Time is not on the side of Cuil.com, the newest behemoth search engine which is boasts searching 121,617,892,992 web pages (at time of writing this).  Upon giving it a try, as anyone should, I find that it seems to be fraught with error and a graphic free-for-all for returning relevant results.  Will I write it off as a non-contender?  Probably not so quickly.  It has definitely grabbed my attention and I will probably do comparative searches on both Google and Cuil to see what differences, and what similarities appear.

 There is Merit to the content vs popularity that Cuil is boasting for its search results, which simply goes back to the (old?) adage that Content Is King.  The whole relevance for search results based on page content just strengthens the first lesson in search engine optimizing, which is that lasting results can be achieved based on the lowest common denominators of html, being well designed pages with well developed content.  Even Google still works that way to a greater degree than most want to admit.  However, with the popularity and authority removed from search results, and content being the driving algorithmic factor for Cuil, the results will most certainly be different between these search platforms.  Not necessarily wrong, but most certainly different.  So really, as the FULL adage must go, and I'm sure you've all heard a version here or there:  "If Content Is King, then Distibution must be Queen" and this is where the contest will heat up (if it ever gets a chance to get started).

Image courtesy: scribblesandwords.com

Questions come up if you have a search engine based on content alone, however.  Will it allow all of the old school methods of Search Engine Trickery such as keyword stuffing pages with same font/background colors, or does it's algorithms look for this sort of thing and penalize? Either way, if the site has been to the page, it counts toward the number mentioned above in the first paragraph.  What of reputation management?  If someone needs to be rescued from bad press, without the skills of talented link builders to take immediate action, how will one be able to undo their internet damage before it does permanent damage to their reputation online?  Finally, if Cuil has actually indexed about three times more web pages than Google has, just how relevant are the SERPs in Cuil if Google hasn't found the pages relevant enough to ad to their indexes?

Now, interestingly enough, the format of Cuil is pretty slick.  They are offering up e-zine style results, complete with an image.  Granted, there is much work to do on the image delivery to ensure that the images belong with the query results and are relevant, however if they work that out, the concept is outstanding and promises yet another take on display advertising.  In fact, it would not only mean optimizing content, it would also mean optimizing images for organic search in tandem with the page content.  Also, Google has taken notice of this new format, (it would appear), and is now presenting their sponsored search results in much the same format (but without the images, which I'm sure will be forthcoming in AdWords in the future).  The change to the appearance of the Sponsored Ads page occurred the very night that Cuil launched, so I doubt there is much coincidence there.  In fact, did Google change this layout because Cuil launched it and it made sense, or did Cuil launch their entire search engine prematurely because someone found out that Google was going to roll out the new presentation of Sponsored Results in pretty much the same format that Cuil has built their engine with?  After all, it then would have been perceived as "They got that from Google".  Also, how did they (Cuil OR Google) know to roll out at what time and date?  Search Engine Espionage?

Finally, there are no visible advertising opportunities yet (again, at time of writing) on Cuil, so Google will still continue to rake in the money.  I wonder if Cuil will manage to stand a chance in this industry since all of the creators have been involved in search since it was started.  After all, I can remember a couple of young guys who built a search engine with what seemed a somewhat silly and unlikely name, taking on the search giants of their time, being Altavista, Lycos, Excite, and others.  Can you even imagine?

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Cheers!

The Doug
aka Doug Gebhardt

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Cuil Takes A Licking – Will It Keep On Ticking?

HOLY SMOKES!  I am completely blown away by the moves of Yahoo this week, in an effort to stave off the Microsoft takeover.  As of yesterday for a two week trial, Google will handle advertising for a tiny piece of the searches carried out on Yahoo.  In fact, Google will place ads alongside 3% of the U.S. queries on Yahoo's site.  GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS ON YAHOO!!!  It would appear that instead of being eaten by the lion, Yahoo would prefer to throw itself into the dragon's mouth!  I'd LOVE to hear what you all have to say about that, or what your thoughts on this maneuver are!  Doesn't that actually reduce Yahoo's perceived value as a search engine, having results served up by the competition?  Wouldn't that also drive down the stock price, making it even easier for Microsoft to be able to pick it up?

A combination of Operations with Time Warner's AOL.  Yep.  That's the other direction that Yahoo is going after right now along side of this new venture.  If it works out, a good chunk of AOL operations would be merged with Yahoo, along with a cash investment in exchange for about a fifth of the resulting company that would be created, according to sources close to the situation.  It would allow Yahoo to use the money to buy back it's own stock (very possibly at the same price as what Microsoft was initially offering, or perhaps a TOUCH more).  However, the combination would not be a simple one, and would tie Yahoo together with a business that Time Warner really wants to be rid of.  I'd also love to hear what you have to say about this tidbit of info!  Would that end up putting both Yahoo! and AOL in reach of Microsoft?  Certainly that would bulk up Microsoft enough to be a clear and threatening competitor to Google on the search front.

Its amazing how fast these things have come to play after Microsoft's April 5 threat of a  three week period before initiating a proxy fight, including nomination of a bunch of new directors who would probably approve the deal.  So, the clock is ticking.  The fight is on.  Now THIS is a fight worthy of being audienced from the Panathinaiko Stadium.  (Greek Reference for Tom Tsinas because he tells me that everything originated in Greece)

So, when a predator corners it's prey, the prey more often than not has a surge of strength that will either get it out of harms way, or be it's last show of power before being devoured.  I wonder which one this is, keeping in mind that no matter what happens, Yahoo! is not simply going to evaporate.  It will be sticking around in one way or another, in it's current incarnation or in another.  (and I, for one, wouldn't have it any other way!)

Thoughts?

The Doug
aka Doug Gebhardt

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Yahoo – Ever Corner a Wild Animal?

