The next time any Internet Marketing Company asks or informs you that Cookies need to be set on your website ask them a most important question: "How will these cookies serve our website users?"
Expect to wait a very long time for any type of relevant answer.
This recent article provides an in-depth review of cookies and the problems that they create.
Crumbling Cookies Threaten SEM and Online Advertising
A recent Jupiter Research study found "as many as 39 percent of online users may be deleting cookies from their primary computer every month, undermining the usefulness of cookie-based measurement and leaving many site operators flying blind." Client data we've seen indicates the problem may not be quite as dire as all that... yet. But the trend toward blocked or deleted cookies is clearly increasing.
(It's about time that internet marketing company executives address the nagging cookie issues)
Over the last few years, spam nearly killed the e-mail marketing industry, at least as far as opt-in e-mail as a customer acquisition vehicle is concerned.
In an overall ecosystem, the cheaters who sent the spam caused mailbox clutter and consumer outrage. Users found themselves digging out from under mountains of spam.
ISPs and independent software companies stepped in to offer technology to reduce spam.
Yet no solution really works perfectly, and the e-mail marketing industry is moving too slowly. Domain authentication still isn't standard for e-mail sending. Bummer. Now, even legitimate opt-in communications from publishers and companies to their customers and subscribers are often flagged as spam or not delivered.
A lesson can be learned from e-mail's demise as a customer acquisition vehicle. Self-regulation must be early and decisive when there's preventable activity that threatens an entire industry.
A similar threat looms over the entire online advertising industry, the Web analytics business, online publishers, and even paid search. That threat is cookie blocking, cookie removal, and cookie scrubbing by consumers and businesses alike.
The proliferation of spyware and unwanted adware has resulted in a surge in popularity of spyware removal programs. Many of these also remove third-party cookies. Simultaneously, many Internet security software packages include cookie blocking, cookie removal, or cookie management features that are turned on by default. (and with good reason!)
Without third-party cookies, many marginal online marketing technologies would have to rely on alternate means to measure ad performance. The user also loses. Cookies, like an e-mail or a postal address, or a customer phone number, can be used by marketers wisely or poorly. Instead of using cookies to enhance the user experience with highly targeted advertising, some have instead focused on short-term gain.
Many Internet adverting businesses (not reputable organic search engine optimization solutions providers) worry it's too late. They think wild hysteria and paranoia fueled by spyware, privacy advocates, and media will kill the cookie as a viable way to bring users better site experiences, easy log-ins, relevant advertising, and personalization.
Who Can Save the Cookie? (ONLY SPAMMERS !!!!!!!!!!! )
Several trade associations are positioned to help save the cookie as a viable ad tracking method (if it can be saved). They have several weapons at their disposal, including:
Proactive consumer PR efforts, so consumers will understand cookies' positive effect in helping them manage their online experiences
(MANAGE OUR ONLINE EXPERIENCE ? -- USERS SEARCH OR LOCATE THE CONTENT THAT THEY NEED -- ONLY USERS MANAGE THEIR ONLINE EXPERIENCES)
and even to see more relevant advertising
(WE HARDLY NEED MORE RELEVANT ADVERTISING MESSAGES PER DAY )
Lawmaker education on the realistic levels of privacy "invasion" caused by non-personally-identifiable cookies served by first- and third-parties. Trade associations that should add cookie preservation to their agenda include, but aren't limited to:
Cookies need to go away. If you want to track performance analyze your website server logs.
Be wary of any party looking to ADD NEW COOKIES to your web pages.
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Wednesday, March 23, 2005
MSN Announces New Pay Per Click Search Advertising Program
At an annual gathering of its most important advertisers last week, MSN officially announced during it will enter the paid search arena with a full-blown self-service paid listing program similar to those run by Yahoo! and Google.
The program will be tested in France and Singapore during the close of 2005. A date for a worldwide rollout has not been set.
MSN needs to establish its own program, something that seemed inevitable once Yahoo! announced it would purchase Overture in 2003. The move meant Overture -- which had been providing paid listings to both Yahoo! and MSN -- effectively lost its "neutrality" and really couldn't continue to be a long-term partner for MSN.
In addition, MSN had already decided at that point to build its own robot spider crawling search technology that is similar to how google works to produce editorial search listings. Developing a paid listings capability seemed almost a requirement for MSN , given competitors Google and Yahoo! have their own PPC search marketing programs.
MSN's PPC program is set to operate on a broad match basis, similar to Google's. Advertisers will also be able to target specific words and phrases such as sign design company , in addition to having exclusion video game testing options.
Beyond Google's and Yahoo!'s programs, the new MSN program will offer features such as dayparting, geotargeting, and demographic targeting based on age group, lifestyle, and topic such as: honda car parts .
