Print this articleThe very latest search industry news headlines from the Epiphany media team, updated daily.
Presidential candidate Barack Obama had a more successful six months online than his rival John McCain at the start of this year, according to new figures from comScore. Mr Obama benefited from significantly higher website traffic, online se
More online marketers look set to focus on search engine ads over the next year, according to one analyst. Imran Khan of JPMorgan has cut his forecast for the wider online advertising industry from a 20 per cent increase in spending this yea
About eight in ten internet users are happy with the overall quality of the search results they see from the biggest engines, according to a new Canadian study. Undertaken by Ipsos Reid, the survey also indicated that search engine optimisat
It is a good idea for marketers to consider website accessibility when undertaking search engine optimisation (SEO), according to one expert. Ann Smarty of Search Engine Journal highlighted some of the ways in which SEO and accessibility can
Spending on online video ads in the US looks set to grow by almost two-thirds this year, according to a new report. Compiled by LiveRail and made available by social media news site ReadWriteWeb, the publication suggested that expenditure co
A new report has predicted that advertising opportunities in the mobile social networking market will grow as the medium's user base continues to expand over the next five years. According to ABI Research, over 140 million mobile users will
UK spending on search engine optimisation (SEO) will reach £330 million this year, up 32 per cent compared with 2007. This is according to E-consultancy's latest Search Engine Marketing Buyer's Guide, which showed that overall spending
Search engine optimisation (SEO) and website accessibility are among the areas the government is focusing on when it comes to improving its online services, minister for transformational government Tom Watson has said. The minister and blogg
It is important to begin online marketing activities with basics such as search engine optimisation (SEO), according to one expert. Researching how to begin with search engine marketing and potentially bringing in outside help can be a signi
A new open source internet browser has been launched by search giant Google. Google Chrome is based on elements of Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's WebKit and will become available as a beta download for Windows today (September 2nd).
Microsoft has revealed that it is acquiring shopping comparison site Ciao through the purchase of Greenfield Online. The company will pay a consideration of $486 million ( £268.9 million) for Greenfield and will use Ciao to supplement it
Keeping up with changes in the search engine sector can do much to help website owners adapt their marketing strategies accordingly and potentially boost their rankings, according to one website. One such trend is the fact that search engine
Sports-related retail and informational websites have seen significant increases in traffic as a result of the success of Great Britain in the Beijing Olympics. This is according to new figures posted by Hitwise UK research director Robin Go
A new reporting feature in Microsoft's adCenter can do much to help marketers focus their efforts on website conversions, it has been claimed. According to a post by Microsoft's Mel Carson on the adCenter Analytics blog, the program's new en
Mozilla has extended its agreement with Google over the default search settings in Firefox by a further three years, it has been announced. According to Mozilla chairperson Mitchell Baker's blog, the contract will now see Google remain Firef
Businesses looking to make their websites more visible to search engine crawlers and spiders may want to consult advice offered by MarketingVOX. According to the news source, it can be beneficial to ensure the website has a sitemap and regul
Social media is perfect for those looking to increase brand awareness, according to one expert. Those seeking branding benefits rather than a direct impact on sales would do well to harness user-generated content (UGC) for marketing purposes
One of the key ways of improving a website's standing in search engine results is through the production of unique content, it has been claimed. Such content can both give search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts a boost and attract more rel
Spending on internet advertising will grow to account for 8.6 per cent of total advertising expenditure globally this year, it has been predicted. According to media communications agency Carat, this figure is likely to increase to 9.8 per c
A number of businesses around the world intend to continue spending significant amounts of money on digital media, despite the ongoing effects of the credit crunch, a new study by StrategyEye Digital Media has suggested. According to the com
A new ad system unveiled by social network Facebook last week may not be beneficial for all organisations, according to CNET News.com. The news source has suggested that the scheme, which allows Facebook members to interact with certain ads
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a must for companies operating in the online business-to-business (B2B) field, it has been claimed. Making good use of SEO can help such organisations to attract those looking for the very products and ser
Google.com will now feature the Google Suggest tool by default, it has been announced. The Google Suggest feature offers real-time suggestions for specific queries and the number of hits each of these possibilities comes up with, according t
A list of the best linking practices marketers can undertake to improve search engine optimisation (SEO) has been published by MarketingSherpa. Among its recommendations are creating top quality content #150; such as useful applications lik
A significant proportion of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are considering using Web 2.0 in their marketing campaigns, a new survey has indicated. Two-fifths of respondents said they were going to look into using Web 2.0 in marketi
Sign-ups for a service or sales of a product are only large-scale ways to measure customer conversions online, according to a Search Engine Watch writer. Tim Ash asserted that a number of smaller conversion actions should be considered as th
The growing popularity of online video clips - thanks in part to comprehensive coverage of the Beijing Olympics - could lead to an 55.9 per cent increase in video ad spending this year, according to an analyst. Business Week reported yesterd
The paid search sector could be significantly affected by developments in the world of semantic search, an expert has said. Speaking at the San Jose the Search Engine Strategies conference this week, Powerset's Scott Provost suggested that s
A new study has suggested that packaged goods providers could benefit from a significant increase in brand awareness if they adopt paid search campaigns. Unaided brand awareness could be given a 160 per cent boost among consumers through suc
US web users conducted three per cent more online searches during July than they did in the same month last year. This is according to a new study by Nielsen Online, which showed that Americans made nearly eight billion searches last month.
