Month: October 2008

Google Preparing Option for iPhone Targeted Search Ads

Google has presented the option of displaying different ads on searches from iPhones during meetings with advertising agencies according to an article by the Adweek. Google representatives told Adweek that the option was under consideration, but would not confirm it. The separate iPhone ad group could be added to standard search campaign. Google already offers option of running campaigns targeting phones that browse the Internet using WAP.

Google Brings AdSense to Online Games

A post on the Inside AdSense blog announced the beta release of AdSense for Games, an advertising program for online games. According to Google, the program will support displaying video ads, image ads, or text ads before a game, after a level change, or when a game is over. Google is selling ad placement directly to “top brand advertisers” and providing contextually targeted text and image ads based on content and demographic information. Advertisers who are part of the program so far include Sprint, Sony Pictures, and Esurance. The program is currently enrolling publishers who have a minimum of 500,000 game plays per day and have 80% of their traffic from the U.S. or the U.K.

Online Advertising Grew 15.2 Percent in First Half of 2008

Online advertising revenue was 11.5 billion dollars in the first half of 2008, an increase of 15.2 percent, according to a report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Search advertising revenue show the largest increase of any format, an increase 23.6 percent to 5.1 billion dollars. Display advertising revenue, which includes display banner ads, rich media, digital video, and sponsorship, increased 18.8 percent to 3.2 billion dollars. Classifieds revenue decreased 5.2 percent to 1.6 billion dollars, referrals/lead generation revenue increased .8 percent to .8 billion dollars, and e-mail revenue increased 15 percent to .2 billion dollars. Performance based advertising accounted for 52 percent of revenue, with cost per thousand (CPM) accounting for 44 percent and hybrids accounting for 4 percent.

Ask.com Upgrade Adds Structured Data

Ask.com has upgraded it search technology to include structure data according to post on the New York Times Bits Blog. Structured data is currently provided for categories including entertainment, health & nutrition, jobs and reference, with expansion into more categories this year according to Ask.com press release. The inclusion of structured data allows for information to be provided directly in the search results, for example a search for a television show displays local air times for that show. The site also attempts to parse and display answers to question asked directly on the search results page (including using user generated question-and-answer sites such as Yahoo Answers and WikiAnswers), similar to the way the original Ask.com was supposed to work. According to the Bits Blog, Ask.com CEO Jim Safka claimed that the new Ask.com “returns more relevant results for common queries than in the past” and in CNET News article Ask.com president Scott Garrell claimed that the new version is “30 percent faster” than the previous version.

Delay Announced for Google-Yahoo Partnership

Google and Yahoo have announced that they have delayed the implementation of their search advertising partnership according to a article by Advertising Age. The partnership was to begin in early October, but will now not start until the U.S. Justice Department has concluded its review of the deal. There is no set date for the Justice Department to finish its review. Advertising Age also reported Google and Justice Department employees have been having informal talks for the last week.

Microsoft Plans 3 New Research Labs Focused on Internet Search

Microsoft plans to open three new research labs in Europe that will be focused on Internet search according a article by the New York Times. The labs will in be London, Munich, and near Paris and will employ several hundred people. At news conference Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that the labs would work on improving on existing search technology and work on new types of search, including searches from mobile devices and searches involving pictures and video.

Google Blog Search Gets Google News Like Makeover

A post on the Official Google Blog announced a new look for the homepage of Google Blog Search. The old homepage consisted of a search box, while the new homepage has look similar to Google News. Stories and events receiving significant blog coverage will be displayed for 12 different categories, with blog posts about those topics clustered so that, according to Google, you can “see the best posts on a story or get a variety of perspectives.”  The new look is only available in English now, but Google says that support for more languages and new features are coming in the next few months.

Microsoft Launches New Rewards Program for Live Search

Microsoft has launched a new rewards program for Live Search according to a article by CNET News. The program, called SearchPerks, gives “tickets” to users of Microsoft’s Live Search search engine that can be redeemed for prizes or a donation to a charity. For each search a participant in the program receives one ticket, with a maximum of 25 per day. Participants receive 500 tickets for signing up for the program. The prize that can redeemed for the lowest amount of tickets is a ringtone for 105 tickets and the prize require the most amount of ticket is a Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows for 5500 tickets. The program is schedule to run through April 15, 2009, allowing a participant to accrue a maximum of 5425 tickets, falling short of what would be required for the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. The program is limited to up to one million U.S. residents and requires using Internet Explorer 6 or above, the Windows operating system, and installing a toolbar. Microsoft has run a number of programs tied to using Live Search including Live Search Club, Search and Give, and Live Search Cashback.