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Facebook blocked Google Friend Connect upon it's beta release last week.  They claim that Google developed and released Google Friend Connect, which uses the Facebook application, without asking them.  Google Friend Connect shares the personal data of Facebook members without asking the members themselves for permission.
 
Facebook Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Mark Zuckerberg, who was interviewed from Tokyo, says that Facebook's intention is to solve the differences they have with Google, who, he says, is a large player on the market and does lot of good things.

Angela

P.S. Don't forget to join our new Strategy Group on Facebook, Strategy Calls!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54338290656

Google has unified search results with something called Universal Search.  They have unified all of the different searches from different departments into one category. So if you're searching for chocolate cookies, for example, you will receive everything from Google search, news and video in one search and will not have to change (toggle) between the categories.

This implies that there will be a greater number of clicks per keyword, but not necessarily more customers.  I've noticed this in my adwords campaigns, but I can't be sure it's due to the Google change in algorithm just yet.  Observing and  testing and time will tell.

On Nichebot, they write: "but the question remains for those who are keyword focused and already have positions and want to keep them…. What will this mean to the rules of getting and staying in the top results on Google and what will happen to your search engine rankings come this Wednesday when the change goes into effect? Will the power of using all the other channels like video, images, news and maps allow you to gain more power in your own search engines listings?"

CNN story:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/05/17/google.search.reut/index.html

Here's an SEO-tip from  Mike Lang www.thelangreport.com, as found on the Authority Site Center Member Forum:

Google has an algorithm that detects over-optimized websites. The detected websites are downranked in the Google search results. This over-optimization filter in Googles ranking algorithm is also called the "-950 penalty" because that is what usually happens to over-optimized web pages: they are downranked 950 positions.

Google's anti-spam engineer Matt Cutts published a video in which he also mentions over-optimization as a reason for ranking problems.

To view the video, check out the url below:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4814548594071648913#1m42s

/Angela Wickenberg

In June, Google updated Google Trends with numbers and the ability to download results to a spreadsheet. They received a lot of great feedback from agencies and advertisers on how they're using the new version; from identifying new growth markets to optimizing their Google AdWords campaigns.

Today, Google launched Google Insights for Search, a new product designed with the advertiser in mind. It provides more flexibility and functionality for advertisers and marketers to understand search behavior, and adds some cool new features like a world heat map to graphically display search volume and regional interest.

Like Google Trends, you can just type in a search term to see search volume patterns over time, as well as the top related and rising searches. You’ll also have the ability to compare search volume trends across multiple search terms, categories (commonly referred to as verticals), geographic regions, or specific time ranges.

Let's take the example of entering the term apple. You'll notice that the majority of top related and rising searches are associated with the brand Apple.

Google Insights for Search allows you to filter this query by the Food & Drink category, resulting in a dramatically different view of search volume trends and related searches of apple, the fruit. You can also use this filter to compare search terms with the category (for example, apple compared to the Food & Drink category).

Read the entire post here:

http://adwords.blogspot.com/2008/08/announcing-google-insights-for-search.html

Tags: Google_Trends Google_Insights_For_Search Adwords Google_Adwords

Thursday, Google announced through their blog, that they are about to introduce a major change on all inactive keywords.

By activating all inactive keywords, they seem to be letting the customer pay for tweaking minimum bids, and by doing this, Google will further punish less conscious advertisers and reward those who are aware of their system. Google is likely to see a spike in their income in the coming and following weeks. Google says: "The new per-query evaluation of Quality Score affects you in that keywords will no longer appear as 'inactive for search' in your account. Instead, all keywords will have the chance to show ads on Google web search and the search network (unless you've paused or deleted them). Keep in mind, however, that keywords previously marked 'inactive for search' are not likely to accrue a great deal of traffic following this change. This is because their combined per-query Quality Score and bid probably isn't high enough to gain competitive placement."

'First page bid' will replace 'minimum bid'

"As a result of migrating to per-query Quality Score, we are no longer showing minimum bids in your account. Instead, we're replacing minimum bids with a new, more meaningful metric: first page bids. First page bids are an estimate of the bid it would take for your ad to reach the first page of search results on Google web search. They're based on the exact match version of the keyword, the ad's Quality Score, and current advertiser competition on that keyword. Based on your feedback, we learned that knowing your minimum bid wasn't always helpful in getting the ad placement you wanted, so we hope that first page bids will give you better guidance on how to achieve your advertising goals."

"It's worth mentioning that the impact of these changes will vary from advertiser to advertiser; some might see no changes to their ad serving, while others may see a noticeable difference. As always, we recommend optimizing ads to prevent them from receiving a low Quality Score."

