Search Engine Roundtable cover SES NYC March 1, 2005

 

Survey Warns Google on Customer Loyalty March 1, 2005

 

From DMNews:

"Nielsen//NetRatings, New York, said new data showing that 58 percent of Google searchers also use at least one of the other top two search engines, Yahoo and MSN, put Google on notice to stay on top of its game.

"With more share than its two nearest competitors combined, Google sets the pace in the search business," said Ken Cassar, director of strategic analysis at Nielsen//NetRatings. "However, the opportunities that MSN and Yahoo enjoy by virtue of their broader media offerings give them an important platform from which to attack the industry leader.""

 

The Importance of Log Analysis part VI - using the data March 1, 2005

 

Yesterday's posting looked at the terminology and accuracy (or lack of) of some of the server log analysis applications. Today's posting, the last in the series, looks at what you can actually do with the information you gain, and how you can use it to save... Read rest of article here

 

Yahoo celebrates a decade online March 2, 2005

 

Yahoo turns 10 today.

For many of us, this may seem surprisingly young. Even though Google are still King of the Hill, Yahoo seems to have been around forever.

But apparently it's only ten years.

From the BBC news website:

"Originally dubbed "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" the firm adopted the moniker Yahoo because the founders liked the dictionary definition of a yahoo as a rude, unsophisticated, uncouth person."

 

ValueClick Rebrands Search; SEO Launches Engine Tracker March 2, 2005

 

From DMNews:

"Search engine marketers debuted a flurry of programs yesterday at the Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo.

ValueClick Inc., Westlake Village, CA, said it is rebranding and expanding its paid search offerings under the ValueClick Search brand.

Search optimization firm SEO Inc., Carlsbad, CA, introduced Engine Tracker, which ranks and tracks Web sites so advertisers can quickly spot significant changes in their online marketing campaigns."

 

Search Engine Roundtable cover SES NYC part II March 2, 2005

 

More highlights of the Search Engine Strategies Conference from the Search Engine Roundtable:

Webfeeds, Blogs & Search.

What is Spam?

 

Did-it, Enquiro, and Eyetools Uncover Google's Golden Triangle March 2, 2005

 

A joint eye tracking study conducted by search marketing firms Enquiro and Did-it.com and eye tracking firm Eyetools has shown that the vast majority of eye tracking activity during a search happens in a triangle at the top of the search results page indicating that the areas of maximum interest create a "golden triangle."

 

Firefox Adoption Shows Signs of Cooling March 2, 2005

 

ClickZ Stats are reporting that although Firefox is still stealing market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer, the adoption rates are slowing slightly.

"According to WebSideStory, Firefox adoption in the U.S. across all operating systems reached 5.69 percent as of February 18, 2005, an increase of 0.74 percent in market share since January 14. After gaining 1.03 percentage points of market share from November to December, adoption of the new Mozilla browser cooled slightly to a 0.89 percent increase from December to January. It slowed further between January and February."

 

GoTo became Overture becomes Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions March 3, 2005

 

In general I'm not a great fan of renaming products and services. If a product has a good name and reputation, then why throw it away for something new? If it doesn't have a good reputation, then surely it'll take more than a new name to fix whatever ails it?

Which is why I was a little surprised to see that Overture Services are being re-renamed to Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions.

Personally I liked GoTo.

"In conjunction with Overture's re-branding, Yahoo! will launch a new Advertising Solutions Center in the U.S., through which businesses can plan and buy Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions products. In addition, the new center will offer marketers information about Yahoo!'s customized, creative media solutions, providing them access to the largest set of search marketing and brand advertising solutions on the web."

 

Yahoo opens search engine to developers March 3, 2005

 

From the UK's Personal Computer World:

"Yahoo has launched a network giving developers access to the company's technology through web services-based APIs.

The interfaces allow application developers to create services that mix search results from an intranet with web search results or stories from Yahoo News. They can also use Yahoo's spelling correction technology to check online forms filled out by employees or customers."

 

Final countdown begins for Windows 2000 March 3, 2005

 

From ITP Technology:

"There will be no fifth service pack for Microsoft's Windows 2000 OS. Instead the company will issue a one-off security update for the aging OS, named 'Update Rollup', in mid-2005.

Microsoft last month announced how Update Rollup, for Windows 2000's Service Pack 4 (SP4), will contain all security-related updates produced for the OS between the time SP4 was released and the release of this last major update. Update Rollup will also contain some non-security updates."

 

Search Engine Roundtable cover SES NYC part III - Reaching out to Europe March 3, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Harrison Magun from AR Search presented an overview of European search. He asks, why do US companies want to market on European search engines? Frist there is increased distribution, competitive advantages, more receptive marketing sometimes, and first mover opportunities. He continues that you can leverage foreign exchange possibilities. There are about 190 million internet users in the US, combined in Europe there is about the same."

Tell it like it is!

 

Yahoo testing AdSense-style contextual advertising program? March 4, 2005

 

From Waxy.org:

"So, I think I have a scoop. I've discovered that Yahoo is very quietly testing their new contextual advertising program for blogs and other small publishers, a la Google Adsense."

 

Google's secret of success? Dealing with failure March 4, 2005

 

CNET are running a fascinating article on how Google physically operate.

