Posted by Gavin Smith on April 28th, 2008
Paid Search
Yahoo! could be facing a proxy fight after letting Microsoft’s takeover deadline pass quietly this weekend.
Three weeks ago, the software giant’s chief executive, Steve Ballmer, told Yahoo! it must accept Microsoft’s 31 cents-per-share offer by 07:00 on Sunday April 27th.
However, this date passed without comment from either side this weekend, leaving Yahoo facing a potential hostile takeover.
The search pioneer – founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in 1994 – last week posted first quarter income of £271.5 million, triple that of the first quarter.
However, Microsoft’s chief financial officer Chris Liddell last week confirmed the company’s position.
"With respect to Yahoo we have been clear: speed is of the essence," he said.
Yahoo! has sought alternatives to a takeover by Microsoft, holding talks with MySpace over a potential deal with the News Corporation-owned social networking site, as well as looking with Time Warner at a potential alliance with AOL.
Posted by Mike Gomez on April 28th, 2008
Natural search
Websites should enlist the help of search engine optimisation (SEO) companies in their spam reduction strategies, a Google expert in the subject has claimed.
Speaking at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco last week, Matt Cutts said that SEO firms should be seen as friends rather than foes by website operators, reports CNET News.
According to the news provider, Mr Cutts said: "SEO is not spam. Google does not hate SEO.
"There are plenty of white-hat SEO [companies] who can help you out."
Mr Cutts, who heads of Google’s Webspam team, was once known as "porn cookie guy" after he offered cookies baked by his partner to anyone who found lewd content they did not want in their search results.
At the San Francisco event, he recommended that site operators use captcha systems to distinguish between genuine users and bots.
He also advised reconfiguring software settings after installation in order to deter bots.
Posted by Mike Gomez on April 25th, 2008
Social Media
A new site redesign from the Daily Mail prioritises user-generated content more than its predecessor, according to one industry news source.
Reader comments and blogs have been highlighted by the tabloid in its recent overhaul of its online presence, notes E-consultancy.
The site now features links to the top blog posts of the day and the articles that have been commented on by the most users, with such features reportedly getting "slightly more prominence than before".
However, the publication advises the newspaper to incorporate subsections in its navigation options, to assist users looking for news on a particular subject.
The advice comes after the publication reported in February that the Guardian’s new website introduced a drop-down menu navigation system for some sections of the site.
Another alleged problem with the site is its page load speed, which is described as potentially alienating to users because of its sluggish pace.
Posted by David Wilding on April 25th, 2008
Natural search
The drive to convert blog visits into sales can be boosted by the inclusion of company information in posts, it has been claimed.
New advice from Search Engine People asserts that customers who identify with the content of a blog may be deterred from purchasing from a firm if they cannot find enough information about their activities and history.
"I find myself thinking: Wow. Why haven’t I heard of these guys before? Who are they? And sadly, I’m left wondering because there is no about us page. And if you’re afraid to tell me who you are – then I don’t trust you," states the site’s Jennifer Osborne.
Her comments follow the release of a report by JupiterResearch which found that peer opinions are trusted three times more than adverts by active social networkers, according to eMarketer.
Ms Osborne also recommends that bloggers adopt a "loop strategy", making certain that no web page is a dead end by second-guessing where users want to go and providing appropriate links.
Posted by Mike Gomez on April 24th, 2008
Natural search
Ken Livingstone is the subject of fewer search queries than his rival for the position of London mayor, Boris Johnson, a new report suggests.
According to web traffic monitoring service Hitwise, Mr Johnson has maintained a lead in terms of searches over his Labour rival, as well as Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick.
While the majority of queries for Mr Livingstone end up on news and media sites, most searches for the Tory candidate lead to Wikipedia, Robin Goad reveals on his blog for the service.
The user-generated encyclopaedia represents 18 per cent of search destinations for Ken Livingstone, 19.3 per cent for Brian Paddick and 31.6 per cent for Boris Johnson.
Mr Goad points out that while "searches do not equal votes", examining where these searches end up can be revealing.
The figures are released as a new report in the Guardian observes that some of Mr Livingstone’s critics claim his Conservative challenger is a serious threat.
