SEMPO Responds to Critics
Not exactly a direct response from SEMPO, but Danny Sullivan has some feedback from them.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Microsoft's MSN unveils new search projects
Microsoft talks about their new search engine during its analyst day.

Meanwhile, if you have a WSJ subscription check out their critique of the new MSN search engine.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Danny Sullivan Weighs in on SEMPO Controversy
Another great forum thread going on at Search Engine Watch's forum. Danny Sullivan gives his views...

Thought it might also be useful to again focus on what the scandals are in this whole thing:

1) Europe board member being appointed. I think I read elsewhere that Barbara did say that the board would itself appoint a European board member. So no scandal in that. Issue is was someone from Italy? As I said earlier, I doubt the board is going to have someone from every country that SEMPO has members. If so, then you've got a board of over 100 people.

2) Barbara being paid. Big issue if this happened before her public statement that it wasn't happening. Medium issue if it happened after that statement because she indicated she doubted the board would ever be paid -- but things do change. Big issue in that the members weren't told. The board probably has the complete right to do this. Mike at Jill's forum talked of acting "unconstitutionally." Actually, I would guess that the founding documents for SEMPO give the board members the right to do this. But not keeping the members informed of major actions like this, yep, that's a failure.

3) Board is self-appointed. This wasn't news to the members that joined, or it shouldn't have been. But it is an issue now. The fallout of all this is that the board itself is being called into question. Actual elections will help strengthen the group -- they should be done.

4) Lack of communication. Clearly members don't seem to have been well kept informed. That's got to be fixed.

5) Lack of focus. Clearly many members seem uncertain what SEMPO is doing, where it is heading. It's their organization, so they need to help drive it forward to do what they want.

By the way, 5 is also somewhat applicable to non-members. People outside SEMPO clearly have thoughts on what the group should or should not be doing. But it's the members who've actually stepped up to join and support the group, so it's ultimately up to the members how to drive it along. And the board is accountable to those members.

What is interesting is how much of a debate this has started. Not just the accusations in Mike Grehan's article, but a lot of pent-up frustration appears to be coming out. There appear to be 10 people criticizing SEMPO for every one defending them.

No one wants to see SEMPO go down the toilet, but they do want to see reform and an organization that truly represents EVERYONE in the SEM industry, not just a select few.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
DoubleClick Hit by Hack Attack
Online advertising firm DoubleClick is the latest company to be hit by hackers.

The attack hit DoubleClick's domain name system (DNS) servers with a barrage of phony page requests, leaving it unable to serve online ads to many of its 900 customers for about four hours on Tuesday.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Time Warner's AOL Sees Revenue Growth Thanks to Google
Acccording to DMNews, AOL saw strong advertising sales growth in the second quarter after nearly three years of declines, thanks to help from its Google search partnership.

"Paid search revenue through AOL's Google partnership grew 76 percent from a year earlier to $72 million."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Backers to Sell Stock at IPO
eWeek reveals many original shareholders will be selling their stock in the Google IPO. Hardly a vote of confidence for the rest of us!

So what's the most unusual thing about the Google offering? Unlike traditional stock offerings, Google's early shareholders—its backers, executives and other friends of the firm—can and are selling a great deal of stock. All told, those insiders are offering almost 10.5 million share of stock for sale at between $108 and $135 a share.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Inman Real Estate Connect Conference
In case you thought I was in San Francisco for fun, there is already a summary of the online marketing session published at Inman.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Some Investors Not Tempted by Google IPO
The Mercury News highlights the risks involved with buying Google's stock in a dutch auction. Some investors think $108+ is likely to lead to a price drop soon after the IPO.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
SEMPO Debate Continues; Still No Official Response from the Board
The events uncovered by Mike Grehan are being discussed on many message boards. However, Mike chose Jill Whalen's message board to defend his accusations.

Personally, I would have no problem at all with paying a good salary to a professional executive in the field. Someone who understands the politics of running a trade association and the cultural and diplomatic issues of dealing internationally.

My problem is with the way that this motion to grant a sizeable stipend was carried out behind closed doors (as seems to be the way with SEMPO) and with no consultation with the membership at any level.

As I've already mentioned to Danny, if Barbara and the board of SEMPO feel they can appropriate membership funds into personal bank accounts, appoint new officers and apply policy decisions without ever having to consult with the membership, at any level - then it's hardly democratic is it? And that's an organisation that I really don't want to personally be associated with.

Still no official response from SEMPO yet.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Ask Jeeves 2Q Earnings More Than Double
Ask Jeeves Inc. said Wednesday second-quarter earnings more than doubled after the company substantially increased its market share with the acquisition of Interactive Search Holdings earlier this year.

Second-quarter earnings rose to $11.6 million, or 18 cents per share, from $4.9 million, or 9 cents per share, last year, the company said.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Lycos Sold for $95 Million?
John Battelle has information that Lycos.com has been sold for just $95m.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Yahoo Wants More Google Shares
According to London's Evening Standard, Yahoo! is seething over its allocation of just 5.5m shares in the upcoming Google float as controversy over the sky-high price of shares announced on Monday rolls on.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Overture's Patent Battle With Google
We're still waiting for some decision in Overture's patent infringement claims against Google.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
MSN Lifts The Hood
So we've all seen MSN's new front end, but what's happening behind the scenes?  They're offering a limited time only sneak peek.  Search for your favorite keywords and see what happens.

Yahoo still powers their main search results.

For indexing and relevance observations be sure to check out the SEW discussion.

 

Garrett French - MarketSmart Interactive | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google's Waldorf Staying, Body Guard Escorting, IPO Roadshow
Larry and Serge taking their IPO Roadshow to places most techies working from their basements and garages could only dream of, The Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom.  The dynamic duo spoke to a group of investors yesterday as they dined on chilled marinated chicken breast and grilled salmon. 

Not sure about you folks but that doesn't sound enjoyable at all.  First off, you're speaking to a room full of people that could care less about what you've accomplished and are only focused on how much money you'll make them in the next quarter.  Add to that the fact you're eating cold chicken and fish and you can count me out.

Ah, the things Larry and Sergey endure for us.


Jason Dowdell | permalink | +marktd |

 
Using Google AdWords as a Research Tool
Search isn't just for direct response any more. ClickZ's Brian Teasley points out that marketers can use smallish AdWords campaigns as a form of cheap focus group - trying out different value propositions and creative ideas to see which sorts of people respond in what ways to which types of offer and message combinations. (thanks Laura).
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Online Ad Spending to Hit $16B by 2009
The Washington Post has details of the latest research from Jupitermedia on online advertising.

Online advertising spending is expected to nearly double by 2009 to $16.1 billion...Internet advertising will grow 27 percent this year to $8.4 billion, with double-digit growth for both paid search listings and display ads like banners.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Scandal Rocks SEMPO, Expert Suggests Board Members Should Resign
In a scathing article by one of search engine marketing's most respected and knowledgeable experts, Mike Grehan, the future of SEMPO is called into question. Not only does Mike criticize the lack of achievements thus far, but he also makes some serious allegations about the ethics of the board of directors.

In particular...

"SEMPO has approved a $1,500 per week stipend to Ms Coll. This amounts to a salary of $78,000, to fund a part time effort from someone who already has a full time job running a SEM business. Some might ask whether this attractive salary such could have been used to bring on board an executive experienced in building trade associations."

Barbara Coll, who is a great person if you ever get to meet her, may well be involved in a terrible lack of judgment. She has always professed that the SEMPO board are all volunteers and that they are doing this without any payment. However, if Mike's remarks are true, $78,000 a year in salary in addition to her own income, is at best a serious lack of common sense.

Mike doesn't stop there with his comments...

There appears at this stage to be no appointment of a board member for the UK. This, despite the fact that the UK is the second largest market outside the US.

SEMPO has suggested that the UK may like to form its own committee and hand it over to them. But there has been no mention of a position on the board for the chair of that committee as is the case with the European set up. So, why is the UK so second-rate to this organisation that we have to take a lead from Italy? I have no problems with Italians, but they are a much smaller market than the UK.

When the appointment of an Italian board member to represent Europe was made, I did question why the UK wasn't the natural choice. Being an English ex-pat, I can honestly say that the UK should be the first focus for any European expansion of SEMPO.

The article continues with some pointed questions about the purpose of SEMPO...

If, as has been promoted, SEMPO is purely a marketing organisation, then why do I not see those marketing messages in conventional offline publications? I see a great presence from SEMPO at SES but little advertising and promotion in other industry sectors.

Shouldn't the SEMPO presence be much larger at an offline direct marketing show, or in joint venture with other organisations such as the American Association of Advertising Agencies or The Chartered Institute of Marketing?

It could be very easy to condemn SEMPO without coming up with any better ideas for it's structure, but Mike has a suggestion for an alternative SEMPO...

Here's a "finger in the air" figure, but let's take a guess at the average size of a search marketing firm and about 80% will be "one man band" or "micro-firm" perhaps? So why don't we concentrate on a body which recognises individuals as opposed to firms? Individuals who are accredited in some way so that they can run their own small practice, or use that qualification as a major factor to be considered when applying for a job with a larger firm. Maybe we need to think about the development of qualified people in the industry and not just the further development and recognition of organisations.

Mike appears to be of the strong opinion that the board are simply serving their own agenda and by appointing board members and paying salaries, without the vote of the members, they are not truly looking after the best interests of the membership.

Mike calls for the resignation of the board...

I have a suggestion that I'd like to put to the entire board: Why don't you honourably take the plaudits for your excellent work in forming a steering group (which you have been) to gain the first wave of membership, and then resign your positions?

That way, the membership will get the opportunity it certainly deserves, to decide who should be responsible for taking the association (that it pays for) to the next phase of development and direction with a democratic vote.

SEMPO is set to celebrate it's first birthday next week at the SES show in San Jose. If this scandal escalates, it may be a bumpy ride for the young organization. As always, we'll invite a SEMPO representative to tell their side of the story.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Where to Register for Google IPO
Want to register for the Google IPO? You can't yet, but you will be ablt to soon at this URL. https://www.ipo.google.com/
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Microsoft Starts MSN Search Ad Push
Looks like MSN is ready to start pushing their new search interface (not the beta index, just the new interface). They sent out the email below to all Hotmail account holders today. (thanks to Bob!)


Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Associated Press Looks Into Enhanced Online Search Tool
The Associated Press wants to build their own search engine.

The news cooperative's board hopes the new enhanced search tool and technical standards also will provide the AP's member news organizations with greater protection from unlicensed use of their material online.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Yahoo and Google Censoring Search Results
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is accusing Yahoo and Google of censoring results on their Chinese search engines.

The rights watchdog claimed Yahoo had been censoring its Chinese-language search-engine for several years and rival firm Google, which recently took a share in Baidu, a Chinese search-engine that filters a user's findings, seemed ready to go the same way.

In their efforts to conquer the Chinese market, the two firms are "making compromises that directly threaten freedom of expression," it said in a statement.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Overture Launches Search Optimization Tool
According to ClickZ (via Abakus) Yahoo's Overture officially launches its new Search Optimizer tool today.

Search Optimizer allows advertisers to optimize campaigns, automatically, if they desire, based upon business objectives such as cost-per-acquisition, cost-per-click or return on ad spend. Using the tool, marketers can sort campaigns by performance to determine which keywords or campaigns require more attention. Users can also create watch lists of their most important campaigns or keywords. They can also set rules to manage elements by daypart.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Microsoft to launch Google News rival
When will we finally see Microsofts' news search engine offering?
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
What You Need to Know about Google IPO
When Bambi Francisco talks about tech IPOs, you should listen. She's just published her views on the Google offering and suggests that a date of August 9th has been set for the IPO.

