The New York Post wrote an article about companies interested in buying Yahoo! now that it is below $24 a share. But I think the writer, while well versed in who could be interested does not know the space well enough to see who really will or could buy it and succeed.
AOL - well that is just a joke. They are having a hard enough time keeping their own efforts afloat and buying Yahoo would just add to their problems.
Yahoo needs someone to take charge and realize that the company is not in competition with Google for search share. What has been the main strength of the company has been its communities - Yahoo Groups and all variations of that, as well as their solid content areas. Monetize those through banner/sponsorship and other media and grab search as an adjunct to that. The searches would become more specific and conversions would go back to the days when Yahoo led the field.
The Post's list was: AOL, AT&T, CBS, Comcast, Microsoft, Viacom and News Corp.
At&T - come on they have a hard enough time getting their services working properly... I hate the dropped ads commercials because instead of dropping they turn a lot of my conversations in to "hear every third word" gibberish.
CBS - well they have the money but they would bring the traditional media model to Yahoo and create what Seth Godin calls "A Meatball Sundae." Their online efforts are okay but reflect an old media style that if applied to Yahoo would just hasten its demise.
Comcast, Viacom - jumping to the web to offset dropping offline numbers - as investor I would say pass.
Okay the two real contenders are left: News Corp - another Aussie's multinational oligarchy - hey Rupert you buy Yahoo and people will start to see you as a James Bond bad guy - but if you do I can be bought for advise!!!
And finally Microsoft - this is the real company that could do something with all that Yahoo has and could be. Of all the potential buyers Microsoft actually knows the space the best and could combine their own success models in Finance and other content verticals to further improve visitor numbers and confidence. With Yahoo's search numbers combined to their own, Bill will be closer to the Google share of the market and then possibly be able to compete with Larry and Sergey for the space and help us all.
The only other dark horse would have to be a company from Asia.... Baidu and Alibaba come to mind.
So Jerry if you want to mention this article and its ideas in your quarterly earnings report feel free. Good Luck tomorrow.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
You Sphinn Me Right Round Baby
John Andrews has been a successful internet marketer for quite some time. A little under the radar (which I am sure he will smile about if he reads this) until recently, but is well known by many experienced long-term netters.
There have been recent controversies - but anyone that reads his blog knows he offers great advise about so many things that most people keep to themselves.
Right now he is shooting for a record number of Sphinns for an article he wrote half a year ago. Clever and I wish I had thought about it first... maybe not quite kosher but hey just the creativity is worth a blind eye by the SEL crew.
He has given us ideas on how to use social media and for that matter all online media.
John I liked your suggestions on Sphinning for Links and know the soon to be long standing record for the effort for 300 will be successful. Someone has to be the King of "Sphinnbait".
There have been recent controversies - but anyone that reads his blog knows he offers great advise about so many things that most people keep to themselves.
Right now he is shooting for a record number of Sphinns for an article he wrote half a year ago. Clever and I wish I had thought about it first... maybe not quite kosher but hey just the creativity is worth a blind eye by the SEL crew.
He has given us ideas on how to use social media and for that matter all online media.
John I liked your suggestions on Sphinning for Links and know the soon to be long standing record for the effort for 300 will be successful. Someone has to be the King of "Sphinnbait".
Monday, January 7, 2008
Is Organic Search Still Number One For Google?
I have a hard time believing Google's main priority is its flag ship product - organic search. With the constant playing it now does; pushing sites up and down on what appear to be whims - we know that is not the case but the reasons at times seem lame.
For example, this latest #6 drop which has older sites that do not have any recently added inbound links dropped about 6 positions. I can understand that top references should be adding links constantly and thus no recent inbound links would suggest these once authoritative sites have lost their edge. But is it not possible that they have saturated their space and people do not link to them anymore as they have already or know everyone else has.
When a newbie finds a site from one link and then see it on a lot of other sites they visit, they are not going to link to it as they see it as the industry standard that everyone knows. They would look for some more obscure but interesting site to link to so it shows they have done some work in the space and am contributing maybe not the best site but one of interest that many have not seen (or so they may think).
What I do see Google spending a lot of time on is changing AdWords to improve their income. Grabbing up other companies in the overall online world. Analytics - hey here is another market we can dominate by giving away the product until everyone is gone; wifi - we have money lets buy the spectrum to monopolize the growing popularity....
The list goes on and on of new ventures Google is working. And to make sure the gloss does not fall from the rose they have spin doctors at every step.
