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Search Marketing in Europe (Search Engine Watch)

“Search marketing is increasingly global, but a local focus is still vital to achieve your goals. What does it take to have a successful search marketing campaign in Europe?

A special report from the Search Engine Strategies conference, August 2-5, 2004, San Jose, CA”

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Why Your Best Business Partners May be Your Worst Enemies on the Web (Yahoo! Finance)

“Many branded businesses are discovering something alarming. When they type their name into search engines, they aren't listed near the top. According to one Internet expert, many companies' affiliates are legally marketing their trademarked terms, and reaping huge rewards.”

"Don't assume because you're the brand owner, you're number one in the search engines for your trademarks," warns Seda. "If your affiliates dominate top positions then you're likely paying them a hefty commission for sales you could have captured on your own. Plus, you could easily pay 10 to 20 times more per click than necessary to compete with them for paid listings."

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Search Engine Wars: After the Smoke Clears Who's Still Standing? (Idea Marketers)

“There have been a lot of changes on the search engine front in the past year; so many that it's hard to keep track of who's still a major player, and who isn't.

With so many services turning to "Pay for Submission" and "Pay per Click" models, there aren't a lot left that still accept free submissions.

And of those that do, it's hard to tell exactly which ones are worth your time.

Let's review the list to see who's still standing, who's charging and who isn't:…”

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Spyware Reviews - September 2004 (ADWARE REPORT)

“Here are our latest spyware reviews and spyware removal product comparisons. We recommend only reputable and effective spyware removal products … no rogues or disguised spyware installers.”

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The "Design" Part of Search-Friendly Design (ClickZ)

“Many search engine marketers mistakenly believe that to make a site that's search engine-friendly, all they have to do is create a site map page and have a text-link navigation scheme.

While some site designs can become more search-friendly by adding a site map and text-link navigation, other design solutions aren't so simple.”

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Windows XP SP2 Delayed Again (TVC Alert)

“Microsoft has extended the preparation time it gave users who installed the special registry key for Service Pack 2. Instead of the original 120 day delay, users will have 240 days to update and test software for compatibility to the upgrade. The article below explains how to load the registry key.”

RELATED, Delay Windows XP SP2 Update

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KaZaA P2P Founders Sue RIAA (Internet DJ)

“ P2P network Altnet has just filed a lawsuit against the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They claim the RIAA has infringed on its patents.

Basically, the filing states that the RIAA and two anti-piracy organizations have developed their own technology to access the P2P networks and track pirated media file usage. Because they are doing this programmatically, they have replicated the patented software developed by Altnet and in so doing violated their patent.

Altnet apparently has sent many warnings to the RIAA and its cohorts last November, but did not have an affect.”

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Screwed by search marketing firms? (Netimperative)

“Reputation is a major bugbear in the search marketing industry, writes Mike Grehan.”

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The Future of Search: Beyond the Horizon (Li’l Engine)

“I [Gord Hotchkiss] was asked by SEMPO (the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) to speculate on the future of search marketing. Then came the hard part: Limit it to one column.

The thrilling part of speculating about any aspect of the Internet, particularly search, is its virtually limitless potential. Every day new possibilities open up.”

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Search Engine Watch Blog Opens (Search Engine Watch)

“Our Search Engine Watch Blog is now live, and we hope you'll enjoy this new way for us to communicate about search engines.

The blog isn't going to replace what Search Engine Watch already does. Instead, it's going to let us better publish some items that may not come to your attention.”

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Understanding Search Engines! (Web Pro News)

27 definitions of search engines.

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Search Is Second to Email
(Research News - TVC Alert)

“(27 Aug) A nationwide telephone survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and comScore Networks finds that using a search engine is the second most popular Internet-related activity. About 38 million Americans conduct search engine queries daily.

Survey "respondents ... say they locate the information they are seeking 87 percent of the time when using a search engine." Moreover, "92 percent of searchers surveys expressed confidence in their search skills, claiming they can find what they want when searching online."

What's interesting is the disparity between statistics like this and the findings of business surveys such as the one conducted a few months ago by FIND/SVP. It found "84 percent of respondents feel that Web searches take longer than they should due to poor results, costing businesses an estimated $31 billion in wasted time."

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The Internet at 35 (CNN)

“(29 Aug) As Internet2 promises speeds 100 times faster that the average broadband connection, CNN takes a brief look at the history and the future of Internet technology.

The concept was born in a lab on 2 September 1969. Email followed in short order, and then later, the TCP/IP and hypertext transfer protocols.

Jump ahead to present day to witness the birth of Internet2 (available at select universities and institutions) and the Semantic Web (still in the lab).”

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Delving Deep Inside the Searcher's Mind
(Search Engine Watch – SearchDay)

“Which search engines do searchers prefer and why? How do users use search engines to find the information they want? And how do searchers perceive paid versus free listings? New research offers insights into the workings of the searcher's mind.”

