Category: Search Engines
3 New Search Engines to Spice Up Your Results
Posted by alex on May 14, 2008 at 11:16 AM
I want to take a little time today to summarize just a tiny sampling of the many different search engines that are placing effort into developing new, creative, and innovative ways to search.
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Live Search Gets Gussied Up
Posted by keirsun on May 07, 2008 at 02:32 PM
Microsoft's Live Search engine is sporting a new look today. Let's take a look at the features of the new layout.
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Yahoo Turns on SearchScan Security Feature
Posted by keirsun on May 06, 2008 at 11:02 AM
If you used Yahoo to perform your morning searches today, you may have noticed a bright red warning at the top of your search results. This warning is the result of a new feature called SearchScan.
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Microsoft Pulls the Plug on Yahoo Deal
Posted by keirsun on May 05, 2008 at 09:19 AM
Over the weekend Microsoft withdrew its bid to purchase Yahoo, after Yahoo's CEO refused an increased offer of roughly $47-billion, or $33 a share.
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7 Reasons We Need to Monitor Google's Growth
Posted by keirsun on April 30, 2008 at 04:15 PM
It's the last day of April, and that means this is the conclusion of our monthlong magnification of the world's most popular search engine company. As a recap, I'm going to run through the top 7 reasons we all need to stay aware of Google's growth in the search market and, more importantly, elsewhere.
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Google Builds Data Center in Small Town, North Carolina
Posted by amy on April 29, 2008 at 02:08 PM
In 2005, Google, looking to build a $600 million dollar data center complex, showed up in North Carolina. We see how a small town made big adjustments to accommodate a large company, hoping for tax money to boost the town's suffering economy.
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The Google Voice: Free Speech in Search
Posted by amy on April 24, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Our monthlong magnification of Google continues with a look at Google's search results, and how they have been recognized as having what seems like a very human right - freedom of speech.
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Google Stockholders: Selling Class A Shares, Class B Rights
Posted by amy on April 23, 2008 at 01:52 PM
We've been talking about Google, their business, their practices and products, and their future, but what we haven't talked about is who is making the big decisions. Today we examine the power of Google's stockholders.
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Google Goes To Washington: Lobbying From A Parking Lot?
Posted by amy on April 22, 2008 at 03:47 PM
Google has hired some of the top lobbyists in the country to pound the pavement on Capitol Hill, advocating on the issues that concern Google. Our monthlong magnification of Google continues with a look at the search engine's initiatives in Washington D.C.
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The Politics of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft: Searching for a Winner in the 2008 Presidential Election
Posted by amy on April 21, 2008 at 02:10 PM
With the highly anticipated Pennsylvania primaries taking place tomorrow, it seemed like an appropriate time to take a look at Google's position in the political contest, and how their biggest competitors compare.
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Examining Google's Plans for Your Medical Records
Posted by amy on April 18, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Google looks to be preparing to patent a system for scanning medical records to serve relevant ads to doctors while they are accessing the patient's medical records.
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Google Still Wins in FCC 700-megahertz Auction: They've Got Your Numbers Now
Posted by amy on April 16, 2008 at 09:15 AM
Our Monthlong Magnification of Google continues with an examination of Google's participation in the FCC Auction of 700-megahertz radio frequencies, and how it relates to a patent the search engine company filed in March of 2006.
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Google Hairspray is Patently Puzzling
Posted by maureen on April 14, 2008 at 03:12 PM
We're continuing our Monthlong Magnification of Google with a look at Google's patents, patent applications, and patent transfers - even the ones that seem a bit absurd.
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Yahoo Tests Google Search Ads: A Search Rivalry
Posted by amy on April 11, 2008 at 03:52 PM
In what has been discussed as an attempt to push Microsoft to raise its bid to purchase Yahoo, Yahoo has agreed to a two-week test of Google's search ads.
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Mapping Google's Stake in 23andMe
Posted by keirsun on April 10, 2008 at 02:44 PM
We continue our Monthlong Magnification of Google with a closer look at Google's investment in 23andMe, a personal DNA mapping service.
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Google's Users are the Real Commodities - Pt. 3
Posted by keirsun on April 07, 2008 at 01:37 PM
If you've been following along, then you already know what user information Google collects with its name-brand services, in addition to the kind of user information collected by Google via services such as YouTube, Picasa, Blogger and Orkut. Today, in Part 3 of our mini-series, we want to throw out the question: What does this mean for the future of Google?
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Google's Users are the Real Commodities - Pt. 2
Posted by amy on April 04, 2008 at 03:17 PM
Information about you and your life is recorded when you choose to use Google-owned sites such as Blogger, Orkut, Picasa and YouTube. Our Monthlong Magnification of Google continues with a look at what information Google collects about you on these popular social media and social networking sites.
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Google Announces Performics Sale
Posted by keirsun on April 03, 2008 at 08:54 AM
Google has announced plans to put Performics up for sale. When the Performics purchase was announced, many online marketers pointed out the obvious conflict of interest in a search engine running its own search engine marketing company.
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Google's Users are the Real Commodities - Pt. 1
Posted by amy on April 02, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Our Monthlong Magnification of Google continues with a rundown of the personal information collected by specific Google products and services.
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Google Knows More about You than Your Spouse Does
Posted by maureen on April 01, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Our Monthlong Magnification of Google begins with a look at what Google may know about you after only 30 minutes on your laptop.
