Jim Sterne Offers Silver Bullet to AD:TECH Attendees
Garrett French plucks some of Jim Sterne's choicest tips and adds them to MarketerToday.

I had a chance to chat with Jim over dinner - the candle-light complimented his skin tone ;-) - and ended up wondering why I had never bumped into him before. It was a pleasure to meet such a smart guy.

You can catch Jim in action at his own Emetrics Summit this June at either the Santa Barbara or London show.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Jeff's World - Gambling.com Switches Focus as Vertical Search Heats-up
Jeff’s World is back and today we are speaking with Tim Rosenberg. Tim is the Marketing Director for Gambling.com and he joins us today to discuss an emerging trend in search: specialization or niche search engines.

1) Tim, Thank you for agreeing to join us today. Can you share with our readers the history of Gambling.com?
Tim: The Gambling.com portal was launched in 1997 as one of the very first e-gaming sites. Gambling.com has never been an ‘operator’, but is positioned as a gateway to help people access casino and sports book sites.
Gambling.com has a very loyal membership.

2) How does Gambling.com work?
Tim: The new look Gambling.com search function allows visitors to search for gambling related web sites by simply typing in the keyword that best describes what they are looking for, e.g., ‘Poker’ or ‘Online Casino’. As a gambling.com member, they can access exclusive tournaments, games and collect ‘Ludos’, the Gambling.com virtual currency. Ludos can be used at participating advertisers’ sites for their products and services.

3) What is the revenue model for Gambling.com? Revenues for 2004? Projected for 2005?
Tim: Gambling.com generates revenues by virtue of sending good quality players to our sponsors’ sites, a PPC model. I hope you will appreciate I cannot provide you with confidential figures such as revenues etc..

4) How many searches are performed monthly?
Tim: Approx 350,000

5) Why should someone doing a gaming related search use Gambling.com versus Google, Yahoo or another traditional search engine?
Tim: 2 reasons
1) As the Gambling.com listings are editorially approved by ‘real people’ as opposed to web crawlers/spiders, as such this policy ensures that you will receive the most accurate/relevant results for your particular search. Our editors weed out the ‘fluff’ and help ensure a better search experience.
2) Due to the uncertain legislative situation in the USA, Google and Yahoo no longer accept sponsored listings from casino/sportsbook operators.

6) What are the demographics for users of Gambling.com? Are you finding that visitors are already have experience in the gaming industry or are they relatively new to gaming?
Tim: We receive a very wide range of visitors from the very experienced ‘gambler’ to people who are trying things for the first time. Gender-wise, our users are slightly skewed towards men. They primarily are doing searches for poker, sportsbook and blackjack related terms. Female searchers are typically searching for bingo and lottery related information.

7) What was the impetus for transforming Gambling.com into a search engine?
Tim: ‘Search’ drives the vast majority of visits to all sites on the internet, we do not see any reason why that should not be the same for a specific market like gaming.

8) Has the huge growth in poker on TV affected your business? How so?
Tim: The growth interest in poker as well as the likes of bingo etc. has had a positive effect in driving people online in search of gaming sites.

9) What direction do you see Gambling.com taking in the future?
Tim: We have lots of ideas and plans for the coming 12 months…watch this space. For instance, we are speaking with a few quality third party sites about delivering advertising on their sites; much like Google does.

10) What role do you think niche, or industry specific search engines will have in the search industry?
Tim: We believe that niche specific search engines will provide more accurate/relevant/targeted results. We are focused on generating good quality traffic for our advertisers.

11) What unique challenges does Gambling.com face as compared to a traditional SE?
Tim: Very specialized – but thus a very targeted/premium visitor. Plus we are looking at ways to brand Gambling.com.

12) As a human edited SE, that must be very time consuming for all involved. How long does it normally take be included?
Tim: We aim to approve all listings within 3 working days. Currently we pretty much approve everything within 24-48 hours.

Thanks to Tim Rosenberg for sharing his 2 cents worth.

Jeff.

About Jeff's World - If you're a regular reader of Search Engine Lowdown, you'll no doubt have become accustomed to reading the caustic comments offered by "Jeff". We've decided that Jeff's comments are far too entertaining to let languish in the world of our "comments" section and so, we started a new feature entitled, "Jeff's World" ("Jeff's World, Jeff's World, party-time").
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Yahoo Will Also Test Search-Based Image Ads
eWeek has the scoop on Yahoo's plans to follow Google's lead and test banner ads with their search marketing products.

A Yahoo Inc. spokeswoman confirmed this week that the company's search-marketing division, formerly known as Overture Services, plans to start testing graphical banner ads displayed based on their relevancy to a Web page's content in the next few weeks.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Online Ad Revenues Up 33 Percent In 2004
ClickZ breaks down the latest report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers that suggests online ad revenues for 2004 were up 33 percent to $9.6 billion, the highest level ever.

Search marketers continued their stampede. Annual revenue in this category leapt from 35 to 40 percent of the overall spend. On a dollar basis, search revenues were up more than half to $3.9 billion.

