Highlights from the SEW Blog: March 24-28, 2008
By Kevin Newcomb , March 31, 2008
We've collected all the search marketing news from selected posts to the Search Engine Watch blog in the past week.
From the SEW blog:
Organic Search
- Does Google Allow Good Google Bombs?
To some, it appears that Google has painted itself into a corner with its reliance on linking for its ranking algorithm. The lines between legitimate SEO, paid links, and Google bombs are becoming increasingly blurred.
- New Google Webmaster Tool Aids Robots.txt Creation
For the coding-challenged, creating a robots.txt file for instructing search engine spiders on the preferred way to crawl your site has not always been easy. Thankfully, Google has created a robots.txt generator as part of its Webmaster Tools.
- Maybe Google's Not Becoming a Portal?
Last week at SES NY, new comScore data on universal search showed that Google was sending more traffic to its own properties than it had been in the past. That led some people (including me) to wonder if that meant Google was becoming more like a portal than a search engine. But that data appears to miss the larger picture, where Google is sending even more traffic to news sites than it does to Google News.
- SEW Experts: Search Within a Search: Where's it Leading?
Some publishers are getting up in arms over a new feature from Google, which allows users to search a publisher's site without leaving the SERP.
- SEW Experts: Yahoo and the Future of Search
Because of spam, search engines had to stop trusting Webmasters to tell them about their site. Now, Yahoo is looking at new ways to get information from Webmasters.
Search Advertising
- Google Ad Clicks Up, Down and Flat in Feb., Depending on Who You Ask
According to today's headlines, clicks on Google ads are dropping, flattening and experiencing a slowdown in growth - all at the same time!
- Searchers Beginning to See Google Video Ads in Sponsored Listings
If you look carefully in your next Google search, you might just see a video ad included in the sponsored listings along side your organic results.
- Google's Demo Targeting: No Panacea
Last week, Google announced its full demo targeting offering. On the surface, it's worth a try by advertisers who want to reach or exclude, say, 18-24 year-olds. It's not a targeting panacea.
- SEW Experts: Non-Text Contextual Ads: Quality Score and Bidding Strategy
Running banner ad campaigns on Google's content networks requires different thinking than text ad campaigns -- thinking that's surprisingly counter-intuitive. There's no way for a content-matching algorithm to judge the relevancy of an ad group to a landing page, when there's no text in the ad copy.
Linking Issues & Social Media
- SEW Experts: Social Media: One Size Does NOT Fit All
Spending time on linkbait or viral ideas can drive traffic to a site. However, if the same attention isn't given to preparing what to do with the traffic, the only remaining value is links, many of which don't pass juice.
- SEW Experts: Creating a Link Building System
We, as industry insiders, often lose the pulse of the real world. Sometimes, we all need to take a step back and look at things from a new perspective, and realize that the majority of marketers are not immersed in search marketing as we are.
- How to (Actually) Earn Money (Now) with Social Media (Really): Part 1
Leveraging digital assets and hot social channels for long-term SEM benefit has now become SEO 101. However, your boss or client may need to be convinced that investing in another layer of content management system (CMS), content, and conversational networking WILL in fact yield measurable financial results soon.
- Microsoft Tries to Compete with OpenSocial
Microsoft has announced a partnership to create data portability across 5 social networking sites. Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, Tagged and LinkedIn are all part of the arrangement, which will "exchange functionally-similar Contacts APIs."
- Google, Yahoo & MySpace Team Up for OpenSocial
Yahoo, MySpace and Google have pledged their support to open standards for social media development and data by joining together to form the OpenSocial Foundation.
Analytics & ROI
- Google Launches YouTube Insight - Google Analytics Lite
Today Google video search engine YouTube launched a free Web analytics tool. Think Google Analytics Lite: it's essentially a way to see how popular a video is over time combined with a global map that shows where it's popular.
Local & Mobile Search
- Google's New Wifi Push Will Drive Mobile Search
There's unused "white space" lying between the regulated TV signals and Google has big plans for them. In new lobbying effort, Google is asking the FCC to auction the unused airwaves to establish faster internet access that has a wider reach. Expanding Wifi will have major implications for mobile search.
- New Google Mobile Search Feature Gives Your Thumbs a Rest
Do you dream of searching Google for local information with your mobile phone without having to use your thumbs? Soon, you may be in luck.
Vertical & Specialty Search
- Is Twitter the New Google Alternative?
When searchers can't find something on Google, they might turn to another search engine like Yahoo, Windows Live or Ask. Or they might turn to one of the growing answers sites. But lately, more and more people are turning to Twitter. Yes, Twitter.
- SEW Experts: What Matters Most to Travel Search Marketers in 2008?
Now that we're nearly through the first quarter, it's time to check in on the accuracy of the many predictions for the future of search.
- World's First Search Engine for Meetings: Worktopia
The only thing worse than attending a corporate meeting is planning one. For those with the thankless job of planning corporate meetings, there's Worktopia.
- Yahoo Gets REAL About Job Searches
In an effort to improve access to job seekers and assist recruiters, Yahoo announced today the launch of "R.E.A.L., a patent pending search ranking system that is based on Relevance, Engagement, Availability and Location," for Hotjobs.
- Google News Unveils Two Updates to Comments Feature
Google has just made SEO-PR (that's Public Relations, not PageRank) harder and easier at the same time!
In-House & Outsourcing
- SEW Experts: The SEO Copywriter: Wordsmithing the Web
Combining both technological know-how and a strong command of the written word, agency SEO copywriters are the front-line troops of any SEO initiative.
- Conversion Rates & The Value Of Outsourcing SEM/SEO
According to a new study, outsourced conversion rates are much higher. It may be that agencies that are specialists in a particular area see a wide cross-section of accounts and industries among their clients, and thus should be able to do a better job.
- SEW Experts: Read Any Good SEO Books Lately?
Some people are looking for the right book to learn everything there is to know about SEM. Unfortunately, it doesn't exist. Still, there are several books out there that can help further your understanding of search marketing in general, or do a deep dive on a specific sub-topic.
SEM Industry Issues
Searching/Search Technologies
More from the SEW Blog
- Twitter: Welcome to my Google Nightmare
Twitter may give Google a run for its money. Twitter's one more way, though, that Google knows everything about you.
- Stupid SEO Spammers
Lesson #1: Don't spam people with your SEO services. Lesson #2: Definitely don't spam people who write for SEW and have close relations with spam blacklist owners about your SEO services.
- Lifetips Escalator Pitch, SES NY 2008
Byron White, the president and founder of LifeTips, helped us launch a new feature at SES NY 2008: The Escalator Pitch.
- Matt McGowan in Times Square, Day 1 SES NY 2008
John Connor Mulligan of SEO-PR interviewed Matt McGowan, the Global Vice President of Marketing at Incisive Media, on the first day of SES NY 2008
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