Google has topped an index of the search engines and portals that American consumers are most satisfied with. The search giant obtained a score of 86 - up 10.3 per cent compared with last year's figure of 78 - in the University of Michigan's
Well-researched keywords can make all the difference between success and failure when it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO), according to marketing consultant Damon Segal. The expert said on realbusiness.co.uk that keyword research ca
Online marketing campaigns incorporating elements such as social shopping, virtual worlds and video are becoming more popular among retailers in the US, according to a new study. Retailers are turning to the social channel to target teenager
Search giant Google attracted the biggest number of unique web visitors in the US during July, comScore has revealed. The research company's latest report on the most popular US web destinations showed that Google received 141.6 million uniq
Blogs are a useful tool for organisations looking to improve their reputation online and interact more with customers. This is according to course leader for the MSc in digital marketing communications at Manchester Metropolitan University D
Google will not be placing ads on its homepage in the future, according to chief executive of the company Eric Schmidt. Mr Schmidt said on the Mad Money with Jim Cramer television show earlier this week that the company is unlikely to deploy
It is important for pay-per-click (PPC) marketers to ensure that ads, keywords and landing pages are all relevant to each other, according to Tina Kelleher of Microsoft. Writing on the adCenter Blog for Advertisers, the expert said that mark
Social media as a marketing channel is still an unknown entity when it comes to effectiveness, an expert has said. Speaking to eyefortravel.com, Aer Arann head of sales and marketing Colin Lewis said that while the medium holds much potentia
Spending on pay-per-click (PPC) ads rose to £1.6 billion in the UK last year, a new report has revealed. According to Ofcom, expenditure on such campaigns increased by 39 per cent in 2007, making PPC the most popular form of online mark
Brands should consider optimising their websites for search engines at an early stage to capitalise on an emerging search trend in the UK, it has been advised. Britons are overwhelmingly searching for brand names rather than generic keywords
Small businesses new to internet marketing may benefit from outsourcing complicated procedures to a third party, according to Alibaba.com chief executive David Wei. The expert said in an article for Livemint.com that while it is ideal for sm
Businesses are likely to see success in their pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns by focusing on specific terms rather than generic keywords, according to one publication. While broad matches will help to increase the number of people looking at a
About 70.77 per cent of US online searches took place on Google last month, according to new figures. The research, carried out by Hitwise, placed Google well above the likes of Yahoo!, MSN Search and Ask in the rankings, with Google breakin
Blogging can provide a key way for businesses to connect with prospective customers and build their brands online, it has been claimed. Keeping a company blog can help companies to portray themselves as an authoritative voice within their re
Marketers in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region are spending more of their paid search budgets on Google's solutions. This is according to a new report from analytics firm Covario, which suggested that 90 per cent of paid search a
Uploading too many new articles to a website during a very short period of time could be detrimental to a website's search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign, it has been claimed. While making regular new updates can hold significant benefit
Retailers hoping to capture part of the back-to-school shopping market would do well to make their pay-per-click (PPC) ad copy as relevant and targeted as possible, Yahoo! content quality analyst Noah Belson has said. Writing in a post on th
Travel website network Orbitz has seen an increase in online visitors since it moved to a new search engine-friendly platform, it has been revealed. According to a Travolution report, Orbitz chief executive Steve Barnhart told analysts in a
Online reputation management is set to become more popular among UK firms this year, according to a report compiled by E-consultancy. The Online Reputation and Buzz Monitoring Buyer's Guide predicted that the market for reputation monitoring
A new search engine optimisation (SEO) push has helped the LA Times to achieve a record number of website page views. About 127 page views were reported during July, up 66 per cent compared with the same month in 2007, according to a memo to
Almost half of web users consult a search engine at least once a day, new research has revealed. A total of 49 per cent of the internet population go to a search site everyday, up from one-third of users in 2002, said the Pew Internet amp;
Marketers should avoid relying on clicks as a way of measuring campaign success and instead look to the impact made by branding, it has been advised. Tracking the effectiveness of online brand building as a way of driving offline purchases m
Marketing executives can now examine data on popular search term volumes via a new tool released by Google this week. The Google Insights for Search service is free to use and offers a wealth of data on specific searches over different time
Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can be given a significant boost by picking and choosing the perfect keywords, it has been claimed. According to Yahoo!'s Search Marketing team, marketers may find that choosing terms that match those on their w
Creating relevant and engaging website copy is essential for pay-per-click (PPC) marketers hoping to boost conversions from click-throughs, an expert has said. Such copy is especially vital for those who depend on conversions from visitors w
Internet users in the UK made 3.9 billion online searches during June, with the bulk of these taking place on Google. This is according to comScore, which released research today (August 5th) showing that 75.3 per cent of queries took place
A Birmingham-based company has seen its sales soar thanks to the launch of a new search engine-friendly website. According to the Birmingham Post, personalised voucher provider Secure Vouchers - whose customers include small and medium-sized
Refining the Google search interface involves constant experimentation with both major and minor new features and changes, Google has revealed. According to a post on the official Google blog from engineer Ben Gomes, the search engine is con
Companies are moving to engage more with consumers through applications on social networks like Facebook, it has been claimed. According to a Times report, with businesses such as Warner Bros and Disney moving onto the platform, the potentia