 

The Great RSS Reader Bandwagon March 4, 2005

 

ClickZ Experts are looking at the phenomena of the RSS newsreader bandwagon:

"One thing publishers definitely shouldn't do is hide their heads in the sand and hope consumers never notice the content consumption revolution going on around them.

"We're seeing a profound shift in the way people interact with content," Simon Waldman, director of digital media at The Guardian, told me. "I don't know what business models are, or what the roles should be for the content providers and aggregators. All of that is pretty much up in the air in the moment. For us as the market-leading player in the U.K., we went to be in there, be in there early and understand it."

 

Will Click Prices Continue to Rise? March 4, 2005

 

Another interesting article from ClickZ Experts, this time on the issue of rising pay-per-click (PPC) prices:

"If you want to stay engaged in the search war, you must position yourself as a winner. Marketers will be forced into a brutal, real-time auction marketplace for search traffic. The marketer able to maximize the clickstream's value will be one of only a handful of winners.

Do you want to be the brilliant marketer at the top of the ever-more expensive search results or accept defeat? The only other option is to act like a lunatic and spend wantonly. Either way, click prices will rise over time. The question is, how quickly? The answer is different in every industry sector."

 

Google takes 'beta' off desktop search March 7, 2005

 

CNET's News.com are reporting that Google will introduce the full version of their desktop search application today, Monday March 7th. The beta test period is now over.

"All the search companies are hoping to lock in new visitors with desktop applications because they believe it will help them drive more Web searches--and hence more advertising sales. Search-related advertising is expected to be worth between $4 billion and $5 billion this year."

The question is when will Gmail go live? Search engine, desktop search tool, browser toolbar, email service, digital image software, whatever next? A browser perhaps?

 

Music industry 'nails UK pirates' March 7, 2005

 

The BBC News website are reporting that the UK music industry has claimed victory in its first battle with illegal file sharers.

23 people paid £50,000 (around US$ 96,000) to settle out of court.

""These settlements show we can and we will enforce the law," the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said.

The BPI has launched a second wave of cases, pursuing 31 more file-sharers.

BPI general counsel Geoff Taylor said: "We are determined to find people who illegally distribute music, whichever peer-to-peer network they use, and to make them compensate the artists and labels they are stealing from.""

 

WinFS To Be Available on Windows XP March 7, 2005

 

"Microsoft is back-porting its WinFS file-system technology to Windows XP, the same way that it is doing with its Windows presentation and communications subsystems, according to company officials.

The acknowledgement is significant, given that Microsoft has been reticent to offer any details on WinFS since the company decided in August to cut the WinFS information storage and retrieval feature from both the client and server versions of Longhorn."

 

Nonconverting Keywords and the Search Continuum, Part 2 March 7, 2005

 

Part II of an interesting article from ClickZ Experts:

"I'm stunned that research from comScore Networks and Overture Services came and went during the last few weeks without our entire industry screaming, "Stop the presses!" In my last column, I reviewed some results of the research. This week, there's just one critical finding I'll focus on.

ComScore's study followed searchers 12 weeks from a "start query" for computer or consumer electronic products to their eventual purchase for. Of all conversions, 92 percent took place offline."

 

Marketing to Virtual Me March 7, 2005

 

Another interesting article from ClickZ Experts:

"If you as marketers want to communicate with virtual me, you must become part of my virtual world. And the virtual world operates with different rules than the physical one. "Telling and selling" is frowned upon, "listening and learning" is applauded. I expect full control over who I engage with in the virtual world, and I don't like being interrupted. I seek answers to my questions and search for information when I need it. I determine with whom I want to have connections.

In the virtual channel, we have greater control than ever before over how we look to marketers and advertisers. Physical addresses may be a good indicator of net worth and purchasing power, but in the virtual world marketers may not know physical addresses. They only know user names. It's up to the user how much information he choose to reveals."

 

Yahoo! Netrospective: 10 years, 100 moments of the Web March 8, 2005

 

Yahoo have chosen to celebrate their 10th Birthday in a fairly unique and original style.

 

Internet Played Bigger Role in U.S. Politics in '04 March 8, 2005

 

From ClickZ Stats:

"Roughly 75 million Americans used the Internet to connect to politics in 2004. They sought election news, exchanged political e-mail, made campaign contributions and blogged, according to a post-election study conducted by The Pew Internet & American Life Project. This figure equals roughly 37 percent of the adult population, and 61 percent of American Internet users."

 

'Legal okay' for Russian MP3 site March 8, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"A Russian website offering MP3 tracks for sale has been cleared of breaching copyright laws, say reports.

Last month the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (IFPI) urged Russian authorities to take action against AllofMP3.com.

But Moscow prosecutors will not take legal action because Russian copyright laws do not cover digital media, according to news agency Tass."

 

Level of Trust for Matt Cutts' Sandbox Explanation @ SES NYC March 8, 2005

 

The SearchEngineWatch forums have an interesting discussion on some of the facts that emerged from SES NYC about the so-called "sandbox effect".

"I'm hoping to get some discussion on what I and several others "read between the lines" based on what Matt Cutts' (and Craig Manning) had to say about the "sandbox effect". It was my impression that both suggested that Google watches for sites that fall outside the norms in their sector for link building and optimization efforts and will "hold back" those sites until they can be manually reviewed to lift the penalty."

 

Subservient Chicken Dissected March 8, 2005

 

I'm guessing that nine out of ten people reading this posting will remember Burger King's "Subservient Chicken" campaign last year. But why did they do it, what did they hope to achieve, and did it work?

