SearchCap: The Day In Search, February 9, 2009

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: “Retail Search Presence Study” Shows Online Product Sellers Far Outpace Traditional Retailers In Search ResultsSearch marketing firm Internet Engine released findings from a new “Retail Search Presence Study,” which analyzed paid […]

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Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.

From Search Engine Land:

  • “Retail Search Presence Study” Shows Online Product Sellers Far Outpace Traditional Retailers In Search Results
    Search marketing firm Internet Engine released findings from a new “Retail Search Presence Study,” which analyzed paid search results in ten product categories over the past three holiday shopping seasons. What the study found was the following: The results show that on-line retailers have a very strong presence, representing well over 30% of the listings shown, while bricks and mortar retailers consistently have had the weakest presence of any group showing up only 12% of the time. The overwhelming majority of product purchases are made in stores. E-commerce remains a tiny fraction (<4%) of US retail. However, each year more offline/local …
  • Bid Management Automation: Three More Inconvenient Truths
    Last time, I covered some shaky assumptions behind bid management automation, including the assumption of an easily pinpointed target CPA. In this column, I’ll address some additional issues that don’t often come to light in industry discussions. While they may make some vendors squirm, they also might help advertisers select the tools that are just right for their needs. Three Inconvenient Truths 1. Frequent bid changes through the API cost money. Costs may vary, but frequent changes require you to pay the search engine for API tokens used. Bid management solutions generally set you back something like 2% of your …
  • How To Geocode An Address & Optimize Location Pages
    Local businesses often display maps of their locations on their sites, but not a lot has been said about how to best create those pages for good usability and search engine optimization. This article will describe how to geocode addresses, use them to create dynamic maps for a local website while simultaneously optimizing those map/location pages.
  • Google Tests New Maps In Search Results
    Mike Blumenthal reports seeing Google test a new type of map within the search results listings. He said he is only able to trigger this map to show using Firefox with the Google Toolbar installed. So his theory is that Google is testing some geolocation technology in the Firefox toolbar. I personally cannot reproduce it, but I trust Mike is seeing this. Here is a screen capture of one such result: Others reportedly have seen this type of map …
  • Twitter Reveals Google Engineering Layoffs?
    Search Engine Journal points to some Twitter postings from Mary Hodder that suggest Google is laying off qualified engineers as part of a mandate to reduce headcount across the board. Apparently this is being done “quietly” so as not to alert press. Guess not. It’s critical to stress that all this is just rumor but Mary Hodder’s credibility is endorsed by former Ask CEO Jim Lanzone. And if you read the comments back and forth it all seems credible. We’ll wait for Google’s public statement. There are two responses to this news: Why would Google with all its …
  • Google Tests Tweaked Search Suggestions User Interface
    Google Operating System reports that Google is testing a slightly tweaked user interface for their search suggestions. Google made Google Suggest the default behavior for the main search box in August of last year. Since then, it has gone unchanged. Here is a screen capture showing the “Google Search” and “I’m Feeling Lucky” buttons in the suggestion drop downs. Google often tweaks and tests new interfaces and this is just one of many.
  • 25 Random Things About Search Marketing
    If you spend any time on Facebook you’ve no doubt been tagged by the ’25 random things’ game that’s been plaguing the social media-sphere. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you either don’t use Facebook or you live in a cave, or both. By the time you read this you will likely know more random things about more people than you ever wanted to. So while I’m not posting 25 random things about myself on my Facebook wall, I will take this little corner of the Internet to post 25 random things about search marketing (and a couple …
  • Live Search Adds Fourth Search Ad To Top Of UK Results
    The Microsoft adCenter blog announced they have added another ad position to the UK search results. This will increase the mainline ad position, directly above the organic results, to four ads, just like they did in the US in September 2008. Many advertisers will be happy about this change, but will searchers like it? So far, Microsoft said that the US results have been “positive since the launch.” The question is, positive according to the advertisers and also the searchers or just the advertisers?
  • Will Google Succumb To “The Innovator’s Dilemma”?
    John Borthwick, a former AOL/TW executive, writes a piece for Silicion Alley Insider on the phenomenon now known as “The Innovator’s Dilemma” and how it blindsided AOL — despite the fact that the company thought it was prepared for it. In his post, Borthwick describes an AOL HR retreat several years ago: On the second morning Clay Christensen [author of The Innovator’s Dilemma] spoke to the group. He is an imposing figure, tall as heck, and a great speaker — he walked through his theory of the innovators dilemma, illustrated it with supporting case studies and then asked us …

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About the author

Barry Schwartz
Staff
Barry Schwartz is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

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