Search Engine News Blog - April 2003 Archives
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30 April 2003 >> You may have noticed that the blog was posted late yesterday. That's because I spent most of the day mucking around with the fabulous Proposal Kit. Apologies for the delay but I thought I'd finish my product evaluation before I completed my blog entry. You can check out my review below to see what all the fuss is about.
Close The Sale With Proposal Kit - Product Review I never read banner ads. That's why I was surprised to find myself clicking on a banner the other day. The ad intrigued me because it offered to fulfill a pressing need I had. You know that a good proposal can make or break a sale. This is particularly the case when your only communication with potential clients is via the Internet. But how do you know you've covered all the important aspects of your services? How can you be sure you've covered all project estimates? What if you need to include some legal contract information in your document but you can't afford to hire a lawyer? How do you make your proposal stand out from your competitors if you don't have any graphic design skills? Are you
forgetting an important section in your proposal that your potential client was expecting? I found myself asking all these questions when preparing quotations for potential clients.
>> Our latest issue of our newsletter The Search Light was meant to be circulated yesterday, but the providers of our newsletter creation software, Constant Contact, have had a catastrophic hardware failure and have taken the service offline until they fix the damage. Apologies to our subscribers and we'll hopefully be able to circulate the April issue later this afternoon.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : How to get listed in Google in 30 days - A forum member explains his theory of how the use of blogging software can get your site listed quickly in Google.
29 April 2003 >> Nobody thought of that one - Google has ended speculation of what it will do with Pyra Labs blogging technology by applying it to internal communications and product development. Plans for the external use of the technology are still closely guarded and Google's Director of Technology Craig Silverstein has used the "e" word again: <snippet>"We are trying to be successful without being evil," he said.</snippet>
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : H1 tag versus Stylesheet H1 - A discussion about whether Google reads stylesheets and how it treats H1, H2 tags etc.
28 April 2003 >> What a memorable weekend I've just had. Husband Jerry and I spent the weekend in Methven with our friends from Hot Pyjama Productions, Wendy and Andrew. Every year Methven holds a walking festival, encouraging visitors to explore the area. We spent Saturday afternoon taking the Food and Wines of the World trail, walking from point to point around town with a large group of people and tasting home made treats and wines from different regions of the world. By the time we reached our final stop in "Portugal", we were feeling no pain and ready for another round at the infamous Blue Pub. Yesterday we drove out to Mt Sunday, the glorious setting for the castle of Meduseheld in the township of Edoras in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, you know, the scene where Eowyn the fair maiden storms out onto the stone steps of Meduseheld and surveys Edoras from a great height. We had to drive over 20 km of shingle road, hike for 2 km over rocky terrain, walk barefoot through 3 freezing cold thigh-high streams (twice!) and climb the steep sides of Mt Sunday, but the view at the top was worth every minute (see below):
That's me striking a pose in black. What was even more remarkable was the fact that there was absolutely no evidence of the enormous movie set and thousands of actors that had taken over the area in 2000. Peter Jackson had made sure that the pristine area was left exactly as it was found, with even the grass tussocks replanted. The only negative aspect of the weekend was the Methven accommodation we stayed in - Mount Taylor Lodge. Apparently the host thinks that a bathtub with 2 spa jets can be advertised as a communal spa and that it is acceptable to charge a different price per night than advertised in their own brochure available in the foyer. They also don't believe in providing fresh sheets for guests, as evidenced by the nasty little hairs we found in the beds in our respective rooms (yes both rooms had pre-used sheets!). So if you're looking for accommodation in Methven for the upcoming Mount Hutt ski season, my suggestion is to avoid Mount Taylor Lodge like the plague (no pun intended), unless of course you like festy sheets and misleading advertising. Did I mention the name was Mount Taylor Lodge? Yes that's right, Mount Taylor Lodge in Methven.
>> Overture is being squeezed and is facing its roughest patch yet, according to an article from AtNewYork.com. What a pity.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Favorite Email Spam Filter? - Forum members swap stories about their favorite anti-spam software.