This intriguing article answers all of these questions and more.

"After being seeded into several Internet chat rooms, the "Subservient Chicken" instantly struck a nerve with bloggers, in part because the site's technology allowed users to type in nearly anything and get a response from the chicken. He could do jumping jacks, dance, do push-ups and even watch television. He seemed impossible to stump. Within a day after being released, the site had a million hits. Within a week, it had received 20 million hits. Who was behind this strange Web phenomenon? Many visitors to the site were surprised to see it was Burger King."

 

eBay launches classified ad sites March 9, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"Online auction house eBay has launched a series of classified advertising websites in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The move comes as the company faces pressure to match its strong earnings growth figures of recent years."

 

Search Marketer Adds 'Intelligent' Landing Pages March 9, 2005

 

From DMNews:

"New technology being tested will let marketers target videos and other rich media to search engine users.

Search engine marketing firm Impaqt, Bridgeville, PA, launched Intelligent Landing Pages, a technology that sends rich media corresponding to the user's search based on four data points: ZIP code and demographic information, keywords typed, the engine being used and content of the ad.

"Variation in those data points will alter the equation behind the scenes and lead us to serve a different landing page," said Richard Haggerty, CEO of Impaqt."

 

Google sniffs around VoIP conference March 9, 2005

 

From Silicon.com:

"A team of Google honchos met this week with several net telephone service providers, sources familiar with the talks told silicon.com's sister site CNET News.com, renewing speculation that the search giant may be exploring a move into the fast-growing market."

 

Software patent directive adopted March 9, 2005

 

From ZDNet UK:

"The European Council adopted the software patent directive on Monday, despite requests from Denmark, Poland and Portugal to reject the directive.

An EU Council spokeswoman said on Monday morning that the Computer Implemented Inventions Directive had been adopted, but was unable to give more details."

 

Confirmation: Yahoo is testing a Google Adsense competitor March 9, 2005

 

From SiliconValleyWatcher:

"SiliconValleyWatcher has confirmed that Yahoo, through its advertising network Overture, is testing "YPN" a competitor to Google Adsense--the hugely profitable advertising network.

The confirmation came from a highly informed source at Yahoo. And it follows the recent discovery of strange ads on the blog of Yahoo program manager Ken Rudman."

 

Yahoo! Directory Ranks Pages by Popularity March 9, 2005

 

From Search Engine Roundtable:

"The Yahoo! Directory has gone under some revisions. One such revision is that it now defaults the sorting of the directory listings by "popularity". What does "by popularity" mean? Well, in the Yahoo! Directory Help section it states;

By default, Directory site listings are presented sorted by popularity and relevance. Sites that are most popular with users or the most relevant to the category appear at the top of the site listings. The order of web sites or web documents is based upon Yahoo! Search Technology. If the category is large, the listings will display over multiple pages with pagination displayed at bottom of the page."

 

WinFS lives again! But in XP not Longhorn March 10, 2005

 

TechWorld are reporting that rumours of the demise of WinFS may have been greatly exaggerated.

Exaggerated? So it's only half dead then?

 

Google News Gets Customised March 10, 2005

 

Google News have added an impressive new feature that allows users to customise (or even customize) the layout of their news page. Very slick.

 

Google Bans Own Pages for 'Cloaking' March 10, 2005

 

From MarketingVOX News:

"Giving itself a taste of its own medicine, Google is banning some of its own pages for inadvertently using a forbidden search engine optimization tactic."

 

What should Yahoo do to lure AdSense publishers? March 10, 2005

 

An interesting discussion on the WebmasterWorld forums is looking at what Yahoo could or should do to lure publishers from AdSense:

"It really depends on what kinds of publishers Yaho wants to lure. Is Yahoo looking to establish a premium network, or does it just want to get a piece of the AdSense market with a me-too network?

If it's going the premium route, just the fact that it's doing so will be an incentive to some publishers; if it's going the me-too route, then little things like more detailed reports, direct deposit, etc. may do the trick. Trying to offer more money may not be as easy as it sounds, though, because Google's compensation formula isn't as simple as an obvious percentage split."

 

Marketers Split on Contextual Ad Effectiveness March 10, 2005

 

ClickZ News is looking at the contentious issue of contextual ads:

"Despite early criticism of contextual ads, more marketers are turning to them to extend the reach of their search campaigns. But experts warn there are pitfalls if the campaign is not managed properly."

 

If the world was run like eBay March 11, 2005

 

The BBC News website are running an interesting article on the rise of the "eBay model".

"Unlike most of its competitors eBay does not stock anything. It merely facilitates an exchange by putting buyer and seller in contact with one another (and, for the privilege, takes a slice of commission on each sale).

In e-commerce circles it's widely seen as the perfect business model - a sort of physical manifestation of the peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, such as Kazaa, that allow online sharing of music and movies. The bosses at eBay need not dirty their hands with tiresome things like stock management, distribution and after-sales service - they leave that to us, the users."

 

Interview with the KDE and Gnome UI/Usability Developers March 11, 2005

 

OSnews are running an interesting interview with Waldo Bastian and Aaron J. Seigo from the KDE project and Havoc Pennington from the Gnome.

Topics include the "perfect UI", Windows Certification (and other stamps of approval), the Windows XP interface and more.

