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Real estate search site Trulia has partnered with Placecast for audience targeting and dynamic messaging. The goal is to improve the relevancy of the ads appearing on their site.

Placecast will use its proprietary targeting algorithms to generate ads based on the real estate locations in which a user expresses interest. The ads will also take into account demographic and psychographic data points.

“Turning locations into audiences is one of the biggest challenges facing advertisers today,” said Sean Black, Vice President of Sales at Trulia. “Trulia presents advertisers with multiple opportunities to serve very targeted ads based on location and consumers search behavior. Placecast is a cutting edge media company and we are excited to be working with them and their clients to build and deliver successful campaigns.”

Related Reading:
Trulia Rolls Out Three New Interactive Features
Real Estate Search Engine Trulia Adds New Depth, Features
Trulia Distributing Its Maps To Local Realtors

My email box has been filling up with notices about the annual start of National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org). However, in general, I write nonfiction. If you, like me, consider yourself a…
More: continued here
take the challenge write nonfiction in november

Yahoo! has announced that Jerry Yang will step down as CEO once his replacement has been found. Yang will remain on board as Chief Yahoo!

Yang became CEO in June 2007 at the request of the Board of Directors. Board Chairman Roy Bostock will lead the search for a new CEO. Here’s his official corporate-speak on the matter:

“Over the past year and a half, despite extraordinary challenges and distractions, Jerry Yang has led the repositioning of Yahoo! on an open platform model as well as the improved alignment of costs and revenues. Jerry and the Board have had an ongoing dialogue about succession timing, and we all agree that now is the right time to make the transition to a new CEO who can take the company to the next level. We are deeply grateful to Jerry for his many contributions as CEO over the past 18 months, and we are pleased that he plans to stay actively involved at Yahoo! as a key executive and member of the Board.”

Every year the flu hits and while it may just seem like a miserable couple of weeks for those who get it, it actually kills 500,000 people worldwide a year.

Google is releasing a new tool called Google Flu Trends which tracks search queries to show where the flu is flaring up.

Of course, the best way to avoid the flu is to get a flu shot. Google provides a Flu Shot locator on the right hand sidebar of Flu Trends. (Of course, you can call your doctor or check with your local pharmacy, too.)

Related Reading:
WebMD CEO Fights Off Google Health Virus with SEO
Two Health Sites Merge to Challenge WebMD

When the ancient Romans tried to defend themselves from Hannibal’s war elephants, they learned that they needed to throw away their old ideas about war and learn to work together. In today’s SEM agency issues column, “Universal Search: The (War) Elephant in the Room,” William Flaiz compares universal search to the war elephants, and notes that search marketers must realize that focusing all efforts in harmony is the only way to properly address the challenges it presents.

» Full story

Humor is a great form of content that will give people a reason to link to your content, and help it spread virally. The challenge for most sites is coming up with something funny. In today’s linkbuilding column, “Use Humor for Link Marketing,” Justilien Gaspard offers some ideas that can be used by everyone, regardless of the size of your marketing budget.

» Full story

If you’ve used the Google Checkout Buy Now button, you know that it’s a bit limiting - only allowing customers to purchase one item at a time. Google Checkout’s new shopping cart allows your customers to purchase multiple items at once.

To get started, go to the Tools tab in the Google Checkout Merchant Center. Enter your product info, price and image location. An HTML script will be generated for you. Copy and paste the code onto your product pages. Test the button to make sure it’s working and you’re good to go.

For more advanced options, check out (no pun intended) the developer guide.

Related Reading:
Yahoo and PayPal Join To Challenge Google Checkout
Google Checkout: Check Out of Commercial E-Mail
Google Checkout to Integrate with AdWords

Microsoft announced its earnings for the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2008. For them, it’s the first quarter of their fiscal year, while other companies go with the traditional calendar and call it their third quarter.

Their net income increased by 2%. This was due largely in part to XBox360, a gaming console which recently received a price slash.