25 April 2003 >> It's ANZAC Day today, a public holiday. A day to attend war memorial services, remember fallen comrades, down a few beers and partake in a game of two-up at the local RSL Club. But do you think I've got the day off? Not bloody likely!
>>
Speaking of ANZAC Day, Google
Australia and Google
New Zealand are into ANZAC mode today, each sporting a special slouch
hat logo. Nice one Google!
>> As a combined result of announcing lower than expected revenues and Google purchasing their partner Applied Semantics this week, Overture shares fell more than 25 percent yesterday. My heart bleeds.
>> Danny Sullivan has weighed in on Google's purchase of Applied Semantics. Sounds like the purchase will be a crippling blow to Overture, given they have a key partnership with Applied Semantics. I'm devastated..... NOT!
>> Microtoon of the Week :
Copyright © 2003 Verity
Intellectual Properties Pty Ltd
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Google Acquires Applied Semantics - Forum members gossip about Google's latest acquisition.
24 April 2003 Google Invests in the Semantic Web Google has increased their commitment to content-targeted advertising with the purchase this week of Applied Semantics, a Santa Monica-based producer of software applications for the online advertising, domain name and enterprise information management markets. Applied Semantics' products are based on its patented CIRCA technology, which understands, organizes, and extracts knowledge from websites and information repositories in a way that mimics human thought and enables more effective information retrieval. A key application of the CIRCA technology is Applied Semantics' AdSense product that enables web publishers to understand the key themes on web pages to deliver highly relevant and targeted advertisements. In their announcement, Google stated how the acquisition will strengthen their content targeted advertising offering: "Applied
Semantics is a proven innovator in semantic text processing and online advertising," said Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder and president of Technology.
"This acquisition will enable Google to create new technologies that make online advertising more useful to users, publishers, and advertisers alike." Google also announced they had recently opened an East Coast engineering office in New York City and will establish a Southern California product development center in Santa Monica, where the Applied Semantics team is based.
>> At the Search Engine Strategies Conference held in Boston last month, Greg Jarboe discovered what we already knew to be true - Search Engine Marketing Has Gone Mainstream.
>> Ed Kohler has written an amusing article for Traffick.com, bursting the bubble on the non-existent but very well-known Sarah Williams and Christine Hall of Traffic Magnet, the spam company SEOs love to hate.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Copyright infringement - what do I do? - A webmaster whose online content was stolen by another site seeks advice from forum members about what to do.
23 April 2003 >> Ask Jeeves has posted their first quarter revenues and things are looking up. Revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2003 were USD 25.2 million, representing a 57 percent growth over revenues of USD 16.1 million for the same quarter last year.
>> AlwaysOn has published Part 1 of their three part interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt. It seems Schmidt is still obsessed with the phenomenon of "evil": <snippet>"...people are surprised to find out that there’s evil in the world. On a day-to-day basis I don’t encounter evil -- I work with nice people and I live in a perfectly pleasant environment, but in fact there’s plenty of evil in the world. And one person’s definition of evil is another person’s different definition".</snippet> Makes you wonder what the heck they put in the coffee at the Googleplex doesn't it?
>> There's a rumour going around that Google is testing larger sized AdWords in place of Premium Listings.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Log Analysis - Forum members compare notes about the various log file analysis software.
22 April 2003 >>
There's something not quite right about coming back to work after a four day
weekend. Especially one that involved chocolate and alcohol. It all seems a
little surreal right now, like the planets are out of alignment or something
and everything's on a tilt. Oh hold on, that's just my In-Tray
Ask "Jeeves" and You Shall Receive After a year long behind-the-scenes makeover, Ask Jeeves has launched a new version of their search engine in a bid to catch rival Google in the functionality stakes. The new "Jeeves" boasts some impressive new features, including:
Ask Jeeves is the latest major search engine to shift focus back to basics, after witnessing Google's trail-blazing success. Yahoo rolled out similar enhancements to their search directory last week. But will these changes be enough to woo users away from Google? Doubtful. Yahoo is seen by many as a site used by "net newbies" and Jeeve's conservative British butler definitely lacks the cool factor.
>> Well I think I've found my Virtual Assistant! She's based in Brisbane, Australia and even has some SEO experience under her belt. I'll be throwing her in the deep end this week, getting her to work on some research for our forthcoming study of the Top 100 New Zealand companies. Five years ago, who would have thought you could have a virtual staff member? Gotta love the Internet!
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Microsoft to Squish All Enemies - Forum members discuss Microsoft's plans to invest in search and challenge Google.
17 April 2003 >> Seems I wasn't the only one having a day from hell yesterday. Apparently my ISP had some sort of "server issue" and caused confusion and head scratching all over New Zealand. Thanks Gary for confirming I wasn't experiencing early-onset Alzheimer's or something. Guess I owe my web hosts an apology (bugger!).
>> A silly article from PC Magazine "journalist" Brad Grimes refers to link farms as if they are a cutting edge trick to achieving high rankings and to search engine optimization as if it's some new fad that has just become hip as a result of Google's popularity. Don't journalists understand the concept of "researching your story"? <snippet>No wonder, then, that Google optimizers have sprung up to help sites achieve an artificial boost in Google's search results. To understand how these optimizers try to manipulate Google, you must first understand the ranking technology behind its success.</snippet> As an SEO and ex-journalist myself, I find this story particularly offensive. Brad, I think its time for a Summer School refresher course in feature writing.
>> Today I discovered Google Poetry. Create your own poetry using Google search results. Choice of verse styles include Hippie, Beatnik, Shakespeare and Swedish Chef. You'll need your own Google API Key or else you'll get nothingness. Here is an example of Google Poetry in action for the query "search engines", Shakespeare style:
>> Given the Easter long weekend here in New Zealand, this will be the last blog entry until next Tuesday 22nd April. For all those lucky enough to be taking time off, have an enjoyable break. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a cryptic Microtoon and a forum thread...
>> Microtoon of the Week :
Copyright © 2003 Verity
Intellectual Properties Pty Ltd
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : doorway pages....pro or con? - Believe it or not, some webmasters still believe that the use of doorway pages is like a magic key to the "secret garden" of high rankings. In this thread, forum members set them straight.
16 April 2003 >> Having a day from hell today. Sacked the accountant, had a huge argument with my web host and crashed my email program. Now my browser is doing strange things. Like not allowing me to view my own web site when it seems everyone else in the world can see it. Some DNS error thingy. Weird. One glimmer on the horizon though - I've just discovered the concept of the Virtual Assistant. The idea of hiring a personal assistant who requires no employment contracts, no space or equipment but works virtually with you from another location in the world, freeing up your time to grow your business, really appeals to me. I know of a couple of busy SEOs who use a VA and absolutely swear by them. I'm beginning to realize that 18 hour work days are not sustainable and with other senior staff up to their armpits in work there's no-one left to delegate to. So I'm contemplating hiring a U.S.-based VA as opposed to a local admin assistant. Surprisingly there aren't many VAs available in Australia or New Zealand yet. It is still a relatively new concept, but one with a huge future, IMO. If I end up hiring one, I'll let you all know the outcome...
>> Part Two of Kim Krause's article Being Tops With Your Users and the Search Engines has appeared on Search Engine Guide.
>> Overture has apparently opened a new Operations Centre in Dublin. Hope they choke on their Guinness.
>> Eric Ward for Search Day writes about Link Popularity and the Myth of the Guestbook Link.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : How to fix this mess? - A webmaster wants to use includes for his site navigation but is not sure how to implement it. A forum member helps out.
15 April 2003 >> Pay per click provider FindWhat has been approved for listing on the NASDAQ National Market and will begin trading on April 17 under the symbol FWHT. The company has been listed on the NASDAQ SmallCap market since April 2000.
