind by viewing the fastest-rising searches for different points of time. You can see a list of today's top 100 fastest-rising search queries in the U.S. You can also select a recent date in history to see what the top rising searches were and what the search activity looked like over the course of that day. We update Hot Trends hourly.Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 3, 2008, 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Microsoft Live Search Solves 404 Error Problem
No one likes generic 404 error pages. Site visitors have to click the back button and start their search over. Most times, they give up on the site.
To solve that problem, Microsoft Live Search will now enable Web site owners to create error pages that recommend help even if the exact URL isn't available.
The Web Page Error Toolkit is a customizable Web app that extracts keywords from the search and delivers relevant search results in a custom error page.
Here are the details on the Web Page Error DTK:
For large web sites with extensive amounts of content, 2 to 10 percent of traffic is looking for pages that either don't exist or have been moved. Most web servers return a generic 404 error page or a sitemap when a user's desired page cannot be found. These unhelpful pages often result in a dead end for users.
With Microsoft's Web Page Error Toolkit, you can create dynamic 404 pages that contain customized error messages along with search results seeded with relevant keywords to help your users move past the missing page and find the information they need.
The Toolkit is a customizable ASP.net application that replaces the default error page on your IIS server. The Toolkit enables you to use Live Search (or any search engine) to return results for the specified domain and locale, control the number of results returned on your page, choose whether to offer spelling corrections, and customize your error message.
You also have the option of choosing from several keyword extraction strategies that are included with the install, or providing your own implementation.
Posted by Kevin Heisler on June 3, 2008, 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Wikia Adds Features to its Open Source Search
If a search engine allows its users to change the results, is it still called hacking? While many news outlets are saying Wikia's new features allow users to hack results, it's really just part of their modus operandi.
Today, Wikia announced a plethora of new features for users to have their say in how search results should really be. And here they are:
- The ability to edit any result, title and summary. The edits are then instantly available to everyone
- The ability to add new results for any search query instantly
- The ability to delete and/or hide any result
- Every result item can be rated 1-5 stars, which will slowly influence the ranking position
- The ability to add suggested and/or related searches for any query
- The ability to add public comments to any result item
- The opportunity to see site previews and annotate text, images, links and forms directly into the results
- The ability to try any search on Google, Yahoo, or any other search engine with a single click
- The ability to customize the background on the header for a more themed result for any search
- The opportunity to view the change history showing all the social actions for any page
Looks very social, don't ya think? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Want to learn more about Wikia? Check out these posts...
How Will Wikia Grow The Index?
Wikia Search: Wikia Dream? Or SEO Wake-Up Call?
Wikia Search Requires Your Help
Search Wikia Launches Open Source, Distributed CrawlerPosted by Nathania Johnson on June 3, 2008, 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Art of Sculpting, or There's Nothing Wrong with Knowing SEO
There have been much discussion recently about using the “nofollow” attribute to sculpt a website's PageRank for ranking purposes, a practice commonly known as PR Sculpting. If you are not sure what I am talking about or you want a visual description to help you understand, then I recommended you take the time to read the bucket post (even though it ignores PR flowing back in the opposite direction, but that is a post for another day).
PR Sculpting has been the focus of much controversy in the
SEO space; most SEO professionals are either against or do not think that there is any value in PR Sculpting. Some have come to the conclusion that PR sculpting is bad for a website. Their reasoning: only SEO people know about PR Sculpting, so if a page is sculpted, SEO pros must have worked on the site. According to Eric Lander from Search Engine Journal, if you PR Sculpt, “you might as well alert the engines that you not only aware of optimization, but you're willing to go out of your way to protect your site.”
Somehow, just knowing/doing SEO is enough to raise a red flag with Google. In other words, optimization is by its nature blackhat.
Of course, that's a patently ridiculous thing to say. Matt Cutts from Google even went out of his way at the Web 2.0 conference to state very clearly SEO is neither Spam nor bad. Matt even addressed the PR Sculpting issue in a linking Q&A: “In general, worry more about the high quality of your site. After you've taken care of it, then think about sculpting.” Cutts sees nothing wrong with PR Sculpting on its own, but does qualify his statement with the coda that “Google is against abusive manipulation.” As we'll see (and is often the case with SEO) the key word here is “abusive”.
The only post to date, backed by actual data, that I have seen that comes close to showing that PR Sculpting could hurt a site is from Branko Rihtman from 10s Search Marketing here in Jerusalem. His post is about Google penalties and how they may be keyword- and destination-specific. His client did some PR Sculpting and Branko concluded that the client was penalized due to "a combination of the implementation of nofollow and a significant difference between the on-page and off-page optimization.” Branko finds that the nofollow by itself wasn't what "caused the penalty in this case," rather "it was a combination of signals that caused the infamous red flag to be risen above the customer's site."
What Branko fails to mention in the post is how much PR Sculpting the client actually did. In the comments, when asked about the quantity of sculpting, he answered, “I would say that the percentage of followed pages was much smaller than the nofollowed ones.” That sounds like more than just some PR Sculpting; it sounds like abusive sculpting. (Branko also thought that the abruptness with which he did the nofollowing might have been abusive, although we've seen speed to be much less of an issue than quantity.) And as Matt Cutts emphasized, doing anything abusive in SEO will raise a red flag, whether with keyword stuffing, link stuffing or PR Sculpting.
