Microsoft confirmed Thursday that it has tapped former Yahoo executive Qi Lu to run its struggling Online Services Group.
Lu, formerly Yahoo's vice president of engineering for the Search and Advertising Technology Group, will take over as president of Microsoft's Online Services Group on Jan. 5, Microsoft said. Lu left Yahoo in August after 10 years at the company.
...
Lu will have his work cut out for him, as Microsoft has been struggling with its online business for some time. Growth of the OSG, which oversees Microsoft's search and advertising business, has been flat to slow for many years, despite the significant investment Microsoft has poured into the division.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Search Anonymization: More Hot Air from Microsoft
Microsoft announced recently that it is willing to abide by European guidelines that say search engines shouldn't keep personally identifiable search data beyond six months -- as long as other search engines like Google play along too. The announcement got a lot of press, but what's the real news here? Microsoft isn't going to do anything, unless everybody else does. As with a lot of things Microsoft, especially when it comes to the search realm, the news is more marketing hot air than tangible reality.
As it stands today, Microsoft keeps sensitive search data for 18 months, twice as long as Google currently does (although Google's new 9-month rule is also a bit slippery in terms of the actual anonymity it provides). Why didn't Microsoft just agree to meet Google at 9 months, or even to meet Yahoo's 13-month limit, and then have everyone work together to get to the European's stated goal of 6 months? Because it can't. It's still a distant third in the search engine wars, even in Europe, and it can't afford to concede anything that may further erode its position. Although it currently keeps personally identifiable data twice as long as Google, it hasn't been able to leverage that fact to improve its search algorithm and make a stronger run at search leadership. It can hardly retain less data and hope for a better result.
Microsoft has made some smart moves when it comes to search, the most recent of which was last week's hiring of Yahoo search guru Qi Lu to run its Online Services Group. But it's all probably a bit too little, too late.
As it stands today, Microsoft keeps sensitive search data for 18 months, twice as long as Google currently does (although Google's new 9-month rule is also a bit slippery in terms of the actual anonymity it provides). Why didn't Microsoft just agree to meet Google at 9 months, or even to meet Yahoo's 13-month limit, and then have everyone work together to get to the European's stated goal of 6 months? Because it can't. It's still a distant third in the search engine wars, even in Europe, and it can't afford to concede anything that may further erode its position. Although it currently keeps personally identifiable data twice as long as Google, it hasn't been able to leverage that fact to improve its search algorithm and make a stronger run at search leadership. It can hardly retain less data and hope for a better result.
Microsoft has made some smart moves when it comes to search, the most recent of which was last week's hiring of Yahoo search guru Qi Lu to run its Online Services Group. But it's all probably a bit too little, too late.
Search Engine Marketing Solution, Launched by ActivEngage
The ActivEngage provider of proactive live chat for dealer websites, has launched its new low cost laser-targeted search engine marketing for dealerships, with its ActivSEM.
During the current challenging economic period, ActivEngage offers dealers this value-added service to help increase website traffic, lead generation and sales. Dealers can now maximize online search, without any significant increase in spending, and with ongoing analysis to continuously improve results.
Peter Wilson, Owner of Orlando Infiniti remarked, ''We have seen a significant increase in our website traffic and our lead generation since we began using ActivSEM. The boost in traffic and leads couldn't come at a better time. ActivEngage is putting money back into our dealership and the results have been phenomenal. They are genuinely trying to help our dealership, and it's working.''
ActivSEM targets automotive consumers who have the highest conversion rates and tracks the keywords used in automotive searches that end in live chat at the dealership website. Monitoring the search terms used by consumers who ultimately engage in chat is more valuable then merely measuring click-through rates, because site visitors who engage in chat have much higher sales conversion rates. In addition, as many dealerships decrease their online marketing spending, the dealerships who continue search marketing have the advantage of less competition. This special offer will help keep dealers in front of consumers on the Internet at a low cost, only $99 per month plus ad costs. ActivEngage will manage dealerships' SEM budget and make continuous adjustments to increase traffic, leads and sales.
Ted Rubin, co-founder of ActivEngage remarked, ''We are not offering this additional service to make money. We're offering it to help our dealers increase qualified web traffic, which has declined for many dealers in the current economic environment. ActivSEM is available to dealerships at our cost and dealers can be sure that no money is wasted because we track and monitor all results. We want to make sure that our dealers thrive, even during this difficult time and we are committed to doing everything we can to help dealers succeed.''
