SEO:Search

While the news of Yahoo!’s boldly rejecting Microsoft’s bid was already out of the boardroom, Microsoft has now responded to Yahoo!’s official refusal to comply with the Redmond giant’s wishes, and it appears the it won’t take a ‘no’ for an answer. Yahoo! expressed that the Board of Directors’ decision was a unanimous conclusion that the proposal is not in the best interests of Yahoo! and its stockholders.

Microsoft Aggresively Pursues Yahoo Takeover!

Moreover, the proposal had received a comprehensive review from Yahoo!’s management team and financial and legal advisors and only then a decision was reached.

Yahoo!’s evaluation finds that Microsoft’s proposal substantially undervalues Yahoo! including their global brand, worldwide audience, recent investments in advertising platforms and future growth prospects, free cash flow and earnings potential, and their large unconsolidated investments. Moreover, Yahoo! is weighing its strategic options in to pursue initiatives which would maximize value for all stockholders.

Microsoft on the other hand is naturally nonplussed by Yahoo!’s gesture and has termed the decision as unfortunate. Nevertheless, the Redmond giant is overly hopeful and wants to pursue in the direction aggresively. Based on conversations with stakeholders of both companies, we are confident that moving forward promptly to consummate a transaction is in the best interests of all parties, stated the official statement from Microsoft.

Defending their proposal as full and fair, Microsoft has emphasized the fullness of the proposal and that it offers shareholders superior value and the opportunity to participate in the upside of the combined company. Moreover, it believes that the combination would bring in a whole set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers. And not to mention that the merger would create a more competitive marketplace by establishing a compelling number two competitor.

Microsoft has also made known, albeit in what is being considered as a hostile stance, that it would go to any length to pursue its dreams, Microsoft reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.

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Search Engine Strategies London 2008 is underway. With Day One under our belts, we’re happy to share some of the coverage of the event from around the Web:

• SES London 2008 : Day 1 Roundup, Feb 19 2008, YouTube
• SES London, Near-Live Blogging (I), Traffick
• SES London Day One Recap, Search Engine Land
• SES London Day One Pictures, Online Marketing Blog
• Search Engine Strategies - London - 021908, Online Conversion and Beyond
• Search Engine Strategies - London - Auditing Paid Listing and Click Fraud Issues, Online Conversion and Beyond
• Search Engine Strategies - London - Orion Panel: All-Star Analytics Team, Online Conversion and Beyond
• Search Engine Strategies - London - Orion Panel - Universal, Blended and Vertical Search, Online Conversion and Beyond
• SES London 08: Organic Listings Forum, Search Marketing Gurus
• SES London 08: Frederick Marckini Opening Keynote, Search Marketing Gurus

SES London 08: Impact of Universal Search, Orion Panel, Search Marketing Gurus

• Search Engine Strategies Organic Listings Forum Live from SES 2008, Firefly SEO
• 20 Minutes to Mention Paid Links: SES London Day 1, Part 1, SEOmoz
• Analytics and the Future of Search, YOUmoz
• SES London: Click Fraud Issues, Andrew Girdwood
• SESLondon2008 photos, Flickr
• Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo, YouTube
• SES group on LinkedIn
• SES Group on Facebook

A giant snakehead fish (the “Jaws” of freshwater fish in Southeast Asia) was caught by a fisherman in England. The snakehead hooked in a river caused a panic in the Midlands and created something of a “Snakes on the Plains” buzz online. The British Environment Agency tried to assuage fears of a snakehead invasion but many of us here in Islington (London SES) remain scared out of our wits secure in the knowledge the Thames River is only kilometres away.

The giant snakehead has been known to crawl on land.

Snakehead fish can grow to more than 5 feet in length. Sharp teeth make the snakehead a feared predator of other river dwellers.

FOG (Fear of Google) was one of the themes of the Orion Panel (All Star Analytics Team). London FOG reminded me of the giant snakehead fish. Consumers, corporations and regulatory bodies often have an irrational fear of Google.

They say Google will invade privacy and destroy our natural Internet habitat. Companies fear the mega-search engine will use Google Analytics, Google Conversion Optimizer and Google Checkout to artificially inflate keyword prices. In short, to rig the keyword auction. They worry Google will prey on competitors and customers alike.

With respect to privacy, Jim Sterne of Target Marketing and chairman of the Web Analytics Association put it best:

“Why would I worry about Google knowing what I search for? The privacy issue is that I’m upset the bank knows how much money I have?”

