August 29, 2008
Google Proceeding with Yahoo Deal in Early October
Google is proceeding with its deal to serve ads on Yahoo's search results. CEO Eric Schmidt told Bloomberg TV that they were moving forward on the deal despite regulatory concerns.
"We are in the process of talking to the government. They've not indicated one way or the other how they're dealing with us," said Scmidt.
Do you think the Google-Yahoo deal will be stopped? Let us know in the comments.
via Reuters
Related Reading:
Congressional Judiciary Committees Look into Yahoo-Google Ad Partnership
Now States are Investigating Yahoo-Google Deal
Posted by Nathania Johnson on August 29, 2008, 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Does Today's Live.com Image Upset Over 50% of the U.S.?
Recently, Microsoft started putting images as the background design of Live.com. For two glorious weeks, the images were of Olympic events. Now, they've switched to politics.
Today's image is a closeup of Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama at his big acceptance speech last night. But with less than half of those polled supporting Barack Obama, could such an image deter people from using Live.com?
We can say the same thing if/when a McCain picture appears on the site.
It's not that political events shouldn't be on Live.com's site. But perhaps a wider shot of the event would help visitors see the image as a news photo. Plus, with the hot spots that Live.com is using to help visitors explore searches - today's photo it has 2 boxes on the blurry audience background and one on Obama's collar. Kind of awkward.
How do you think Microsoft should handle political photos in its new design? Sound off in the comments.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on August 29, 2008, 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Microsoft to Acquire European Price Comparison and Shopping Site
Microsoft has reached an agreement to acquire Greenfield Online, the owner of Ciao, a European price comparison and shopping site. This seems to be in line with Microsoft's strategy of focusing on building up focused areas of search.
Ciao also includes consumer reviews and ratings with its search results. They boast a multimillion-user-strong online community and see more than 26.5 million unique visitors per month across seven countries. So far, more than 5 million product reviews have been generated.
Ciao joins Farecast, FAST, and Powerset in Microsoft's portfolio of search-related acquisitions for 2008.
“Ciao's success has been led by a team of talented people who took a unique combination of intuitive technology and the insight that comes out of their passionate consumer community to become one of Europe's leading shopping comparison sites,” said John Mangelaars, vice president, Consumer and Online, Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa. “This makes the company a fantastic asset to the future of our search offer. Integrating Ciao's capabilities into Live Search will provide a strong launchpad for our commercial search offer in Europe and enhance our e-commerce offering on MSN.”
Posted by Nathania Johnson on August 29, 2008, 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: For Local Search, It's All About the Online-Offline Gap
Though search volume continues to rise and capture a growing percentage of product research, more than 95 percent of actual purchase behavior in the U.S. still takes place offline. In today's vertical search column, "For Local Search, It's All About the Online-Offline Gap," local search expert Michael Boland explains that the need to bridge the gap between the online and offline worlds is a key issue in local search.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on August 29, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: Looking for Answers in a Search Marketing Forum? Be Specific!
If you're a newbie looking for guidance in search marketing, there are plenty of places to find it, if you know how to best phrase your request for information. In today's SEM Crossfire column, "Looking for Answers in a Search Marketing Forum? Be Specific!," Frank Watson and Chris Boggs remind us that search marketing has grown into a very broad field, but if you take the time to ask specific questions, you're much more likely to get you the answers you need.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on August 29, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
SEW Experts: There's No Secret Recipe to SEO
Some marketers are looking for a secret, step-by-step recipe to SEO success. But while a general framework is necessary to be effective, the search engine optimization process must be adaptable. In today's SEM agency issues column, "There's No Secret Recipe to SEO," William Flaiz shares some tips for guiding you down the path to SEO success.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb on August 29, 2008, 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
