Search Industry
Yahoo Defends Google Deal
Saturday, September 13th, 2008 | Google, Yahoo | No Comments
As part of a three-hour media day today, a Yahoo executive offered an interesting defense of the company’s pending search deal with Google. That deal, which was supposed to start in a few weeks, has come under increasing fire by people concerned that it will cement Google’s already huge lead in search advertising. Now, Justice is apparently looking whether there’s a case to quash the deal.
Hilary Schneider, executive vice president of Yahoo U.S., positioned the deal with Google as an extension of Yahoo’s partnerships by which other publishers such as hundreds of U.S. newspapers can sell ads on Yahoo properties. Her example: Search for “red roses in Birmingham Alabama” and you get no ads on Yahoo search results page. Google’s search results page has 11 advertisers. So by hooking up with Google, Yahoo is giving those advertisers a chance to reach Yahoo users as well as Google users and potentially get more customers. In Yahoo’s view, says Schneider, “We are able to essentially create more access and better ROI for the advertisers.”
Many advertisers don’t think that tradeoff is worthwhile because they believe they’ll pay more for the same results. Yahoo’s essentially saying that advertisers will be getting better results for their money, whatever they pay. I don’t envy the Justice Dept. trying to sort all this out.
Update: During questions after her presentation, Schneider said Yahoo is confident the company can get Justice “comfortable” with the deal by the planned early-October start of the deal. She said Yahoo is “actively involved in the conversation” with Justice on the deal.
Schneider shrugged off concerns by some advertisers that ad prices would rise after the deal. “Advertisers are rational and bid what they see value for,” she said. Also, she notes, Google advertisers today can’t reach Yahoo users with their ads, so the deal would help them do that and in the process serve Yahoo users with ads they didn’t get before.
Given all the furor of the last few days, I’m surprised Yahoo sounds so confident. It may not be long before we find out if that confidence is well-placed.
Google Trends now for Websites
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008 | Google | No Comments
A new layer to Trends with Google Trends for Websites, a fun tool that gives you a view of how popular your favorite websites are, including your own! It also compares and ranks site visitation across geographies, and related websites and searches.
Microsoft Yahoo Merger starts Again
Monday, May 19th, 2008 | Microsoft & MSN, Yahoo | No Comments
A potential partnership deal between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. the companies revealed over the weekend may prove to be a stepping stone to an outright acquisition, analysts said on Monday.
UBS analysts said in a research note that the business discussions between Microsoft and Yahoo could be a prelude to an eventual outright acquisition offer because it was vital for Microsoft to acquire Yahoo on friendly terms.
“A near-term deal could act as an intermediate step that would go a long way toward testing the waters,” UBS wrote.
The brokerage said a Microsoft-Yahoo partnership is likely to focus on search advertising and should be seen as an alternative to a scenario in which Yahoo would outsource to Google Inc. part of its Web search ad sales.
Stifel Nicolas argued that Microsoft may be seeking to buy Yahoo’s search and search-advertising business outright, leaving Yahoo independent but smaller, focused on display advertising and Internet media businesses.
Stifel analysts George Askew and Scott Devitt warned that Yahoo must reach a deal with either Google or Microsoft or face a bruising proxy battle with activist investor Carl Icahn, who is seeking to install his own slate of Yahoo directors.
Icahn launched a proxy campaign last Thursday to replace Yahoo’s board with directors who would reopen talks with Microsoft, saying Yahoo had acted irrationally in refusing the software company’s $47.5 billion bid.
The proxy battle “may ultimately drive a damaged Yahoo into Microsoft’s arms” at around $31 per share, Stifel said.
Microsoft made a $31-per-share cash and stock offer in late January. Earlier this month, Microsoft discussed raising that offer to $33 a share, but backed away after Yahoo management held out for $37 per share.
The software giant’s move to court Yahoo was likely to prompt the Icahn to press Yahoo to further pursue an alliance with Google, a person familiar with the billionaire investor’s thinking told Reuters on Sunday.
Google Knows too much about us..Beware!
Saturday, March 8th, 2008 | Google | No Comments
Ever you wondered what google knows about you ?
Here is a small list of what they know about a person. Depending on which services he signs up for.
- The Websites that he owns.
- His Bank Account.
- His Profession. (at least very very close. Like a dentist would search for his related stuff and thats how they can find out what you do)
- Visitors to his website. (A lot of information about them, this can let them calculate a lot of things)
- A lot of information about you also goes in the websites that you visit that use google analytics code.
- Arial view of your house. If you have used google maps, you must have gone to check your house and must have gone to it a lot of times to show your friends and stuff. Or maybe worse marked it as “My House” .
- They know his personal connections, like his friends and his friends and a lot of information about them too.
- His full name
- His verified Postal Address.
- The web sites I visit, frequency of visit etc (this can be done through the google toolbar, which goes to their server to get the pagerank values etc.)
- The Country that he lives in.
- The browser that he uses.
- The OS that he uses.
- His video preferences.