Posted by David Wilding on April 24th, 2008
Natural search
The establishment of a broadband universal service obligation (USO) fund could resolve the question of who is to fund improved network infrastructure, one expert claims.
Andrew Ferguson, editor of thinkbroadband.com, has said that interested parties need to take part in a debate over how to support growing use of rich media features that subject the network to undue strain.
His comments followed internet service provider Tiscali’s call for the BBC to help fund infrastructure improvements, as the popularity of its iPlayer service was putting pressure on broadband companies.
"One potential idea would be for them to contribute to a broadband USO fund to bring higher speed broadband to areas where commercially led ventures refuse to go," said Mr Ferguson.
Between £400 million and £830 million could be needed to support services such as web video over the next five years, Britain’s telecommunications regulator Ofcom has predicted.
Posted by Mike Gomez on April 23rd, 2008
Natural search
The earliest stages of website design should be driven by search engine optimisation (SEO), according to new advice.
A blog post on Search Engine Watch recommends that companies prioritise SEO from the very beginning of their site overhaul strategy, rather than attempting to optimise their web presence after its construction.
"Your website structure, design and content has everything to do with whether your site will rank in search engines," the post asserts.
Content management systems should be checked to ensure they are SEO compatible, according to the blog, which advises designers to check that sites currently running on the platform have good organic rankings.
Homepages should reportedly have some 400 words of content, while 250 words are said to be a target for internal pages.
Keywords should reportedly be build into the site from the first stages of information architecture development.
The advice follows that of John De Groot, managing director of Startup Co, who said that domain names on small firms’ sites should be made as short as possible.
Posted by Malcolm Slade on April 23rd, 2008
Paid Search
Yahoo! has announced prediction-beating third-quarter earnings, but there is said to be little chance of Microsoft raising its offer for the web pioneer.
Jerry Yang, the company’s co-founder and chief executive, said that the $542.2 million earnings announced on Thursday were "extraordinary".
The 37 cents per share results for the first three months of 2008 more than triple its profit for the preceding quarter.
However, analysts – echoing sentiments expressed by Microsoft’s chief executive Steve Ballmer before the announcement – are doubtful that the software giant will raise its $31 per share bid.
"This isn’t going to make Microsoft come and out offer $35," Canaccord Adams analyst Colin Gills told the Associated Press.
Mr Ballmer has previously told Reuters that he wished Yahoo! the best of luck but the Microsoft offer would not change, regardless of the results.
The Silicon Valley search leader has also been in discussions with Time Warner over a possible deal with AOL and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.
Posted by Daniel Peden on April 23rd, 2008
Natural search
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should ensure their search engine optimisation (SEO) practices do not alienate their customers, one expert has said.
Addressing an audience at the Small Business Marketing Unleashed conference, Heather Lloyd-Martin, president and chief executive officer of SuccessWorks Search Marketing Solutions said that customer retention should drive every decision.
"Search engines don’t pay your bills, but your prospects and customers do," she said, according to WebProNews.
Inserting two to three keyphrases per page in a subtle manner should ensure SEO is achieved and consumers are kept happy.
Site designers should consider how things work from a consumer perspective, couching key terms within how-to articles, information pages and newsletters, she said.
Homepages are reportedly a good destination for general keywords, while inner pages are ideal for more specific terms and phrases.
Meanwhile, a new Search Engine Watch post recommends that SEO is build into the architecture of a website from the early stages of its design.
Posted by Malcolm Slade on April 22nd, 2008
Paid Search
Small businesses can raise their profile with savvy use of internet marketing strategies, it has been claimed.
John De Groot, managing director of Startup Co, said that the advantages of the web extend beyond the ability to sell online for smaller enterprises.
E-commerce companies have an obvious reason for wanting to establish an online presence, but even companies without this impetus should consider the digital benefits available to them, he recommended.
"It can illustrate achievements, clients, partners, awards, editorial, opinion, etc," Mr De Groot noted.
According to VeriSign figures, there were 10.7 million new domain name registrations recorded by the first quarter of 2007 – a 25 per cent increase since the same period in 2006.
The Startup Co representative advised small business to look upon a website has an "online business card", enabling them to boost their reputation and raise the profile of their enterprise.
Startup Co was founded by a group of local partners in Worthing, West Sussex, as a resource for prospective entrepreneurs to find out more about starting their own venture.
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