Whoâll Leave Google First? Marissa Mayer or Matt Cutts?.
At this time of year big news stories are hard to come by, so we’ll just have to go with a pretty juicy rumor.
According to Valleywag, Google’s face of innovation, Marissa Mayer, could leave the company this year:
Top Googlers, overheard at a holiday party, chattered about Mayer’s departure as a matter of if, not when. And in some ways, it’s surprising she’s stayed as long as she has.
No real court would ever allow the above as evidence, but in the court of public opinion, a rumor like this may as well be a smoking gun!
Now, here’s a question for you–all in fun, with no claims on my part–who will leave Google first? Marissa Mayer or Matt Cutts?
Matt Cutts is another prime candidate for a Google exit. Also an early employee–which means he’s likely done well with his stock–Matt has been slowly cutting back his conference “face time” and is certainly smart enough and liked enough to do his own “thang.”
So, click the poll below and cast your vote:
Make Marketing Pilgrim Part of Your New Year Resolutions.
Happy New Year!
I hope that 2009 started well for you and I hope it only gets better from here on out. While you’re making your list of new year resolutions, why not include Marketing Pilgrim?
Don’t Miss Out in 2009!
In 2009 we plan to continue bringing you the very best internet marketing news, analysis, and opinion. In addition, we’ll pass on exclusive discounts and give away some fabulous prizes–2008’s prizes included iPods and Netbook computers.
So, why not take this time to ensure that you’re signed-up to receive alerts from Marketing Pilgrim? There are two easy ways to ensure you never miss a post.
1. “As it happens” RSS Feed - subscribe to our RSS feed and receive an almost instant update of each new post.
2. A daily email newsletter - if you prefer your news in your inbox then our email updates will deliver all of our posts in one daily roundup email.And, if you really want the inside scoop, you can follow me on Twitter. I share lots of rumors, news, shopping discounts, life tips, and more–most of which never makes it to Marketing Pilgrim. Not on Twitter? You can still subscribe to an RSS feed of my casual Twitter ramblings.
I hope 2009 is your best year ever and I am truly grateful for your support in 2008 and hope not to let you down in 2009.
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Using IE6? Google Thinks Youâre a Loser!.
If you’re reading this post using Internet Explorer 6, Google wants you to know that you’re a loser.
OK, maybe I’m paraphrasing a little (lot), but according to Ars Technica, Google is trying to convince Gmail users to switch from IE6 to a faster browser.
With a simple "Get faster Gmail" message (which only appears in IE, and not in Safari, Firefox, or Chrome), Google is luring users of its e-mail service to a support page which explains that IE is slow at running Gmail.
When you get to the support page, you’re encouraged to download either Firefox or Google’s own Chrome. There’s a brief mention of IE8’s beta release, but we suspect that was only added after this news first broke. Google’s not shy in trying to get you to switch browsers either:
Browsers are getting faster and better at running web applications like Google Mail that use browser technology to its limits. In order to get the best experience possible and make Google Mail run an average of twice as fast, we suggest that you upgrade your browser to one of the fastest Google Mail supported browsers that work on Windows.
This is not the first time a search engine has tried to get you to switch browsers, but Google’s effort is a little more low-key–no tricks involved, and it does give you a choice of Firefox as an alternative to Chrome.
What do you think of the Gmail message? Brilliant marketing or an act of desperation?
5 Reasons Why Not to Be Shocked by Microsoft Layoffs.
The big question isn’t, is Microsoft planning to cut 15,000 employees from its workforce? Nope, the big question is, why is everyone so shocked?
Yahoo just gave pink-slips as Christmas presents and even Google had to scale back on its staff, so why is there so much shock at the prospect of Microsoft following suit?
All you have to do is consider the facts:
- Windows Vista was a bust, and MSFT is moving quickly to get Windows 7 to the market.
- Windows Live Search still can’t catch Google–and failed attempts to buy Yahoo cost the company time and money.
- Who really needs Microsoft Office, when we can either download free alternatives or, in my opinion even better, move to the cloud?
