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My 2 featured articles for the week ending July 28, 2006:

Archived blogs for the week of Aug. 7, 2006

1212 - Aug. 10, 2006 - 9.53 AM EST

Google gets U of C to scan books

The University of California has joined Google's book-scanning project, placing about 100 academic libraries behind an ambitious adventure that happens to be under legal attack for alleged copyright violations.

Announced yesterday, the deal covers all the libraries in the University of California's 10-campus system. The news underscore the biggest expansion of Google's effort in converting millions of library books into digital format since a group of authors and publishers sued Google in the fall of 2005, in an effort to derail that project launched 20 months before.

"We happen to think that this is a very significant step forward," said Adam Smith, the group product manager overseeing Google's book-scanning initiative.

U of C joins three other major U.S. universities -- Stanford, Michigan and Harvard -- that are contributing their vast library collections to Google's crusade to ensure that vast quantities of knowledge written on paper make the transition to the digital age.

The New York Public Library and Oxford University also are allowing portions of their libraries to be scanned. The project is expected to last years and cost tens of millions of dollars -- a bill that Google is footing. It's something Google can easily afford, given the nearly 8-year-old company has already amassed nearly US$10 billion in cash.

Google's motives aren't entirely altruistic. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company wants to stock its search engine with unique material to give people more reasons to visit its Web site, the hub of an advertising network that generates most of its profits.

The endeavor has riled authors and publishers because Stanford, Michigan and Harvard are all allowing Google to create digital copies of books still protected by copyright. Uof C also is offering Google access to the copyrighted material.

Only so-called "public domain" books no longer protected by copyrights will be shown in their entirety. Google doesn't plan to show anything more than a few snippets from copyrighted material -- a "fair use" approach that the company believes is allowed under U.S. law.

Both the Association of American Publishers and Authors Guild, the two trade groups suing Google, contend the company shouldn't be allowed to stockpile digital versions of copyrighted material without permission.

Posted on Businessblog™

1211 - Aug. 9, 2006 - 4.14 PM EST

All you need to know about Yahoo Search Marketing

From the outset, Yahoo Search Marketing has been using the same auction bidding system that GoTo.com has when it started almost 8 years ago.

Advertisers have been asking for a new updated system which would compliment the diversity of the Yahoo Advertising Network. Search engine marketing isn't just sponsored links above and beside organic search results.

In Yahoo’s case, the company has expanded search beyond the box and into their most used and popular channels. Enter Yahoo Trip Planner, Yahoo Answers, Yahoo News and Yahoo Local. All remarkable and defining offerings from the same company that has a clear view of the future online.

As an old-time advertiser and Yahoo Search Marketing Ambassador I have shared the frustration of many in the search marketing field when Yahoo launches a new service. Take Yahoo Local City Guides with Integrated Answers for example. It’s time for a change and such a transition is coming soon.

The new Yahoo Search Marketing application launch schedule has been set with the new Application Launch in the fourth quarter and Ranking Scheme rollout in the first quarter of 2007. Yahoo Search Marketing has been planning its application for five years, along with up to 1,000 private testers of the new Yahoo Search Marketing system.

The first system change is probably the most relevant to current advertisers. The pricing system will transform from auction clicks to a newer more marketable PPC system based upon ROI and Quality Score (dumping auction set-up). Marketing focus with the emphasis on quality, multiple segment targeting and the management of such objectives.

Like PPC, targeting is a lot more than just keywords and creatives are beyond text with graphics and user media. Calls to action will go beyond a target URL with couponing and specific landing destinations geared towards the user’s web surfing applications of choice: mobile PDAs, laptops, cellular phones and PCs.

This all begins with the definition of geo-targeting, which is largely determined by the advertiser in a new system that empowers the user to select specific local DMA’s and area zones with help from a Yahoo Search Marketing mapping system.