Hat-tip to all us hard working search marketers! ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
No Google, please, we're French
I admit I stole the above headline from the International Herald Tribune (a play on the old phrase, "No Sex, Please, We're British").

Their story on France's apparent dismay at Google's plans to digitize 15 million books and make them accessible online, suggests that the French are overreacting. Oh really??? ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Dan Thies and SitePoint Launch "Road-Map for Search Marketing Success"
Dan Thies is a good guy and what I call a technical search marketer. I've been lucky enough to work with Dan on many occassions and when he's not obsessing about Paris Hilton (you need to see his Search Term Research presentation, to understand that one) he's dishing out some solid SEM advice.

SitePoint obviously liked what Dan has to say, as they have tapped him to author their new search engine marketing kit; a "Road-Map for Search Marketing Success".

From organic search rank techniques, to PPC strategies and campaign management, this Kit gives site owners the know-how to overtake the competition -- and stay ahead in the search marketing game. The Kit's CD-ROM provides practical tools to help site owners establish and manage successful campaigns. This, coupled with bonus advertising credits worth $150 from Google, Overture and FindWhat, and candid insight from industry leaders, makes The Search Engine Marketing Kit a unique resource.

I've seen the marketing kit and hope to have a more in-depth review in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I can safely say that anyone looking to plan out their search marketing campaign, will benefit from the kit. You may also get a kick out of the candid interviews that Dan has included at the back of the kit. He interviewed many SEM experts and there's some interesting stuff there.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Be Careful When Typing Google Domain Name
The Register has details of malicious web sites being set up to attack users who misspell Google's domain name.

If a user opens one of the malicious websites, such as googkle.com, his PC box may be hijacked with malware including Trojan downloaders, backdoors and spyware.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Ask Jeeves Posts Higher Profit
We didn't forget you, Jeeves.

Reuters has details of Ask Jeeves' first quarter numbers.

Web search company Ask Jeeves Inc. on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit that beat expectations, but its shares slipped less than 1 percent after it forecast current-quarter earnings below Wall Street's consensus targets.

Ask Jeeves had first-quarter net income of $18.1 million, or 26 cents a share, compared with year-earlier net of $13.4 million, or 23 cents. Revenue jumped to $94.9 million from $39.2 million.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Reinvents AdWords with Auctioned CPM Ads
I can't go to an internet conference without bumping into my pal, Matt Hicks. And inevitably, he has his pen and paper in hand. ;-)

This story from Matt, looks at the testing of Google's CPM ads and targetting features.

Along with snaring more advertisers, Google is responding to a frequent request from its current advertisers, who want to be able to better target where their ads appear in the thousands of Web sites in Google's AdSense network, said Andy Beal, vice president of search marketing at Morrisville, N.C.-based WebSourced Inc.

"Advertisers' biggest criticism of Google has not so much been that they want a CPM model but that they want to know where their ads are going," Beal said. "It's a bold move by Google because it could reduce the revenue from individual advertisers."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Yahoo! Search Marketing Kicks Off "Think Big" Contest
Internet.com has details of a new contest being launched by Yahoo Search Marketing that will give away 10 million free impressions across the Yahoo! network to one lucky winner.

Sir Richard Branson, world renowned entrepreneur and founder of Virgin Group, will serve as the official contest judge and will hand select the winning company based on its business plan and proven ability to "think big."

"Yahoo! created the 'Think Big' contest to offer a business owner a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take their business to the next level by leveraging the power of the Yahoo! network", said Todd Daum, vice president, Yahoo! Search Marketing. "We are honored to have Sir Richard Branson, one of the world's most successful businessmen, help us to select a winner that truly 'thinks big.'"
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Takes Over the World in 2014
Kevin Ryan treated AD:TECH attendees to a mockumentary video that takes a look back at the growth of Google from the year 2014.

The video is entertaining, thought-provoking, ridiculous and scary, all at the same time. Worth the eight minutes it takes to watch.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Brilliant Shopper Launches Beta Shopping Search Engine
Brilliant Shopper jumps on the shopping vertical bandwagon - a good one to be on too - and today announces the beta launch of their comparison shopping search engine.

"Brilliant Shopper is pioneering the delivery of merchant-driven results, comparison shopping, reviews and promotional offers in a user interface that appeals to the desires of consumers, and offers a powerful new user experience,” said Phillip Lan, founder and CEO of Brilliant Shopper.

Users of Brilliant Shopper can view organic and sponsored results, along with features such as reviews, product forums, coupons and gift ideas.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Testing RSS Ads
Many months back I pinged Google and suggested that they should consider offering an option to include AdSense ads in Blogger's RSS feeds. I said that I would be the first to sign up, if they ever offered the option.

According to CNet, they are now testing that concept. While I'm not one of the test candidates, I still look forward to the full rollout. What will it bring?

Robert McLaws, publisher of a Microsoft-focused blog called Longhornblogs.com, is one of the first to experiment with the Google ads this week. He said the graphical ads, in his own customized bright blue, are being fed into roughly 61 feeds of his blog.

