ArticleSnatch Blog

You are browsing the search results.

Former head of ClickZ Rebecca Lieb is on the Silicon Alley Insider’s Top 100 digital executives list and is moving up into the top ten!

The site is getting users to vote so everyone show some support for a person who worked hard for us.

It is an impressive list of people, well worth a look.

Jason Lynn, Director of Solutions Engineering for Yahoo/Right Media is exiting the Sunnyvale search engine to become Executive Vice President of Product Management at online advertising network interCLICK. Prior to his Yahoo/Right Media stint, Lynn was Director of Product Management at behavioral targeting firm TACODA, which was acquired by AOL in July 2007.

That’s the same month Yahoo finalized its acquisition of Right Media.

Lynn joins an exodus of Yahoo execs as of late. Network Division Executive Vice President Jeff Weiner left and became Executive in Residence at two venture capital firms. Vish Makhijani, Senior Vice President of Search, is now heading up the Bay Area operations of Yandex, a Russian language search engine. Brad Garlinghouse, Sr. VP and author of the Peanut Butter Manifesto, and Qi Lu, Executive Vice President of Search and Advertising Technology have left as well.

Founders of other Yahoo-acquired companies aren’t sticking around either. Flickr co-founders Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake and del.icio.us founder Joshua Schachter have said their goodbyes.

Online reputation management just became much more crucial. Google has enabled reviews and ratings for businesses, restaurants, etc via mobile. Now people don’t have to wait until they get home (and have time to cool down on the way?) to write a review after a negative (or perceived negative) experience.

On the flip side, you could encourage your customers to write a review if they had a positive experience.

Don’t freak out too much yet - it’s still not available for iPhone customers. But, it will be soon.

Never fear, we’ve got you covered. Read up on online reputation management to keep your virtual image afloat:

• How to Bury Negative Online Mentions of You - Intermediate Level Tactics
• Local Search Lives or Dies by User Reviews
• Constructive feedback on online reputation management
• Defining Yourself Through Search
• Search and Reputation: Your Brand Standing Is Your Shelf Landing
• Video Marketing and Brand Management Online
• Hospitality Social Media Marketing: Influence Critical Customer Reviews
• Women Execs Have Better Online Presence

Geoff Ramsey, the co-founder and CEO of eMarketer, recently shared 0.001% of the information that his team of researchers and analysts knows about Internet market trends during his morning keynote at Electronic Retailer’s LiveEdit Lab.

Why can I be so precise?

He presented 60 slides out of the 54,000 charts available to eMarketer’s subscribers. You do the math.

Now, I’m not going to try recapping all 60 of his slides here.

Instead, I’m going to highlight three key market trends that Ramsey touched on. Plus, I’ll pass along his analysis of how each of these new trends is profoundly affecting the business landscape.

Slide #15

The first market trend that is worth highlighting is the percentage of Internet users who are watching video online monthly.

According to eMarketer, it’s 73% – or 137 million Americans. And by the end of the year, eMarketer estimates that 154 million, or 80% of Internet users, will be watching online video.

About a year ago, I reported on a survey conducted by PR News and Medialink which found that “PR pros aren’t using online video as often as they’re watching it.”

Well, they better start using it now. Online video isn’t an emerging market trend. It’s already emerged – big time!

Slide #18

Ramsey said, “Online video is a great way to engage with your customers.” And he recommended:
• Placing video footage of your products on your Web site (e.g., create a video demo!);
• Placing video ads on other content video sites, e.g., on YouTube and product category-related sites; and
• Creating your own Webisodes – content so entertaining that people will come to watch it (and share it with others).

Slide #24

The second market trend that deserves serious attention is the percentage of large companies that already have a blog. According to JupiterResearch, it’s 34%.

Last August, at Search Engine Strategies San Jose, I caused a stir in the blogosphere when I said, “Getting excited that you’ve got a blog is like getting excited that “the new phone book’s here!’”

Now, less than a year later, it appears that if your company doesn’t have a blog already, it’s going to feel even more like Steve Martin in “The Jerk.”

Slide #28

Ramsey said, “Advertisers should explore creative ways to leverage the power of blogs.” And he advised:
• Monitoring the blogosphere not only with professional services, but also on your own;
• Working with existing relevant bloggers, in ways that will encourage them to link to your site;
• Placing advertising on popular blogs; and
• Creating your own blogs — to create a community of interest around your product.

Slide #44

While the third market trend didn’t surprise me, it may come as a shock to some others in the industry.

