Archive for the ‘Google’ Category

Definition of Wiki

January 23, 2008

Since Wikipedia is the 8th most visited web site according to comScore, I thought I would provide the following sources and definitions for”wiki” I found while searching Google.

* A website or similar online resource which allows users to add and edit content collectively.
Multiplatform Glossary

* A collection of web pages that can be edited by a group.
Cornell University

* This is a website that includes the collaboration of work from many different authors. A wiki site allows anyone to edit, delete, or modify the content on the web. (The first wiki creator named the site after a chain of buses in Hawaii; Wiki means “quick” in Hawaiian.)
Technology Initiative Grants

* A generic name for a web-page which anyone can edit quickly without having to learn HTML. Wikibooks

* A wiki (IPA: or ) is a website that allows visitors to add, remove, edit and change content, typically without the need for registration. It also allows for linking among any number of pages. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring.
Wikipedia.org

Google Zeitgeist 2007

January 18, 2008

Google has posted its annual Zeitgeist recapping the most searched subjects of 2007.

Zeitgeist’s definition according to Princeton University’s Wordnet lexical database is:

(the spirit of the time; the spirit characteristic of an age or generation)

Google’s “Top of Mind” chart reveals the eternal nature of questions and the essence of all search engine queries – mankind’s ongoing search for answers and meaning.

The top searches from the “What”, “How” and “Who” categories coincidentally are questions about some form of “Love”.

Top of Mind

Google Local Business Results Expanded

January 18, 2008

Google is now showing ten results for businesses under city, retail and service related queries instead of three.

This does two things:

1. It provides local businesses more exposure in local related searches. This in turn may aid Google’s efforts to generate more locally targeted advertising from retail and service businesses.

2. It reveals the lack of forethought shown by most businesses when it comes to choosing their free yellow pages category when ordering their phone line. If I had not spent years studying potential yellow pages categories for both mine and my client’s businesses, I too probably wouldn’t have given it much thought either. The data displayed under each query is only as informed as the person who placed the original order with the phone company.

In the following example under a Google search for “marketing oklahoma city” you can see about half of the businesses listed are probably not in the business of providing “marketing” services in Oklahoma City.

Marketing Oklahoma City

However, in a search for “marketing consultant oklahoma city” you can see nearly all of the businesses listed likely provide marketing consultant services in Oklahoma City.

Marketing Consultant Oklahoma City

Fortunately my business listing – Advanced Marketing Consultants – appears within both searches today.

Yes, every business with a phone line will probably now appear in a local search result.

One question remains – will their listing be shown to the right audience?

The Internet Advertising Market

January 17, 2008

comScore Media Metrix has released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at top online properties for December 2007.

According to comScore’s Top 50 Ad Focus Ranking: “Advertising.com continued to lead the Ad Focus ranking of ad networks and sites accepting advertising, reaching 86 percent of the more than 183 million Americans online in December. Specific Media gained four spots to capture the fourth position reaching 77 percent of the online population. Collective Media gained seven spots to position 14, while Amazon.com climbed three spots to 34. YuMe Video Network, About, and Disney Online all entered the ranking this month capturing positions 37, 44, and 48, respectively.”

comScore’s Top 50 Ad Focus list is a great overview of the internet advertising market.

It also serves as a great starting point and road map for any business looking to expand their marketing presence online.

The following are the Top 50 Sources for Marketing and Advertising your business online according to comScore Media Metrix:
1. Advertising.com**
2. Yahoo! Network**
3. Google Ad Network**
4. Specific Media**
5. Yahoo!
6. ValueClick Networks**
7. Blue Lithium**
8. Tribal Fusion**
9. Google
10. Casale Media Network**
11. AOL Media Network
12. DRIVEpm**
13. MSN-Windows Live
14. Collective Media**
15. interCLICK**
16. Traffic Marketplace**
17. Yahoo.com Home Page
18. adconion media group**
19. Tremor Media
20. AOL
21. 24/7 Real Media**
22. Burst Media**
23. ADSDAQ by ContextWeb**
24. AdBrite**
25. Centro
26. Vibrant Media**
27. MySpace.com*
28. CPX Interactive**
29. Ebay.com
30. Gorilla Nation Media
31. Undertone Networks**
32. MSN.com Home Page
33. YouTube.com
34. Amazon.com
35. AdDynamix.com**
36. Ask Network
37. YuMe Video Network
38. Business.com Network
39. Ebau.com Home Page
40. Kontera**
41. PrecisionClick**
42. Mapquest
43. Walmart.com
44. About
45. The Nabbr Network
46. Facebook.com
47. Weather.com
48. Disney Online
49. Vizi Media**
50. Real Cities Network

