by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 29, 4:15 PM
Steve Ballmer must recognize the importance of search engine optimization. Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan finally convinced Microsoft's CEO into keynoting the SMX West conference in March. It appears this will become the first time Ballmer has addressed the SEO community in a public forum outside a Microsoft event.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 28, 4:45 PM
Search technology: Some companies will license it, while others build it from scratch. It depends on the egos of executives working at the company. Real-time search and social media have pushed technology to the forefront. Companies need sophisticated algorithms that can sort and index structured and unstructured data.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 27, 4:30 PM
There's no such thing as real-time search. Without the context behind the status updates on Twitter and Facebook, the characters and words strung together in semi-quasi-sentences reflect a bunch of data points -- or garbage in an endless chain of gibberish.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 26, 3:15 PM
Imagine if Apple built an ad-serving platform that could compete with Google's AdSense and AdWords, along with a social network and online search engine for PC and mobile. Some speculate the company moves closer to that model each day.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 25, 2:00 PM
Sometimes search engines only get it half correct. You type keywords into the browser on the PC or the mobile device and hit return. Within seconds you get results. When one word used in different context has several meanings the search engine has to work harder.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 22, 2:35 PM
Google's earnings call Thursday brought a few hidden challenges for marketers to light. There may not be problems for all; still, taking a closer look at recent Google events discussed could shed light on how the Mountain View, Calif., giant will work to keep the lead in paid search and display advertising.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 21, 5:00 PM
Bing Maps. Heard of it? Evidently the tool has been around for some time in one form or another, but I'm not sure if any one uses it. Most people I know rely on Google Maps or Google Earth. Microsoft wants you to consider an alternative: the company will give you a chance to win a $100 gift card for taking it for a spin.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 20, 3:00 PM
Google's need for speed could begin to influence the transition to the next generation of search and page-ranking factors in query results, as the company makes a transition to Caffeine, the next-generation of Google Search. While the move to speed up the Internet mostly touches Google's architecture and organic search results, some search marketers believe the move affects search advertisers, too.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 19, 4:30 PM
If you have been increasing investments in U.S. paid search, you're not alone. The rise fuels speculation among industry insiders that 2010 will end on a high note. While no one has a crystal ball to call the outcome this year, key findings from SearchIgnite's Q4 2009 U.S. Search Market Report suggest better days ahead.
by Laurie Sullivan on Jan 18, 4:15 PM
Google continues to take incremental pieces of marketing budgets away from rivals Microsoft and Yahoo, according to a new report from Efficient Frontier. You might equate the phenomenon to leading a couple of healthy horses out in the hot sun to get sick and die a slow and painful death. Marketers might rally for search options, but when given the chance, the money goes right back to Google.