Starting From Search

Yahoo Calls BS!

Anyone following the "Will Microsoft ask Yahoo to get married" drama are already familiar with Carl Icahn, who started a school yard proxy fight over the future of Yahoo.

Today, Yahoo posted an open letter to Carl Icahn:

Yahoo!'s Board of Directors continues to stand ready to enter into negotiations with Microsoft Corporation for an acquisition of Yahoo!. Indeed, as recently as June, Yahoo!'s independent directors and management approached Steve Ballmer about just such a transaction, only to be told that Microsoft was no longer interested even in the price range which they had previously proposed. Now Mr. Ballmer and Mr. Icahn have teamed up in an apparent effort to force Yahoo! into selling to Microsoft its Search business at a price to be determined in a future "negotiation" between Mr. Icahn's directors and Microsoft's management. We feel very strongly that this would not lead to an outcome that would be in the best interests of Yahoo!'s stockholders. If Microsoft and Mr. Ballmer really want to purchase Yahoo!, we again invite them to make a proposal immediately. And if Mr. Icahn has an actual plan for Yahoo! beyond hoping that Microsoft might actually consummate a deal which they have repeatedly walked away from, we would be very interested in hearing it.

I believe that is Yahoo telling Mr. Icahn where he can stick it. While this type of bickering usually weakens a company in the long run, I think it's actually good for Yahoo. The big Y has been stagnant for too long, and this may be what finally gets the passion back for them.

I Now Call Google to the Witness Stand

In Florida, there is an interesting legal case unfolding. The defendant is accused of purveying obscene material from a web site, but the definition of obscenity is based on community standards. As a way to poke holes in this, the defense wants to show that "the community" is actually a lot less moral than they say they are.

How are they going to show this? By using search traffic data from Google. Essentially, the defense is going to try to point out that people will claim to be more moral than they actually are, but in the privacy of our own homes (based on what types of searches people typically perform at their computers) morality is more ambiguous. After all, based on this chart at Google Trends, it appears that Florida’s appetite for porn has increased steadily since 2004.

But search data is not that easy to parse because the search traffic does not get to the underlying intent of the searcher. Just because someone does a search on porn, does that mean that person was actually looking for pictures? We can guess, but we'll never know for sure.

Slate.com has the full story on the case, and the role of the internet in the definition of "community."

Versus Starts Aggressive Tour de France Ad Campaign

"Screw the dopers, politics and critics."

That's the first line of Versus's new ad campaign to get attention back on the Tour de France. A slate of TV ads coincide with the launch of a new site called, Take Back The Tour.

"Join the Movement" is a great call-to-action. The link takes you into the site, where everything has a tone of defiance. A link in the top right asks, "How will you take back the tour" giving fans the chance to express their ideas and even to vent a little.

In a time when every sport seems to be dogged by allegations of juiced athletes, this is exactly tone Versus should be taking. It makes them appear to be as frustrated as we, the sports fans, are. It gives the appearance that they are fighting for the soul of the sport. Other sports outlets, such as Major League Baseball, are getting caught up in PR-speak and weak responses. They should take a page from the Versus play book and fight back. Show the fans you believe in your sport.

Rumor's of Google's Death have been Greatly Exaggerated

Inside the industry, there have been rumors floating around for the last 6 months or so that Google is having trouble retaining people. Fortune even had a piece on the brain drain that is allegedly taking place.

Today, Slate.com has a great piece exploring the validity of the rumors. It's worthy of a read.

Powerset Now Out of Beta

Powerset has just announced that it is out of beta. It is a search engine for Wikipedia articles. I have never had trouble finding Wikipedia articles, so I think I'm going to take the Seth Godin path here: What problem are they trying to solve? New products can be good, but they only do well if they solve a problem.

Brain Drain at Google?

According to CNN, Google might be facing a brain drain as employees are leaving comfortable jobs to make their own way with their own start ups. (Link: Where Does Google Go Next?)