Matt I love you - know you are intelligent, witty and a cat lover - but you are the King of Spin - note I did not spell that Sphinn.....
Michael Gray was on to something at that infamous Paid Links Are Evil panel - people seem to allow the front runners to set the rules... this is true of business as well as politics.
Google is not the FCC - but maybe the FCC should pay a little more attention to what Google is doing. When the Hunt brothers tried to monopolize the silver industry last century the government stepped in. Antitrust has been a hurdle for Bill Gates' expansion of Microsoft - yet no one said anything about Google's actions in the analytics space - and the DoubleClick deal got approved with no real pain.
Guess when the company is popular in this era of mass communication many people are intimidated to say anything against them as the public backlash could be huge.
Stop playing with YouTube, stop buying up more industries, stop trying to save the world and go back to what it was that got all this money and power... good leading edge organic search.
For example, this latest #6 drop which has older sites that do not have any recently added inbound links dropped about 6 positions. I can understand that top references should be adding links constantly and thus no recent inbound links would suggest these once authoritative sites have lost their edge. But is it not possible that they have saturated their space and people do not link to them anymore as they have already or know everyone else has.
When a newbie finds a site from one link and then see it on a lot of other sites they visit, they are not going to link to it as they see it as the industry standard that everyone knows. They would look for some more obscure but interesting site to link to so it shows they have done some work in the space and am contributing maybe not the best site but one of interest that many have not seen (or so they may think).
What I do see Google spending a lot of time on is changing AdWords to improve their income. Grabbing up other companies in the overall online world. Analytics - hey here is another market we can dominate by giving away the product until everyone is gone; wifi - we have money lets buy the spectrum to monopolize the growing popularity....
The list goes on and on of new ventures Google is working. And to make sure the gloss does not fall from the rose they have spin doctors at every step.
Matt I love you - know you are intelligent, witty and a cat lover - but you are the King of Spin - note I did not spell that Sphinn.....
Michael Gray was on to something at that infamous Paid Links Are Evil panel - people seem to allow the front runners to set the rules... this is true of business as well as politics.
Google is not the FCC - but maybe the FCC should pay a little more attention to what Google is doing. When the Hunt brothers tried to monopolize the silver industry last century the government stepped in. Antitrust has been a hurdle for Bill Gates' expansion of Microsoft - yet no one said anything about Google's actions in the analytics space - and the DoubleClick deal got approved with no real pain.
Guess when the company is popular in this era of mass communication many people are intimidated to say anything against them as the public backlash could be huge.
Stop playing with YouTube, stop buying up more industries, stop trying to save the world and go back to what it was that got all this money and power... good leading edge organic search.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
GMail Offering Group Chat Now
You have to love the innovations. Sure I get pissed occasionally with some of the Google antics but they really are trying to improve the user experience.
I started using the Group Chat today. Not bad.
The Google Channel on YouTube is pretty good as well. Hey they even have Matt Cutts giving lessons on Snippets.
They even are backing the One Laptop Per Child program - with the "buy one get one donated from you" recently.
So you may still need to drop the "Do No Evil" motto - why not change it to "Help The Best You Can".
I started using the Group Chat today. Not bad.
The Google Channel on YouTube is pretty good as well. Hey they even have Matt Cutts giving lessons on Snippets.
They even are backing the One Laptop Per Child program - with the "buy one get one donated from you" recently.
So you may still need to drop the "Do No Evil" motto - why not change it to "Help The Best You Can".
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Will Google DoubleClick Become Big Brother Or The Borg?
Yesterday a letter from the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust suggested that the merger of Google with DoubleClick could be a bad thing for the internet. It would allow Google to have too much control over all types of internet advertising and content.
The recent comments by Matt Cutts about what Google expects from webmasters - no follow, no link buying or selling, etc. is as Michael Gray said, in San Jose, not law. Google is not the government - though the Big Brother (and hopefully we are not thinking TV show here) comparisons have a little merit, I do not see it as the more accurate coupling.
Google is the Borg (and this time we are talking TV shows). It sucks up all elements of the web and bends them to the Google collective. I am tired of blasting the "Do No Evil" mantra - but it needs addressing.
When it first launched Google was the hippie uncle - cool product, no merchandising, very minimalist. Well look how far they have come now.
I just started to name products but deleted that as it would have taken way too long. Let's face it they are in every form of online marketing and with each entrance they decimate their competitors. Whole industries are dying because of Google and it is not going to stop.