There were no conspiracy theorists in the audience. Brian Clifton, Google’s head of Web Analytics, EMEA, didn’t even have to defend Google’s honor.

Nor did Ian Thomas, Microsoft’s director oif customer intelligence attempt to exploit the climate of fear.

Bryan Eisenberg, co-founder, Future Now noted Google needs to be more transparent. Separation of church and state may be tough when Google has so many evangelists, not only in their employ but among brand-loyal consumers.

Google dominates the European and UK search landscape. As scary as the giant snakefish may be, here’s the key takeaway:

The more you know, the less you fear.

Condensing the essentials of search engine marketing into a one-hour session is a formidable challenge. This morning at SES London Dr. Ralph Wilson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Web Marketing Today, took on this challenge (In the interest of full disclosure I periodically write for this publication). Ralph provided a clear concise introduction to the lingo and processes for organic and paid search. As with any introduction, there is the challenge of offering enough meat on the bone to satisfy those who are at an intermediate or beyond level without losing the beginners. From the large number of delegates actively taking notes, Ralph’s presentation was very well-received and offered plenty for everyone.

All of us who either market or provide search engine marketing services would have benefited from this session, for Ralph offered a clear roadmap just what we must provide clients not yet familiar with our services and processes. There were some nuggets – “be sure to scatter clues throughout the site.” These are essential messages that we deliver to clients, but it is not until it is put in context that is truism comes alive, as it did for the audience this morning.

Clients and readers often ask why a site that’s younger, smaller, or just plain “uglier” outranks them. There really isn’t a simple answer. In today’s Little Biz column, “How To Outrank Your SEO Competitors,” Carrie Hill offers some things to take into consideration when a competitor is outranking you.

Why does Google want a struggling search engine and technology company with an over-sized price tag, when it can snap up a few social media bargains for just $1.7 billion? Industry speculation has Google circling social media companies Bebo and Plaxo. While everyone else is wondering whether Microsoft will produce the $57 billion for Yahoo!

Google Goes After Plaxo & Bebo

Google has been quietly focusing on a more social direction.

Bebo factsheet
Bebo is a social network that allows users to create profiles, connect with other users, whilst also providing a platform to view and share photos, video and audio.

• Started in July 2005
• 34 million registered users
• Largest social networking site in UK, Ireland and New Zealand
• 3rd Largest in the US behind Facebook & MySpace

Plaxo factsheet
Plaxo is a free service that helps users maintain an up to date address book by tapping into their various communication tools such as Outlook, Messenger etc. Plaxo more recently introduced a social network named Plaxo Pulse which aggregates user information from other social networks.

• Started in July 2001
• 20000 new users per day
• 15 million users as at Sep 2006

So what do Plaxo and Bebo offer a search giant like Google, given the established issues of monetizing similar social media offering?

Bebo could be used in conjunction with Google’s existing social network Orkut, to increase its grip of social network markets outside the US. The Bebo acquisition would instantly double Google’s share of the social networking market and provide it with valuable search exposure in the UK and commonwealth nations.

Plaxo on the other hand offers Google a chance to tap into the professional social networking space with the likes of LinkedIn and lesser so, Facebook. As Plaxo already provides an open social policy with most of the major social networks, it would be a great way for Google to tap into these indirectly (assuming these connections remain after a Google takeover).

Okay, so the acquisitions will increase user numbers in the social networking space, provide increased reach for its advertising network and help in penetrate some regional markets that it lacks social presence in - but will they provide bottom line benefits to the search engine giant.

Given the failed attempts to bolster revenue through the MySpace advertising deal, I’m not sure these acquisitions will provide a short term gain from advertising, but perhaps it’s all a part of a bigger picture.

NOTE: both companies are a part of the OpenSocial project. So perhaps it’s a pure play at Facebook and an attempt to control the revenue opportunities that OpenSocial style apps will provide in the future.

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SEO success lives or dies in the proper execution of necessary SEO components. Recommendations alone don’t make your site rank. In today’s au Natural column, “American Express Axes Ellen DeGeneres: Au Natural On Amex Site,” Mark Jackson looks at the American Express site for his latest quarterly site review. Whether or not they follow his advice is up to them.

SEOBOOK’s Aaron Wall, in what will likely be a hot post around the social news and bookmarking universe, serves up candid and insightful thinking on the long term competitive advantage of classic search engine optimization vs. pay per click. His writing style is hungry and tone passionate. Aaron’s got his Mojo on in this delightfully self-effacing comparison of SEO & PPC’s long-term value.