 

Google Index Size Numbers have decreased ? March 11, 2005

 

A discussion on the Search Engine Watch forums is debating the issue of whether the Google Index Size Numbers have decreased.

"Google has been very big on link analysis for their algo; PageRank (and HITS, right around the same time) were foundational for link_based relevancy - they're the grand-daddies of it. PR and links as relevancy indicators were foundational for Google, and there's conjecture (with substantial credibility) that they have a separate database for titles and anchor text.

We're moving into what some call the "third generation" of search technology. It just may be that they are working on correlations between lexical and link analysis for relevancy. Even a surface look at the published papers on that kind of algos or systems can show how complex it is, and how difficult it would be to implement and still maintain relevancy in search results.

I personally don't believe Google or any search engine will ever be "finished" with refining and moving forward to the closest they can get to relevant results, with regard to meeting the needs of what's relevant from the perspective of the everyday user."

 

The Best of Eyetrack III: What We Saw When We Looked Through Their Eyes March 11, 2005

 

Everyone has been talking about the Eyetrack project, and everyone's seen the same graph.

So why not read what the Eyetrack III project managers have to say for themselves?

"News websites have been with us for about a decade, and editors and designers still struggle with many unanswered questions: Is homepage layout effective? ... What effect do blurbs on the homepage have compared to headlines? ... When is multimedia appropriate? ... Are ads placed where they will be seen by the audience?

The Eyetrack III research released by The Poynter Institute, the Estlow Center for Journalism & New Media, and Eyetools could help answer those questions and more. Eyetracking research like this won't provide THE answer to those questions. But combined with other site metrics already used by news website managers -- usability testing, focus groups, log analysis -- the Eyetrack III findings could provide some direction for improving news websites."

 

Click Fraud: If Everyone Benefits, Who Will Stop It? March 14, 2005

 

From DMNews:

"Like spam, the main obstacle in fighting click fraud is the profitability for the fraudsters. With click prices growing steadily, all forms of click fraud are surefire moneymakers for those committing them. The engines stand to profit as well -- at least in the short run, as long as click fraud doesn't alienate advertisers -- because they get paid by advertisers for fraudulent clicks that aren't contested.

According to Jupiter analyst Niki Scevak, who spoke at the SES conference, click fraud has no effect on a search engine's revenue. Marketers bid based on a cost per order/action basis; if they make $100 from a sale, they can afford 100 clicks at $1. If the 50 percent of those clicks that we assume are fraudulent disappear, they can afford $2 a click and will raise the bid price."

 

What's a Downloaded Episode Worth? March 14, 2005

 

From Kuro5hin:

"Over the last few days I've been collecting information about what people would shell out for a pay-per-episode (not pay-per-view) series. Compared to four years ago when I last pondered this question, people seem much more willing to spend a little to get good entertainment, which in itself is a massive shift of opinion. But in the process of gathering this data, I think I may have discovered that you can only ever charge $1 for anything online, no matter how much it costs to make..."

 

Google confirming your humanity March 14, 2005

 

It appears that Google are starting to crack down on software robots.

Their URL submission form is now using the well-known "ransom note" form of authentication.

Let's hope that this isn't the start of a trend.

 

Yahoo seeks to expand in Google territory March 14, 2005

 

CNET are continuing to add their voices to the Yahoo AdSense theorists.

 

Big Brands Equal Big SEO Opportunities March 14, 2005

 

An interesting article on ClickZ Experts puts forward the idea that SEO may allows SMBs to beat the big-brands at their own game.

Or in plain English, search engine optimisation allows the small-medium sized businesses to outperform many of their large rivals.

""Search is the great marketing equalizer," said Anthony Iaffaldano, Reprise Media's marketing director. "Customers are won or lost one at a time, with costs per lead rarely exceeding a dollar. At that rate, any business can compete with any other, regardless of their size. A local store can suddenly afford premium placement right along side Wal-Mart (and in some cases even higher).""

 

Apple makes blogs reveal sources March 15, 2005

 

The BBC News website are reporting that Apple have won their legal fight to make three bloggers reveal who told them about unreleased products:

"The bid to unmask the employees leaking information was launched in December 2004 following online articles about Apple's Asteroid product.

Now Apple has won the right to see e-mail records from the three bloggers to root out the culprit.

A lawyer for the three bloggers said the ruling set a dangerous precedent that could harm all news reporters."

 

Sell Experiences, Not Products March 15, 2005

 

ClickZ Experts are running an interesting variation of the "benefits not features" approach:

"Last year, I bought an iPod at an Apple store. It was more beautifully and luxuriously packaged than a Rolex watch. Opening the box, I felt as if I'd bought something truly wonderful. What I bought wasn't a product, but a total experience that was seamless from beginning to end. Here's what makes the iPod exceptional (and enables Apple to command a premium for the product):"

Pushing features instead of benefits is one of the most common mistakes made by software developers. Developers need to start looking at what their product can do for the consumer, not what the consumer can do with the product.

 

If you agree, click here... March 15, 2005

 

From the BBC news website:

"If cars were sold under the same terms as software, the chances are we would all be walking to work.

The terms and conditions accompanying software go by the formidable name of the End User Licence Agreement or Eula (pronounced to rhyme with fool-ya) and though we have all seen them - typically you have to click a button to agree to them before you can install software - few of us take the time to read them.

Which? warns that this could be a risky strategy. It said that if you do not take a look "you could be unwittingly agreeing to terms that limit your right to compensation, or to a breach of privacy"."

 

Blog Marketing Tips March 15, 2005

 

Lee Odden's Online Marketing SEO Blog has an interesting article on blog marketing tips:

"Three critical components that should be considered for any blog marketing campaign include: content, frequency and distribution."

 

Marketers React to Yahoo! AdSense Alternative March 15, 2005

 

ClickZ News are reporting that most marketers would welcome Yahoo's launch of a contextual ad network for smaller publishers, provided that it's different from Google's AdSense.

"A Yahoo! offering that pays attention to quality of sites in the network, strives for openness in its policies, and offers advertisers more control would be good news for everyone involved, marketers say. Advertisers could benefit from increased competition in an area that has been ruled by Google, and publishers would benefit from having a more attractive revenue-generating option for their sites."

 

Microsoft adds search-linked ads to arsenal March 15, 2005

 

The UK-based Financial Times are reporting that Microsoft are set to unveil their own search-engine based advertising network on Wednesday the 16th April:

"Though widely expected, confirmation of the software giant's plan to build its own advertising network around its search engine will intensify competition in the fastest-growing corner of the online advertising market."

 

No more password with Longhorn? March 16, 2005

 

From Geek.com:

"Microsoft is apparently considering doing away with passwords in its next operating system, code-named Longhorn. Instead, MS is looking into improving security with two-factor authentication. Going beyond a standard password, two-factor authentication requires users to be in possession of something they know, i.e., a Personal Identification Number (PIN), and something they have, i.e., a token."

 

MSN Paid Search Test Good for Advertisers, Bad for Yahoo March 16, 2005

 

From DMNews:

"MSN's move to start its own paid search listings program will benefit advertisers but temporarily hurt Yahoo, industry observers say.

"It's not a great thing for Yahoo, but it is a great thing for advertisers and marketers," said Chris Winfield, president and founder of search engine marketing firm 10e20, New York. "The more competition and the more options, the better.""

 

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 Details Begin to Leak March 16, 2005

 

From Microsoft Watch:

"Sources say that IE 7.0 - which is code-named "Rincon," they hear - will be a tabbed browser.

IE 7.0 will feature international domain name (IDN) support; transparent Portable Network Graphics (PNG) support, which will allow for the display of overlayed images in the browser; and new functionality that will simplify printing from inside IE 7.0, partner sources said. The new browser also will likely include a built-in news aggregator."

 

MSN In Need of an Image Makeover? March 16, 2005

 

From BetaNews:

"In recent months, Microsoft's MSN online services arm has released several products that it sees as "very cool." Most of them, however, have received a lukewarm reception by both early adopters and the media, leaving some MSN employees frustrated and confused as to what exactly they are doing wrong.

An internal debate began within Microsoft after veteran engineer turned Google employee Mark Lucovsky wrote in his Web log that Microsoft no longer knew how to "ship" software. He noted that work from Microsoft engineers could take years to reach customers while "software as a service" companies such as Amazon and Google deliver improvements overnight."

 

SEM Industries Days are Numbered March 16, 2005

 

From Search Engine Roundtable:

"An article by MediaWeek named Search-Specific Agencies Fight for Survival has sparked a heated and passionate debate over at Search Engine Watch forums, under the thread title Will SEM exist 3 years from now?."

 

Google to Launch AdSense/AdWords Hybrid March 16, 2005

 

From MarketingVOX:

"A search blog reports that Google is creating a hybrid AdSense/AdWords product that will allow small publishers to place, as in AdSense, a text ad box on their sites. But instead of containing contextual ads, this one lists searches that are popular relative to the site's content."

 

Digital River purchases the SWREG business from Atlantic Coast. March 16, 2005

 

Yesterday the shares of Atlantic Coast PLC., the owner of the SWREG service, became the property of Digital River Inc.

I can't find any details on either the SWREG or DR websites right now, but SWREG account holders will see an explanation from Steve Lee when they log in.

Good for SWREG? Maybe, maybe not.

Good for the developers that use their services? Maybe, but I think not.

Good for the industry? No. Not at all.

 

Pair convicted of internet piracy March 17, 2005

 

The BBC News website are reporting that two men, part of a network of software pirates known as Drink Or Die, have been convicted of conspiracy to defraud.

"Det Con Kevin Brownless, one of those who led the inquiry in Britain, said it was wrong to think of DOD as "Robin Hoods", stealing software from big corporations and distributing it free on the internet.

Bell and Dowd claimed throughout their Old Bailey trial they had not done anything illegal. They said they were simply downloading software so they could try it out before deciding whether to buy it."

 

How do I get a press release listed in Google News? March 17, 2005

 

The Cre8asite forums are discussing how to get your press release listed in Google News.

 

AdSense Adds Ad Links, Payment Options & Updates TOS March 17, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"If you login to your AdSense account you will have to pass through an "Accept Contract" page which has updates to the AdSense TOS; "revisions to this agreement in the following sections: 1-7, 9, 15-17.""

As ever, the Search Engine Roundtable have picked out the pertinent facts for your perusal!

 

Tips for Helping Your RSS Feed Perform March 17, 2005

 

Small Business Software are running an interesting article on optimising your RSS feed for the search engines.