When the United States eventually becomes the third world country its economy seems destined to get to, Google will have moved along to further building China and other faster growing economies.
I hold stock.... and think it a great investment - but I really don't like where they are going with all this. When Vanessa Fox left so did any fantasy of her becoming the Seven of Nine.... and Matt I am going to be looking for assimilation marks next time we are at the same event!
The recent comments by Matt Cutts about what Google expects from webmasters - no follow, no link buying or selling, etc. is as Michael Gray said, in San Jose, not law. Google is not the government - though the Big Brother (and hopefully we are not thinking TV show here) comparisons have a little merit, I do not see it as the more accurate coupling.
Google is the Borg (and this time we are talking TV shows). It sucks up all elements of the web and bends them to the Google collective. I am tired of blasting the "Do No Evil" mantra - but it needs addressing.
When it first launched Google was the hippie uncle - cool product, no merchandising, very minimalist. Well look how far they have come now.
I just started to name products but deleted that as it would have taken way too long. Let's face it they are in every form of online marketing and with each entrance they decimate their competitors. Whole industries are dying because of Google and it is not going to stop.
When the United States eventually becomes the third world country its economy seems destined to get to, Google will have moved along to further building China and other faster growing economies.
I hold stock.... and think it a great investment - but I really don't like where they are going with all this. When Vanessa Fox left so did any fantasy of her becoming the Seven of Nine.... and Matt I am going to be looking for assimilation marks next time we are at the same event!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Microsoft Will Show You Your Competitors' Numbers
I had a meeting with a crew from Microsoft today about where we were going in the near future with search advertising with them.
The powerpoint presentation was impressive.... but showed how much they will let you know about your industry's search behavior in general, and your competitors information in particular. Not bad really until you realize they are sharing the same information about your numbers with your competitors!
They outlined top keywords used by our industry, volume available, range of CPCs and other demographic information. We were shown what our highest competitor was spending for how many clicks and what impressions.
We got information on 5 specific competitors - their impression numbers, clicks, average position and average CPC. You have to start thinking. Why do all the heavy lifting when Microsoft will share the knowledge with every new advertiser in the space.
We saw that we had a couple of competitors paying less per click - $4.50 compared with their $1.50 and averaged slightly higher in position and significant difference in their favor for CTR.
I like Microsoft - but they would not let me opt out of sharing my information.... as long as I get this report monthly I can keep my competitors behind me... we have done the heavy lifting and know what is worth buying.
Their offer for help writing creatives was turned down.... we know how to reach the right people why let someone who doesn't run the show?
The powerpoint presentation was impressive.... but showed how much they will let you know about your industry's search behavior in general, and your competitors information in particular. Not bad really until you realize they are sharing the same information about your numbers with your competitors!
They outlined top keywords used by our industry, volume available, range of CPCs and other demographic information. We were shown what our highest competitor was spending for how many clicks and what impressions.
We got information on 5 specific competitors - their impression numbers, clicks, average position and average CPC. You have to start thinking. Why do all the heavy lifting when Microsoft will share the knowledge with every new advertiser in the space.
We saw that we had a couple of competitors paying less per click - $4.50 compared with their $1.50 and averaged slightly higher in position and significant difference in their favor for CTR.
I like Microsoft - but they would not let me opt out of sharing my information.... as long as I get this report monthly I can keep my competitors behind me... we have done the heavy lifting and know what is worth buying.
Their offer for help writing creatives was turned down.... we know how to reach the right people why let someone who doesn't run the show?
Friday, November 9, 2007
Getting Directions Guys Can Live With
Google is implementing a plan that should have any guy wanting directions happy to use. You simply go to a gas station and while you are getting gas you have access to Google Maps!
It really is a perfect place for people to get directions - I used to stop at gas stations and look at the maps they had of their neighborhood (they usually were the ones given as part of your local phone book).
It is a major branding play but unless Google allows a bidding war on who gets the maps - will it be Hess or BP or Exxon etc - which would give the one with the maps a lot more traffic - I do not see how they make money (and we have all come to know Google is about making money).
It really is a perfect place for people to get directions - I used to stop at gas stations and look at the maps they had of their neighborhood (they usually were the ones given as part of your local phone book).
It is a major branding play but unless Google allows a bidding war on who gets the maps - will it be Hess or BP or Exxon etc - which would give the one with the maps a lot more traffic - I do not see how they make money (and we have all come to know Google is about making money).
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