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1 Followed by 100 Zeros
A Monthlong Magnification of Google
Posted by keirsun on April 01, 2008 at 10:16 AM
You use 'Google' as a verb, you're more than familiar with YouTube and, on more than one occasion, Google Maps have been your compass. You know all about Google, right? Well, Google is really much more than search and social—and it's the 'more' part that is the interesting and revealing part about Google.
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A Monthlong Magnification of Google" »
Google To Prohibit Bidding On Competitor Names?
Posted by vern on March 25, 2008 at 11:41 AM
You may have noticed a recent addition to the organic search results in Google when searching on a brand name or brand URL. A search for www.bestbuy.com serves as a great example. See the search box in the organic listing labeled Best Buy? The button next to the search box invites me to "Search bestbuy.com". The addition of this search box has created quite a stir in the eCommerce community. Working through a likely search scenario demonstrates the cause for concern. Say I'm in the market for a battery for my HP laptop. I shop Best Buy often and I...
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Google Japan Uses Tabs, Plays Catch-Up to Yahoo! Japan
Posted by drew on March 20, 2008 at 08:06 AM
A new Google Japan homepage was released yesterday with tabs to popular Google features, such as Image Search, YouTube, Picasa, Blogger, and more. This seems to be a step in a different direction from Universal Search by dividing the content before the user even searches.
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Google Snags SEO Services & SEMPO Seat in DoubleClick Deal
Posted by keirsun on March 12, 2008 at 11:28 AM
It's official. Google has acquired DoubleClick, a digital marketing company, for $3.1 billion. In the process of this acquisition, Google has also become the proud owner of its very own SEO/SEM company: DoubleClick Performics.
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Dear Jerry Yang...
Posted by on February 20, 2008 at 09:00 AM
On a daily basis we're inundated with predictions, theories and hypotheses as to the fate of Yahoo!. Everyone has a right to their opinion they're happy to weigh in with slightly less certainty than we'd expect from a Magic Eight Ball. The only common theme among these forecasts seems to be that the acquisition by Microsoft is a forgone conclusion.
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Why I Shouldn't Write about Microsoft's Attempted Takeover of Yahoo!
Posted by Christopher on February 07, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Everyone is talking about Microsoft's attempted takeover of Yahoo! This move, says Google, threatens the innovation that's made Yahoo! such a great competitor. What!?!?! In search?
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Life After Google
Posted by on January 31, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Lately there's been a rash of Hollywood movies, television specials and documentaries concerning the fate of the human race. We speculate on the demise of the most powerful business entity the world has ever known: Google.
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The Reports of Google's Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
Posted by on January 21, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Bad news from The Googleplex this weekend. Search share is down. Down. Not down by a lot. But down.
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Google's Knol - Attack of a Clone
Posted by mike k on December 18, 2007 at 02:58 PM
This past week Google announced its Project Knol. We take a closer look at Knol, which appears to be another clone of Wikipedia's user-generated knowledge database.
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AskEraser Wipes the Search Slate Clean
Posted by keirsun on December 11, 2007 at 09:41 AM
As of this morning, Ask.com is making it amazingly simple for its users to search anonymously. The new feature is called AskEraser.
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Google, Subdomains & Subdirectories, Oh My!
Posted by teal on December 10, 2007 at 10:54 AM
In the past week or so, there has been significant chatter online about Google's stance on subdomains. Learn how Google is changing how it handles subdomains for some search queries.
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PageRank - Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Posted by Christopher on December 04, 2007 at 01:15 PM
Google's PageRank, like Alexa, has long been a questionable indicator of a site's actual "rank." Supposedly based on both the number and quality of incoming links, plus some secret sauce that's never been completely demystified (go figure), the accuracy of PageRank* is called into question by anomalies/"rule breakers" and updates that are sporadic at best. I defy anyone to go into any SEO forum and find a thread discussing PageRank in which all the participants agree. That said, there was still a collective "what the hell?!?!?!" and "uh-oh!!!!" when Google rolled out its latest PageRank update and people, especially those...
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Saving The World At Google?
Posted by vern on November 30, 2007 at 01:27 PM
Recently it seems that Google is operating under a new mandate. Time was that "Do No Evil" was the corporate mantra, guiding their every move. Two highly publicized initiatives take this philosophy a step further. The Google phone promises to reduce competition and deliver a better cell phone experience. The Google energy project hopes to make electric power generation cheaper than coal, benefiting all of mankind; not just those with cell phones. What's behind this new "Go Forth And Do Good", save the planet attitude in Mountain View? Are these initiatives really altruistic in nature? Or designed to expand the...
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Microsoft's New Search Marketing Plan: 10, 20, 30, 40, fantasy?
Posted by mike k on November 21, 2007 at 02:04 PM
Microsoft's new search marketing plan: 10, 20, 30, 40, fantasy? Microsoft’s plans to be 'one of the top two' in web advertising within the next 3-5 years.
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Is Google Really Evil? A Second Opinion
Posted by on November 14, 2007 at 02:20 PM
Why is Google so unstoppable, you Ask? Because internet users said, "Mahalo" to user-centric services, leaving the other Yahoos staring out their Windows in contemplation. Everyone in our industry has an opinion about Google, but the unavoidable truth is that everything Google touches skyrockets in value because they pass the value on to us in the form of ad-supported, web-based programs. Companies under Google’s steamroller are either wising up to the paradigm shift or finding flexibility hard on the bottom line. Either way, they all wish they would have thought of it first. Before you mistake this for a Google...
