AdWords tools - from the inside August 1, 2005

 

Why Search Engine Spiders hate your Session IDs August 1, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Sessions can be useful for tracking, up-selling, keeping track of users and so on. So by applying a unique identifier (session ID) in the URL, I can track that person throughout my site.

So one spider might go to the site and get one URL, three others will get three different URLs and so on. Duplicate content disaster..."

Issues With Sessions

 

Joel Hits The High Notes August 1, 2005

 

From the renowned Joel on Software:

"Duplication of software is free. That means that the cost of programmers is spread out over all the copies of the software you sell. With software, you can improve quality without adding to the incremental cost of each unit sold.

Essentially, design adds value faster than it adds cost.

Or, roughly speaking, if you try to skimp on programmers, you'll make crappy software, and you won't even save that much money."

I like this guy.

Hitting the High Notes

 

Pirates on the web? August 2, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"Criminal gangs are increasingly taking advantage of the internet to peddle counterfeit software, say experts."

This is news?

Apparently you can also use the internet to send paperless faxes.

Software pirates tap into technology

 

Slashdot report on Google and Yahoo brain drain August 2, 2005

 

Is there really not enough to go round?

Google and Yahoo Creating Brain Drain?

 

Windows check foiled (again) August 2, 2005

 

It seems that as always, the hackers are one step ahead of Microsoft.

For those who remember the hack for Windows XP activation being released before the OS itself, there will be little surprise that the latest anti-piracy technique has already been foiled.

Twice apparently.

Windows copy protection defeated

And for the curious, the hack itself:

Microsoft "Genuine Advantage" cracked in 24h: window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all'

 

Natural Search Tips that Get Results August 2, 2005

 

Straight from the horse's mouth:

"Any given Web search on a site such as Yahoo! can turn up thousands, sometimes millions, of results.

So if you are trying to grow your business online, you will want to structure your site to improve your rankings in algorithmic (non-sponsored) search results.

Consider implementing the search engine optimization tips below to help you achieve this goal."

Natural Search Tips that Get Results

 

Vista gives Microsoft a headache August 3, 2005

 

From Silicon.com:

"Vista, the name that Microsoft has chosen to christen its next-generation operating system, is causing a few headaches in Redmond as two non-profit organisations are claiming it is too similar to the name of specialist software that they produce."

Windows Vista name spat gives Microsoft a headache

 

Internet Explorer 7 Preview August 3, 2005

 

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows has an updated IE7 section.

Many commonly asked questions are being answered.

Internet Explorer 7 Preview

 

Web Analytics that works August 3, 2005

 

From ClickZ Features, a case study on web analytics:

"After implementing the improvements, the site experience and overall sales increased significantly. Visitor-to-buyer conversions jumped 19.4 percent. Total orders rose 20.8 percent, even as overall site traffic remained relatively flat."

Web Analytics Makes Extreme Difference

 

Yahoo's Ad Network Roundup August 3, 2005

 

Today is supposed to be the big day.

Report: Yahoo's Ad Network for Small Publishers Will Launch Tomorrow (yesterday)

Yahoo expanding publishing network

Yahoo Plans Contextual Ads

Google Seeks to Patent RSS Ad Approach

 

Blogosphere continues to grow August 3, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"The blogosphere is continuing to grow, with a weblog created every second, according to blog trackers Technorati."

One blog created 'every second'

 

Who's actually using RSS? August 3, 2005

 

From ClickZ Stats:

"Only two percent of adults in North America say they use RSS.

That's compared with five percent of teens and young adults aged 12 to 21, according to research in a pair of new reports on marketing and RSS from Forrester Research.

Forrester Research Analyst Charlene Li notes the RSS user numbers don't include users who unknowingly use RSS, such as via a portal like My Yahoo! for example."

Who's Using RSS

 

Mystery of the day August 4, 2005

 

Our web logs have been the cause of more than a few mysteries over the past few years.

We seem to go through occasional spells of suddenly getting traffic sent from a variety of different adult sites, and I have no idea why.

I can't imagine that the visitors of these sites have much interest in software marketing, and when I go to the relevant pages in question, I can't even find any links to our website.

Any ideas as to why?

Today's mystery is even more baffling.

A quick look through today's web logs saw a fair number of visitors being sent from the www.Patentist.info website.

It appears that there are a number of pages similar to this one:

http://www.patentist.info/patent-invention/42433.html

Have a look at the URLs of all those links and you'll see why.

But now I know why, I want to know why?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Announcing The Yahoo! Publisher Network Self-Serve Beta August 4, 2005

 

From the Yahoo! Search blog:

"You may have heard a few rumors over the past few months about Yahoo! developing more solutions for small- and medium-sized publishers. Well, those rumors are true, and we're 100% committed to living up to them.

I'm proud to announce today that Yahoo! has launched a beta network in the U.S. for small- and medium-sized publishers. Currently available through invitation only, as Yahoo! tests and refines the new platform, small- and medium-sized publishers can easily sign up online and access new revenue sources and enhanced Yahoo! content through our new self-serve platform. Our goal is to extend the beta to more publishers by the end of the year."

Watch this space.

Announcing The Yahoo! Publisher Network Self-Serve Beta

 

Office 2003 Add-in: Word Redaction August 4, 2005

 

This is the sort of thing that puts a smile on my face:

"The Microsoft Office Word 2003 Redaction Add-in makes it easy for you to mark sections of a document for redaction. You can then redact the document so that the sections you specified are blacked out. You can either print the redacted document or use it electronically."

It's the classic shareware story. Someone looks around for a tool that they desperately need, can't find it, and so write it themselves...

Office 2003 Add-in: Word Redaction

 

MSN Paid Search - MSN Keywords August 4, 2005

 

In view of recent announcements by Yahoo and Ask Jeeves, this was more or less inevitable. But who would have expected it so soon?

From ClickZ News:

"MSN has a name and expected due date to its in-utero keyword bid management platform. The product is a critical component of the portal and its strategy going forward."