A survey by AdMedia Partners found that 69% of senior media execs think social media is “over-hyped.” (I should disclose that AdMedia Partners is a client.)

And Hitwise has validated this skepticism by reporting that only 4% of US online retail traffic is driven by social sites, which is significantly less than the 29% of online retail traffic that is driven by search engines.

Slide #48

So, what’s a marketer to do? Ramsey outlined four strategies for gaining consumer insights into social networking:
• Looking, listening, lounging and learning;
• Advertising on the big social networking portals, e.g., MySpace and Bebo;
• Getting vertical with your social advertising on smaller, niche sites like Flip.com; and
• Building your own social network, e.g., Procter & Gamble’s Capessa community site.

Now, six slides out of 60 are only 10% of Ransey’s presentation. And that’s just 0.0001% of the information that eMarketer knows about Internet market trends.

So, you may want to dig deeper. Nobody wants to be the last one on the block to spot key market trends.

Carl Icahn may not have to worry about the Yahoo! severance plan as much as he originally thought. Yahoo is reorganizing and execs are bailing left and right, and they’re not even waiting for a proxy board takeover to make their moves.

Earlier this week came the news that Jeff Weiner was leaving the search company. Now, Qi Lu, Yahoo’s Executive Vice President of Search and Advertising Technology is headed out the door. So is Vish Makhijani, Senior Vice President of Search, is also exiting.

Brad Garlinghouse, author of the (in)famous Peanut Butter Manifesto, is “considering alternatives” but is widely expected to bolt as well.

Lu, Makhijani, and Garlinghouse were all moved to the newly created Global Products group, to be headed by Ash Patel, the current Exec. Vice President of Yahoo’s Platforms and Infrastructure, according to Kara Swisher. Patel has been with Yahoo since 1996 and is not seen as the type of leader needed to jumpstart the company.

However, the LA Times reported that Lu was already planning to move to China while Makhijani is heading over to Russia’s leading search engine, Yandex, to lead SF-area operations.

Another move expected in the reorganization is the expanded responsibilities of Hillary Schneider, Executive Vice President of Global Partner Solutions. Schneider and Patel will be peers and report directly to Yahoo President Sue Decker, who is said to be largely responsible for the re-organization.

Still, the founders of at least 2 acquired companies aren’t sticking around for the new arrangement. Flickr co-founders Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake and del.icio.us founder Joshua Schachter are saying, “Adios!” to Yahoo.

At least, that “Now Hiring” notice from a few weeks ago is finally starting to make sense.

Yahoo’s Jeff Weiner, Network Division Executive Vice President, is rumored to be leaving the company after a month’s long paternity leave, according to Kara Swisher. Weiner is reportedly tired of all the drama caused by the failed Microsoft acquisition and Carl Icahn’s proxy board. Weiner may become an executive in residence at a Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm (he wouldn’t be the first to do so).

Four Senior Vice Presidents are rumored to be the most likely candidates to fill Weiner’s shoes.

• Front Door and Network Services’ Tapan Bhat
• Brad Garlinghouse, who heads Yahoo’s communications and communities arenas
• Media Group head Scott Moore
• Yahoo Search’s Vish Makhijani

A fifth option is not to replace Weiner at all and to re-organize the company structure once more.

What would you do? Leave now or wait in case the severance plan is enacted. Tell us in the comments.

Though Bill Gates was out there telling people Microsoft is not interested in making non-Yahoo acquisitions right now (at least in the search/social world), word comes that Microsoft bankers have sent “feelers” to Facebook about a full acquisition.

Here’s why this is a solid move:

1. Microsoft already owns 1.6% stake in Facebook, worth $240 million
2. Microsoft formed a data portability partnership with Facebook and 4 other networks
3. At least two Google execs have jumped ship to Facebook in recent months

While Facebook has yet to “overtake” MySpace in the social media market, it is a viable competitor. And I’m sure Ballmer would love for Microsoft to own a social network that even Apple has used as a marketing ploy as of late. Recent commercials for the iPhone entice potential customers through the ability to access Facebook on the popular mobile device.

Additionally, internet users are turning to their social networks during their search process. Consumers want answers and reviews and social networks help them get opinions from trusted sources.

The Facebook move would likely be seen by many as a better fit than Yahoo. But expect just as many to see it as a negotiating ploy in their bid for Yahoo. Though Microsoft has officially withdrawn its bid for Yahoo, many analysts expect Ballmer and the team to return to the table for another stab at a grab for the search engine.

Microsoft and Yahoo are officially “off again” and their mutual friends are trying to decide who to side with. While many hold out hope that the two will eventually reunite Ross and Rachel-style, it’s really anyone’s guess as to what will transpire next.

