The industry has been buzzing for awhile about private equity buyers that just might be interested in picking up some search firms. Here are the details on the acquisition of Fathom SEO by PromiseONE, a private equity buyer. Exclusive advisor Agile Equity gives these details * Fathom SEO sold to PromiseONE, a private equity buyer. * The buyer is actively integrating with the existing management team to sustain and accelerate a supernormal growth rate. * This is PromiseONE’s first acquisition in the digital media sector. [...]

Related Topics: Business Issues: Acquisitions & Investments | Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

Now that the "who attended which conference this week" gossip chatter is over, we have a bigger question: Who is attending Larry Page’s wedding today? As previously reported, Larry is getting married today, and Searcharazzi is reporting to you live from an undisclosed location at the island location, if only in our minds. In any case, Searcharazzi has spent the better half of the month gathering the details of Larry’s and Lucy Southworth's pending nuptials, to be hosted by Richard Branson on Necker Island. A special thanks to Valleywag’s spies for keeping a virtual wedding planner wi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Employees | Searcharazzi

Just a few weeks after Offermatica was picked up by Omniture, TechCrunch reports that Interwoven has agreed to buy Optimost for $52 million in cash. While we were pretty sure that AKQA would get the deal, it looks like the CMS won out. The Interwoven website is now serving up a page specifically on the deal, stating: With Optimost, we will be able to offer the most advanced solution for accelerating conversion rates and online sales as well as enhanced capabilities for providing targeted content to Website visitors. Visitors to the page can also download the a podcast on the subject from [...]

Related Topics: Business Issues: Acquisitions & Investments | Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

While Google events are a known entity for those in the search crowd, the rest of the world is now getting a taste. In an effort to craft more targeted events, parties now focus on a single vertical. From a sales perspective, this most certainly makes sense. However, the recent "Press Party" held on October 3 seems to have backfired. The premise: get hot consumer publications to write about how sexy Google tech can be. But come on, did Google really think it could so easily sway a room full of devils that wear Prada? Do Googlers know what Prada is? PR was definitely entering into dangerous [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Marketing | Searcharazzi

As fall settles in, another chill is in the air. Rumor has it that a top tier search and interactive services shop is about to have a management shake-up. M&A in the space appears to have slowed down as shops that should have taken their first offer decided to keep on trucking. So what exactly is going on, folks? Bubble bursting? Or are we still very early in the game? Valleywag suggests that lots of cheese varieties mean that the bubble is still growing. An attendee at the EmTech conference reception Wednesday afternoon -- okay, okay, my boss -- noted that he hadn't "seen that many ki [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

PowerPoint haters unite! So, Techcrunch says that The Inquirer says that Google is thiiiiiiiis close to launching Presently, a web-based alternative to PowerPoint. With consulting firm CapGemini now pushing Google Apps hard, can we finally say goodbye to Microsoft’s Office Suite? Some speculate that the app will be unveiled next week at TechCruch 40 (formerly TechCrunch 20, but I guess the start up life is going well). After all, Google is on the list of Who’s Coming, as is rival Microsoft Corporation. Interestingly, the speaker that caught our attention is MC Hammer. Yes, folks, The [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Apps For Your Domain | Searcharazzi

This morning Omniture announced that it has agreed to buy Offermatica and sidekick division OTTO Digital for $65 million. Still waiting to hear from the ranks as to whether this was too much, too little, or just right. As if that’s not enough "O’s" for you, Optimost, another landing page optimization firm, is also been rumored to be on the block. As for the E, Chris Zaharias announced a few weeks back that he has left SEM Efficient Frontier, also known as eFrontier. While this might not be "new" news, Searcharazzi got wind that this is actually the second time he has left the firm. No [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

Coleman is out, and president Sue Decker rises to the top. Hilary Schneider (is it possible that she is Decker’s long lost twin?) smugly rules ad sales and partnerships (Global Partner Solutions), leaving Jeff Weiner to run content (Yahoo! Network Division). According to a Valleywag tipster, these two hate each other’s guts. Ok, they didn’t say that. But they did point out that Weiner had won back the territories that Schneider had briefly run, resulting in a year-over-year revenue drop of 10-15%. However, Weiner must "partner" with Schneider for any real deals. One can only imagi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

Ever since Caltech graduate student Virgil Griffith launched Wiki Scanner, it has been nonstop fun freaking out PR people everywhere. While Wired’s list of salacious edits has everyone abuzz, Searcharazzi still enjoys good, old-fashioned wiki sleuthing, as brought to our attention yesterday. Apparently someone representing FAST Search & Transfer has been modifying facts regarding the firm's recent and well-documented revenue recognition problems. So here you go folks, straight from the Talk:Fast Search & Transfer page on Wikipedia, we have an Appalachian-style wiki feud in the making, r [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

Face it, sessions are great for learning, but no place to get good scoop. For those heading to San Jose, mother of all Search Engine Strategies shows, here is a cheat sheet on where to get the best scoop. I leave it to the spies to leave good stuff in the comments. The Pre-Pre-Party. Could it be true that the drinking (and gossip) will start as early as Saturday, August 18th at a bar called The Liberties in San Francisco? Clearly veterans and locals with enough dirt to start a garden. The Women’s Luncheon. There are a reported 50-60 women gathering on Monday for lunch, which undoubtedl [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

alt="Searcharazzi - A Column From Search Engine Land" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="100" height="100"> If there was a silver lining to the rainy morning it was that little note above Searcharazzi's Gmail inbox, stating "You are almost out of space for your Gmail account. You can view our tips on reducing your email storage or purchase additional storage (you must be logged in to see this). A few minutes and a Google Checkout later, yours truly upgraded to a new plan. Interesting to note that the options stated: "Your new plan will automatically renew, but we will cont [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