 

Active Home Web Use by Country, February 2005 March 17, 2005

 

From ClickZ Stats:

"The active at-home Internet audience for the 10 countries tracked by Nielsen//NetRatings increased an overall 0.5 percent from November 2004 to February 2005.

Among the leading gainers, the U.K. showed the fastest rise, increasing 11.3 percent from November to February."

 

The day after the SWREG announcement March 17, 2005

 

The Shareware Industry was more than a little rocked by yesterday's news that Digital River had purchased SWREG.

However in the short term, I don't think there's any reason to panic.

Digital River have become the Microsoft of the Shareware world. Many companies feel threatened by them, and I think that there's often (but not always) a little jealousy involved.

Many of the small (and not so small) companies strive to portray a corporate image. Yet we simultaneously sneer at the "suits" with their slick suits, professional presentations and oh-so-corporate gift of the gab.

And many look at companies like Digital River as outsiders. "This is our industry, and we don't like big companies dipping their greedy hands in", right?

But the fact is that they are a successful company. They're good at what they do. And being good at what they do means treating their customers the right way.

As far as I know, they haven't raised the prices within any of the companies that they've purchased within the last few years.

And aside from inevitable glitches and hiccups that are to be expected when a company changes hands, their levels of support haven't been affected either.

Digital River do not employ child labour, do not pollute the skies and seas, nor do they exploit their customers.

And contrary to popular belief, they are not the Borg either! The Borg assimilate other species. DR only make them wear the same t-shirts at conferences!

However, I don't believe that what they are doing is good for the industry. Without a doubt, they're taking away choice from the many developers and companies that use these services. And limited choice is not good for the consumers. Us.

While there are still other options out there, the list of reputable and established alternatives is shrinking at an alarming speed.

I don't want to panic, nor do I want to point fingers for the wrong reasons. But I hope that this is the last registration service that Digital River pull under their wing. And I hope that it wasn't one too many.

On a lighter note, I'd like to point out that we saw this coming well over a year ago. See our picture of Steve Lee at the European Shareware Conference in 2003!

 

Microsoft steps to the table with paid search March 18, 2005

 

From InfoWorld:

"Microsoft leaped into the paid-search online advertising world Wednesday with the introduction of the beta of MSN adCenter, which will provide advertisers with demographic usage profiles linked to keywords."

 

Microsoft Describes Spyware Categories And Responses March 18, 2005

 

From InformationWeek:

"The white paper describes in detail some of the factors the AntiSpyware program looks for when trying to determine if a program is a threat. Programs that don't provide clear information about their purpose, origin, and expected behavior before a user installs or runs it violate notice and consent expectations. Another major problem is software that installs itself without approval, a classic spyware move, as is software that initiates an outbound connection without user consent or restoring files that a user deleted."

 

Google courts open-source developers March 18, 2005

 

From CNET's News.com:

"Google has launched a new site intended to serve as a central resource for developers working on applications related to the popular search engine."

 

First Screenshots of MSN adCenter March 18, 2005

 

From Search Engine Lowdown:

"Thanks to Charlene Li, we can now bring you actual screenshots of the new MSN adCenter. "

 

Create Landing Pages That Convert March 18, 2005

 

An interesting article on effective landing pages from ClickZ Experts:

"Buying site traffic costs more every minute. Long term, the online business battle will be waged over conversion rates and return on investment (ROI), not traffic acquisition. Those landing pages you pay for so dearly are a logical place to begin your solid commitment to better conversion rates."

 

Diller 'near to' Ask Jeeves buy March 21, 2005

 

The BBC News website are reporting that IAC/InterActiveCorp are close to buying AskJeeves for $2bn.

"Ask Jeeves is the fifth most-queried search engine in the US and has a market value of $1.43bn.

Both The Wall St Journal and The New York Times reported that an offer of about $2bn in IAC shares could be announced as early as Monday."

 

MSN adCenter: Will It Live Up to the Hype? March 21, 2005

 

DMNews are questioning how MSN's AdCenter announcements are being received.

"To some it seems like just another business tactic, but the new MSN paid search service promises to pose a real challenge to Google's and Yahoo's paid search services. The service will allow advertisers the use of Web analytics tools unlike any currently offered by other paid search services.

Previous to beginning a campaign, advertisers will be able to view information on MSN search users including age, gender, geographic location, time of day and lifestyle characteristics. Surely no one can argue that this data will help advertisers better target their ads to the most qualified buyers."

Personally I'm still wondering why it's taking them so long to get this together?

 

BlowSearch Launches PPC Service, Takes Unique Approach to Click Fraud March 21, 2005

 

The SearchEngineLowdown are reporting that BlowSearch are launching their own PPC product next week. Features will include a competitor blocking tool, ROI tracking technology and Traffic Source Selection features.

I don't rate BlowSearch as particularly worthwhile, but their attempt to introduce something genuinely useful might act as a catalyst for Google, Overture and friends. Maybe.

 

Rise in Online-Advertising Prices At Search Sites May Be Overdone March 21, 2005

 

From the Wall Street Journal:

"Search marketers are divided on the question of whether price increases have reached a dangerous level or are simply an expression of Christmas cheer that will prove part of an emerging seasonal pattern for a new industry. The price trend, they say, still points generally upward.

But worries about ad-price softening have weighed on shares of Google and Yahoo recently, despite strong fourth-quarter performances from the two companies. Google's stock is down 17% at $179.98 from a high of $216.80 set Feb. 2, while Yahoo is down 20% at $31.91 from its 52-week high of $39.79 set Dec. 3."

