Archive for June, 2007
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The AdSense team today announced that referrals 2.0 will soon be available to all AdSense publishers in referrals-supported languages. Below is their press release:
While some of you may already be familiar with referrals for Google products, this launch will greatly expand the inventory and functionality of referrals for AdSense publishers. Below we’ve highlighted a few of the key benefits of referrals 2.0:
- Expanded product inventory: While many of you have had success referring one of our Google products, some of you weren’t able to find a product that fit the context of your site. Referrals 2.0 offers products from thousands of AdWords advertisers, so you can find the right ads for your sites.
- Category and keyword targeting: With thousands of products available, it can be difficult to decide which ads will perform best on your site. That’s why we give you the option to refer products by category and keyword. You can narrow down the types of ads you want to display and let AdSense figure out which ones will perform best on your site. Whether you want ads for a specific category, advertiser, or product, referrals 2.0 will give you the control to decide.
- Ad unit optimization: It can be tricky picking the best ads for your site, so we’ve included ad unit optimization for referrals. When you create a new referral ad unit, simply select the Pick best performing ads option. We’ll then compare your selected ads to other relevant ads, and serve the ads we expect to perform best on your site.
- Better targeting for pages with multiple themes: With standard contextual targeting, ads may not match up directly with the text around them if there are a number of themes on the page. With referrals, you can select unique “keywords†for each ad unit to narrow the targeting directly to the theme you want. Better targeting means higher earnings for your site.
- Greater compensation for high-quality traffic: Since referrals are paid on a cost-per-action (CPA) basis, your traffic matters. If the traffic you send to advertisers is more likely to turn into a completed sale or lead, you will earn more with referrals.
- Add your seal of approval: Unlike AdSense for content ads, our program policies allow you to make specific references to referral ads on your site. If you endorse the product that you are referring, feel free to let your users know. By adding your personal review of the products you refer, you can help your users make more informed choices.
To get started with referrals, click the AdSense Setup tab in your account, then click Referrals. If you don’t see referrals 2.0 right away, please check back in a few days, as the feature will gradually become available in all accounts over the next few weeks. Please also keep in mind that for some languages, advertisers are just getting started so ad inventory may be limited at this time. We encourage you to check back frequently to see new offers.
June 29th, 2007
Today, Google announced a new pilot initiative called Google Gadget Ventures aimed at bootstrapping an economic ecosystem around gadgets. Google Gadget Ventures will offer third-party gadget development and gadget-related businesses two types of funding:
- Grants of $5,000 to developers who’ve built gadgets in our directory that already receive at least 250,000 weekly page views. To apply, qualified Gadget developers will be asked to submit a one-page proposal.
- Seed investments of $100,000 to previous Google Gadget Ventures grant recipients who’d like to build a business around the Google Gadgets platform. Qualified developers will be asked to submit a business plan.
For more information, please see http://www.google.com/gadgetventures.
June 28th, 2007
Google Desktop hit the operating system trifecta today with the release of a version of Google Desktopâ„¢ for Linux. Now available on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, the Google Desktop application allows users of every major operating system to search their desktop and the web as quickly, easily and comprehensively as they search the web with Google.
Major features of Google Desktop for Linux (beta) include:
- Comprehensive Indexing - Users can search the full text of virtually all their computer’s content, including text, PDF, PS, source code, HTML files, email from Thunderbird, OpenOffice.org documents, Man and Info pages, folders, images, and music. Google Desktop for Linux can even find previous versions of files or recover those that have been accidentally deleted.
- Quick Search Box - The Quick Search Box is the fastest way to do web and desktop searches. Hitting the command key twice calls it up, instantly displaying results as users type.
- Gmail and Web History Search - Not everything users are looking for resides on their computer. Google Desktop for Linux makes it easy for users to simultaneously search their Gmailâ„¢ webmail, web search history and the web at large. And because their index is stored locally on their own computer, users can even access their Gmail and web history while they’re offline.
With this release, Google Desktop joins the Picasaâ„¢, Google Earthâ„¢ and Google Toolbar for Firefoxâ„¢ applications among Google’s offerings for Linux. In addition to creating products that run on Linux, Google supports the Linux community in a variety of ways, such as releasing open source code, running the Summer of Codeâ„¢ and hosting tens of thousands of open source projects on Google Codeâ„¢ (http://code.google.com).