Until MSN's new Pay Per Click search marketing program rolls out, MSN will continue its long-standing featured sites in the U.S., where search advertisers that spend at least $75,000 per month can get top placement for terms they want to target, above any results provided by Yahoo!
What does this MSN Pay Per Click development mean for Yahoo? Obviously, Yahoo stands to sacrifice significant chunks of income that it receives by providing paid listings to MSN. Advertisers won't flock to MSN and forsake the other two however portions of their Pay Per Click budgets will be reissued towards MSN's program.
MSN will be a third chocie PPC program that most everyone will enroll in.
Is it too little too late from MSN only time will tell. At least Redmond has finally found the lucrative search party, makes one wonder if they intend to continue improving their organic search shortcomings.
At an annual gathering of its most important advertisers last week, MSN officially announced during it will enter the paid search arena with a full-blown self-service paid listing program similar to those run by Yahoo! and Google.
The program will be tested in France and Singapore during the close of 2005. A date for a worldwide rollout has not been set.
MSN needs to establish its own program, something that seemed inevitable once Yahoo! announced it would purchase Overture in 2003. The move meant Overture -- which had been providing paid listings to both Yahoo! and MSN -- effectively lost its "neutrality" and really couldn't continue to be a long-term partner for MSN.
In addition, MSN had already decided at that point to build its own robot spider crawling search technology that is similar to how google works to produce editorial search listings. Developing a paid listings capability seemed almost a requirement for MSN , given competitors Google and Yahoo! have their own PPC search marketing programs.
MSN's PPC program is set to operate on a broad match basis, similar to Google's. Advertisers will also be able to target specific words and phrases such as sign design company , in addition to having exclusion video game testing options.
Beyond Google's and Yahoo!'s programs, the new MSN program will offer features such as dayparting, geotargeting, and demographic targeting based on age group, lifestyle, and topic such as: honda car parts .
Until MSN's new Pay Per Click search marketing program rolls out, MSN will continue its long-standing featured sites in the U.S., where search advertisers that spend at least $75,000 per month can get top placement for terms they want to target, above any results provided by Yahoo!
What does this MSN Pay Per Click development mean for Yahoo? Obviously, Yahoo stands to sacrifice significant chunks of income that it receives by providing paid listings to MSN. Advertisers won't flock to MSN and forsake the other two however portions of their Pay Per Click budgets will be reissued towards MSN's program.
MSN will be a third chocie PPC program that most everyone will enroll in.
Is it too little too late from MSN only time will tell. At least Redmond has finally found the lucrative search party, makes one wonder if they intend to continue improving their organic search shortcomings.
MSN Announces New Pay Per Click Search Advertising Program
At an annual gathering of its most important advertisers last week, MSN officially announced during it will enter the paid search arena with a full-blown self-service paid listing program similar to those run by Yahoo! and Google.
The program will be tested in France and Singapore during the close of 2005. A date for a worldwide rollout has not been set.
MSN needs to establish its own program, something that seemed inevitable once Yahoo! announced it would purchase Overture in 2003. The move meant Overture -- which had been providing paid listings to both Yahoo! and MSN -- effectively lost its "neutrality" and really couldn't continue to be a long-term partner for MSN.
In addition, MSN had already decided at that point to build its own robot spider crawling search technology that is similar to how google works to produce editorial search listings. Developing a paid listings capability seemed almost a requirement for MSN , given competitors Google and Yahoo! have their own PPC search marketing programs.
MSN's PPC program is set to operate on a broad match basis, similar to Google's. Advertisers will also be able to target specific words and phrases such as sign design company , in addition to having exclusion video game testing options.
Beyond Google's and Yahoo!'s programs, the new MSN program will offer features such as dayparting, geotargeting, and demographic targeting based on age group, lifestyle, and topic such as: honda car parts .
Until MSN's new Pay Per Click search marketing program rolls out, MSN will continue its long-standing featured sites in the U.S., where search advertisers that spend at least $75,000 per month can get top placement for terms they want to target, above any results provided by Yahoo!
What does this MSN Pay Per Click development mean for Yahoo? Obviously, Yahoo stands to sacrifice significant chunks of income that it receives by providing paid listings to MSN. Advertisers won't flock to MSN and forsake the other two however portions of their Pay Per Click budgets will be reissued towards MSN's program.
MSN will be a third chocie PPC program that most everyone will enroll in.
Is it too little too late from MSN only time will tell. At least Redmond has finally found the lucrative search party, makes one wonder if they intend to continue improving heir organic search shortcomings.
At an annual gathering of its most important advertisers last week, MSN officially announced during it will enter the paid search arena with a full-blown self-service paid listing program similar to those run by Yahoo! and Google.
The program will be tested in France and Singapore during the close of 2005. A date for a worldwide rollout has not been set.