 

EU warns on Microsoft behaviour March 22, 2005

 

The BBC News website are reporting that Microsoft may not have done enough to comply with the anti-trust sanctions.

""On the basis of market test results, we have serious doubts that Microsoft is complying with the interoperability remedy," EU competition spokesman Jonathan Todd said."

 

InterActive Buys Ask Jeeves for $1.85 Billion March 22, 2005

 

As expected, InterActive have announced their purchase of AskJeeves, for a price of $1.85 billion.

From DMNews:

"InterActive, owned by Barry Diller, adds the search engine to its Expedia and Citysearch Internet businesses. Ask Jeeves will stay an independent brand with its headquarters in Oakland, CA, and Steve Berkowitz will continue as CEO.

Shares of Ask Jeeves soared 24 percent on news of the acquisition before trading yesterday."

 

Firefox holier than Internet Explorer - report March 22, 2005

 

From The Inquirer:

"Mozilla-based browsers have more holes than Internet Explorer, Symantec said in its seventh half-yearly Internet Security Threat Report, published yesterday.

The report said Symantec had found 21 vulnerabilities in browsers such as Firefox, compaed with 13 in IE."

 

Yahoo Buying Photo-Sharing Service Flickr March 22, 2005

 

The Associated Press are reporting that Yahoo! have acquired Flickr Inc.

It's all very interesting, but as far as developments in the Search Engine War go, this is just another case of Follow the Google.

 

The First Thing to Do With Your Data March 22, 2005

 

ClickZ Experts have an interesting article by Brian Teasley, on the basics of understanding your customers.

At first glance it might look like just another "how to cover the basics" article, but it is actually worth a quick read.

The points that he outlines are reasonably basic, but the fact is that if you're caught up in software marketing and software promotion, it can sometimes be easy to forget the simple things:

"Some businesses are able to identify their best customers. Identifying your worst customers can be just as lucrative. Do any customers actually cost you money? Many financial institutions have done a good job of identifying customers that cost them money and have taken steps to diminish the number or convert them into profitable ones.

The same questions that apply to your best customers apply to your worst. What are their characteristics? Where do they come from? How do they differ from your other customers?"

 

Absolut Branded Language March 22, 2005

 

Another ClickZ Experts article, this time by Martin Lindstrom, on brand marketing.

"Disney, Kellogg's, and Gillette are three completely different brands with one commonality. Over the past decade, they've established a branded language, whether they know it or not. In my latest book, we found 74 percent of today's consumers associate the word "crunch" with Kellogg's. Another 59 percent consider the word "masculine" and Gillette as one and the same. Americans formed the strongest association of masculinity to Gillette, by an astounding 84 percent."

 

Google extend AdSense March 22, 2005

 

Google have announced a series of changes to their AdSense options, including Ad Links, new payment options, electronic funds transfer and some new ad formats.

 

JupiterResearch: RSS Adoption Not Really Simple March 22, 2005

 

According to an article on DMNews, RSS may not have such a significant effect as a supplemental alternative to e-mail marketing.

"Most marketers remain skeptical of using RSS as a mechanism to supplement their e-mail marketing newsletter content," states the report written by JupiterResearch's David Daniels, Zori Bayriamova and Eric T. Peterson.

According to the New York market researcher, 45 percent of marketers have no plans to deploy RSS to supplement e-mail, and only 5 percent currently do so. The findings were based on a recent executive survey."

The article claims that despite all the advantages offered by RSS, the single biggest hurdle to the technology is slow adoption.

As far as I can see, they're missing the point.

RSS has been around for a number of years now, but despite the sudden boom in interest and usage, it is still a new technology.

Some of the more forward thinking browsers (Mozilla, Maxthon, Opera etc.) are already integrating RSS feeds into their browsers. Meaning that a steadily increasing number of users out there are finding that they have the tools to already take advantage of RSS.

95% of the visitors to our software marketing blog read it through some form of RSS reader.

Will RSS one day replace email? I doubt it, at least not in entirety. But I can see it working alongside email very nicely indeed. In fact we ourselves are already using such a system within our own business.

My prediction? I still think that this is going to be a major year for RSS, and still expect to see significantly more users using the technology by the time 2006 comes around.

I hope that Microsoft's IE7 will include the ability to work with RSS, and I hope that some of the more innovative email clients will see the potential for integrating RSS and regular email.

When they do, remember you read about it here first.

 

Wings of desire March 23, 2005

 

The BBC News website are reporting that despite windows that leak, doors that don't fit and sluggish performance, the DeLorean (car) has aged remarkably well.

It's basically all down to image.

The product is awful. Performance is dreadful. Reliability is a joke.

But it was used in Back to the Future.

Image is everything.

 

Search Engines' Retail Influence Grows; Newspapers' Role Declines March 23, 2005

 

From Yahoo! News:

"Consumers are turning away from newspapers for local shopping information and heading to the web instead, a reflection of the impact Internet search engines are having on the use of traditional media, a study released Tuesday showed.

Fully 70 percent of U.S. households now use the Internet to find local merchants and services, which is equal to the percentage that go to newspapers, according to a survey conducted in February by market research firms Constat Inc. and The Kelsey Group."
Is there really a good reason for any company to nowadays not be prioritising search engine optimisation, search engine optimization or zearch engine optimization?