Bambi makes one particularly interesting observation...

Search explosion was in 2003. What will be the driver in 2005? If it's brand advertising, search engines don't have what brand marketers want: stickiness.

According to comScore, the average time spent on Yahoo is 4.4 hours in a month compared to 22 minutes for Google. Time Warner's AOL seems to keep users on its properties for 6 hours in a month, on average.

With the growth of Gmail and the continued expansion of AdSense, you'll probably see that "22 minutes" grow quite quickly over the next few months.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
MyDoom Virus Starting to Subside
According to the Scotsman.com, the virus that knocked out half the search engines, is likely to lose traction today.

Richard Archdeacon, director of technical services at security software company Symantec, said: “What we have seen is a rapid development of the MyDoom virus early yesterday afternoon UK time and it spread very rapidly – in fact, we tracked something like one million emails in the first six hours.”

But he added there were defences already available to protect systems from the virus: “If people update their antivirus they will start to trap infected emails and restrict its spread.

“What we predict is it will start to subside during the course of today.”
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Is Google's IPO really worth it?
SFGate.com asks if the Google is really worth $108+ per share.

Some investors will see Google's sticker price and remember all the dot- coms that were trading for hundreds of dollars a share in 2000 that now are in the single-digits if they're trading at all.

But maybe Google is hoping to position itself as the "Mercedes" of stocks, to own it is to show prestige.

"There is a continuum in the IPO spectrum where higher prices signal higher quality," the same way they do in the consumer market, says Bradford Jordan, a finance professor at the University of Kentucky.

Some are predicting that Google's value will drop shortly after its first few days of trading. Whichever side you fall on, there is no doubt that this is going to be a huge IPO.

"...it would rank as the nation's 64th most valuable company based on Monday's closing prices, slightly ahead of companies such as Motorola and McDonald's."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
So What Did Happen to Google, Yahoo and others?
Mike Musgrove of the Washington Post outlines yesterday's events and explains what happened to Google.

For anyone at Google who thinks I'm not totally in love with the search engine...

"It was like going without power and having to use a candle," said Andy Beal, vice president of marketing at WebSourced Inc., a Web site promotion firm based in Morrisville, N.C. "Google has become so much a part of everyday life that I was lost without it."

Beal said he forgot the site was down and instinctively typed "Google and attack" into his browser's Google search box in an attempt to find news about the problem. When the Google site didn't work, he turned to Yahoo's search engine, which also didn't work on his computer.

Yes, like a pavlovian dog I tried using Google to look for the answer to the problem. It probably took me about an hour to cancel out 4 years of conditioning and realize that I couldn't use my Google toolbar. ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Hit by MyDoom Virus
The BBC suggests that the newly released MyDoom virus is to blame for Google's servers being down.

CNet has this quote from Google:

"At no point was the Google Web site significantly impaired, and service for all users and networks is expected to be restored shortly," the company said in a statement.

They need to look up the definition of "significantly"! Whole chunks of their site have been down for about 5 hours!

Update: The Washington Post has more...

"The Google search engine experienced slowness for a short period of time early today because of the MyDoom virus, which flooded major search engines with automated searches. A small percentage of our users and networks that have the MyDoom virus have been affected for a longer period of time," company officials said in an e-mailed statement. "At no point was the Google Web site significantly impaired, and service for all users and networks is expected to be restored shortly."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Change To Link Bomb Sign Of New Link Analysis Shift?
Danny Sullivan has some theories on a new link algorithm at Google.

To prevent link bombs, Danny suggests Google has changed its algorithm "to not let link text count (or as much) unless the words are actually on the page."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
On a lighter note
Google is switching algos and will now be looking for:

Number of semi-colons on the page.
Use of the term 'fluffy' in the domain.
Heavier weighting for the .name top-level domain.
Using seventeen empty font tags before the first hyperlink.

Nice spoof!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Under DNS Attack
When you have 115+ employees using Google every minute of the day, you're quickly informed when Google's servers go down.

After some checking, it appears that WebmasterWorld members are seeing the same thing and even speculate...

I'm being told that a hostile DNS attack was launched against google, and that a fake registration to google.com through our favourite spammer domain service gandi.net was performed.

Is Google under a denial of service attack? I'm waiting for an official word from them. It does appear to be on just one of their servers though as for some, Google is working fine.

Update: Yep, its a DNS attack, take a look at the record for Google.com... "GOOGLE.COM.SUCKS.FIND.CRACKZ.WITH.SEARCH.GULLI.COM
GOOGLE.COM.HAS.LESS.FREE.PORN.IN.ITS.SEARCH.ENGINE.THAN.SECZY.COM
GOOGLE.COM"

Yahoo and AltaVista are also under attack.


Any search at Google, reveals this page.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Personalized Search - Not For the Young
Danny Sullivan shares some interesting data on personalized search. It appears the older you are, the more you want to personalize your search results.

Interest in personalized search drops off as the age range becomes younger:

Age 50+: 35%
35-49: 19% (top choice, books, 30%)
25-34: 19% (top choice, books, 30%)
18-24: 16% (top choice, music CDs/downloads, 45%)
Average: 21% (top choice, books, 30%)

The survey involved 673 respondents interviewed in May 2004. Here are some other key figures from it:

81 percent indicated they would prefer to receive personalized content.
64 percent were willing to provide insight into preferences for personalized products and content.
56 percent of respondents are willing to provide demographic information.
40 percent of respondents are willing to agree to transaction and clickthrough monitoring.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Ask Jeeves Extends Advertising Relationship with Google
Ask Jeeves execs have been hinting that they may be ready to offer their own paid search results, instead of using Google. It looks like that offering is still a long way off, as today they announced they are extending their partnership with Google until 2007.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Lowdown Announces MP3 Winner - Kim Krause
As we revealed in our newsletter on Friday, the winner of our MP3 player contest is Kim Krause of Cre8pc.com. Kim used her creative skills to come up with the following phrase using the letters from "Search Engine Lowdown"...

"New change in SEO world"

We had lot's of interesting entries, but Kim's was perfect as it reflects the intent of this site. Congratulations to Kim. She tells me that she'll be giving the MP3 player to her daughter.

Some other entries:

weird ego channels now
online wowed changers
Here's New Logic and NOW
Weigh Landowners Once
WILD NEWS ON "G" AN' CO. HERE!
Dance Nowhere Slowing
andrews own nice log, eh
Win ace new song holder
NEWS IGNORANCE HOWLED
when ignorance slowed

Thanks to all who entered!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google sets IPO at $108-135 per share
According to Reuters, Google has filed an ammended prospectus to the SEC that includes a share price range for its IPO.

About 24.6 million shares will be sold in the IPO for between $108 and $135, according to an amended prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Google plans to sell 14.1 million shares, while another 10.5 million will be sold by stockholders. It has received approval to list its Class A common stock on the Nasdaq under the symbol "GOOG."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Microsoft's MSN May Not Beat Google
Lot's of information in this AP report on MSN's different offerings. At the very end, you'll find some intersting search notes including this...

But even with this new focus on searches, Danny Sullivan, the editor of Search Engine Watch, said that Microsoft will have a tough time catching up with Google. "To shift market share, Google has to get bad and they have to get good," he said. "People will not go to Microsoft, even if Microsoft is better than Google -- if Google is good enough."

That's a good point...MSN is going to have to do something special in order to attract Google users.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google, Amazon and eBay Share API
I think this news story is about companies sharing their API but my eyes glazed over after the first page.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Snatches Chief Architect from BEA Systems
According to IT News, technology visionary Adam Bosworth is leaving BEA Systems to join Google, a BEA Systems spokeswoman said last week.

This interest in creating browser technology might be a reason the well-respected Bosworth is joining Google. A Google spokesman would say only that Bosworth is joining in a "senior" engineering position. Bosworth could not be reached for comment.

I wonder if this guy is 30 years-old and replacing someone elses job? ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Back to Square One
Seem's like the organizations claiming to represent search engine marketers need to speak with the USA Today about their recommended techniques for SEM, which include...

So first, be sure that you are listed on the various search engines. Aside from paying for that right, you can either physically submit your Web site URL to the different search engines yourself, or you can use an automated service. A site like [name removed] will submit your site to literally hundreds of search engines for a reasonable fee.

And I had so hoped we had moved beyond the "submit your site to literally hundreds of search engines" phase.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
WebSourced Announces 5,459% Increase in Earnings
CGI Holding Corporation, the parent of WebSourced and KeywordRanking.com, today announced its Q2 earnings. Revenue for Q2 was $4,574,005 with earnings of $1,173,611, up 303% and 22% respectively compared to Q1. When you compare the numbers to the same quarter of '03, earnings have grown a huge 5,459%.

Steven "Pat" Martin, the CEO of the Company's WebSourced, Inc. subsidiary stated, "While the second quarter historically is the weakest for the search engine marketing industry, our client base has continued to grow steadily. Since April 1 we have increased the depth of our intellectual capital by adding 37 additional professionals including leading search experts such as Jason Dowdell and Garrett French, and by acquiring Engine Studio. This has allowed us to continue to provide world class SEM services and solutions for our larger client base, and also to initiate the internal development of some exciting proprietary software for our next generation of services and product offerings that we believe will keep WebSourced at the forefront of the industry. Potential acquisitions would only add fuel to the fire. We are very optimistic about the future."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Accused of Age Discrimination
AP News suggests that Google is practicing age discrimination after a 54 year old director was fired because he didn't fit in a culture emphasizing ''youth and energy.''

Reid said company executives initially gave him no reason for his termination until Shona Brown, vice president of business operations, told him he was incompatible with Google's youthful atmosphere. After he left, Reid said, he learned he was replaced by someone around age 30. The firing cost Reid his annual salary of $200,000 and 119,000 Google stock options with an exercise price of 30 cents per share. Based on estimates of Google's market value, Reid's stock options probably would have been worth about $10 million after the company's IPO. The suit seeks to recover lost compensation and punitive damages.

$10 million!!! Whether he was discriminated against or not, that's a lot of money lost.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Could Google Lose Rights to Froogle?
Now this is an interesting twist. Google has been quick to protect its brand recently, clamping down on anyone with a similar sounding name (the Mountain View, Calif., has filed 18 domain name disputes).

Now, just days after Googles.com claimed that Google was infringing on their name, the search engine faces a crushing blow in a battle with website Froogles.com. Not only did ICANN find that the "dissimilar letters in the domain name are sufficiently different to make it distinguishable from Google's mark" but Froogles.com owner Richard Wolfe, is mounting his own challenge with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

"Google's right to continue to use the Froogle mark is seriously in question," said Wolfe's attorney, Stephen Humphrey. "To the extent they continue to use the mark, they are infringing on Richard Wolfe's trademark rights," Humphrey alleges.

With Microsoft surprisingly paying $20 million to settle a trademark case it brought against Lindows Inc and Google about to go public, don't be surprised if Google pays Froogles.com to simply go away.

P.S. I guess ICANN may have to reconsider using Google search on its site, if it does rule in favor of Froogles.com. ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
MSN News Search Tests Regional Versions
Gary Price has a list of regions MSN is testing for its Newsbot.

Gary also has a list of recently registered search engine patents.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google - Old School
There are many resources that claim to show you older versions of your favorite website. However, sometimes you need to dig a whole lot deeper, which is exactly what one of our tech guys, Robert McRackan, did.


Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google, a Tool For Hacking?
Matt Hartley links to a johnny.ihackstuff.com, a curious website that appears to be run by a hacker with a passion for Google.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
New RSS Feeds Search Engine
Are you looking to match the number of RSS feeds you subscribe to with Robert Scoble? Now you can with a new search engine for RSS and XML news feeds, Feedsfarm.com
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Closes Doors on One Nation
Those poor citizens of Azerbaijan can no longer claim to have a Google all to themselves. According to media powerhouse "BakuToday" (yes, my tongue is in my cheek), Google has decided not to continue with their www.google.az domain.

Google was the most popular international search engine in Azerbaijan. It is translated in Azerbaijani, and fully supports Azerbaijani language standards (Unicode and UTF-8).

Note to all presenters at SES in San Jose, we need to deduct 7,700,000 users from Google's claimed audience. ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Not Looking Good for DoubleClick
Nate Elliott is tracking DoubleClick's earnings announcement and it's not looking pretty.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Blinkx Launches New Offering
Matt Hicks reviews the official launch of Blinkx.

Blinkx, which installs its own search client and mini toolbars within Windows applications, distills large amounts of text—from Word documents, Web pages or e-mails—into concepts in order to retrieve search results, its founders told eWEEK.com.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Got Google PageRank? Get Discounts!
This is either smart or crazy but a software developer called Thinstall, has a pricing structure based on your blog's pagerank. The more popular you are on Google, the bigger your discount as a reseller. (via Boing Boing).
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Trellian Launches Keyword Search Tool
Thanks to Dan Thies for passing on the information that Trellian has launched a new keyword research tool with a database of over 9 billion searches.

The new tool also includes seasonal trends and related search terms.

Update: Just clicked on a "help" link that displayed this...

"Our database contains over 20 billion searches spaning the last 12 months. We compile this information from 37 different sources. These include major international, pay per click, meta and regional search engines."

So when you view the total number of searches, be sure to click on the number to reveal the popularity of those searches over the past 12 months.

Here are the results for "flowers"


Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Experts Share Thoughts on Search
We're wrapping-up our quotes from SEM experts with this bumper crop!

Search engine analyst and journalist, John Battelle had this to say...

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most over the past 12 months?

Most surprising: Timing of the Gogole IPO. Thought it'd be earlier.

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development over the next 12 months?

Significant in next year: IBM (or Nutch) will launch (or power) commercial consumer facing search engine (A total wild guess)

Next up is Aaron Wall of SEO Book...

Q1. The massive power of link rentals. Its massive spread througout the web. Google's lack of ability to effectively keep it in check.

Q2. A few hunches or ideas that kinda intertwine. Feel free to pick either one :)

Google will find ways to limit the effectiveness of off topic link buying. This combined with a limited keyword pool and increasing competition will likely cause keyword lockout and a sharp increase in ppc click fraud in the next 12 months.

Spam will become exceedingly sneaky. Example: guys named "Seo Hagishami" will start spamming all my blogs with links into their personal blogs. A few months later their blogs will be taken down and 301 redirect all posts into an SEO firms website. Lots of other similar sneaky ideas.

Leave it Aaron to look at the "sneaky" stuff. Ok, who's up next? Oh yes, editor of WebmasterWorld, Brett Tabke...

Q1. That after 7 years of vaporware, Microsoft actually launched a search engine.
2) Yahoo buying Overture, Fast, and Altavista.

Q2. The Google vs Yahoo vs MSN war.

Thanks Brett, next! Bonjour Serge Thibodeau of Canada's Rank for $ales..

Q1. I would have to say it's the major changes Google has done to its search algorithm, both in November and January. I think it had a major impact on many small businesses, and some of them are still scrambling the best way they can. With the help of SEO's that know the business, our assistance can make a big difference in their search rankings, and thus their ROI.

Q2. My answer would be the realization that companies are finally coming to grips with reality. Many of them are realizing that for an online business
or storefront to become successful, you need to hire a reputable SEO/SEM company that has the experience, the knowledge, the tools and, most of all, the trackrecord to produce long-term results for all its clients.

I would also add that, since Google will become public anytime now, it could perhaps consolidate the search engine industry as a whole. However, it's highly possible that we will still see even more players popping up here and there.

Merci..ok, last and by no means, least, we have Did-it's Kevin Lee...

Q1. The change in trademark policies at the search engines.

Q2. Search personalization based on voluntary profiles that include location and prior search history. (A9 and Kaltix/Google as well as shopping engines).

So there you go. I hope you have enjoyed reading these insights, I have certainly been amazed at the different themes appearing...Yahoo's new search engine, personalization, Google IPO etc. Let's hope Search Engine Lowdown is hear next year to see if our experts' predictions come true!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Interview with Andrew Goodman
Brad Hill talks to SEO expert, Andrew Goodman.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Last Chance to Win a MP3 Player
You've got until midnight tonight to enter to win an MP3 player. The winner will be announced in our newsletter on Friday. You can sign-up for the newsletter using the form below.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Guide's Jennifer Laycock on Search
We continue our look at the search engine industry with Search Engine Guide's editor, Jennifer Laycock sharing her thoughts.

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most over the past 12 months?

I probably shouldn't have been surprised by it, but Yahoo!'s introduction of their own algorithmic search engine caught me off guard. Having watched them aquire so many engines (AlltheWeb, Alta Vista, Inktomi) that had the potential to compete head to head with Google if simply given the chance to grow, I honestly didn't expect them to pull a little bit from each and come up with something completely new. In retrospect, it was a good move and really served as the first step toward the next round of search engine wars. Having a serious competitor to challenge the likes of Google, and to inspire Microsoft to get moving can only serve to improve the search landscape somewhere down the road.

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development over the next 12 months?

I honestly think this one is going to be a tie. The official launch of Microsoft's new search engine and the impact Google's IPO on Google itself are going to radically change the search landscape over the next 12 months. I think that the addition of a third major player to the search marketspace is going to really change both the way search engine marketing companies and online businesses view the marketplace. Microsoft is such a household name and has such marketing power behind it, I expect that we'll see them do more to spread the word about the difference in search experience than Yahoo or Google could have done on their own. At this point in time, simply raising awareness among Internet users about the quality of search and how it can vary by engine will go a long way toward impacting how people search, and therefore, how people market.

As for Google, I think that the changes that take place in how they operate once they go public will also have a significant impact on how search and search engine marketing works. Google has spent several years having to answer to no one but themselves which allowed them to be far more innovative and take far more risks than they may have if they'd had shareholders to answer to. I'm not convinced that going public will destroy that creative atmosphere, but I do expect to see things get reigned in a bit and I wonder if Google will be able to test and launch such innovative products when they have to seriously consider the bottom line.
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How do Google AdWords Appear on the Top Spot?
Want to know how certain AdWords campaigns are chosen for the coverted space above the crawled results? Aaron has the answer.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Can Google Be Trusted?
A new theme is emerging...can we trust Google? I've recently spoken to journalists on this issue and now Dan Gillmor is asking the same question.

...as Google broadens its reach, it will have to work much harder to achieve the same level of trust that it created with its initial search service. In fact, the company has dug itself a hole on some issues.

Just as disturbingly, Google has a penchant for Kremlin-like secrecy. There's an almost paranoid feel to the secrecy, which was part of the company's culture long before it went into the required "quiet period" prior to the initial public offering.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Did Google Miss the Boat?
According to The Street, Google may have missed the its chance to get the maximum stock price.

In part that's because of the secrecy surrounding Google. But equally noteworthy has been the reversal in the market for Internet stocks. After a robust first half of the year, these companies have seen their shares hit hard amid growing worries about valuations and competition.

Wall Street is also concerned that Google's reliance on Adwords (95% of its revenue) could be a reciper for disaster, if the growth of PPC slows.

"If Google was public already, there'd be some serious concerns being raised," says the investor. Given Yahoo!'s numbers, it's more likely that Google will show 5%-10% sequential growth in the second quarter, says the investor, not the 15%-20% growth people might have expected, following the 27% sequential revenue growth in the first quarter.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Dan Thies of SEO Research Labs Shares His Views on Search
Next up with their thoughts on the search engine industry is Dan Thies of SEO Research Labs.

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most over the past 12 months?

I'd say the biggest shock of the last year was Google's "Florida" update. They must have realized that it was a radical change in their results. I'm amazed that they had the courage to put that out as their primary search offering. It had the feel of a "wide beta," and it's not surprising that they backed off of it. I guess they did it when they did because they only had a limited time before Yahoo and MSN rolled out competitive products. At the time, the only real competition was MSN, and they were still rolling out Looksmart listings. I don't think we'll see anything like that again.

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development in the next 12 months?
For the coming year, I think that MSN's new search will have a little impact, but probably the biggest story will be the rise of "context." By that I mean, localizing results, topic-sensitive results creeping back, and making use of a searcher's history (with their permission) to establish what that user's interests are and fine tune the results.

When you look at the personalized search / site-based search offerings that they're testing now, it's very easy to pick a topical bias and get results that look a *lot* like the Florida results. So everyone learns from Google's big test last year that you can't just guess at the topical bias, but if you consider the way these toolbars can track a user's interests, there's potential to deliver very personalized results.

By this time next year, I expect that "rankings" as we've traditionally seen them will be on the way out. The search results you see will be at least a little different from the results I see. It'll happen slowly, but it will happen.

If MSN search is to have a significant impact, they'll have to personalize it more, or they'll have to index more of the web. I think anyone is capable of delivering results "as good as" Google with a big enough database, but to do better, you need to be more focused on the user or have more content indexed.

Whenever Longhorn rolls out, users will have very useful search functionality right on the desktop. Being able to limit a search to documents or sites you've already visited is a very powerful concept, which they've already demonstrated.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Helps Online Advertising Market top $650m in Britain
According to Reuters, $650 million was spent last year on online advertising in Britain.

The demand for corporate-sponsored search listings and a surge in new users attracted a host of new advertisers to the Internet and pushed ad revenues up 80 percent year-on-year, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK said in an annual report audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Lowdown Finalist for ClickZ Marketing Excellence Awards 2004
The finalists for the ClickZ Marketing Excellence Awards 2004 have been announced and SEL is among them.

To be honest, it's such a close-knit group, I am surprised that they let us get nominated. They must have thought this was Frederick Marckini's blog! ;-)

If you get a chance, please cast your vote for us. Cheers!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google to post quarterly results
We'll let you know just as soon as Google posts its 2nd quarter numbers.
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Search Engine College Founder Kalena Jordan Shares Search Engine Insights
We're still milking this birthday celebration "thingy" (tomorrow is the last day, we promise).

Today, Kalena Jordan, founder of the new Search Engine College, shares her thoughts on the past 12 months and what she expects to see over the course of the next year.

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most in the past 12 months?

Yahoo's purchase of Overture so soon after AltaVista and AllTheWeb really surprised me. I had thought for sure that if anyone would scoop up Overture it would be Microsoft. Who knew that Yahoo had such deep pockets?

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development over the next 12 months?

I think the single most significant development over the next 12 months in search will be the huge growth and uptake of localized search - specifically the ability to search specific streets, towns, states, countries for products and services. I get the feeling that we will all be sitting at our desks in a year wondering how on earth we managed without it.