US consumers looking for online retail vouchers are more likely to click-through to a website from search listings when they know a coupon is available, according to a new study. Almost two-thirds of those surveyed by Simmons/Experian Resear
New websites looking to maximise their search engine rankings from the outset must focus on how they use the right keywords, an expert has advised. Adding plenty of keyword modifiers, looking to long tail terms and moving away from commercia
Pay-per-click marketers looking to improve their campaigns should look at their landing pages, according to Graham Charlton of E-consultancy. Writing on the E-consultancy blog, Mr Charlton said that businesses should spend money on marketing
Online marketers can do much to positively influence their click-through rates from paid search ads, according to Yahoo! content quality analyst Noah Belson. The expert said in a recent post on the Yahoo! Search Marketing blog that while it
Retailers are not doing enough to fully maximise the advantages offered by organic search engine optimisation (SEO), a new report from Internet Retailer suggests. The study tested retailers' rankings against important keywords and found that
The current downturn in the economy could mean that travel firms may benefit from looking to the online medium when it comes to marketing, it has been claimed. Comments made by Roamfree.com chief executive Chris Dodd at a recent Eye for Trav
The number of unique UK visitors using Google search rose by 15 per cent to reach 27.9 million during June 2008 compared with May 2007, according to new Nielsen Online figures. Statistics released by the research firm also showed that Google
Companies could see significant benefits from optimising their press releases for search engines, according to one expert. Mark Jackson of Search Engine Watch explained that many firms still do not use press releases as part of their search
Failing to build a website that is accessible to all web users could result in lower search rankings, according to one expert. With 8.5 million disabled people in the UK - 3.5 million of whom cannot use a normal keyboard - businesses could b
Firms looking to make their websites stand out must ensure they are using the correct key phrases in order to succeed in search engine optimisation (SEO). This is according to comments made on the TechLeader blog by Shaun Oakes, who said tha
Search engine marketing (SEM) is by far the most popular form of internet advertising for small companies, it has been claimed. Writing in the Small Talk section of HartfordBusiness.com, Rhonda Abrams said that such advertising a
Internet and software giant Microsoft is to expand the relationship it has with social networking site Facebook, it has been revealed. A source close to the firm stated that, under the terms of the deal, it will use Facebook to increase the
Search engine provider Yahoo! has revealed a rise in its net profits in Japan. According to a statement made by the firm, Yahoo! Japan saw an increase of 18.2 per cent, reflecting a shift in the advertising spending preferences of companies
Google may be interested in capitalising on the potential of the display advertising sector, an executive from the search engine firm has implied. CNET News reported that Eric Schmidt told Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference that he felt th
Worldwide spending on search engine marketing has increased by 30 per cent during the past year, according to a new report. The 2009 Search Marketing Benchmark Guide, compiled by Marketing Sherpa, has indicated that around half of all online
Making sure images and videos are optimised for search engines could provide a significant boost to a company's online marketing efforts. This is according to advice offered by Chrysi Philalithes of Search Insider, who said that making it si
The second quarter of 2008 saw little change in rates of pay-per-click fraud, according to a new report. Statistics from Click Forensics show that the average click fraud rate equalled 16.2 per cent during the second three months of the year
Businesses would do well to look at website elements such as internal links and quality of content to boost both usability and search rankings, it has been advised. According to Mark Jackson of Search Engine Watch, usability and search engin
Websites falling into the leisure category - including films, travel and gaming - were the most visited sites among US internet users last month, comScore has revealed. Publishing its monthly report on web trends in the country, the company
Local sites could see significant revenue opportunities open up by ramping up their search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts to target sports fans, it has been claimed. According to Bobby Tulsiani of JupiterResearch, a new study from the com
A growing proportion of consumers are becoming more used to seeing ads when they watch online videos, new research has suggested. The survey, carried out by Ipsos MediaCT, showed that 82 per cent of respondents believe that displaying ads al
It is worth starting a new web project with the principles of search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind, according to Julie Batten of the ClickZ Network. The expert noted that it can be easier to conform with SEO rules while designing the web
Google accounted for the majority of online searches made in the US last month, a new report has indicated. About 61.5 per cent of all queries took place on Google sites in June, according to comScore, showing a slight decrease compared with
Microsoft may be set to take on Google's popular AdSense program with the trial of its own contextual advertising platform. The company is utilising its adCenter technology to deploy self-serve contextual ads to small publishers as part of a
Keyword and contextual ads can now be run together as part of one campaign in Google's AdWords program. User feedback prompted Google to make the change to the service, potentially increasing the relevancy of internet advertising for web use
Tim Armstrong of Google has claimed that the future of the internet marketing industry lies in social media and mobile advertising. In an interview with Canadian Business magazine, Mr Armstrong cited the two channels when asked about the eme
Google has offered more information on how its technology helps to compile website search rankings on its official blog. Amit Singhal, a Google fellow, said that the company has worked on improving its indexing and crawling system over the y
The Google-Yahoo! ad deal currently being scrutinised by US regulatory authorities could lead to an increase in paid ad costs, it has been warned. Those buying Yahoo! ads could find themselves paying an average of 22 per cent more than norma
Google has increased its share of the search market in the UK, the US and Australia, according to a new report. Compiled by Hitwise, the statistics revealed that Google accounted for 87 per cent of UK searches, just over 69 per cent of the U
