As we've seen several times recently, there's a chasm between consumer usage of search and SEM by small business advertisers (SMBs). Google developed its authorized reseller program to address this issue in part and create a network of third party relationships that could help it gain more traditional small business (SMB) advertisers, which it had difficulty doing through traditional AdWords self-service. These third parties were and are largely established media companies (i.e., yellow pages publishers, newspaper publishers) and selected others who sell directly to small businesses (e.g., [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: APIs | Google: Partnerships

TimeWarner and Google have announced that starting today Google will make available millions of images from the Life Magazine photo archive. The vast majority (97 percent) of these images have never been seen by the public (they were sitting around in physical envelopes). These are hard-copy photographs that have been or are being scanned by Google and will be hosted by Google. They will show up in Google.com and Google Image search results. All these photos are available in high-resolution (5 and 6 megapixels). The images will be free to use for "personal and research purposes" but will be [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Images | Google: Partnerships

Last week the Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft was trying to "steal away" an almost-done default search deal between Google and Verizon Wireless that would have given Google a high-profile presence on Verizon handsets. Verizon is the largest wireless carrier in the US with more than 80 million subscribers (post Alltel acquisition). Reuters now reports that Verizon is "closer" to choosing Microsoft as default search vendor to replace Google. According to the article: Under the terms being considered, Microsoft would share with Verizon revenue from ads shown in response to cell ph [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Mobile | Google: Partnerships | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Microsoft: Partnerships | Top News

The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that Microsoft is offering substantial financial incentives to "steal away" the mobile search relationship with Verizon from rival Google. Verizon is the US's largest wireless carrier (given the recent approval of the Alltel acquisition) with more than 80 million subscribers. According to the WSJ: Microsoft has gotten the mobile carrier's attention by offering a sweeter deal to put its search service and related advertising on Verizon phones. Microsoft is also offering more generous revenue sharing and a guarantee of substantially higher p [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Business Issues | Google: Mobile | Google: Partnerships | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Partnerships | Search Engines: Mobile Search Engines

The Google-Yahoo ad deal gained support in the form of a letter (PDF) from several of California's congressional representatives asking that the Department Of Justice not to block the proposed arrangement. Led by Google and Yahoo's "hometown" representative, Democrat Anna Eshoo from Palo Alto, the short letter signed by 11 US House Of Representative legislators so far reads much like it was written by Google and Yahoo to be posted on their new fact site about the deal. The letter keeps repeating the Google-Yahoo mantra of how this is a non-exclusive deal (and thus, no [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google & Yahoo Ad Deal | Google: AdWords | Google: Business Issues | Google: Partnerships | Yahoo: Business Issues | Yahoo: Partnerships | Yahoo: Search Ads

Google has launched a new informational site designed to tell its story about why there's no need to fear an ad partnership between it and Yahoo. Within the site, you'll find lots of information about the deal except for one key fact: when exactly does it start? The launch of the site suggests any day now. Here's what's on the site: Facts page: Why Google says ad prices won't be set between it and Yahoo; how Yahoo should earn more off the deal; how Yahoo won't be able to see prices at Google; how Google & Yahoo will set minimum bids independently and much more.   What People Are Sa [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Partnerships | Top News | Yahoo: Business Issues | Yahoo: Partnerships

Advertising spending is down across the board and the financial markets are in a crisis not seen since the Depression. Layoffs are happening or appear to be impending at a number of high-profile tech companies, including HP, eBay and Yahoo. Yet Google appears to be navigating through these difficult economic waters as though it were singularly immune to the problems and challenges affecting everyone else. At a time when contraction and retrenchment are in the air, Google is expanding ambitiously. Yesterday, for example, the company announced a multi-pronged effort with General Electric on ren [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: General | Google: Mobile | Google: Outside US | Google: Partnerships

Last week the Association of National Advertisers sent a letter on behalf of its 400 member companies to the US Justice Department (DOJ) asking the government to block the pending Google-Yahoo search advertising deal. Then there were reports that the DOJ had hired attorney Sandy Litvack, its chief antitrust attorney under former US President Jimmy Carter, as a consultant on the matter. Today comes a communiqué from long-time Google critic the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) asking the DOJ, European Commission and equivalent Canadian authorities to prevent the deal from happening. The [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: Partnerships | Yahoo: Outside US | Yahoo: Partnerships

Google has moved off land, into the sea and the sky (space) to further some of its earthly objectives. On Saturday the GeoEye-1 satellite launched into space. The noteworthy thing about this satellite is that it has the highest resolution of any orbiter taking pictures of Earth. While Google is the only mapping provider that will benefit from that imagery, it's not the only one that will collect images from the satellite. The US Department of Defense will reportedly also be using the high resolution imagery for its own purposes. The resolution of the camera will apparently be able to captur [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Features: General | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Partnerships

The Association of National Advertisers, a high profile trade group that represents "400 companies with 9,000 brands," has sent a letter to Assistant US Attorney General Thomas Barnett in which the group objects to the pending Google-Yahoo search advertising deal. According to the Wall Street Journal: ANA's board, made up of well-known marketing executives including Brian Perkins, Johnson & Johnson's vice president of corporate affairs; Stephen Quinn, chief marketing officer at Wal-Mart Stores Inc; and Betsy Lazar, executive director of media and advertising for General Motors Corp., approv [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: Critics | Google: Partnerships | Legal | Yahoo: Search Ads