- XBox 360, while doing better than the Playstation 3, was "pwnd" by Nintendo’s Wii gaming system.
- The Zune? Yeah, folks just loved it when their iPod alternative froze recently–that’ll help sales.
I could go on, but you get the point. We’re in a recession and companies are having to make drastic cuts and, unfortunately, Microsoft is not immune from this.
Google & Baidu Targeted in Chinaâs Crackdown on Pornography.
China has launched a major crackdown on pornography today, and is asking Google and Baidu to do their part. Pornography is banned in China, but government officials are still struggling to block pornographic websites that are based abroad.
Despite pornography being blocked, both Google and Baidu are still returning search results that include pornographic links. China is now calling them out on their failed attempt to do their part in the crackdown against pornography.
In an attempt to get Google, Baidu and other websites to comply, the Chinese government released a statement on their website saying that “violators will be severely punished.” What exactly that punishment is remains unclear.
According to Cui Jin, a Google spokeswoman in China, Google is already in full compliance with Chinese law, and is not serving an pornographic links.
“If we find any violation, we will take action. So far, I haven’t seen any examples of violations,” Cui said.
We’ll keep you posted as this story continues to develop.
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What You Can Learn from Apple CEO Steve Jobsâ Health Transparency.
Without an official statement from your company, your stakeholders will often fill the void with rumor and speculation.
I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve recited the above statement at conferences, on client calls, and in blog posts. For many businesses, it’s the one truth that finally gets them to embrace a radically transparent culture. The latest to realize this truth is Apple.
For many months speculation and rumor have circulated about the state of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ health. That speculation hit a crescendo when it was announced he would not keynote the upcoming Macworld conference. The chart opposite demonstrates just how much that has effected Apple’s stock price.
So what could Apple and Steve Jobs do? There really was only one answer–and keeping quiet, was not it. In an rare open letter to Apple stakeholders, Steve Jobs is transparent about his state of health. Yes, he’s sick–and clearly he’s not comfortable talking about it. But, by being radically transparent, Jobs has revealed that the state of his health is not anything serious–leaving employees, customers, and investors with the confidence that Jobs will remain as the CEO of Apple for the foreseeable future.
Here’s Jobs’ open letter:
Dear Apple Community,
For the first time in a decade, Iâm getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.
Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.
Iâve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.
As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.
Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the causeâa hormone imbalance that has been ârobbingâ me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.
The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and Iâve already begun treatment. But, just like I didnât lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Appleâs CEO during my recovery.
I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Appleâs CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.
So now Iâve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.
Steve
The lesson? If you want to avoid speculation and rumor from taking a stake in your reputation, you need to displace it with the truth–and quickly. In Job’s case, he may have felt that revealing he was having health issues, would have been to the detriment of the company. However, as he has learned, in the absence of the truth, the market constructed a scenario (some even suggesting he was dying) that had a much worse impact on Apple’s reputation.
Nothing kills rumor and speculation like a dose of the truth!
PS. Apple’s stock price is up almost 5% on Jobs’ statement.
Marissa Mayer on The Future Of Google, and Herself?.
In a recent interview with TechRadar. Google’s Vice President of Search Products & User Experience, Marissa Mayer hints at the future of search. Mayer continues what seems to be a repetitive message in the search industry, “We think it’s really important to move beyond just keywords and allow people to ask questions…” This statement comes after we have seen other Googlers say very similar things.
“Beyond just keywords” means increased deployment of universal search, personalization, and social integration.
Universal Search
In a blog post Mayer wrote back in September, she highlights the significant growth of universal search; “Weâve barely scratched the surface with universal search.” Now, she elaborates more with, “We’re also looking at how to weave new media into it and how we can bring books, videos and news right into the search experience.”
Personalization
“What can we understand about the user and how can we tailor the results to them?” Mayer asks. This seems to be the driving question behind the effort to further develop personalized search. Mayer writes in her post, “One answer is clear: search engines of the future will be better in part because they will understand more about you, the individual user.” Geo-targeting is another aspect of personalization that we have already known existed. When Mayer suggested, “maybe the search engine of the future will know where you’re located.” We have already seen examples of this, but perhaps this signals an increased presence in the future.