A special report from the Search Engine Strategies conference, August 2-5, 2004, San Jose, CA.

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Combining Pay Per Click and Search Engine Optimization (NetMechanic)

“There are two ways to get to the top of the search engine listings: using search engine optimization (SEO) to boost your rankings, and buying your way to the top with pay per click (PPC) listings. Which method should you use to promote your web site?”

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SEO Roadshow Hits London (Search Engine Lowdown)

“If you're in London, near London or happen to know a cheap flight to London, be sure to stop by the SEO Roadshow for "free-form networking of the original-style PubConference" on September 18th.

The free event is by invite only, but leave your email address in the comments section for this post and we'll make sure you're hooked-up.”

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Happy Birthday Google (Search Engine Journal)

“Google turns 6 years old today in a birthday celebration that has seen much change over the years. On September 7, 1998, Google Inc. opened its door in Menlo Park, California.

The door came with a remote control, as it was attached to the garage of a friend who sublet space to the new corporation’s staff of three.

The office offered several big advantages, including a washer and dryer and a hot tub.

It also provided a parking space for the first employee hired by the new company: Craig Silverstein, now Google’s director of technology.”

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Danny Sullivan Reviews SEMPO, Resigns From Board of Advisors (Search Engine Lowdown)

“This may well be Danny Sullivan's longest article ever! In it, he recaps the highs and the lows of SEMPO and provides his thoughts on what the troubled organization can do to recover from the scandals that have rocked it.

The biggest shock is at the end of the lengthy article, where Danny announces that he and Chris Sherman have resigned their positions on the Board of Advisors (could Jupiter's sponsorship be pulled too?).

While Danny admirably places a positive spin on that announcement, you can't help thinking that perhaps he simply didn't want his good name dragged thru the mud by SEMPO.”

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Copernic Offers New Desktop Search Tool (PhysOrg.com)
[FREE registration required]

“Copernic Technologies Inc. today announced Copernic Desktop Search™ (CDS™), “The Search Engine For Your PC ™.”

Copernic™ has used the experience gained from over 30 million downloads of its Windows-based Web search software to develop CDS, a desktop search product that users are saying is far superior to anything on the market today.

With this announcement, Copernic is poised to face Microsoft® and Google™ in the battle for desktop search supremacy.”

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Finally, I bought the iRiver H140 .

Err, yes – OBVIOUSLY – I know about the iPod 40GB.

And the iRiver H140 just loves my Koss THE PLUG headphones.

I’ll be back soon with a review.

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Google, e-mails and the law (PC Plus, UK)

“It would be very simple for Google to link the data from your searches and your email, something Google’s Larry Page has refused to rule out.

Factor in that what we read on Google News is already tracked by the Google cookie, and if it keeps this up then Google – a privately-held and soon-to-be-floated company – will soon know more about our thoughts and habits than any government.”

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Search Engine Comparison Chart
(Law Library Resource Xchange – LLRX)

“This chart is part of Diana Botluk’s Power Searching on the Web seminar.”

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Is Google Broken? (W3 Reports)

“Between Aug 04, 2003 and Aug 25, 2003 (just 21 days), Google added a little over 1.2 billion Web pages to their index. But since Aug 25, 2003 and today, Google hasn't added one single Web page to their index (at least according to Google they haven't).”

“Now isn't this strange? The exact same number of Web page one year ago as it is today and next week will be the same.”

“So what does this mean? It means either Google is lying to us all or they have been dropping as many pages as they have been adding them.”

Is Google Dying? (Web Pro News)

“On sites with more than a few thousand pages, Google is not indexing anywhere from ten percent to seventy percent of the pages it knows about.”

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Google Code Jam 2004 (ResearchBuzz)

“Yesterday opened the registration for the Google Code Jam 2004. You can register at http://www.google.com/codejam/ . Finals are on October 15. First place winner gets ten grand!

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Microsoft to challenge Google (boston.com)

“In the near term, Microsoft's biggest challenge may be the perception that its software is riddled with bugs that let computer vandals seize control of sensitive systems or infect them with viruses.

"That's a major impediment," said Ballmer [president and chief executive of Microsoft Corp.], "and so we as a company have made security our job one priority."

“Despite Google's popularity, "the search market is still quite fragmented," Ballmer said, and existing tools still generate lots of useless results.

Ballmer said Microsoft plans to invent new search technology that will change this, and make life more difficult for Google and other rivals.”

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Seven Gifts Your Search Engine Marketing Company Will Love (Web Pro News)

“As the owner of a busy search engine marketing company, I've been in the trenches long enough to be able to predict whether a search engine optimization campaign is going to be a breeze or a struggle.

When it's a struggle, it's often because the client hasn't provided us with certain crucial elements we need to do our job efficiently.”