TechCrunch reports Google has extended a deal to be the default search engine in Firefox for an additional three years, to 2011. The news comes the day after Microsoft released a beta of IE8. The deal is somewhat ironic in that Google has lobbied to to prevent Microsoft from making itself the default search engine in Internet Explorer but has no qualms about buying itself defaul rights in Firefox. Hey Firefox - Let Us Pick Our Own Search Engine! from Danny Sullivan has more about that. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content | Firefox | Google: Marketing | Google: Partnerships | Top News

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

Both Reuters and CNET report on a Securities and Exchange Commission filing by Yahoo that contains many of the details of its paid search deal with Google. It's a redacted version of the agreement the two companies signed. The omitted portions of the document are deemed confidential. The agreement allows but does not require Yahoo to display Google ads on its properties or its partner sites. It also allows Yahoo to distribute Google ads through its RightMedia exchange. As CNET points out, many of the privacy terms have been redacted, so it's unclear what level of tracking or data sharing wi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdSense | Google: AdWords | Google: Partnerships | Yahoo: Partnerships | Yahoo: Search Ads

I was off most of Friday when the Google-Yahoo deal was announced -- and then details of Microsoft's last proposal to Yahoo also came out. Today was catch-up, and I wanted to put the deals next to each other in chart form. Google-Yahoo doesn't seem as bad as some are making out. I may do a longer post on all this later in the week. No doubt, Google got a sweet deal here. But I wouldn't say Yahoo's a chump at all. The chart: Feature Google Microsoft Stock Purchase Google might have shown Yahoo investors love by a purchase, but that might also have triggered more anti-trust issues Wo [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Business Issues | Google: Partnerships | Microsoft & Yahoo Search Deal | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Partnerships | Yahoo: Business Issues | Yahoo: Partnerships

This afternoon Yahoo confirmed that it had entered into a paid search deal with Google. That deal is described by Yahoo in its press release and by Google in a related blog post. Google takes pains in the post to insulate the deal against anti-trust claims. The renewable 10-year deal goes beyond paid search results on Yahoo and includes contextual advertising on the Yahoo network and, potentially, on Yahoo partner sites. In a little bit of a surprise, the two companies have thrown in IM interoperability for good measure. Here are the main points as made on the conference call that just hap [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdSense | Google: AdWords | Google: Business Issues | Google: Partnerships | Yahoo: Business Issues | Yahoo: Partnerships | Yahoo: Search Ads

So Firefox 3 has a new release candidate making news, suggesting that the browser is nearly done. May I suggest that the browser is nowhere near being done until the Mozilla Foundation drops its favoritism to Google and allow users to pick their own default search engine? And that Microsoft ought to be among those choices? Seriously, the entire Firefox+Google love fest is a joke. Let's revisit a little history here. Google fought and fought to pressure Microsoft so that no search provider was the default in Internet Explorer 7, arguing this was the best for consumer choice: "The m [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content | Firefox | Google: Marketing | Google: Partnerships | Microsoft: Internet Explorer | Microsoft: Marketing | Microsoft: Partnerships

For all the excitement about Microsoft Live Search Cashback, I think a new announcement out today is far more important to Live Search's potential growth. It will be the default search engine on Hewlett-Packard computers sold in North America beginning in January 2009, winning the deal from Yahoo. HP is currently the world's largest PC manufacturer and second largest in the United States. Below, more about the deal plus a review of all major computer-search deals. HP computers will have a special HP-edition Live Search toolbar as part of the Internet Explorer browser they ship with. Aside fr [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Partnerships | Microsoft: Partnerships | Yahoo: Partnerships

The NY Times covers the issue of whether Google's potential paid search deal with Yahoo can survive anti-trust scrutiny. The bottom line involves analysis of how the deal might impact the marketplace and whether it would reduce competition and lead to higher prices for search marketers. Google steadfastly says no, argues that in an auction it cannot control pricing and makes analogies to other industries and companies that both cooperate and compete. Anti-trust experts quoted in the piece, however, speculate about whether the deal might potentially weaken Yahoo over the long term and minimiz [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: Legal | Google: Partnerships | Legal: General | Yahoo: Partnerships | Yahoo: Search Ads

More rumors about yesterday's news that Carl Icahn may want to take control of Yahoo. He apparently plans to nominate 10 directors to replace Yahoo's board later today, reports the Wall Street Journal, using an unnamed source. But Microsoft might no longer be interested in Yahoo. Plus, that Google-Yahoo ad deal? Turns out Google might be nervous that Yahoo might learn too much from it and become a threat to Google. Let's do Icahn first. From the WSJ article: Mr. Icahn, who bought roughly 50 million Yahoo shares since Microsoft withdrew its offer, spent the past few days deliberating the p [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Partnerships | Microsoft & Yahoo Search Deal | Microsoft: Business Issues | Yahoo: Business Issues | Yahoo: Partnerships

Google's John Hanke keynoted the Where 2.0 conference this morning and discussed the development and evolution of the "geoweb." But he also announced that KML files (now a public standard) and GeoRSS data (I believe) being indexed by Google are now going to be available to third parties via the Google API. That means things like Panaramio and geotagged YouTube videos, among other datasets, will be available through the API. Google also announced a partnership with geospatial software platform and provider ESRI. ESRI will also be a kind of additional gateway for thousands of live datafeeds th [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Partnerships