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Weekly Search & Social News: 01/12/2010

cgseo — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:32:42 +0000

Welcome to another edition of ‘ 7 Days of Search and Social ‘ – We’re all back in the swing of things after the holidays, although I am still getting caught up over here…sigh. Anyway, it was a pretty good week out in the blogosphere and somewhat drama-free, (always a good thing). While there were plenty of interesting blog posts, the rest of the search geek world was still somewhat sleepy (other than some interesting patents). Without further adieu, the best from the week that was;

Google’s 2009 Acquisitions : Focus on Mobile & Collaboration

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:36:41 +0000

I was reading up on Google acquisitions yesterday and although Google’s acquisition this year is not as many as previous years, particularly 2006 and 2007, Google’s acquisitions in 2009 certainly made sense with their landmark acquisition of AdMob as their most expensive buy. But looking at Google’s 2009 acquisitions from a quality, and not quantity perspective, we see that the company is focusing its takeover of other companies in two major directions : Mobile & Google Apps. The speeding up of the web is essential to growth of mobile computing, whether on the netbook or smartphone, and judging on where Google has put most of its research and development in 2009 : Google Chrome OS, Google powered netbooks, Google Droid Phone and Android Mobile OS … the ability to condense data into a stream which can make the most of our current 3G and mobile networks’ definition of mobile broadband … while also enhance the usefulness of cloud computing, both are essential to Google’s future. Here’s a look at the companies Google acquired in 2009 : On2 – Acquired on August 5, 2009 for $106,500,000 ; On2 is a video compression applications company. As of today, Google has not made any move yet on how it is going to make use of On2, but utilizing it as part of Google Wave and Google Video (which is being tested in GMail Chat) could make cloud conferencing more of a streamlined and less expensive possibility and assist with the adoption of Google Apps by businesses and governments (Washington DC and Los Angeles are currently saving millions using Google Apps). AdMob – Google’s most expensive acquisition of 2009 made it to spend $750,000,000 last month. This could very well fit into Google mobile advertising business and AdMob is the preferred monetization tool of mobile application developers who use AdMob to earn money with free iPhone apps and other downloadable mobile tools. Google will use AdMob to syphon part of Apple’s monetary market in 2010 and integrating AdMob into Google AdSense is an important part of Google’s long term strategy to corner the mobile development market. Gizmo5 – Acquired the same day when Admob was acquired, Gizmo5 is a VoIP company. Google had to spend $30,000,000 for this company, obviously to beef up its Google Voice service, which is again, an essential part of not only Google’s mobile aspirations, but also Google Apps. Teracent – An online display advertising company bought for an undisclosed amount. Google is definitely going to use this for its AdSense program and further expansion into the world of display advertising … or the DoubleClick side of AdSense. While Teracent may not be an obvious mobile oriented acquisition, it will assist Google in better monetizing display advertising by assisting Google’s advertisers with putting together display ads which bring results and sales. The more money Google and its advertisers bring in, the more profitable Google becomes. In my opinion Google beefing up its advertising is a direct target on the Yahoo & Microsoft partnership, as both companies, especially Yahoo, have strong display advertising networks and power display advertising on various online newspapers. Now that Google is bringing the news onto the mobiles and netbooks in an easy to read fashion with Google Fast Flip (the mobile connection), expect Google to make a strong push to work with these same publishing outlets. AppJet (Etherpad) – This online collaboration tool is obviously geared for Google Wave, an essential part of Google Apps and cloud communication. DocVerse – Although still in the planning stages, it looks like Google will soon be acquiring DocVerse, another collaboration tool which allows users to work together around Microsoft Office documents, much in the same manner that Google Docs allows contributors to work on Docs on Spreadsheets. Yet again, another jab at Microsoft and way to streamline applications and make Google Apps an even stronger service in 2010, especially as Microsoft upgrades Office Live. There has been talk of an acquisition of Yelp by Google over the weekend, which could be the largest Google acquisition since YouTube, if not the most important acquisition by Google ever. ( Update: It looks like the deal is off, as TechCrunch reports that Yelp walked away from the negotiation table ). Yelp would be the central offering of Google’s mobile services and would finally complete Google Local with a Google powered review service, instead of its aggregation of other services. With Yelp off the table however, and Google apparently sitting on over $500 million to spend before the end of the year, are there any other companies they should be acquiring? Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Google’s 2009 Acquisitions : Focus on Mobile &