ActivEngage's proprietary business logic was designed in dealerships to meet the needs of sophisticated automotive shoppers. It laser targets each website visitor with the exact right message at the exact right time to get them to take action. The system has been strenuously tested for every type of dealership. It works because the company founders have over 30 years of retail automotive and technology experience, giving ActivEngage a true 360 degree understanding of the needs of automotive shoppers. Partnering with ActivEngage increases lead generation and offsets the increasing marketing costs associated with the sale of new and pre-owned automobiles. ActivEngage offers three tiers of service to ensure that all website visitors' experiences are enjoyable and uncomplicated, thereby increasing the value of dealership websites through better lead generation.
During the current challenging economic period, ActivEngage offers dealers this value-added service to help increase website traffic, lead generation and sales. Dealers can now maximize online search, without any significant increase in spending, and with ongoing analysis to continuously improve results.
Peter Wilson, Owner of Orlando Infiniti remarked, ''We have seen a significant increase in our website traffic and our lead generation since we began using ActivSEM. The boost in traffic and leads couldn't come at a better time. ActivEngage is putting money back into our dealership and the results have been phenomenal. They are genuinely trying to help our dealership, and it's working.''
ActivSEM targets automotive consumers who have the highest conversion rates and tracks the keywords used in automotive searches that end in live chat at the dealership website. Monitoring the search terms used by consumers who ultimately engage in chat is more valuable then merely measuring click-through rates, because site visitors who engage in chat have much higher sales conversion rates. In addition, as many dealerships decrease their online marketing spending, the dealerships who continue search marketing have the advantage of less competition. This special offer will help keep dealers in front of consumers on the Internet at a low cost, only $99 per month plus ad costs. ActivEngage will manage dealerships' SEM budget and make continuous adjustments to increase traffic, leads and sales.
Ted Rubin, co-founder of ActivEngage remarked, ''We are not offering this additional service to make money. We're offering it to help our dealers increase qualified web traffic, which has declined for many dealers in the current economic environment. ActivSEM is available to dealerships at our cost and dealers can be sure that no money is wasted because we track and monitor all results. We want to make sure that our dealers thrive, even during this difficult time and we are committed to doing everything we can to help dealers succeed.''
ActivEngage's proprietary business logic was designed in dealerships to meet the needs of sophisticated automotive shoppers. It laser targets each website visitor with the exact right message at the exact right time to get them to take action. The system has been strenuously tested for every type of dealership. It works because the company founders have over 30 years of retail automotive and technology experience, giving ActivEngage a true 360 degree understanding of the needs of automotive shoppers. Partnering with ActivEngage increases lead generation and offsets the increasing marketing costs associated with the sale of new and pre-owned automobiles. ActivEngage offers three tiers of service to ensure that all website visitors' experiences are enjoyable and uncomplicated, thereby increasing the value of dealership websites through better lead generation.
Performics: 2008 Black Friday Search Engine Marketing Sales Grew Year Over Year and Outpaced Cyber Monday for the First Time
Performics, a leading performance marketing agency, today announced that Black Friday online retail sales driven by search engine marketing programs increased over Black Friday 2007 and outpaced Cyber Monday for the first time on record.
"The economic climate is pushing more bargain shoppers to market this season. Advertisers responded by refocusing scarce resources, making tough decisions about margins, and executing deep online and offline discounts around Black Friday and Cyber Monday," said Nick Beil, CEO for Performics. "Meanwhile, consumers consolidated some of their shopping behavior to capitalize on the deal-intensive period from Black Friday through Cyber Monday."
In addition to outperforming Cyber Monday 2008, Black Friday 2008 retail sales from search engine marketing surpassed the highest single-day sales mark of 2007. Cyber Monday 2008 also generated impressive year over year growth, with retail sales from search engine marketing increasing 43 percent from Cyber Monday 2007.
"What remains to be seen is whether the initial year-over-year growth can be sustained throughout the rest of the season or if consumers consider their shopping to be finished already," said Beil. "Savvy advertisers will focus on 'follow up' or 'don't forget' shopping behavior--appealing to consumers to finish the shopping they have already started."
Performics used sales per advertiser data to determine these growth metrics. Performics figures Sales per Advertiser by taking total sales and dividing by the total number of active retail search engine marketing programs.
Historically, Performics' search programs have experienced their busiest day of online holiday shopping on the second or third Monday after Thanksgiving. Due to the necessary heavy discounting around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this dynamic may play out differently in 2008. Performics will continue to monitor search data to analyze the impact that the deep discounts and earlier, Black Friday heavy shopping have on sales throughout the remainder of the season.
"The economic climate is pushing more bargain shoppers to market this season. Advertisers responded by refocusing scarce resources, making tough decisions about margins, and executing deep online and offline discounts around Black Friday and Cyber Monday," said Nick Beil, CEO for Performics. "Meanwhile, consumers consolidated some of their shopping behavior to capitalize on the deal-intensive period from Black Friday through Cyber Monday."
