Google Infers User Intent Through Ads Viewed

The New York Times reports that Google is using its own brand of behavioral targeting by serving ads to users based on the ads they previously viewed.

That means if you view ads for certain items, Google would put 2 and 2 together to later serve you ads for related items. A search for canoes and vacations might elicit ads for trips to Vermont.

Source: New York Times

Posted by Paul J. Bruemmer

9:49 AM 0 comments

The Importance of Web Design in Search

Have you seen the new "visual" search engines, Viewzi and SearchMe? They both give you a preview of the websites in their search results. You can see a thumbnail of the page before you click.

With Viewzi, you type in your query and then pick among many different formats: video x3 view, 3D photo cloud view, basic photo view, simple text, web screenshot, etc. Then you see the thumbnail in that format before downloading the page.

With SearchMe, you type your query and then select categories below (advertising & marketing, search engines, computer networking, business news, radio or search all). Then you see some nice size thumbnails you can click on to download the page.

This makes Web Site and page design more important than ever. While Google isn't doing this yet, Ask provides page previews.

Imagine how such a feature might affect search marketing as the trend toward social and visual interaction takes hold on the web. The impression your page preview makes before eliciting a click will be crucial as web design and content drive traffic.

Posted by Paul J. Bruemmer

9:16 AM 0 comments

Google and Yahoo Dominate Mobile Search

Nielsen Mobile reports that Google and Yahoo lead Microsoft in mobile search. Google and Yahoo together account for 79% of the mobile Internet search market, which breaks down:

· Google 61%
· Yahoo 18%
· MSN 5%

Nielsen reports mobile search usage frequency as follows per person:
· Google 9 searches per month
· Yahoo 6.7 searches per month

The top 3 mobile search categories for Q1 2008 were reported as Information, Local Listings and Websites/Navigation.

Source: Nielsen Mobile

Posted by Paul J. Bruemmer

12:00 PM 0 comments

Google + Yahoo = no MSN

Google and Yahoo signed an agreement yesterday that will potentially give Yahoo $800 million in extra annual revenue and $250-$450 million in additional operating cash flow; pending anti-trust review

The deal could go on for 10 years with an initial 4-year period and option to renew for two 3-year periods at Yahoo's discretion. If the deal is canceled before the initial 4-year period, there is a $250 million penalty. That makes it hard for any deal with Microsoft because obviously, Microsoft would want to negate the arrangement with Google.

Yahoo also has an employee severance plan in place that would require payment of $2.4 billion in potential severance payouts to departing workers, making it too expensive for any future Microsoft deals. Yahoo investors are currently suing over this severance plan.

If the Google-Yahoo deal goes through, experts say there's no hope for Microsoft in Search. Google co-founder Sergy Brin said, "We are very excited to be working with Yahoo and that Yahoo remains a very strong company." Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang said, "Clearly, it's time to move on."

Yahoo will continue its regular search results and many of the PPC ads generated by Panama, but some search users in the US and Canada will also see Google ads that will give Yahoo a cut of the fees paid to Google by advertisers. Google ads will be placed next to selected Yahoo search results.

Google and Yahoo also agreed to combine their Instant Messaging platforms, and Yahoo may also help Google improve its display ad business.

Microsoft said in a statement that it is still open to its alternative offer to buy Yahoo's search business; however Yahoo is not willing to sell the search business because it feels search is key to its display advertising business.

In the meantime, Icahn is still trying to replace the Yahoo board with his own group of nominees and has accumulated 10 million shares in Yahoo and has options to buy 49 million more. Yahoo's Board meets on August 1.

Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer

Posted by Paul J. Bruemmer

9:36 AM 0 comments