>> Yahoo News has featured another story about how Google News is having difficulty separating PR from news. <snippet>Nathan Tyler, a spokesman for Mountain View, Calif.-based Google, said "Google includes press releases in Google News because we believe they are an additional resource that offers our users a valuable perspective on the genesis of a story".</snippet>
>> The Discovery Channel's online store has apparently discovered the joys of studying their site analytics and increased traffic by 300 percent and revenues by 35 percent as a result of implementing search engine optimization and useability strategies.
>> The Internet Advertising Report has revealed the ambitious plans of Overture for expansion into the international pay-per-click market. Overture is planning to enter seven new markets in Europe and Asia this year, beginning with Korea in the next two weeks. <snippet>In 2003, Overture expects its international business will bring in $125 million in revenue, rising to $300 million in 2004.</snippet> Well if they want to continue raking in the millions from existing advertisers, they might want to rethink their existing partnerships. As long as they continue to bed down with scumware, they won't be getting another penny from me OR my clients.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : The Underscore vs. Hyphen Debate For File Names - A debate about the benefits of using hyphens instead of underscores in file naming and apparent proof that hyphens contribute to a site's relevancy for search queries.
14 April 2003 >> Well our bitch with Overture has gone mainstream. Popular search portal Pandia has featured an article about Overture's relationship with Gator and how unhappy I am about it. Search Engine Guide also carried the article - more publicity for our cause! Thanks Per, Susanne and Robert. I wonder if Overture had any inkling about the backlash they'd receive from search engine marketers and advertisers over this move? Maybe they just don't care.
>> In the seemingly endless string of negative articles about Google circulating lately, it is nice to see a positive one for a change. In Searching the Web, Google Finds Riches is the latest Googley article from the New York Times and makes for fascinating reading. Some interesting points I picked up from the piece:
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Using RSS News Feeds on Site - Some helpful tips for persons wanting to incorporate RSS News feeds from other sites into their own site.
11 April 2003 >> As expected, Overture sent me their standard bullsh*t response to my email about their relationship with Gator. It's the same email that has been sent to dozens of other pissed off advertisers who have expressed their concern over the nasty relationship. Read it and weep:
Is that the biggest load of bollocks you've ever read or what? The attachment they sent is even more amusing. It shows a screen grab of the insidious SearchScout, but it also shows what programs the person at Overture had open when they took the screen grab, via windows at the bottom of the image. I noticed there was a Word Document titled "Gator" open. Could it be that they have on file a "how to respond to an unhappy customer" blurb supplied by Gator that they cut and paste from, to create standard response emails to customers like me? In the words of the great Mike Moore - Shame on you Overture - shame, shame SHAME!
>> Apparently Ask Jeeves turned six this week, but only Search Day noticed.
>> Speaking of Search Day, the Search Engine Watch site has been given a makeover. Although with the new influx of flashing ads, it's going to take a bit of getting used to.
>> Microtoon of the Week :
Copyright © 2003 Verity
Intellectual Properties Pty Ltd
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : The Google dance has started - For those of you who like to tie yourselves up in knots about the Google update each month, here's the thread dedicated to the latest "dance".
10 April 2003 >> It seems the backlash against Overture as a result of their sordid affair with Gator is growing. Lots of people are complaining via forums, articles and emails to Overture's customer feedback address. Word is that Overture staff are spending a lot of time in various search engine and webmaster forums, trying to measure the extent of the backlash and do damage control. It's hard to feel sorry for them though. As they say, if you lie down with dogs, expect to wake up with fleas.
>> Another backlash is brewing, but this one's against Google. Seems The Register's article this week about Google posting corporate press releases as Google News items (see Monday's blog) hit a nerve and prompted Google to change their internal news policy. CNET posted a similar article on Tuesday, in which Danny Sullivan expressed his concern that Google's promotion of press releases as news items could mislead visitors. In response to the criticism, Google claimed they would filter press releases carefully and clearly label them as such within Google News in future. The article contained the following quote from Google News staff: "It is not our intention to list press releases without clearly marking them as a press release," the representative said. "I will notify the team about the issue...and we will work to fix the problem." Apparently, Google promised The Register a copy of their News Policy but then failed to produce it, claiming the policy was "for internal eyes only". The Register has published a scathing follow-up article in response.