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It's Almost Winter: Time to Search for a Shrink
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 03:11 PM
Psychiatrists in Northern Michigan need a friendlier web presence; if you're a psychiatrist, you might think about relocating to Traverse City.
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Putting Mahalo to the Test
Posted by on October 16, 2007 at 01:48 PM
With four months under its belt, we decide to put Mahalo, the human-guided search engine, to the test.
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Powerset - A Worthy Adversary for Google?
Posted by luke on September 24, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Backed by an impressive roster of investors and a licensing relationship with Palo Alto Research Center, Powerset has ambitions to change the way we search online. How exactly do the people behind Powerset plan to do this you ask? It's simple; by building a natural language search engine with the ability to read and understand every sentence on the web. The truth is this will not be simple at all. Beyond the initial challenge of indexing the entire web, the Powerset search engine will require users to shift their search behavior away from the two to three keyword queries to...
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The News is Google News
Posted by tim on September 04, 2007 at 01:08 PM
In what has to be considered almost a master stroke of timing, Google, on Friday, announced an almost seismic shift in the way it will deal in news content. Moving forward, Google will now directly host content from four major news sources: the Press Association of Britain, Canadian Press, the Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse. The AP is probably the biggest of these, but I find the Agence France-Presse the most interesting. In the not so very distant past, this very news organization brought suit against Google for using its content and pictures without permission. I suppose it's a convenient...
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Pontiac G6 Image Search - A Search Engine Challenge
Posted by duncan on August 30, 2007 at 08:53 AM
I set out last night to put the image search functions of Yahoo, Google, MSN's Live Search, and Ask to a challenge. Which engine would give me the best experience? This is a blog entry on purely subjective like or dislike. Part of my goal was to pay attention to my immediate reactions once each search engine returned its image search results. All I needed was a keyword phrase to type in to start my challenge. As a normal evening goes at my house, it wasn't long before something came up that needed to be searched. The search topic revealed...
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Google Webmaster Tools Supports non-English Domain Names
Posted by steve on August 28, 2007 at 01:22 PM
Google announces that Webmaster Tools is now allowing for the submission of non-English domains.
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Ask.com Should Buy Microsoft
Posted by vern on August 24, 2007 at 04:35 PM
I’m sure you’ve seen the recent TV spots for Ask.com. The latest round of ads certainly has my colleagues and I scratching our heads. Just what are they trying to accomplish? Sure any publicity is good publicity, but racing barstools? C’mon. Shift gears to Microsoft (sorry, no pun intended) and the increased focus on their search offering. I’ve seen TV, print and online banner ads - tastefully done, not terrifically compelling, but clever enough. Enough of the B2C marketing these two companies are doing to generate public traffic on their search engines. Let’s talk about customer service and follow through...
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Google Spies Like Us
Posted by chip on August 08, 2007 at 08:57 AM
This week Google announced its Business Referral Program, which pays people for referring businesses to Google's local directory. Now I'll let you explore the details of this program for yourself, but the overall concept involves paying local reps, or Google spies, $10 for every business they successfully refer to Google Local. Now at face value, I can see Google's interest in building up its local directory in order to offer users the most complete local results possible no matter the location. After all, hasn't Google always been about offering users the most complete and relevant search results possible. Why would...
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Bulk up Your Robot: Sitemap Autodiscovery Supported by Major Engines
Posted by teal on July 27, 2007 at 04:10 PM
It's been a long time coming, and while to Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com, Sitemaps Autodiscovery is old news, to MSN it's brand new. About three months after the formation of Sitemaps.org, and three months after Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com began supporting Sitemaps Autodiscovery, MSN's Live Search has finally caught up. According to this short, yet clear Search Engine Roundtable post, some are a bit frustrated at how long we've waited for this. But don't hold your breath; according to this WebmasterWorld thread, it could still be a couple of months before the service is widespread. Interestingly, "msndude" who participated in...
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A Mobile Retail Revolution
Posted by on July 26, 2007 at 02:13 PM
Why spend your time navigating through a crowded mall while searching for your next purchase? Turn to your home computer or mobile phone to search your local shopping mall. Local shopping has gotten easier through an innovative new way to merge the gap between online and in-store shopping. NearbyNow Inc. combines local search with mobile technology to make "shopping centers searchable on the Internet and mobile phones." NearbyNow users are able to search an entire mall’s inventory from the convenience of their living room. Mall rats can even use SMS queries from their mobile devices to find products or sales...
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Search Data Anonymity - Can AskEraser Affect Search Engine Usage?
Posted by steve on July 24, 2007 at 01:30 PM
Yahoo has recently announced that it will join Google, Ask and Microsoft in making search data "anonymous" after a set period of time. Yahoo stated that after 13 months, search data would become anonymous by deleting all cookie ID and IP address information which could be used to link specific searches to users of their engine. The pressure on these major companies to not only make search data anonymous, but to also be more open regarding the types of information attained from users, has been more greatly applied since the "accidental" release of user search data from AOL a year...
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Separation of Search and State
Posted by on July 12, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Posted to Google's Health Advertising Blog on June, 29th was an entry called Does negative press make you Sicko? In this post, Google Account Manager Lauren Turner champions the Health Industry by offering them a solution to their Michael Moore-damaged image through, you guessed it, Google Advertising. Though auspicious by intent, the blog was poorly dressed in partisan language. Moore attacks health insurers, health providers, and pharmaceutical companies by connecting them to isolated and emotional stories of the system at its worst. Moore’s film portrays the industry as money and marketing driven, and fails to show healthcare’s interest in patient...
