Posts filed under 'SEO Industry'
I recently attended the SES London 2008 conference down in the Business Design Centre down in London (for day 2 anyhow), where well established SEO ‘celebs’/speakers such as Mike Grehan, DaveN (Dave Naylor - Bronco ), Paul Doleman (iCrossing) and Jon Myers (Mediavest) presented various topics relating to search and online marketing over the course of three (very intensive days). As mentioned previously, I was lucky enough to attend the second day, which was started with a Keynote speech from Nick Carr, followed by a Q&A session with a panel consisting of
- Kevin Ryan - Moderator
- Mike Grehan - CEO SearchVisible
- Paul Doleman - CTO iCrossing
- Erica Schmidt - Head of Search Isobar
- Steve Kauffman - Digitas
- Bryan Eisenberg - Future Now
The main topic of debate was the recent proposed takeover by Microsoft of Yahoo, something which has been a hive of discussion in the recent times, not just directly in terms of Microsoft buying Yahoo but for anyone else potentially buying Yahoo. One of the questions however asked was - would this allow Microhoo to compete more effectively with Google, something I am going to attempt to answer below.
In my opinion no - not unless something radical (and yes a merger between Yahoo and Microsoft is quite radical - but I mean MORE RADICAL) was to happen. To me there are a number of factors that would need to be overcome before any such ‘merger’ would bair fruit including (but not limited to):
- Mindset - one is pioneers of the Internet, one is pioneers of Software - both which have changed Significantly since the days when both these organisations were ruling the roost. Their approach to business is also considerably different, Yahoo is reasonably innovative, and arguably Microsoft is not, however both have been very slow to react to changing markets, requirements and social climate
- Character - Sort of similar to the above - however there is a signficant difference in culture between Yahoo and Microsoft which would need to be overcome before anything else. Google is successful as the sum of a collective - something I feel would be a huge obstacle to something as major as a merger/takeover between the two above - and possibly something that would suggest a merger with another organisation such as Fox Interactive would provide a better yield on investment than any Microsoft deal
- Moving forward - Both Yahoo and Microsoft do not seem to have the same ‘innovation’ and drive that Google have within both Search and the Online Advertising space. Both seem to be happy to ‘consolidate’ to a certain extent and leave Google to it, which potentially could be a dangerous thing to do with competitors such as Baidu, Naver et al on the horizon.
- Technology - Both the Yahoo and MSN Paid Search services are VASTLY inferior to the Google Interface, and personally this is something that would require significant investment in, not only from an administration perspective but also from a marketing/managability perspective if it is to compete with Google more effectively.
- Support - Both services are somewhat limited in their service and support in my previous experience - something Google seem to do better - I only had to listen to Andew Girdwood from BigmouthMedia talk about their discussions with Google whilst developing the Hilton Hotels Online Marketing campaign in order to see this, and something both Yahoo and MSN need to work on. This and their support for smaller organisations - after all small organisations don’t always stay as small organisations…
- US focus - Whilst this is small - I can’t help thinking that if Yahoo and MSN were to spread their vision out of the US remit and include more of Western Europe etc into early beta testing, launches etc, they could make some early significant wins, not only with agencies but with advertisers only. Using Yahoo Ambasador as an example -this is something - that whilst some UK advertisers do have - is something that is only available to US and Canadian organisations - and not us minnions across the pond - and this US focus I would suggest reflects itself in the Usage stats for the North American market vs that of the UK etc - something I would love to hear further feedback on
One thing that did however stand out at the conference, was Yahoo and Microsofts reluctance (for use of a better word) to get out there. Google’s attendance at the conference was highly evident - big stands as well as the usual Google University sessions whilst we were there. However Microsoft and Yahoo were both conspicious in their absence.
So can Microsoft or Yahoo compete with Google? Compete I would say Yes, be market leaders No. I don’t for one minute think that Google will dominate the market for ever - others will rise and fall as they do with other markets and as they have done once before within SearchSpace. However do I think it will be Microhoo - No !!
February 23rd, 2008
Microsoft has offered to purchase Yahoo in a deal for $44.6 Billion (or £22.4 Billion) in cash and share options. The offer is 62% above Yahoo’s closing share price on Thursday, and follows a cut in revenue forecasts earlier this week, as well as saying that it would need to spend an additional £150m on reviving the company.