MSN Details Paid Search Product

 

Search Engine Penalties August 4, 2005

 

Marcela De Vivo has written an interesting document on SearchEngineWatch, detailing search engine penalties, perceived and genuine.

"Many people assume that their site has been penalized if the site experiences a loss in search engine rankings. However, many of these perceived penalties are in fact a reflection of other changes or issues that may be taking place with the search engines or even within a webmaster's own site."

Coping with Search Engine Penalties

 

Vista Virus Vandal Vanquishes August 5, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"An Austrian programmer has published examples of malicious code that exploits loopholes in technology which could be part of Vista.

The viruses affect Microsoft's command shell technology which is expected to replace DOS in Windows."

Virus writers set sights on Vista

 

Microsoft Posts How-To on Working with RSS in Vista August 5, 2005

 

From eWeek.com:

"Microsoft on Wednesday posted the first installment of a blog to advise developers on creating Web pages and RSS feeds that work correctly with IE 7 and Windows Vista."

It's a little early to start changing anything yet, but forewarned is forearmed and all that.

Microsoft Posts How-To on Working with RSS in Vista

 

Average Google Search - 7 seconds or less August 5, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"The average Google searcher spends less than seven seconds looking at a search results page before they make a decision to click. Your challenge... get them to notice your ad or organic listing."

The Average Google Searcher Spends 7 Seconds...

 

MSN Keywords Coming October August 5, 2005

 

Also from the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Yesterday we reported that MSN Keywords is coming next week, but we were wrong. Gary Price posts an explanation that Microsoft will actually be making the announcement next week that MSN Keywords will be going beta in October."

MSN Keywords Coming October

 

Google AdWords Beta Longer Ad Text? August 5, 2005

 

From threadwatch.org:

"Had an email yesterday inviting us to get in on Phase 2 of a beta program to extend the textual content of AdWords, with the rationale being better CTR figures form their Phase 1 results. This change ONLY impacts the description field, permitting up to 200 chars, so long as the description remains broadly similar to the existing creative. The submission deadline is 8th August."

AdWords Beta Longer Ad Text

 

PPC Bid Inflation: Rational and Irrational Competition August 5, 2005

 

Another excellent call for common sense from one of the ClickZ Experts:

"At the top of sponsored PPC search results sit two kinds of marketers: brilliant ones and total lunatics. Which do you want to be?

Looking at Yahoo!'s bid landscapes, for example, doesn't tell you whether you're bidding against a brilliant marketer or a total lunatic, even when you look at the bid prices. If every time you raise your bids in an attempt to get a higher position for additional scale while maintaining return on investment (ROI), your competition raises its bids, too. They could be acting irrationally or have a reserve price significantly above yours."

PPC Bid Inflation: Rational and Irrational Competition

 

Mystery of yesterday August 5, 2005

 

Yesterday's web log mystery has brought in a flurry of responses.

Thanks to all who took the time to reply.

Broadly speaking, those who responded fell into three groups:

(1) The referral spam theorists

"An automated program that hits thousands of sites with a simple ping and leaves a spoofed web page as the referrer link."

This is apparently based on the idea that the spammer stands to gain from my high PR page.

However this doesn't add up. Aside from the fact that the page's PR is low, you don't gain a thing by linking to someone else's page. It doesn't work that way.

Unless I'm missing something, this isn't the answer. But then again it's Friday, and this has been a long week.

(2) The error hypothesis

Okay this group only had one person, but he may well be right!

"If you look at the source for this you see:

... Google plan to improve online news searches

The BBC News ...

Note the BASE HREF tag to your site. All links after the above line now point to your site.

My guess is they copied code from your page in order to place the article and link on their site. Your page probably has the base href. They haven't noticed it. Or forgot to change it/replace it later."

That could well be the answer!

(3) The "dunno" group

Six people wrote in to say that they had no idea what the reason was, but were seeing similar things in their own logs.

Personally I'm going for a combination of all three. I think.

 

Windows piracy check: Foiled again August 8, 2005

 

From Silicon.com:

"Microsoft's efforts to fight counterfeiting have hit another snag with the posting of a new method claimed to get around a Windows piracy check."

The software developers and hackers are locked into an eternal cycle of effectively chasing each other's tails.

In the past the hackers were usually one step behind, but nowadays they're invariably two steps ahead.

Windows piracy check: Foiled again

 

More software piracy woes August 8, 2005

 

From India's Financial Express:

"Here's a statistic worth noting. Software piracy in India in 2004, according to a BSA IDC study, stood at 73 percent. Compare this with the figure in the financial year of 2003-2004 which was 64 percent as against 70 percent during 2002 according to the same study."

The continuing story of software piracy

It appears that with each passing month, piracy becomes even more of a problem. We all know people and businesses who are using pirated software, and we all know people who download vast quantities of illegal music and movies.

But it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a victimless crime.

Except it isn't.

We've seen the impact that a popular and distributed crack can have on a small software company. The victims aren't abstract, they're real people who have watched their monthly income drop dramatically as a result of the hacks.

Software and music piracy isn't a victimless crime.

And to this day, I'm amazed at the number of developers who continue to use illegal software and music.

Software and music piracy isn't a victimless crime.

 

Yahoo & MSN Search Engine Penalties August 8, 2005

 

SearchEngineWatch are running the second part of an article on the search engine penalties applied by Yahoo and MSN, and how webmasters can avoid them:

"To ensure that your site performs well and ranks consistently, consider the brick and mortar analogy. Treat your site like your store. Study what works, and build on it. Announce your site without engaging in "illegal" practices. As you're working on your site, think "If Sergey Brin reviewed my site, would he approve of it?" This will help you to establish and maintain a successful site."

Search Engine Penalties at Yahoo & MSN

If you missed part one:

Coping with Search Engine Penalties

 

Successful Reinclusion Requests August 8, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Stuntdubl posted an absolutely well written thread (no one he is a WebmasterWorld moderator) at Search Engine Watch Forums named Anatomy of a Successful Reinclusion Request.

