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Google Improves SEO for FLASH Websites

Published
by
Eric Dudley
 
on July 9, 2008 
in SEO and Website Effectiveness
. 1 Comment

EO GLCFor years Flash (what is Flash?) in a website has meant that a search engine couldn’t read the content or links.  This forced online marketers engaged in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to take time consuming precautions to work around the Flash. 

Leave it to Google to work with Adobe (previously called Macromedia Flash) to read the rich multimedia websites developed in Flash.  Of course, online marketers will still want to ensure the content and links are relevant and score well by the Google algorithm for keyword search on Google.com.  Don’t forget… there are 2 other search engines that Online Marketers will still have to work around for the time being.  No word on when Yahoo and Microsoft may jump on the band wagon.

See Adobe Press Release for more info: Adobe Advances Rich Media Search on the Web

Will you begin optimizing your Flash website for Google, or wait until Microsoft and Yahoo jump on board?

Have an opinion?  Please leave a comment below.

Global Leadership Conference Reinforces WebsiteBiz’ Mission

Published
by
Eric Dudley
 
on July 9, 2008 
in Customer Acquisition and Website Analytics
. 0 Comments

EO GLCFor the second consecutive year, I was given the opportunity to participate at the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Leadership Conference in San Francisco.  It’s one of my favorite places to visit and it’s close to my mom so I get to visit with her.  It’s gravy that it happens to be adjacent to mother’s day- and of course I tell her I came 3,000 miles just to visit her. ;-)

In case you were wondering, The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global community of business owners, all of whom run companies that exceed $1 Million in revenue.  This year, the Global Leadership Conference brought together 600 chapter leaders from around the globe.

The conference emphasized the idea that as long as there are innovative ideas, there will be entrepreneurial opportunities.  New technology is what spurs new business. 

One of the “hot” areas we at WebsiteBiz believe will continue to grow is around:

  • Marketing analytics
  • One-to-one marketing, and
  • The idea of utilizing the Web as a central hub for measuring integrated tactics

With continued advances in testing capabilities like multivariate testing platforms, there is more focus on website analytics and extraction of the business intelligence that mazimizes performance and return on investment.  Afterall, what marketer wouldn’t want that…?

 

Yahoo has New Deal with Google & Microsoft

Published
by
Eric Dudley
 
on July 9, 2008 
in Search Marketing
. 0 Comments

 Yahoo now has deals with competitors’ Microsoft and Google redefining “keep your enemies close”.  Below is a chart showing the deals side by side.

Feature Google Microsoft
Stock Purchase Google might have shown Yahoo investors love by a purchase, but that might also have triggered more anti-trust issues Would have purchased $8 billion worth at $35 per share, probably producing a short-term spike in value
Search
Assets		 Yahoo maintains own paid & organic search services $1 billion to acquire paid and organic search. Yahoo would have been out as a search player. Right now, it’s second place with Microsoft third and yet to gain on Yahoo
Paid Search Google powers some; Yahoo maintains its own service and can partner with others. Smart move if Yahoo believes it really does have long-term future in search Microsoft powers all, presumably from blending Yahoo & Microsoft systems
Organic Search Yahoo powers all Microsoft powers all, presumably from blending Yahoo & Microsoft technology
Contextual Ads Google powers some Appears Yahoo would have continued keeping this; Microsoft itself doesn’t have a substantial program
Domain / Direct Navigation Ads Yahoo appears to continue selling its own ads in this very lucrative space Uncertain if Microsoft would have taken this over
Market US & Canada & non-exclusive. This is important — Yahoo could still partner with Microsoft elsewhere. Moreover, those valuing a Yahoo-Microsoft deal to Yahoo-Google should remember that Yahoo effectively has “more to sell” Worldwide
Term 4 years initially; 3 year renewals optionally for total of 10 years At least 3 years
Guarantees Yahoo guarantees Google can serve $83 million in ads each quarter on Yahoo or can walk out in first 10 months — call it about $100 million overall; Yahoo doesn’t have to send any set number of queries to Google; Yahoo amazingly has no public revenue guarantees from Google In company memo, Microsoft said it would have guaranteed Yahoo would earn more than it currently makes, for 3 years.
Poison Pill Yahoo has to pay $250 million if there’s a “change of control” that terminates the agreement in first two years; more restricted terms applied to what “control” means if Microsoft gains Yahoo shares  If Microsoft did take over Yahoo, after 10 months, it could continue the agreement with no guarantees to Google and still avoid poison pill payment 
Financial Upside According to Google & Yahoo, $250-$450 million per year in extra income — up to $800 million annually; Microsoft & Yahoo could still partner outside US According to Microsoft, $1 billion per year in income above current levels
Other
Upside		 Yahoo maintains control of a powerful search brand, can partner outside US; Yahoo & Google IM services to talk to each other Yahoo would have no need to maintain engineering staff, infrastructure and protect against brain drain
Downside Anti-trust issues might not allow (but Microsoft-Yahoo had issues, too) Microsoft would compete with Yahoo in display area yet Microsoft has strongly suggested search+display is a winning combination - so Yahoo would lose a key component other than “data” that would be given to them; search was main value (to me) of earlier deal at $40 billion, now only worth $9 billion?
Anti-Trust Yahoo & Google think it’s not an issue; already had earlier test cleared by will wait 3 1/2 months for US Justice Department review Yahoo & Microsoft might have had issues in email & other portal services; Microsoft expected to fight Yahoo-Google
Challenges Yahoo brain drain;
who’s still running stuff?		 Microsoft stays stalled in search; brains from Yahoo feel like they’re still going to Google
Source: Search Engine Land