Social Integration
For me the most interesting part of this interview comes when Mayer says,
We really need to harness people’s friends better to understand which news to direct them to, which local events to direct them to⦠these are all things that we think are intriguing.
This comes shortly after Google releases their Friend Connect. With this service webmasters can add social elements to their site by including a social widget that tracks visitors based on user’s Google ID. Users can also select others as their âfriends.â What does this mean for search? If Google can successfully track a user’s friends online, they can get a better understanding of what types of information the user is interested in, thus more data for search personalization.
Will Mayer stay at Google?
At the end of the interview it appears that Mayer tries to quell recent assertions that she might leave Google. “I really love my job because I get to work on new problems and have new challenges each day. I’m currently working on our Geo products, Google Book Search and Google Health. They’re all things I’m excited to be part of.”
So it looks like despite all of the changes happening in the world of search one that we shouldn’t expect is the departure of Marissa Mayer.
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It wasn’t long ago that we reported on Power.com’s expansion into the North American market. The social networking aggregator that allows users the ability to navigate and participate in multiple social networks at once, now finds itself in hot water with social networking giant Facebook.
Court documents filed December 30th reveal that Facebook is suing Power.com for a host of reasons including copyright infringement, violations of terms of service, and the scraping of what they consider “proprietary data,” which I assume is user information. It appears the mere inclusion of Facebook into the Power.com site is not at issue, but rather the fact that Power.com did not use Facebook’s public API. As of now Power.com has removed every mention of Facebook from its site.
I think this will be a very interesting case to watch as this speaks to the heart of a major trend on the Internet. More and more services are popping up that are built solely on the aggregation of others’ content. What was once considered spamming by many is now considered a central tenant of the Web 2.0 world that we live in. This case may further demonstrate the awkward fit that outdated intellectual property rights law has on the internet, or it might redefine our own perceptions of open content standards. Either way, this will be interesting to watch!
Facebook Sets Record Traffic on Christmas Eve.
Just a few weeks ago we reported that Facebook was growing by 600,000 users a day. If that wasn’t enough, CNET reports that Facebook set record traffic numbers on Christmas Eve.
During the month of November, Facebook was averaging 1.42% of all U.S. Internet traffic. On December 24, they hit a Facebook-best 2.18% market share that day. That’s a 54 percent increase over November average and a 53 percent increase year over year. Needless to say, things are going well for them.
According to CNET, that pattern was mirrored in the U.K., where visits to the social networking site had a market share of 4.65 percent, accounting for one in every 22 Internet visits.
As for what is causing this strong traffic increase, Heather Hopkins of Hitwise theorizes it was a combination of boredom and bad weather. Facebook’s primary markets (New York, Chicago, Washington, Boston, and Philadelphia) were all slammed with bad weather.
She also theorizes that people were using their computers as an escape from entertaining family members on Christmas Eve. I think this is a valid argument considering the youthfulness of Facebook’s audience. Facebook became a hub for young adults to converse with one another and avoid those awkward/awful conversations with relatives you only talk with on holidays. Oh to be young again.
What I found particularly interesting was Christmas in 2007 was Facebook’s biggest traffic day, and Christmas Eve this year stole that award. I guess Christmas isn’t as exciting as we all like to believe.
Did you find yourself logging into Facebook on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas?
Marketing News Roundup, January 5.
It’s official: the first roundup of marketing news of the 2009—and it’s heavy on the Google.
- Have ideas for new Google Mobile products? Now you can suggest and vote for new Google mobile product features at Product Ideas for Google Mobile.
- Google shuttered its Second-Life–wannabe Lively six weeks ago. But apparently the short-lived service had such devoted fans that they went out and built their own replacement, the cleverly-named NewLively.
- And if you’ve despaired over using Google’s picture tool on your Mac, good news. Today Google announces Picasa for Mac.
Why Iâve Never Been More Embarrassed for Yahoo.