Such a move would significantly affect the current search markets (particularly in the US and Europe where Google is the dominant player in the market, a fact echoed by Kevin Johnson from Microsoft, and potentially provide Google with significant competition, however I would suggest both parties still have significant work to do in order to provide an effective a solution as the current Adwords system in particular.
From a personal perspective, I can’t help thinking that the deal is a bit of last chance saloon for both parties, and as such has an air of desperation about it. However time will ultimately tell whether such a deal provides Google with a significant competitor or whether this is just an expensive mistake.
To read more about the deal, further details can be found on the BBC Website
February 1st, 2008
Just received an interesting email from Ask offering results based Search Engine Optimisation services as follows:
“
FREE SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION
As an innovative group of professional service companies, we like to keep ahead of the game. There are many SEO and media companies charging large monthly retainers that are not giving their clients results. The ASK Group has transparent pricing across all our divisions, and we do not consider this type of pricing remotely ethical.
Our research tells us you only want to pay on results!”
It is certainly an interesting change in service offering from a search engine company, moving into a frenzied sector - and one lets be honest that is likely to cause some heated discussion particularly following Google’s purchase of Doubleclick, and MSN’s acquisition of AQuantive.
January 30th, 2008
Net Magellan recently wrote a post entitled “SEO Certification - What Is Your View?” tackling the thorny issue of SEO certification in todays Search Marketing industry. This topic of conversation always brings a variety of perspectives and heated debate.
As the head of an Online Marketing organisation, dissecting the wheat from the chaff is often a difficult thing to do, particular within the UK SEO market. I recently had a candidate who came in - who had previously been responsible for campaign where the client operated in a moderately uncompetitive sector - and the client in questions was spending 2K a month on paid linkage. Now - putting in bluntly I would suggest most people with an inch of intelligence would be able to do that, let alone a specialist search engine optimisation specialist.
Having some form of certification one could argue would be useful here - perhaps along the lines of the Google Advertising Professional qualifications, where the examinee is tested on his knowledge of the system, however it is here in my opinion that the grey area in the SEO certification debate exists.
Just what is acceptable SEO. Google has developed a set of guidelines - Paid Links are bad/Content is good. However lets face it - in an industry where the stakes are getting bigger - and the market more competitive -who is going to share valuable knowledge unless they really have to.
Secondly - What constitutes good SEO. There has long been debate around the ethical nature of SEO - and what hat us various SEO experts are - whether it be Black, White or a varying shade of grey. Surely some common ground rules have to be developed before we can develop appropriate and valuable SEO certification - something you can associate with your CV with pride -and know a potential employer (such as E-Gain) is going to appreciate.
I don’t for one minute think certification is a bad idea - however at present I would add it is nothing more than confusing for a market that do not always understand SEO. Lets get the foundations in place and make it something that is going to benefit our industry - rather than do something for somethings sake…
January 27th, 2008
Mike Grehan caused a fair bit of controversy back in 2007 when he wrote his article “SEO Is Dead. Long Live, er, the Other SEO”. At the time it drew some mixed reviews, the usual post-bashers and doom merchants, and those that took the article at face value. So have things changed since the article in question
Old-School “Textbook SEO” has been on the decline for a while. Back in the day (and it wasn’t that long ago in real-time - just an eternity in Online Marketing terms), SEO was as simple as keyword density, well structured contents and a smattering of meta tags thrown in. But things have changed significantly since then. Yahoo is no longer the behemoth it was, and Google now rules the roost, and all the knock on effects that has brought.
Google has introduced a number of features to the search engine results over the course of the last year. The onebox results continue to be refined and further incorporated into the search results pages - sometimes a bit too much in my opinion particular where cross-over with pop (and in particular R&B for some reason) music is concerned.
SEO as Mike stated - has evolved - it is no longer just about simple optimisation of the website. It is about far far more. Whilst many of the fundamentals are similar, the methods of doing so are so different. Content is king they say - a saying I learnt about seven years ago - however it has evolved from simply producing 8000 slightly varying pages of content, to a far more dare I say professional approach - where content is written not only to gauge relevance but to generate linkage - its about quality these days - not just quantity.