It has been widely noted that Microsoft has a bunch of cash on hand, especially since they didn’t end up acquiring Yahoo after all (yet). MSFT was up .28 at the time of this post. Though with the markets as volatile as they are, that could change at any minute.

Here’s the press release:

Microsoft Reports Record First-Quarter Revenue
Thursday October 23, 4:10 pm ET
Revenue surpasses $15 billion with healthy sales of enterprise software and Xbox 360 consoles

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft Corp. today announced revenue of $15.06 billion for the fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30, 2008, a 9% increase over the same period of the prior year. Operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $6.00 billion, $4.37 billion and $0.48, respectively.

Microsoft showed particular strength in multiyear annuity sales, which grew more than 20% during the quarter from the combined businesses of Client, Microsoft Business Division and Server and Tools.

“Our customers are asking how they can save money and do more with less,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft. “Microsoft is uniquely positioned to help our customers save money through supplier consolidation, increased productivity, and a low total cost of ownership through the depth and breadth of our product portfolio and solutions.”

Microsoft continued to add to its product and services portfolio with innovative offerings such as Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 and the first service update to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

“In a challenging economic environment, the first-quarter results exhibit the strength and diversity of our business model,” said Chris Liddell, chief financial officer of Microsoft.

Business Outlook

Microsoft’s business outlook reflects a balance of risks and the likelihood of a continued economic slowdown. The trends seen late in the first-quarter are now forecasted to continue, whereas previous expectations were for the economy to improve in the second half of the fiscal year. In this economic environment, the company is focused on three main actions; working with customers to provide high value products at the lowest total overall cost of ownership, increasing focus on expense management and targeting investment into the highest priority strategic opportunities.

Microsoft management offers the following guidance for the quarter ending
Dec. 31, 2008:
— Revenue is expected to be in the range of $17.3 billion to
$17.8 billion.
— Operating income is expected to be in the range of $6.1 billion to
$6.4 billion.
— Diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $0.51 to
$0.53.

Management offers the following guidance for the full fiscal year ending
June 30, 2009:
— Revenue is expected to be in the range of $64.9 billion to
$66.4 billion.
— Operating income is expected to be in the range of $24.4 billion to
$25.5 billion.
— Diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $2.00 to
$2.10.

Liddell noted that “we feel extremely good about our relative competitive position and our ability to continue outgrowing IT spend. We believe our exceptionally strong cash flow, product pipeline and financial strength will allow us to weather economic conditions well.”

Webcast Details

Microsoft will hold an audio webcast at 2:30 p.m. PDT (5:30 p.m. EDT) today with Chris Liddell, senior vice president and chief financial officer, Frank Brod, corporate vice president and chief accounting officer, and Bill Koefoed, general manager of Investor Relations, to discuss details of the company’s performance for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. The webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on Oct. 23, 2009.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as:

— challenges to Microsoft’s business model;
— intense competition in all of Microsoft’s markets;
— Microsoft’s continued ability to protect its intellectual property
rights;
— claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights
of others;
— the possibility of unauthorized disclosure of significant portions of
Microsoft’s source code;
— actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in Microsoft products
that could reduce revenue or lead to liability;
— government litigation and regulation affecting how Microsoft designs
and markets its products;
— Microsoft’s ability to attract and retain talented employees;
— delays in product development and related product release schedules;
— significant business investments that may not gain customer acceptance
and produce offsetting increases in revenue;
— changes in general economic conditions that affect our investment
portfolio or demand for computer hardware or software;
— adverse results in legal disputes;
— unanticipated tax liabilities;
— quality or supply problems in Microsoft’s consumer hardware or other
vertically integrated hardware and software products;
— impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a
charge to earnings;
— exposure to increased economic and regulatory uncertainties from
operating a global business;
— geopolitical conditions, natural disaster, cyberattack or other
catastrophic events disrupting Microsoft’s business;
— acquisitions and joint ventures that adversely affect the business;
— improper disclosure of personal data could result in liability and
harm to Microsoft’s reputation;
— outages and disruptions of online services if Microsoft fails to
maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;
— sales channel disruption, such as the bankruptcy of a major
distributor; and
— Microsoft’s ability to implement operating cost structures that align
with revenue growth.