MSN needs to establish its own program, something that seemed inevitable once Yahoo! announced it would purchase Overture in 2003. The move meant Overture -- which had been providing paid listings to both Yahoo! and MSN -- effectively lost its "neutrality" and really couldn't continue to be a long-term partner for MSN.
In addition, MSN had already decided at that point to build its own robot spider crawling search technology that is similar to how google works to produce editorial search listings. Developing a paid listings capability seemed almost a requirement for MSN , given competitors Google and Yahoo! have their own PPC search marketing programs.
MSN's PPC program is set to operate on a broad match basis, similar to Google's. Advertisers will also be able to target specific words and phrases such as sign design company , in addition to having exclusion video game testing options.
Beyond Google's and Yahoo!'s programs, the new MSN program will offer features such as dayparting, geotargeting, and demographic targeting based on age group, lifestyle, and topic such as: honda car parts .
Until MSN's new Pay Per Click search marketing program rolls out, MSN will continue its long-standing featured sites in the U.S., where search advertisers that spend at least $75,000 per month can get top placement for terms they want to target, above any results provided by Yahoo!
What does this MSN Pay Per Click development mean for Yahoo? Obviously, Yahoo stands to sacrifice significant chunks of income that it receives by providing paid listings to MSN. Advertisers won't flock to MSN and forsake the other two however portions of their Pay Per Click budgets will be reissued towards MSN's program.
MSN will be a third chocie PPC program that most everyone will enroll in.
Is it too little too late from MSN only time will tell. At least Redmond has finally found the lucrative search party, makes one wonder if they intend to continue improving heir organic search shortcomings.
Copyright Suit Targets Google News
Internet search and content giant Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) , known as one of the top aggregators of news and other information online, has been sued by Agence France Press (AFP) for allegedly publishing copyrighted content without permission.
The French media publisher -- which is seeking more than US$17 million in damages and an injunction barring Google from further publishing its news stories and photos -- took its action in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in March of 2005.
The suit follows Google's defeat in French court in February of 2005 over trademark infringement allegations from fashion designer Louis Vuitton, despite Google's victory in a similar trademark infringement case involving the insurance company: Geico.
This case is somewhat different in that AFP is suing Google for theft and distribution of copyrighted content and materails. The Google News site aggregates and indexes the headlines and first few lines of news stories from more than 4,000 sites. Users who click on the headlines are then sent to the site of the original publisher.
The opt-out feature was cited by Google in response to the AFP suit. AFP went on to argue that Google had been informed of the alleged infringement, yet ignored requests to avoid the publication of AFP's copyrighted content. A similar suit, which is ongoing in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, was brought against Google by pornography publisher Perfect 10 last year.
American Internet publishing and copyright cases in recent years have largely depended for precedent on the Total News case of more than five years ago, in which the courts held that permission to publish is required if companies present content online inside their own window or under their own logo.
Is google stealing copyrighted content with its news headlines at the top of the keyword search results pages ? It could be years before the judges and governing legal bodies are ablt to issue precedent setting rulings on these matters. One question is what is preventing any newspaper, magezing, ezine, or any publication from republishing another party's content and re-labeling the distrbution channel with another ownership logo?
Do traditional publishing laws and established truth in advertising trademark policies apply to the internet?
Internet search and content giant Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) , known as one of the top aggregators of news and other information online, has been sued by Agence France Press (AFP) for allegedly publishing copyrighted content without permission.
The French media publisher -- which is seeking more than US$17 million in damages and an injunction barring Google from further publishing its news stories and photos -- took its action in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in March of 2005.
The suit follows Google's defeat in French court in February of 2005 over trademark infringement allegations from fashion designer Louis Vuitton, despite Google's victory in a similar trademark infringement case involving the insurance company: Geico.
This case is somewhat different in that AFP is suing Google for theft and distribution of copyrighted content and materails. The Google News site aggregates and indexes the headlines and first few lines of news stories from more than 4,000 sites. Users who click on the headlines are then sent to the site of the original publisher.
The opt-out feature was cited by Google in response to the AFP suit. AFP went on to argue that Google had been informed of the alleged infringement, yet ignored requests to avoid the publication of AFP's copyrighted content. A similar suit, which is ongoing in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, was brought against Google by pornography publisher Perfect 10 last year.
American Internet publishing and copyright cases in recent years have largely depended for precedent on the Total News case of more than five years ago, in which the courts held that permission to publish is required if companies present content online inside their own window or under their own logo.
Is google stealing copyrighted content with its news headlines at the top of the keyword search results pages ? It could be years before the judges and governing legal bodies are ablt to issue precedent setting rulings on these matters. One question is what is preventing any newspaper, magezing, ezine, or any publication from republishing another party's content and re-labeling the distrbution channel with another ownership logo?