>> A couple of days ago, we submitted this blog for consideration to Google for inclusion in Google News. Interestingly, (and rightfully so), Google didn't consider this blog as a suitable news source: Hello Kalena, The reason? We heard recently that Google News has stated that it is not accepting as a news source any site that is written and edited by a single person. Fair enough too.
>> Yahoo has reported better than expected earnings for the first quarter of 2003 and raised its outlook for the year.
>> Ross Dunn of StepForth Search Engine Placement shows us How to Switch Hosting Providers During Your Search Engine Campaign.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Google Employees Get Pre-IPO Options? - A forum member finds it curious that Google are denying they are going public, yet on their "Top 10 Reasons for Working at Google" page, they list Pre-IPO stock options.
9 April 2003 >> Well it's official - Overture are scum. Yep, remember last month I told you they were testing out a relationship with scumware Gator? Well they have now signed a deal to make their partnership official. That's right - now thousands of blissfully ignorant Overture advertisers will have their ads appear in annoying pop-ups and pop-unders, courtesy of Gator's obnoxious Search Scout software - software that preys on unsuspecting Internet surfers by installing itself onto their computers, usually without their knowledge. Not only will this hurt Overture advertisers by associating their brand with the annoyance of having to continuously close pop-up windows, but it will hurt webmasters from whose sites surfers are encouraged to leave via pop-up advertising from their competitors. Overture's Senior Vice President of Marketing, Paul Schulz even has the hide to call the pop-up and pop-unders "unobtrusive": "What I like about it is that pop-unders are unobtrusive--they don't interrupt users when they're on a particular site, and you're really only clicking on those results if you haven't found what you're looking for," Schulz said. Talk about spin! Anyone who has tried to get rid of multiple pop-up windows on a dial-up connection KNOWS how obtrusive they are. Here's an email I sent to Overture customer feedback and public relations staff once I found out about the deal: Dear Overture
staff I even cc'd it to Gator. We'll see what Overture have to say.
>> The effervescent Kim Krause has become a columnist at Search Engine Guide with her latest article Being Tops With Your Users and the Search Engines, Part 1. Well done Kim!
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Overture and Gator - Pissed off about Overture's scumware alliance? Come and join the bitching in this thread...
8 April 2003 Yahoo Unveils New Streamlined Search Yahoo has unveiled streamlined new search functionality, in an apparent bid to win back searchers from rival and business partner Google. With a tag line of "Faster, Easier, Smarter", the new Yahoo! Search even looks like Google, with an uncluttered interface, a tab menu for various searching modes, cached search results and a new image search tool. They've even created a downloadable Yahoo Search Toolbar. The irony is, the majority of search results for the new technology are powered by Google, with Yahoo Directory listings interweaved according to relevancy. Although everyone was expecting it, there's no sign of results or technology from Yahoo's latest acquisition, Inktomi, used in the new search facility, although that will likely change by the end of the year. "In the last eight months we have conducted extensive research to understand what our users are looking for in a search experience and these latest improvements to Yahoo! Search are focused on providing the key features that our users want," said Dan Rosensweig, Chief Operating Officer of Yahoo! Search & Marketplace. "To accomplish this, we have built a world-class team and search organization, dramatically improved the quality of our search results, and acquired Inktomi, a leading search technology provider." Features of the new
Yahoo Search include: You can take a tour of the new features here. I was prepared to
be skeptical, but surprisingly, I'm very impressed. Well done Yahoo!
>> Microdoc News has conducted tests of MSN Search and Google and claims to have found technical errors in both.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Brand New Yahoo! Search - Talk of the forums today is the new Yahoo! Search.