Though he couldn't provide many details, by Google's request, he said the ads are in hypertext mark-up language using images and links. He and Google's team are still testing how best and how often to present the ads, but McLaws said the company is likely to introduce a public beta in the next two weeks.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Yahoo Launches My Web Personal Search
Chris Sherman explains how Yahoo is not standing still with their My Yahoo personal search features.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
WebSourced's KeywordRanking Answers AD:TECH Attendees SEM Questions
If you haven't already bookmarked, or subscribed to the RSS feed of, MarketerToday.com, Garrett French provides a new compelling reason to do so.

We provided a lunchtime SEM Open Forum today at AD:TECH and Garrett was there to capture each question and the answers provided by Mike Grehan, Heather Lloyd-Martin, Ben Wills and yours truly.

The questions were very intelligent and thought-out. I hope you'll think the same about our collective answers. ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
MSN Attends KeywordRanking Search Engine Marketing Forum
Garrett French reveals that even MSN finds our SEM presentations to be of use. ;-)

Many AD:TECH attendees sat in on the KeywordRanking SEM forum on Monday, eager for insight from industry search gurus Andy Beal, Heather Lloyd-Martin and Ben Wills. Among those in attendance was a product manager from MSN search.

While she didn't win the iPod that Andy gave away at the end of the session, she did gather what she described as valuable information from attending. To her it was exciting to hear how search marketers like KeywordRanking are "really starting to maximize the opportunity" that SEM can provide.

By attending the forum, and especially from the paid search presentation by Wills, she gained insight into the SEM industry that will help her as she creates more ad products for MSN.

Catch more AD:TECH coverage at MarketerToday.com.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
More from AD:TECH San Francisco
DM News has a report on the size and success of AD:TECH...

Walk any area of the interactive marketing conference -- exhibit floor, session rooms, hallways or the press and speaker room -- and crowds of excited, chatty people are there. Butt-brush is common in blocked aisles, interruptions of conversations are the norm and dot-com-heyday breath mints are back.

"I think it's excellent," said Rick Burish, senior account executive for search engine marketing at Verizon SuperPages.com, Irving, TX. "Good traffic, lots of first-tier players, great energy."

Expectations are high. More than 6,500 registrants are anticipated through the show's close April 27, a 50-percent-plus jump from 4,000 at last year's ad:tech in San Francisco.

Our booth is right across from Verizon's and I can attest the number of people here (and the noise). The atmosphere here is pretty electric (although some of the speakers don't quite live up to the same hype).

It's clear that AD:TECH is fully embracing search marketing as the top marketing channel of the future (btw, our own lunchtime sessions have been packed-out). Not sure if the JupiterMedia guys are here, but I am pretty sure they would be squirming at the success of the show (and the attention to search marketing).
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
DoubleClick Sale Confirmed
According to ClickZ, DoubleClick has indeed found a buyer.

DoubleClick shareholders will receive an aggregate $1.1 billion in the deal, or $8.50 per share. Hellman's investment partner in the DoubleClick purchase is JMI Equity in San Diego. The two have teamed up on other software investments, including Blackbaud.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
More of Google CPM and Targeting
Google has uploaded more details of their new CPM model and targeting beta test.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
VCs Thick at AD-TECH: One Discusses Her Keynote Highlights
Garrett French reporting from AD:TECH...

So AD-TECH’s crawling with VCs. Two of the four people I’ve sat near in sessions and had brief conversations with have been VCs. I spoke between sessions with Brett Tabke, who mentioned that his recent Las Vegas Webmaster World conference had many VCs, as did the February SES in New York.

Right after the Age of Engagment keynote by John Costello of Home Depot and Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley, I spoke with Joanna Rees-Gallanter, founder and managing partner of VSP Capital.

Continue reading...
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Tests Cost-Per-Impression Pricing and Targeting for AdWords
Hot off the press: Google will announce today a limited beta feature for AdWords that will allow advertisers to target their ads to thousands of specific content sites across the Google Network.

The new limited roll-out will see Google testing new ground in two important areas. First, Google will test a CPM (cost-per-impression) bidding model for AdWords ads. Second, for the first time, AdWords advertisers will be able to select which specific web sites their ads are displayed on, something that advertisers have been crying-out for.

The new CPM bidding model will also accept animated image ads, in addition to the existing text and static image ad formats. By increasing competition for ad space on specific sites, Google is hoping that people who visit those sites will get more useful, more diverse, and more relevant ads.

So what is Google rolling-out in this beta test?

* Targeting:

Advertisers will now be able to select specific content sites across the Google network where they would like their ads shown. Advertisers can target these sites easily by either entering the specific URL of a website or enter keywords to search for sites, in its network, that match those keywords. Enabling advertisers to target a specific ad to a specific site creates another way - in addition to keyword-based targeting - of letting AdWords advertisers connect with people who are likely to be interested in their product or service. So will all AdSense partners automatically show these new CPM ads? Google's Barry Schnitt tells us, "AdSense partners, with the excetption of sites with which we have individual contracts, are opted-in."