In this thread he discusses an effort he is making to get one of his clients back into the Google index after participating in a "link manipulation program" (or that is the thought of what got the site de-indexed)."

Successful Reinclusion Requests

 

Virtualisation technologies and software licences August 9, 2005

 

From the UK based Computing:

"The advent of virtualisation technologies will force software vendors to rethink how they charge for their products."

Big shake up looms for software licences

 

SES dissects Google Patent August 9, 2005

 

From the Online Marketing Blog:

"Moderated by Search Engine Watch editor, Chris Sherman, the first session (out of 5 to pick from) of the conference dealt with patents filed by the major search engines how they "might" affect the way web sites can be optimized for better rankings."

It's all speculation of course, but when industry experts ruminate, it's worth listening.

Google Patent Dissected at SES

 

SES on Searcher Behaviour August 9, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"How do "we" navigate a page?

Start with orientation and start looking at various aspects. Fixations (momentary stop of eyeball) versus significant scanning versus actual clicks. Shows where people actually start reading listings/

1. Fixation: most people do look at top sponsored listings if on left 43.2%, some look at "local results" 14.6%, then go onto first organic 38.7%

2. Scanning 31.2% top sponsored listing, 14.6% in "local box." 46.7% top organic spot.

3. Clicks: 13.5 top paid, 2.5 local box, 42.2 top organic."

Great stuff.

Searcher Behaviour Research Update

 

Google being sued over Daily AdWords Limits August 9, 2005

 

From MarketingVOX News:

"An industrial printing firm and a New Jerseyite named Howard Stern launched a lawsuit against Google last week, alleging that the search engine giant fails to live up to its promises regarding the daily budget limits that AdWords users can place over their accounts. The plaintiffs are seeking class action status."

Google Sued over Interpretation of Daily AdWords Limits

 

Google News Finally Feeds August 10, 2005

 

It took them long enough, but Google have finally got their act together with RSS and Atom feeds for their Google News content.

Available Google News Feeds

 

Blog visitors young, affluent and broadband-enabled August 10, 2005

 

From the MarketingVOX News archives:

"That blog visitors "are disproportionately likely to be affluent, young and broadband-enabled" - and therefore a demographically appealing target for advertisers - is one of the major findings of a pioneering study of the blogosphere issued yesterday by comScore Networks."

And you still don't have a blog?

comScore Study Dissects Blogosphere, Finds Ad Audience

 

Yahoo Triples Search Index, Now Double Google's August 10, 2005

 

MarketingVOX News are reporting that Yahoo's index is now almost double the size of arch rival Google.

So?

Google's growth and popularity had nothing to do with the size of their index. It's not what they do, it's how they do it.

If you, as a software developer, want to stamp your competition into the dust, you're not going to do it by doubling the number of features. Basic business and common sense, right?

It's all about implementation.

Yahoo Triples Search Index, Now Double Google's

 

Google Trying out New AdSense, AdWords Formats August 10, 2005

 

More from MarketingVOX News, this time reporting that Google are testing AdSense-related programs "intended to give advertisers more control over the types of ads that appear".

Actually I think that (as usual) Google are trying to kill a whole flock of birds with one single stone.

The new formats will (i) give advertisers more flexibility, (ii) give genuine publishers more control, and (iii) stamp on the "grey" websites that are taking advantage of the AdSense system.

When it comes to the "grey" sites, Google is torn in two directions. AdSense customers like anything they can do to get more clicks on their ads. And Google are obviously happy with this. More clicks = more revenue.

But if or when it goes too far, you start getting too many people inadvertently clicking on ads, realising their mistake, and instantly backing up.

AdSense customer = happy.

Google = happy.

Advertiser = unhappy.

When the advertiser gets unhappy, s/he starts to cut down or cut off their advertising budgets.

Less advertisers is bad for everyone. For us, for Google and for the AdSense customers.

Let's sit back and see what develops here. My prediction is that Google will be slowly but surely stamping down hard.

Google Trying out New AdSense, AdWords Formats

 

Google Snubs CNET August 11, 2005

 

Small-Business-Software.net are reporting that Google are refusing to speak with CNET's online news site "after it ran a story that used Google's chief executive to illustrate how easily the company's search engine finds personal information".

Google have apparently refused to speak to them for a year.

Is that what they mean by blacklisting?

Google Snubs Tech News Outlet CNET

 

Negative keywords in Google AdWords August 11, 2005

 

Inside AdWords have a nice reminder on the power of negative keywords, and how to find them.

More on going negative

 

Two countries, two systems for promoting free software August 11, 2005

 

From O'Reilly:

"I had two fascinating interviews today about two initiatives, one in the People's Republic of China and one in the United States, for promoting public-sector computer applications--and thereby the use of open-source software."

Two countries, two systems for promoting free software

 

More Windows Vista Info August 11, 2005

 

In case you're still hungry for more details, The Linux Pipeline (?) are running an interesting Guided Tour of the much-awaited new OS.

Windows Vista: A Guided Tour

 

A Static IP address may be beneficial (Google) August 11, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Generally speaking having a website on a shared IP address will not cause you any harm. You can rank just fine and there is nothing negative about hosting on shared IP's. So don't worry if you site is on it. However what is important to know as I was told is how, Google in particular and possibly other engines look at these static and shared IP."

Why Using A Static IP Address is Benefical... Google Engineer Explains

 

More Than a Quarter of Web Marketers 'Flying Blind' August 12, 2005

 

From ClickZ Stats:

"Web marketers lack both the confidence and analytics to properly assess results, according to a study from WebTrends.

Confidence in marketing efforts varied among those surveyed. Only five percent of marketers were very confident in the measurement of their current online marketing efforts. Just over a quarter (26 percent) admitted they were flying blind, while the same percentage (26 percent) was moderately confident. Forty-three percent indicated they were fairly confident with their efforts."

More Than a Quarter of Web Marketers 'Flying Blind'

A few things to take into account here.

(1) This is a study from a company selling web log analysis software. They're hardly going to issue a study claiming "Almost All Web Marketers Understand Their Marketing Metrics Without Assistance".