7 April 2003 >> The Register is not happy that Google News search chooses to feature corporate press releases as news items.
>> One of Japan's largest internet service providers, NTT-X Inc., has chosen leading search technology firm FAST Search & Transfer to power the multimedia searching facilities of their popular portal Goo.
>> The news is not all good for FAST this week though. As reported by Pandia, important European search provider Eniro AB has chosen Google over FAST to provide search results for their search sites and portals in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : I think I have found my host! - Interesting discussion by webmasters sharing good and bad stories about various site hosting companies.
4 April 2003 >> Picture the scene: After a very late night working, I get up extra early, knowing I have multiple client projects to finish today. Quick email check and I notice I've been sent a big SEO tender for a Government agency - Great! Except I have less than a week to get it in. Then I notice a fax has arrived overnight, but the fax machine has run out of ink and I can't read it. All of a sudden the phone rings, the dog starts barking furiously and the doorbell goes - all at the same time. I put the telephone call on hold with apologies, race downstairs to check on the dog and find that he has ripped apart his floor cushion in a fit of anger for not getting his walk in the park this morning. Feathers are knee deep and still floating down like snow. Banjo is extremely pleased with himself and wonders why I don't share his enthusiasm. Still in my dressing gown, covered in feathers and no doubt looking rather freaked out, I answer the door to find the gardener looking amused. Once he stops laughing, he tells me I need to move my car so he can back his truck into the driveway. Having done that, I cook my bacon and eggs, get dressed and head upstairs to the office. It's only then I realize I left the phone on hold and the caller has long since abandoned the call. Yes, welcome to my nightmare Friday *sigh*.
The world's most popular search site and most popular online retailer have shaken hands on a multi-year deal that will see Google search results and paid listings appear on the Amazon site. In what has got to be one of the biggest search deals of the year, Google will provide its popular web search technology and paid advertising services to Amazon.com, providing the retailer with a key opportunity to share in the growing revenue stream of online search. Initially, Amazon will display Google paid search listings within their search results. When customers conduct a search on Amazon's shopping site, ads will be displayed that look like regular search results but are listed under the heading "sponsored links." When customers click on the sponsored links, revenue is generated for both Google and Amazon. Over the next few months, Amazon and Google will work together to implement Google's regular unpaid search listings into Amazon's existing search function to provide shoppers with an online shopping search tool for anything they want to buy online.
>> Microtoon of the Week :
Copyright © 2003 Verity
Intellectual Properties Pty Ltd
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Should SEOs hire professional copywriters? - Pretty self-explanatory really.
3 April 2003 >> Following his creation of an RSS news feed for Search Engine Watch, Danny Sullivan has published a series of detailed articles looking at RSS and XML news feeds and the whole phenomenon of blogging. In the first article, Making an RSS Feed, Danny explains the process of setting up a news feed for webmasters interested in syndicating their site content. I was flattered to learn that the article Dan Thies and I co-wrote in December titled How to Get Your Web Site Content Syndicated inspired Danny to create his news feed (-: In Loving Each Other More: Search Engines & Blogs, Danny looks at the web log, the history of blogging, the current enthusiasm for blogging and why search engines love them. If you're a subscriber to Search Engine Watch, you won't want to miss Danny's accompanying article RSS: Your Gateway to News & Blog Content, (available to SEW subscribers only). It details an extensive list of blog support sites, news aggregators, RSS search engines and places you can submit your news feed once it is set up.
>> I've worked out the secret to attracting new clients. Tell them you are fully booked and can't take on new business! I'm serious! As you guys all know we have been so busy lately with our SEO biz that we had to put a sign up on our web site explaining that we are fully booked until May. Well since then we've been inundated with quotation requests! Strange eh? Seems Murphy is paying us a visit.