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A Mixed Message Leads to Missed Opportunity
Posted by on July 06, 2007 at 01:13 AM
This statement could be accurately applied to lots of situations, but for the sake of sticking to the subject of this blog, I'll try to keep it to search engines. But I apologize for any future digression beforehand, since I'm frequently guilty of that whole digression thing. Two recent conversations have brought into stark relief the fact that it's a %@#&! miracle anyone is understood by anyone else. Ever. The first involved the topic of communication clarity and how it affects Google (and life in general). Here is the definition of semiotics from Wikipedia: "Semiotics, semiotic studies, or semiology is...
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The Fantastic Four: Google, Yahoo, MSN & Ask
Posted by samantha on June 13, 2007 at 08:07 AM
Last Friday night, while at the movies, I happened to see a preview for the new Fantastic Four movie - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. While marveling (no pun intended) at the special effects on the theater's recently installed digital movie screen, I, being the Internet geek that I am, thought about the Fantastic Four in terms of search engine optimization and the four major search engines: Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask. Since I enjoy finding similarities in things that one wouldn't necessarily expect, I figured that it might be fun to figure out which search engine would...
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Search Marketing Standard - A Useful Tool
Posted by duncan on May 30, 2007 at 10:27 AM
Recently I was mending a fence in my front yard. The U.S. Mail truck came by and dropped a few items in my mail box by the street. It was a hot day so I set my hammer down, grabbed my lemonade, and headed over to get the mail. I was pleased to see the Summer 2007 edition of Search Marketing Standard. Like most online marketing professionals I do the majority of my reading and research online. I have my favorite news sites, forums, and blogs just like anyone else. The print version of Search Marketing Standard is a welcome...
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Universal Optimization: The Vertical Advantage
Posted by adam on May 29, 2007 at 12:53 PM
Everyone paying attention should now know about the rollout of Google’s Universal SERP. With the introduction of the new search results format, new opportunities and challenges present themselves depending on the website’s business model and goals. In this entry I’m going to discuss some examples of how sites can effectively use Google’s new search format to oust the competition with a greater share of the SERP. Real Estate: There are two Google vertical products that are integrated with the SERP for a user’s search query on a local real estate agent based on the new Universal format, Google Maps and...
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The Future: Google’s Universal Search
Posted by on May 25, 2007 at 01:19 PM
Google recently announced the debut of Universal Search, a major shift in the way the engine will deliver search results. Increasingly, results from Google's vertical search engines, such as News, Images, Videos, Blogs, Local and more, will appear within the normal Web search results. Joining these vertical silos of information with Google's regular search results will change the search engine landscape forever. In other words, Google is growing up. Google’s simplicity of design, user friendliness, and massive index of the web have all driven it to become a household name and the number one search engine in the world in...
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Asking About Ask.com
Posted by keirsun on May 15, 2007 at 10:59 AM
One question that a few of my clients ask from time to time is, "Why does it take so long for Ask.com to find new content on my site?" My answer: "Our monitoring of Ask search results suggests a slow down in Ask's web crawling." Allow me to illustrate in pictures. As you may already be aware, Google offers a "Cached" site version, which shows you what Google saw the last time its web crawler visited your site. Occasionally, Ask also offers a cached version, but in many cases you're likely to find a binoculars icon instead next to an...
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A Search Tribute to Mom
Posted by on May 14, 2007 at 12:50 PM
Google’s had a nice decade-long run. Yahoo’s been around for twice that. But the first search engine, dating back to well before the use of the terms SERP or Pay-Per-Click, is celebrating countless centuries as an indispensable, absolutely essential resource. Yeah, the first search engine is Mom. Let’s examine this. 24-hour availability. Overwhelmed? Overjoyed? Need help? Just bored? She’s there. Highly relevant. Personalized, even. "Andrew, I’m sure you’ll like this yellow plaid shirt." "You’re crazy, Lady." (Nope, you’re right. Six years later, sadly, you’re definitely right.) Always gets you where you need to go. Decades ago, soccer practice. More recently,...
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Who's on the Green Team?
Posted by teal on May 10, 2007 at 12:40 PM
I like it when I hear about corporations playing a part in the clean-up of our environment. Companies that make an effort to help clean up our Earth not only get great PR, but also set a precedence for the maintenance and consideration of our world. The other morning as I sat clutching my first cup of coffee watching America this Morning, I caught a teaser for an upcoming story that mentioned three very familiar corporations and their efforts to clean up and/or maintain our precious environment. Having to leave for work I unfortunately missed the story, but I did...
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YahMicroHooSoft
Posted by tim on May 04, 2007 at 12:11 PM
There is much scuttle today about the idea of Microsoft and Yahoo! entering into at least preliminary discussions around the idea of somehow coming together to form an alliance. The most obvious theory, of course, is that they are potentially scared of Google; so this is a desperate act. Personally, I think it’s far from a desperate act. Despite the meteoric flight of Google stock since the IPO and the bumps and bruises that Yahoo! and Microsoft have taken of late, both of those companies have a lot to offer and could probably continue to do just fine on their...
