Komodo Links: Self Serving Reviews, FriendFeedFeed, an Open Letter to Google, and AOL Buys Bebo

We've got some interesting and humorous links from the past week for this installment of Komodo Links. So sit back and enjoy while you wait for the weekend to begin.


RealSelf.com, an independent site for consumers to discuss anti-aging treatments, has accused plastic surgery corporation, Lifestyle Lift, of breach of contract and computer fraud. Basically RealSelf.com claims that Lifestyle Lift agents posed as patients and posted positive reviews about Lifestyle Lift procedures. These charges were filed as a counterclaim to a Lifestyle Lift lawsuit filed against RealSelf.com for trademark infringement. MediaPost has more on this plastic surgery soap opera.

Here's a funny post (and comments) about FriendFeedFeed. FriendFeedFeed, currently in "pre-beta," aggregates all your social networking aggregator feeds into one aggregated feed of aggregator activity feeds. Definitely a quality piece of Web 2.0 satire.

On a more serious note, Danny Sullivan writes an open letter to Google. In the letter, Danny asks Google to divest itself of Performics, DoubleClick's SEO firm. "Google's in the SEO business now, ...conflict of interest? You bet."

And in an unexpected move, AOL buys social network Bebo for $850 million. In response, AOL users ask their grandchildren, "what's a Bebo?"

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Google Finally Gets EU Approval for Acquisition of DoubleClick

The European Commission announced today that Google's $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick can proceed without conditions. Google proposed the deal back in April to increase its sales of online display ads. Microsoft had vigorously opposed the deal saying it would hinder competition in the global online ad market. In the end Microsoft could only stall the deal, not kill it. You can read the rest over at Bloomberg.

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Komodo Links: Why Data Matters, Landing Page Load Time and Quality Score, New Yahoo Maps Data, Zuckerberg on Facebook

It's Friday and its time for some Komodo Links. Google, Yahoo Maps, and an interview with Mark Zuckerberg are on the list.



The Google Blog posted Why Data Matters a couple days ago. A great read including "a brief history of search."

In the next few weeks Google's AdWords will begin to factor landing page load time into your quality score. The primary goal is to improve the user experience.

Yahoo Maps has been updated with new data and functionality.
Improvements include:

• 300 cities with new neighborhood data added throughout North America
• 12,000 new neighborhoods added
• Expanded worldwide coverage
• New Points-of-Interest (POI) information

And to finish up, BusinessWeek has a short interview with Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. In the interview Zuckerberg discusses Sheryl Sandberg's role at Facebook, their expansion plans, and his perspective on a possible initial public offering of stock.

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Apple: America's Most Admired Company

Apple took the top spot in Fortune Magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies" ranking for 2008. Google came in at number four and Microsoft made it into the Top 20 at number sixteen.

The Industry Champions list is worth looking at as well. Anheuser-Busch is not only the King of Beers but the King of Beverages. Altria Group is the champion of the tobacco industry. I guess thats a good thing... Two companies with a large presence in Florida made the Industry Champions list. Publix Super Markets took the top spot in the "food and drug stores" category, and FPL Group (Florida Power and Light) took the honors in the "electric and gas utilities" category.

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Komodo Links: News Corp and Yahoo, Search Engine Audience Profiles, NewsClipper, and RFPs

Komodo Links is back and we've got some quality links for you this week.

• First up Stephan Spencer, founder and president of Netconcepts, wrote a guest blog post over at Search Engine Land titled How to Write a Killer RFP (Request for Proposal) for Hiring an SEO Firm. It was a very good read and Stephan gives some great advice.
  
• Michael Arrington at Tech Crunch put together a nice post with the details of what a possible News Corp/Yahoo deal would look like.
• Another one from Tech Crunch: a review of the streaming news video site, NewsClipper, and its creator, Onar Vikingstad.
• And lastly, a very interesting post from the Hitwise blog, MSN Search and Ask Audience Profiles. Also check out the post from last week: Yahoo! search draws younger audience; Google users big spenders.

Enjoy.

