AdAge reported that Microsoft and mega-agency WPP have restarted talks that may result in the sale of Interactive agency Avenue A to the latter. Avenue A was part of the $6 billion deal for aQuantive that also included Atlas and the DrivePM ad network. According to the AdAge article: Here's how a deal could unfold, according to people familiar with the discussions: Microsoft unloads the agency in exchange for a WPP package that includes 24/7's Open AdStream publisher ad-serving tool plus cash. While Avenue A's price would be higher than most agency deals, very few interactive agencies with [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Microsoft: Bing Ads | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: General

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Now Searching For Synonyms Blink, and you might have missed it. Google's now doing synonym searching. It's something they quietly noted in a past Google blog post and one that comes up again today in a post that covers how Google uses experiments to improve the search interface.... Sir, Would You Like Fries With Those Links? Recently in several SEO forums I noticed a number of threads discussing ways to find and build "economical" links. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Blink, and you might have missed it. Google's now doing synonym searching. It's something they quietly noted in a past Google blog post and one that comes up again today in a post that covers how Google uses experiments to improve the search interface. Back to synonym searching in a moment. The main focus of today's post is how small changes can have a big impact on how users interact with search results. Some before and after screenshots of various search results are shown. Most compelling to me was how by making the + symbol thicker in a "Plus Box" that allows for stock quotes [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Search Customization | Google: Web Search | Search Features: General | Search Features: Query Refinement | Top News

Recently in several SEO forums I noticed a number of threads discussing ways to find and build "economical" links. The forum participants wanted to know how they could initiate "safe" reciprocal linking as well as "fast" submissions to free article directories. They reasoned these tactics were worth doing because both linking methods were "economical" and "easy" to use. I understand some linking techniques can be expensive, tedious to implement and extremely time consuming, but tying your online business success to linking tactics deemed "easy," "fast" and "cheap" seems counter-productive. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | How To: SEO | Link Building: General | Link Week

When I attended South by Southwest 2008, I had the pleasure of attending a panel where four somewhat lost panelists were (with difficulty) trying to come up with metrics to measure success from a social media marketing campaign. I was a little annoyed when they concluded that there were no metrics available right now, and that someone would have to come up with a new way of measuring social media success. While many people argue that the current metrics are no longer applicable, here's a look at how we can adapt the currently available methodologies and apply them to social media marketing [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Search & Social | SEM Tools: Web Analytics | Social Media Marketing

Register for SMX East today and get your ticket for the must-attend interactive and search marketing event of the year. You save $400 by registering now. SMX East will be held October 6-8 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. SMX East will deliver... Outstanding content. 3 days, 4 tracks and more than 50 sessions for your skill level, whether you're a beginner or have years of experience. Click here for the agenda. Prestigious keynotes. Google's Tim Armstrong and Click author Bill Tancer will deliver insightful presentations on the state and future of search marketing. R [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SEM Industry: Conferences | SMX & DMD Alerts

AOL's MapQuest remains the top brand in online mapping and is still the most visited mapping site, despite recent gains by Google Maps. However, as the "incumbent" MapQuest has been somewhat resistant to experimentation and slower to adopt new features. But this morning the site is launching what promises to be the first of many changes in the coming months that will make it more dynamic, more visually interesting and content rich. When you go to MapQuest.com, you see the existing site with a link to the new "Beta" site. Here's "MapQuest classic": And here's the new MapQuest Beta: The [...]

Related Topics: AOL: MapQuest | Channel: Local | Top News

A lot of times paid and organic search campaign results can look very different. Especially at launch, organic conversion cost will seem much higher as rankings and, consequently, ROI take time to appear. This week's infographic demonstrates how organic search campaigns can show more cost-effective long-term performance: Graphic by Elliance, an eMarketing firm specializing in results-driven search engine marketing, web site design, and outbound eMarketing campaigns. The firm is the creator of the ennect online marketing toolkit. The Search Illustrated column appears Tuesdays at Search [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Infographics | Search Illustrated

After being in testing for literally years, Google Suggest is finally coming to Google.com. This is the feature where as you start to type in the search box, related searches automatically appear below where you are typing. For example, start typing [olympics] into the search box at Google Suggest, and below the box, you start seeing suggestions such as: olympics 2008 olympics schedule olympics tv schedule olympics 2012 It's easy to move your cursor down to any of the suggestions to select that as your search. Google Suggest was rolled out as a Google Labs project back in December 2004. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: User Interface | Google: Web Search | Search Features: Query Refinement | Top News

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Forming Good Title Tags for Local Businesses If you're looking for a quick improvement in your local business site's rankings and don't have a lot of time, you can't go wrong with making some simple improvements to your homepage title tag. The text within the title tags is one of the top signals used by Google,... More Google StreetView Privacy Controversy CNET rekindles the Google StreetView trespassing controversy that we've written about a couple of ti [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

If you're looking for a quick improvement in your local business site's rankings and don't have a lot of time, you can't go wrong with making some simple improvements to your homepage title tag. The text within the title tags is one of the top signals used by Google, Yahoo! and other search engines to decide what keywords are relevant to a page, and it's also one of the most frequently neglected parts of a site design. If you have a good title tag, you can rank at the top of the search results for users seeking your business — and a bad title can leave you in the dark. Below are a few d [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | How To: SEO | Local Search | Search Marketing: Local Search Marketing

CNET rekindles the Google StreetView trespassing controversy that we've written about a couple of times in the past (here and here). Google has said publicly and in email comments to us that its policy is to photograph public roads and stay off private property. The CNET article effectively argues that Google is willfully violating and disrespecting those property rights and expectations. In a separate event covered in the CNET article, Google's Vint Cerf made, according to the Seattle PI, an unfortunate remark (which may be true as a practical matter) about privacy. He's quoted as saying: [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Critics | Google: Maps & Local | Legal: Privacy

We’re now accepting speaking proposals for SMX London, taking place at the New Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden on November 4 and 5, 2008. We’ve got an all-new agenda for the show. Please note that the agenda is final for the show, and we will only consider pitches for specific panels. There are a limited number of openings, and we expect to fill them quickly, so don’t delay if you want to be considered. Ready to pitch? Click over to our SMX Speaker Pitch Form and follow the instructions there. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Conferences

SES San Jose 2008 is now in the books and another Google Dance -- that annual bash that provides us all with so much safe, clean YouTube fodder -- has come and gone. Among the various features and benefits -- upscale backyard barbecue fare, free beer, modified karaoke, dancing, and light shows -- is the most fascinating spectacle of all: Googlers meeting other Googlers. (Oftentimes, I ran across Googlers just sticking with their own little clique and talking among themselves, but what do you expect... it's a "campus".) Google is such an enormous entity by now that it carries a real ri [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: DoubleClick | Paid Search

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Is Google Analytics Integrating AdSense Metrics Into Reporting Tool?Amit Agarwal reports that Google Analytics will soon be adding Google AdSense data to the web analytics package. Amit managed to secure some screen shots of the AdSense related reports. The AdSense specific content seems to be found under the "Content" tab, and includes: (1) AdSense ad clicks per page... Report: Verizon May Opt For Google To Provide Mobile Search FrontVerizon, Google C [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Amit Agarwal reports that Google Analytics will soon be adding Google AdSense data to the web analytics package. Amit managed to secure some screen shots of the AdSense related reports. The AdSense specific content seems to be found under the "Content" tab and includes: (1) AdSense ad clicks per page (2) AdSense Revenue generated per page (3) CTR and CPM on a per page basis (4) Also, a "Top AdSense Referrers" report that shows you which referring sites will generate the most ad clicks for you. I figured I would try to dig up more information, so I used Bloglines to see if I could find the [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: AdSense | Google: Analytics

In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today's in-depth look, Web Analytics for (SEM) Dummies Part 1: Basic Terminology, a Free Geocoding Tool and this week's free tips and tools. News from the search engines Google AdWords: AdWords Seminars From the Inside AdWords blog: Due to the success of the AdWords Seminars program, we’ve recently added a third level which builds upon the two existing AdWords Seminar levels. To help our [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Search Marketing Toolbox | SEM Tools: Web Analytics

Verizon, Google Close To Mobile Search Deal from the Wall Street Journal reports that Google and Verizon are close to a deal. The deal would make Google the default search provided for Verizon mobile devices. In the past, Verizon and other mobile carriers were reluctant to let Google or other search companies invade this space, but that might be over with. The Wall Street Journal says Verizon wants Google to create a new search platform that would be a one-stop shop. In exchange, Google would share the ad revenue with Verizon under this platform. The details of the deal are not complete yet [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Business Issues | Google: Mobile | Google: Partnerships

The Google AdWords blog announced three major changes happening to the AdWords marketplace. First, Google will now calculate the quality score of your keywords at the time of the search query. Second, Google has removed the "minimum bid" metric and replaced it with "first page bid." Finally, Google will no longer mark search ads as "inactive for search." Google said they will be rolling out these changes to a "very small segment of advertisers within the next day or two." Google will be watching how this impacts those advertisers and will then decide when to launch this on a broader scale [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Top News

Day four of the Search Engine Strategies San Jose show is now over, which concludes the show. If you missed our earlier recap, you can see them at days three, two, and one. Below is a recap of all the blog posts that I have found, covering the day's sessions, news and activities: Best Kept Secrets To Search, BruceClay.com Blog Search Engine Optimization Tips, Online Marketing Blog Effective Contextual Search Management, Search Engine Roundtable Effective Contextual Search Management, BruceClay.com Fast, Free and Easy Tools to Get You Going, Search Engine Roundtable Fast, Free, and Easy Too [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Conferences