comScore Top 50 Ad Focus

MerchantCircle.com

January 17, 2008

Over the past several months I have received telemarketing calls from MerchantCircle.com.

Each call has come after hours with the caller leaving the following voice mail message:

“Calling to let you know that after searching Google, a satisfied customer found your website on MerchantCircle.com and gave you a positive rating for being a good local business. To see your rating, go to MerchantCircle.com and enter your business telephone number into the blue box. Again, that’s MerchantCircle.com.”

Although flattered, I am highly certain after having visited their website after each voice mail – no such thing occurred.

To Merchant Circle’s credit, using an auto dialer to drum up local advertising business is somewhat innovative but in my particular case whom does MerchantCircle.com think they are kidding?

MerchantCircle.com

Blackle.com

October 10, 2007

I received the following email today from a friend who thought I should know about it.

Subject: FW: better than google

If Google had a black screen, taking into account the huge number of page views, according to calculations, 750 mega watts/hour per year would be saved.

In response, Google created a black version of its search engine, called Blackie, with the exact same functions as the white version, but with lower energy consumption–Spread the word:

How do you tell a friend the information they thought was important and valuable enough to pass along to you was instead misinformation?

That what he thought was noteworthy was just a more sophisticated form of email spam promoting yet another product?

Blackle was not created by Google.

A simple Who Is search would have stopped the flow of misinformation, but apparently my friend doesn’t know how to search domain registration records – something those in the business probably take for granted.

Blackle.com

Blackle does however use Google’s Custom Search Engine.

Even more ironic, a recent study confirms an all black display may actually consume more energy.

According to Will Rogers, “An ignorant person is one who doesn’t know what you just found out.”

Doesn’t a person’s having search skills or not now define a new type of ignorance, another dimension within the ever expanding Digital Divide – a dignorance?

Google Checkout eBay’s Paypal Adwords

June 14, 2007

After reading coverage today in both the San Francisco Chronicle and the LA Times about how PayPal pulled their ads from Google, I ran a couple of searches in Google and found the following search results ironic.

eBay doesn’t appear to be running ads any longer for eBay brand terms or the millions of other search terms they normally advertised under. However, their PayPal unit either directly or indirectly through affiliates is still advertising on searches for Google Checkout.

PayPal Adwords

YouTube.com Now Appearing in Google Search Results

June 7, 2007

Over the last several weeks, I have begun to see an occasional You Tube video clip or two in Google search results.

A video I posted on You Tube on May 27, 2007 and tagged with Google Adwords Professional is now appearing in Google search results as of today June 7, 2007.

It will be interesting to see how You Tube videos compete for page positions with their text counterparts.

Google Adwords Professional

The Google Search Network

May 27, 2007

As of May 27, 2006:

According to Google:

Your ads may appear alongside or above search results, as part of a results page as a user navigates through a site’s directory, or on other relevant search pages. Our global search network includes Google Product Search and Google Groups and the following entities:

America Online (AOL)

AT& T Worldnet

Ask

Compuserve

Earthlink

Netscape

Shopping.com

Google Adwords allows advertisers to target Google searches, their search network partners and their content network at the campaign level under the “Edit Campaign Settings” tab.

Every campaign and keyword performs differently.

I have found measuring the performance of each is necessary to successfully managing keywords let alone campaigns.

Google Networks

Ask YouTube.com

May 27, 2007

While searching for a video clip today I noticed Ask.com is buying banner ads on YouTube.com.

I wonder if Ask makes their money back from YouTube after searches at Ask.com deliver Google search network ads?

Ask YouTube.com