- The communities he belongs to
- Credit Card information (In case of adwords)
- Search Terms that you target
- Who you send emails to
- Who sends emails to you
- The contents of those emails
- Your chat using Google Talk.
If you are a webmaster and have websites that use google’s services. I think that this is not going to be a good idea. Google knows a lot about us. And think about it, can’t they use this information to rank our websites. Why shouldn’t they. They are a very large company and know what they are doing. They also have to stay ahead of their competition and they have to constantly keep working on new ways to rank websites. Links Links and Links. Google is all about Links. They are going every direction to find our links. Business plus personal. They know everything about us (almost). Now with their phones coming up in the market they will also be able to locate your exact position.Although I use google’s services I have no other option no one ever dared to try and do something about this. But I have something in mind and just dont know how to go about it from here. I have put up websites, got users and very soon this will be launched and you can rest assured that no one is watching now.
The internet is for information. Don’t let people misuse the power of the internet.
Wake up!!
see related Discussion at Digitalpoint
Source:The Real Web Server
Google Apps Team Edition : For Free
Friday, February 8th, 2008 | Google | No Comments
Google is releasing a new edition of its hosted applications suite that end-users can bring into the workplace without the involvement of their IT department.

It means that IT managers who fret about employees using unauthorized software at work will have another tool to worry about, especially in industries where information management is heavily regulated, like health care and finance.
The new release, called Google Apps Team Edition, is due to be available Thursday for free. It is aimed at employees who are interested in using Google Apps but whose employers haven’t signed up for it, said Rajen Sheth, Google Apps senior product manager.
Team Edition contains the core communication and collaboration services and applications from other editions, like the word processor, spreadsheet, Start page, Talk instant messaging and calendar, but not Gmail, which requires IT participation to re-route the company’s e-mail flow.
So far, more than 500,000 mostly small organizations have signed up for Google Apps, but the other versions Standard, Education, Partner and Premier require IT to implement the suite because its services are linked to an organization’s Internet domain.
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Google Toolbar PageRank Update : January 2008
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 | Google | 1 Comment
Today we are having our first Google Toolbar PageRank update of 2008. At least there are dozens and dozens of reports that PageRank scores on the 72.14.25.x data center has been updated.
In any event, for many Toolbar PageRank is a prestige thing. So congrats if your PageRank score went up. Sorry if it went down.
Forum discussion at DigitalPoint Forums and WebmasterWorld.
Gates To Kick Off CES, And Big Push By Microsoft
Saturday, January 5th, 2008 | Microsoft & MSN | 1 Comment
Linux, Yahoo, AOL, and other companies and technologies will compete for attention at the annual display of consumer electronics.
When Bill Gates takes the stage this weekend at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it will be one of his last big appearances as chairman ofMicrosoft (NSDQ: MSFT). His presence as the opening keynote speaker makes clear that the consumer electronics industry, once focused on the latest gadgets and gizmos, increasingly relies on software.
Gates’ keynotes is likely to set the tone for the entire show, and judging by the volume of expected announcements next week, it’s likely that mobility will be a major topic of conversation. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, Smart Personal Objects Technology, and automotive business units also will be at the show. Windows Mobile 6.1 is expected to be released sometime early this year.
Meanwhile, some companies are using Microsoft software to power their own software and hardware, like Ricavision, which is coupling Bluetooth with Windows Vista's SideShow capability to display e-mail notifications and other information on a remote control.
As usual, Microsoft will have a strong presence at CES. The company unveiled Windows Home Server at last year's CES, and that team is back again this year after the product's release last summer. Microsoft's also bringing along teams representing Xbox, Windows Live, its Surface multi-touch computing group, Windows Vista, the Silverlight browser plug-in, automotive technology like Ford's new Sync software, and a Smart Personal Objects Technology group that includes things like Microsoft-powered watch software.
Microsoft will have competition from Linux at this year's CES as well. OpenMoko is showing its Linux-based smart phone, while a start-up that's already gotten its software packaged into cheap PCs at Wal-Mart will be releasing the latest version of its operating system at CES. Good OS' Ubuntu-based Rocket makes heavy use of built-in links to Web apps to bolster its functionality.
The Web won't be left out either. Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) will be at CES in full force, including a keynote by CEO Jerry Yang and "several announcements centering on the company's mobile strategy."Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is nowhere to be seen, but several companies have built Google software and services into their systems, including Thompson's new GE-branded DECT 6.0 phones, which have a built-in "auto-dial GOOG-411 button" for free directory assistance. AOL will be there as well, continuing its reinvention into a portal player.
A British start-up named Invu will be exhibiting an interesting take on Web search at CES with .NET-based downloadable search software called Ergo. The software does desktop or Web searches and then clusters results. For example, a search on "baseball" might bring back clusters labeled "baseball players" and "baseball cards," among others. Ergo aggregates results from several different search engines and has a social aspect to it: users can annotate and share search results with one another.