Wall writes, "This is why I like SEO so much more than PPC. Most people are too lazy to spend years researching their topic, years building a brand, years building links, and years building social and customer relationships. We are afraid of failure, afraid of success, and afraid that we are investing too much in one place. But, if someone sees me ranking in the organic results they can’t just clone it unless they know SEO well, and are committed for the long haul."

Many A-list SEOs have weighed in to the dialog regarding the Tao of SEO and PPC in tandem and separately. For additional perspective read "PPC vs. Organic," David Naylor, Lee Odden’s classic 2006 "The Lame PPC and SEO Debate," and sugerrae’s recent rant, "The Lazy SEO vs. The Lazy Monetizer." In a street level video interview, Rand Fishkin discusses using PPC to test organic concepts, PPC vs. SEO in China, and other useful concepts.

Search engines change their algorithms from time to time. We hear that this meta tag or that is ‘in vogue’ now. Recently we’ve been told that description tags are pretty much useless, as far as SEO goes. Search engines don’t pay too much attention to them. However in SEO PR, descriptions are worth their weight in gold..

Getting qualified traffic to your site is a two-step dance. Showing up on page one in the search engines is only the first part of the equation. After all, it’s people who are doing the searching. and it’s the people you want to come to your website.

Eye tracking studies show us how important it is to be listed at the top of a search results page. Indeed, the first goal is to be seen. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just being listed at number one or two for a search term will automatically make people click your listing and visit your site. Oh, that it were that simple!

People read the ‘headlines’ and the ‘blurb’ on the search results page before they decide which link to click. That ‘headline’ is your title tag. The ‘blurb’ is most often the description tag. So while meta tags might not be of great value in your SEO efforts anymore, they are vital pieces of persuasive content. In fact, they could well be the very first touch point with a prospective customer. They could be the deciding factor as to whether this person ever visits your site and gets to know your company.

Here is an example:

My daughter-in-law is pregnant with her first child - and my first grandchild. I am a Baby Boomer, an aging hippie with strong green and organic leanings. I have read about the connection between toxic household cleaners and childhood developmental problems. I go to the Net hoping to find information about natural, non-toxic cleansers..

This is what I get on Google when I search non toxic household cleaners

1. Make your own non toxic household cleaners
Household cleaners on the market today are harmful to your health, potentially deadly to children if ingested, expensive, and pollute ground water.

Well, that one hits all my go buttons. When I was a mom, this would have been perfect for me. However, I now own two businesses and work 15 hours a day. I am definitely not going to make my own. And neither is my daughter in law. So I move on to the next link

# 2 and 3 are also make your own. Finally at #5 I see Seventh Generation, the nation’s leading brand of non toxic household cleaners. Kitchen and bathroom cleaners made without harsh chemicals. AHA!

I was training the marketing and PR staff of a large public company last week and we looked up their search listings. When we compared their ‘headlines’ and ‘blurbs’ to the other listings on the page, it was quite clear why a searcher might choose another link rather than theirs.

They were not aware that they could control what appears on the search engine results page.

And when I said you are leaving one of the most important pieces of persuasive copy to your IT department they were horrified.

You don’t have to learn to code, but you do have to make friends with IT or your webmaster. And you need to learn enough about the SEO process to get the best possible content on the search results pages.

My last post, about how YouTube’s new features will affect internet marketers, garnered a lot of attention—but not from SEO and PPC professionals. It was my first paragraph, about YouTube’s response to the Anonymous-vs-Scientology online battle, that got attention.

Shortly after I posted that YouTube had not removed Anonymous’ initial YouTube threat/message to Scientology, SEW was flooded with replies that YouTube had just removed it, citing a Terms of Use violation (which in theory was valid, although rarely, if ever, enforced on YouTube). Today, perhaps owing to the protests of members and the mainstream coverage this conflict is beginning to get, the video was back up (although honors for it are not being tracked correctly).

My interest piqued, I began to look even more into Anonymous’ plan of attack against Scientology. DDoS attacks aside, this secretive collection of hackers is behaving, well, much like we would when we market a client in the search engines and social platforms. They are using SEO techniques to get their sites to outrank official Scientology sites; they are banding together to influence Digg and social bookmarking results. And as with any internet marketing campaign, there is a lot we can learn from their actions.

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