Regularly updated content, relevant keywords and incoming links can be good starting points for marketers wishing to attract the attention of search engine crawlers, an expert has noted. Writing on realbusiness.co.uk, entrepreneur Dawn Gibbi
Marketers seeking to refine their paid search ad text to be as attractive as possible to web users may want to note tips offered by David Rodnitzky on the Search Marketing Standard blog. According to the expert, the right ad text can do much
New figures released from comScore this week have indicated that Google-owned websites were the top US video property in May 2008. Data from the Video Metrix service revealed that of the more than 12 billion videos watched by Americans on th
Internet television service Veoh Networks has unveiled a new behavioural targeting system for advertisers. The initiative, which is currently available in beta format, allows marketers to target video viewers based on the kind of content the
A new report has revealed that 19 per cent of UK firms intend to increase expenditure on internet marketing activities, despite the economic downturn affecting spending in other parts of the advertising sector. The Institute of Practitioners
Google has offered advice to paid search marketers looking to boost their natural search rankings. Ambroise Fensterbank, search quality evaluator at Google, said in a post on the Inside AdSense blog that marketers should refrain from using t
There are three simple ways online marketers can boost their pay-per-click (PPC) conversion rates, according to search engine Yahoo!. Its manager of marketing communications, Roger Park, claims that with just a little maintenance, hind
Growth within the online marketing industry is looking strong, according to a new report from William Blair amp; Company and the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association. However, this could change in the near future due to widespread econ
Yahoo! is hoping to disrupt the search market and outdo its competitors with a new service that allows developers to customise their search experience. The BOSS (Build Your Own Search Service) platform will provide users with acc
Advertisers making use of Microsoft's adCenter for paid search ads can now see significant changes to the quality-based ranking system in the UK. These amendments, which loosen up the algorithm used to determine the ranking of paid ads above
Search giant Google has opened up about its ranking procedures, stating that it does not manually change results and relies completely on its algorithm. Writing on the official Google blog, Google fellow Amit Singhal asserted that the compan
Search engine Google has launched a new application in which users can interact with one another in a 3D virtual world. Part of the firm's Google Labs, the Lively application enables users to express themselves by personalising a room and cr
Microsoft-owned internet services provider MSN has announced that it has partnered with Hearst Magazines over the development of a new food-related website. Under the terms of the arrangement, MSN will be responsible for the property's adver
A new online centre dedicated to offering tips and advice to search engine marketers has been unveiled. Developed by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its Search Council, the Search Help Centre makes use of information provided by Go
The second quarter of 2008 was a quiet period for the three major search engines in terms of advertising sales, according to a new report. Compiled by AdGooroo, the statistics show that Yahoo! saw a 0.03 per cent increase in its active adver
Web users are getting savvier when it comes to online shopping recommendations, according to a new study. Conducted by Avail Intelligence, the research suggested that many music fans are increasingly looking to online music shops and social
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has taken an early lead against rival John McCain in terms of his online popularity, it has been revealed. According to figures produced by information and media firm Neilson Online, Mr Obama's
Despite being widely-used on the web, the effectiveness of reciprocal linking has been questioned. Writing on the Search Engine Journal, Ann Smarty asks whether the practice is worth the time and whether it is a legitimate method of improvi
Microsoft has announced the formation of an agreement that will see provide contextual and paid search advertising to a health media publisher. The company will offer exclusive third-party advertising services to Rodale, which owns brands su
Articles written by a company to improve search engine optimisation (SEO) must also be compelling enough to drive readers to interact more with the business, an expert has asserted. According to online author Christina Newberry, while the be
Cosmopolitan magazine's UK website has seen unique visitor numbers double between October and May, according to new figures. Nedstats research seen by Journalism.co.uk showed that the website managed to increase traffic by about 136 per cent
Pay-per-click (PPC) campaign professionals have been offered tips on how to optimise their activities to maintain a high quality index score from Yahoo!. According to the web giant's Smart Start team, there are a number of ways in which comp
Social media websites such as YouTube and Facebook have witnessed a significant leap in usage by UK web users in the last 12 months, according to new figures. Statistics from research company Nielsen Online show that the two sites saw the fa
Current models for costing pay-per-click advertising may eventually fall out of favour with marketers, according to one website. Domain Name Wire reports that cost-per-click (CPC) models could be replaced with cost-per-action (CPA) initiativ
Companies should focus on a recent tip given by Google engineer Matt Cutts to USA Today over the role that blogs can play in effective search engine optimisation. This is according to Sage Lewis of Search Engine Watch, who said that there a
Companies should do more to place search engine optimisation (SEO), usability and accessibility at the heart of their web design projects. This is according to Justin James of TechRepublic, who said that those struggling with SEO should plac
Microsoft has confirmed it is to buy semantic search engine Powerset. Following days of speculation over the transaction, Microsoft senior vice-president of search, portal and advertising Satya Nadella revealed in a Live Search blog post tha
New research has revealed that consumers are becoming increasingly irritated by certain types of online ads. Carried out by Opinion Matters for video site HowTo.tv, the study showed that ads featuring loud noises, as well as pop-ups and ads
Companies have been urged to carefully consider the pitfalls of utilising Web 2.0 as a marketing strategy before putting it into practice. Autonomy chief executive Mike Lynch said in the Financial Times that while applications like blogs, so