 While I found most of the devices to be soooooo cool and I want them, I have difficulty actually imagining people from most industries, let alone the construction industry, investing in the number of gadgets per employee that Mike had the good fortune to use in his daily routine.

Okay, okay, it was not the point that everything is so affordable that the video was trying to make.  The point it was trying to make was how easy it wuld be to join together all of one's gizmos and gadgets, from computing on your laptop, desktop, or mobile device to managing your home security and Global Positioning System.  In fact, another YouTube video I checked out showed some of the business applications (and more way cool equipment) that the new Windows 7 software can join together.

So after looking at these YouTube videos of Windows 7, is anyone still wondering how Microsoft is planning on taking on the lion's share of search as well?  It would be my observation that if operating systems are moving toward production level work on the equipment with profiles and working documents all saved online, and with a built-in search functionality sitting everywhere, it wouldn't take too long to become the more popular search choice by mere convenience.  This would also fulfill the Bill Gates statement I referred to in my last post where Bill says that they have a strategy for competing in the search space that Google currently dominates today, and that they'll pursue what they had before they made the Yahoo offer, and that joining with Yahoo would have merely accelerated their plans.  It all involves breakthrough engineering.

I wonder what kind of patches will come with such a Windows project!  I also wonder what evolution will transpire in the overall world of search, and by it's very virtue, the world of Paid Search!

Let me know what you think!  The vids are a touch hokey, but the application sand gadgets are pretty cool.  (Hey Jeff, you need some more of these things for your office!)

Cheers!

The Doug

aka Doug Gebhardt

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Does the future of Windows spell the doom of Google?

Leading digital world measuring company, comScore, Inc. released a report today announcing the major trends in U.S. Internet activity last year.  A great article on CNNMoney.com actually goes into some really good detail on who the top-gaining properties were for the year as well as site categories, and core search market growth.

Its quite a fascinating thing to look at, seeing where there has been growth, and just thinking back through the year at what events could have been the reason.  For example, the top gaining site category in 2007 was Politics, but with the 2008 elections at hand, that's not a surprise.  Here is a chart so you can see for yourself and draw what conclusions you may based on the numbers (Just click on it to get a better image of it):

I'd love to hear your idea of what drove these various increased searches, so please by all means share your thoughts.

Now the metric that was not at all surprising was the ranking for Core Search Query Growth with Google Sites coming in first, followed by Yahoo! Sites, Microsoft Sites, Time Warner Network, and Ask Network respectively.  "More than 113 billion core searches were conducted in the U.S. during all of 2007, with Google Sites accounting for nearly 64 billion, representing a 56% share of the market."

Doug Gebhardt

aka The Doug

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

2007 U.S. Internet Year Stats Released by comScore

Peter Krasilovsky reported that while it was “not very revealing”, it was "pretty helpful". He went on to provide the best synopsis of the event I could find:

General Improvements: Simple signup and pricing, snapshot “proofs” of ads, and minimal campaign management. “We want to drive customers through the door.”

Call Reporting: Google is providing extensive call reporting to small-business advertisers for both online and offline ad formats (including radio and print). The reporting includes frequency, duration and originating location, and advertisers can use either local or toll-free numbers.

Mobile Ads: Google is rolling out AdSense for Mobile, including syndicated search ads on search partner results. The service carries the same charges as online clicks.

Google Maps for Mobile: In addition to putting maps on the phone, Google is enhancing them with traffic reports and satellite views.

Printable Coupons: Google is pushing a coupon capability via its local business center. A coupons link appears on local listings and on Google maps search results. They can also be searched at the local level.

Web Site Analytics: Google intends to expand the use of its free analytics tool for small businesses. The analytics, formerly Urchin Software, is embedded directly in AdWords. Advertisers that take advantage of the tools tend to spend more as a result. It has proved especially powerful for geo targeting.

Although not surprising, the announcement that Google can now provide any business with a unique phone number for use on their AdWords Business Page, was most interesting to me. This free number will let an advertiser track the total number of calls that come to their business through the web page.

Besides giving Google vast data on the effectiveness of various media, they're arming local business with the power to effectively track response rates for all marketing activities, both traditional and interactive, by helping:

• Identify each lead generated
• Reduce or eliminate non performing advertising spending
• Record information on every call such as, date, time, and area code.

With the ability to provide the advertiser with Research, Planning and and now Tracking results, it appears that Google are well on their way to becoming the defacto Chief Marketing Officer for the SMB segment.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Google Local Search Symposium

For those of you submitting, please do remember to include a link to your site. We want to drive as many links and as much traffic to your site as possible. You deserve it!

Without further ado, here the 10 submissions for Thursday May 24th:

1) Girls In Da' Hood – “Boyz In Da Hood SEO parody by Roberta

2) “He's buying a ranking in Goo-gle” (to the Zeppelin song Stairway to Heaven) by Jozian

3) “Google Dance” sung to the tune of Roy Orbison's Crying by DougG

4) “I'll Optimize” to the tune of “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor) by KBoydon

5) SEOlebrity to the tune of “Celebrity” by Brad Paisley by Sugarrae

6) “Google” Sung to the tune of “Grandpa” by the Judds by Shirley Tipsy

7) Page Rank Fantasy by Jenn B

8 ) SEO Song Contest: “Search All Nite” by jnimetz at SEO-Space

9) “Hotel California” by the Eagles by Mr. PPC

10) "Google is How" Sung to the tune of “This is my now” by Jordin Sparks by Roberta

Please take the time to go through each, and score it according to your own preferences and thoughts. This is ultimately part of the scoring algorithm.

We're certainly off to a good start, and its evident the competition is heating up.

Keep up the submissions!

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Day 3 of the SEO Lyric Contest Wrap-up