(2) If you've ever gone through the process of trying to find a log analysis application you can (a) work with and (b) trust, you'll know how difficult this can be.

I recently decided to stretch my wings a little and try to find a new log analysis application, as one of my old favourites hadn't been updated in a long time, and was getting out of date.

I installed about six or seven applications and put them to work on the same set of data.

The differences between the various reports were somewhere between amazing and terrifying.

And I'm not talking small numbers here.

For example, as an obvious and basic example, I looked at how many visitors were coming from Google.

The lowest reported 228, the highest 467. And the other applications were spread between the two.

I looked at how many unique visitors there were to a specific page on a specific day:

The lowest reported 320, the highest 491. Again, the other applications were spread between the two.

So in answer to WebTrend's assertion that "only five percent of marketers were very confident in the measurement of their current online marketing efforts", it's hardly surprising is it?

Oh and for the record, WebTrends was one of the applications that I looked at.

I tried to overlook the fact that they forced me to register my private information before I could download the trial.

I even turned a blind eye to the fact that their download was disproportionately large when compared to the other applications.

And I didn't bat an eyelid when I was sent two unlock codes instead of one.

But I couldn't ignore the fact that I couldn't make the software work.

Bearing in mind that I've been working with web log analysis and web log analysis software for more years than I can remember, I found their setup and interface too bewildering. I'd used old versions of their software in the past and quite liked them. But their new system left me bewildered.

So for now I'm still standing behind my two favourite applications.

If you're looking for a powerful log analysis application at a great price, then I recommend Web Log Storming. There are some seriously powerful features within this application that go way beyond the traditional approach.

And don't be fooled by their low ($129) price. This is a great application. And no, we don't work for them!

If you're looking for an instant means of understanding your website visitor's behaviour, and price isn't too much of an issue, then you're looking for ClickTracks. No application comes close when it comes to helping you understand how and why your visitors behave as they do.

The basic version starts at $495, and the unbelievably powerful pro version at $2995. And every single cent is money well spent.

 

And the new IE& logo is... August 15, 2005

 

From the IEBlog:

"Hopefully, by now you've seen from our posts that there are a lot of new features and work going into IE 7. As part of this update, we're refreshing our icon and logotype. We considered more radical departures from our current logo, but blue "e" with the ring is very recognizable and familiar to users, so we elected instead to make more subtle changes."

All things considered, does the new logo really matter that much?

New IE 7 Icon and Logo

 

Sandbox evidence August 15, 2005

 

I really like the writing style of seomoz.org's Rand Fishkin, even though I'm sure his name is just a particularly elusive anagram... ah find rinks ? hand in frisk?

Anyway, Hand/Ah has written an interesting article that aims to convert non-believers that Google's sandbox actually exists. Well worth a read.

"For those who may still be reticient to believe in the sandbox's existence at Google or think that a variety of non-related factors or filters may be affecting sites and that the SEO world has simply "created" this term. In defense, I offer up evidence that I can't reveal - that of hundreds of sites experiencing exactly the same type of penalization/filtration effects at Google. I receive dozens of e-mails each week and see more and more sandbox evidence all the time. If you don't like the name, I apologize, but the features are very real and very pervasive for new and newly optimized sites.

I also have some evidence "straight from the horse's mouth" as it were. These two incidents occurred over the past week at SES:"

Oh Ye of Little Faith

 

Watch out for Denial of Silver Attacks August 16, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"With the online shopping market set to grow to £60bn by 2010, retailers could be throwing away billions if they fail to invest in the older online shopper, says research by the Future Foundation."

Silver surfers ready to storm shops

 

Google lose AdWords trade mark case August 16, 2005

 

From UK-based The Register:

"A US district court has ruled against Google in a trade mark action over the sale of the terms "Geico" and "Geico Direct" in AdWords, its keyword advertising service. The judge found that there was infringement where the terms were used in the text of sponsored ads."

This one may get interesting.

Google loses AdWords trade mark case in the US

The Search Engine Roundtable also have some coverage:

"1) There is not sufficient evidence to prove "confusion" by someone bidding on a trademarked keyword alone.

(2) There is not sufficient evidence to prove "confusion" by someone placing a trademark in the ad copy (heading or description) alone.

(3) But if both are done, bidding on a trademark and placing the trademark in the ad copy, then there is sufficient evidence to prove that Google "violate the Lanham Act.""

Trademark Infringement if Keyword Matches Ad Text

 

Ask Jeeves Sponsored Listings August 16, 2005

 

Available to existing Ask Jeeves advertisers since August 1st, Ask Jeeves Sponsored Listings is a new search advertising product that allows advertisers to more effectively purchase, manage and optimize campaigns on Ask Jeeves (Ask.com) and its advertising syndication network.

Ask Jeeves Sponsored Listings

 

Google vs CNET August 16, 2005

 

Some interesting commentary on the Google/CNET fracas from the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Over the week, I have met with many many PR people in the industry. Most of them feel this is a bold move by Google, some in fact wish they have the courage to do the same. Bottom-line is that the PR folks at the other search engines have all felt that C|Net has gone way too far, over and over again."

Google's C|Net PR Stunt

 

Google AdWords - first major changes August 17, 2005

 

Google AdWords have now introduced their simplified keyword states.

Meaning that the old keyword states of normal, in trial, on hold and disabled are no more.

The facts.

Keywords are now set as active or inactive. In other words black or white, with no grey.

As to how Google decide which are active and which are inactive, this now depends on two factors. Quality score and maximum CPC.

Quality score seems to be a little vague right now. But it seems to be determined by each keyword's CTR, ad text performance (relevance), historical keyword performance and "other relevancy factors".

Whatever they may be.

The interpretation.

Unless I'm missing something, there's relatively little that's completely new here. We're talking about new terminology and simplification, but the core principles remain the same.

Maximum CPC is exactly what it says. But you don't need to peer too carefully between the lines to see that this is all about money. Plain and simple.

