The Break Down: How Google Makes Its Billions
December 28, 2011
Google has been in the news a lot as of late regarding its efforts to branch into brand advertising.
According to the Search Engine Watch article “Google’s 20 Largest U.S. Search Advertisers of 2011,” Google made $29 billion in 2010, 97 percent of which was a result of search advertising.
Kantar Media, a unit of ad giant WPP, is trying to figure out the exact numbers that the search giant is making by breaking down the amount that companies spent this year on web advertising. Top ad spenders ranged from $174 million (IAC/InterActiveCorp) to $41 million (Bank of America Corp).
The article reports:
The reason it’s so hard to figure out who is spending what in search advertising is because you can’t really measure it on a cost-per-impression basis like everything else in this world. Advertisers bid on different keywords in real-time and the price depends on competition for a particular keyword, quality score, and a variety of other factors. Sure, we can guesstimate as to what the numbers will be, but it’s hard to be accurate.
Based on the amount of money that these companies are spending on advertising, I’m sure they are getting plenty of traffic.
Jasmine Ashton, December 28, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
New York Times Does the Filene Basement Thing
December 27, 2011
Newspapers used to produce oodles of cash. Now most smaller and regional newspapers are walking a knife edge. I just read about the fire sale at the New York Times. The gray lady dumped a bundle of newspapers at a Filene basement type price. What happened to Filene’s? Well, check it out.
The article is “Times Co. Agrees to Sell Regional Newspaper Group”. The price for 16 newspapers is alleged to be $143 million. Not quite the $1 that Newsweek commanded, but a deal nevertheless.
What will the gray lady do with the cash? Maybe go shopping for some new digital duds. Will the bits and bytes return the gray lady to the apex of excellence? Might be a long shot. New president needed. New head of digital stuff needed. New products and services needed. Quite a few needs.
Stephen E Arnold, December 27, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Forget Patent Claims, Where Are Non Google Travel Sites?
December 27, 2011
The answer, I think, is, “Lower than Google’s own travel site.” Big surprise to you? I can only honk for myself, but no big deal. Look Google owns its own proprietary service. Google, like any owner of a search and retrieval system, can control the placement of ads, images, and content. I use the phrase “hit boosting” to describe positional tagging, but there are probably more sophisticated “real” experts able to explain what is pretty fundamental functionality.
According to the estimable Wall Street Journal, Google has attracted some attention for online travel query results. Navigate to “Google Roils Travel.” The story appears online and on the front page of the Murdoch publication. If there is a 404 for the link, contact Mr. Murdoch, not the goose. Here’s the key passage:
Google searches such as “NY to LA” now yield a Google-powered interactive chart of the cheapest airfares between the two cities. Google’s flight tool links exclusively to the airlines’ Web sites.Pushed further down on the screen are links to top travel websites, which rely on Google for 10% to 20% of their traffic, according to web analytics firm Compete Inc.
The write up includes this bit of Google output:
The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating Google’s practices for the past six months. In mid-December, leaders of the Senate’s antitrust subcommittee urged the FTC to investigate further, raising questions whether Google could remain an “unbiased” search engine while owning products such as its flight-search tool, “from which the company derives substantial advertising revenues.” In a written response to the committee last month, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt defended Google products’ placement, saying the company’s fundamental goal is “to connect users to the information they seek,” and thus for many searches, the company aims to provide answers rather than just links.
Our position is that debating Google about how results display can be an interesting exercise. Anyone who has configured search results understands that there are opportunities to shape what appears regardless of the system—Boolean, predictive, look up table driven, saved query based, etc.
If you want objective travel results, good luck. Looking for a ticket to Albuquerque over the last three days, the price and availability of the tickets changed with each query. I used airline Web sites, aggregators, and smart services like Kayak.com. The problem, gentle reader, is that he who controls the Web site and the hit boosting has an opportunity to direct traffic. Picking on Google is not what we do. Relying on any single search system is not what we do.
If you want to be a savvy searcher, you will need multiple IP addresses, several computers, and some help to run multiple queries across different systems simultaneously. Using that method, you can see a price and act on it before the systems work their magic.