 

CNET blog Google March 23, 2005

 

It looks as though CNET have now started their own Google blog.

Starting with "How does Google annoy France? Let me count the ways."

 

dedicated IP Myth March 23, 2005

 

The SEO Chat Forums are covering an interesting issue, based on the myth of unique IP addresses:

"I manage a Yahoo Store. It's on the same IP address as a few thousand other Yahoo Stores. I have exchanged links with several of these other stores (all related). My site ranks very well on all of the terms we've targeted. So, I'd have to agree the being on the same IP and exchanging link will not ALONE trigger a penalty.

However, build 10 sites on the same IP and interlink all of them without getting A LOT of other, unique links to each site, and you will indeed see your sites get penalized big time. I have done this and seen the results as well.

So, as with most myths, there is some truth at it's root. Your test may help to approximate where the line is, but it will not be sufficient to define it with any certainty."

 

Net tightens gray-market retail vise March 23, 2005

 

From CNET's News.com:

"Bargain shoppers love the Internet because it offers an easy way to troll for the lowest prices. But it's playing havoc with companies that price goods differently around the globe.

Byzantine trade rules are meant to ensure that importers can't pocket the difference. But manufacturers are increasingly in danger of losing momentum in the fight, thanks to the growing popularity of technologies that connect sellers and buyers across borders with scant oversight."

 

Five offers programme downloads March 24, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"TV channel Five has said it will be the first UK broadcaster to offer parts of its shows for sale as legal downloads.

From Monday, viewers of motoring show Fifth Gear can pay £1.50 [around $2.80] for "DVD quality" downloads of car reviews."

 

Yahoo Inc. Again Expands E-Mail Storage March 24, 2005

 

From Yahoo! News:

"Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) is quadrupling the amount of storage provided with its free e-mail accounts and upgrading its desktop search software in its ongoing duel with rivals Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

Yahoo said late Tuesday that it will provide 1 gigabyte of storage for each free e-mail account. The current limit is 250 megabytes."

 

Visiting Sites That You "Know" - Great Resources Change March 24, 2005

 

I was a little reluctant to post this, as it feels odd linking to people who are linking to us. But such is the nature of the web!

Yesterday's SoftwareMarketingResource blog had a nice mention of our own resources and services.

Sharon Housley made the point that it can sometimes be worthwhile to visit sites that you already "know", as great resources can and do change.

I've been taking Sharon's advice, and she's quite right!

If you're not already reading her SoftwareMarketingResource on a daily basis, then you're missing out.

 

Questions for Seth Godin March 24, 2005

 

ClickZ Features are running an interview with Seth Godin.

I quite like Seth. He seems like a nice guy.

Some of his ideas are quite interesting. But some are a little flawed.

And some are downright odd.

When it comes to the ethics of marketing, and the principles of Search Engine Optimisation, we go our separate ways.

But he still makes for interesting reading.

 

Driving away your visitors March 24, 2005

 

This week's award for stupidity goes to the Journalism.co.uk website - described as the essential site for journalists.

Hopefully none of them have speakers connected to their PCs.

When I go to their website right now, there's a banner ad for British Telecom, featuring some sort of countdown.

When it reaches 00:01, it makes the most horrible, grating and irritating sound. Then starts the ad all over again.

I quite like their website, and find it to be an interesting source of information.

But for the last week or so I've been reading it with my sound muted. I've also learnt how much I rely on my PC's speakers.

As of today, I've removed them from my list of daily websites, and won't be going back.

It's astonishing that a website will do this, when it takes most visitors less than second to leave a website. In fact it's easier to leave a website than turn a page in a magazine or newspaper.

So treat your visitors with some respect. Don't irritate them, and don't demonstrate how they are less important that your advertisers.

 

Apparent Slumps in Internet Market Could Mean New Opportunities for Search Engine Marketers March 28, 2005

 

An article on DMNews is suggesting that keyword prices fell an average of 2 percent from the end of January to the end of February.

A report covering the same time period, from Nielsen/Net Ratings showed that Americans' time on the internet has levelled out at 14 hours per month.

The article questions whether there might be a connection. I can't help but question how much of a conclusion you can draw from a single month's data?

 

Ars Technica traffic report shows Firefox making strides on Windows, OS X March 28, 2005

 

Ars Technica have once again published their long term traffic trends.

Our company works with a lot of raw log data from a fairly large number of companies. But it's still interesting to take a peek at what other companies see in their logs.

It's also staggering how many companies out there have links to their own (non sanitised) stats from their front page. A competitor's dream come true.

 

Toyota woos Net crowd March 28, 2005

 

CNET's News.com are reporting that more than 50 percent of Toyota's cotact with customers occurs via online chat or email.

 

Ages of the Blog March 28, 2005

 

From eMarketer:

A new poll held by CNN, USA Today and Gallup has uncovered some interesting data about blog readership in the US.

According to the survey, few US adults are even aware of blogs, with only 7 percent saying that they are "very familiar" with them, versus 56 percent who are "not at all familiar" with them.

The percentage of internet users who read blog, by age, shows 18-29 year olds with 44 percent, 30-49 year olds with 37 percent, 50-64 year olds with 34 percent, and the 65 and overs with 28 percent.

 

BlowSearch Ad Program Blocks Rivals March 29, 2005