You can read the entire blogpost here:

http://adwords.blogspot.com/2008/08/quality-score-improvements.html

/Angela Wickenberg

I recently received an email from Russell Wright from the Theme Zoom Team, who writes that the Google Quality Rater's document, which is found on the link below, was supposedly leaked from Google Secret Labs. It is supposedly used to train search engine "quality raters". Some experts hold the position that this document MAY be some sort of elaborate hoax, but that Search Engine Land is treating this document as if it is real and authentic.

It sure looks real to me… but I don't know if it really came from Google.

Read  what Search Engine Land writes about the document, which can be found here, and judge for yourself.

 ********************

Brian Ussery has discovered a revised copy of the Google Quality Raters Guidelines, which he archived on his own site (has been removed.  The pdf can be found on this site).

The documents are used by Google Quality Raters to aid them in classifying queries, measuring relevancy, and rating the search results. To do so, the Quality Rater must understand how Google works and this document has a bunch of that. Let me pull out some of those details in easy to read bullet points.

Three Query Types:

• Navigational: someone searching for a site, such as a search for IBM.
• Informational: someone searching for information on a topic of interest, such as finding out more information on Danny Sullivan.
• Transactional: someone searching when seeking to purchase something either online or offline, such as searching for 'buy ipod touch.'

Quality Rating Scales:

• Vital: This is the highest score a web page can receive for a query. A vital result comes from a query that is most likely navigational and the resulting page is the official web page of the query. When searching for 'ibm', the vital result would be www.ibm.com.
• Useful: This is the second highest score a web page can receive for a given query. A useful rating should be assigned to results that "answer the query just right; they are neither too broad nor too specific." One of the examples given for a useful rating would be a search on meningitis symptoms with a resulting web page of http://www.webmd.com/hw/infection/aa34586.asp
• Relevant: This comes after a useful rating, and is used for results that return less useful results. The guidelines say the result is often "less comprehensive, come from a less authoritative source, or cover only one important aspect of the query." An example would be a review of laptop computers, but the review only takes five computers and not all computers within its class. Since it is not a fully comprehensive review, it would be rated as relevant and not useful.
• Not Relevant: This rating is used for pages that are not helpful to the query but are somewhat still connected to the original query. Classifications of a not relevant page would be "outdated, too narrowly regional, too specific, too broad" and so on. One of the examples give is a search for the 'BBC' that returns a specific article from BBS; it is too specific and is not relevant to the query at hand.
• Off-Topic: This is the lowest rating a page can receive for a query. If the returned page is completely not relevant to the query, it would be given a rating of "off topic." An example given is a query on 'hot dogs' that returns a page about doghouses.

Categories For Results That Can't Be Rated:
Not everything can be rated, and those must be classified somehow. The categories for those types of results include:

• Didn’t Load: For pages that return a 404 error, page not found, product not found, server time out, 403 forbidden, login required, and so on.
• Foreign Language: This is given to a page that is in a "foreign language" to the "target language" of the query. English is never a foreign language, no matter what. So, if you search in Chinese for something and a Hebrew page is returned, it is a foreign language, but if an English page is returned, it is not a foreign language. There are exceptions to the rule.
• Unratable: When the rater cannot rate it for any other reason.

Spam Labels:
Now for the really good stuff, spam labels. This is a new addition to the quality raters guidelines and is fairly small. The labels include:

• Not Spam: The not spam rating is given to pages that "has not been designed using deceitful web design techniques."
• Maybe Spam: This label is given when you feel the page is "spammy," but you are not 100% convinced of that.
• Spam: Given to pages you feel are violating Google's webmaster guidelines.

Flags:
Flags are for pages that require immediate attention, such as:

• Pornographic content
• Malicious code on pages

That is a brief overview of some of the many points in the document. For more, see the archived document and for some history, check out Google Blogoscoped.

 

/Angela Wickenberg

Apropos types of strategic alliances…

I just love all those free investor newletters that drop into my mail box every day.  Today was no exception. Ann Sosnowski at the Taipan Publishing Group wrote an article about how renegade invesor Carl Icahn was pushing Microsoft and Yahoo together after he starting buying up shares in Yahoo.  She wrote:

*** Also adding to investor optimism is the possibility of another deal between Yahoo Inc. (YHOO:NASDAQ) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT:NASDAQ).

When Yahoo declined Microsoft’s $44.6 million bid, activist investor Carl Icahn began buying up shares last week.

Carl Icahn is one of the richest men in the world. And he’s the most famous of today’s corporate raiders.

Carl Icahn votes with his money as an activist investor. Money talks. If he takes a substantial holding in your company, you better be concerned.