Lots of work, right? Well, that what makes most people running online queries in search of a deal take what’s provided. Research IS work and only one or two percent of queries reflect that type of effort. As long as those using online systems want a microwaved pot pie, you take what you get. Hey, no once forced you to buy that microwave meal just as no one forces me to use Google to locate a travel deal. Oh, don’t forget that new Factiva app which the Wall Street Journal prominently displayed in its newspaper. See any similarity between the placement of the Factiva ad and Google’s travel links? Gee, I do. Check with your azure chip consultant to be sure, of course. Better yet, attend an SEO conference where truth runs like water under a bridge.
Stephen E Arnold, December 27, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
High-End CAD Software Can Deliver at Every Level
December 27, 2011
Steven M. Samuel P.E. made a smart analogy in his article “The Value of High-End CAD Software” where he compares CAD software to a professional race team. People, product and competition are the keys in both racing and product design. If one area is lacking, then end result will be less than desirable. However, if everything is hitting on all cylinders, then Samuel is right that the value is indeed high.
The top companies almost always use high-end CAD software, but smaller companies who are not making jet engines or automobiles often rely on mid-range CAD systems which are unable deliver at the same level. However, the article explains that these companies:
must realize that the nature of design automation is such that even simple geometry can be created much more quickly with software over which you have full control, with all the latest design automation technology.
The value of high-end design software “will get your product to the market sooner, with less risk, less cost, and better quality.”
We agree that a high-end CAD program is worth its weight in gold, but the problem is that locating high value assets is often overlooked. The financial burden of inefficient search and retrieval adds friction to an otherwise smooth operation. Fortunately, Inforbix has not only simplified the approach to data access, but has done it in a cost effective way. It is certainly time for CAD users of any level to check out Inforbix’s product data solutions. With their help, you will finally have that well oiled machine you have always been looking for.
Jennifer Wensink, December 27, 2011
Trends and Challenges of Enterprise Search Discussed in Online Presentation
December 27, 2011
One of the best ways to stay on top of trends and happenings in the world of enterprise search is to check out some online training opportunities, webinars, talks, and lectures. Many are free, or relatively inexpensive, and can be easily accessed at your convenience. Susan Koch’s recent presentation from the Online Information Conference 2011, “The Landscape of Enterprise Search,” is one of these handy information sources.
Topics covered include challenges in enterprise search, four trends from the industry, and advice for those deploying an enterprise search system. So what are some trends in the world of searching and indexing diverse business information? With consumers driving social network proliferation, it is no surprise integrated social functions make the list. Most other trends revolve around the user experience: easy integrated searching, combining structured and unstructured data, and combining different content types in search results.
The presentation also includes some points on what a buyer should consider when transitioning to enterprise search, like the following:
What specific functions are essential? What kind of content is to be processed? How frequently is the index to be updated? How will the data to be searched grow? How might future search needs be different?
It is important to consider third party solutions when deploying your new system. They often provide an easy solution while easing startup costs. We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Their suite of products is in line with enterprise search trends, including social media and integrated searching.
In “Informed Decisions: Connect your Enterprise and the Cloud,” Daniel Fallmann explains:
To make swift and informed decisions it is essential to get a fast understanding of the available information and of all relations and people/experts involved. Enterprise Search and especially Unified Information Access allow a perfect symbiosis of (on-premise) enterprise applications with Cloud services and Cloud Apps. With our latest release, the 2011 Winter Release, we have released a brand new feature that empowers the individual user to make use of Cloud services to seamlessly.
Check out Mindbreeze solutions for your enterprise search system.
Philip West, December 27, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
The Once and Future Web. Search Ignored!
December 27, 2011
A perspective we can agree with: Dave Winer at Scripting News explains “Why Apps Are Not the Future.” The article notes that the death of the Web has been predicted since 1997. Recently, such forecasts have been based with the growth of the mobile app.