RealNetworks will also be announcing new technology at the show. The multimedia software maker is participating in CES Unveiled, the pre-CES press preview, on Saturday. Last year, the company announced a series of partnerships with companies like Tivo. Other multimedia software companies in attendance include Cyberlink Corp., ArcSoft, Nero, and Corel, all of which are showcasing their latest wares.
Gaming software will also have a showing, though CES isn't known as a mecca for gamers. LucasArts will unveil new games, and Microsoft and Sony may have something up their own sleeves. Sony has already announced on its CES Web site that the voice-over IP service Skype will soon be available on Sony's PlayStation Portable gaming system.
The real software story this year, at least in preview, should be Microsoft. The company's massive presence plus a valedictory address from its chairman shows an intention to put on a full court press with its consumer-facing applications at the show.
At last phpBB 3 Gold Released
Monday, December 17th, 2007 | Forums & Boards | 3 Comments
Hello,Today we begin a new chapter in the history of phpBB. After five years, over 200,000 lines of new and altered code, and many a long night phpBB Group is very proud to announce the release of phpBB3 “Olympus”.
phpBB has changed considerably since work on its second major release began. People have come and gone but this day would not have been reached without the hard work and dedication of all our group members, past and present. The phpBB community, all of you, also deserve a large pat on the back for continuing to support this project. Whether it be through writing mods, creating new themes, spreading the word or simply using phpBB to build new communities, our thanks to you too.
So again we say with great pride and many thanks to all those who’ve helped us reach this point - enjoy phpBB3.
Thank you.
At last phpBB 3 Gold Released, Eight “release candidate” versions preceded the gold release. ![]()
Webmaster Tools Adds Content Analysis
Monday, December 17th, 2007 | Google, Search Industry | 1 Comment
Detailed info on Title and Meta Description issues, Cool new feature in Webmaster Tools - you can go into Diagnostics and Content Analysis, and it will now tell you if you have issues with duplicate titles or meta descriptions, or non-indexable content.
The Content analysis summary page within the Diagnostics section of Webmaster Tools features three main categories. Click on a particular issue type for more details:
* Title tag issues
* Meta description issues
* Non-indexable content issuesSelecting “Duplicate title tags” displays a list of repeated page titles along with a count of how many pages contain that title. We currently present up to thirty duplicated page titles on the details page. If the duplicate title issues shown are corrected, we’ll update the list to reflect any other pages that share duplicate titles the next time your website is crawled.
Also, in the Title tag issues category, we show “Long title tags” and “Short title tags.” For these issue types we will identify title tags that are way too short (for example “IT” isn’t generally a good title tag) or way too long (title tag was never intended to mean
). A similar algorithm identifies potentially problematic meta description tags. While these pointers won’t directly help you rank better (i.e. pages with length x aren’t moved to the top of the search results), they may help your site display better titles and snippets in search results, and this can increase visitor traffic. In the “Non-indexable content issues,” we give you a heads-up of areas that aren’t as friendly to our more text-based crawler. And be sure to check out our posts on Flash and images to learn how to make these items more search-engine friendly.
Yahoo! Search Support for X-Robots-Tag Directive to Simplify Control
Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 | SEO, Search Industry, Yahoo | 1 Comment
Today we’re announcing support for tags that give webmasters even more flexibility over which pages and documents are crawled and indexed by Yahoo! Search. Specifically, we’re extending our support of page level exclusion tags — NOINDEX, NOARCHIVE, NOSNIPPET, NOFOLLOW — to provide additional control for archiving and summarization of ANY file type. Previously, these page level tags could only be expressed within html pages through the META directive (for e.g. ), but based on feedback from our webmasters, Yahoo! now enables these tags to be expressed through X-Robots-Tag directive in the http header, giving webmasters the flexibility to achieve exclusions on PDF, Word documents, PowerPoint, video, and other file types, including html files, and increasing their coverage through a simplified process. Additionally, webmasters no longer need access to html templates in order to express exclusions for html files. To take advantage of this feature, simply add the following page level tags to the X-Robots-Tag directive in the HTTP Header. Here are a few examples:X-Robots-Tag: NOINDEX — If you don’t want to show the URL in the Yahoo! Search results.
Note: We’ll still need to crawl the page to see and apply the tag, so if you don’t wish to have the page crawled, use robots disallow on robots.txt.X-Robots-Tag: NOARCHIVE — If you don’t want to display cache link in the search results page.
X-Robots-Tag: NOSNIPPET — If you don’t want to display summary in the search results page.
X-Robots-Tag: NOFOLLOW — If you don’t want Yahoo! to crawl links in the page.
Along with this change, we’ll be rolling out additional changes to our crawling, indexing and ranking algorithms over the next few days. We expect the update will be completed early next week, but you may see some changes in ranking as well as some shuffling of the pages in the index during this process.
We’re at SES in Chicago and WebmasterWorld’s PubCon in Las Vegas, participating in a few different panels this week. Please find us if you have any questions or suggestions or drop us your feedback here.
Sharad Verma
Yahoo! Search
from:Yahoo! Search Blog
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