>> When I first read this article, I thought it was an April Fool's gag. But then I scanned for the date and realized it was 2nd April. So it appears that Microsoft really thinks they can take on Google. <snippet>"We do view Google more and more as a competitor. We believe that we can provide consumers with a better product and a better user experience," said Bob Visse, Director of Marketing for Microsoft's MSN Internet Services Division.</snippet>. Now THAT'S funny! Interestingly, Overture's share price plummeted following Microsoft's announcement.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Seo - Fraud!! - A poor confused Aussie is convinced SEO is a waste of time and that optimizers are fraudsters. Join in and help change his mind.
2 April 2003 >> Heh heh, seems I fooled quite a few of you yesterday with my "winery in Hawkes Bay" April Fool's gag. Not to be outdone, Kim Krause of cre8pc has pulled a similar stunt on her blog today, although she set her sights much higher than mine. Nice one Kim.
>> Cory Kleinschmidt of Traffick.com thinks that Google Alert is "The best thing ever". While I wouldn't go that far, it is a pretty cool tool to help determine your rank positions on Google without breaking their Terms of Service and using 3rd party rank-checking software such as Web Position Gold.
>> BusinessWire has revealed that Teoma is now supplying search results to META search engine Mamma.com. Thanks to Robert for the tip.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : April Fools Day - Yep, SEOs and programmers have a sense of humour too. In this thread people share the pranks they pulled or the ones pulled on them this April Fools Day.
1 April 2003 >> Well, after some soul searching and funds juggling, I've decided to quit SEO for good and put my passion for New Zealand wine and cheese to logical use. Yep, my husband and I have bought a vineyard in the Hawke's Bay region and plan to open our winery restaurant doors to the public in about 6 month's time. So this will be the last entry in this Blog. Farewell.........
Suckers! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY! You didn't really think I'd just abandon you all did you? And run off to start a winery? Not bloody likely, unless I suddenly win the lottery. Well I can dream I suppose. Anyway, back to business....
>> Gary of NZBase has written a great resource article on Pay Per Click search engines, which is particularly useful for Australasian readers, called Cost-Per-Click search Engines - Where to List?
>> Kartoo has launched a very bland text version of their contextual meta search engine. Minus the genie. Thanks to Peter Da Vanzo for the tip.
>> The Boston Globe takes a look at Net Snippets, a nifty organization, annotation and storage tool for all your web searches.
>> Google has added a link to Building a Better Query from their home page, to assist less experienced searchers how to get better results from their searching experience. The advice is great news for web sites that have been optimized by SEOs to appear for specific keywords because it encourages people to use multiple keywords and geographical qualifiers and/or industry specific keywords to narrow down results. Excellent stuff.
>> Wall Street investors are apparently fretting at Google's decision to stall an IPO. My heart bleeds. <snippet>"The sector really needs Google to go public," a veteran investment banker said. "I don't think the market conditions matter".</snippet> Yeah right. I reckon there'll be giggles in the Googleplex over that one. Like the old saying goes, don't fix what ain't broke.
>> LookSmart UK has cut 20 jobs in Britain in their efforts to refocus on their cost-per-click product following their split with British Telecom in December.
>> Cool Forum Thread of the Day : Moving Aussie Site to USA Server - Proof that regional sites need to take their domain extension AND their hosting location into account when targeting local searchers. "Upshot: if your domain name isn't .com.au, you may miss out on Aussie-only traffic from google.com.au"
Please note that links to articles on major news portals often expire quickly. These articles are generally archived by the publication, so if you find that a link from our Blog has expired, conduct a search on the linked site using the article headline and you should find the related information. Blog Archives April 2003 If you've got any search engine news or gossip (especially gossip!) you think is worthy of our blog, feel free to email it to me. The juicier the better! I'll acknowledge all sources and even provide a link to your site if relevant. Enter your email address below to subscribe to our FREE search engine newsletter The Search Light. Every few weeks, we will send you our HTML newsletter with Blog highlights, articles about search engine marketing, FAQ's and tips on how to improve your search engine ranking, as well a the latest news from the search engine industry. (Please do not use an auto responder email address to subscribe with!) Click
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