Adobe has today (July 1st) announced plans to make Flash content more searchable on the web. The software company revealed that it is working with Google and Yahoo! to enhance search engine indexing for Flash pages and applications so that t
People are increasingly turning to the Internet for their television viewing, new research by The Nielsen Company for the Cable amp; Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) shows. Online television viewers use the net for findin
Websites' marketing potential is not being maximised as they become the subject of a tug-of-war between IT and marketing stakeholders, research for SDLL Tridion has found. SDL Tridion president Erik Aeyelts Averink said that webs
Video-sharing website YouTube is the most visited site in the US, according to online intelligence service Hitwise. YouTube accounted for 75.43 per cent of all US visits in May, up by 26 per cent in the preceding year. In a custom c
Google is to use its AdSense program to test the viability of making advertising revenue from online video. From September, the search giant will deploy video clips - instead of the usual static ads - of a new show from the creator of Family
Yahoo! has revealed its plans for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games in August. The company will launch a website to provide a wide range of Olympics-related content over the summer, featuring editorials and opinions from former Olympic meda
Success on the web demands that e-retailers listen to the consumer, one industry body has emphasised. The ease of comparing providers and prices on the internet means that a lacklustre approach to customer service could mean online shops los
Natural search listings sent the most iPhone-based traffic to Apple's official site in April, a new report shows. Figures published this week by comScore indicate that 83.5 per cent of iPhone-related click-throughs derived from organic listi
Yahoo!'s recent deal with Google was the best move for the search company, a letter to shareholders has argued. Chief executive Jerry Yang and chairman of the board Roy Bostock claimed in the document released this week that the search adver
Some consumers are significantly more likely to respond to advertising than others, a new report asserts. Viewers who readily connect with content are significantly more disposed to remember seeing an advert, to internalise the message and t
Determining the wrong keywords can be just as important as highlighting the most-effective terms and phrases, search marketing professionals have been advised. A new post on the Yahoo! Search Marketing Blog recommends that advertisers learn
A top engineer at Google has revealed his top five tips for those looking to boost their search engine optimisation. Speaking to USA Today, Matt Cutts said that businesses should focus on inserting relevant keywords likely to be used as sear
UK firms were last week warned that a brash approach to marketing on social networking sites could be detrimental. The Social Media Portal's (SMP's) Tim Gibbon recommended that companies ensure they understand the aims of websites such as Li
Spending on paid search increased in the four weeks following Google's changes to its trademark rules, a new report indicates. Under the new regulations, trademarked terms have been open to bids from companies that do not own them since May
There has been an 18.2 per cent increase in internet advertising revenues since last year, new figures suggest. Statistics from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) indicate that the first quarter of the year has seen revenues 18.2 per cent
Britain could soon be able to buy items online through Microsoft's Live Search cashback scheme, the firm has announced. Brad Goldberg, general manager of the Live Search Business Unit, told Live News that the scheme - which offers cashback t
A new cash investment has valued LinkedIn, the networking website for the business community, at $1 billion ( £512 million). The site's chief executive Dan Nye claims that the site should generate revenues of between $75 million and $100
Search advertising giant Google is set to incorporate page load time into the Quality Score given to keywords. Heather Lane wrote on Inside AdWords that advertisers can improve their Quality Score by working on load time, as landing pages ar
The impact of advertising on video streaming site YouTube could grow as the portal begins to introduce longer videos, a new report observes. Chad Hurley and Steve Chan, founders of the site, are interested in testing the potential of longer
Investment in paid search is the main driver of online advertising expenditure, which is predicted to exceed investment in TV advertising by the end of the year. Paid search is the key factor in the shift from television-based marketing to w
A new research centre in Europe is to be a key part of Microsoft's search business development, the software giant has said. The company has announced the new Search Technology Centre is to open on the continent next year, designed to accele
Marketers should work to demonstrate the effect of viral, video-based marketing campaigns, one industry professional has said. Brian Shin, founder and chief executive officer of Visible Measures, has urged for the effectiveness of viral vide
Yahoo! has formed mobile advertising partnerships with two operators, which will carry graphical marketing campaigns sold and serviced by the search pioneer. New deals with Idea Cellular and Maxis Communications - both of which have recently
Social media marketing is playing a part in the convergence of green concerns with the internet, it has been claimed. Movements such as Al Gore's The We Campaign are utilising online advertising strategies such as viral marketing, video ads
The Google-Yahoo! tie-up could set the stage for the growing prominence of instant messaging in the social networking advertising arena, one analyst has said. As well as enabling the display of Google ads on Yahoo!'s search results, the new
A redesigned MySpace is to incorporate a more efficient search function, it has emerged. The social networking website is to begin the first phase of a global redesign on Wednesday, beginning a process that will integrate a new approach to b
Microsoft, whose negotiations over a Yahoo! takeover reached a dead end last week when the search firm announced an advertising deal with Google, has spoken out against the arrangement. According to sources close to the firm who spoke to Reu
Companies concerned about online brand representation have been advised to take advantage of Google's Alert function. According to E-consultancy, establishing a Google Alert for a company's name can help executives monitor their web reputati
Yahoo! is to let Google position ads alongside its search results under a new deal that has emerged after takeover talks with Microsoft reached an official dead end. Both Microsoft and Yahoo! confirmed that a total acquisition is no longer b