Another growth area (that will probably take a bit longer to catch on) will be intuitive or personalized search based on artificial intelligent search technology that can extrapolate searches based on your own personal preferences and search history. Would you like fries with that? *grin*
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Bambi Francisco's Blog
If I don't get to meet Bambi Francisco at SES San Jose, it won't be from lack of trying! In the meantime, she has set up a "test blog" which is primarily for her to test Google's new flavored search. Let's hope she continues to post to it.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Ask Jeeves Doubles Traffic
Looks like Ask Jeeves' acquisition of Interactive Search Holdings is paying off. The company's total web traffic increased from 15.7 million visitors to 39.3 million.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Yahoo's Paid Inclusion Under Fire
Yahoo is constantly under fire for its Site Match paid inclusion service. With Google, MSN and Ask Jeeves saying that paid inclusion is not a good thing, and countless stories being written about the negative aspects of PI, you'd think they'd just give-in. It must be one heck of a cash-cow for them.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Free SEO Book for Charities and Churches
Aaron Wall is making his SEO Book available without charge to non-profit organizations.
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Traffick's Andrew Goodman Discusses the Search Engine Industry
Andrew Goodman of Traffick.com and author of the new book "Winning Results with Google AdWords", could never be accused of pulling-punches when talking about SEM, so we are delighted that Andrew took the time to answers a couple of questions about the state of the search engine industry.

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most in the past 12 months?

GMail/Yahoo Mail. Few things surprise me in this business, but I actually was surprised by first GMail, and then Hotmail and Yahoo Mail upgrading so quickly to the gigabyte(s) level and taking steps to reduce advertising clutter. In short, the portal wars are back on, and you cannot discuss search independently of the fact that search is operated by large diversified media companies who want to hook you in a variety of ways. What does this have to do with search? Well, for starters, people search through their email. Search must work well in a variety of ways and increasingly we demand better searchability in everything we do. It's all intertwined.

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development in the next 12 months?

I think the most significant development in the next 12 months will have to do with 'net access and a major portal. Again, it's relevant to search because regional targeting and the like will work better if the search company has a tighter grip on user locations. Some big development around wireless 'net access and Yahoo, or something... or something as "little" as AOL being sold off to Yahoo. Google is deluding themselves if they think they can stay completely "focused" on search when others may control access pipelines. There are many such pipelines around the globe, so no one big deal will define this massive shift... but I still think a big deal involving a company like AOL may come in 2004-5. Tracking ownership of wireless, cable, and telco assets around the globe would be an interesting project for anyone to see what might happen to Google et. al over the next few years.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Listen to Jupiter's Webinar
Last week's Jupiter Webinar "How to Select a Search Marketing Partner", is now available online.
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Exclusive: OneStat Research Shows Number of Words in Search Requests is Increasing
According to new research by OneStat.com, search engine users are adding more words to their search requests.

The number of search requests containing "1-word phrases" or "2-word phrases" declined, while search requests containg 3 or more words, increased since January.

The data, collected over the past 2 months, suggests that search engine users are realizing that by adding qualifiers to their requests (e.g. zip code) or by being more precise with their searches (e.g. include colors and model numbers), they can get better results.

"Search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo can drive a lot of traffic to a web site. It is important that a webmaster or SEO expert knows what kind of search phrases they have to use to drive more traffic to a site. Our software is the ultimate solution to measure search phrases and search phrases by search engine. Each webmaster or SEO expert can analyse what kind of search engines the visitors use to find a web site," said Niels Brinkman, co-founder of OneStat.com.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
RustyBrick's Barry Schwartz on the Search Engine Industry
As we continue our birthday celebrations, we're publishing thoughts from some of the industry's top experts. Today we ask Barry Schwartz aka RustyBrick to share his thoughts on the past 12 months and the upcoming year.

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most in the past 12 months?

From my perspective, being someone who reports on SEM/SEO forum threads, I would think the news that Yahoo! did not just use Inktomi's search engine algorithm was the most surprising announcement in the past 12 months. People were preparing by optimizing for Inktomi results and then bam, we had something new named "Yahoo! Search." Now what is that? A new engine I need to optimize for! SEOs just were not expecting this move. That combined with Yahoo!'s announcement of Site Match (PFI + CPC) together made for a ton of new threads in a very short period of time.

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development in the next 12 months?

Now that WebSourced put together some top notch and well known SEM people (Andy, Jason, Ben, and now Garrett), I am expecting to hear big things over at KeywordRanking [from Andy: he really did say that! thanks Barry]. But from an industry news and optimization point of view, I would expect Microsoft's MSN Search will be one of the most significant development in the next 12 months. Don't get me wrong, I am an Apple fanatic and I don't want to see Microsoft take over the search industry like they did with the PC and browser market. But, I truly believe they have the resources in money, skills and talent to make a huge dent in the search industry.

The largest question I have is, how much will relevancy play in a searcher's decision to switch from Google or Yahoo to MSN? Andy, how happy are you with your PC? How happy are you with your Microsoft products? You live with the bugs, you live with the poor usability issues and the annoying crashes. Will people live "live with" or "get by" on MSN's search even if it is less relevant then Google or Teoma? I, for one, see people living with less relevant results because "my computer came with it [MSN's search built in]." In that case, optimizing for a less relevant engine and at the same time, ranking well in Google, might be a huge topic in the forums over the next 12 months.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Is Pay-Per-Click Fraud Growing in the Search Engine Industry?
Interesting piece at CNet.com outlines the growing concerns surrounding fraudulent click-thrus on search engine ads.

"It's hard to tell how big the problem is, but people are looking at it closer and closer as the cost of search advertising goes up," said John Squire, vice president of business development of Coremetrics, a Web analytics firm. "Click fraud is a fin sticking out of the water: You're not sure if it's a great white shark or a dolphin."

Could increased click fraud be the reason we are seeing such increases in PPC rates?

On average, advertisers are paying 45 cents per click this year, according to financial analysts, up from 40 cents in 2003 and 30 cents in the second quarter of 2002.

Probably not, as we noted earlier today, the increasing cost-per-click is mostly due to lack of inventory. However, at least two marketing executives say such countermeasures are missing fraudulent clicks that are responsible for between 5 percent and 20 percent of advertising fees paid to all search networks.

So why don't PPC buyers complain to Google and Yahoo?

Danny Sullivan, who runs a quarterly search-industry conference, said many advertisers do not raise their concerns with the ad networks because "they're afraid that if they complain, it will hurt their free listings."

You'd hope that the search engines wouldn't penalize your free listings, but we have to admit, there is that nagging doubt. (I often think to myself, "if I post that negative comment about Google, might I wake up with my site banned on Google").

And, in case your didn't like your competitors already...

Joe, the chief executive of an Internet marketing company, enjoys clicking on his rivals' text ads on Google and Yahoo because his competitor must pay as much as $15 each time he does it. Eventually, such phantom clicks can add up and drain a rival's budget.

The "chief executive of an Internet marketing company"...ouch! our own kind, turning against us!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Jupitermedia's CEO Alan Meckler Discusses Search Engine Strategies
You should, by now, have booked your ticket for the hottest search engine conference of the year, Search Engine Strategies - San Jose. The event is due to take place August 2-5 and is likely to be a huge success. Thousands of marketers attend Search Engine Strategies' nationwide conferences each year and each of them are treated to the insights of some of the world's best search engine experts and guidance from search engine representatives (including Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask Jeeves).

Having just recently attended AD:TECH, I can tell you that, for gathering search engine tips and advice, nothing beats the four days of comprehensive sessions offered by Search Engine Strategies. Hosted by Danny Sullivan and Jupitermedia, the 100+ sessions cover everything from Title tags to selling your SEO firm. Just how important is SES to the industry and Jupiter Media? With many conferences closing their doors, can SES continue to thrive? And, most importantly, can they keep Danny Sullivan onboard?

We had a chance to catch-up with Jupitermedia CEO Alan Meckler and asked him to spill the beans!

[Andy Beal] Tell us about the history of Search Engine Strategies (SES), when did it start and how has it grown?

[Alan Meckler] SES started in 1999. The first show (in NYC) attracted about 125 seminar attendees and 8 exhibitors. The most recent NYC show had 60 exhibitors and paid attendance of about 1200. The next USA show in San Jose in August promises to be much larger than the New York City show. Exhibit space at this time is 30 percent larger.

[AB] What types of visitors do you find attend SES?

[AM] Visitors run the gamut from marketers, to venture capitalists to agency types. Basically anyone trying to grow business online needs to be at SES.

[AB]What has been the key to Search Engine Strategies' success?

[AM] The success comes from a variety of places. First we are blessed to be associated with Danny Sullivan and also Chris Sherman. Danny plans most of the program for the USA-based shows and Chris plans most of the programs for the shows in Canada, England and Sweded (our German show is planned by editors in Germany and same for our Japanese SES show). Secondly we are blessed with the number one editorial property deal with search --- searchenginewatch.com --- which has over 2 million page views per month and a companion email newsletter with over 130,000 subscribers. By having a daily web site, we are able to stay in touch with attendees nearly every day. This is a powerful combination.

[AB] With more than half the sessions discussing how to improve your organic search engine positioning, why are the search engines themselves so eager to be involved in SES?

[AM] Our program is always evolving. What the program is today does not mean it will be the same next year at this time. Regardless, the answer to your question is that search companies know that buyers of their services are the main visitors to the SES shows, thus the reason for exhibiting.

[AB] What will we see in San Jose that is new or different?

[AM] More “how-to” seminars and larger exhibitor booths.

[AB] NFL teams have their star Quarterback, SES has Danny Sullivan. How important has Danny been to the success of SES and what are his plans for the future? Can we expect Danny to keep-up the phenomenal pace?

[AM] Danny is integral to the success of SES and searchenginewatch.com. Clearly he is the guru in this field. You would have to ask Danny his plans for the future. I have no doubts that Danny can continue the pace particularly with help from noted expert Chris Sherman.

[AB] As the industry continues to see fantastic growth, are you worried about increased competition from other conferences?

[AM] No. I have been in the trade show business for many years. I have found that the company that is first with an event in a topic area usually remains on top if it continues to offer value to attendees and exhibitors. Jupitermedia is committed to providing value. Danny Sullivan is committed too. The combination of three SES shows in the USA, 5 abroad (and growing) and the daily editorial of searchenginewatch.com is too much for any competitor to tackle.

[AB] Thanks for your time Alan.

For more inside info from Alan, be sure to read his blog.

So, Search Engine Strategies looks destined to continue its phenomenal growth over the coming months. The San Jose event is likely to be a sell-out so be sure to register quickly to avoid any disappointment. WebSourced's KeywordRanking.com will be there, sponsoring alongside Yahoo and Google. If you've not yet registered, drop me an email and I'll send you a code for a 50% discount.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Are We Running Out of Search Engine Ads?
Sorry sir, we're completely sold-out of those search engine ads. Can I interest you in a local ad instead?

A little far-fetched? Not according to the New York Times.

According to a report to be released today by the Internet research firm Nielsen//NetRatings, the demand for search advertising is growing far more quickly than the supply of available advertising spots. The report's author, Kenneth Cassar, said the implications could be far reaching.

Of course, the report fails to mention that these problems are minimized when you balance your campaign with organic optimization, but it does look at the development of personalization and the potential of local search.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google and MIT Join Forces on DSpace
EContent reports that Google and 17 partner schools have joined forces on a pilot program to enable searching among DSpace repositories. DSpace is open-source software designed to assist colleges and universities in creating, managing, and maintaining digital repositories.

For the pilot program, Google and DSpace have enlisted the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) to facilitate searching by acting as a middleman between Google and the participating schools. DSpace documents have all been tagged with metadata so that Google can sort through them more efficiently, but the Handle system that DSpace uses can be difficult for Google to manage, so OCLC plans to regularly gather DSpace metadata and convert it to formats that Google can more easily use.