Yahoo and Google Announce Partnership

Published
by
Kyle Bumgardner
 
on June 13, 2008 
in Online Marketing, Paid Search and Search Marketing
. 1 Comment

As many expected, Yahoo and Google officially announced a non-exclusive advertising agreement.

The news puts an end to lingering talks involving Microsoft and their intentions to acquire Yahoo…read the Microsoft press release here.

In case you missed it, back in April, Yahoo confirmed that it was running a limited test of Google Inc.’s AdSense for Search service, which delivered relevant Google ads alongside Yahoo!’s own search results. Apparently, the test was successful!

Yahoo’s press release points out revenue projections from the deal, which they expect to generate $250m to $450m during the first 12 months.

Google’s press release makes an interesting point that both companies will work on integrating their instant messaging clients.

For marketers, many expect better performance from Yahoo campaigns resulting in more visitors and higher conversions.

Of course, now the real test begins…stay tuned.

Insight from Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide

Published
by
Kyle Bumgardner
 
on June 11, 2008 
in Online Marketing
. 0 Comments

Internet Retailer, the leading industry guide for the online retailing industry, released their annual Top 500 Guide that analyzes and ranks the top 500 online retailers. The guide segments online retailers into four categories— Retail chains, Web only companies, Catalogers, and Manufacturers. Surprisingly, retail chains only managed 18% growth compared to catalogers 30% growth year-over-year. Retail chains would appear to have a competitive advantage for growth due to their traditional presence and ability to better leverage existing customers (But apparently, not.)

According to the guide, total online retail revenue hit $166 billion in the US in 2007, with the top 500 online retailers accounted for 61% of total online retail revenue.

By the way, total retail growth was only 3.8% last year while online Retail reached 21.8% growth.

So, who were America’s top online retailers in 2007?

  1. Amazon: $14.8B
  2. Staples: $5.6B
  3. Office Depot: $4.9B
  4. Dell: $4.2B
  5. HP Home & Office Store: $3.4B

Fastest growing categories in 2007 online:

  1. Jewelry: 36%
  2. Books/other media: 32%
  3. Mass merchants/dept. stores: 31%
  4. Apparel: 24%  

Slowest growing categories:

  1. Health and beauty:11%
  2. Flowers/gifts: 11%
  3. Food/drugs: 12%
  4. Hardware/home improvement: 13%.

In a survey of retailers complementing the guide, Omniture Inc. was the most named ecommerce technology provider across multiple categories in the vendor listings of the Top 500 Guide. Omniture also topped the vendor list with 218 mentions, followed by GSI Commerce Inc., Commission Junction Inc., Google and Coremetrics.

Now, all marketers are not Amazon. But understanding the best practices and how the Top 500 achieved their leadership positions can provide valuable lessons in how to succeed in the fast growing online marketing channel.