Yahoo!'s head of communities and communications has maintained the company's health and disclosed details of its future plans. Speaking to the BBC, Brad Garlinghouse said that social media would be a key part of the search pioneer's advancem
More Brits are searching for updates on the Euro 2008 competition as the tournament gets into full swing, a new report indicates. According to new Hitwise figures, both sports retailers and Euro 2008 websites are experiencing a boost in traf
A new product testing platform is being introduced by Microsoft in the form of a social networking website. Chris Pratley, general manager of Microsoft's Office Labs, told Computerworld that the initiative, entitled TownSquare, provides news
Numerical data behind the search information accessible through Google Trends is being made available to the public, it has emerged. Reuters reports that the service, which enables the comparison of search data from Google's database, is now
Last year saw a marked increase in the proportion of advertising market expenditure allotted to internet marketing, it has been suggested. Figures released earlier this week by the Advertising Association indicate that advertising spend on i
AOL has revealed that it is launching its Platform-A operations in the European online marketing sector. Platform-A will bring together the work of units Advertising.com, Adtech and buy.at and technological innovations from Quigo, Tacoda and
Internet and software development company Yahoo! has announced an agreement with Acresso Software to offer the Yahoo! Toolbar to over 71,000 organisations. The deal will see the Toolbar bundled into Acresso's InstallShield software as a val
Websites with natural content could boost their rankings and pave the way in the future as other algorithms and systems for searching become available. Dominant engine Google currently searches according to keywords and patterns to find the
Search engine marketers are being warned to prepare as more companies will become concerned with financial results rather than spending money on branding. With the concern over the economic downturn, it is thought that firms may tighten
Computer giants Microsoft sought advice from over 1,200 search-marketing professionals at the Search Marketing Expo in Seattle earlier this week. Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's platforms and service division, talked to attendees of
New legislation regulating the way in which advertisers can market online came into effect last month. The Consumer Protection Law will prohibit any false advertising on social media sites and anything that is specifically targeting children
Radian6 is teaming up with video search engine blinkx in a content feed partnership to improve brand monitoring. The deal will give the social media monitoring platform greater access to popular online sharing sites including YouTube, Groupe
A new survey of digital media use has highlighted sports fans as those most likely to view online marketing. The European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) poll found that on average sports sites users spend over 13 hours surfing th
The basics of search engine optimisation (SEO) should not be overlooked when looking to improve a site's performance on search engines such as Google, according to the editor of Search Engine Journal. Loren Baker stated that while aspects su
Google has reported higher paid clickthrough rates for April while other leading search engines have posted declines in their performance. Rising 20 per cent compared to April last year, Google's US paid clickthrough rate has now reached its
An internet marketing expert has offered some top tips for companies looking to make the most of their online pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. Writing for the internet marketing news website Marketing Pilgrim, Ann Stanley says companies often
Marketing professionals are increasingly spending their budgets on interactive platforms such as viral marketing and social media, new research shows. According to a recent survey carried out by the Online Marketing and Media Show (OMMS), ma
Google chairman and chief executive Eric Schmidt has reiterated the opportunities that search engine marketing (SEM) has to offer. In an interview with Faz.net, he explained that SEM will continue to benefit from a variety of new trends, suc
Web developers will be welcomed by Google to the company's biggest conference of its kind this year. Almost 3,000 web developers will gather for a keynote speech and about 100 technical sessions about web application development.
Internet giant Yahoo! has filed a lawsuit against a group of email spammers for trying to con web users into believing they had won a lottery prize. The phishing lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New un
Viacom's lawsuit against YouTube is a threat to online freedom, according to Google, which bought the video streaming site two years ago. David Eun, vice-president of content partnerships with Google, expressed the firm's intention to take t
Software giant Microsoft took a step back from its rivalry with Google last week as it announced the abandonment of plans to digitise millions of books. The company revealed in a blog post that its would no longer be pursuing a book scan pro
E-commerce growth experienced a six per cent hike between March and April, new figures indicate. According to a report from comScore, e-commerce growth stood at 15 per cent last month, compared to nine per cent the previous month.
Google's Search Quality team is to reveal information about the search giant's page rankings procedures in a series of blog posts. Writing on the Official Google Blog, vice-president of engineering at Search Quality Udi Manber notes that the
Consumers are to be offered cashback on purchases made through Microsoft's search service, it was announced this week. A proportion of any transaction made via the software giant's Live Search is to be refunded, in a reward scheme that seeks
A meeting of Yahoo! shareholders planned for July 3rd has been postponed, it has emerged. The company has not specified a date for the rescheduled annual meeting, but it is thought the firm wants more time to prepare a defence against Carl I
Viral marketing is successful because its effect seems organic, one industry member has said. Initiatives involving the viral distribution of video or other content raise consumer awareness because they do not appear calculated, said Henry P
Advertisers should be looking to target consumers through their mobiles, Microsoft said this week. Speaking at the company's advance08 forum for online advertising leadership, Microsoft's corporate vice-president of mobile services, Brian Ar
Google topped the list of online properties last month, new figures indicate. The latest Media Metrix from comScore show that the company made it to the top of the list for the first time in April, followed by Yahoo! and Microsoft.
