Search – Where to next ? August 17, 2010
Posted by andrewbetts in Google and MicroYahoo, Search, Search Agencies.comments closed
As Search continues to grow at a rapid rate and people are already beginning to ask ‘What’s in store for the future?”
Hence, I am sat in a packed session at SES San Francisco on the ‘Search – Where to next?’ session.
Moderated by Graham Mudd, VP, Search and Media, comScore Inc
Speaking;
Brian Kaminski, COO, iProspect
Marc Poirer, Co-founder & CMO, Acquiso
Shashi Set, SVP, Search Products, Yahoo
This promises to be a great session focusing on the key to the future of search. Data and technology being the key to the future of search.
Here is my bullet point review;
Marc Poirer – “Search marketing is part of something bigger”
- Forrester – By 2014 online spend will reach 54 billion dollars
- The future will see a money transit from traditional channels to online channels
- Technology changes everything
- There are a number of innovative new technologies focusing on attribution, tracking across different channels and interaction.
- This also includes access to display inventory, real time bidding, and the rise of demand side platforms. These technologies are available today and will be widely available in the future
- Search is becoming part of something bigger – different skills will be needed – this presents a huge opportunity for agencies
Brian Kaminski
Brian addressed the audience and invited people to think back to the Sony Walkman as an example of how a company did not keep up to date with technological developments as Apple did with the iPod.
Quoting Ferris Bueller;
Life moves pretty quickly and people need to keep up to date with technology and development.
5 clues to future of search;
1. Data is an advantage. In the future it will be required
Embrace the move towards data – invest in technologies and invest in people with data skills.
2. Most search results will be real time and more connected (look at twitter)
3. Convergence will continue – look at the relationship with Display
4. Search is used as a net. Many different forms of Media will be used to plan search activity
5. Search will be less about keywords and more about social led searches, images and so forth
SEARCH IS CHANGING – Don’t wait for the change, seize the opportunity and;
- Set budgets for testing and innovation
- Invest in data systems and data skills
- Thing outside the PC
- Look at new trends and jump on them quickly
Shashi Seth
How Yahoo is planning for the future;
- Search has not focused on users enough.
- In the past, search has focused on backend (crawling, relevancy) but not the front end on search
- The front end of search is new sources of information, connected devices, get information pushed rather than pulling from search engines
- Microsoft Alliance – Shashi talked about moving back end to front end – Microsoft focus on back end and Yahoo help bring to front tend
- Yahoo technology now and in the future is focused/ing on giving people correct answers – You ask a question and get instant answers rather than have a sea of blue links
- In 5 years mobile searches will outpace PC searches
- Keep your eye on ‘Sketch-a-Search’ for the iPhone as an example of how Yahoo is making search easier for users who don not have to ‘think’ or ‘type keywords’
Google Wave’s goodbye to Wave and Trademark Owners? August 6, 2010
Posted by andrewbetts in Google and MicroYahoo, Search.comments closed
Well, Google wave’s goodbye to Google wave after “not seeing the user adoption we would have liked”
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/update-on-google-wave.html
September 14th is the day that Google users begin to get a ‘better user experience’.
That’s what, erm, Google say
http://adwords.blogspot.com/2010/08/update-to-canadian-uk-and-ireland-ad.html
Following on from changes in the US Adwords policy last year on Trademarks -Advertisers will be able to directly name the product/brand they promote and not just bid on the Trademark term (and ad creative copy without mentioning the product).
Trademark owners will need to be very careful about misuse of their trademarks
However, does this mean a rise in redirects, good news for scams?
Watch the Google space!
Right Media Exchange, Yahoo, Pilot For SEMs, DSP’s and Partnerships July 22, 2010
Posted by andrewbetts in Digital Buzz, Google and MicroYahoo, Marketing and Demand, Search, The Future.comments closed
Well. Quite a timely announcement was made today.