* Bidding:

With site targeting, advertisers will set a maximum CPM, that is, the maximum price they're willing to pay for every thousand impressions their ad receives on a particular site. Schnitt explains, "The placement is calculated by CPM. That CPM is then entered into the auction with the other text-based keyword ads. The CPM then competes against [traditional AdWords ads] CTR x CPC"

Google's approach is different from other CPM models, where advertisers must pay a fixed CPM. On AdWords, advertisers pay no more than the minimum price needed to run an ad on a site. It's worth noting that you won't be able to use a CPM model on Google's own search results page, only their network of partners.

* Ad Formats:

In addition to text-based ads, Google's site targeting will include another ad format option, animated image ads. This is an enhancement to the image ads option they launched last year.

Google's site targeting feature is available as a limited beta, and they're not revealing who has been selected or what the criteria for selction was. As with past Google betas they plan on gathering feedback and enhancing the features. Once they've received enough feedback, Google plans to roll out the service to a wider audience of advertisers in the coming weeks.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Searching for Classifieds
The Philadelphia Inquirer has a story on the recent launch of Oodle, the cool new search engine for classified listings.

I had a chance to share my views on Oodle. I think it has a lot of potential and is one of the few new vertical search engines that I am excited about.

Where did they get the name?

"We liked Oodle because it conveys `lots' but with fun and good connotations to it," Donato said.

"We came up with the name one night over an Italian dinner. Someone jokingly suggested the name ravioli ... then noodle, and finally `oodle' jumped to mind."
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Heading to AD:TECH
Big week next week as we head to San Francisco for AD:TECH.

Mike, Heather and me (you don't get much more diverse than that) will all be there. Mike will be presenting "Search's Future in Interactive" on Tuesday and we'll have the WebSourced lunchtime sessions on both Monday and Tuesday (get there early to have a chance to win an iPod).

If you've already got an iPod, be sure to stop by our booth (#321) and enter to win a 42" Plasma TV.

And be on the lookout for MarketerToday's Garrett French who'll be conducting interviews and writing exclusive reports from the show.

Lastly, look for some big announcements coming Monday. We'll have all the details, right here.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
LookSmart Out in the Cold
Pamela Parker reports that LookSmart is in danger of having its stock delisted from the Nasdaq.

Despite a booming market for paid search, LookSmart's stock has lingered below the $1 mark for more than 30 days, prompting Nasdaq to warn the company of possible delisting.

To continue to be listed on the exchange, LookSmart's shares must trade above $1 for at least 10 of the next 180 days. The bad news comes as other players in search, such as Google and Yahoo!, report strong growth.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Small Businesses Rely on the Web
Over at the KowaBunga blog, Jim Kukral points to some interesting data from Yahoo and eMarketer. Small businesses are embracing the web in a big way.

*80% of respondents said that their Web site generated leads for their business.

* 77% said they believed that a Web site helped to make them more competitive.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Comparing Google to Wal-Mart
Wired offers a light-hearted look at the similarities between Google and Wal-Mart.

Company slogan:

• Wal-Mart: "Always low prices!"

• Google: "Don't be evil."

Alternative slogan:

• Wal-Mart: "Always low wages."

• Google: "Maybe not evil, but after the IPO not so good either."


More interesting comparisons at the Wired site. Thanks to Dan L!
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Garrett French Launches Marketing Strategy News Site, MarketerToday.com

We've been watching the chatter on the message boards. "Where's Garrett?", "What happened to Garrett, after he joined WebSourced?". Today, we break the silence and bring joy to millions of marketers as we announce that Garrett French is back, and this time he's taking no prisoners!

Garrett has been feverishly working on the launch of Search Engine Lowdown's new sister site, MarketerToday.com. Actually, that may be unfair. MarketerToday will likely become the parent site of SEL, as it has some of the best resources behind it. Garrett has been named Managing Editor of the new site and he's cooking up some tasty articles for your viewing pleasure.

So what the heck is MarketerToday?

Simply put, MarketerToday is a news and article site for anyone interested in marketing strategy, channel integration and getting the most out of their marketing budget. If you are connected to the marketing industry in any way, consider MarketerToday as your best friend.

"But it's owned by WebSourced, so it'll be full of fluffy self-promotion we see from other agencies". Not so fast!

Garrett will be completely free to discuss any topic he feels will benefit his audience; he won't be censored and he won't be forced to write anything that is blatant self-promotion. In fact, go ahead and send him your article or ask him to link to your blog post, if it adds value to our readers, he'll publish it.

Is it a blog?

Nope! While we are using MoveableType as the publishing tool, MarketerToday is going to be full of all kinds of content. Some stories will be brief, blog-like, but there will also be plenty of great quality, in-depth articles.

Who'll be publishing there? Only the very top names in the online and offline marketing industry...take a look at some of the great marketing experts Garrett has already lined-up and he's not stopping there!

Who is the target audience?