Do traditional publishing laws and established truth in advertising trademark policies apply to the internet?
Google Loses Trademark Infringement Case in Europe
Google loses French court appeal
Google is one of the world's most popular search engines Internet search engine Google has lost its appeal against a court ruling over trademark infringement brought about by two French travel companies.
Google must now pay 75,000 euros ($100,300; £52,000) in damages and costs to Luteciel and Viaticum. A lawsuit was filed after Google users searching for the two French companies found themselves directed instead to rival sponsored links.
Google's failure to follow an order quickly enough triggered the fine. In October 2003, the French courts told the search engine to stop displaying rival sponsored links. The court said that Google AdWords had been guilty of "trademark counterfeiting".
Companies pay to have their websites linked to particular terms on Google. Under current Google policy, if it is judged that an advertiser uses a trademarked term as a "keyword trigger", those words are taken out of its campaign.
However, the Google AdWords still does not offer upfront protections against potential AdWords sponsors creating Pay Per Click advertising accounts intended to sponsor and advertise on established trademark terms.
This ruling could set precedent and lead to hundreds of trademark infringement judgments against Google AdWords in the European courts.
Google loses French court appeal
Google is one of the world's most popular search engines Internet search engine Google has lost its appeal against a court ruling over trademark infringement brought about by two French travel companies.
Google must now pay 75,000 euros ($100,300; £52,000) in damages and costs to Luteciel and Viaticum. A lawsuit was filed after Google users searching for the two French companies found themselves directed instead to rival sponsored links.
Google's failure to follow an order quickly enough triggered the fine. In October 2003, the French courts told the search engine to stop displaying rival sponsored links. The court said that Google AdWords had been guilty of "trademark counterfeiting".
Companies pay to have their websites linked to particular terms on Google. Under current Google policy, if it is judged that an advertiser uses a trademarked term as a "keyword trigger", those words are taken out of its campaign.
However, the Google AdWords still does not offer upfront protections against potential AdWords sponsors creating Pay Per Click advertising accounts intended to sponsor and advertise on established trademark terms.
This ruling could set precedent and lead to hundreds of trademark infringement judgments against Google AdWords in the European courts.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Peter Norvig
Director of Search Quality Google
"Meta Data Cannot Be Trusted, Content is King" says Peter Norvig
Recent Interview with Google Director of Search Quality, Peter Norvig, confirms that content is king and meta data cannot be trusted.
"In general, search engines have turned away from metadata, and they now try to hone in more on what's exactly perceivable to the user in the browser. Our hypertext spiders (robot crawlers) are seeking to parse text content, text elements, and engage semantic matching logic with page text compositions."
Content Relevancy is the determining factor in Google's binary-based, data retrieval keyword search system.
"For the most part we throw away the meta tags, unless there's a good reason to believe them, because they tend to be more deceptive than they are helpful."
Website Optimization needs to hinge on Content Relevancy in order to make the greatest impact on our system, not links, PageRank, cloaking, or SPAM, the deciding factor is: CONTENT RELEVANCY.
Mr. Norvig also goes onto discuss the advancements being made by Google to target cloaking, sneaky redirects, and web sites using misleading meta tags.
The closing paragraph of this interview with Peter Norvig og Google is a must read for anyone interested in securing and maintaining premium, natural keyword search positions on the Google results pages.
Learn more about Google's ongoing search quality challenges involving automation, knowledge, spam, growth and more. Mr. Norvig addresses the four leading individual challenges at Google Organic Search.
Director of Search Quality Google
"Meta Data Cannot Be Trusted, Content is King" says Peter Norvig
Recent Interview with Google Director of Search Quality, Peter Norvig, confirms that content is king and meta data cannot be trusted.
"In general, search engines have turned away from metadata, and they now try to hone in more on what's exactly perceivable to the user in the browser. Our hypertext spiders (robot crawlers) are seeking to parse text content, text elements, and engage semantic matching logic with page text compositions."
Content Relevancy is the determining factor in Google's binary-based, data retrieval keyword search system.
"For the most part we throw away the meta tags, unless there's a good reason to believe them, because they tend to be more deceptive than they are helpful."
Website Optimization needs to hinge on Content Relevancy in order to make the greatest impact on our system, not links, PageRank, cloaking, or SPAM, the deciding factor is: CONTENT RELEVANCY.
Mr. Norvig also goes onto discuss the advancements being made by Google to target cloaking, sneaky redirects, and web sites using misleading meta tags.
The closing paragraph of this interview with Peter Norvig og Google is a must read for anyone interested in securing and maintaining premium, natural keyword search positions on the Google results pages.
Learn more about Google's ongoing search quality challenges involving automation, knowledge, spam, growth and more. Mr. Norvig addresses the four leading individual challenges at Google Organic Search.
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