Anyone have that spec-sheet from Google?..I'd like to know the "formats that Google can more easily use". ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Past, Present & Future of Ask Jeeves
The San Francisco Chronicle has a great article on Ask Jeeves. From their rise, to fall, to rise again. A recap of their recent growth, acquisitions and their plans for the future.

"We're like a little kid on the playground who was skinny and could be pushed around," said Ask's Jim Lanzone. "We're bulked up but haven't quite gotten the respect."
Still, there is one concern with Ask Jeeves' growth. Can they sustain it?

Ask Jeeves' advertising partnership with Google is another concern. The deal provides Ask Jeeves with about 65 percent of its revenue.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Britain's BBC May Launch Search Engine
According to Digital Media Europe, the BBC is considering launching its own broadband service and a new search engine.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Should Announce IPO Price Range this Week
It looks like we should know the price-range for Google's IPO this week, but the actual event may not happen until August/September. This from CNN/Money.

"Google Inc. is expected to disclose the proposed per-share price range for its initial public offering as soon as this week in an updated filing with U.S. regulators, said a newspaper report Monday.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Andy Beal's Favorite Search Engine Moments
As we continue to celebrate Search Engine Lowdown's 1st birthday, I wanted to share with you the ten search engine related stories that stick in my mind, from the past twelve months. Some of them are included in the list because of the immense impact on the industry, others are exclusives that we covered before anyone else and there are a couple that are important to me personally.

So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Yahoo Acquires Overture - Hot on the heels of acquiring Inktomi, Yahoo picks-up Overture and instantly helps propel the search engine industry into the spotlight of Wall Street.

2. Google Update "Florida" - this is a distant memory now, but boy did this Google Dance cause a lot of panic among the industry.

3. Rumors that Yahoo was looking to introduce "per-click" paid inclusion - long before Yahoo introduced their controversial Site Match, we discovered that they were looking at introducing the service.

4. Meeting Sergey Brin - yes, meeting Sergey was a highlight for me.

5. Yahoo Switches to Inktomi - another exclusive for us. We had a whole team of people analyzing new search results at Yahoo. Later that day, Yahoo made the switch official.

6. Google IPO announcement - this story had been around for almost as long as SEL. Finally they put us all out of our misery and announced their industry-changing IPO.

7. Ask Jeeves Preview Tool - some say that Ask's new "Binoculars" tool is not that revolutionary, however, it was another scoop for us.

8. Google Launches Image Ads - we had heard a lot of rumors that Google was getting ready to launch a banner ad service, and they did.

9. Google Launches Gmail - they made the announcement on April Fools, but the free email service became both popular and controversial.

10. Winning MarketingSherpa's Best Blog Award - a great honor, but I'm still waiting for my free t-shirt!


Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Note to Google Engineers
Dear Google Engineer,

When you move a webpage, it's important to use a 301 redirect so that a search engine, in this case your own, knows that the page has moved.

Regards,

Andy

Google "graduated" their Glossary tool from Google Labs, but didn't tell Googlebot.

Clicking on the first link, leads to a 404 error page. Ouch!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Revamped Feedster Finds Links, Sponsored Ads
New look Feedster, lots of new features too!


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Are the Search Engines Failing Us?
Businessweek suggests that the search engines have a long, long way to go before they can truly meet our needs.

The author is very critical of MSN's new search engine. I guess even if you tell the world that the search engine is only a test version, they don't cut you any slack if your company happens to be called Microsoft.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Quick to Integrate Picasa
Well that didn't take long. Some of you may have noticed a prompt on Google's homepage, to download Picasa's photo organizer. The link is not showing for everyone, but here's proof for you sceptics!



Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Microsoft Acquires Lookout an Email Search Company
You'd think Microsoft could develop a search tool that worked in Outlook, wouldn't you? Apparently not...

Microsoft is acquiring Lookout, a small company that offers a free, downloadable search engine for Microsoft's own Outlook email software.

Microsoft did not disclose financial terms of the deal but said Lookout's technology will help it achieve its goal of expanding search beyond the Internet.

I've tried Lookout in the past...I hope they didn't pay too much for it. ;-)


Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Copernic to Launch Desktop Search Tool
Copernic is secretly testing a new product to be called Desktop Indexer. The tool, currently in beta testing, will offer direct and integrated desktop and web search capabilities within Windows.

The finished version will not be available until the Fall, but it will offer:

* sub-second searches of files and emails and their contents on your hard drive and the Internet.
* search for online and offline content with a single click thanks to its user-friendly interface.
* the Desktop Indexer search box conveniently integrates with the Windows taskbar and the Internet Explorer toolbar.


Copernic Desktop Indexer screenshot

Thanks to Eric Baillargeon and Michel Dumais for the scoop.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Study Shows #1 Paid Search Position Lifts Brand Awareness
According to ClickZ, a new study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Nielsen//NetRatings reveals that buying the #1 search engine position increases your brand awareness.

The study was done online with more than 10,500 participants using a controlled experimental design. It measured the brand impact of sponsored and contextual listings in the health, auto, beverage, electronics, retail and finance industries.

On average, respondents were 27 percent more likely to name a specific brand if it was in the top spot on the search results page, according to the study. Contextual listings -- text ads on non-search pages -- caused a 23 percent lift among respondents.

Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Lowdown Publishes 1500th Blog Post
The timing couldn't have been better. After 12 months of blogging the latest search engine news, Search Engine Lowdown has reached it's 1500th post (this one).

That means that we have brought you nearly 6 unique posts each day (not including weekends) and hopefully each one has been of interest, made you think, made your angry or at least made you laugh!

We wanted to share with you exactly how fast we have grown of the last twelve months. Let's take a look at our unique visitor and page view growth, shall we?



Nearly 140,000 unique visitors last month and we're close to hitting 6,000 daily uniques right now (so please tell everyone about SEL, and help us hit that milestone!)

In case you're interested in my personal contribution statistics:

Number of personally written posts = 1473 (number of posts without a poing-of-view = 0)
Average posts per week = 27 (feels like 50 sometimes)
Number of words written = 126,507 (my fingers can vouch for everyone of them!)
Number of outbound links = 2,051 (that's a lot of PageRank leakage!)

When I created SEL, I merely intended to create a means for myself and our staff to keep up to date with the latest search engine developments. My sincere thanks to all the staff at WebSourced for their support and to the thousands of you who visit here each day!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Toolbar Adds Keyword Browsing to Internet Explorer
Search Engine Watch provides a review of Google's new "Browse by Name" toolbar feature.

The feature is similar to, but not exactly like the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button on the Google home page, which skips search results and loads the number one search result for a query into your browser window.

I think the feature will pretty quickly become more annoying than useful. Luckily, as Chris points out, you can disable the feature.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Watch's Chris Sherman Shares Views on Search Industry
Over the next few days, in celebration of SEL's 1st birthday, we're going to publish a series on the search engine industry. We asked some of the most noted search engine experts to give theirs answers to two questions:

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most in the past 12 months?
Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development in the next 12 months?

Today, we feature the responses from Search Engine Watch's assistant editor and "nice-guy" of search, Chris Sherman.

Q1. What search engine industry development/announcement has surprised you the most in the past 12 months?

Yahoo's abandonment of the AltaVista, AlltheWeb and Inktomi technologies, replacing them with the new Yahoo Search Technology platform. In hindsight, this development made perfect sense, given the amount of time it took them to roll out the new system after the acquisitions. It also made sense for them to develop a new search engine from scratch, rather than bolting together older technologies, to better compete with Google.

Q2. What do you think will be the most significant development in the next 12 months?

I think we're going to see major improvements in three areas from the "big three" over the next year: Personalization, local search, and true (finally) natural language search capabilities. We've already seen the
first moves in all three of these areas, but I think we're in for some dramatic improvements, and I'm really looking forward to watching the next 12 months unfold. I'm far less optimistic about another trend that's been
hyped a lot lately: integrated desktop/web search. Despite the hoopla, this isn't new, and just about everyone that's tried it has failed to make it work (Enfish, Kenjin, AltaVista, Inktomi... the list goes on and on). Blending web search (unstructured data) with desktop search (semi-structured and structured data) is like mixing oil and water. About the only company I've seen that's close to doing it properly is FAST, but that's on an enterprise level, not on a personal computer level. Color me skeptical.

Would you like to share your answers to the two questions? Send me an email and I'll post the most interesting responses.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Searching for The New York Times
Wired News takes a look at why articles in the The New York Times are so hard to find on the search engines.

Two years ago, Martin Nisenholtz, chief executive of New York Times Digital, bet $1,000 that nytimes.com would outrank all blogs on Google by 2007, based on a search of five keywords on a topical news issue. Unless Google and the Times work on their relationship -- Nisenholtz says they're talking, although they haven't come up with any answers yet -- there may be a day when The New York Times doesn't show up at all on the Net's most popular search engine. Ultimately, this could be a direct threat to the Times' legacy.

Logins may protect the content, but they also prevent spiders from indexing, which in turn reduces the number of new visitors that visit your site, which reduces the number of paid subscribers, which eliminates the need for a login. Catch 22!

Thanks to ResourceShelf!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Win a MP3 Player with Search Engine Lowdown
As we promised yesterday, as part of our week long birthday celebration, SEL is giving away a cool mini-MP3 player. "How do we win Andy?", I hear you cry (or was it "oh great, another MP3 giveaway").

Hopefully this will be fun. All you have to do is rearrange the words letters in "Search Engine Lowdown" into a different phrase, using all of the letters. "That's it?".. thats it!

Send your entry to info@searchenginelowdown.com and the most creative entry will win. Deadline for entries is Wednesday July 21st. The winner will be announced in our email newsletter next Friday July 23rd.

Good luck!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
President George W. Bush Reads Search Engine Lowdown



So what do you think of our SEL birthday cartoon? Pretty cool, huh? Well, we have Dan Rosandich to thank for making our satirical joke a reality. We wanted to make sure you knew everything there is to know about this great cartoonist.

About Dan Rosandich.

Michigan-based cartoonist Dan Rosandich has been a full-time illustrator for over 25 years. His work has appeared nationally & worldwide in books, magazines & newsletters and on the web. Rosandich offers an extensive online catalog of his business cartoons (over 2000 images!) which are categorized by subject matter, to easily locate specific types of cartoon humor.

A daily cartoon changes every 24 hours on his homepage which is also available to webmasters & Dan can supply a simple image source code to paste into your html if you'd like to show a new cartoon each day to your website visitors. Cartoons are guaranteed as 100% family-friendly and nothing vulgar. Monitor the site a few days to decide on this content.

Rosandich also specializes in creating custom-cartoons for any professional projects. All fees are negotiable based upon usage and Dan has reasonable rates. Ideal uses for these kinds of cartoons include use in presentations, e-newsletters, print newsletters, books, magazines, e-blasts, calendars, T-shirts, extranets, intranets, websites, fax forms, direct-mail pieces, print advertisements, print catalogs, greeting cards, software and educational manuals etc.

Visit DansCartoons.com and e-mail Dan with specific questions, at dan@danscartoons.com. Many cartoons by Dan Rosandich currently appear in Chicken Soup For: The Pet Lover's Soul, The Christian Soul, The Mother's Soul, The Woman's Soul and The Gardener's Soul. Additionally his work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Saturday Evening Post, Better Homes & Gardens, American Legion Magazine, VFW Magazine, Barron's Magazine and a large group of national & regional trade journals.

