----------------------------------------------------------------- SearchReturn Discussion List "Understanding Internet Search Technology" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Moderator: Published by: Disa Johnson SearchReturn http://www.searchreturn.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- November 10, 2005 Issue #014 ----------------------------------------------------------------- SEND POSTS: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Refer a friend: http://www.searchreturn.com/subscribe.shtml ----------------------------------------------------------------- .....IN THIS DIGEST..... // -- NEW DISCUSSION -- // "Search As A Commodity?" ~ SearchReturn // -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- // "Google Personal Search" ~ SearchReturn // -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- // "Yahoo! CTR Ranking 2006" "Alibaba Baidu Competition" "Jagger Update Completing" "Search Usability" "Search User Chart" "Google Classified Ads" ----------------------------------------------------------------- // -- NEW DISCUSSION -- // ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> TOPIC: SEARCH AS A COMMODITY? From: SearchReturn Hello everyone, Search engines have been used as a commodity to power portal Web search in times past, and with the advent of Google, the move toward search as a standalone application has proven itself fully viable. In the article "Search is a commodity (again)," it is argued that search has reverted back to the status of commodity. http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2005/11/search_is_a_com.php If no single search service stands out like Google did to differentiate originally, this could certainly be a reality. If a search box in browser software, (or as a function of a favorite portal) ends up being the way people use search (rather than directly), that threatens the very nature of success Google has enjoyed to this point. The days when search is then a commodity, as Inktomi once was used, may return again. Not so fast. Nearly all of Google's revenue is earned by ads served at Google.com, where only a meager 10% (roughly) is earned through content network ad serving. Google lives and dies by the sheer number of users who visit Google.com and engage its search services, (Google gives the largest stake of advertising revenue to content publisher partners that serve its ads). Google personalization officially came out of beta today, now offered generally worldwide. The motive behind Google becoming a portal? Protecting its user marketshare. But here lies the rub: would you pay for Google news? If search becomes a commodity again, Google would be charging for services it currently gives away free, then an upstart can repeat the Google burn by focusing on search alone. Let's face it, Google generally sends users off to other websites rather than keeping visitors transfixed by its own services, and amazingly, this really does not harm its earning potential. Google can think of itself as a modern media company, referring users elsewhere while selling search ads. The only motive Google has to diversify its offerings is to protect it's user base; not to add revenue generating services. People speculate that Google Base, (or "Automat" which is another service name making the rounds), will be the next revenue stream for Google. But Google would face a "sea change" if it began charging money for such things. It is more Google's MO to give things away, like Google Earth. We bet many readers were ecstatic to learn that the basic version of Google Earth is free, and would gladly have paid something for it. That is viral marketing at its best. In a leaked memo, (which may have been leaked intentionally), even Bill Gates is betting that Internet-centric service offerings being successful as offered free, advertising supported. Cringely speculates that to compete with Google, (and its future potential with a Sun/IBM partnership), Microsoft Windows might one day be given away for free! http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20051103.html Imagine that. Has the success of Google, in a way, converted Bill Gates into a champion of free software? Stay tuned. -SR ----------------------------------------------------------------- // -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- // ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> TOPIC: GOOGLE PERSONAL SEARCH "I find it hard to believe that the search engines will go to these lengths for personalization but use it only on paid search. If they think they can improve the organic results through personalization, I think they will. Now what will *that* mean to search marketing? Goodbye rank checkers" From: SearchReturn With Yahoo!'s MyWeb personalized search results, and Google search personalization coming out of beta today, this is exactly how things are transpiring. Nick from Threadwatch noticed this message from a Google search today: http://www.threadwatch.org/images/googlepersonalizationui.jpg Stay tuned. -SR ----------------------------------------------------------------- // -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- // ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> Yahoo! CTR Ranking 2006 http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs014.shtml Essentials: Yahoo! apparently will factor in CTR for ranking ads. During a quarterly investor call, Yahoo! described a new bidding system targeted for release in 2006. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> Alibaba Baidu Competition http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs014.shtml Essentials: Statements that may be more dramatic than necessary include: "If we don't move fast, within eight to 10 months, we don't have a chance." ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> Search Usability http://www.alistapart.com:80/articles/accessibilityseo Essentials: When reading this post, rather than think of search engines as access challenged, think of them as rewarding your accessible design with better rankings. Search engines want to refer search users to sites where they can have some measure of assurance the site will display properly. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> Jagger Update Completing http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/jagger-winding-down/ Essentials: The last changes left for the Google Jagger index update are reserved for handling spam feedback. Google seems to have improved its ability to identify low-quality link ranking schemes. A shift from the ranking power associated with large numbers of off-topic links, links from link pages, and reciprocal linking in general, has shifted towards additional power for inbound links from trusted sites. It's a plainly obvious move. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> Search User Chart http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=16570 Essentials: Nice breakdown of search user motive differences between Yahoo!, Google, MSN, and AOL. As Danny pointed out in a recent SearchCast, people use Google for its search, and other sites that offer search for their other services. Yahoo! gets the only other respectable showing for their search. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> Google Classified Ads http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs014.shtml Essentials: The story warrants a skeptical read, and it is certainly worth tracking. It may constitute a second revenue generating service by Google. It looks like it might simply extend its core advertising sales business. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Essential Headlines: http://www.searchreturn.com/newsworthy.shtml Archives: http://www.searchreturn.com/digest-archive.shtml Alternate formats: http://www.searchreturn.com/info-formats.shtml Manage Subscriptions: http://www.searchreturn.com/help/manage-subs.shtml Problems unsubscribing? 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