MarketerToday will include marketing strategy articles for anyone connected to the marketing industry. However, we'll be paying close attention to those readers looking for information on bringing their offline marketing budget, online. We all agree that online marketing has demonstrated fantastic ROI, so we want to help educate those marketing managers who are reluctant to switch some of their marketing budget online, or simply need more information on the benefits. Simply put, we want to tell the world that online marketing should be part of any complete marketing strategy!

Is this for real?

Oh yes, very much so. WebSourced is committed to the marketing and advertising industry and this is just the next step in our efforts to spread the word. Over the next few months, you'll see a lot of marketing publishers looking over their shoulder. Just look at what we have in place:

* Search Engine Lowdown - search industry news and views.
* E-Marketing-News - newsletter for the online marketing industry.
* SEM Live - search engine marketing conference.
* MarketerToday - marketing strategy and news.
* More to come! ;-)

So what do we do now? Head over there; leave comments; send Garrett an email; suggest a news story; or maybe give Garrett a link! ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Soars Past Profit Expectations
Google continues to demonstrate exactly why their share price should be over $200-a-share and why they are still the king of search.

Analysts had been bold in their predictions of Google's earnings, estimating profits of $246 million, or 92 cents a share. They were very much under-estimating as Google soared past that figure.

According to Reuters, Google had net income of $369.2 million, or $1.29 a share, in the first quarter, compared with $64.0 million, or 24 cents a share, a year earlier.

Total revenue was $1.26 billion, up from $651.6 million last year. Virtually all of the company's revenue comes from ads that are triggered when Web users type certain key words into Google's search engine.

Google once again refused to give guidance for its next quarter, paving the way for them to beat the heck out of analysts predictions once again.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Who is this man?
Anyone guess who this good-looking chap is?


Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Browser Let Loose?
SiliconValleyWatcher thinks they might have spotted a Google Browser in their log files.

Checking out SiliconValleyWatcher's browser stats this morning, however, I noticed that, oddly, a few visitors are using a browser identified as "Google 0.X".


Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Blinkx Rolls Out Upgrade to Smart Folders
PC Mag has details of an upgrade to Blinkx's Smart Folders.

The new, Shareable Smart Folders will allow blinkx users share their Smart Folder training information—the info that tells the folder what to collect-- with others via an e-mail link.

To mark the launch of the new feature, Disney has created a Shareable Smart Folder that will fill with continuous updates about the coming movie "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
A9.com Expands Image-Based Local Search
According to Matt Hicks, Amazon's A9.com search engine has added images from five more cities to its online Yellow Pages.

Joining those original local areas are images from Washington, D.C.; Phoenix; Miami; Houston; and Fargo, N.D.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Upgrading Google Advertising Professionals
Google sends word that they have upgraded the Google Advertising Professionals program to include...

1. Promotional Credits - Google Advertising Professionals in the U.S. will receive Google AdWords credits to provide to their new advertising clients.
Google Advertising Professionals will receive three initial $50 credits while Qualified Google Advertising Professionals will receive five initial $100 credits. Additional promotional credits will be available to Google Advertising Professionals after these new client accounts meet performance targets, up to a total of 60 per year.

Promotional credits were one of the major marketing support requests in recent survey and focus groups and provide Google Advertising Professionals with the opportunity to attract new customers. The credits can be applied directly into a client's account through the My Client Center interface.

2. Company-level Qualification - Third parties who have committed to training their staff to manage AdWords for clients can qualify for "Qualified Company" status. Companies in the U.S. that have 5 or more qualified individuals and $100,000 aggregate managed AdWords spend over 90 days qualify for "Qualified Company" status. This new level of qualification provides another way for Google Advertising Professionals to distinguish themselves from their peers.

3. Professional Status Page - Available worldwide, all qualified professionals will receive a unique URL (hosted by Google) as their own Professional Status page. This URL helps potential clients verify the qualifications of qualified professionals and gives them additional information regarding the company.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Testing Local Search Ad Distribution
ClickZ has details of a new agreement between Google and AccuWeather.

Visitors who search AccuWeather.com for local business information, such as phone numbers, addresses, maps with business locations, and driving directions, will be served locally targeted ads along with the organic search results. Previously, the local ads were distributed to partners with Web, rather than local, results.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
More Details on Google's My Search History
USA Today has more details on Google's My Search History (why don't they just call it MyGoogle and be done with it).

I speculated yesterday that the new service could end up either display AdWords ads or using the data to provide more info to AdWords advertisers. According to the newpaper, that is not in their immediate plans...

Google says it is not placing ads in the service for now, nor does it have immediate plans to use information culled from the service for advertising products.

You've got to love the qualifiers in that statement. Let's take another look at it, shall we?

Google says it is not placing ads in the service for now, nor does it have immediate plans to use information culled from the service for advertising products.

Reminds me of last spring when they had no plans for an IPO. ;-)

Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Could Google See Fourfold Increase in Profits?
Bloomberg is speculating that Google could announce today a fourfold increase in quarterly profits.