We can't thank Dan enough for helping us with this exclusive SEL birthday cartoon. Please visit Dan's business cartoon site for more information and let us know if you would like to see more cartoons on SEL.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Lowdown Celebrates its 1st Birthday!
Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday to us...

Yes, today we celebrate Search Engine Lowdown's 1st Birthday. As Barry Schwartz puts it..."I remember when you were a little baby, with that little cute button nose."

We'd like to thank everyone single one of you who have contributed stories, comments or just simply your readership. With thousands of blogs out there and dozens of search engine related sites, it is truly an honor to have SEL as one of your daily stops.

Be sure to stick around today and in fact, the next few days, as we celebrate our birthday with all kinds of goodies!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google's Next Earnings Report Could Impact IPO
Wall Street analysts suggest that Google's upcoming earnings report must be better than Yahoo's, or it could hurt its IPO.

"Google needs to show at least comparable and most likely a higher growth in operating earnings and after-tax earnings than Yahoo, or the sizzle will turn to fizzle"
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Toolbar Adds Browse By Name Feature
Google has added a new feature to its toolbar that is reminiscent of the old RealNames service. Simply type in the name of the company you are looking for and the toolbar will take you directly to the site.

If a page's relevance to the search phrase is significantly higher than all others, it will be selected. The process is dynamic –- if at a later time a different site's relevance skyrockets, then that site will be selected. There's no connection with Supported Links or AdWords, and sites cannot pay for placement in Browse by Name.

So in a time when Google is looking to increase its revenue from AdWords, they introduce a service that seemingly bypasses the Google SERP page and all of its AdWords clients. Interesting...
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Search Engine Marketing Session at Inman Real Estate Conference
I've been asked to speak at the Inman Real Estate Conference, Connect 2004.

Barry Diller of Interactive Corp (Match.com, Expedia.com etc) is keynoting the event and they are expecting thousands of attendees.

I'll be providing an overview of the search industry on Thursday July 29th and then heading-up a roundtable session on the Friday.

Use this link to get discounts for your group.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Selecting a Search Marketing Partner Webinar Breakdown
I attended a webinar today presented by Jupiter Media titled, How to Select a Search Marketing Partner. The presentation was good, covering elements most of us know about but probably never thought to put in a checklist. As the webinar streamed I processed and typed detailed notes for your enjoyment. Don't consider these quotes but rather a paraphrase of what was said. I'm sure there are some discrepancies between the material presented and what I typed as well as a few typos but I think you'll get the overall message of the presentation.

Chris Sherman, who is the associate editor over at Search Engine Watch did the majority of the presenting. I felt he did a good job of hitting on the main points of selecting a firm / partner in the time he had alotted. Some of the more interesting details were the questions attendees presented after the presentation portion was over.
I figured there the audience would be mostly search engine marketers looking to put an ear to the ground and find out exactly what folks are looking for but it seemed like the majority of folks were business owners and marketing department types looking for solid advice and answers. My judgement was based on the fact that most questions related more towards specific business scenarios rather than the "stump the chump" questions search engine marketing types like to ask industry experts.

Without any further delay, here's my summary of the presentation on how to select a search marketing partner.

Search engine marketing is comprised of these elements.
1. Paid Placement
2. Paid Inclusion
3. Natural Search Engine Optiization (seo)
4. Paid Search Advertising
5. Website Enhancement

You must determine which combination of those elements you need
and then select a firm that addresses your needs best.

Chris Sherman
Associate editor at SearchEngineWatch
President of SearchWise.net

Different types of search engine marketing
1. Organic Search Engine Optimization
2. Directory Paid Inclusion - Yahoo, Looksmart (Losing prominence but still important.)
3. Paid Inclusion - Becoming less important and only Yahoo is still doing it.
4. Paid Placement - Paying for top positioning in the sponsored results section (ppc)
5. Contextual Advertising - A text add distributed across a network of sites
(ex: Google AdWords)
6. Specialized Search Engine Marketing - Focused on niche vertical markets, directories
like shopping.com, asksimon.com, etc...

Before you can select a firm you must
Define your strategy
A. What are you seeking?
1. Short Term & Temporary? - use paid placement (Overture, AdWords)
2. Controlling which pages are indexed by the search engines?
a. Including & excluding particular pages
3. Long term continuous traffic? - use natural seo
4. Combination of 1, 2, 3?

Goals determine what you're trying to accomplish with your marketing plan. While a good firm can help you reach your goals, ultimately it's your responsibility to determine what those goals are.

Issues with each type of Search Engine Marketing
A. Paid Placement - generating nearly all revenues for google & yahoo on search side
1. Very easy to start, especially with Google but also easy to fail at.
a. Copywriting is critical
b. Competitors are out there and may not care about cost
c. Bid Gapping - running up a bid for the first position so you're
forced to bid higher.

2. Myth: Only the top 3 positions are worth anything.
a. Chris quoted study about positioning and click thru ratios recently
released by Aquantive. The result is all positions have good returns
and ROI must be the key to determing your strategy.

3. Timing may be important.
a. Time of day may play a role but ultimately it's case by case.

4. Broad Matching?
a. Can be dilutive & bring in unqualified prospects

5. Will Ads be Effective?
a. Distributed to content partners
1a. When users are searching they're in acquisition mode but not
necessarily someone surfing around the NYTimes site

B.Organic seo
1. Takes into account dozens of variables in order to do well
a. Not just link popularity, title, keywords, description and content. b. Poor seo is a major issue
1b. Using the wrong company can be a major problem (one firm is in major
trouble right now for unethical practices)
c. Is paid inclusion necessary?
1c. Controversial - doesn't have to do with ranking (per se's) & se's
have admitted it's hard to keep the bias out of the rankings and it's
too hard to blend pages spiders have found with those who have been
paid to be found.
* MSN no longer accepts paid inclusion
* Yahoo is the only one that still does it out of the major se's
(inclusion fee plus ppc) and it is extremely controversial and is
probably evaluating their current stance.
d. Interesting Statistic
1d. 85% of commercial results are found through natural results

2. Does seo actually work?
a. Companies using seo report much higher satisfaction rate than those
not using it.
b. Can coordinate with paid inclusion programs
c. Link building campaigns
d. Resolving dynamic server issues
e. Keyword & HTML optimization
f. Address landing pages

C. Does SEM Work?
1. Small and large companies are having a hard time managing their keywords
a. An SEM can help you manage them
b. 48% of small firms are using SEM firms
c. 50% of large companies are having trouble managing keywords and SEM
in-house.
d. Bid mgmt (very important factor - I'd like to see stats on this one)
e. Position monitoring critical as well

D. Both SEO and SEM Should Include
1. Post click analysis
a. Where does the visitor go once they get to the site>
b. Which keywords are resulting in positive actions taken by visitors?

2. ROI analysis
a. How much money are keywords generating (natural and ppc)?

Determine Your Own Needs First

Are your needs...
1. Make site more se friendly?
2. Want a full service firm?
3. Interested in specific services?
4. Want them to be part of your team or be independent?
5. Want a one time or ongoing service?

Search engine marketing firm website should have clear descriptors
1. A search for "search engine optimization" or "search engine marketing"
isn't the most important thing. Clear description of services is critical,
less fluff more stuff... no jargon!
2. Client list is a must
3. Case studies are great
4. About people section, especially mgmt of company
5. Detailed resources - free tools, articles, best firms aren't afraid to
give this away.
a. They know by educating their visitors they'll be better customers.
6. Look for confidence boosters: code of ethics, practices used, etc...

Selecting a firm
1. Write your own rfp and send it to firms - detail your goals and needs.
a. While this may not always work, it's definitely a good idea.
2. Avoid top 10 guarantees
3. Be prepared to pay - you get what you pay for and it isn't cheap
there is a short supply of qualified firms out there.

During the webinar there were some questions raised to the attendants.
Here are the results of some of them.

Attendees said case studies and challenges similar to theirs is the most
important factor, second is conversations with existing clients and references
followed by references from industry analysts.

Then there were a slew of plugs
Plug for Shari Thurow's book
Plug for Mike Grehan's book
Plug for Buyer's guide for seo firms by Marketing Sherpa
Plug for Sempo
SemList.com - Jupiter Media
SeoConsultants.com

Sites Referred To
Webmasterworld - beware of people that think they're experts
SEW forums
iSearch forums just shut down
HighRankings - Jill Whalen's forum


Questions from Audience
1. Audience wants a list of firms. If they're not suppose to search in the
search engines then where is a good list?

Chris: 1. Sempo Directory at sempo.org - does not rate firms
2. SemList.com
3. SeoConsultants.com

2. Can you explain what kind of usability analysis should be included in a
good seo firms technique?

Chris: Websites are built for people, not search engines. If a site is
people friendly then more folks will want to link to your site.

3. Can you shed some light on how linguistic issues might affect rankings?

Chris: Great Question! Search engines want well crafted (English) sentences.
They want language written for people and can understand the diff between
a well formed sentence and just repeating keywords. Focus on the craft of
good writing and effective communication.

4. Should paid inclusion really be an insurance policy rather than a requirement?
Chris: Yes, becaue 85% of commercial traffic comes from natural results.

5. What percentage of a company's marketing trend should be spend on search engine
marketing?

Chris: Small percentage of overall budget at the moment, it's still a very
young field. Especially for b2b companies. As people move from tradl. mktg
to search engine marketing the number will continue to rise. The key is
measuring your ROI and putting money where your getting the most return.
Some b2b companies are seeing high quality returns because the result set
is very small and one client can bring in a huge amount of business.

6. Aren't some search engines dealing with Bid Gapping?

Chris: Yes but it depends on the keyword. In competitive areas the change can
happen so quickly that the engines can't keep up with it. Especially if you're
using a program to manage your bids.

7. How are Google AdWords different than other sem tactics?

Chris: AdWords are paid placement and you only pay when someone clicks on
your listing. These listings can appear on many major media sites in addition
to the search engine results. Overture's program is simlar.

8. What % of bid mgmt. is software driven vs. human driven?

Chris: Noone has a clear number on that yet but as the number of keywords
managed increases the number of software driven mgmt systems will continue
to rise. Similar to when phone switches and operators became automated.

9. What are your thoughts for paying for a paid listing on Yahoo when you
already have a top 3 listing for a keyword?

Chris: It is advisable and suggests you're a player in your field. It
goes well towards brand mgmt. but should be driven by your marketing goals.

10. Other than lower cost, are there any advantages to going to pos. 4 or 5
rather than position 1 or 2?

Chris: Aquantive's research shows the higher positions in general are
more valuable to be in. However, all positions have value and the
determining factor should be your keyowrds and the roi on each of
those keywords. If a lower position still converts well and you're
generating high quality traffic then a lower position is advisable.
Depends on your campaign goals and how well you measure the roi.
You must experiement to determine your own needs.

11. What is your opinion of building information pages? a.k.a. doorway pages,
gateway pages, etc...

Chris: Google says they don't like them but if the page has lots of good
useful information and is a valuable search result then there's nothing
wrong with it. Boils down to your motivation. Are you trying to trick
the search engines or users or are you providing valuable information
a user would enjoy?

Overall I thought the webinar was almost as good as attending a Search Engine Strategies conference session without having to sit in an uncomfortable conference room chair. I was actually impressed with the lack of ummmm's and uhhhhh's in Chris' speech. Hmmm, maybe he's just warming up for San Jose.
Jason Dowdell | permalink | +marktd |

 
Ask Jeeves Gets New Digs
Ask Jeeves has signed an 8 1/2 year lease to move 170 employees to a new building in Oakland, CA.

