Expect Google Health to debut some time next week. Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president of search products and user experience, hinted that Google Health would be among several new announcements made by the search giant at its annual Google Press Day next week. Speaking with USA Today tech columnist Kevin Maney, all Mayer would say is, "Health is an interesting one--keep your eye out for that next week." Google Health rumors have been floated about for some time, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see this announcement as early as next week. Other things Mayer says to watch for …

Here are ten of the most common mistakes made by AdWords advertisers, according to SearchStrategist.com, one of the many outfits that preach and apply this stuff for a living. The following are strategies to avoid: long lists of less targeted keywords, a lack of keywords in your ad text, only directing users to your home page, utilizing a single ad campaign, using a broad match only, failure to optimize ad serving for your ads, not tracking results, not efficiently describing your product in the space given, and entering the content network without modifying your bids. For the reasoning behind this …

A few months ago, Yahoo admitted failure in its attempt to bring original content to the Web, largely abandoning the redirection it once declared would be central to the company's growth strategy. The New York Times reports that Microsoft, sensing an opportunity, is picking up where Yahoo left off by hiring Ben Silverman, producer of "The Office," and "The Biggest Loser," to create content for its Web portal, MSN. Under the one-year, multimillion dollar deal, Silverman will create 10 Web pilots for MSN. Four of these have already been pre-approved, including a short form comedy released in two-and-a-half minute …

In its most recent behavioral targeting report, eMarketer says it expects the market to hit $2 billion in 2 years' time--a big jump indeed, writes David Rittenhouse, group media director at WPP Group's Neo@Ogilvy. I love it when you get a buyer's opinion on these reports, because they're the ones looking at everything from the trenches, so they have to view these projections with a more skeptical eye. What about the inhibitors to growth? Sure, BT grew 127 percent from 2003 to 2004 and then 43 percent from 2004 to 2005, so maybe steady growth in the 25-40 percent range …

A new report shows that while many cell phone users try mobile games, most don't play regularly--in fact, many who try it once never do so again. The M:Metrics report finds that prices, choice and lack of interest are the biggest factors keeping cell phone game sales from growing in the U.S. Less than 3 percent of cell phone users are buying games on their phones--a number that's been stalled now for the last few months. "It's just not growing," said the M:Metrics analyst who conducted the report. One of the problems, the analyst said, is the phone interface consumers …

News Corp. has scooped up two new Web companies, Business Week reports: Newroo, a news aggregator, and kSolo, an online karaoke site. The acquisitions are in keeping with News Corp.'s "buy" rather than "build" approach to entering the fragmented digital media marketplace. The question now is how these new acquisitions will integrate with the likes of MySpace, IGN, FoxSports.com and FoxNews.com, the company's major Internet media properties. kSolo could fit well with MySpace, used by millions of musicians and their fans. The massive community site already lets users make videos and create soundtracks for their home pages. Newroo's technology could …

Fox Interactive's popular video game portal IGN will be doing away with banner ads as it steps up its deployment of broadband video advertising, the company said Tuesday. Why? Apparently, broadband penetration among its user base is so high the company believes it can make more money by selling more rich media and video ads. Another reason, says David Tokheim, IGN's head of marketing, is that younger audiences don't respond to static banners--you need to create "unique custom ads" to reach its savvier user base. Like what? Ubisoft Entertainment, maker of the popular Tom Clancy Splinter Celln game franchise, recently …

Major Internet firms are getting some unexpected help from the U.S. financial sector in their bid to stop Congress from allowing Internet providers to charge Web publishers extra for faster access to their content. Companies that sell products and services online want Congress to adopt stricter measures to make sure they're not pushed into "slower lanes" of traffic if they don't pay network operators extra money. AT&T BellSouth Corp. and Verizon Communications plan to sell tiers of service based on speed, reliability and security. Several financial firms warned Congress the telecoms' plan would amount to billions in added costs to …

This is "hypercompetition, make no mistake" piped Microsoft's Bill Gates, when asked last week about the threat posed to his company by Google, Inc. What follows will be a technology arms race that could determine the future of information technology as we know it, according to The New York Times. For the outside observer, this could be enormously fun to watch, but for those with a vested interest in either side, the atmosphere is becoming more and more combative. The evidence of a pending Cold War comes from Microsoft's first quarter earnings, when HQ announced it would ramp up …

One of the main reasons I write about Web startups that charge fees for software and services is because I feel many of them will ultimately adopt, if not move over completely, to an ad-supported model. Consumers have shown time and again they would rather absorb advertising than pay for content, and I feel that has to continue. That said, it took a while for Apple to start selling ads on iTunes, and while I don't feel that's going to be the primary revenue source for Apple anytime soon, it will definitely expand over time. Today, a lot of news …