Profit in the first quarter probably rose to $246 million, or 92 cents a share, from $64 million, or 24 cents a share, a year earlier, according to the average of 25 analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

We'll find out soon enough.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
Google Launches My Search History
Google has just launched "My Search History" which, after logging-in, will keep track of your search history and provide a calendar for checking back on previous searches and view similar searches you have done.

I gave Susan Kuchinskas, of InternetNews.com, my thoughts on the launch...

"Google already has had a chance to see how this works," said Andy Beal, vice president of marketing for WebSourced, a search engine optimization company. "Everyone scrambled to match Google's search technology, but now Google is in catch-up mode."

Beal said aggregating the search history data could give Google a way to compete with MSN's new adCenter, previewed in March. Like adCenter, My Search History could let Google advertisers refine their key word buys to demographic segments that were most likely to click.

"Why not, down the road, if they're building up a history of what I search for and what I click on, why not start showing AdWords ads that I've shown a preference for in the past or start targeting the AdWords so I'm more likely to click on them?" Beal asked.

You may mock me for re-printing my own quotes, but it saves me having to re-type them. ;-)
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |

 
WebSourced brings world renowned search engine marketing experts to AD:TECH San Francisco
WebSourced today announced the opportunity to hear from top search engine marketing experts at the upcoming AD:TECH conference, to be held in San Francisco, C.A. on April 25-27. AD:TECH, the nation’s leading interactive marketing event, now in its 10th year, offers insights, tools, and techniques needed by today’s business and marketing leaders. WebSourced, Inc.’s KeywordRanking.com division is the exclusive conference sponsor.

WebSourced will offer conference attendees the opportunity to attend two lunch and learn sessions led by marketing experts, Mike Grehan, Heather Lloyd-Martin, and Ben Wills. On Monday and Tuesday, April 25th and 26th, the 1 p.m. lunch and learn sessions will bring together these three prominent marketing experts for informative sessions. Andy Beal of WebSourced, Inc. will moderate the sessions. Monday’s session will demonstrate proven techniques to improve search engine listings while including tips for paid search engine results. Tuesday’s session is designed as an open forum with these experts available to answer questions from attendees.

"We are very excited to have WebSourced's KeywordRanking.com as the exclusive conference sponsor for AD:TECH San Francisco," said Paul Beckley, show director. "AD:TECH is the leading event for interactive marketers and we are delighted to partner with one of the world's leading interactive marketing firms."

"Only WebSourced has the resources to bring together these three world-renowned marketing experts," said Pat Martin, CEO and president of WebSourced, Inc. "We’re thrilled to offer these two outstanding sessions at AD:TECH this year."
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Local Search Conference
Jason is out at the Kelsey Group's conference on local search, and enjoying every minute of it.
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Yahoo! versus Google Business Model
Charlene Li takes a look at the Yahoo numbers and compares the revenue stream with that of Google.

Yahoo! doesn't have the search traffic and publisher network that Google has, and so lags in search revenues. But what I like about Yahoo!'s strategy is the robust nature of it. It can tap into multiple revenue streams -- especially emerging branding dollars that come with video and rich media ads. In contrast, Google is a one-trick pony (albeit, it's a very nice looking pony!)

Li suggests that Google needs to expand its revenue stream by adding banner ads to its AdSense network. I guess you can't blame her for not remembering that Google did indeed launch Image Ads not too long ago, after all, it hardly took the industry by storm.
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Yahoo Doubles Profit on Search Advertising
Reuters reports that Yahoo's quarterly results were much better than expected.

"It looks like search revenue was particularly strong for Yahoo, which should bode well for Google," said Mark Mahaney, an analyst with American Technology Research.

Yahoo posted net income of $205 million, or 14 cents a share, in the first quarter, up from $101 million, or 7 cents a share, a year earlier.

Excluding payments that Yahoo makes to sites that carry its Web search ads, net revenue was $821 million, up 49 percent from $550 million. Total revenue rose 55 percent to $1.2 billion.

Analysts on average had expected the company to post a net profit of 11 cents a share on net revenue of $798 million, according to Reuters Estimates.

Eyes now turn to Google, which announces its results on Thursday.
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Snap Offers Suggest Feature
Snap.com has launched a nifty new "suggest" feature that they claim is a little more advanced than Google Suggest.

According to Bill Gross, the founder of Snap...

Google suggest is awesome, but doesn’t do substrings, just the leading characters of the search term, I believe. Also, Google shows you hit count in the index, not number of searches performed by users. Number of searches by users seems to yield useful results from the “network” of people in a collaborative filtering kind of way. Just try typing in, say PASADENA, or SOLAR ENERGY, or anything, and watch what a relevant list you get because it’s using the collective knowledge of the whole network!

Thanks to Battelle!
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Google Launches Local Search and Maps in UK
According to Netimperative, you can now get Google Local UK and Google Maps UK in the, funnily enough, UK.
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DMA/AIM Search Marketing Forum
You have just 24 hours left to register for the DMA's Search Marketing Forum in NYC. The event is being held tomorrow and will be jam-packed with cool SEM tips. How do I know they'll be cool? Because our very own Director of Search Strategies, Heather Lloyd-Martin is managing the whole gig.