Google are essentially doing what Overture did, and raising the minimum bids.

Does this mean that the sword will be mightier than the pen? At this point I'm really not sure. There's little doubt that budget will be more of a factor than before, but it's impossible to say exactly how much.

From Google:

"New keywords will no longer be disabled or have a minimum clickthrough rate (CTR) threshold. Instead, your keyword will trigger ads as long as it has a high enough Quality Score (determined by your keyword's CTR, relevance of ad text, historical keyword performance, and other relevancy factors) and maximum CPC"

So the two factors are intertwined, but we don't have figures here, nor are we likely to ever see them.

The nitty gritty.

The minimum bid for new keywords appears to be set at 10 cents. Meaning? Cut away the very small advertisers. But 10 cents isn't a particularly high entry barrier.

As to the rest of the changes, the bottom line is that we don't really know exactly what's going to happen. There's a lot of speculation, but no-one really knows.

In a sense, what we're seeing here is little more than your classic free market in practice. Demand has exceeded supply, so the price has been raised.

And before we all start to panic, let's not forget that Google are onto a very good thing with AdWords, so they're hardly likely to sabotage or throw away what they have.

The best case scenario here is that this will enhance the AdWords system and increase Google's revenue. It might also clear the deck a little of the very small advertisers.

One possibility may be that you're no longer competing with your affiliates. Would that really be a bad thing?

For now I recommend keeping a careful eye on how this develops. The next few weeks should prove to be interesting.

 

What's in a name? August 18, 2005

 

From the Channel Register:

"In a move likely to unsettle many outside Microsoft, the company said it is actively exploring the right name to use for RSS feeds, with the current working term being "web feeds". The name "web feeds" is currently used to describe initial support for the discovery and reading of RSS feeds in the IE 7.0 Beta 1, which was released this summer."

Why this should unsettle people is beyond me. Usage of the technology is more important than what you call it.

RSS 'repositioned' by Microsoft

 

Blogs?? RSS??? August 18, 2005

 

From MarketingVOX News:

"Nielsen/NetRatings reported Monday that 11 percent of blog readers - visitors who claim to read blogs regularly or occasionally - use RSS to sort through the increasing number of blogs available. Specifically, nearly five percent of blog readers use feed aggregation software, and more than six percent use a feed aggregating website to monitor RSS feeds from blogs."

Nielsen: More Read Blogs, but Few Know about RSS

 

Personalisation AND Privacy August 18, 2005

 

From ClickZ Stats:

"Despite the fact users want more personalization and would buy more if they could get more personalized content, they're not willing to share as much personal information as they once were."

Who said you can't have your cake and eat it too?

This isn't about silly consumers with random behavioural patterns. This is about consumers who are sick of having their private information abused.

Consumers Want Personalization -- and Privacy

 

Size Wars - a new hope August 18, 2005

 

More clarity and words of wisdom from Danny Sullivan:

"I cannot believe we're going through this again. This is Search Engine Size Wars VI, by my count. It's absurd. It's annoying. It's a friggin' waste of time. Instead of advancing to a commonly accepted relevancy figure, the search engines want to keep us mired in the mud of who's biggest."

Screw Size! I Dare Google & Yahoo To Report On Relevancy

 

Google offering searchers free alternatives August 18, 2005

 

In the course of checking on some of our client's Google rankings, we just stumbled across something quite peculiar.

When we went to Google and searched for photo editor, after the fourth listing, the results were broken up by two horizontal blue bars.

Inside this area, Google showed three listings for free photo editor.

See the screenshot below:

We found the same thing when we searched for keylogger remover:

I'm assuming that Google are testing out some new technology here, and the URLs to these listings suggest that some sort of tracking is in place.

If this is the case, this is potentially quite worrying.

If this were to become the norm, users searching for your software (or what your software does) might be offered free alternatives as well as your own listing.

Is this fair and legitimate? From our point of view, I'm not convinced.

Might this be something that searchers appreciate? Yes. Unfortunately.

So the reasons for Google considering this are clear and obvious. Plus this might put further emphasis on the importance of AdWords.

Interesting times lie ahead. Watch this space as details unfold.

 

Update: Google offering more than just free alternatives August 18, 2005

 

This is going from bad to worse.

It appears that Google aren't just offering free alternatives, they may sometimes point straight to your competition.

Example. I went to Google looking for equation editor:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=equation+editor&btnG=Search

This is starting to get a little worrying...

 

Advertisers begin their move from AdSense to YPN August 19, 2005

 

Here's something that I would never have expected.

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"In a WebmasterWorld thread named How is the Revenue with YPN compared to Adsense? members who have the privilege of being accepted into the YPN beta testing period are discussing how the revenue compares.

What is interesting is that people are now reporting lower CPC earnings with Google AdSense since the Google AdWords pricing change went live. Which makes sense to me."

What's particularly surprising to me is not only that such clear results are coming through from the beta testing, but that the Google AdWords changes have had a knock-on effect so quickly.

Advertisers Begin to Switch from AdSense to YPN

 

What a week for Google August 19, 2005

 

Despite many people apparently not noticing, this has been one hell of a week for Google.

While pushing out new ideas and evolving are nothing new to the search giant, I've never seen so many significant changes in such a short amount of time.

THE CHANGES:

1) AdWords simplified keyword states.

As covered two days ago - Google AdWords - first major changes.

2) Paid search ads at top of results now (sometimes) displaying three results instead of two.

This one appeared to quietly slip in, and represents quite a significant step in my opinion.

The top of the page is the prime estate of the browser window, and Google have now effectively put even more of it up for auction.

3) Google deciding what searches really mean when they enter a search query.

As covered yesterday - Google offering searchers free alternatives and Update: Google offering more than just free alternatives.

THE ANALYSIS:

1) AdWords - how dare they?

It's still early days, but the changes do appear to lean quite heavily towards being financially based.

For reasons that I don't quite understand, this appears to have induced an astonishing level of indignation and fury in a fair number of individuals and companies.

