June 22, 2008 - June 28, 2008
June 28, 2008
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 12:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
June 27, 2008
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 26, 2008
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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 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 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 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 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 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 25, 2008
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 24, 2008
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 23, 2008
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 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 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
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 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 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 4:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