This reminds me of an article by Robert Cringely that he wrote in May of 2007. In this article (Link: The Final Days of Google), Cringely suggested that Google's downfall would not be Microsoft, but some uber-smart staffer leaving to start their own company.

Of course there will be turn over with 18,000+ employees on the payroll. But these Googlers that left, were not satisfied with developing their projects inside the Google walls. And despite Google offering large sums of cash to keep these people, they left anyway.

It doesn't mean they will create so called Google-killers. But it does demonstrate that even super hot companies cool down eventually and loose some luster.

Does SEO Make the World A Better Place?

Slate.com seems to think so in this interesting article. They touch upon some of the old snake oil perspectives of SEO that need to stay in the past. Certainly there were/are people/firms that are not highly ethical, but SEO better or worse than a financial planner. Some really want to help, some just want your money.

Brilliant!

Now I feel like I need a gimmick. Maybe I could be the stripping SEO?

Know Thy Searcher

For the last week, I’ve been humbled by the flu. I’m honestly not sure what was worse, having the flu or subjecting myself to 5 days of cable TV while I lay on the couch. (I feel very close to Bob Villa now.)

While I sat on couch, cheering my white blood cells on, I did a search for "flu symptoms." I noticed a common search problem—a case of one advertiser knowing who they are talking to and others who are clearly not sure.

Search marketing like other forms of marketing, need to focus on "the who." Not the stellar British rock band of the 60s and 70s, but those who are searching. You must know who you are talking to in order for the brand message to break through the clutter. The keywords you bid on tell you "the who" and what their intent is.

This PPC ad is perfect.

It's to the point and addresses exactly what anyone searching for information on flu symptoms needs.

Tylenol, on the other hand, is wasting money (and a consumer’s time) because they don't know who they are talking to.

Simply, I don't have a "common cold," I have the flu. Based on my search—flu symptoms—what I want is pretty clear. Their PPC ad does not begin to address my intent for searching.

Next, I did a search for "flu treatments" and found the same issue. A few very good PPC ads that spoke to and leads to information about how to treat the flu. But again, Tylenol misses:

Once again, I'm not trying to treat a cold. I'm dealing with nausea, a flu symptom not a cold symptom. But, alas, Tylenol is not alone. Vicks also uses off-target copy.

PPC ads must address the intent of the searcher in order to convince them that your site has information they can use. That is why a consumer will click. For some keywords, this can be tricky to judge. Multiple ads can help you test your way into figuring out what ads speak to the consumer the best.

But in some cases, such as with flu symptoms and treatment, the intent is clear. And failing to address the consumer's need will send them clicking somewhere else.

Microsoft Makes $45 Billion Bid for Yahoo

Microsoft has made an "unsolicited" $45 billion bid for Yahoo! in a cash and stock swap. This was a deal a long time coming and frankly, isn't a surprise for anyone in the industry. Microsoft and Yahoo have been seen flirting at the dance before.

Why now? Both are concerned with Google's ever increasing dominance in the search space. This purchase would be a merging of armies to take on Google. And considering Yahoo's inability to gain traction after their executive reorg last year, its perfect timing on Microsoft's part.

Here's the thing: If Yahoo wants to sell, this is the best deal they will ever get. Other than Google, Microsoft is the only other company rich enough to buy Yahoo. Google would never buy them and Microsoft would never offer a true merger among equals. Yahoo-Soft? Micro-hoo? No way.

But, should they do it?

In order to beat an opponent like Google, you have to be ready to fight like hell. Yahoo stopped fighting 3 years ago. Microsoft, on the other hand, loves a good fight.

This bid might have been unsolicitied, but Yahoo has already considered this option. It's already been throughly discusssed on how to approach a bid by Microsoft. In fact, it says so in their press release:

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb 01, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today said that it has received an unsolicited proposal from Microsoft to acquire the Company. The Company said that its Board of Directors will evaluate this proposal carefully and promptly in the context of Yahoo!'s strategic plans and pursue the best course of action to maximize long-term value for shareholders.

The last sentence says it all. Get ready for a sale.