Online registration is closed, but if you call 212.790.1500, they should be able to get you in.
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Tivo Talks to Google and Yahoo
ZDNet has word that Tivo is in talks with Google and Yahoo over a deal that could bring search to TV.

One scenario that's been discussed would see TiVo partner with Google or Yahoo on a new service that would let consumers search for videos on the Web and then watch them on their television sets, according to one person with knowledge of the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A second person familiar with the talks said TiVo has held talks with both Google and Yahoo about a potential equity investment, including the possibility of an outright acquisition.
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Yahoo sheds Overture brand
According to CNet, the name Overture, is no more.

The replacement of the Overture brand will take place in the U.S. market initially, the company said. Other international markets will be re-branded later, but the Overture brand will be maintained in Japan and Korea.

Welcome Yahoo! Search Marketing.
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Copernic Backs Out of Mamma.com Deal Due to SEC Investigation
According to ClickZ, Copernic has decided that an SEC investigation of Mamma.com is enough to call the deal off.
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Google and Yahoo Expected to Announce Strong Earnings
A lot of analysts have been predicting a decline in paid search revenues during Q1, due to keyword prices become to high and leveling off.

Lisa Baertlein of Reuters (again, she has been busy) offers an alternative reality. She points out, and I share the belief, the search engines are seeing more money going into the "tail" of search.

For their parts, executives at Google and Yahoo each repeatedly have said their growth has resulted from greater search volume rather than price increases.

"People should be careful about extrapolating too much from a small sample" of keyword prices, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said on the sidelines of a recent cable industry conference in San Francisco.

Yahoo is scheduled to release earnings on April 19 and Google is due to announce on April 21.
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More on Click Fraud
I'm not sure how much steam is left in the click fraud story, but it continues to be the hottest topic in search.

The Washington Post takes a look at the recent lawsuits and scandal surrounding potential click fraud. So how do the search engines tackle click fraud?

"Google is notorious for just flat out ignoring advertisers," Jessie Stricchiola said. "Google says, 'Thank you for your inquiry. We see no problem.' Sometimes Google does not even look at the data, and they give the most ridiculous explanations. Yahoo tends to be more proactive. That is because they have the people, more so than Google," which Stricchiola says views click fraud "as a purely technological issue."

I still take the approach that while click fraud may continue to grow, it will be no more of a problem than shrinkage is to the bricks and mortar retailers (ie. a problem, but not one that will cause the channel to collapse).

Some industry experts strike a measured tone. Andy Beal, vice president of KeywordRanking.com, an Internet marketing firm, says that click fraud may be growing as online advertising increases but that it is not a fatal flaw. Instead, he advises advertisers that click fraud is just a part of doing business on Google and Yahoo. He likens it to retailers who face the intractable problem of merchandise theft but remain profitable.

"People will take it for granted there will be some clicks of a suspicious nature, but the advertising model will be robust enough to withstand that," Beal said. "I don't think it is going to be an epidemic."
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A Look at Google's Core Growth
Newsweek explains why you won't see Google challenging eBay anytime soon. It simply does not fit within their core product offering.

While the discrete new products outside the core get attention, [head of Web products Marissa Mayer] says that the bulk of Google's work is quietly improving the bread and butter of search. "We don't put out a press release saying that we got rid of 5 percent of search spam, but that stuff happens all the time. We definitely have a grand plan," she says. Indeed, just this week Google is integrating the Keyhole service into its local search product.
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Paid Search has Wrinkles but Still Beats Other Marketing Channels
Lisa Baertlein looks at the different wrinkles of paid search and its continued growth. Interesting stats including...

According to Piper Jaffray, the cost to acquire a customer is about $8.50 for search, $20 for Yellow Pages, $50 for online display ads, $60 for e-mail and $70 for direct mail.
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Shopping.com Offers Thoughts on Become.com
Nothing like a good bit of competitor jousting first thing on a Monday. This San Jose BJ story looks at the launch of new shopping search engine Become.com.

I find it interesting that the journalist asked a competitor, Shopping.com, to comment on Become's business model.

"I'm a little bit at a loss about the incremental value that Become is offering," says Iggy Fanlo, chief revenue officer for Shopping.com Ltd., of Brisbane, which was created from the 2003 merger of DealTime.com, for comparison shopping, and Epinions.com, for product reviews.

Could you imagine a journalist asking Yahoo to provide a quote on a story about Google's business model. ;-)
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Infospace Adds MSN Search to Metacrawler
Infospace has signed a deal to add MSN Search results to their metacrawler.

"MSN Search is a terrific addition to our metasearch capability. This agreement represents our ongoing commitment to evolve our offering to help partners maximize their revenue and build stronger brands," said Richard Pelly, vice president of search distribution, Infospace Search & Directory.
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Microsoft's Bill Gates on Google, "We have to watch these guys"
Fortune has an interesting piece (full access to subscribers) that looks at how shook-up Microsoft is over Google's encroachment of its core businesses.