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The Rise of Brand Google
Posted by on April 26, 2007 at 02:06 PM
Google continues to redefine the age we live in and to become a household name across the globe. Just 10 years ago Google was barely a glimmer in the eyes of its founders. Now according to a recent study, Google is the most valuable brand in the world. Surpassing long-time well-established brands such as Microsoft, Coca-Cola, General Electric and Wal-Mart, Google has done so with flying colors. In 2006, Google ranked #7 in the world’s top brands. A year later, they have grown 77% in brand value, based on intangible assets that create a competitive advantage, and have jumped to...
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Who's Your SEO?
Posted by dave on April 24, 2007 at 04:46 PM
With its recent purchase of Internet ad serving developer and provider DoubleClick, Google has taken another step into the deep end of the ethics pool. In addition to buying a company that has already been investigated for violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act, by purchasing DoubleClick, Google has also acquired Performics - the Internet marketing division of DoubleClick. A clear conflict of interest, what Google does next with this SEO/SEM company could be vital in determining what, if any of their credibility for returning quality search results is to remain. So, what should Google do? Should they keep Performics?...
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Google’s Pay-Per-Action: Greatest Invention Since Sliced Bread?
Posted by on March 28, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Last week Google broke news of the beta launch for its Pay-Per-Action (or Cost-Per-Action) pricing model. The new program is available through Google's AdSense content network and allows advertisers to potentially increase their advertising reach. Advertisers can predetermine what “actions” they are willing to pay for and how much they will pay for a completed action rather than paying per click or impression. Many critics are acclaiming the new pricing model as a great addition to the search advertising world, but I beg to differ. With this new pricing model addition Google is shifting the traditional role of the search...
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Google & I Release a Disc Golf Search Engine
Posted by duncan on March 21, 2007 at 09:32 AM
Google and I recently worked together to build a specialty search engine devoted to disc golf. What? When did Duncan start working with Google? This new Disc Golf Search Engine is made possible by a new offering from Google Co-op. It turns out that Google is offering anyone the ability to build a custom search engine through the Co-op tools. For my blog this month, I decided to go ahead and build a custom search engine to see how it works. I chose disc golf as a topic because disc golfers are always weeding through search engine listing pages trying...
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Google Calls 'Shotgun' on Auto Loans
Posted by keirsun on March 06, 2007 at 10:34 AM
I have an auto loan. No surprise there - many people take out loans to buy an automobile. And like most people, I can wistfully imagine the day when I no longer have an auto loan. I only hope my Toyota truck is still eager to cruise the back roads when that day arrives. But let's put this in reverse for a moment. In order to get a loan I first needed to find a lender. Using a search engine named Google (you may have heard of it) I came across Capital One Auto Finance. Nice rates, easy to navigate...
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MSN brings LeBron James to Digital Life
Posted by steve on February 20, 2007 at 10:57 AM
If you're a huge LeBron James fan, you may have heard by now that he is teaming up with MSN to bring his fans, and all others interested, a site which will reveal the experiences, challenges and accomplishments he encountered on his way to NBA super-stardom. LeBron.msn.com is geared toward kids and teens and is designed to provide users with a unique, interactive and inspirational depiction of the basketball star's dedication to his team, friends, family and community, while also giving users the opportunity share in his experiences by participating in a variety of activities. I think this is a...
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Looking for Live.com? Go to Google
Posted by keirsun on January 02, 2007 at 10:31 AM
It's a new year. So why not start out 2007 with a question: Why is Live.com advertising on Google? The answer seems obvious enough - to drive traffic to Live.com. But what does that say to a Google user? "Sure, you already chose Google to deliver your search results. But Live.com offers search results too!" That's hardly a selling point. I guess I don't see the benefit in Live.com maintaining a search marketing campaign using Google AdWords. Or could it be that so few people even know that Live.com exists, that Microsoft is willing to sleep with the enemy in...
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The Trend of Search Engine Safety
Posted by steve on December 19, 2006 at 11:23 AM
Last week, McAfee Inc. released a study which outlined statistics revealing the safety of the five major search engines: Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL and Ask. The statistics showed that AOL is the safest among the five, with only 3.6% of organic results labeled as being "unsafe", while Yahoo, on the other hand, was deemed the riskiest among the five with 5.1% of search results leading to precarious web sites. The study took into account a variety of factors, including organic vs. sponsored results, the use of the word "free" in search queries, and adult vs. non-adult search terms. Surprisingly, sponsored...
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Straight Up Site of Interest - Readable Search Results
Posted by keirsun on December 14, 2006 at 10:34 AM
It's time once again to pop the hood on our Straight Up Site of Interest. This (somewhat) monthly post focuses on forward-thinking internet technologies and the websites that drive them. Before you know it, you'll have another answer to this very important question: "How can I market my website?" This month's topic: Readable Search Results Straight Up Site of Interest: Big.com In Their Own Words: "The most readable results on the web." First Impression: In a nutshell, Big.com is designed for people who would like to see their search results displayed in a larger font. Of course, it's simple enough...
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Thanksgiving To Go
Posted by on November 22, 2006 at 10:54 AM
The days of the traditional homemade Thanksgiving dinner are changing for many. “Meal time in America is changing.” says Michael Sansolo, a spokesman for the Food Marketing Institute in Washington, D.C. “An increasing percent of the population might not have the time or know-how to prepare these giant Thanksgiving or Christmas meals.” Twenty years ago, the thought of ordering Thanksgiving Dinner over the internet never existed. In fact, many would feel guilty if they didn’t make everything completely from scratch. Today, companies like DineWise offer Thanksgiving Dinner with all of the trimmings, delivered to your door. On one hand it...