People are complaining that Google don't have the right to raise their prices while essentially providing the same service, and that the strategy is little more than exploitation of the hands that feed them.

Sorry?

Basic business principles. Free market economy. Supply and demand. Profit.

Do the concepts ring any bells?

Google have the right to do what they like here, in much the same way that software developers have the right to raise the prices of their software. Without being criticised, scorned, feathered or tarred.

You don't have to like the changes, but that's the way these things work.

Accept, adapt or adios.

2) AdWords - opportunities.

Change isn't just about destruction and extinction. It's also about new opportunities.

The new AdWords changes have the potential to do more than just raise your monthly bill.

i) Wipe away some of your competition.

This is pure Darwinism at work. Evolution is taking place, and many of the lesser species aren't going to make it. Either evolve or die. But I guarantee that some of the weaker competition won't stand a chance under the new system.

ii) All keywords are now up for grabs.

A common problem in software marketing is that even the best product in the world won't be noticed or seen if people aren't looking for it.

If there are people out there looking for what it does, and your competition are ineffectual, then break out the champagne.

But as many of us already know, generating buzz for an original product, idea or concept is a serious uphill struggle.

Until now.

You might want to consider that the new system lets you (within reason) bid on any keywords at all. As long as you're prepared to pay for them.

And the system is geared towards charging for clicks, and not for exposure.

There's a new art form that needs developing here. Get it right and there are CPM rates that you can only dream about.

Of course there's the issue of relevancy, but I'm yet to see Google actually enforce this. Within reason.

Am I saying you should trick the system? No way. But if there are ways to exploit it to the full, then what are you waiting for?

3) Paid search ads - three instead of two.

This one took me by surprise. Not that they did it, but that so few people seemed to notice it.

There are so many implications here I don't know where to begin.

i) Second place has suddenly become highly undesirable. Crammed in there between first and third, it's suddenly easy to overlook.

ii) Fourth place suddenly starts to look quite different too.

iii) How are Google deciding when to display one, two or three ads? According to Google it's all about relevancy. But I thought that the same thing applied to the Ads on the right hand side. And the regular search results?

Confused?

iv) It's an awful lot of space being taken up by paid results. How this will go down with searchers will be based on one thing.

Relevancy.

That word again.

So perhaps relevancy really will be more strictly enforced within AdWords now?

4) Google suggests.

I really don't like this one. And I'm surprised as to how many developers don't seem to mind.

For me it's all about a fairly basic but important principle.

I don't want Google to suggest keywords that I didn't actually search for. Especially if some of these are going to be company names.

In a nutshell, I want Google to do as they're told, and show me the results that I want, instead of what they think I really mean.

"Did you mean" is okay. It corrects my typing mistakes and helps me find what I really want to find. But helping me to find what they think I want to find is a different ball game altogether.

I don't like it one bit.

CONCLUSION:

Google is evolving at an interesting rate. Is this a growth surge, and are they now going to sit back and monitor what happens?

I hope so.

Considering the fact that they just announced plans to offer another 14 million shares, and the fact that their stock price has fallen this week, I think a little patience and caution might go a long way here.

Again, it's all about opportunities. If Google bite off more than they can chew, other companies are itching to take their place.

Let's hope that next week is a quieter one all round.

 

Google Sidebar - coming today August 22, 2005

 

From PDA Live:

"The wall street journal suggests that today Google will launch a new service called "Sidebar". The WSJ article said that the Sidebar will be available today, and will be used to display information on the desktop like email, weather, stocks, and desktop search in addition to any other content the users are viewing like photos or websites."

Google Sidebar coming Today

 

Educational software market falling? August 22, 2005

 

An article on CNET's News.com asks why demand for educational software has been plummeting in the last five years.

Market for educational software takes a nose dive

 

Google alternate results issue August 22, 2005

 

Following last Friday's much publicised write-up on Google's changes - What a week for Google - ClickZ News seem to think that the alternate listings are commercial in nature:

"A recent search for "on demand," for example, returned an area delineated off from natural results, occupying the above-the-fold sixth through eighth positions in the organic results area of the page. Within the clearly demarcated but unlabeled space were three listings for Comcast services."

Google Tests "Commercial" Results In Organic Listings

The Search Engine Roundtable, on the other hand, do not believe this to be the case, and also spotted an official statement from Google:

"Google is testing an automated technique for detecting when an alternate query might help users find what they are looking for more quickly. For these searches, which are both commercial and non-commercial in nature, Google displays one or more alternate queries together with a preview of their top results."

Interesting use of language.

Google UI Test are Not Commercial Ads

 

FeedForDev Beta August 22, 2005

 

Here's a nice formula for success.

Take a brilliant concept that the average person in the street has never heard of and/or has little idea of what they can do with it.

Put it to work for them, in a way that is (a) seamless, (b) useful and (c) helps you to help them.

"FeedForDev VCL and ActiveX components makes it simple to communicate with users from within your software application!

All you have to do is add the FeedForDev component to your existing project. Set the URL to your RSS feed, and let it do the rest. You can then ask the control for types of information from your RSS feed."

Excellent.

FeedForDev Beta

 

New Google Desktop with Sidebar August 23, 2005

 

Google have released a new version of their desktop search tool:

"*Get all your personalized info in one place with Sidebar

* Launch applications and search instantly with Quick Find

* Find all your email, files, photos, web history, Gmail, and more

* Search conveniently in Outlook with the Outlook Toolbar

* Developers: Write plug-ins for Sidebar"

It's the last one that really does it for me. Ingenious.

My prediction: Happy users. Unhappy competition.

Let's see what Microsoft and Yahoo come up with next.

Info when you want it, right on your desktop

Screenshots here

 

Forums ruining the SEM industry? August 23, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Like thousands of other SEO practitioners, I have been quietly monitoring a raging debate that has crossed several SEO/SEM related forums over the past week. While this debate rears its head from time to time, it remains unsettled and as it continues to unfold becomes more and more unsettling. Given that they differ in tone from forum to forum, there are actually several debates taking place but all seem to have one thing in common, a lack of civility towards other views and a decreasing level of common sense."

