Highlights from the SEW Blog: Apr. 9, 2007

By Kevin Newcomb , April 9, 2007

We've collected all the search marketing news from selected posts to the Search Engine Watch blog in the past week, along with recent search-related headlines from around the Web.

From the SEW blog:

Search Advertising

• Yahoo to Require Short Descriptions
  Beginning in May, Yahoo will require advertisers to provide a short, 70-character description for all ad descriptions.
• Google Updates Display of Top AdWords Ads
  AdWords ads appearing above search results on Google.com now have a new look.
• New Look for AdSense Ads
  A new look for Google's AdSense ads, which have been spotted in tests recently, has now been widely released.
• Search Retargeting Worth a Second Look?
  Want to combine some of the benefits of search marketing with display ads? Search retargeting may be just what you're looking for.
• Who's Buying DoubleClick?
  Last week, Microsoft was the rumored acquirer of DoubleClick's remaining businesses. This week, Google is supposedly the frontrunner.

Linking Issues & Social Media

• 9 Steps to Getting Authoritative Links
  There are many types of authoritative links, and different sites require different approaches for getting the link.
• BuzzLogic: Finding the Buzz
  Pinpointing the thought leaders or influencers around a given topic allows marketers to home in on those sources in their marketing strategies.
• Get Social With Your Browser
  Mozilla Labs announced a new project to develop social functionality within the Firefox browser. Firefox could become the place where you keep up with everything online.
• Pay-Per-Digg Black Market Manipulation?
  Another pay-per-digg scheme claims it won’t get users banned from popular social network promotion tool Digg.
• Topix Relaunches as Citizen Journalism Site
  Topix is repositioning and relaunching its local news aggregation site as a citizen journalism network.

Analytics & ROI

• Clicktracks Releases Click Fraud Detection for Smaller Businesses
  Clicktracks Web analytics will launch a new product for SMBs which will include click fraud detection
• Google Website Optimizer Now Widely Available
  Google Website Optimizer, which was launched in beta in October, is now being made widely available. The A/B and multivariate page testing tool is being billed by Google as the "third leg" of a "three-legged stool" that is comprised of AdWords to drive traffic, Google Analytics to measure that traffic, and Website Optimizer to convert that traffic into customers.
• Compete Develops Attention-Based Metrics
  With the interactive Web, the value of the page view as a metric is debatable since the user can in fact change the page without leaving it. What begs for meaningful measurement is engagement. To address this Compete, an online consumer market research firm, has developed and launched attention-based Web metrics.

Vertical & Specialty Search

• Rich Skrenta, Google, Vertical Search
  Rich Skrenta, CEO of Topix, recently offered up some strategies for beating Google. One suggestion is going vertical, a tactic being taken by many up-and-coming search companies.
• Google Settles Copyright Suit Over Google News
  Google has settled a copyright suit filed by French news agency Agence France-Presse over Google News' use of its content.
• Convera Focusing on Vertical Search for Publishers
  Convera is getting out of the business it has been in for more than 2 decades to focus on providing vertical search technologies for publishers.
• Troogle?
  Fresh speculation has emerged about whether or not Google will launch a vertical search capability focused on travel.
• E-consultancy publishes online PR briefing
  E-consultancy has published an Online PR Briefing, which includes a summary of a recent roundtable discussion on this topic, plus other information about market trends, search statistics and useful resources.
• Medical Vertical Search Being Chased by Microsoft and Google
  Both Google and Microsoft are making serious investments in the healthcare vertical search space.
• FAST Acquires Convera's Retrievalware Technology
  Norwegian search technology provider FAST Search & Transfer has picked up Virginia-based Convera's RetrievalWare enterprise search business for $23 million in cash.
• fisssh!, a meta search engine, is launched
  HGi Media Systems has announced the launch of fisssh!, a new meta search engine that aggregates search results for queries across different types of search and presents them in a more "editorial" format.
• ZoomInfo Retools Its Business Info Search
  Business information search engine ZoomInfo has retooled its offering to create a single user interface for its various products.
• MSNBC takes on Yahoo News
  MSNBC.com, the No. 2-ranked news Web site behind Yahoo News, is starting its first branding ad campaign this week.

Small Business/Big Brand SEM

• Google Tests TV Advertising
  Google's rumored foray into managing television ads with its AdWords platform has entered the next phase with a limited trial program over EchoStar's Dish Network across the U.S. and Astound Cable, a local cable system in the Bay Area.

In-House & Outsourcing

• iProspect to Accelerate Global Expansion
  Aegis Group's Isobar, which acquired PPC search agency iProspect for $50 million two years ago, is expanding the iProspect brand globally.

SEM Industry Issues

• Need Help Planning Your SES Schedule?
  If you're a first-time attendee, you may be feeling a bit daunted by the 4-day, multiple-track agenda. Fear not, seasoned pro Greg Jarboe has stepped in to help.
• SES NY is Coming -- Plan Your Party Schedule Now
  The big event is almost upon us, and the party schedule is now available.

Searching/Search Technologies

• Yahoo Alpha (beta) Tested Down Under
  Yahoo is testing a new search interface called alpha, which meta-searches several Yahoo properties, and also allow users to add their own search service via OpenSearch RSS.

More from the SEW Blog

• Google Wins in Court
  Google won a court victory not on any click fraud-related grounds, but on the strength of its AdWords contract.
• Google Maps Now Mashable
  Google has made it easier to create customized maps with a new MyMaps feature.
• Jupiter Research Solo Again
  Jupiter Research, which was sold by Jupitermedia to Kagan Research for $10.1 million a year ago to create JupiterKagan, is now on its own once more.
• Search-Related April Fools' Round-Up
  The engines made their customary attempts at springtime humor, with varying success.
• Is Yahoo Underground an April Fool's Joke?
  Yahoo Underground "explores America’s fringe cultures with reporting brought to life with original songs and music." Is it real, or a poorly conceived joke?
• No Action for Triple X
  ICANN Board members rejected the application for a new .xxx top level domain yesterday. After reading through how the board voted and their meeting commentary, I can safely report that the TLD approval process seems broken.

Search Headlines

We report the top search marketing news daily at the Search Engine Watch Blog. You'll find more news from around the Web below.

• Google Voice Local Search Launched - Pales In Comparison To Other Talking Search Engines, Read/Write Web
• 9 Ways To Bore The Audience at SES New York, Bruce Clay Blog
• What Will Advertising Look Like in 2008? Social Media Systems
• Google as the Invisible Hand of the Online Economy, SEO Book
• New Research Could Improve Google Image Search, Natural Search Blog
• Cable Guys Leave eBay Hanging, ClickZ
• Google: Master Of Closing The Loop?, Search Engine Land
• Seeing Through “Trendy”: Analyzing the Usefulness of Social Media April 5, Leverage Social Media
• New Microsoft adCenter Welcome Guide, adCenter Blog
• Technorati CEO Search Confirmed, TechCrunch
• Embracing Change, Sifry's Alerts
• Whiteboard Friday Vidcast - "Mozzers Take Manhattan". SEOmoz
• Social Media Marketing - Get it Straight, Online Marketing Blog
• In-house Spotlight: Shopping.com’s Former SEO, Search Engine Journal
• Domainers Owning Google?, Threadwatch
• Microsoft Webmaster Tools, Online Marketing blog
• Different Links Have Different Goals, SEO Book
• Homes, not just homepages, Google Blog
• Del.icio.us Bookmarks, Firefox and you, Yahoo Search Blog
• Integrate your offline marketing efforts with an online strategy, adCenter blog

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