A new rich media online strategy sees prime minister Gordon Brown ask the public to answer questions live on YouTube. Prime minister's questions - the half-hour session in which the prime minister takes questions from parliament - can now be
Search engine optimisation strategies should incorporate customer web reviews, a new report suggests. Small and medium-sized businesses in the US are noticing the benefits of reviews, both negative on positive, for increasing search engine r
Attorneys for shareholders in Yahoo! are calling for the release of information regarding Microsoft's $47.5 billion ( £24.2 billion) bid for the search pioneer. The shareholders are alleging that Yahoo! is protecting documents in order t
Apple is in talks with record companies about expanding its ringtone catalogue, a new report suggests. The company currently offers iPhone users the chance to upgrade specific iTunes tracks into ringtones, but this service is not currently a
Property advertisers may soon be able to pay for links on Google Maps, a new report suggests. The feature has integrated a facility which allows users to search for homes for sale in particular areas or around specific postcodes. Re
At the Google conference in Hertfordshire this week, co-founder Sergey Brin was positive about a potential deal with Yahoo!. In a move which the Guardian claimed could indicate Google's possible emergence as a white knight to sav
The legal status of internet downloads remains difficult to determine, one industry commentator has commented. Speaking after an online music provider was sued by nine record labels for infringement of copyright, Ben Camm-Jones highlighted t
Software giant Microsoft has started up talks with Yahoo! over a potential joint venture, new reports suggest. The company revealed this weekend that it was considering alternatives to a full takeover, after the collapse of discussions betwe
Yahoo! and BT have suspended a security feature temporarily after it prevented some BT customers from being able to send emails, it has been reported. According to the Guardian, the measure required messages to display a Yahoo! or BT address
A joined-up approach to web sales and search engine marketing (SEM) could be the key to e-commerce success, one expert has recommended. Neil Jackson, search director at Tamar, commented that the battle between paid search and natural search
The proxy takeover being mounted by Carl Icahn, the billionaire investor with a history of involvement in similar incidents, has awoken Yahoo!'s defences. Investor unrest has been developing in the Yahoo! camp after the company would not acc
The next steps for the development of advertising on social networks should involve educating marketing professionals, Google's co-founder has said. According to Sergey Brin, users and advertisers need to learn and accept the processes invol
Online news is providing a boost to overall audience numbers for current affairs providers in the UK, one expert has commented. Jack Flanagan, comScore's executive vice-president, said that the growing prominence of web news could be a good
Google was reportedly the most popular web property for video streaming in the US in March, with most of the company's share accounted for by YouTube. New figures from comScore suggest that the search giant commanded a 38 per cent share of a
A proxy struggle for Yahoo! could be led by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, new reports suggest. The deadline for nominating a dissident board is today (May 15th) and Mr Icahn, who has a history of involvement in proxy battles, has a slate
A study has revealed that almost half of employees in the UK are not worried about their bosses checking up on them via social networking sites, according to reports. Zinc Research and Dufferin Research compiled the report as part of unders
Wannabe astronauts can explore space without leaving their desks with a new software package from Microsoft. A year after Google integrated a Sky feature into its Google Earth facility, the biggest software manufacturer in the world has deci
The traditional, offline method of purchasing automobile cover may have a rival in the form of the internet. According to new comScore figures, a three per cent rise in the number of car insurance policies purchased on the web has taken plac
Search supremo Google has revealed plans to offer website developers free applications. The company's engineering director, David Glazer, said that the project represented a shift from 'protectionism' to a more open approach in the social ne
Business-to-business (B2B) search marketers should target niche search engines as well as general sites like Google and Yahoo, new advice recommends. Writing on Search Engine Land, Galen De Young notes that leads from specialised search engi
Investors in both Microsoft and Yahoo! are unhappy with the way the aborted takeover talks were handled, a new report claims. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer and his Yahoo! equivalent, Jerry Yang, are facing a backlash from sharehold
Advertising on YouTube is ready to evolve, the video streaming site's owner announced recently. Google, which bought the user-generated broadcasting site two years ago for $1.65 billion ( £846.14 million), admitted in a recent interview
The advertising tie-up trial between Google and Yahoo! worked well, according to Google chiefs. Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, said before the company's annual meeting this week that the two-week pilot initiative, which saw the fir
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been approached by Microsoft about a potential takeover, according to a new report. The software company purchased a $240 billion ( £120 billion) stake in Facebook last October, when the user-generate
Social networking sites can provide businesses with excellent insight into the behaviour and perceptions of their customers but many are missing out on the benefits. This is the conclusion of a new survey by the analytics software provider S
The number of web users visiting the Times Online website has been boosted by the use of search engine optimisation techniques, according to its editor in chief Anna Spackman. Speaking at the Periodical Publishers Association's annual confe
One online travel agency has said that it is pleased with Google's recent decision to reverse its policy on trademark keywords. Earlier this year, the search engine said that it will no longer view trademarks as keyword triggers from April 4
The majority of searches made online in Europe during month made use of Google websites, according to a new report. Statistics compiled by research firm comScore show that Google accounted for nearly eight in ten of the 25 billion searches m
Internet search engine provider Yahoo! has announced a security deal with antivirus and malware protection company McAfee. The deal will see the launch of a beta version of Yahoo! SearchScan, which is being powered by McAfee's award-winning
The hotel website Superbreak has dramatically increased its revenue in the last three years by investing in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to up its search results. Improving Superbreak's SEO required a complete overhaul of the company's w
Anti-trust regulators are being consulted over a potential tie-up between Google and Yahoo!, it has emerged. Reuters has revealed that a source close to Google confirmed the final details of a deal have not been finalised. An agreem
DoubleClick, the advertising company purchased by Google earlier this year, is set to integrate with a number of mobile advertising networks. The firm announced the move this week, asserting it would offer greater choice to publishers and he
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, wants to reach a decision on the company's potential purchase of Yahoo! soon. The boss of the world's largest software firm told employees at a meeting this week that the company had three options
Microsoft failed to reach a decision over whether to raise its offer for Yahoo! this week, according to a report. The software giant's board of directors met on Wednesday to mull over whether they would take the company's $41.8 billion ( #16