Maybe this has something to do with a general acceptance from the marketing & advertising world that SEO and search marketing is here, and therefore SEO in particular has taken great strides particularly in 2007. SEO is a massive industry now, and as big a shame as it is - it is now a profession. Long since are the days when the likes of Rand Fishkin, Ammon Johns, Danny Sullivan and my friend Marcia would spend many an hour on the forums - and the likes of me could discuss various aspects of SEOMoz, Sphinn ). It is a shame but symbolic of how far our profession has come in a very short period of time
SEO is evolving - and will continue to do so. One thing is for sure - hang on to your seats there are some very interesting times ahead.
January 26th, 2008
Search engine giant Google has branched further into the ether by announcing a partnership with Japanese electronic giant Panasonic, to manufacture web enabled televisions. According to a report on StrategyEye, the two companies plan to sell flat panel monitors which will enable users to access YouTube videos and view online photo albums from Picasa, the Google-owned online photo service, in the US in late Q1 2008
Such a deal isn’t a first. Software giant Microsoft, has been selling its Windows MCE Internet platform for some time, however sceptics would point to the fact that previous launches of similar products have not exactly set the world alight. Panasonic however are to monitor sales before deciding whether to sell the products in other parts of the world.
However I would suggest the impending launch of IPTV services (in the UK) could make the purchase of such products more attractive to potential customers, particularly given the move towards digital later this year.
January 8th, 2008
It seems contrary to an earlier blog post by Andrew Girdwood (from Bigmouthmedia), that SMX London is indeed still on for 2008, however according to Danny Sullivan from SMX
“We will have SMX London in 2008 - just confirming the exact month. News soon 
”
Thats good news for all us UK SEO’s as I was starting to sweat as to which conferences to attend during the latter part of 2008
January 4th, 2008
I am often amazed just how the SEO community has evolved. The evolution of social communities on Facebook and the like has only served to enhance this perspective. For example, on my friends list you will find people like Danny Sullivan, Andrew Girdwood, Jon Myers, Bill Slawski and Gord Hotchkiss - none of whom I have ever met face to face - but people who I have learnt to respect due to their posts and articles on various aspects of search marketing.
In particular, it is this sharing of knowledge that separates Search Marketing from many other industries. I cannot count the number of times I have read one of Bill’s patent application related posts or debated an aspect from one of Gord Hotchkiss’ columns, all of whom are happy to share knowledge and expertise with other members of the community either via the own personal blogs, their corporate blogs, or via the many conferences and seminars that organisations such as SMX organise across the globe.
Whilst I am in no doubt that these individuals do not share all their secrets (well would you?), they do share a hell of a lot, and this is something that keeps many people constantly testing and refining their own theories and concepts which are often then share again and again and again. What other industry can say that?
At the end of the day, with search marketing in its infancy (in comparison to many other sectors), surely this sharing of knowledge is invaluable to the continuing growth of the industry. We are not able to reference text books, we do not have a hundred years of learnings to develop tactics from, and above all - we work within a sector that is changing - from day to day - even hour to hour.
What an exciting place to be ….
October 16th, 2007
I was reading Ian McNerins blog with interest this morning and in particular his post on a ‘new’ line in the SEMPO signup process namely
“Business Conduct. In addition, the applicant agrees to engage
in Search Marketing practices which are not in direction violation of published guidelines from Google, Yahoo!, and other search engine providers.”
My main issue with signing up to bodies such as SEMPO and to a certain extent the IAB has been the fact that I have to pay for the priviledge, and priviledge that neither gives me an advantage nor differs me from any of my unethical SEO friends down the road, nor differs me from a web development only agency ‘that does SEO’.
Whilst in principle I think I am 100% behind an individual body, such a body has to represent the industry as a whole, not just the select few who want to pay the money, particularly if no criteria is associated with membership. Therefore imcorporating such measures into SEMPO membership is a major step in the right direction.
I think Ian says it best - “Heh - maybe I *can* work with these guys. It’s certainly a step in the right direction. There is no indication of any kind of enforcement, so it’s not perfect, but a couple of years ago you would not have seen this, and it would have created a huge controversy if you had. Maybe our little industry really is starting to grow up.”
October 9th, 2007
It appears the previous post regarding the demise of the Overture tool was slightly premature.
We are currently unable to establish exactly what data is being used. Some people have reported it is using May 2007 data, whilst others suggest it is January 2007 data.
Personally we would advise, perhaps it is time to review your toolkit, in case the tool stops working again…
September 24th, 2007
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