In addition to outperforming Cyber Monday 2008, Black Friday 2008 retail sales from search engine marketing surpassed the highest single-day sales mark of 2007. Cyber Monday 2008 also generated impressive year over year growth, with retail sales from search engine marketing increasing 43 percent from Cyber Monday 2007.
"What remains to be seen is whether the initial year-over-year growth can be sustained throughout the rest of the season or if consumers consider their shopping to be finished already," said Beil. "Savvy advertisers will focus on 'follow up' or 'don't forget' shopping behavior--appealing to consumers to finish the shopping they have already started."
Performics used sales per advertiser data to determine these growth metrics. Performics figures Sales per Advertiser by taking total sales and dividing by the total number of active retail search engine marketing programs.
Historically, Performics' search programs have experienced their busiest day of online holiday shopping on the second or third Monday after Thanksgiving. Due to the necessary heavy discounting around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this dynamic may play out differently in 2008. Performics will continue to monitor search data to analyze the impact that the deep discounts and earlier, Black Friday heavy shopping have on sales throughout the remainder of the season.
Pepperjam CEO Kris Jones to Speak on Search Engine and Affiliate Marketing Panels at Search Engine Strategies - Chicago
Pepperjam, the fastest growing full-service internet marketing agency and affiliate network in the United States, announced today that Pepperjam CEO Kristopher Jones will speak on two separate panels (Search and Affiliate Marketing) during Search Engine Strategies (SES) - Chicago. SES Chicago, the premier search-engine marketing conference, is being held at the Chicago Hilton December 8 - 12, 2008.
To learn more about Pepperjam visit www.pepperjam.com or Pepperjam Network visit www.peperjamnetwork.com
Affiliate 2.0: New Distribution Value Using Search & More
"It's an honor to be speaking on several panels at Search-Engine Strategies - Chicago. SES remains the leading conference for search-engine and interactive marketers. During these difficult economic times it's more important than ever for businesses to look to proven experts to help maximize return-on-investment and optimize overall online marketing efforts, said Kristopher B. Jones, President & CEO of Pepperjam.
Jones will speak on two panels.
The first panel is entitled "Ads in a Quality Score World," which will be held from 2:15-3:30pm on Wednesday, December 10, 2008. This panel will focus on strategies for improving the Google AdWords Quality Score.
The second panel is entitled "Affiliate 2.0: New Distribution Value Using Search & More," which will be held from 10:15-11:15am on Thursday, December 11, 2008. This panel will explore strategies for minimizing channel conflict between search and affiliate marketing and will discuss new distribution models.
About Pepperjam Network:
Pepperjam Network is a next generation affiliate marketing network that provides advertisers and publishers with industry leading pay-for-performance tracking, reporting, communication, and payment solutions. Pepperjam Network is a division of Pepperjam, a full-service internet marketing agency recognized by Inc. Magazine for the last three consecutive years as one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States. Learn more at www.pepperjamnetwork.com
About Pepperjam:
Pepperjam offers a full range of professional marketing management services in the areas of pay-per-click, search-engine optimization, affiliate marketing, mobile marketing, and online media planning and buying. Since 1999 Pepperjam has developed a reputation for being one of the most innovative, aggressive, and effective internet marketing agencies in the business
To learn more about Pepperjam visit www.pepperjam.com or Pepperjam Network visit www.peperjamnetwork.com
Affiliate 2.0: New Distribution Value Using Search & More
"It's an honor to be speaking on several panels at Search-Engine Strategies - Chicago. SES remains the leading conference for search-engine and interactive marketers. During these difficult economic times it's more important than ever for businesses to look to proven experts to help maximize return-on-investment and optimize overall online marketing efforts, said Kristopher B. Jones, President & CEO of Pepperjam.
Jones will speak on two panels.
The first panel is entitled "Ads in a Quality Score World," which will be held from 2:15-3:30pm on Wednesday, December 10, 2008. This panel will focus on strategies for improving the Google AdWords Quality Score.
The second panel is entitled "Affiliate 2.0: New Distribution Value Using Search & More," which will be held from 10:15-11:15am on Thursday, December 11, 2008. This panel will explore strategies for minimizing channel conflict between search and affiliate marketing and will discuss new distribution models.
About Pepperjam Network:
Pepperjam Network is a next generation affiliate marketing network that provides advertisers and publishers with industry leading pay-for-performance tracking, reporting, communication, and payment solutions. Pepperjam Network is a division of Pepperjam, a full-service internet marketing agency recognized by Inc. Magazine for the last three consecutive years as one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States. Learn more at www.pepperjamnetwork.com
About Pepperjam:
Pepperjam offers a full range of professional marketing management services in the areas of pay-per-click, search-engine optimization, affiliate marketing, mobile marketing, and online media planning and buying. Since 1999 Pepperjam has developed a reputation for being one of the most innovative, aggressive, and effective internet marketing agencies in the business
Privacy and Relevance Battle It Out at Search Engine Strategies (SES) Chicago
Privacy protection and collection of user data took center stage on Tuesday at SES Chicago 2008. In Battle of the Browsers: Personalization or Privacy at the digital marketing conference, panelists explored the popularity of certain internet browsers along with the delicate issue of privacy on the Web. The SES event runs through December 11th at the Chicago Hilton.