Social media site Facebook views itself as a service that complements existing friendships, rather than a facility that helps users form new relationships, one expert has said. Rachel Hawkes, co-founder and editor of Social Media Portal, com
Search engine optimisation (SEO) was a factor in the Telegraph's March online traffic boost, an editor with the website said. Edward Roussel, online editor with the Telegraph Media Group, told the Guardian that the 38.7 per cent rise in uniq
Yahoo!'s unenthusiastic response to Microsoft's overtures were not expected by the software giant, according to a new report. Wall Street analyst Scott Kessler, of New York firm Standard amp; Poor, told the Guardian that the software giant
Companies should not be afraid of the consumer tendency to share customer experiences with other users on the web, it has been claimed. Jeffrey Frau, eMarketer senior analyst, says that comments and reviews can be used to companies' advantag
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
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 f
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
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 dete
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 s
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
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 s
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
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, Heath
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 s
New mothers looking for information on the web are most likely to use search engines, a new report indicates. Figures from Prospectiv suggest that 47 per cent of female parents would use search queries to research a product for their baby o
As internet technology has developed, one not-for-profit organisation network observes that it has become easier to work remotely. Business are now able to introduce flexible working initiatives because they have the telecoms and IT capacity
Investment in search engine marketing (SEM) among UK companies is on the up, a new study suggests. Firms are preparing to invest more in both paid search and organic search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques this year, according to researc
The benefits of social networking websites have been acknowledged by the head of a government-sponsored web security group. Tony Neate, the managing director of Get Safe Online, has pointed out that maintaining a cautious approach to online
Web users want to combine e-commerce with personal advice from sales representatives, a new report indicates. Research published in March by Opinion Research Corporation found that 23 per cent of respondents cited being unable to discuss the
Yahoo! and Google have completed a preliminary test for a search ad outsourcing deal, a new report suggests. According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! is closer to a deal that would see its search advertising business outsourced to Google
Blacklisted car insurance comparison site GoCompare.com has used paid search to edge its way back up the Google rankings, a new report claims. According to Hitwise, the website has steadily improved its position for searches on the term 'car
Selling through a website can give small enterprises a sales boost, according to one industry expert. John De Groot, managing director of StartupCo, commented that acquiring a web presence can be a cost-effective way of increasing revenue an
YouTube-owner Google led the growth witnessed by the online video sector in the US in February, a new report shows. Some 81.8 million people viewed content on sites owned by Google during the month, with the average user spending 109 minutes
Children should learn from an early age how to use the internet to their benefit, it has been claimed. The acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, said that young people should be introduced from a
Google extended its reach into the search sphere in March, according to new figures. A report from comScore indicates that the search giant grew its market share to 59.8 per cent from 59.2 per cent between February and March of this year.
Online marketing strategies that target users based on their web-surfing behaviour must subject to stringent privacy regulations, one expert has said. The Open Rights Group, a non-governmental organisation that aims to raise awareness of iss
Financial services customers are open to next-generation telecoms services, according to a new report. Analysis from comScore discovered that 23 per cent of people would welcome a social networking application that informed them of their acc
Age Concern has called for online marketers to make more of an effort to target older web users. Director-general of the organisation, Gordon Lishman, said that older people have considerable spending power on the web, but compan
Demographic and behavioural targeting by ad networks is growing more sophisticated, a new report indicates. Jeff Hackett, vice-president of comScore, said that ad networks are becoming more efficient at behavioural targeting as they extend t
Marketers risk alienating consumers with misguided paid search campaigns, one commentator warns. Melissa Burdon asserts on Future Now that search strategies need to avoid marketing jargon and speak the same language as their customers.
Competition authorities in the US and Europe could have concerns about a deal between Yahoo! and Google, new reports suggest. As speculation mounts over a possible merger between Microsoft and Yahoo! or an alternative deal that would combine
The new advertising platform being released by Yahoo! is going to transform the industry, the company president has said. Ahead of AMP's launch, Sue Decker claimed on the Yodel Anecdotal blog that the impact is hard to overstate .
Yahoo! is attempting to steer away from a joint-takeover by Microsoft and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation by merging with AOL, it has emerged. According to reports, Time Warner - which purchased AOL eight years ago on the cusp of the dotco
The health conditions most likely to be queried on the web in February were cancer and pregnancy, a new report has revealed. Figures from comScore have identified that pregnancy was the subject of 8,841 searches over the course of the month,
The Independent has recently seen its online market share expand - and search engine optimisation (SEO) is largely to thank for its growth, claims Hitwise. On his blog for the web traffic monitoring service, Robin Goad asserts that while pai
Websites should ensure they avoid duplicate content for effective search engine optimisation (SEO), a new report advises. A new article in E-consultancy recommends that webmasters copy and paste sections of text into Google to ensure their c
Mozilla's Firefox web browser is gradually increasing its market share, one industry publication has observed. Web User magazine's editor, Ben Camm-Jones, said that while Microsoft's Internet Explorer is unlikely to be usurped any time soon,
Google's decision to allow non-trademark owners to bid for trademarked terms is significant, says Hitwise. From May, the new rules are to be implemented, in a move that brings a system already active in the paid search sphere in the US and C
More than a quarter of all online quotes for vehicle cover were referred by search activity last year, a new report has revealed. According to comScore, the number of car insurance quotes referred by web searches rose by 36 per cent last yea
Search engine marketing campaigns may receive a boost from the measurement of actionable elements , according to one expert. Advertisers need to consider more than just sales figures when mounting their campaigns, recommends Olivi
User-generated content and internet forums are boosting search activity, according to a new report. On the Hitwise blog, Robin Goad asserts that the success currently being enjoyed by the house and garden online industry can be partly linked