Google has become a new kind of foe, and that's what has Gates so riled. It has combined software innovation with a brand-new Internet business model—and it wounds Gates' pride that he didn't get there first. Since Google doesn't sell its search products (it makes its money from the ads that accompany its search results), Microsoft can't muscle it out of the marketplace the way it did rivals like Netscape.
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Google Tests New AdWords Layout
Danny has details of some new AdWords layouts being tested in Google search results.
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Think Partnership Rings Amex Opening Bell
If you're a competitor, you won't be interested in the next link...

You can view video footage of Think Partnership (Amex: THK) ringing the opening bell and CEO Gerry Jacobs providing an interview.
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Google Lets Your Upload Your Own Videos
PC World has more details of Google's recent announcement that they will start letting users store digital videos at the Google Video service.
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Heading to NYC to Ring Amex Opening Bell
Blogging will be a little light over the next 24 hours, as I will be heading to NYC a little later today. Think Partnership (our parent company) will be ringing the opening bell of the American Stock Exchange on Thursday.

I'm still trying to arrange for a giant inflatable "Andy Beal" to float down Times Square, but strangely, no one here wants to budget for that. ;-)
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SEC Launches Formal Investigation of Mamma.com
Looks like Mark Cuban may have seen this coming when he decided to sell his holding in Mamma.com.

"The company believes that as part of its investigation, the SEC may consider matters related to trading in the company's securities and whether an individual and persons acting jointly or in concert with him may have had a significant influence on the Company in the past as a result of undisclosed shareholdings," Mamma.com said.
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Click Fraud Survey Shows Some Concern
eMarketer publishes a study conducted by SEMPO that reveals some interesting data on attitudes towards click fraud.

The study looks purely at how worried advertisers are, when it comes to click fraud. While a good percentage have been worried enough to implement some click fraud tracking, the survey doesn't say whether they found any significant evidence of it happening.

Still, it appears that "click fraud" is the next big topic in search and if advertisers want click fraud detection, they'll get it. ;-)
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WebSourced Unveils Web Analytics and Click Fraud Tracking Tool
Hot off the press, WebSourced Inc, which provides search marketing services via KeywordRanking.com, has today launched one of the most comprehensive marketing analytics consoles available today.

SEM Web Services is a proprietary performance, conversion and campaign tracking tool that will also include click-fraud monitoring. In the long tradition of successful internet companies, the initial release will be a "beta" with a full launch coming by the end of Q2 (that's Q2 of this year).

SEM Web Services gives companies the ability to track a variety of Internet marketing mechanisms. The service provides information to manage search engine optimization (SEO), a method of enhancing a company's visibility on popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. SEM Web Services can also measure the effectiveness of pay per click (PPC) advertising campaigns. Pay per click is a mechanism where a company pays search engines a fee each time someone searching the Internet clicks through a word or phrase on the search page to the company's web page.

"Until the roll out of SEM Web Services from WebSourced, Inc., many companies operated under blind faith that their Internet marketing efforts were generating new business," said Pat Martin, CEO of WebSourced Inc. "SEM Web Services is one of the few tools that offers cross-channel analytics; combining data from search engine marketing campaigns with email marketing, affiliate marketing and other online advertising campaigns. We are already receiving positive feedback from our clients and expect this new tool to help us attract new customers to our extensive suite of marketing services."


click to enlarge

PPC is a term that has topped the news lately, with recent attention on click fraud scandals. With click fraud, or fake clicks, companies pay for Web site visitors they never receive. Until now, there was no easy way to track click fraud. At its full launch, SEM Web Services will track suspicious clicks and spot trends that might indicate click fraud.

"SEM Web Services takes the unique approach of allowing busy company executives an 'at a glance' view of their online marketing initiatives," said Jeff Martin, vice president of engineering for WebSourced, Inc. "For the first time, a solution is available that not only offers complete return-on-investment tracking but also integrates proprietary technology that will track occurrences of possible click-fraud, potentially saving clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-existent PPC spending."

With services such as SEM Web Services, Internet marketing is becoming just as measurable as traditional marketing. When a company uses SEM Web Services it can expect WebSourced to identify marketing efforts that generate the greatest return on investment. Reports generated by SEM Web Services give businesses the unique ability to tailor their marketing campaigns to reach exactly the right audience on the Internet at exactly the right time. In addition to at-a-glance reports, SEM Web Services offers in-depth analysis and drill-down reporting for more in-depth campaign management.

"We designed SEM Web Services after hearing from our clients that they needed a quick and simple interface from which to track and monitor the return on investment of their online marketing campaigns," added Andy Beal, vice president of marketing for WebSourced, Inc. "Our services have expanded to include affiliate marketing, email marketing as well as traditional search engine marketing solutions. The unique 'dashboard' approach to marketing analytics will allow us to continue leading the way in Internet marketing services."

SEM Web Services is expected to fully launch by the end of the second quarter and will be rolled out exclusively to WebSourced's 1,400 clients. For more information or to request a demo of the beta, visit www.SEMWebServices.com.
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Yahoo Loses One Scientist Promotes Another
CNet has