"Browsers are the new gateway to the next generation of targeting," said moderator Kevin Ryan, SES Advisory Board Chair and CEO, Motivity Marketing. People tend to get upset, however, when they know data about their habits is being collected.
Recent statistics (Hitwise, October 2008) indicate that 69.77 percent of internet users have Microsoft Internet Explorer as their browser. Mozilla Firefox has 20.78 percent of the market while newcomer Google Chrome has just .83 percent.
"For the average person, it is simply bizarre to compare browsers," commented panelist Mike Grehan, Global KDM Officer, Acronym Media.
The discussion focused on a recent plea for transparency to Google by Consumer Watchdog.org, a group concerned with the search giant's data collection. A video shown during the session featured Google CEO Eric Schmidt responding to the group's challenge by saying that performance is of utmost importance.
"It's a tradeoff - privacy versus relevance," noted Grehan.
On the privacy theme, Chris Sherman, Executive Editor, Search Engine Land, said that "the ultimate question is, who are we afraid will get their hands on all of this data?" Government, insurance companies or prospective employers were raised as potentially troubling entities.
The session turned to the increasing usage of social media applications such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, and the tremendous amount of personal information some people choose to reveal. Gary Stein, Director of Strategy, Ammo Marketing, raised the topic of social search and its increasing value as one's networks will help infuse relevance and help personalize one's searches.
For more information on SES Chicago and other shows in the series, see http://searchenginestrategies.com/chicago.
About Incisive Interactive Marketing LLC -- A Division of Incisive Media PLC
Incisive Media's Search Engine Strategies is a leading global conference and training series focused on search engine optimization and search engine marketing. Other Incisive resources for interactive marketers include the ClickZ network for digital marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion and research and Search Engine Watch which provides news and information about search, analysis of the search engine industry and tools for improving search marketing effectiveness.
Incisive Media is a leading global provider of specialized business news and information, in print, in person and online. The company's principal markets include financial services, legal services, commercial real estate, marketing services and risk management. Incisive Media's market-leading brands include Accountancy Age, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, LegalTech, Post, Real Estate Forum, Risk, Search Engine Strategies and The American Lawyer.
"Browsers are the new gateway to the next generation of targeting," said moderator Kevin Ryan, SES Advisory Board Chair and CEO, Motivity Marketing. People tend to get upset, however, when they know data about their habits is being collected.
Recent statistics (Hitwise, October 2008) indicate that 69.77 percent of internet users have Microsoft Internet Explorer as their browser. Mozilla Firefox has 20.78 percent of the market while newcomer Google Chrome has just .83 percent.
"For the average person, it is simply bizarre to compare browsers," commented panelist Mike Grehan, Global KDM Officer, Acronym Media.
The discussion focused on a recent plea for transparency to Google by Consumer Watchdog.org, a group concerned with the search giant's data collection. A video shown during the session featured Google CEO Eric Schmidt responding to the group's challenge by saying that performance is of utmost importance.
"It's a tradeoff - privacy versus relevance," noted Grehan.
On the privacy theme, Chris Sherman, Executive Editor, Search Engine Land, said that "the ultimate question is, who are we afraid will get their hands on all of this data?" Government, insurance companies or prospective employers were raised as potentially troubling entities.
The session turned to the increasing usage of social media applications such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, and the tremendous amount of personal information some people choose to reveal. Gary Stein, Director of Strategy, Ammo Marketing, raised the topic of social search and its increasing value as one's networks will help infuse relevance and help personalize one's searches.
For more information on SES Chicago and other shows in the series, see http://searchenginestrategies.com/chicago.
About Incisive Interactive Marketing LLC -- A Division of Incisive Media PLC
Incisive Media's Search Engine Strategies is a leading global conference and training series focused on search engine optimization and search engine marketing. Other Incisive resources for interactive marketers include the ClickZ network for digital marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion and research and Search Engine Watch which provides news and information about search, analysis of the search engine industry and tools for improving search marketing effectiveness.
Incisive Media is a leading global provider of specialized business news and information, in print, in person and online. The company's principal markets include financial services, legal services, commercial real estate, marketing services and risk management. Incisive Media's market-leading brands include Accountancy Age, Computing, Investment Week, Legal Week, LegalTech, Post, Real Estate Forum, Risk, Search Engine Strategies and The American Lawyer.
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