Google Desktop for Linux (beta) was developed by Google’s Beijing engineering team, and is available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese. It runs on Debian 4.0, Fedora Core 6, Ubuntu 6.10, SUSE 10.1, and Red Flag 5, and can be downloaded for free at http://desktop.google.com.
June 28th, 2007
Google today announced the launch of Google Earth Outreach, a new program designed to help nonprofit organizations around the world leverage the power of Google Earth to illustrate and advocate for the important work that they do.
The announcement was made at Google’s New York City office by Elliot Schrage, Google Vice President for Global Communications & Public Affairs, and John Hanke, Director of Google Earth & Maps. Pilot Outreach partners including Jane Goodall, Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute; Kathy Bushkin Calvin, Executive Vice President, United Nations Foundation; and Edward Wilson, President and CEO, Earthwatch, were also on hand to discuss how their organizations are using Google Earth to tell effective and compelling stories about their work.
Google Earth Outreach enables any organization to quickly and easily get the resources it needs to create compelling stories through Google Earth layers. The program includes comprehensive online guides, video tutorials, and case studies about using Google Earth specifically targeted to the needs of nonprofit organizations. In addition, there are online forums connecting new participants to Global Awareness partners and experienced programmers who can assist in developing Keyhole Markup Language (KML) layers for Google Earth. These forums, actively moderated by Google Earth Outreach staff, serve to foster discussion and cooperation among organizations and the broader Google Earth community.
Organizations can also now apply online for Google Earth Pro grants (a $400 value); grantees will receive additional technical support from Google. Participating organizations may be highlighted in the Google Earth Outreach Showcase, an online gallery of the most compelling new layers, and a subset of those will be featured in the Global Awareness folder in Google Earth on a rotating basis. More details about Google Earth Outreach are available at http://earth.google.com/outreach/.
“Google’s mission is all about making information more accessible and useful,” said Elliot Schrage, Google Vice President of Global Communications & Public Affairs. “With programs like Google Earth Outreach, we seek to help create a ‘marketplace of ideas’ in the growing not-for-profit sector that rivals and complements what we offer commercial enterprises. In a very practical way, Google Earth Outreach demonstrates that technology can inspire action by bringin seemingly distant problems closer to home.”
“Our goal with Google Earth Outreach is to help public service organizations worldwide leverage our mapping technology to further their goals by providing tailored technical guidance and grants,” said John Hanke, Director of Google Earth & Maps. “Now any organization can quickly and easily annotate Google Earth with pictures, video and information to tell visual, compelling stories of the work they do to over 200 million Google Earth users.”
“Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. With Google Earth Outreach, more people have the chance to see, to care, and then to act,” said Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace.
“Google Earth represents a whole new way for us to connect with the world,” explains Ed Wilson, President and CEO at Earthwatch. “Not only can we inform people about key environmental issues facing the world today, but we can give them the opportunity to get directly involved. From our NGO and corporate partners to our dedicated researchers and volunteers, Google Earth provides us all with a centralized tool to communicate our mission–and maximize our impact.”
As part of the announcement John Hanke also introduced three new Global Awareness layers for Google Earth:
- Global Heritage Fund (GHF) - The GHF Global Awareness layer explores cultural heritage sites around the world that GHF is working to preserve for future generations. From ancient Mayan Mirador pyramids buried in Guatemalan forests threatened by clear cutting to the crumbling Lijiang Ancient Town in China, GHF takes users to these endangered archaeological treasures of human civilization and details the efforts to save them in partnership with local governments and resources.