I generally like Yahoo and its products–in particular Flickr and Delicious. And, when Yahoo first revamped its Yahoo Search Marketing product, I was blown away by how cool it was.
How things have changed in just a couple of years. I’m afraid to say that I am actually embarrassed for Yahoo.
Why? Because, someone over at Yahoo made the bone-headed decision to start unilaterally messing with the keywords and bids of sponsored search customers. If that wasn’t bad enough, Yahoo just quietly updated its Terms & Conditions–making advertisers fully responsible for those decisions.
Take a look at the new T&C (emphasis added):
OPTIMIZATION. In the U.S. only, for those advertisers not bound by an Insertion Order, we may help you optimize your account(s). Accordingly, you expressly agree that we may also: (i) create ads, (ii) add and/or remove keywords, and/or (iii) optimize your account(s). We will notify you via email of such changes made to your account(s), and can also include a spreadsheet of such changes upon your written request. If you would like any of such changes reversed, please reply to such email within 14 days of the change(s), and we will make commercially reasonable efforts to reverse the change(s) you specifically identify. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you remain responsible for all changes made to your account(s), including all click charges incurred prior to any reversions being made. It is your responsibility to monitor your account(s) and to ensure that your account settings are consistent with your business objectives.
I’m not sure I’ve ever typed this in a post before, but O…M…G!!!!
Yahoo just decided that it has the full right to change your bids, spend your money and make you responsible for all of it! Not only that, but it makes no guaranteed timeline of how quickly it will reverse the changes when asked, other than to take “commercially reasonable efforts.”
How is this legal? Forget legal, how is this fair? Can you imagine if your investment adviser started buying stocks on your behalf or switched your portfolio from bonds to hedge funds??
Caveat Emptor Pilgrims!
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Redirect Case Study: Transferring Google PageRank.
Barry Schwartz reports that an old WebmasterWorld thread has been revived with data on how long it took Google to reassign the PageRank of the URLs he had redirected.
According to Barry, the author had set up a new URL structure and had redirected the old URLs to the new ones using a 301 redirect. If you have ever done this with a client, you know the next thing that happens is their PageRank disappears and they call you frantically at 2am wondering what went wrong.
In an effort to help us better prepare our clients for the impacts of moving a page (or site completely), the author put together the following timeline:
- October 2nd - Site migration and 301’s implemented
- October 10th - Week or so later lost all PR on new URLs (all to PR N/A)
- October 30th - Month later, PR N/A now changed to PR0
- December 29th - 3 months after 301 redirects back to original URL PR
The whole process took about three months, but to reiterate an important point made by Barry:
Although the Toolbar PageRank didn’t appear in the new URLs for three months, it likely had PageRank internally but not yet visible in the toolbar. I am sure the traffic from Google took less than three months to get to where it was.
At any rate, this is a important reminder to document critical processes like these so you can set better expectations for your clients/bosses when redirects need to be created.
How to use Google Analytics to Track SEO Rankings.
With Google and other search engines continuing to roll out personalization updates, it is becoming increasingly difficult for SEOs to get an idea of their true ranking position. A personalized search result page can look completely different than the results a ranking tool would provide.
André Scholten wrote a guest post on Yoast explaining how Google Analytics users can get a better idea of where they rank for specific keywords. Although users will not be able to get the exact position, they will be able to figure out what page of the SERPs they rank on.
How do you do it? Google Analytics allows you to create custom filters for your analytics data. In this case, an advanced filter. I don’t want to steal André’s thunder, so head over to Yoast and read how you set it up.
Here is the screenshot he put up on Yoast that shows the effects of the filter:
The key to understanding your rankings lie in the data in the parenthesis. The result (pagina: 50) indicates that a user clicked through to your site from your listing on the sixth page of the Google SERPs. André also goes on to tell you how you can filter your keyword list to only display the keywords listed on a specific page of the SERPs.
Great post, André, and thanks for the tips!
Google Wins Lawsuit Over Chinese Brand.
By Carrie Hill
In a somewhat confusing set of events Google has been awarded the use of theirÂcountry-specific brand,ÂGu Ge, by Chinese courts. Bejing GuGe Science & Technology Corp was ordered to pay Google 100,000 yuan or about $14,624 in the suit and to relinquish the brand to Google.