"Our move to the City Center offers financial benefits and a great location for attracting top Bay Area talent," said CEO Steve Berkowitz. "It came down to the convenience of mass transit and a good deal with a good landlord."

Ask Jeeves has leased 55,803 square feet and will occupy the fourth and fifth floors, along with the plaza level.

Not quite the roughly 160,000 square feet, $80 million lease the company originally signed back in 2000, before the bubble-burst, but it's nice to see them growing again.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
How Will Google Grow?
Fool.com looks at the growth of Google and outlines its recent acquisitions.

Google has made a string of acquisitions, such as for Kaltix (context-sensitive search), Applied Semantics (technologies for online advertising), and Sprinks (a pay-per-click network).
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Don't Miss Search Engine Lowdown Tomorrow!
Do we have some treats lined-up for our readers. Tomorrow is the 1st birthday of Search Engine Lowdown!

Some of you probably don't realize that we have only been in existence for 12 months, but those months sure have flown-by. To celebrate, SEL will be publishing some pretty cool stuff and a few exclusives, over the next 7 days. Here's a taste of what's coming up.

* July 15th - Celebrate our birthday with us as we unveil an exclusive SEL cartoon. We'll also announce how you can win an MP3 player AND reveal just how fast SEL has grown.
* July 16th - Don't miss our Top 10 favorite search engine moments from the last 12 months.
* July 19th - An exclusive interview with Jupiter's CEO, Alan Meckler. What does the future hold for Search Engine Strategies and can they keep Danny Sullivan onboard?

In addition, we spoke with some of the top names in the search engine industry and asked them to reveal what they feel will happen over the next 12 months. Do not miss their predictions, as we reveal them each day over the next week.

I hope you'll join us in our celebration and be sure to tell everyone you know!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Is the Government's Search Engine a Miserable Failure?
According to The Guardian, searching for "Kerry" on the Department of Homeland Security's Web site turned up an unexpected top result: a Republican attack on the Democratic presidential candidate.

That's one way for Bush to get back at the "miserable failure" ploys.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
100 com Signs Deal with LookSmart
LookSmart continues its strategy of providing results for smaller search engines.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Searching for the Perfect Vacation?
Online travel marketplace Travelzoo launched a search tool this week that lets users query several low-cost carriers and discount travel sites by entering information only once, according to dmnews.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Paid Search Click-thrus
eMarketer takes the Atlas paid search click-thru data and converts it to some pretty little charts.




Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google to Launch Audio and Video Search
From the NY Post (via Battelle).

Google is planning to launch a new feature to allow users to scour the Internet for audio and video clips, The Post has learned.

The company has yet to announce plans for the new service, but Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page made no secret of it during talks with investors and media executives at an annual retreat hosted by investment bank Allen & Co. in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google and Yahoo Acquire Small Companies
Google just acquired digital photo management company Picasa.

Meanwhile, Yahoo picked-up Oddpost.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google's Patrick Keane Afraid of Search Engine Optimizers
I admit, sometimes I'll post something controversial on here. If it's about Google, you can bet that they are are on the phone to me to discuss their position and make sure that I am "educated". I have no problem at all with that. I like to think I, and our company, have a great relationship with Google.

However, don't you think the process should be a two-way thing? Let me get to my point...

Google's head of sales advertising, Patrick Keane, just finished a presentation here at AD:TECH. The usual stuff, with Google keeping to it's "quite period" by having some of its AdWords customers do the talking. However, Patrick Keane was asked about whether SEO companies can really help a company to get better positioning on Google and the search engines [tick...tick]. Waiting for Patrick's response, I felt confident that, despite my reservations about SEMPO, they had at least been able to educate the key figures at Google. A positive response about SEO was surely about to leave Patrick's "SEC regulated" lips. [tick...tick...tick...]

Oh, how I wish it had. [tick....] Patrick basically replied that there is no way to improve your rankings on Google and that any claims by a SEO company were false. [tick...tick] He suggested that a few simple "design changes" were all that could be done and that a SEO firm wasn't needed. [tick....BOOM!!!!]

Uh, hello? Isn't Google sponsoring SES in San Jose next month...the same SES that has dozens and dozens of sessions on SEO and how to improve your ranking. Are the 1300+ clients that WebSourced assists, and the many thousands more using other SEO companies, simply imagining the great results they are getting on Google, Yahoo and other search engines? If it were not for us SEO's there would be no hype about Google's IPO right now. Granted, paid search is the revenue generating aspect of search, but who do you think created the whole search engine buzz in the first place? Us SEO's that's who! And many of us are also commanding the paid search budgets of some of the world's largest companies.

Search engine optimization is real...it works...it can help you get to the top of Google. There may be some bad apples, who make totally ridiculous promises, but you get that with any industry. Please, please, someone, anyone at Google, take Mr. Keane aside and quietly remind him that search is not just about paid search and agencies. SEO may be the "red-headed step-child" as far as Google is concerned, but we are still family and deserve the respect!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
New Paid Search Report Shows Important Traffic Data
Hooray, some interesting information released at AD:TECH today (although you hardly needed to be here in order to learn it).

It seems that us marketers have some fresh data to confirm the benefits of increasing our PPC bids. According to Atlas Search, advertisers should expect about a 10 times difference in potential traffic between the top and 10th rankings.

It appears that this is especially significant when bidding on Google's AdWords because the amount of potential traffic drops more than 40 percent between the number one ranking on Google and the search engine's number two ranking.

With Yahoo's Overture, you can afford to give-up the #1 spot as the drop is more gradual, as it delivers to advertisers increased traffic potential for rankings one through four compared Google.

You too can download the report (pdf).
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Digital Impact Acquires Search Engine Marketing Firm Marketleap
The consolidation of the search engine marketing industry has begun and many smaller SEMs are deciding to cash-out.

Marketleap.com was today acquired by Digital Impact in a deal that is worth around $3.75 million in cash and stock. Digital Impact currently specializes in email marketing.

"This is a strategic acquisition for the Company," said William Park, Chairman and CEO of Digital Impact. "It reflects our strong commitment to broadening the digital marketing services and technologies we provide for our Global 2000 clients."

Digital Impact expects the acquisition to result in approximately $1.5 million in additional net revenues and approximately $300,000 in EBITDA(1) for fiscal 2005, before the impact of integration and transition costs.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Applies to List on Nasdaq
Google Applied to List on Nasdaq today

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. handed the Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. a victory over the New York Stock Exchange (news - web sites) on Monday, when the Web search leader said in a regulatory filing that it plans to list its $2.7 billion initial public offering on the Nasdaq."

Still no date yet, but Wall Street is still anxiously awaiting the announcement.
Ben Wills | permalink | +marktd |

 
Musicplasma, a Visual Search Engine for Music
Search Engine Watch takes a look at Musicplasma, a music search engine that uses colored balls featuring musician names or bands as search results.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
July Date for Google IPO?
According to Guy Dresser, Google's IPO could come easy early as this month.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Tension Between Search Engines and SEMs?
Can't we all just get along? That's the message in Kate Kaye's article on mediapost.com, where she looks at whether search engine marketers and the search engines can work together.

"Some on the search engine side would like to cut out that middle man," observes Danny Sullivan, editor of search engine resource site Search Engine Watch. He explains that the perception among some SEMs is "See-they're trying to cut us out!" Still, he suggests, "It's probably more paranoia than reality."

If Google and Yahoo are trying to edge-out us SEMs, they are being very secretive in their actions. I met with Frank Lee of Overture, just today, and they are very much committed to assisting us marketers.

As Barbara Coll, who happens to be here at AD:Tech, puts it..."Obviously [search engines] want to work with SEM companies... because we sell their product beautifully; we're like an extension of their sales force."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Ask Jeeves CEO Discusses the Future of Search
I really do enjoy hearing what search engine execs have to say about the future of search. We recently spoke with Jim Lanzone over at Ask Jeeves and today, Matt Hicks of eWeek interviews CEO Steve Berkowitz.

Berkowitz plays his cards close to his chest when it comes to discussing Ask's future with paid search. Right now, they use Google, but could they deploy their own paid search product?

"...that gets back to the idea that our business model is that advertisers want our traffic because it's so valuable. The fact that today it happens to be Google, tomorrow it could be ourselves or Overture. It's all about our ability to convert for advertisers, because the information we're delivering to consumers is valuable."

And what about a desktop search product?

"Right now, we have toolbars mostly that go into the browser, and we will be developing applications over time that eventually go onto the desktop in other ways and through other applications."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Off to AD:TECH!
The organizers of AD:TECH are trying to get us to sponsor one of their events, so I am off to Chicago on Monday to see if it's worth it. Blogging will be a little eratic Monday and Tuesday, but I'll hopefully pick-up some good pieces of information while there.

Have a great weekend!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Feed Your Habit
Obsessed with your PageRank? Crazy about your Alexa Ranking? Desperate to know your Yahoo Backlinks? Look what Aaron found.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Interview with FyberSearch's Nathan Enns
Remember FyberSearch? The little search engine run by 19-year old Nathan Enns we blogged back in May? Well, Sid Yadav has an interview with Nathan.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Ask Jeeves Not Happy With UK Marketing Strategy
According to BrandRepublic, Ask Jeeves UK is reviewing the $5 million media account it currently has with Media Planning Group and Profero.

Although a spokesman for Ask Jeeves denied a review was under way, insiders said the company was talking to other agencies and intended to move a large proportion of its adspend below the line.
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Andy Beal on the Search Engine Industry
The SEORadio.com interview with me, is now available for download.

Segment 1: The Search Engine Industry

Segment 2: SEO Strategies

Segment 3: SEO Firms and Pricing Models
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AltaVista Code Hacker an Employee of Microsoft's MSN Search
This could get uncomfortable for Microsoft. According to news reports, a Kirkland man arrested last week on allegations that he stole proprietary technology from the AltaVista search engine two years ago is a Microsoft Corp. employee who has been working on the Redmond company's MSN Search initiative.

While the man wasn't in Microsoft's employ at the time of the incident, it doesn't help that he now works on their MSN Search team. Could Microsoft unknowingly be using search technology stolen from AltaVista? Then again, did AltaVista have anything worth stealing?
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Is Google Behind Silicon Valley Billboard?
A mysterious billboard has sprung-up in the Valley and the clues point to Google as the owner.

According to a software developers' blog hosted by New York's Fog Creek Software, the message - { First 10 digit prime in consecutive digits of e }.com - decodes to http://www.7427466391.com/ and a further mathematical test which has so far eluded decryption.

"This was from a huge billboard on [Highway] 101!" said one blogger. "These guys must have money!" Further investigation revealed that the server running the initial puzzle site seemed to be housed at Google.com's Mountain View, California, HQ.

Update: Yep, it's Google's. Here's the answer.
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Google Launches Groups 2 Beta
Google continues its master plan, today launching a new version of Google Groups, which looks very similar to Gmail.
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Google's Quiet Period
Love this quote...

"...it would be easier to sweat an Oompa Loompa for the latest Wonka Bar recipe than to get a Googler to utter word one"
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Using Google to Check for Copy Thieves
ResearchBuzz (via Sid) links to a new service offered by Copyscape. Using the Google API, the tool allows you to search for those little blighters that steal your content.
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Paid Search Grows-up
I started reading Jim Hu's report on paid inclusion and thought it was going to a "sky is falling" report about the slowdown of paid search spending.

But the report does a good job of explaining that the industry is merely starting to act like other forms of marketing/advertising.

"Could the search market--after explosive growth in 2002 and 2003--have reached the beginning stages of maturity, with pronounced seasonality in terms of price and volume? Probably," Mary Mahaney, an equity analyst at American Technology Research, wrote in an investor note Thursday.