Bing Beats Google in November Search Volume Growth

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:54:54 +0000

Latest comScore data for November search volume is showing a slightly unexpected result. For the second time Bing managed to beat Google in terms of total US core search volumes, while Yahoo’s search volume continues to go down. So while the total US core search volume increased from 13.2% in October to 17.8% Y/Y in November, Microsoft sites domestic core search market share increased by .4% from 9.9% in October to 10.3% in November. Likewise, Microsoft sites domestic core search volume for October-November increased by 38.2% from Q3’s 25.8%. Comparing it with October’s core search volume, it is also up from 30.8% to 46.0%. For Google, domestic core search market slightly increased from 65.4% to 65.6% in November. Core search volume also increased from October’s 17.4% to 21.8%. In the domestic core search for the first two months of Q4, Google’s search volume decreased from 21.1% in Q3 to 19.6% in Q4. As for the remaining search engine: Yahoo! domestic core search market share dropped to 17.5% in November from 18.0% in October. Yahoo! grew November core search volume by 1.1% Y/Y, up from down 0.7% Y/Y growth in October. Yahoo!’s first 2 months of 4Q domestic core search volume growth of 0.2% Y/Y trails 3Q’s 11.6% Y/Y growth. Microsoft sites domestic core search market share increased to 10.3% in November from 9.9% in October . Microsoft sites grew November core search volume by 46.0% Y/Y, up from 30.8% Y/Y growth in October. Microsoft sites domestic core search volume was up 38.2% Y/Y in the first two months of 4Q, ahead of 25.8% Y/Y growth in 3Q. Ask Network domestic core search market share dropped slightly to 3.8% in November from 3.9% in October . Ask grew November core search volume by 10.8% Y/Y, up from 4.2% Y/Y growth in October. Ask Network domestic core search volume was up by 7.4% Y/Y in the first two months of 4Q vs. 4.5% Y/Y growth in 3Q. AOL November domestic core search market share declined to 2.8% from 2.9% in October . AOL November core search volume declined by 13.7% Y/Y vs. a 12.8% Y/Y decline in October. AOL domestic core search volume was down 13.2% Y/Y in the first two months of 4Q vs. a 15.4% decline in 3Q. Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Bing Beats Google in November Search Volume

Bing’s Last Hurrah for 2009, an iPhone App

cgseo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:15:43 +0000

What could be a more fitting way for Bing to end the year on the right note but to release its very own native iPhone app. It’s free and available now at the iTunes Apps Store (iTunes Link). Key Features of the Bing iPhone app include: Daily image from Bing.com Easy to access voice search Tips and tricks on the home page “Locate Me” functionality Ability to add pushpins and save locations Show multiple locations on a single map The Bing iPhone app adds to previous Bing-related iPhone apps released by Microsoft which include – Bing for Windows phone, BlackBerry, Sidekick and select BREW-based devices on Verizon and Bing for Mobile . It also competes with rivals Yahoo Mobile and Google Mobile iPhone apps. Downloading Bing iPhone now and will see how it works and update this post. Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Bing’s Last Hurrah for 2009, an iPhone

Google Apps Cross Promoting To Local Business Center Users

cgseo — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:45:43 +0000

I received the first cross promotion pitch I can recall getting from one Google product group for another. In this this case, my Google Local Business Center account information was used to pitch Google Apps Premier Edition to my business. Google Apps LBC Google Local Business Center users can try Google Apps for a free 30-day trial period. After 30 days, Google Apps Premiere Edition runs $50 per user per year. Interested businesses can calculate the potential savings to switch from another messaging service provider to Google Apps with a Cost Savings Calculator. Google Apps Messaging Cost Saving Calculator In the above example, Google Apps provides a compelling cost benefit analysis for switching from Microsoft Exchange 2007 to Google’s Premier Edition.

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Google Apps Cross Promoting To Local Business Center Users