Winer is sure that the fascination with apps will pass, and users will return to the Web. The simple reason: links. App-creators control the information that goes in or out of their app; that’s limiting to those of us who value the wide-open Web. The write up declares:
The great thing about the Web is linking. I don’t care how ugly it looks and how pretty your app is, if I can’t link in and out of your world, it’s not even close to a replacement for the web. It would be as silly as saying that you don’t need oceans because you have a bathtub.
Colorful point, but what about all those who predict that the Web will give way to apps? Winer insists they are just kissing up to the moneyed class. Those with money, he says, find the Wild Web to be a threat, and prefer to believe we’re moving into the regulation of an app world. Hmm, is it really that simple?
Whatever the reason for the Web-death auguries, we agree with Winer: apps are not the future. But search? Ignored again. Mistake.
Cynthia Murrell, December 27, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Summly: the Web in Bullet Lists
December 27, 2011
Here’s another example of search amplification, this time from a London youth. Wired reports, “Teen’s iOS App Uses Complex Algorithms to Summarize the Web.” Summly was developed by sixteen-year-old Nick D’Aloisio, who found the usual keyword-based search methods to be outdated. Instead, his app’s algorithm uses HTML to extract text from a page, then condenses it into bullet points. Writer Christina Bonnington elaborates:
D’Aloisio developed his final algorithm by initially employing a training algorithm: His method looked at human-authored summaries of articles of various types and from various publications. It then used these summaries as models for what Summly should be spitting out, and how it should change its own metrics to better emulate the work of flesh-and-blood information curators.
Interesting approach. Bonnington sees the summarized results as akin to CliffsNotes for the Web. She says the results aren’t perfect; it sometimes makes a date or other number into an unhelpful bullet point. Overall, though, she found that Summly did well to quickly glean three or four key points of each page.
That sounds very convenient, especially compared to a long list of pages users must wade through themselves. I have to wonder, though, whether folks who rely on such an app will end up missing important information.
Cynthia Murrell, December 27, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
The AOL Shuffle
December 27, 2011
Cyber space gossip: more trouble at AOL? Crunched declares, “AOL Looking for New Huffpo Media Group President.” Blogger Michael Arrington admits that the news is “being whispered,” not official, but his sources say AOL has engaged recruiter Spencer Stuart to find a new business leader for the Huffington Post Media Group. AOL bought Huffpo earlier this year.
Arianna Huffington, founder of the media group, is now running the business side as well as the editorial side since AOL’s Jon Brod was reassigned. Arrington finds the reported change in the chain-of-command to be the juiciest part. The write up asserts:
By far the most interesting part of all this, though, is it’s not clear that Arianna Huffington is aware that the new position will report to Tim Armstrong, not Huffington. Whatever happens, I’m pretty sure I won’t be getting my old job back.
I hope Arrington doesn’t actually want his old TechCrunch job back. He seems to have pretty thoroughly burned that bridge. Just saying. One thing is for sure: Googlers make interesting managers.
Cynthia Murrell, December 27, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Google Caught in Currents: Flipboard and Zite Row Harder
December 27, 2011
Google has gained international recognition for creating innovative software that has transformed the role of search engine’s as we know it. With this reputation in mind, I was surprised to hear that Thursday’s release of Currents, Google’s news-reading app, has proven to be more than a little disappointing.
According to the Matthew Ingram’s recent Gigaom article “Google Doesn’t Seem to Get How Media Works Now,” much of the coverage of the new app have compared it to existing tablet and iPhone news-readers like Flipboard and Zite. Unfortunately, while Google Currents is superficially similar to these other services, there are some significant differences.
Ingram writes:
Google’s app, while well-designed in many ways, lacks much of the polish and user-interface elements that make Flipboard so compelling (to me at least). And at least in my limited usage of it so far, it doesn’t even manage to rise to the level that Zite provides…It’s entirely possible Google’s app will improve over time, and it does offer some interesting features — such as the ability to sync the content you’ve read between devices — but I still think it’s missing some crucial aspects.
What is the deal Google? has the search giant become dull, normal and slow on the uptake? or just indifferent?
Jasmine Ashton, December 27, 2011
Sponsored by
Protected: Is Search Engine Evolution Information Control?
December 27, 2011
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