Still, Wall Street analysts are bullish and putting a positive spin on these results. The euphoria and the breakneck growth for paid search may benefit from a bit of a slowdown, they say. Just look at traditional advertising, which shines when the weather is lousy and then sags during beach-going months.

Interestingly, organic search engine optimization hits its stride during the 3rd quarter. As the "natural way" takes a little longer to get results, many businesses have to start SEO campaigns in the summer, if they are to have a great Christmas.
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Blogs Continue to Grow
Think that search is the only hot industry? Jason has a report on the growth of blogs.
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Yahoo Says Paid Search Had Slow Growth in 2nd Quarter
Yahoo announced unspectacular 2nd quarter earnings, claiming that their paid search product didn't grow as much as Wall Street had hoped.

"I believe investors have overestimated the growth in search," said Jordan Rohan, an equity analyst at Schwab Soundview Capital Markets.

The result is that the second and third fiscal quarters are expected to show slower growth, while the first and fourth could become boom periods for paid search. Still, Yahoo executives are satisfied with this quarter's numbers.

"To us, we're very happy," Yahoo CEO Terry Semel said in an interview. "We weren't at all surprised. Pricing is stable, everything is good."
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Can Microsoft Googlify Its Search Engine?
You may have noticed that I haven't been linking every post about MSN's new search engine, but this one from the New York Times, deserves some screen-space.

David Pogue must have spent all week coming up with classic digs such as...

"The Googlification of MSN will occur in two phases."

""MSN Search couldn't look more like Google if you photocopied it."

"Let's hope that MSN will also continue to evaluate the English language, which also includes the perfectly good, much less annoying noun "relevance."

"MSN Search page was faster, cleaner and Googler."
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WebTrends Starts Targeting Newly Acquired WebPosition Gold Clients
WebTrends has been emailing WPG users, touting the virtues of using WebTrends 7.

Together, WebPosition Gold and WebTrends 7 allow you to manage your search engine optimization efforts from start to finish. With WebPosition Gold, you already have the most powerful tool for improving your rankings. Add the new WebTrends 7 to your arsenal and get the complete picture of your search results.

In just 2 minutes, you can learn how WebTrends 7 can help you improve your search results. Watch the WebTrends 7 Quick Tour on Search Engine Results:

Go way beyond basic clickthrough metrics. With the new WebTrends 7 you can:

* Identify how many visitors from search engines convert to customers
* Track how much revenue each search engine and keyword generates
* Evaluate the performance of both your organic results and pay-per-click campaigns
* Pinpoint exactly where visitors are abandoning your conversion scenarios

How about they actually fix WPG first, before they start asking users to try WebTrends 7? The thing hasn't worked in a long-time.
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President Bush's Affiliate Program
According to Loren, the Republican National Committee is using Commission Junction to attract donations. The new affiliate program pays 30% commission but does not allow search engine marketing.

I guess Big W is worried about losing his number 1 ranking for miserable failure!
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Jupiter Research Suing eMarketer
It looks like Search Engine Watch owner, Jupiter Media, is taking action against eMarketer. According to CEO, Alan Meckler, "this company has the nasty habit of copying JupiterResearch's original analysis and research without the permission."
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Googles.com Taking Court Action Against Google
Did children's product site Googles.com trademark their name before Google? Is Google infringing on their registered brand? They seem to think so.
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GenieKnows Launches New Design
Search portal, GenieKnows, has undergone an extensive overhaul; the redesigned GenieKnows.com interface features "clear and comprehensive navigation architecture for search users, advertisers, and affiliates, alike."
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Looking for Ad-Free Search Results? Try Dulance
Product search engine, Dulance, has released two new browser buttons that claim to "selectively filter out or tune in the commercialism in search engine results pages".

The AdFree Button claims to be able to filter out all sponsored listings and paid inclusion results in an effort to remove commercial listings from your search results.
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Buying Google Stock? You Must be Certifiable!
Buying Google stock may not be that easy after all, according to the New York Post.

Every individual who wants to buy a Google share will have to be certified as "suitable." It is unclear if the underwriters or bookrunners will handle the certification process.
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NetEase and Google Make China Pact
Accordint to FT.com, Netease, one of China's biggest internet portals, has begun using search services provided by US market leader Google and the two companies are co-operating in online advertising under a new strategic partnership.
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Yahoo's Paid Inclusion Under Fire
Yahoo claims "We remain committed to our content-acquisition programs" (paid inclusion), but with Google, MSN and Ask Jeeves all withdrawing from paid inclusion, Yahoo cannot possibly continue with its model.

Raise your voice and be heard!
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More Travellers Using Search Engines
New Hitwise data reveals that more of us are using search engines to find those travel deals.

Compared with other sectors such as shopping and banking, travel websites receive the highest proportion of traffic from these types of sources (37.8%). Moreover, in the last 12 months travel websites have increased the proportion of traffic they receive from search engines and directories by 13%.
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Australia's Search Engine Ads Heating-up
According to Frost & Sullivan, the search market in Australia will be worth (AUS)$70 million this year and will grow to (AUS)$250 million in 2008, as the appetite for pay-per-click advertising grows.
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Is Yahoo Stock Overvalued?
CNN/Money asks if it's worth buying Yahoo's stock or does the company still have a lot to prove?
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Telstra to unveil Sensis search engine
Australia's Telstra Corp will unveil a revamp of its Sensis business next week, as it seeks to turn a White and Yellow Pages company into a cutting edge internet search engine able to take on the likes of Google and Yahoo.

I guess old news can be new news.
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Happy 4th of July
"On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from England and Democracy was born. Every day thousands leave their homeland to come to the "land of the free and the home of the brave" so they can begin their American Dream." I'm one of them!

Be safe, have fun, no drinking and driving!


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Can Google News Compete with Factiva?
CNet looks at whether Google's free Google News can compete with subscription services such as Factiva (owned by Dow Jones and Reuters).

One restriction on a service such as Google News, which claims to index more than 4,500 news sites, is that it can't provide access to articles on subscription sites. "More publishers are recognizing that there is value to their content," Hart said. "It's a long way before quality information is free."

A second challenge for companies such as Google, Hart argued, is their reliance on technology as a means of sorting and classifying information. Factiva processes around 4 million articles every month, and while 70 percent of those can be tagged automatically, the remainder require human intervention, she said.
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Mergers and Acquisitions in the Search Engine Industry
Interesting article by The Deal looks at the potential M&A activity in the search engine space. What caught my eye is the list of search engine marketing companies included in the piece.

The list of SEM companies ripe for acquisition include iProspect, icrossing and Did-it.com.

"The smaller guys who realize they just can't compete with the larger holistic approach to advertising are more likely to say, 'Buy me,' " says Denise Garcia of Gartner G2
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Spurl.net Online Bookmark Searching
Can't wait for Microsoft's "Stuff I"ve Seen"? Hjalmar Gislason tells me that his site Spurl.net, allows users to bookmark a site's content, search thru it at a later date and share it with friends.

The handy little sidebar is easy to set-up, promises privacy and has no spyware or adware. If you're a user of Spurl, let me know your thoughts.
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New MSN Search on PDAs
I love reading engadget (I'm a total gadget freak) and it's rare that I get a chance to link to them. However, they have screenshots compraring MSN Search's new PDA format with Google's.
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Yahoo Planning Subtle Page Changes
John Battelle takes a respite from writing his book, to tell us about some subtle changes Yahoo has planned for its search results page.
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Google Gets in Shape
The Google New York team apparently decided to run 3.5 miles thru New York. Probably faster than a cab.
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Ask Jeeves Partners with Kelkoo
Ask Jeeves UK has teamed up with Kelkoo to add a Product Search facility to its growing list of 'smart' search tools, according to Netimperative.

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Yahoo Stock Price Drops Amid Concerns Over Lost Microsoft Revenue
Yahoo shares fell today, as investors started realizing that Microsoft's own search engine launch would result in a lost revenue stream for the company.

Smith Barney analyst Lanny Baker cut his rating on Yahoo to "hold" from "buy" on valuation concerns and said the company's MSN search relationship is the most obvious risk in the next 12 months.

"Our primary area of concern remains Yahoo's search relationship with Microsoft's MSN property"
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Google doesn't like GMail sales
Google has updated Gmails program policies to prevent the sale of Gmail invites and a few other things too.
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Tiger, Longhorn Go Head-to-Head in Desktop Search
CNet has a good overview of the desktop search battle, shaping-up between Apple and Microsoft.
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Blinkx Brings Search to the Desktop Before Microsoft
Want a tool that automatically monitors your desktop activity and suggests content, web pages and documents that are related?

Blinkx does just that.

Whenever you browse a website, read a news story, check your e-mail or write a document, blinkx automatically delivers suggestions from the Web, news or your local files; which you can view by simply clicking the links or rolling over to get a summary of the information found.

Thanks to Gary Stein.
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FindWhat and Espotting - The Merger that Lives Forever!
It feels like this merger has been going on longer than Bill Clinton's publicity tour! Anyway, it's finally a done deal.
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Danny Sullivan on MSN Search
I started reading Danny Sullivan's take on the new MSN Search and starting thinking "ooh, that's a good quote"..."so is that!"..."that too". In the end, I realized that Danny had so many insightful things to say about the new MSN Search, I couldn't possible list them all. So be sure to go and read the article.

I did find one, that summed up the new announcement nicely...

In many ways, MSN Search is in a holding pattern until it gets a heart transplant of Microsoft's own search technology later this year, a time Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has stated. At that time, there will almost certainly be other changes and capabilities to the site's advanced search page or in how it operates.
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An Interview with SearchGuild's Chris Ridings
DarkBlue chats to Chris Ridings about the current SEO contest.
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Play in Microsoft's MSN Search Sandbox
If you're looking for the new MSN Sandbox, we're happy to provide the link. You'll be able to play with MSN's developing search technology and see what the future may hold.

One observation. I think they have the "linking algorithm" cranked up a little too high. When affiliate URL's start showing up higher than the standard URL, simply because the affiliate URL is linked to from a very popular source, that demonstrates that the algo is taking link popularity a little too far.
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Microsoft Launches New MSN Search Today
After many rumors, Microsoft has today launched a new look MSN Search. Not only has MSN been given a very "Google-looking" start page, but the search results now show paid ads as "Sponsored Ads" in a format similar to Yahoo and Google. Microsoft says they have already injected $100 million into the new MSN Search.

"With this significant upgrade to MSN Search, we are delighted to now offer what we believe is the best search service available for the 350 million MSN customers. Among the many improvements, we're particularly excited to increase the relevancy of many search query results by up to 45 percent," said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of MSN

The biggest news is that Microsoft is testing its own algorithm, starting with the removal of all Yahoo Site Match (paid inclusion) results.

David Vise of The Washington Post reports:

Analysts said Microsoft's move increases pressure on Yahoo to consider changing its practice of accepting payments from Web sites that wish to be included in searches. But Yahoo officials said yesterday that they have no intention of dropping the practice, which they said helps to ensure that relevant Web sites do not get overlooked.

This is going to be the start of the next phase in the history of the search engines...

"This is a huge announcement for the search engine industry as a whole," said Andy Beal, vice president of WebSourced Inc.'s KeywordRanking.com, a search engine marketing firm. "Microsoft finally getting involved with search is going to send shock waves through the entire industry. Google has already seen the competition Yahoo is putting up. With Microsoft and their billions of dollars entering the arena, Google is going to be fighting attacks from two sides."
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