According to a Reuters report from 2007, Bejing GuGe initially filed suit against Google for alleged trademark infringement. It’s unclear when the turnaround came and Google filed the countersuit against Bejing GuGe.Â
Articles I found offered conflicting information. It seems the trademark timeline in question was pretty rocky.ÂÂOneÂsourceÂindicates Google filed their initial trademark paperwork in January of ‘06 while Bejing GuGe filed for their trademark in March 2006. Another article indicatesÂGoogle filed for the trademark in November of 2006.Â
Luckily it was up to the Chinese courts (and not me) to sort this all out—awarding Google the right to be Gu Ge in China.Â
Carrie Hill is the SEO Team leader for Blizzard Internet Marketing where she specializes in optimizing travel, tourism and accommodations websites.
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Why a Single Yelp User Could Bring Consumer Review Sites to Their Knees.
As consumer review sites continue to gain popularity, they appear destined to play an important role in the public perception of any businesses’ online reputation.
That is, unless the consumers screw it up for themselves.
You see, over the past few months I’ve noticed a growing trend of consumers making vague, petty, or downright defamatory complaints. Apparently, I’m not seeing things as CNET reports that a Yelp user is being sued by a chiropractor who claims his review is defamatory.
The lawsuit, filed February 25, 2008, alleges that Biegel [the chiropractor] has suffered loss of reputation and business as a result of the review and seeks punitive damages. According to the lawsuit, the review allegedly contained false statements and inaccuracies that suggested Biegel was dishonest and accused him of fraudulent billing practices.
The attorney for the reviewer, Christopher Norberg, claims his client’s review is “constitutionally protected speech” while Eric Nordskog, the attorney for chiropractor Steven Biegel, sees things very differently:
“Dr. Biegel has no problem with people expressing their views and opinions about his service,” Nordskog said. “But there is a line where if someone, even on Yelp or on the Internet, publishes a false statement of fact as opposed to an opinion, then that person can and should be held responsible for their words.”
The outcome of this lawsuit–which could come as early as this week–could change the entire future of consumer review sites. But, even if the chiropractor is not successful in proving defamation, it may not be long before consumer review sites hit a bumpy road.
What Could Kill Review Sites?
As consumers, our new-found channels for expressing our opinions–about our encounters with a business–are a great privilege. Unfortunately, there are two things that could bring consumer complaint/review sites crashing to their knees:
- Anonymous reviews - there are very few sites that ensure the reviewer is accountable for his or her words. How is it fair for a competitor, disgruntled employee, or ex-spouse to pose as an unhappy customer but remain veiled by anonymity?
- Defamatory reviews - writing that your dinner was cold and the waiter appeared to be in a bad mood, is one thing. But, when you make statements of fact, when indeed they are fiction or opinion, you run the risk of being sued.
The biggest problem is how do we educate millions of consumers on the “rules” of posting a review? We can’t! We have to find a better way of allowing consumers to share their opinions, while at the same time protecting businesses from defamatory attacks.
Anyone have a suggestion of how we can fix this? Or do you believe it’s not broken?
Google Trends Attacked - Again!.
It appears Google needs to take Google Trends attacks more seriously. Just six months ago Trends was displaying a Swastika as one of the top searches for the day. Yesterday’s trend showed a plane flying into the Twin Towers:
Google’s statement on such attacks is as follows:
The Hot Trends list is automatically generated by machines and algorithms that detect hot or breaking queries. In this case, it appears that the html code for this query was posted on a popular internet bulletin board, which led to quite a few people searching to find out more about this symbol. The Hot Trends list reflected that surge due to people searching with this query.
Perhaps its time to allocate a few more resources to prevent these types of messages from being spread.
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Facebook Hits 150 Million User Milestone.
Just a few weeks ago Facebook reached 140 million users. We reported that Facebook was growing at a jaw-dropping 600,000 users a day, and thanks to that growth they have hit the 150 million user milestone.