For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/msft.

All information in this release is as of Oct. 23, 2008. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.

Microsoft Corporation
Income Statements
(In millions, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)

Three Months Ended
September 30,
2008 2007

Revenue $15,061 $13,762
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenue 2,848 2,675
Research and development 2,283 1,837
Sales and marketing 3,044 2,683
General and administrative 887 718
Total operating expenses 9,062 7,913
Operating income 5,999 5,849
Other income (expense) (8) 367
Income before income taxes 5,991 6,216
Provision for income taxes 1,618 1,927
Net income $4,373 $4,289

Earnings per share:
Basic $0.48 $0.46
Diluted $0.48 $0.45

Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic 9,084 9,380
Diluted 9,183 9,513

Cash dividends declared per common share $0.13 $0.11

Microsoft Corporation
Balance Sheets
(In millions)

September 30, June 30,
2008 2008 (1)
(Unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $9,004 $10,339
Short-term investments (including
securities pledged as
collateral of $1,011 and $2,491) 11,718 13,323
Total cash, cash equivalents, and
short-term investments 20,722 23,662
Accounts receivable, net of
allowance for doubtful accounts of
$168 and $153 9,535 13,589
Inventories 1,640 985
Deferred income taxes 1,974 2,017
Other 3,331 2,989
Total current assets 37,202 43,242
Property and equipment, net of
accumulated depreciation of $6,622
and $6,302 6,552 6,242
Equity and other investments 4,381 6,588
Goodwill 12,291 12,108
Intangible assets, net 1,899 1,973
Deferred income taxes 1,041 949
Other long-term assets 1,751 1,691
Total assets $65,117 $72,793

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $3,351 $4,034
Short-term debt 1,975 -
Accrued compensation 2,138 2,934
Income taxes 514 3,248
Short-term unearned revenue 11,815 13,397
Securities lending payable 1,070 2,614
Other 3,520 3,659
Total current liabilities 24,383 29,886
Long-term unearned revenue 1,662 1,900
Other long-term liabilities 5,478 4,721
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock and paid-in capital -
shares authorized 24,000;
outstanding 8,977 and 9,151 61,655 62,849
Retained deficit, including
accumulated other comprehensive
income of $877 and $1,140 (28,061) (26,563)
Total stockholders’ equity 33,594 36,286
Total liabilities and
stockholders’ equity $65,117 $72,793

(1) Derived from audited financial statements

Microsoft Corporation
Cash Flows Statements
(In millions) (Unaudited)

Three Months Ended
September 30,
2008 2007
Operations
Net income $4,373 $4,289
Depreciation, amortization, and
other noncash items 585 435
Stock-based compensation expense 443 333
Net recognized losses (gains) on
investments and derivatives 36 (187)
Excess tax benefits from stock-
based payment arrangements (44) (69)
Deferred income taxes 376 357
Unearned revenue 4,186 3,821
Recognition of unearned revenue (6,044) (4,965)
Accounts receivable 3,985 2,806
Other current assets (558) (235)
Other long-term assets (116) (11)
Other current liabilities (4,552) (1,189)
Other long-term liabilities 700 493
Net cash from operations 3,370 5,878
Financing
Proceeds from short-term debt 1,975 -
Common stock issued 228 646
Common stock repurchased (6,493) (2,930)
Common stock cash dividends (998) (938)
Excess tax benefits from stock-
based payment arrangements 44 69
Net cash used in financing (5,244) (3,153)
Investing
Additions to property and
equipment (778) (510)
Acquisition of companies, net of
cash acquired (377) (5,396)
Purchases of investments (4,246) (5,997)
Maturities of investments 464 330
Sales of investments 7,075 9,120
Securities lending payable (1,543) 196
Net cash from (used in) investing 595 (2,257)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and
cash equivalents (56) 58
Net change in cash and cash
equivalents (1,335) 526
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning
of period 10,339 6,111
Cash and cash equivalents, end of
period $9,004 $6,637

Microsoft Corporation
Segment Revenue and Operating Income (Loss)
(In millions) (Unaudited)

Three Months Ended
September 30,
2008 2007
Revenue
Client $4,218 $4,139
Server and Tools 3,406 2,900
Online Services Business 770 671
Microsoft Business Division 4,949 4,117
Entertainment and Devices Division 1,814 1,929
Unallocated and other (96) 6
Consolidated $15,061 $13,762

Operating Income (Loss)
Client $3,267 $3,388
Server and Tools 1,151 959
Online Services Business (480) (267)
Microsoft Business Division 3,311 2,700
Entertainment and Devices Division 178 167
Corporate-level activity (1,428) (1,098)
Consolidated $5,999 $5,849

Source: Microsoft Corp.

New data released by Rubicon Consulting shows that online reviews are second only to word of mouth when it comes to influencing consumer purchasing decisions.

Here’s other key points from the survey:

• The Web is the #2 resource for customer support information, after user manuals. It ranks ahead of calling the manufacturer or asking a dealer.
• Website categories that get the most daily usage are search, social communities like MySpace and Facebook, general news websites like CNN.com and NYTimes.com, and online banking.
• The websites that Americans value most are (in order), Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Wikipedia, and Facebook. Although Yahoo’s financial challenges have generated a lot of press attention, it continues to have a very large and loyal following.
• Young people (age 22 and under) are much noisier online than their elders. They account for about half of all the content and comments posted online.
• Facebook appears to be ahead of MySpace in terms of number of users in the US, and perceived value of the site.
• Despite extensive publicity, the community sites SecondLife and Twitter reach only a few percent of US Internet users.
• Democrats are more active online than Republicans. Democrats are more likely to participate in online communities, and say they are more heavily influenced in their voting decisions by information they find online.

Harry Max, a principal at Rubicon Consulting said, “Many companies downplay the importance of online communities because only a few percent of all Internet users contribute to them heavily. What they don’t understand is that most other Internet users read those reviews and rely on them heavily when making purchase decisions. Taking good care of online communities can be a huge money-saver for companies trying to get more marketing impact from limited budgets.”

I disagree. I think a lot of companies are interested in online communities but aren’t always sure how to engage consumers with them. However, with the economy the way it is, many companies are likely to cut social media first, as we saw in data released just the other day.

The biggest key to making sure you get good online reviews is to have a solid product or service. So, while you’re making those efficiencies in order to survive the slow economic times, make sure your products don’t suffer. Better yet, create efficient products and services and just watch those positive reviews come in.

To get the ball rolling, you might try pitching a few bloggers - especially mom bloggers if you have a product or service related to them.

Related Reading:
How to Bury Negative Online Mentions of You - Intermediate Level Tactics
Constructive feedback on online reputation management
SEO for Brand Reputation Management
Pssst. People are Talking… About Your Business!

Google CEO Eric Schmidt must love controversy. In a speech to magazine executives Wednesday he called the internet “a cesspool”, AdAge reported.

I don’t know if that makes Google a sewerage company, but I think Schmidt should realize that many look at Google as their filter to the web. Employees like Matt Cutts spend all their time working on ‘purifying’ the results, to expect publishers to be the answer may not be the right approach.

Criticizing opponents to the Yahoo-Google ad deal may not be a smart move given the recent drop in value of the once “golden child” of the web. Schmidt challenged “if you are going to criticize us, criticize us properly.” Claiming ad prices would not increase under the Google Yahoo ad deal.

Schmidt displayed a certain amount of callous aloofness when he avoided questions about how publishers could improve their ranking with Google.

“”We don’t actually want you to be successful,” he said. The company’s algorithms are trying to find the most relevant search results, after all, not the sites that best game the system. “The fundamental way to increase your rank is to increase your relevance,” he added” AdAge reported.

If you call the web a cesspool but do not offer insights to quality content providers who pay money to provide professional journalism I don’t think you are serious about cleaning it up, so much as taunting an economically challenged industry.