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Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
Search engine giants Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft’s Bing, are reportedly looking to attract smaller businesses to their platforms by attempting to demystify search engine marketing and PPC advertising, according to an article published by USA Today.
All competing in a market which is set to reach $17 billion by next year – according to figures released by eMarketer – Google, Yahoo! and Bing are looking towards small businesses as a revenue generator.
However as the two disciplines can leave many bewildered, the search engine giants have tried to simplify the process; for example, Google recently released AdWords Express, which sees local businesses’ PPC ad campaigns managed by Google.
Meanwhile Microsoft have launched a loyalty program to encourage advertisers to make the switch to Bing adCenter – a platform that supports ads on both Bing and Yahoo!.
CEO of search consultancy firm, Didit, Kevin Lee, emphasised the importance of local businesses for search engines.
He said: “Small advertisers are critically important, not only because of the huge revenue opportunities, but also because a broad spectrum of local advertisers provides a better user experience.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – experts in Search Engine Marketing & Internet Marketing.
Tags: Adwords Express, Bing, Bing adCenter, Google, yahoo
Posted in Search Engine News
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Friday, November 18th, 2011
Whilst Microsoft’s search engine, Bing has overtaken Yahoo! in the popularity stakes, it still has a long way to go if it is to catch Google up.
According to an article published by the Sydney Morning Herald, Bing is set to unveil a whole host a new features and functions, in a bid to compete with Google.
In the past two years Bing has seen its share of the search engine market double.
With the rise in popularity, Bing has become more of a focus for search engine marketing initiatives. It could be that firms look to split their focus between Bing and Google in future.
Stefan Weitz, a senior director at Bing Search USA, commented on the new features.
He said: “People are going to see really great results from the things they expect and they’re going to see some surprise with things they didn’t expect.
“We create experiences for you, for example if you want to go on holiday, we can strap together all the web’s power,” he added.
However, rather than simply offering the same features already provided by Google, Weitz stated that Bing would take a different approach, continuing: “It’s focusing a lot on how we can build search-and-find into search-and-do.
“There’ll be some pretty clear difference with Google.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – specialists in Search Engine Optimisation and Internet Marketing.
Tags: Bing, Google, Stefan Weitz
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation
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Thursday, November 10th, 2011
In line with the search alliance formed by the two companies, Yahoo! has revealed that search adverts for the platform will be sold via Microsoft’s Advertising adCentre from next year, according to an article published by New Media Age.
The move is part of a bid to improve the collective reach of both Yahoo! and Bing – both of which are popular platforms for search engine marketing initiatives.
Microsoft’s marketing lead for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Cedric Chambaz confirmed that announcement in an official post on the Microsoft Advertising blog; he also revealed that the change has already been made in North America.
Yahoo! and Microsoft have also revealed that they will be selling their display ads with AOL, however this pact will currently only effect those buyers in North America.
A statement released by Yahoo! stated: “The ad partnership announcement today reflects a solution for premium digital display advertising inventory, that addresses the specific needs of the US market.”
The statement also added that current system in place in Europe, the Middle East and Africa was the “right one.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – experts in Search Engine Marketing & Internet Marketing.
Tags: Bing, Search Ads, yahoo
Posted in Search Engine News
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Bing – a popular platform for search engine marketing initiatives – has announced the release of an expanded set of Webmaster Tools, according to an article published by Search Engine Watch.
This latest update is one of many to be implemented by Bing over the past couple of months – having previously updated the tools with Honey Badger and integrated Yahoo! Site Explorer data into their Webmaster Tools.
Webmaster Tools will provide users with a number of new functions; here are some of the highlights:
Malware Notification – Webmaster Tools will now notify site owners via email of malware issues found on the site.
DNS Verification – Site owners will now be able to verify the ownership of their site simply by using CNAME DNS records – rather than having to upload an XML file.
Integrated adCenter Data – Any adCenter data will now feature in Traffic Data, according to SEW, whilst Average Cost Per Click (CPC) will be featured in a separate column in any reports.
Bing’s Duane Forrester, speaking to SEW, revealed that the search engine giant implemented the changes in a bid to aid site owners and webmasters in fixing their sites.
News brought to you by ClickThrough – experts in Search Engine Marketing & Internet Marketing.
Tags: adCenter data, Bing, Webmaster Tools
Posted in Search Engine News
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Monday, October 31st, 2011
Microsoft and Mozilla have joined forces to develop a new version of the popular web browser, Firefox, which instead of utilising Google as its default search engine uses Bing – in both its home page and search bar – according to an article published by the International Business Times.
A popular platform for search engine marketing initiatives, Bing’s new Firefox browser can be downloaded from www.firefoxwithbing.com.
Those users already operating a standard Firefox browser will be able to gain access to the new features simply by installing a plug-in.
While Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is the world’s browser of choice, Firefox has gained significant ground since 2004.