Ever since he staged a hostile takeover of TWA in 1985, Icahn is known as a ruthless activist investor who will do everything in his power to make you agree with him about how YOUR business is run. Or he’ll wipe you out.

Although Yahoo does have plans in place to repel a hostile takeover, it decided instead to renegotiate around Icahn with Microsoft.

Now Microsoft and Yahoo are in talks again to combat Google Inc. (GOOG:NASDAQ) in the online marketplace. They’re talking alternatives to a complete buyout at this point.

It would be extremely profitable for Yahoo and Microsoft to team up against GOOG. There’s definite value in Yahoo that Microsoft should be able to unlock for investors.

Angela Wickenberg

P.S. Please join us! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54338290656

"Walk Into Any Niche You Choose
And Dominate Instantly Because
You'll Already Know Where The
Money Is At Every Single Turn…
Before You Ever Even Spend A
Dime Of Your Own" ???

These are the types of claims we have been reading in the recent months from several software, promising that you can literally begin to investigate
a number of keywords and track the advertisers whose advertisements are constantly showing up. This type of monitoring is hugely powerful, especially if it's
able to be done in an automated fashion.

Well — if you've seen any of the recent launches for Google Cash Detective, X-Ray Domination, Uncover Profits or Adwords Tycoons, then you already know that most of those programs are out of reach even for some people that are making good money.

X-Ray Domination = $1500
Undercover Profits = $291 per month
Google Cash Detective = $495 plus $97 per month
Adwords Tycoons = $1500

If you've ever wondered how some of the guys in the past year have been turning up some incredibly enormous checks by using the Pay-Per-Clicks, wouldn't you want to know HOW they are doing it?  I know I do! 

What gets more powerful than letting a little robot loose on the Internet to monitor particular keywords and report back ONLY the campaigns that were shown the most every time they were monitored?  This literally gives you a license to piggyback on other people's success that already have a proven selling process for their affiliate website landing page or just their affiliate link.

I have been testing GCD for a couple of months now and can verify this.

I recently received a great offer from JP Schoeffel at www.adspypro.com/ . This software is the was created in the "Better'n'Cheaper" series, where a number of people pay in advance nominal membership fees to create cheaper and better alternatives to software that has been released and which are only available at much higher prices.  He writes that he has received a lot of criticism for this.  JP Schoeffel has long experience in Internet Marketing and has produced some very good marketing materials and tools, such as Niches-In-A-Box and many social bookmarking books and tools. He has also had  a lot of success as an affiliate marketer.  Now I know why!!!

When I finally got around to reading the sales page on www.adspypro.com/ I was happy to see that it works with several other programs - not just Adwords. The price on the page says $67 for the time being, and will continue to rise after the pre-launch period is over.  Rush to get this software, if you have missed out on the others. Receive $20 back from me after the guarantee period has ended, provided you purchase through my link, of course.  The $20 rebate is valid only until June 30th, 2007 and for 500 licenses.

I received my copy today and I am pleased to say that it looks very good.  More to come in the near future on a review of this software and some effective strategies to use with them.

I received Google Cash Detective, GCD, as a surprise bonus last year when I subscribed to a new Adwords management service, which took me months to learn - not because it  was so hard, but because I am so non-technical. The link to GCD arrived about a couple of months ago.  Being the non-techie person that I am, t took me quite some time to learn to install - but once I finally got over my fear and "got it", I realized it wasn't that  difficult, after all to install software and things like a "cron manager" and to create databases. I've been testing it without any detailed instructions on how to find the profitable campaigns.  I have found campaigns and tested new ones but haven't had the instant success that so many people are claiming would be the results of having this. I suppose if someone were to peek over my shoulder and tell me exactly what, when and how to do things, I would learn much faster and be earning much more money with it. 

I also recently received a copy of Adwords Tycoon, which went on sale yesterday and sold out within a few hours of its launch, even after hours of problems with their servers, and learned just very quickly through their tutorials how they find the profitable campaigns, but the price of that software was very high.  These software are very similar to one another, but to be fair, the Adwords Tycoon software gives more info and is more flexible than GCD, but lacks the extended service of transferring your keywords to your Adwords campaigns, a monthly service priced at $97 per month, as mentioned before.

More to come on a comparison of the functionality of these software and the results I am getting.

Google Cash Detective, Adwords Tycoons, XRayDomination, and UnderCover Profits are ALL SOLD OUT.  But you can get www.adspypro.com/ for a limited time at the pre-lauch price of $67 and $20 back from me after the guarantee period has ended, provided you purchase through my link, of course.  The $20 rebate is valid only until June 30th, 2007 and for 500 licenses.

Stay tuned to this blog for an upcoming video on the results I am getting with these software.
 
Angela Wickenberg