Secondly, the campaign is named by the user. Sponsored listings or contextual matches can be selected, then Yahoo helps the user determine keywords with a new recommendation system. The advertiser then selects pricing via a new Yahoo CPC/Click system which works with a slider-bar mechanism that can provide a landscape of bids & clicks.

In such fashion, the advertiser can set up their campaign to provide a certain amount of clicks while Yahoo also informs the advertiser of shares of potential clicks and their competitive market within the Yahoo Search Marketing environment.

Yahoo now also lets advertisers insert dynamic keywords into their title and ad copy, along with a Yahoo-powered split (A or B) testing service which can be optimized by Yahoo, or manually by the advertiser. Budgets can be set at the account or the campaign level, allowing particular testing or differently targeted campaign runs on certain percentages of any given budget.

Dayparting (even coast to coast differentiation) and campaign scheduling are planned to be part of the system, which should help newer marketers get a campaign up and going over a certain amount of time more efficiently than in the past. Yahoo has even set up a clever notification system similar to YPN called Alerts which let the advertiser know when keywords are declined, or if budgets are reaching a critical level, along with billing or credit information.

Posted on Businessblog™

1210 - Aug. 8, 2006 - 5.29 PM EST

The Topix.net news search engine

Topix.net has launched its news search platform which can look for news stories and trends over a one-year archived index.

Loren Baker of Search Engine Journal today ran into Chris Tolles at Search Engine Strategies (SES).

Tolles got him updated on Topix's new search direction which the company claims is the largest news index online.

Topix.net’s News Search Engine indexes 50,000 main stream news sources along with hand picked and human reviewed blogs covering small-town news around the U.S. in a way other news aggregator and search systems cannot.

One interesting feature with Topix.net News Search is its case sensitive search, which makes searching for news on terms like “IT” or “MIT” a lot easier.

In addition, the news trends visualization brings instant definition of the depth behind their index.

Posted on Businessblog™

1209 - Aug. 8, 2006 - 4.42 PM EST

Google signs deal with Fox Interactive

Fox Interactive Media and Google have announced a multi-year search technology agreement whereby Google will be the exclusive search provider for Fox's growing network of Internet properties.

The deal calls for Google to power Internet, vertical and site specific search for MySpace.com and the majority of Fox Interactive's properties.

Google will be the exclusive provider of text-based advertising and keyword targeted ads through its AdSense program, for inventory on Fox Interactive Media's network.

Google will also have a right of first refusal on display advertising sold through third parties on Fox Interactive Media's network.

The integration of Google's services including consistent search navigation across Fox Interactive Media's network of properties is slated to begin in the fourth quarter 2006 and will provide users with access to Google's industry leading search capabilities as well as text and display advertising from its global advertiser base.

Under the terms of the agreement, Google will be obligated to make guaranteed minimum revenue share payments to Fox Interactive Media of $900 million based on Fox achieving certain traffic and other commitments. These guaranteed minimum revenue share payments are expected to be made over the period beginning in the first quarter of 2007 and ending in the second quarter of 2010.

"Our partnership with Google underscores News Corp's continued evolution to become a powerful force in the digital media marketplace.

To have come this far and gained this much momentum in just over a year is truly remarkable," said Peter Chernin, President and Chief Operating Officer of News Corporation. "This is an exciting time in our history as a forward thinking media company and this is just the first of many steps we plan to take with Google. We look forward to expanding our relationship into many new areas over years to come."

"We believe that our innovative technologies will be of real benefit to Fox Interactive Media's growing number of users," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. "MySpace.com is a widely acknowledged leader in user-generated content and incorporating search and advertising furthers our mission of making the world's information universally accessible and useful."

Posted on Businessblog™

Copyright © Serge Thibodeau 2006. All rights reserved.

All views and opinions expressed on this blog are those of Serge Thibodeau only and are not representative of any company listed. All slogans, trademarks, text or logo representation used or referred to on this blog are the property of their respective owners.