However, it has been predicted that Google’s – who previously held close ties with Firefox – Chrome browser could become the second most popular browser by the middle of next year, according to a number of web statisticians.
According to StatCounter, Internet Explorer is used by 42 per cent of users worldwide, whilst Firefox lies in second place with 28 per cent of users choosing it as their browser of choice.
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Tags: Bing, Firefox, Search Engine Marketing
Posted in Search Engine News
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Monday, October 24th, 2011
Already holding the majority of the search engine market – and also a popular search engine marketing platform – Google has become the latest potential suitor for Yahoo!, according to an article published by Hexus.net.
Microsoft are said to be discussing a deal with a number of partners, however Google has now emerged and is rumoured to be talking to private equity firms about funding a potential bid.
With Google already holding a 65 per cent share of the search engine market, it would be unable to directly takeover Yahoo! – who themselves have a 14.7 per cent share.
Google would, however, be able to take over their struggling rival with a shadow bid.
If any Google takeover of Yahoo! – currently said be valued at $20 billion – was to come off, it could deal a serious blow to the ambitions of Microsoft and its search engine, Bing – which recently formed a Search Alliance with Yahoo!
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Tags: Bing, Google, yahoo
Posted in Search Engine News
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Monday, October 3rd, 2011
In a bid to improve financial losses and gain significant ground on Google, Bing is set to unleash an update that will see the search engine produce more relevant results much faster than ever before, according to an article published by Search Engine Watch.
Currently known as ‘Tiger’, the update is being worked on by both Bing and Microsoft engineers, and has undergone a gradual rollout since August.
It is expected that the rollout will be completed before the turn of the year, according to a spokesperson for Microsoft.
By using Solid State Disk (SSD) technology, Bing is expecting an improved level of efficiency – which could potentially improve search engine marketing.
Speaking in a video, general manager of Microsoft’s Search Technology Center in Asia, Yongdong Wang states: “In Tiger, we not only look at improved efficiency but also look at new ways of processing queries.”
Continuing, he added: “These new ways will enable scenarios where we can significantly improve the relevance of the results seen by users.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – experts in Search Engine Marketing & Internet Marketing.
Tags: Bing, Microsoft, Search Engine Marketing
Posted in Search Engine News
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Friday, September 30th, 2011
Not showing any signs of slowing up following their recent spate of activity, Bing have announced the launch of an airport maps feature for Bing Maps, according to an article published by TechCrunch.
Currently launching to display maps for 42 airports located across America, the feature is expected to expand to encompass other airports over time.
Users will be able to find the maps simply by searching either the name of the airport, the city the airport is located in, or the airport’s code in Bing’s search bar.
The airport maps will also provide a useful link allowing users to send the map across to a mobile device.
Displaying the locations of terminals, toilets, check-in counters, baggage claim areas, information desks and shops – as well as other features – airport maps is expected to provide users with useful information during what can be a quite stressful experience.
Currently lagging behind Google in the search engine stakes, Bing’s recent introduction of a number of innovative new features – such as Adaptive Search, a feature that could potentially affect search engine marketing – could see them gain ground.
News brought to you by ClickThrough – a best practice Internet Marketing Agency.
Tags: Bing, Google, Search Engine Marketing
Posted in Search Engine News
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Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
Having launched a number of new features recently, Bing has just released it’s latest – an event planning feature – according to an article published by TopNews New Zealand.
Named “Bing Events”, the feature has been created specifically to aid users in planning nights out. It will provide a whole host of useful information about events, restaurants and parking, in a timetable format.
Information will be drawn from various sources to cover as many as 10,000 venues spread across locations in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the Microsoft owned search engine has also announced that it will be encompassing moving images on its homepage.
The move is seen as a bid to compete with Google – the most popular platform for search engine marketing – and their hugely popular doodles, that change on a daily basis – often marking a significant event or past landmark.
Google currently have a huge advantage over Bing in the search market, possessing a 65 per cent share of the global market.
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Tags: Bing, Google, Search Engine Marketing
Posted in Search Engine News
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Friday, September 16th, 2011
In a move that could alter the strategies undertaken by search engine marketing professionals, Bing has added a new Adaptive Search feature. This new addition will work to produce results based on a user’s past search history, according to an article published by Search Engine Watch.
An announcement regarding this new feature was made on Wednesday (September 14), as Bing looks to produce results more relevant to its users.
Adaptive Search will work by keeping a record of a user’s search history – for up to 28 days if not signed into Bing and 18 months if you are.
Rather than limiting the results seen by users, Bing is said to want to personalise results.
Speaking to SEW, a spokesman for Microsoft said that Bing had a commitment ‘to only use the relevant search history to personalize content and provide searchers with the most relevant results.’
Understanding that a number of users might not be so taken on the idea of Adaptive Search, Bing has included an opt-out – which can be accessed through the Bing Search History Page.
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Tags: Adaptive Search, Bing, search engines
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation