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Google AdWords Display URL Policy Update

Google's AdWords blog, Inside Adwords, has posted an advance notice of new changes to their display URL policy. According to the post, redirects, vanity URLs, and certain uses of tracking URLs will no longer be acceptable. This new policy will go into effect on April 1st and will be strictly enforced. The blog post gives a brief example of what will still be allowed in regards to tracking URLs and sub-domains.

I don't think most advertisers will be unduly affected by this new policy, but I encourage you to read up on the new policy so you aren't caught off guard.

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Komodo Links: It's all about Microsoft and Yahoo

It's the end of the week so that means it's time for Komodo Links. Yes I'm still in the office on a Friday night. We're heading out for the IFA annual convention tomorrow so we've been tying up all the loose ends today. This week's Komodo Links has a laser focus. It's all about Microsoft and Yahoo.

• Microhoo At One Week: Decision Nears? Yahoo Brand to Survive?
  
• Yes it's another open letter addressed to someone who is involved with the Microhoo deal. An Open Letter to Steve Ballmer.
  
• Is it too late for Yahoo? I have both feet in the maybe camp.
• Congress delays first hearing on Microsoft's Yahoo bid. Congress delaying something...that's about as surprising as the sun rising. ;)
  
• Yahoo and Microsoft: Will 'Microhoo' be the ultimate community? I'm pretty sure Google and a few others will have something to say about that.

Have a great weekend everybody.

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Google News Gets Local

Google News launched a local news feature late last night. Simply enter the city and state or the zip code in the local news section and Google will populate it with news pertaining to that locality. I took a look at it and so far I like what I see. I have used Google News for quite a few years and it is one of my go to destinations for news stories. It's great having a local section right there in the mix, so that I can quickly see what's going on without having to go to individual local sites.

The Google News blog post briefly (and generally) describes how their local feature works and how it's different from other local news aggregating sites.

While we’re not the first news site to aggregate local news, we’re doing it a bit differently -- we're able to create a local section for any city, state or country in the world and include thousands of sources. We’re not simply looking at the byline or the source, but instead we analyze every word in every story to understand what location the news is about and where the source is located.

Below is a screen shot of the local news section for Miami Beach. (click to enlarge)


As you can see...it's a pretty slow day in Miami Beach today. But the weather is nice. ;)

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Yahoo is Feeling the Pressure from Microsoft's Bid

Yahoo! is feeling cornered after Microsoft made its takeover bid last week. The Yahoo! board said it would take its time to review the Microsoft bid. They haven't acted on the bid yet.

The New York Times posted an article reviewing the current situation with some great commentary from Wall Street analysts. The article also explores some other options open to Yahoo! if they decide to decline the Microsoft bid, including an advertising partnership with Google, courting other buyers, or forcing a leveraged buyout to take the company private.

Some highlights from the article:

But if Yahoo spurns Microsoft, analysts believe it probably will have to swallow its pride and forge an advertising partnership with Google if the alliance could win antitrust clearance.

Under this scenario, Yahoo would rely on Google to run its search engine while joining thousands of other Web sites that depend on the Internet search leader for a steady stream of ad revenue generated from text-based links that produce commissions with every click.

But getting Google's advertising help probably wouldn't be enough to trump Microsoft's offer by itself. To placate shareholders, Yahoo probably would have to line up enough money to pay a special dividend or perhaps even take the company private in a leveraged buyout.

The list of so-called ''white knights'' willing to come to Yahoo's rescue appears to be dwindling. Several of the most logical candidates, including News Corp., AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp., reportedly have no interest in trying to top Microsoft's bid.

Yahoo's board conceivably could even turn down Microsoft on the grounds that the current offer grossly undervalues the company, given its stock traded as high as high as $34.08 in late October.

If Yahoo assumes that stance, it might provoke a showdown at its annual meeting in a few months. Microsoft has until March 13 to nominate its own slate of directors if it tries to seize control of Yahoo's board.

What do you think Yahoo should do? Should they take the Microsoft offer, partner with Google, or something else? Let us know.

I personally like the suggestion made by the Merrill Lynch analyst Justin Post, who "believes Yahoo should dangle the prospect of a Google partnership to persuade Microsoft to raise its bid and then accept the higher offer." Microsoft could call their bluff believing that either Yahoo won't approach Google or that regulators would deny the partnership on anti-trust grounds. I don't believe they would call the bluff though. I think Microsoft is just too eager to get this deal done.