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What is Yahoo! Food Cooking up for the Holidays?
Posted by teal on November 08, 2006 at 04:13 PM
With the holiday season right around the corner, Yahoo! has perfectly timed the launch of its newest service, Yahoo! Food. Potentially a competitor for Bon Appétit, the Food Network, and CNET's Chow.com, Yahoo! Food is intended to provide users with helpful tips from celebs like Rachel Ray, Wolfgang Puck, and Martha Stewart, not to mention features like Yahoo! Food Videos, food Q & A, and much more. As I prepare to host my very first Thanksgiving dinner (don't worry, my grandma is coming a few days early so no firefighters will have to pull themselves away from their own feast...
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Local Marketing Horror Story - This Could Happen To You!
Posted by on October 13, 2006 at 11:17 AM
Happy Friday the 13th everyone. It's that time of year again here in Northern Michigan - trees are tinged with red and gold, leaves crackling underfoot, pumpkins and mums, goblins and ghouls, snow... Yes, it's also snowing here today. Please don't ask. Anyway, last night I went online to search for some vintage clothing stores in the Ann Arbor area. Since I don't live there, I needed some online directory assistance. Little did I know that I would find myself pitted against a sinister force of marketing ignorance that was truly bone chilling in the number of unsuspecting users affected....
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GooTube and Yougle - A Cautionary Tale
Posted by Christopher on October 11, 2006 at 04:58 PM
Disclaimer: this post in no way reflects the author's seething jealousy over two guys who had a pretty good idea being made insta-billionaires by two other guys who had a pretty good idea, and are already billionaires. Flannery O'Connor wrote a story, and then Shriekback made a song out of it: Everything that Rises Must Converge. Here's the thing: imagine every potentiality as a sphere, and moving up or down said sphere a scale of success, of fulfillment of said potential; were that sphere a globe, you and I and most of the rest of us would be hanging out...
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Go Google, Go Google, It’s Your Birthday, You’re a Rockstar!
Posted by on September 27, 2006 at 03:54 PM
Today, Google turns eight. I’m sure that the folks in Mountain View are (as I type) gathered around a cake frosted in bold, primary colored icing and waiting patiently to blow out the candles. Now there’s debate over which day exactly should serve as Google’s birthday. For a number of years the occasion was celebrated on the 7th of September. According to Google, "Google opened its doors in September 1998. The exact date when we celebrate our birthday has moved around over the years, depending on when people feel like having cake". Those zany Googlers! In all seriousness, the company’s...
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Do Personalized Search Engines Limit the Web Experience?
Posted by chip on September 21, 2006 at 01:59 PM
Lately there has been a lot of hype around the personalized search experience. In a world where we want everything from our cars to our martinis custom tailored to our personal preferences, is customizing the search engine taking things just a little too far? After all, isn't the whole purpose of a search engine to help us find stuff? If we limit a search engine's results, aren't we really limiting our web experience and potentially blocking ourselves off from a world of valuable resources? Nevertheless, several companies are making moves to incorporate our tendency to prefer things that are custom...
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Windows Live beta: Who Doesn't Like New Stuff?
Posted by teal on September 07, 2006 at 02:19 PM
I like new stuff: new shoes, new car, new jeans, new hair-do, new softball bat, shoot, I even enjoy a new toothbrush. There's something about picking out the features you need, or want, and selecting a product or item that fulfills these criteria. When looking for a new product to satisfy a need there's a fair amount of research that comes along with choosing this new item. The final product must satisfy a majority, if not all, of your criteria, and when you bring it home and use it, you must feel satisfied that you made the right choice. Now,...
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Straight Up Site of Interest - Local Search
Posted by keirsun on September 06, 2006 at 03:08 PM
It's time once again to rotate the tires and go for a spin in the Straight Up Site of Interest. This monthly post focuses on forward-thinking internet technologies and the websites that drive them. After taking in the view, you'll have another answer to this very important question: "How can I market my website?" This month's topic: Local Search (and more specifically, a local search engine) Straight Up Site of Interest: TrueLocal In Their Own Words: "At TrueLocal, we want you to get off of the internet, turn off your computer, get in your car, and go buy something! After...
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Google Office 2.0
Posted by on August 31, 2006 at 01:49 PM
How do you tap into Microsoft's $12 billion/year Office application revenue stream? If you're Google, give it away for free of course. Google recently announced the beta release of Google Apps for Domains. Google Apps for Domains is mainly targeted towards small to mid sized businesses, offering Gmail, Instant Messenger Chat, Shared Calendars, and a simple web page creator application. What does this mean for businesses? It's Google's way of attempting to convince millions of Microsoft Exchange and Messenger clients to move over to Google's free applications. Rumor has it that Google also plans on adding Google Spreadsheet and the...
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Google Coupons - No Sunday Paper Required
Posted by on August 23, 2006 at 12:31 PM
You no longer have to wait for the mail or newspaper to arrive at your doorstep to receive the latest promotional offerings by local businesses in your area. With Google Maps (also known as Google Local), these offerings are closer than you think. In an August 15th press release, Google announced that it has partnered with the direct marketing powerhouse, ValPak, to offer print-at-home coupons for business listings found on Google Maps, also increasing the reach for ValPak's current print-at-home coupon sponsors. So how does it work and what's in it for Google? I decided to perform my own test...