My first instinct was to question how active users were. After all, I get 10+ Twitter friend requests a day almost none of which are legit. According to Search Engine Watch, half of Facebook’s users use the site every day. Amazing!
Mark Zuckerberg wrote on the Facebook blog stating that Facebook has users in every continent in the world, including Antarctica. With over 35 languages spoken on Facebook and a users from over 170 countries and territories.
2009 looks like it will be an exciting year for Facebook. How many users do you think they’ll end Q2 and Q4 with? At a rate of 600,000 users a day they’ll be well over 300 million users by year’s end.
It will be interesting to see the demand increase for marketing on Facebook this year. I anticipate more and more clients wanting to include this in their media plan.
Verizon Picks Microsoft for Mobile Search Deal.
It’s been a year of rumors and intrigue for Verizon. Okay, maybe it’s not quite that dramatic, but there has been a little sturm-und-drang surrounding the soon-to-be-largest-in-the-US mobile carrier’s next mobile search deal. MSFT CEO Steve Ballmer is going to be announcing this tonight during his CES keynote, according to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg—Verizon has chosen Microsoft to provide its mobile search.
Over the last few months, there have been rumors that Google or Microsoft would be the pick, but not so much for Yahoo. As one analyst told Reuters:
“It’s certainly a feather in Microsoft’s cap. Tough news for Google and tougher news for Yahoo,” CCS Insight analyst John Jackson said of the agreement.
Verizon will pass AT&T to become the largest mobile network this week when their acquisition of Alltel closes. However the soon-to-be-number-one network decided not to go with either of the two most popular search engines in its mobile partnership.
In November, when the rumors about a deal with Microsoft surfaced, the reports indicated that the deal would involve revenue sharing for the two companies, with Verizon receiving a minimum payment:
Verizon would also be guaranteed payments of about $550 million to $650 million over five years—about twice what rival Google offered. In addition, Verizon could agree to use Microsoft’s mobile operating system in more of its phones, generating additional payments.
At the time, it also seemed likely that Google would make a higher and/or different bid to try to block the deal with Microsoft, as they apparently did with MSFT’s offer for Yahoo almost a year ago. (Please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.)
However, Google proved to be ultimately unwilling to follow through with the legal hassles their Yahoo deal created and that deal failed in the end, as well. Maybe they did make a counter offer, or maybe they just wouldn’t raise their price, hoping that the superior relevance (or perceived relevance) of their results would be enough to swing a deal in their favor without the extra cash.
What do you think—is the deal better for Microsoft because they’re getting the deal, or because Google isn’t? Or perhaps none of the above?
Paid Search Ends 2008 On a Positive Note - Up 12%.
By Rene LeMerle
For the best part of 2008, we heard the common tale of marketing budgets being shifted online, as companies sought affordable and measurable results. It seems the retail sector was no exception.
A report out by search management firm SearchIgnite suggests retail paid search grew 12% in Q4 2008, compared to 2007’s fourth quarter results. The growth trend was consistent across all the top three search engines (Google, Yahoo! and MSN).
Of the three months in Q4, Nov 2008 was the stand out, experiencing a phenomenal increase of 43%, which suggests retailers we going on the offensive to leverage Black Friday/Cyber Monday activity. Roger Barnette, president of SearchIgnite said:
Retailers were more aggressive with their paid search spend in the first half of the quarter compared with the year earlier in an effort to capture more consumer dollars ahead of the holidays.
Sales reports around the start of the holiday period were mixed, preThanksgiving down 4%, and Cyber Monday only up 1%. It’s not surprising then that December’s paid search growth was only 14%, as retailers remained wary about spending.
The report also observed a consistent conversion rate YOY (year on year) with only 3% growth, but the interesting shift was in average order value (AOV)—which dropped 10%.
2009 will see more retailers turning to paid search to drive sales, but as the report highlights, changing consumer habits based on the economic climate will force them to work harder and smarter to maintain revenue levels.
Rene LeMerle is the VP of Marketing at ineedhits.com, a leading provider of results driven Search Engine Advertising and SEO services.
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