Or at least Google license plates. You might remember the English bloke who tried to sell some plates for tens of thousands in 2005. Well, this Swedish guy has most certainly one-upped anyone else out there with his brand spanking new Google license plates on what looks like a brand spanking new BMW. Now if we just read Swedish, we’d understand what his blog said about the process. Now back to the GPhone... Tongues are wagging after the Wall Street Journal once again suggested that Google is indeed developing a wireless device. Searcharazzi secretly hopes that Rupert Murdoch’s acqu [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

It was about to be one spicy Friday, as Searcharazzi received a call on Thursday from a recruiter looking to replace a top editor in the search space. The conversation went something like this: Recruiter: "Our client is looking to replace the top spot at [name of publication]." Searcharazzi: "I thought that role was filled a month or so ago by [name of person]?" Recruiter: "Didn’t last 2 weeks." Searcharazzi: "Are you sure?" Recruiter: "Yes, I got this job req a few weeks back." As it turns out, our friend the recruiter had been wrong, very wrong, and frantically called back to clar [...]

Related Topics: Business Issues: Acquisitions & Investments | Business Issues: General | Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi | SEM Industry: Acquisitions | SEM Industry: General | SEM Industry: Outsourcing

How, we ask, can Searcharazzi compete with the iPhone today? Any salacious details on the first malfunctions? Disappointed users? Easter egg functionality? Do tell, as Searcharazzi is not exactly camping out in front of an Apple Store. We did, of course, get our email from Apple saying that the iPhone is indeed here. So let’s return to two of our favorite topics: acquisitions and parties. WPP has gobbled up yet another shop, and is still hungry for more. WPP’s digital investment leg recently acquired Blue Interactive Marketing, a Singapore-based online consulting firm. Personally, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

alt="Searcharazzi - A Column From Search Engine Land" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="100" height="100"> My, we were a feisty bunch last week. Now that it is all out of our system, let's look to a bit more benign gossip from the rumor mill For the football fans out there, here’s some water cooler conversation for the off season: last week’s New York Times ran a piece on Tim Armstrong’s involvement with Bill Hambrecht’s quest to build an alternative to the NFL. "Bill Hambrecht, you see, is starting up a professional football league. So far, he and his partne [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

Listen up, HR managers, there’s a fresh crop of search employees on the block. iCrossing commenced a round of layoffs this week. Rumor has it that the new CFO, Michael Jackson, is not driving continued growth, but cutting the fat based on profitability of offices and accounts. As of this morning, 20-30 employees have been cut from the Scottsdale headquarters and the New York office. Atlanta is also rumored to get cut down to 4 people. Some accounts suggest that when all said and done, roughly 60 people will be left in the wake. The company also recently opened a London office. So [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi | SEM Industry: General

Sherlock, get out your magnifying glass. Clues have been scattered everywhere and there is a mystery to be solved. This is no Whodunnit; Jason Calacanis, founder of Weblogs, Inc., is clearly the mastermind. While there are no bodies on the ground yet, Calacanis has marked July 14, 2007 as the day that SEOs will supposedly litter the streets. Francophiles will recognize the symbolic date as Bastille day. Could it be that Calacanis envisions himself as a modern day rebel, about to storm the prison? Perhaps. His plan is to render SEOs irrelevant through a human-powered search engine, much a [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

Let’s just get it out there: it appears that Zunch Communications, a Dallas-based SEM, has filed for bankruptcy. While some might call this an isolated incident, some speculative minds suggest that a correction is on the horizon for SEM agencies. Indeed, Searcharazzi is dumbfounded by the hundreds of firms that have grown and multiplied during the early years of search, which traditionally means that the environment is ripe for consolidation. Take a quick tour of any Search Engine Strategies exhibitor hall and you will get the drift. Let’s start with a tour of SEM and related acq [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi | SEM Industry: Acquisitions | SEM Industry: General

Searcharazzi asks: Why must all the good rumors come out on Friday afternoon? Today’s announcement that Google has indeed acquired DoubleClick for $3.1 billion in cold hard cash puts to shame even the juiciest details from this week’s SES New York show - from Reprise Media’s announcement that it was picked up by IPG to the pole dancing on the Epiar party bus shuttling guests to the Vintage Tub & Bath Bacchanalia Tuesday night. (More on that later.) But back to the "Google hearts DoubleClick" saga. Perhaps Searcharazzi should have been tipped off when Google moved its swank New Yo [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

With the Google Phone rumors quashed this week, Searcharazzi was pleased to get a taste of this schematic of a semantic visual search engine purportedly by Nokia. More on that from SEL’s dedicated local and mobile gurus. In the interim, we would be remiss to omit the big rumor of the week: DoubleClick is reportedly in talks to be acquired by Microsoft for $2.5 billion. Now that’s some nice coin for private equity firm Heller & Friedman. It’s also some nice firepower for Microsoft in its uphill battle against Google. While doubters suggest that the price tag is a bit stiff, Searchar [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi