• Even More Not-So-Natural-Born Google Killers
    Let's turn our focus to three more potential Google killers and see if they have what it takes to derail the Big G. Again, my focus here is not on newfangled search engines. Google's global search share isn't in jeopardy nor is its search ad revenue -- despite what comScore might say next. Rather, the true Google killers are companies, individuals, and institutions that stand in the way of Google and the $500 billion pot of gold at the end of the global ad rainbow.
  • Stumbling Upon Discovery And Search
    'It pays to discover" may not just be a slogan; it's emerging as the maxim for how people find information online. Last week, right after I released a column on "The Fine Line Between Search and Discovery," three reports came out from Radar Networks, StumbleUpon, and ClipBlast that offer more clues on how search and discovery are converging and diverging.
  • Search In The Age Of Recession
    When Google announced its earnings this month, the online ad industry breathed a collective sigh of relief, because it seemed that search -- by far the most efficient demand-driven marketing channel -- had proven that it could weather, and perhaps even thrive in, the recessionary climate we've now passed into. The thinking was that while ad spending in general (and display advertising in particular) might be hostage to the larger macroeconomic forces roaring through the economy, search's efficiency and measurability will render it immune from harm. Call me a skeptic -- but I'm not so sure that we're in the …
  • 'We're Not A Google-Killer' Is The New Google-Killer
    The road to success requires would-be Google-killers to solve a problem that Google doesn't solve, to create a new habit under a new circumstance, where it can flourish free from the inexorable pull of ingrained attitudes.
  • Strategy Spotting: How To Tell When You Find One
    The difference between tactics and strategy can be monumental in the success of any marketing, and search is no exception. So, what are the telltale signs of a strategy? How can you tell when you're dealing with a basketful of tactics rather than a well-thought-out strategic plan? Here are some things to look for....
  • How Americans Are Searching For Election 2008 Information
    Voters are most concerned about the issues -- 87% of potential voters search about election issues, and searches for a candidate's position on the issues is one of the main drivers of this type of search. That's one of key findings in new research on the election and U.S. search patterns.
  • The Fine Line Between Search And Discovery
    Discovery online can take a number of forms. It's generally offered as a counterpoint to searching. With search, users enter a query and ideally find exactly what it is they are looking for (even if the search needs to be refined), while discovery presents new information to the user at a time when there's no explicit interest expressed. Much of the reason for the divergence of discovery and search stems from some people citing how consumers spend only 5% of their time online searching, so the rest of their time online is undervalued. Yet often searching is the best way …
  • More On The SEM People Problem
    People are just as important as automation in today's PPC search environment, and I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss characteristics that mark ideal SEM candidates. I hope this article is of value to those staffing in-house or agency search teams, as well as prospective candidates seeking to enter this very exciting field.
  • What's The Big Idea Anyway?
    Since its inception, search has been known for several dependable qualities. Search is a direct-response champ, as well as a fulfillment vehicle unlike anything else advertisers have had in their arsenal. What only savvy marketers once knew, now all marketers have come to appreciate: search is the right tool for the job when the job calls for something that connects consumers and products. Be it retail, financial services, travel or even pharmaceutical, the space is ripe with companies printing money using Google, Yahoo and the rest for their search efforts. So what role should search play in The Big Idea …
  • Think You're Strategic? Think Again.
    t's one of the banes of this industry that we often use the words "strategies" and "tactics" interchangeably. Conferences that fly the strategy banner offer a deep dive into multiple tactical tracks. Sessions that promise cutting edge strategies in fact deliver tactics. Now, I have nothing against tactics. The right tactic can be a beautiful thing, when it's used to execute on a strategy. But they're not the same thing.
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