- Earthwatch Expeditions – The Earthwatch Global Awareness layer enables users to virtually visit more than 100 volunteer Earthwatch expeditions in Google Earth— from recording the activities of lemurs in Madagascar to determining the impact of climate change on grey whale populations in Mexico and Canada. Enthusiasts and would-be volunteers can explore scientific field research projects in progress around the world and learn how they can help collect field data in the areas of rainforest ecology, wildlife conservation, marine science, archaeology, and more
- Fair Trade Certified - The TransFair USA layer introduces users to the over 70 Fair Trade Co-ops located throughout Latin America, Asia and Africa. Fair trade is an innovative market-based approach to sustainable development that helps family farmers in developing countries gain direct access to markets and develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
June 27th, 2007
Yahoo! today announced that Hastings, Nebraska, has won its “Be a Better Planet” Greenest City in America challenge. The birthplace of Kool-Aid, Hastings will receive a grand prize of $250,000 to be dedicated toward city greening projects, developed in conjunction with Global Green USA. More than 350 cities participated in the “Be a Better Planet” program, which challenged Americans to take action against climate change and use tools such as Yahoo! Green, Yahoo! Answers and Yahoo! oneSearch to become better planetarians. Yahoo! also announced the challenge’s top ten cities, which ranged from Mill Valley, Calif., to Fairfax, Va.
Yahoo! will declare Hastings the “Greenest City in America” at a Yahoo!-hosted Nebraska-style BBQ and celebration this evening at 6:00pm at Hastings’ Chautauqua Park. Residents of Hastings are invited to join Mayor Matt Rossen as he accepts the award on behalf of the city. Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy will also be in attendance, as well as other state government officials and surrounding city mayors.
Following the month-long campaign, the top ten Greenest Cities in America were determined as:
1. Hastings, Nebraska
2. Pelzer, South Carolina
3. San Carlos, California
4. Mill Valley, California
5. Topeka, Kansas
6. Dover, Delaware
7. Spring, Texas
8. Lawrence, Kansas
9. Walnut Creek, California
10. Fairfax, Virginia
In addition to the top prize awarded to Hastings, the top five cities are being rewarded today with deliveries of thousands of energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), compliments of Yahoo!.
Green-minded citizens participated in the “Be a Better Planet” Greenest City in America challenge by earning participation credits in the following ways:
Yahoo! Answers: Helping save the planet by earnings the best answer for an environmental question and contributing to the growing body of knowledge and advice on Yahoo! Answers;
Yahoo! oneSearch: Learning more about living a greener life by conducting “eco-friendly” mobile searches (”organic food,” “public transport,” “recycle center,” “bike,” “ride share”) on Yahoo! oneSearch, a new search service with results optimized for the mobile phone;
Yahoo! Green Pledge: Visiting Yahoo! Green and committing to lowering their carbon diet by pledging such actions as changing light bulbs, taking public transportation, using reusable shopping bags, properly inflating tires, and recycling more.
The winning city was offered the choice of either a fleet of hybrid taxi cabs, similar to those donated to New York City during the campaign’s kickoff on May 14th, or the equivalent cash donation. Hastings, which has signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement, selected the latter in order to further its city environmental programs. Current initiatives include conversion of methane to energy at its pollution control center, local production of Ethanol E85, extensive networks of parks and hiking and biking trails, and installation of energy-efficient street lighting. Global Green USA will help Hastings identify potential city greening projects, such as expansion of renewable energy programs and energy-efficient renovations for city buildings.
June 26th, 2007
Local.com today announced that the company has been awarded patent number 7,231,405 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the process of indexing and retrieving web-related information by geographical location.
The patent covers local search technology related to identifying location information from web documents, indexing that information and making it searchable geographically. In Local.com’s commercial implementation of the technology, the search results are ranked by search term, LocalRank score, location prominence, among other factors. The system then extracts, matches and indexes web pages from the Internet and generates web references where applicable on more than 16 million local businesses listed nationwide on Local.com.
June 26th, 2007
Yahoo! will combine its Search and Display advertising sales teams in the US, and has appointed David Karnstedt, currently senior vice president of Yahoo!’s Search sales business, to lead the unified organization as Head of North American Sales. Karnstedt, a long-time Yahoo! executive and industry veteran will continue to report to Gregory Coleman, Yahoo!’s EVP of Global Sales. This transition continues the steps Yahoo! has been taking since the beginning of the year to organize product management, engineering, and distribution around marketing customers rather than advertising products.”Integrating our world-class search and display sales teams under David’s leadership will allow us to better serve all of our advertisers’ marketing objectives ranging from brand awareness to direct response,” said Sue Decker, President, Yahoo! “This is one of many important steps we’re taking to re-invigorate our display business, further build on our industry-leading position in advertising, and drive thought-leadership in the online advertising marketplace.”