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Komodo Links: Anonymous Google Bomb, Open Access Wireless Spectrum, and G-phone by Dell?

Introducing Komodo Links, stories and posts from the news world and blogosphere that we found interesting. Yes I know posting links is nothing new and that pretty much 99% of blogs do it. This is just our version. We will probably start out posting links to our favorite stories once a week to start. It could be more than once a week real soon, just don't hold me to it. So without further ado....our Komodo Links for this week:

• Anonymous drops a Google Bomb on the Church of Scientology, and teach marketers a thing or two about campaigns. Great article, though I disagree with Jason about "keyword density."
• Open access for all: prime 700MHz Block C hits reserve price. And Google rejoices! (and so will I...when it happens.)
  
• Google wants Dell to make a G-phone? Most say its doubtful. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

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Follow-up: Verizon Wireless to open up in '08

BusinessWeek's article, Verizon Embraces Google's Android, discusses the sudden shift in Verizon Wireless's business model, from tightly restricted to an open-access network, and how Google's Android helped facilitate this shift. The article details how the open movement at the company was spearheaded by CEO Lowell McAdam.

Some highlights of Lowell McAdam from the article:

[Verizon Wireless's] surprise embrace of an open-access model and of the Android software culminates a dramatic yearlong evolution in the company's thinking. The effort, championed by McAdam, involved meetings with the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and late-night bull sessions with the top two executives at Verizon Communications, which owns Verizon Wireless in partnership with Vodafone.

McAdam was more amenable to shifting gears thanks to time spent during the 1990s in Europe and Asia, where the wireless industry is more of a free-for-all. ...[he] says he was impressed that European and Asian mobile carriers backed technologies that allow subscribers to switch to rivals with ease.

The BusinessWeek article goes on to discuss how the open-access move could help reduce Verizon's costs and help to combat market saturation in the US. The upcoming FCC wireless spectrum auction is also covered. Particularly, how the auction (and lobbying from Google and other tech companies for open-access) got McAdam to consider that a move to an open-access business model was necessary.


According to McAdam, Android was the final key influence in Verizon adopting an open-access business model. This is, of course, why Verizon is now "embracing" the Android platform. However, when Google first announced the release of Android, Verizon (along with AT&T) were absent from the press release. According to McAdam, the reason they did not sign on and support Android from the beginning is two-fold, "To get into that press release really didn't do anything [for Verizon]...We needed to understand the details of that operating system."

As I mentioned in my previous VZW open-access post, Verizon's new open initiative will offer increased flexibility for VZW's customers by allowing them to choose between VZW's full service offering or going with a third party device and mobile applications. It was clear to me at the time of my previous post that "These innovative [third party] mobile web applications will initially be developed through the Android Open Handset Alliance." McAdam also sees the potential in the Android Platform by saying, "Clearly the Android system gives a lot of developers the opportunity to develop applications for a wide range of handsets." Clearly, if a lot of developers start developing applications, we are bound to get at least a few very innovative and useful applications from Android. Right? I can't wait to see how much the US wireless market changes in the next few years.

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Gmail Chat Can Now Use AIM

Recently Google rolled out some upgrades to its mail platform Gmail. This is a great one. Up until now the chat functionality within Gmail has been limited to other Gmail and Google Talk users. Now Gmail users can reconnect with their friends on AOL Instant Messenger, AIM. Thanks for opening up Google!

10 million AIM accounts were resurrected from the dead today as a result! That's a guess but I'm sure it was a lot. Thanks again Google.

Source Article

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Google launches "My Location (beta)" for mobile devices

Google has introduced the beta version of its new "My Location" feature for Google Maps for mobile devices. The My Location feature enables a mobile user to display their current location on the Google map on their device. The feature uses both GPS and non-GPS methods to determine a user's location.

When GPS is available on a device the user will get a much more accurate reading of their location, indicated by a blue dot. If GPS is not available for whatever reason, the My Location feature takes information broadcast from mobile towers near you to approximate your current location on the map. Basically triangulation using cell phone towers. When the feature uses this method, it displays your location as a blue dot surrounded by a light blue circle. This light blue circle represents the amount of uncertainty about your location. Google claims that this method "comes pretty close (approximately 1000m close, on average)."

