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What do Google AdWords & The Three Amigos Have in Common?

Written on August 11, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: marketing

While Google’s Caffeine testing ground might contain few changes to the user interface, that’s not stopping the search engine from testing new layouts.

As spotted by Erick Schonfeld, Google really wants you to pay attention to its AdWords ads. So much so, that if you’re viewing Google with a wide screen, the ads no longer remain aligned to the right-hand side.

Clearly Google feels this will increase the number of clicks on the ads.

What’s next? Maybe this will help give Google some ideas:

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What do Google AdWords & The Three Amigos Have in Common?

Back to Purple: New SERPs for Yahoo

Written on August 3, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: marketing

Just two weeks ago, Yahoo unveiled a new homepage. The biggest changes seemed to be personalized data and a bit more streamlined interface, with links to other Yahoo services you choose (instead of all Yahoo services). Now, Yahoo is testing a new layout for its search results pages, too.

Like the new homepage, the Yahoo logo returns to its classic purple on the new SERP (a little over a month from when I noted that virtually everywhere the logo was red. Coincidence? I think not!). As Search Engine Land notes, the new SERP is also slightly “Bingafied”—with “Related Concepts” in the left-hand column, as well as Search Pad which was on the right-hand side of the SERP.

After the new search deal between Yahoo and Microsoft (geez, I take a week off and everyone goes and loses their minds?), it appears that Yahoo will be operating off Microsoft’s back end index, leaving Yahoo free to innovate and experiment with its interface without having to maintain that pesky crawling hobby. (Sounds to me like they’re essentially giving up on the search business and abdicating the #2 spot to Microsoft with Yahoo.com as the welcome mat, but hey, potayto, potahto.)

What do you think? Is this “innovation” on Yahoo’s part? Is it better than the current layout, or not different enough to make a difference?

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Back to Purple: New SERPs for Yahoo

YouTube Videos Getting Off-Site Overlay Links

Written on June 30, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: Advertising, marketing

Although the latest planned feature for YouTube looks like an ad, for once YouTube’s rolling out something somewhat noteworthy that’s not part of its continue search for revenues. The feature? Overlays, like InVideo ads, that feature off-site links.

As TechCrunch reports, “you probably thought it was already out there.” But to-date, YouTube hasn’t allowed any links embedded in its videos other than a.) ads or b.) links to other YouTube videos. If you needed to link to your website, blog, Twitter profile, etc., you had to do it in the right-hand sidebar, where it would be largely ignored.

YouTube ran a similar promotion in March for charity:water. This video from the organization features the overlay:

The move is unique in that this is the first non-advertising off-site links YouTube has allowed. However, the program will only be open to YouTube’s advertisers participating in the CPC Promoted Videos program. TechCrunch says the program is launching today.

What do you think? Will this result in more people leaving YouTube—or more people signing up as Promoted Video advertisers?

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YouTube Videos Getting Off-Site Overlay Links

Proof that Google is Shrinking in Size?

Written on June 30, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: marketing

It appears Google is getting smaller in size–the logo, that is.

Philipp Lenssen spotted YAGT (Yet Another Google Test), this time it appears to involve a slightly smaller logo:

Have you seen this? I’m a little skeptic about its authenticity. Notice how the “Results 1- 10 of….” text is closer to the left in the second screengrab? Same with the login info. That often happens when you reduce your browser window size or screen resolution. That might account for the small looking logo–then again, it could be that Google will show a smaller logo only to those that have smaller screen resolutions.

Who knows? I just wanted to write a post title that included the words “Google” and “shrinking” — when does that ever happen?

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Proof that Google is Shrinking in Size?