So there is really no data to support the fact that properly-executed PR Sculpting will hurt a site. Google is already aware that SEOs exists, and—as Matt Cutts stated—has no problem with them as long as they are not “abusive” in their SEO practices. Cutts also said that after you work on the overall quality of your site, it makes sense to “think about sculpting.” It doesn't seem like a practice to which Google objects, as long you do it with the same care as other SEO tasks. In fact, we've seen some great results from PR Sculpting—but that will have to wait until the next blog post.
Kalman Labovitz, Senior Account Manager at RankAbove, co-wrote this post.
Posted by on June 3, 2008, 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
comScore releases U.K. search rankings for April 2008
comScore today released its first report on the U.K. search market from its enhanced comScore qSearch 2.0 online search measurement tool. The service, which was first launched in the U.K. in September 2007, has been updated to include several local market properties where search activity occurs, such as Rightmove Sites and Bebo.com.
I discussed how this expanded definition of "search" changes the landscape in the U.S. back in March in an article entitled, "Introduction to Search Engine Marketing at SES New York 2008."
In the U.K., Google Sites continued its reign as the leading search property in April with 74.2 percent of all searches. eBay ranked second with 6 percent, followed by Yahoo! Sites (4.3 percent) and Microsoft Sites (3.4 percent).
Two U.K. properties, Rightmove Sites (0.8 percent share) and Bebo.com (0.7 percent share), ranked amongst the top 10. Popular social networking property, Facebook.com, claimed a 1.8-percent market share in April.
Yes, people conduct searches at social networking sites. It's not your father's SEO.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 3, 2008, 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Visual Search Engine Viewzi to Launch This Month
Visual search engine Viewzi has been in private beta for quite some time now, but they've just announced they expect to launch to the public this month.
Since it's visual, a wordy blog post just isn't going to do this news justice. So I've created a screenshots for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to leave your reaction in the comments!
Viewzi main search page
Viewzi's search menu offers several options for viewing results
Video search displays results from popular video sites. Some of the videos are played in fast forward right in the results page. In Viewzi, mouseover an individual result to see the title of the video.
Web screenshot results show search results in a cover-flow style. I like this because you can easily see which pages are educational, shopping or parked domains.
Photo view is similar to video view, displaying image search results in several rows.
Simple text view combines results from Yahoo and Google and looks similar to traditional text-based search results.
Four source view displays website screenshot results from Google, Yahoo, Ask, and MSN. To remove one of the sets of results, just click on the search engine name that you do NOT want to see displayed. Mouseover a result for a larger view.
Celebrity Photo View is not just an image search for photos of celebrities. Instead, it's the name for the way the results are displayed, which looks like a photo album or scrap book and features a slick drag and drop feature.
mp3 View shows results of mp3 files related to your search. You can even listen to the files in your browser instead of opening additional applications which can use up valuable memory on your computer.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on June 3, 2008, 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Will Google Merchant Search ‘Set the Cat amongst the Pigeons'?
Last week, Google launched Google Merchant Search. This week, Edward Cowell, Director of digital marketing agency Guava; says, ““Google Merchant Search will truly put the cat amongst pigeons for some of Google's biggest search advertisers, the financial services comparison websites.”
Price comparison websites are big business in the UK and all the major industry players
advertise heavily on Google. Research by Resolution Foundation shows that 45% of UK adults used a comparison site to help them make a financial decision in the last year and that the price-comparison market is estimated to be growing at 30% a year.That's why the launch of the new service comes at a critical time for Google and its financial services advertisers. Says Cowell, “Most big financial services websites are just coming to terms with a marked increase in their paid search advertising budgets due to the recent changes in Google's trademark bidding policies, so Merchant Search could be rubbing salt into the wound.”
Sites such as Ebay have boycotted Google Adwords by withdrawing its adverting when Google attempted to encroach on PayPal's territory. So, uprisings are not unheard of in the search arena.
That's why Cowell and the rest of the industry is waiting to see how the price comparisons companies react to the launch of Merchant Search.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on June 3, 2008, 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Google Rebrands, Enhances Google Site Search
Google has announced today some nice enhancements to their Site Search solution. Originally announced as Custom Search Business Edition, this product has now been rebranded as Google Site Search. The focus on site search solutions for web sites has been huge, with thousands of sites using it. In addition to the rebranding of the solution there are four product enhancements that Google is announcing:
- Synonym support - Google Site Search allows you to specify a custom list of synonyms. For example, if you are General Electric, you might want to let the search engine know that "GE" = General Electric. This is something that allows publishers using Google Site Search to notify the search engines of synonyms that Google Web Search does not know about.
- Date Biasing - With date biasing a publisher can tell Google Site Search to place great emphasis on "recency" than it would otherwise do. Publishers can specify Low, Medium, or High, where high is essentially a directive to base the results on recency as the most significant factor.
- Top Results Biasing - With top results biasing, a publisher can place great emphasis on a certain section of their site. For example, a site with a lot of different sections, including forums for example, might want to specify a higher priority for the product pages of the site to make them more likely to show up.
- Improved Indexing - This allows publishers to include in their site search pages from their site that Google knows about (i.e Google has crawled these pages), but for one reason or another does not include them in their web search index. Of course, with a site map file you can use this mechanism to make sure that your Google Site Search includes every page from your site.
I spoke earlier this evening with Nitin Mangtani, the Lead Product Manager for Google Enterprise Search. He provide me with some examples of how people were using Google Site Search today. For Example, EMC implemented Google Site Search on http://EMCInsignia.com, a site that previously had no site search solution.
The results were outstanding. EMC experienced a 20% increase in e-commerce sales on the site, and an 85% reduction in customer returns. In addition, by the end of the first week, 10% of site visitors were using site search.
Nitin also was duty bound to emphasize that impl