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Growing Up Google
Posted by dave on August 17, 2006 at 03:32 PM
Whether made as a conscious decision, or instituted through a forcible takeover, it happens to all of us. At some point we stop being carefree children and start to become responsible, bill paying, 401k investing adults. After this change occurs, nothing is ever the same. Now, instead of worrying about being home for dinner you worry about insurance rates, mortgages and retirement plans. It's amazing how things change. To help prevent the "generification" of its brand name, Google recently sent out a series of legal letters to media organizations, asking them not to use the company name as a verb....
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Who are You? Yahoo! Mail and Search Engine Results
Posted by teal on August 08, 2006 at 03:49 PM
"Personalization" on the web is becoming very popular. Sites like MySpace and Yahoo! seem to go to great lengths to allow users to create their own "identities" online - both intellectually and physically. Even MSN allows the user to change the background color of the homepage, thus creating their very own "personalized" search medium. Because it is ever-so-interesting to see how I am allowed to represent myself online and how I perceive myself (given the limitations of my choices) I decided to see how I look in Yahoo!'s eyes. With Yahoo! Mail a user can create a physical icon of...
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Clash of the Titans
Posted by on July 26, 2006 at 05:57 PM
Ever wonder what it would be like to be Larry Page or Sergey Brin? You know, Google's rich and fabulous co-founders that are on a mission to rule the world. That might not be your opinion, but it would be if you ran some of the other internet juggernauts. Some examples include, but are not limited to: Yahoo Microsoft eBay Amazon It's a copy-cat world, and nowhere is that more apparent than on the internet. Just recently, Amazon announced plans to launch an ad-free video download service. This fresh on the heals of both Google and Yahoo having recently launched...
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You Down with ODP?
Posted by Christopher on July 17, 2006 at 12:15 PM
In a recent Matt Cutts blog post (for the unaware: Matt Cutts is a Google engineer, one relatively famous in this admittedly rarified subsphere of society) the great sage introduced the META "NOODP" tag, and how it can help webmasters control, somewhat, the appearance of their results in Google. Why does this even matter? On occasion, Google will use the Title and Description from your site's DMOZ listing in its own search results. Of course, this only matters if your website is listed in DMOZ (for the uninitiated, the Open Directory Project, hence ODP, hence my opportunity to both celebrate...
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Language, Dialect, and Google
Posted by teal on July 11, 2006 at 08:23 AM
From a young age, my accent and dialect has been commented on. See, I am a Yooper. For those of you who don't know what a Yooper is, that means I am from the most northern part of Michigan, the Upper Peninsula (or the UP). As a Yooper, I picked up a slight accent that is reminiscent of a Canadian accent, and along with this lovely accent comes a dialect that attracts some comments. At Oneupweb, I spend a fair amount of time researching keywords and how people search the Internet. I am also at the tail end of my...
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Ask.com, MSN, Yahoo! & The National Cherry Festival
Posted by duncan on June 27, 2006 at 08:03 AM
Each year the National Cherry Festival hits Traverse City, Michigan in the first week of July. Cherry Fest (local jargon) brings a series of challenges with it. You can participate in a variety of fun and unique challenges like the cherry spitting contest and sand castle building contest, or team events punctuated by the bed race and the milk jug boat regatta. So why not bring another challenge to the Cherry Festival? I announce the Cherry Fest Local Search Engine Challenge. I'll be the only judge, and I'll make the rules as I go. Let's see what the local search...
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The Niche Search Market
Posted by chip on May 23, 2006 at 12:26 PM
The major players of the search engine world are constantly tweaking their algorithms in an effort to improve their results. While each one would like you to think that their results are more relevant than the next, I can't help but wonder if this is where the true opportunity lies. While I agree that some engines are clearly better than others at what they do; whether they return better results, have a more user friendly interface or simply do a reasonable job filtering spam, this is not what this post is about, and so I will keep these opinions to...
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Use Tools, Feel Human - Is Ask's TV Campaign Working?
Posted by on May 22, 2006 at 09:23 AM
I have to admit, I find Ask.com's television commercials rather entertaining and humorous. But are they having an effect on searchers?
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Google Should Go Hungry when IE Serves Up MSN
Posted by dave on May 04, 2006 at 10:03 AM
By now, you have most likely either seen or heard about the NY Times article discussing Google's recent complaint to the United States Justice Department (the same Justice Department Google recently sparred with in regards to handing over search data). The complaint focused on Microsoft making MSN the default search engine on the new IE 7 web browser. In case you haven't had a chance to read the NYT article, what Google is essentially asking the Justice Department to do is force Microsoft to make it easier for people using Internet Explorer 7 to choose a search function other than...
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Copyright Infringement & the Real Meaning of "Google"
Posted by vern on April 27, 2006 at 01:34 PM
Being the true search marketing professional that I am I have to admit that Google is my home page. The artwork that frequently adorns the Google logo adds a bit of welcome distraction as I start my workday. I seldom click on the decorated Google logo because the event the adornment is commemorating is usually very apparent. But last Thursday was different. When a colleague viewed the page before me and asked, "What happened to the Google logo?" I took a quick look and replied, "Some artist's birthday probably." I clicked on the logo and learned of the birthday of...