Google vs. Apple : Epic Battle of Droids, Tunes & Systems

cgseo — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:27:13 +0000

For several years now, Google and Apple have been complimentary partners. Google was expertly integrated with the Apple iPhone, and the company’s engineers work tirelessly to bring many of their services to the Apple platform in addition to the PC and Linux platforms. They’ve been pals for much of the search engine’s lifespan. Google’s chief financial officer, Eric Schmidt, was even a member of Apple’s board of directors since August 2006. And immediately after Schmidt left Apple’s boardroom this year, Google has made much more of a push into areas that have thus far been dominated by Apple and Microsoft: browsers, operating systems, music services, and now, even Google-powered phones and Google netbooks . Schmidt’s resignation from the Apple board in 2009 was a signal to many that Google would be frequently stepping on Apple’s toes and looking to them as more of a competitor than partner. With that in mind, many can’t help but wonder which company will fare better and come out on top. Apple has been around since 1976. Google was established in 1998. In terms of length of time in business, Apple has got Google beat by more than two decades. In terms of brand awareness, however, Google trumps Apple, coming in at No. 7 on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands List for 2009 . Apple comes in at a respectable No. 20. Google is no stranger to going up against more established competitors and coming out on top. Case in point – Microsoft. In terms of search, they’ve been battling it out, and while Microsoft’s latest incarnation of search – Bing – is doing extremely well ( when it’s working ), Google still has more searches, and by quite a lot. While Microsoft has an advantage in the operating system and browser markets, with the majority of computers coming pre-installed with Windows and Internet Explorer, Google’s raising some eyebrows with their Android OS and Chrome browser. Battlefront #1: Music & OnDemand

Google Makes its Clean Search Portal Cleaner

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:32:47 +0000

While the Microsoft folks are peppering the Bing portal with all the bling-blings to make search enticing and attractive to users, Google is doing the opposite way. Google just launched a new cleaner and simpler interface to its already simple and clean search portal. So if you check out Google.com right now, what will greet you is the all familiar clean page but now with only four elements initially – the Google logo, search box, “Google Search” and “I’m Feeling Lucky” buttons. You can immediately type in your search term and click on the appropriate button and Google gives you the search results or if you miss the the other elements of the previous Google search portal, you simply move the mouse and everything will go back to how it was before. Pretty sleek, although I’m not really sure whether the change is necessary at all. I could understand the need to be different from the rest of the major search engines but the changes are rather useless in terms of search capability. But then, what else could Google do to improve its search engine anyway? Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Google Makes its Clean Search Portal

Microsoft Announces Bing Maps, Mobile App, Toolbar and Visual Search

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:39:06 +0000

This could be Bing’s last hurrah for the year, as Microsoft launches Bing Maps in beta while at the same time announces a new Bing mobile app, a new toolbar and a visual search experience in the coming days. While all these new features seem pretty exciting, Bing Maps beta which runs on Microsoft’s Silverlight looks to be the most promising. Feature-rich Bing

Thanksgiving Logos from Google, Yahoo & Bing

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:35:55 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving from Search Engine Journal to all of the search industry and all readers who come across our site. This year, I’m spending my Thanksgiving morning shacked up in a Hampton Inn in Tamarc, FL .. watching the Macys Parade on the TV, enjoying my continental breakfast and getting ready to head over to Dave Snyder’s parents’ house for an unofficial Search & Social Thanksgiving Dinner. Along with turkey, Macys, pumpkin pecan pie, the Lions, the Cowboys, Tums and other Thanksgiving traditions also comes the Thanksgiving logos from Google, Yahoo, Microsoft’s Bing and other search engines. Google serves up a Peanuts logo with Snoopy & Woodstock : Yahoo’s Animated Thanskgiving Turkey Logo : Bing’s Overhead View of a Turkey Float : Ask.com Pays Tribute to the Pilgrims : Dogpile.com Also Goes Pilgrim with a nice Thanksgiving Theme : Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Thanksgiving Logos from Google, Yahoo &

Canadian, Australian Authorities Clear Microsoft/Yahoo Deal

cgseo — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:32:23 +0000

Two down, two to go for the Microsoft-Yahoo search ads deal. Both the Canadian and Australiation anti-trust authorities have just cleared the controversial deal. In a joint announced published by SeattlePI blog , Yahoo and Microsoft jointly stated that: “Microsoft and Yahoo! have been notified that Australian and Canadian authorities have separately concluded their reviews and have no objections to our proposed search agreement.” The two companies also said that their deal will pave the way for a more competitive marketplace for the benefit of consumers, advertisers, publishers, and hope that the deal will be closed by 2010. The deal did not find any problem passing through the scrutiny of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission since Microsoft and Yahoo already have an existing partnership in Australia. In fact, the ACCC opined that the deal would make both Microsoft and Yahoo a worthy competitor to Google. Meanwhile, the Canadian Competition Bureau has also finished reviewing the search ad deal although they have not yet issued any public statement approving it. With that, the deal now awaits the approval of both the European and American anti-trust bodies, which in the opinion of many analysts will give Microsoft and Yahoo a hard time. Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Canadian, Australian Authorities Clear Microsoft/Yahoo