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My 2 featured articles for the week ending June 22, 2006:

Archived blogs for the week of Jun. 19, 2006

1187 - June 22, 2006 - 11.44 AM EST

Another study done by the NAA

According to a new study done by the NAA (Newspaper Association of America), online advertising and print expenditures together totaled a little over $11 billion for the first quarter of this year, a 1.8 percent increase over 2005.

Expenditures for print ads in newspapers totaled ten-and-a-half billion, a 0.3 percent increase over the same period in 2005, led by strong increases in real estate advertising, the NAA said.

Broken down by segment, the data shows that Retail and National advertising spending fell 1 percent and 4.8 percent respectively, while classified ads grew 4.7 percent, compared to the same time in 2005.

Within the print classified category, real estate advertising climbed 26.3% to $1.1 billion. Recruitment advertising increased 2.4% to $1.1 billion.

Automotive was down 14.5% to $940 million. All other classifieds were up 11.9% to $702 million.

Advertising spending for newspaper Web sites in Q1 2006 totaled $613.28 million, up from $454.62 million a year earlier, equating to an increase of 34.9% according to preliminary estimates from the NAA.

"As the main ad-supported medium in local markets, newspapers that understand news trumps papers can rake in a fair share of the still-evolving local online advertising market," said David Hallerman, eMarketer Senior Analyst.

Posted on Businessblog™

1186 - June 21, 2006 - 6.52 AM EST

Majority of Microsoft employees search with Google

According Web metrics and analytics company VisitorVille Intelligence, surprisingly, when searching the Internet about 80 percent of Microsoft workers do it with Google instead of MSN.

VisitorVille says only about 20 percent used a Microsoft search engine, either MSN or the Live.com engine.

Reportedly, a 19-year-old student named Andrew Hitchcock at the University of Washington initiated this story by posting Google Analytics statistics on visitors to his blog.

Of the users originating from Microsoft's domain who reached his site via a search engine, an overwhelming 80 percent came through Google.

Overall, employees of Google and Yahoo were far more loyal to their own search engines than Microsoft ever was. Of the Google visitors, 100 percent used their own search engine.

About 64 percent of Yahoo personnel used Yahoo. The remainder also used Google.

Posted on Businessblog™

1185 - June 20, 2006 - 2.21 PM EST

A new report on click fraud activity

SEMPO (the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) and Fair Isaac Corp., an analytics provider will be working together to investigate and better understand click fraud activity and its impact on the search advertising industry.

Last year, after SEMPO’s annual survey, it showed that more search marketers were really concerned about click fraud activity and the overall quality of their advertising.

"Now SEMPO wants to learn more about click fraud and how it can be minimized or prevented", its chairman Gordon Hotchkiss said today.

“We found that the level of concern about click fraud year over year went up ... and that one of the major concerns advertisers have is the value they are getting from search,” he said.

SEMPO directors realized the need for an authoritative study on the problem, and Fair Isaac, Minneapolis, has studied Internet advertising in the past.

Members can contribute anonymous click-stream data to the study in exchange for analysis of their search engine advertising and potential click fraud.

Posted on Businessblog™

1184 - June 20, 2006 - 10.15 AM EST

Yahoo and three others sued

JP Enterprises, a Colorado-based company that owns and manages some dating Web sites has sued Yahoo and three other search engines for paying to have their ads come up when its name is typed into the Google search box.

JP Enterprises, which owns the LoveCity.com site, filed the lawsuit on June 6 in a U.S. district court in Colorado, accusing Yahoo, HDVE LLC, Spark Networks and Insight Direct USA of unfair competition and trademark dilution and infringement.

It seeks to recover damages and punitive damages. Yahoo representatives did not return an e-mail seeking comment. A Sparks Network representative said the company does not comment on litigation. A call to HDVE was not returned, and Insight Direct could not be reached for comment.

Posted on Businessblog™

1183 - June 19, 2006 - 2.56 PM EST

Google more and more active in London, UK

London England is to become the main center of operations for Google’s new wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) and mobile phone search service.

Google's next big growth phase is expected to be wireless laptops and personal digital assistants to boost its already large user base globally.

Senior executives at Google told The Times this week that the company’s mobile division is expected soon to become the biggest driver of new business. The mobile operations are run from London by Nikesh Arora, the vice-president of European operations, who was poached two years ago from T-Mobile, the mobile-phone operator.

Google’s increased focus on mobiles spells more bad news for Microsoft, which is struggling to compete with Google on many fronts.

MSN, Microsoft’s search engine, ranks third in the world behind Google, which is in first place, and Yahoo!. Microsoft shares edged up 3 cents to $22.10, despite the decision by Bill Gates, the co-founder, to step back from day-to-day involvement in the business by 2008.

Posted on Businessblog™

Copyright © Serge Thibodeau 2006. All rights reserved.

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