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Investing Google’s $10 Billion
Posted by admin on April 18, 2006 at 11:47 AM
Recently, CNN.com ran an article titled “What should Google do with its $10 billion war chest?” It mentioned that Google’s $10 billion coffer is predicted to grow to $12 billion by the end of 2006. What kind of a number is that, anyway: $10 billion, or even more so, $12 billion? The ‘B’ word does get bantered about quite a bit these days. Try $274 billion (and running) for the war in Iraq. Or Bill Gates’ net worth of $27.83 billion. Goodness! That is more money than the total global population of 6.5 billion. But I digress. The original question...
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The fools of April, May, June, and October, and…
Posted by on April 05, 2006 at 10:51 AM
By now, most of the online community has likely grown wise to the deliciously witty April fools joke, Google Romance. Google posted a press release, Saturday, April 1st, inviting all to view the Google Romance Tour, and learn more. Okay, I’ll admit to biting, simply because Google seems willing to try its hand at anything in or out of realms of possibility and reason. Someone as jaded as I, however, needn’t read far before realizing that the whole thing is a clever hoax intended to poke fun at Google’s vast array of contextual products and services. Always in the mood...
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Local Search: Is It Really Ready For The Red Carpet?
Posted by on March 31, 2006 at 02:33 PM
A rainy Friday afternoon and I’m in the mood for a movie. I can’t easily recall any recent movie previews and I am not really sure what’s out there. So, I decide to grab the laptop and search for the local movie theater listings. Sounds simple enough, especially since we only have two local cinemas, but what I think will take all of three minutes to find the local movie listings online turns into a major production of trying 3 different Search Engines’ local search functions. I was surprised by what I discovered. My first instinct is to turn to...
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Goodbye Teoma, I'll Miss You
Posted by duncan on March 03, 2006 at 09:52 AM
The Teoma.com search engine is no more. And I will miss it. Well actually, the Teoma brand is no more, but its underlying technology is still available. Earlier this week Teoma.com was redirected to search.ask.com. Teoma holds a place in my heart for the media splash it made a few years back. Teoma came into being with much fan fare and publicity back in 2001 after being in development at Rutgers University since 1998. I warmly recall driving home and listing to NPR's All Things Considered back in early 2002. I couldn't believe I was hearing search industry spokesman Danny...
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Creating Loyal Searchers or Just A Bunch of Yahoopla?
Posted by chip on February 10, 2006 at 04:30 PM
In recent news, Yahoo! has invited a test group to participate in a new search incentive program. The basic premise of the program is to offer incentives to people who use Yahoo! Search as their primary search engine, over the course of a month. Now we are not talking about huge, Ed McMahon-style cash prizes or anything, but perks nonetheless. Elinor Mills of C|Net has reported that Yahoo!'s perks may include: - Advertisment-Free Yahoo! Mail - Unlimited Yahoo! Mail storage - Free music downloads - Donations to the charity of your choice - Netflix discounts - Frequent flyer miles -...
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Suggestions and Stones May Break My Bones
Posted by angie on January 25, 2006 at 01:55 PM
As integrated search marketers, we rely on the Internet for much of our daily communication and research. As Americans, we rely on it for much more. Accounting for a large percentage of daily usage, the Internet, and Google in particular, has become one of our main sources for information. “Google it” has become almost as commonplace as using the word run as an action verb in our language. With all the time and effort we put into the online community, they must love us; right? Being the curious person that I am I decided to give it a whirl, to...
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Up Against the Jordan Bulls of Search
Posted by on January 13, 2006 at 12:56 PM
I don't think there's anything inherently virtuous in rooting for the underdog (unless that underdog is journeyman Paul Shirley) but I loathed the Jordan-era Chicago Bulls. One of the greatest teams of all time? Undoubtedly. Beautiful basketball? Absolutely. 72 wins in one season? Obscene. And that was the problem. You knew that as long as Michael Jordan wasn't off somewhere playing D-league bocce ball, the Bulls were going to win it all. There was no drama, no suspense. Just the nagging feeling that it was all just coming too easily, and that the Bulls weren't really GOOD for basketball as...
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It Was Making the People Happy that Made You Rich
Posted by tim on June 09, 2005 at 08:04 AM
Stuntdubl does a nice job of summing up some of the all too common frustration with Google. To offer some of my own experience, I think that Yahoo! has made tremendous strides in customer service over the last few months and would actually put them a bit ahead of Google right now, most specifically in the PPC arena (although neither one is where they could/should be). Just to highlight a couple of the points in the post; I think it's worth remembering that Yahoo! has been public for a while now. They've gone through some of the growing pains already...
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Be Afraid?
Posted by tim on March 31, 2005 at 10:23 AM
So it's not really a great cause for alarm, but I had a strange feeling when I read about the launch of the new search engine Blingo. The basic premise is that Blingo is like any other search engine (powered by Google in fact), but every time you run a search, you have a chance to win a prize. From Blingo's own press release: "Visitors to the Blingo website search for words or phrases, just like on other popular search engines, but at Blingo each search is also a chance to instantly win prizes. This month, Blingo prizes include Apple...
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Change is Good
Posted by tim on January 28, 2005 at 04:17 PM
MSN, long working on its own search technology, is in the process of completing a full-scale rollout of the new technology from beta to live service. Fantastic. The introduction of a new search index, with such strong backing is very welcome. Several smaller organizations have introduced their own versions of search engines, but none have the same sort of foundation as MSN. Many of the smaller engines use existing databases, or pull meta data from several sources. MSN is introducing an entirely new algorithm and database. Now the million dollar question (drum roll), why does it matter? Having a new...
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