Are Forums Ruining the SEM Industry?

Personally I don't think this has anything to do with SEO or SEM. It's somehow become the norm on forums and newsgroups alike. And it really doesn't matter what they're talking about.

I've seen it on shareware newsgroups, marketing forums, SEO forums, digital photography groups, private groups, public groups, UK regional groups, Nikon camera groups, mailing lists, browser forums, email client lists and others.

Rudeness and a passion for aggression have become the norm. And the impact spreads like an oil slick.

 

Yahoo! Search Marketing vs. Adwords August 23, 2005

 

The well-known and respected SEOmoz Blog is comparing the results of his AdWords and Y!SM ROIs.

"Yahoo! is consistently half the price, and double the ROI. The site's conversion rate with visitors from the Yahoo! ads, which display on Yahoo!, MSN & several smaller engines are consistently outperforming the Google ads by a magnitude of double or better. These are the same ads, with the same landing pages and the same search terms."

I find this fascinating, and far from what we're used to seeing for our clients.

If there's interest I'd like to explore this further, so please let me know your thoughts and experiences, and please note that unless you indicate otherwise, I may quote you!

Yahoo! Search Marketing vs. Adwords

 

The importance of not missing an opportunity August 23, 2005

 

I recently discovered that one of the system utilities that I rely on was behaving oddly. I contacted the company in question, and was directed towards their paid support options.

Goodbye to that product.

I went looking for a replacement, and it didn't take me long to find a suitable replacement.

Actually it wasn't just suitable, it was excellent.

I was just about to purchase the software, but had an idea. I sent them an email, and basically offered a glowing write-up in this blog, in exchange for a licence.

Now we're talking about a $24.95 application here, so I genuinely felt that this would have been as much in their interest as mine.

The company in question never replied to me.

So when I've published today's comments, I'll be purchasing the software.

Company X could have had a testimonial that they would have been proud of. Application Y really is fantastically useful, dead simple to use, and is a major productivity boost. Really.

But because Company X chose to ignore my email, they'll get my single registration for $24.95 instead.

A few things to note:

1) A simple "No thanks" would have been fine. Really.

2) The utility in question is one that most readers of this blog would find quite useful. So the write-up would have been very targeted.

3) I'm 100% sure that my writing about it would generate a whole lot more than one single sale for Company X.

4) This isn't about my right to free software. I'm really quite happy to pay such a small amount for such a useful tool. This is about offering good exposure. Effectively a $25 advert. They're not so common.

Moral of the story. If someone offers you a good promotional opportunity, don't throw it away. Whether it's an editor, writer, or contributor to a professional blog, mailing list or publication. Have a quick look, and if it's even remotely targeted, give them the full version.

Company X really missed out. Product Y really is great.

 

Google Talk August 24, 2005

 

It's out:

"They say talk is cheap. Google thinks it should be free. Google Talk enables you to call or send instant messages to your friends for free-anytime, anywhere in the world."

I also noticed the following:

"When you invite a friend who doesn't already have a Gmail account to try Google Talk, he or she will also receive a Gmail invitation."

Will this finally mean that Gmail is open to "the public"?

Google Talk

 

Internet growth over! August 24, 2005

 

Well almost.

From Telecom.paper:

"According to TeleGeography, global cross-border internet traffic grew by just 49 percent in 2005, down from 103 percent in 2004. The internet's fastest growing regions, Asia (76%) and Latin America (70%), produced only modest traffic growth by previous years' standards."

Global internet traffic growth slows to less than 100%

 

AdSense Section Targeting August 24, 2005

 

From the Search Engine Roundtable:

"Section targeting allows you to suggest sections of your text and HTML content that you'd like us to emphasize or downplay when matching ads to your site's content. By providing us with your suggestions, you can assist us in improving your ad targeting."

Section Targeting by Google AdSense

 

Yahoo Ad System Crashes August 25, 2005

 

From MarketingVOX News:

"After a weekend upgrade, Yahoo's search engine ad system first slowed to a crawl, and then went belly up on Monday, preventing marketers from making changes to their campaigns, accessing their accounts and in many cases, even having their ads run at all."

Yahoo Ad System Crashes, Still Down

 

Google Talk August 25, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"It is clear that Google is trying to build a cluster of programs that effectively turns the net into an operating system - just like Windows does for personal computers.

Google wants to turn its collection of services and add-on programs such as the Desktop Search sidebar into a helper that users can turn to no matter what they want to do. "

Bearing in mind that the software is still a very early beta, I'm looking forward to seeing the unique feature/s that develop.

Google never simply copy a good idea. They learn from it, improve it and evolve.

Google sets tongues wagging with Talk

 

Webinar on Planning & Budgeting for Search Engine Marketing August 26, 2005

 

The Online Marketing Blog is reporting that SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organisation) are to hold a free webinar next week on planning and budgeting for search engine marketing:

"...geared toward busy executives who need to learn more about Search Engine Marketing (SEM). During this short webinar (30 minutes of presentation and 15 minutes of Q&A), you'll get guidelines and suggestions for planning your search media spend during a time when keyword prices seem to be escalating at rapid rates. Understand where to put your money to maximize your company's ROI."

Webinar on Planning & Budgeting for Search Engine Marketing

 

Dashes_or-underscore? August 26, 2005

 

If you don't know who Matt Cutts is then you won't be impressed by a detailed explanation.

Suffice to say that when he posts information, people lean forward to read it.

"I often get asked whether I'd recommend dashes or underscores for words in urls. For urls in Google, I would recommend using dashes. Why? To find out, let's take a trip in the Google Time Machine. Set the dial for 1999, the year Matt first discovered Google. Matt was using, I dunno, maybe HotBot at that point? The curtain rises:"

Dashes vs. underscores

 

AdWords History August 26, 2005

 

Inside AdWords are reminiscing on the launch of Google AdWords back in 2000.

An AdWords history lesson

I have to admit to getting a little bit of a kick from seeing some of the responses to the latest set of AdWords changes.

Some of the forums and newsgroups I subscribe to have some interesting and extraordinary theories. The latest of which is that the changes signify the beginning of the end for Google AdWords.

Come again?

I understand people not liking the changes, as they may well increase your monthly bills. And I understand people thinking that this is Google being greedy. Even if I disagree.

But this is not the beginning of the end. It's evolution.

You can either stand on the sidelines and complain, or accept and adapt.

No-one's forcing you to use Google AdWords.

 

The perils of procrastination August 26, 2005

 

Hands up if you have a have a long to-do list?

Hands up if you have a list of to-do lists?

I'm feeling disproportionately proud of myself, as this week I've managed to knock about twelve or thirteen items off my to do list.

I'm also feeling suitably ashamed that some of them have taken so long.

GroupMail update

I've been using Infacta's GroupMail mailing software for at least eight years now, and have watched it grow from strength to strength.

At least until version 3, when for some reason I stopped upgrading.

Upgrading has been on my to do list for quite some time now, as we use the software to send personalised emails to clients, a mailing list, friends and family.

This week I finally got round to it, and have been kicking myself for taking so long ever since.

Bounces are now handled automatically, the scheduling features are a dream come true, and the personalisation and formatting options are staggering.

If you send out mailings to clients, customers, prospects or mailing lists of any kind, then you want to take a look at this application.

Note that Infacta are not existing clients. I'm plugging their product simply because it's very good.

Dymo LabelWriter

I first saw this advertised in PC World a few years ago. It's basically a very small device for printing (among other things) individual mailing labels.

Very slick, very simple to use and very cheap. It also uses no consumerables except for the labels themselves.

A fantastic tool for the small business trying to look professional.

Why am I writing about these?

Because both are great tools for ensuring you send the right message to your clients, customers and prospects.

Enough said.

 

Adware - survival of the sneakiest August 29, 2005

 

From MarketingVOX News:

"Although more mainstream adware companies are working to ensure that their software is installed with users' knowledge, smaller companies are secretly installing ad-serving programs that are more pernicious and difficult to remove than ever."

Smaller companies?

In Adware, It's Survival of the Sneakiest

 

Content isn't always King August 29, 2005

 

From ClickZ Experts:

"Creating, editing, and promoting unique high-quality content is difficult and time-consuming. No matter how much SEOs try to be spin doctors, the process is neither easy nor fast. Don't be so desperate to hire an SEO firm that promises quick-and-easy, high-quality content. You may find your company at the receiving end of a lawsuit."

When Content Isn't King in SEO

 

Online Marketing / Business Book Club August 29, 2005

 

The Association of Independent Software Industry Professionals have just launched their new online book club.

"The AISIP Book Club will discuss books related to Internet marketing and business, with a different book featured each month. The first book to be read and discussed will be "Search Engine Optimization for Dummies" by Peter Kent.

During the month-long discussion, Book Club members will explore the ideas and methods of search engine optimisation put forth in the book.

The AISIP Book Club discussions take place in AISIP's private newsgroups/web forums. Any AISIP member may join in the Book Club discussions."

AISIP membership costs only US $24 annually, and is open to anyone working in the independent software industry.

AISIP members include people from all over the world who sell software products and services online.

Online Marketing / Business Book Club

 

Google Watching August 30, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"Google watching has replaced Microsoft watching as a popular tech-lover's pastime, says technology analyst Bill Thompson."

Personally I prefer to watch the Google watchers.

Talkin' about a revolution?

 

"Flickr off" August 30, 2005

 

From Silicon.com:

"Yahoo! is facing a backlash from Flickr users following its purchase of the service in March after telling them it will now merge the two operations. In a clause in Flickr's FAQ, Yahoo! said it will "migrate" all independent account holders to its own network, requiring them to create a Yahoo! ID."

Yahoo! told to Flickr right off

 

Google losing China August 30, 2005

 

From RedNova.com:

"SHANGHAI, China - A survey by a Chinese Internet research group has found that Google is losing market share to its biggest Chinese rival, Web search engine Baidu.com."

Google Loosing Ground in China

 

New (free) keyword tool August 30, 2005

 

"The Dynamic Keyword Phrase Generator enables you to plug in your primary, secondary and even tertiary keyword phrases. All you need to do is enter in these keyword phrases, separated by comma (,) into the appropriate fields and click generate."

Dynamic Keyword Phrase Generator Tool

 

Microsoft plans telephone service August 31, 2005

 

From the BBC News website:

"Microsoft is preparing to enable computer users to make a normal phone call from their PC.

The computer giant has increased its presence in the fast-growing internet phone sector by purchasing leading player Teleo for an undisclosed sum."

I wonder why?

Microsoft plans telephone service

 

Dynamic Keyword issues August 31, 2005

 

The Search Engine Roundtable are discussing some apparent risks of using so-called dynamic keywords within Google AdWord ads:

"A thread at Search Engine Watch Forums discusses some odd behavior with this trick. One member reports that "In each of these ad groups, 90-100% of the keywords are now inactive, and the new minimum CPC's are 200%-1000% higher than our previous bid prices." He believes it has to do with the new AdWords Pricing Changes."

Our company, our clients and some of the other companies that we work with are using dynamic titles, and I'm yet to see any evidence of this at all.

Dynamic Keyword Insertion Tips

 

Log analysis can be beneficial! August 31, 2005

 

Seomoz.org are running a post on an interesting experiment.

The author has one of those Google search boxes on his website, and realised that the queries from the box were showing up in his web logs.

Why would this be useful? Because he could then see what his visitors were interested in and looking for:

"The results were very enlightening and have led to development of a few really good pages that are now getting nice traffic from several directions."

You may (or may not) have noticed that we apply the same technique to the external links in this blog too.

Have a look at the URL in the link below, and you'll see that it's prefixed by http://www.sharewarepromotions.com/linkto.asp

Simple log analysis then lets me see which articles people are interested in reading, and focus future selections accordingly.

Online marketing is a wonderful thing.

Give em What They Search For