Briefly: Think local, act Google
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roundup Plus: SanDisk to supply Samsung with miniSD...Hitachi unleashes 100GB notebook drives...Web services security outfits merge.
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Vista tops list of tech disappointments... NYT and Henry Blodget weigh in on Google's threat to Microsoft... More people are 'Googling' themselves and more...
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roundup Plus: AOL signs up for Omniture traffic tool...Friendster hires ex-AOL ad exec...HP inks deal with energy firm.
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Today's announcement from Facebook is the reason why Google announced OpenSocial last week. They must have gotten a leak from one of the companies that stood with Facebook, so they knew what was coming. They weren't scared of Facebook's technology, because they didn't respond with technology. They were scared because Facebook has a better advertising story than Google does. They are getting ready to offer some very premium web real estate that (pay attention now) Google can't compete with. And advertising is Google's bread and butter, advertising is to Google as operating systems are to Microsoft. They can't let somebody appear to be better than they are in advertising. Yet that's what Facebook is, better than Google in advertising. Here's what Facebook can do.  Let's say I bought a Wii and I like it. They can tell all my friends "Dave bought a Wii and he likes it." That's a lot more likely to result in a sale  than an intrusive ad like this one, that was displayed next to an email I sent to some friends about their New Networked Living Room. Google thinks I might want to buy Moroccan Lamps, or something called a Unique Shabby Chic (huh?) or Crate & Barrell bedroom furniture. Of course I tune that shit out, I don't even see it. It has zero impact.   Anyway, I was talking with Doc Searls a few minutes ago and he mentioned OpenSocial and I told him it was just a lot of noise meant to distract people from what Facebook was doing in advertising. He hadn't heard anything about it even though he was at a tech conference in Denver today and yesterday. I said there you go, Google's strategy worked. But to no effect, longterm, because Facebook has the momentum and Google, try as hard as they want to stop it, will not be able to, any more than Alta Vista or Infoseek were able to stop Google once they figured out that their lunch was eaten. Google will be around for a long time, I'm not saying they will go away, but Facebook will be around too. And Google will have a hard time catching up to them.  Long-term, however they both have problems because advertising is on its way to being obsolete. Facebook is just another step along the path. Advertising will get more and more targeted until it disappears, because perfectly targeted advertising is just information. And that's good!  8/3/06: "Information is welcome, advertising is offensive."
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IAC/InterActive spins off the online travel service. Also: PCs sprout second brain.... Nielson ratings show broadband users surpassing dialup.... and more.
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Changes aim to address Google antitrust concerns. Also: Redmond talks for first time about when service pack will arrive.
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Links to the week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Hack Your Competition Out of Organic Search - MSN And Yahoo Join Google With Sitemaps - How Local Search And SEM Relates - What to Look for When Purchasing Links? - What Tools Does An SEO Guru Use? and more.
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Google added last Thursday a nice little video to their YouTube account without mentioning anything significant to their blogs as they usually do for announcements of new product features. Search Engine Roundtable noticed it on Friday and made a quick post, Lifehacker posted about it on Saturday.Â  The new feature is in my opinion significant and worth [...]
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Links to the week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Report: Local Search Advertising Spend Will Double - Content Is King - Do I Need Adwords? - Organic Search Vs. Paid Advertisement - SEO Rates - Moving to Pay-For-Performance, and more.
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Users will see the coupons displayed with maps when they search on Google Local.
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roundup Plus: Siebel moves toward self-repairing software...Monster says it could enter Japan by mid-2005...Novell to release Open Enterprise Server.
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Obeying the courts, Windows will no longer have a Media Player in Europe. Also:  Monsanto buys another seed maker & hellip;.  Robot soldiers ready for Iraq & hellip;. and more.
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Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Having Trouble Believing In Crosslinking Penalties - Directory Wars - Local Search is just Hype - 20 Guidelines To Create Successful Landing Pages - Google as Web King, For Now... - Robots.txt Issue With Duplicate Content
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The search giant has added a new local search component to its news aggregation service. Now users can enter their address or ZIP code to see relevant local news results. While the enhancement won't win over Google users in major metro areas, it's a welcome addition to those outside the big cities.
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What's new in search? Found in the forums: But Is The Traffic Any Good?; What is Your Best AdSense Tip?; Ranking Without Links; and more.
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Open-source software loses out in e-government project in Bangalore. Also: Tensions rise as EU court prepares to rule on Microsoft's antitrust case.... Monsanto saves money for a rainy day.... and more.
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Found in the search marketing forums: Why PR Doesn't Count Anymore; Which Comes First - Content or Design?; If Google Died Tomorrow; and more.