This follows on from my post 2 days ago and a recent post I wrote on Econsultancy on the rise of demand side platforms and the relationships with search.
Extract from my post ” Google’s purchase of Invite Media shows how serious this opportunity is. Yahoo has the technology, and many companies in the USA and in the UK are launching, testing and building DSPs as you read.”
Ramsey McGrory, Yahoo! VP and Head of Right Media Exchange has announced plans for Yahoo!’s display advertising exchange – Right Media Exchange.
With regard to SEM Ramsay states;
“We’ve augmented the DSP Pilot in two ways. One is that we’ve created another track with SEMs [which includes] Kenshoo, Marin, SearchIgnite and Efficient Frontier. They’re all significant partners of Yahoo! They all have either already said, or they are moving towards a more integrated product and service around a combination of search and display.
We love the fact that they are already significant partners and we’ve got great trusted relationships. They, by and large, have the DNA of a technology company that understands algorithmic disk‑based systems.
I think relative to the DSPs, they probably don’t have the same level of fluency yet in all of the different variables and all the different things that happen in display. So, we’ll be working with them more collaboratively on things like pricing strategy where they’ll take the knowledge that they have in search and try to apply it in display”
Retargeting – This is something I also mentioned in a recent post. Yahoo has a search retargeting product which has been very successful. Yahoo want to work with SEM;s and leading technology companies such as SearchIgnite to figure out the missing pieces between search and display buying in one platform.
Google Wave – Kick it November 2, 2009
Posted by andrewbetts in Google and MicroYahoo, The Future.comments closed
I have started to have a play with Google Wave, a new online communications tool that enables groups of people to edit and discuss documents simultaneously on the web.
To be honest, it’s got me a bit confused so I’m looking for a guide.
” The Google Wave team says Wave is ‘what email would look like if it were invented today.’ However, because Wave is mostly a document collaboration tool, the oversimplified email metaphor can mislead new users. The initial Wave experience can feel chaotic and confusing, but use cases for Wave abound” – Gina Trapini and Adam Pash
Here’s a quick, fun video to explain
I love the line - “Kick it, grab a margarita and watch your communication..ness (a new word?) sore “
At the moment I’m not sure if Google Wave will live up to all the hype.
Here’s what IT Pro had to say:
It seems maybe a little complex so far, but that could just be me 
I will keep you posted once I have learned to wave in the correct manner!
Google and 2015 November 2, 2009
Posted by andrewbetts in Google and MicroYahoo, Search.comments closed
Following on from recent Google announcements on real time search, Twitter and Facebook, GoogleWave, and Social search
Google’s Eric Schmidt talks about the future and 2015
2015 according to Google
Distribution distinctions between TV, radio and the web will go away
Chinese-language content will dominate the web by 2015
Content will move towards more video. – You Tube
Twitter and Facebook are doing real time but there are other companies are already doing this also
According to Eric Schmidt “We can index real-time info now – but how do we rank it?”
Learning how to rank that “is the great challenge of the age.”
As always – Google are confident they have the answer.
Working out how to rank real time social content is the BIG challenge. Google don’t talk too much about other social networks and there is a growing concern that ‘decisions by mass’ do not necessarily mean quality and correct results. Expert opinions maybe squeezed out?
Google – Size is everything September 10, 2009
Posted by andrewbetts in Google and MicroYahoo.comments closed
Google is launching an even ‘Bigger’ search bar. Now it’s not earth quaking news but .. Here are a few points…
Size matters and is this a ‘subtle reflection’ of Googles market share)
Bing has a nice interface. It would be rude for Google not to start to do something
Small changes can make lots of money
More words = more, precise searches
Less ‘savvy’ searchers may type in longer phrases – is Google catering for this?
Maybe size isn’t everything, its how you us it ?
Could be good for twitter search indexed information. Mmm ?
but
Does the size detract from the search results?
Does the UI change really make a difference. People dont seem to like the font etc
Will people actually notice and care