Advertisers are increasingly seeking solutions that span a wide variety of ad products, such as search, display and video, that when combined can deliver significantly better results than when used independently. As a result of these changes, Yahoo!’s integrated sales organization will be the first of its kind to offer the widest selection of advertising products coupled with the broadest scale of search and display inventory to customers. By organizing around marketers and their needs rather than advertising products, the company will be better positioned to provide marketing customers with the most comprehensive set of end-to-end solutions that achieve a wide range of marketing objectives. Yahoo!’s leading position in display and strong position in search give it an advantage to offer integrated marketing solutions to its marketing partners.
“The future of advertising isn’t about choosing between search and display, but about leveraging the breadth of advertising products to more effectively reach your customers with the right message, in the right context, at the right time, and on the right platform,” said Coleman. “David Karnstedt has done great things for Yahoo!’s Search Sales business, and it’s his leadership skills, business acumen and keen understanding of the new media landscape that make him the perfect person to help shape the future of Yahoo!’s advertising sales business.”
Karnstedt joined Yahoo! Search Marketing (formerly Overture) in September 2001. Since joining Yahoo!, Karnstedt has built and managed the company’s North American search sales force. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Karnstedt was a key member of the management teams at a number of pioneering internet companies including Wired Digital Lycos and Alta Vista where he developed revolutionary online advertising methods that are still in use today. Karnstedt was also a catalyst for developing products and marketing strategies that leveraged the auction-based search environment for many of the world’s leading marketers. He has also been responsible for developing and administering some of the Internet’s earliest research regarding the impact of branding through the use of online advertising.
“By taking a more holistic approach to advertising sales, Yahoo! will become a more consultative seller, which should make buying complete solutions easier for our customers across Yahoo! and our partner network,” said Karnstedt. “These moves will also enable our world class sales team to more effectively meet the needs of our advertisers - not just today but well into the future.”
As part of the reorganization, Wenda Millard, Yahoo!’s Chief Sales Officer in the US will be leaving the company effective immediately.
Coleman added, “While Wenda was a big contributor to our success in the past, the industry has shifted and requires a different set of skills to take the business forward. We appreciate her dedication during her years of service and wish her well in the next chapter of her career.”
In December 2006, Yahoo! announced the findings of a Web-wide study conducted by comScore that measured the impact of display and search advertising campaigns. The study, entitled “Close the Loop: Understanding Search and Display Synergy,” found that online users who were exposed to both the search and display advertising campaigns increased their share of page views relative to competitive sites by 68 percent, and time spent by 66 percent. More importantly, among those exposed to both the search and display ads, purchases of an advertiser’s products and services increased by 244 percent online and 89 percent offline compared to online users with similar behavior who were not exposed to these ads.
The integration of Yahoo!’s search and display advertising sales teams is underway, and the company will make additional announcements about the structure of the organization and the executives that will lead it shortly.
June 25th, 2007
Yahoo! today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Rivals.com, the leading online destination for college and high school sports and recruiting information. The acquisition will significantly expand the community offerings and open publishing capabilities of Yahoo! Sports, which has the most engaged sports audience on Internet. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Rivals.com is a online provider of college and high school sports and recruiting information, primarily focused on football and basketball. The acquisition will bring an important addition to Yahoo! giving the company a clear leadership position in some of the most important categories in sports publishing.
The locally-driven open publishing network will complement the offerings of Yahoo! Sports, which are currently focused on coverage of national sports stories, as well as fantasy sports games and information. Rivals.com maintains a network of more than 150 individual websites, which attract approximately 2 million fans each month. Because the Rivals.com network also attracts an active community of users on each site, the acquisition will play an important role in building on Yahoo!’s mission to connect its users to their communities.
Additionally, Rivals.com is expected to bring new revenue opportunities to Yahoo!’s advertising and subscription businesses, which are currently the key drivers of Rivals.com’s business model. Yahoo! believes there are potential growth opportunities in both businesses, given that Rivals.com has established a profitable and growing business model in both of these areas, with little marketing and sales support. For Yahoo! advertisers, Rivals.com reaches a sought-after demographic: an engaged and highly educated consumer. Yahoo! also sees potential in expanding the core demographic of the site to reach a younger demographic through its high school sports offerings.
June 22nd, 2007
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