For its part, Microsoft seems to be taking the chick flick approach. Top execs are making it known that the software giant is seeking some alone time and that they’re not ready to date again just yet. Windows Live General Manager Brian Hall told Merrill Lynch Technology Conference attendees that Microsoft is moving on. And don’t look for a rebound acquisition. Bill Gates has said Microsoft isn’t pursuing alternative third parties. I guess MSFT will be eating the obligatory breakup chocolate ice cream all alone.

Meanwhile Jerry Yang is trying to paint Yahoo as a guy dealing with a crazy ex. He said Microsoft never made the purported higher bid of $32-33 a share. He claims that Yahoo thought that two companies were finding common ground when Microsoft bailed.

The whole thing is very reminiscent of a scene from The Break-Up starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn:

Brooke: I just don’t know how we got here. Our entire relationship, I have gone above and beyond for you, for us. I’ve cooked, I’ve picked your stuff up off the floor, I’ve laid your clothes out for you like you’re a four year old. I support you, I supported your work. If we ever had dinner or anything I did the plans, I take care of everything. And I just don’t feel like you appreciate any of it. I don’t feel you appreciate me. All I want is to know, is for you to show me that you care.
Gary: Why didn’t you just say that to me?
Brooke: I tried. I’ve tried.
Gary: Never like that, you might have said some things that meant to imply that, but I’m not a mind reader…

But don’t expect Yang’s pithy comments to prelude his ouster. Kara Swisher reports that talk of Yang’s firing is “greatly exaggerated.” And while some shareholders are upset over the falling out, Yahoo’s stock remains higher than it was before the unsolicited bid was put on the table. At the time of this post, Yahoo was trading at 25.36, which is a good seven points higher than before this soap opera began. Then again, stocks remain up over Wall Street’s hopes that Microsoft will try to get back together with Yahoo and/or that a Google ad deal will be the rebound girl.

Late yesterday afternoon, the Wall Street Journal got word of a Microsoft board meeting. And ever since they reported the news, the speculation and rumor mills have been working overtime.

Henry Blodget over at the Silicon Valley Insider got a glimpse of a WSJ story suggesting that MSFT would raise the bid to $32-$33 a share. The story is no longer to be found on the interwebs, which is likely Microsoft’s strategy, according to Blodget. The apparent strategy is to get comment out of Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang on whether or not the upped offer would be accepted.

Earlier reports have both shareholders and Yahoo execs saying “I see your $32-33 and raise you a $35-37.” This is not likely to please the big wigs from Redmond.

But they may have forced their own hand in the matter when they didn’t offer a higher bid sooner. It’s the Yahoo-Google deal that likely tipped the scales in favor of Yahoo in the negotiating process.

Want a snapshot of the day’s search marketing news? Here we’ve collected today’s top news stories posted to the Search Engine Watch Blog, along with search-related headlines from around the Web:

From the SEW Blog:

• We May Not Want Standards But FTC May Give Us Some
  The standards debate may be in full swing in our industry - but the decisions may be soon taken out of our hands if the FTC continues to define allowable advertising practices.
• Yahoo Execs Bad Mouthing AOL!
  Guess Yahoo does not want to partner with anyone these days… well apart from their biggest competitor Google.
• AdWords Launches New Conversion Tracking Tool
  A new update to AdWords tracking has been reported by the guys over at AccuraCast. Seems they have improved the conversion tracking allowing users to separate different things to track to conversion.
• As Wifi expands, local and mobile search continue to emerge
  Lately, there have been a swarm of announcements regarding Wifi coming to some previously unconnected spots. So what does this mean for Search Engine Marketers?
• Microsoft Updates Live Maps and Virtual Earth 3D
  Microsoft has announced 11 major updates to their Live Maps and Virtual Earth 3D.
• Trellian Acquires Addme.com
  Trellian, the company behind SEO Toolkit and Keyword Discovery, has announced its acquisition of SEO tools provider Addme.com.
• SEW Experts: Standards? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Standards!
  We don’t need SEO standards to define our operation for us; we simply need to hold ourselves to a higher standard of business.
• SEW Experts: SEM Tools of the Experts
  There are a variety of SEM tools available to search marketers. You should be able to find something to fit every need, and every style.
• SEW Experts: Think Universal, Act Local
  Much of the discussion around Universal search, or blended search, focuses on video and images. But local search may be a more important factor; one that has the greatest impact in blended search results.

Click to read the rest of this post…