The My Location feature is available for most web-enabled mobile phones, including Java, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Nokia/Symbian devices.

I think the My Location feature will encourage more people to use Google Maps for Mobile. The feature will save mobile users time by allowing them to simply press a single button to find their location, instead of finding a nearby address and typing that into Google Maps as well as their search query.

The following is a video from Google about the My Location feature.





What do you think of the new My Location feature?

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Verizon Wireless to open up in '08

Today Verizon Wireless announced a new open development initiative aimed at accelerating innovation and growth in the wireless market.

Verizon Wireless today announced that it will provide customers the option to use, on its nationwide wireless network, wireless devices, software and applications not offered by the company. Verizon Wireless plans to have this new choice available to customers throughout the country by the end of 2008.

Obviously, Verizon Wireless is feeling some pressure from the imminent arrival of Google in the wireless arena. This is a great decision by Verizon Wireless, because the decision makers at VZW had the foresight to see that fighting Google (and any potential partners) would be a losing proposition. In the long run they would simply lose subscribers looking for more device options and innovative mobile software and applications.


By giving their customers the choice of “bring-your-own” device service, Verizon Wireless is offering the best of both worlds. Customers bringing their own devices can enjoy the coverage and reliability of Verizon Wireless's network, while also being able to pick and choose what software and applications they want to use. This option also offers a lot of flexibility and adaptability for business customers and mobile web users. These customers will be able to install and use the specific mobile applications they need to transact business and carry out other online activities that couldn't be performed on a mobile device before. These innovative mobile web applications will initially be developed through the Android Open Handset Alliance.

The only question I have is "I wonder how long it would have taken Verizon to open up like this if Google had not made the move into the wireless market?" ;-)

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An introduction to search snippets

Google's Matt Cutts uploaded the following video to his blog last night. In the video, Matt discusses the anatomy of a Google search result. In particular he discusses the search snippet and the many different ways that Google's algorithm "generates" this snippet.





As you can see, the search snippet is a valuable indicator of relevancy for a searcher. It basically tells the searcher a little bit about what content is on the page in relation to their search query. As Matt mentioned, Google will sometimes generate this snippet using your page's meta description tag or Google can pull some text from one or more areas of the page. By optimizing its meta description tags and the content on its pages, a franchise company can increase search engine traffic to its website. Including information such as an individual location's physical address, areas served, etc. in that page's meta description tag and body text, a searcher is much more likely to see relevant information in the snippet. Then (hopefully) they will visit your site.

Thanks to Matt for making this video.

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Googles Android

I’m sure most of you have all read about Android from at least a dozen other places. For those who haven’t, Android is an open source software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. Anybody can download the development kit from Google and design mobile applications on the Android platform. To attract some of the best and brightest developers, Google has launched the Android Developer Challenge.

The Android Developer Challenge will provide $10 million in awards for great mobile applications built on the Android platform. The Challenge will be broken down into two phases. During Challenge One, developers must submit their applications to Google between January 2 and March 3, 2008. The 50 most promising entries will each receive a $25,000 award to fund further development. The 50 developers will then be eligible for even greater recognition through ten $275,000 awards and ten $100,000 awards. The second part of the Challenge will launch after the first handsets built on the platform become available in the second half of 2008. Google doesn’t go into specifics about what Challenge Two will entail.

The primary aim of the challenge is to encourage the development of innovative and useful applications that promote a better mobile experience. These mobile applications will become excellent tools for franchises and small businesses to attract potential customers. Applications that focus on local search and location based services can heighten a small business’s visibility for a certain geographic area. For example, a business traveler could use this application to find dry cleaning companies close to his or her hotel, see what services they offer, their business hours, and read reviews from previous customers. Another example could be a bar using a location based service application to display an ad about their after work drink specials. The bar could have the application ad only display on mobile phones within a two mile radius of their physical address, thereby highly focusing the ad to their target.

The possibilities are truly endless with Google’s Android platform. It will be very interesting to see what applications come about in the next two years and how these applications will benefit local businesses. If you’re a small business or franchise owner, keep an eye out for continuing developments with the Android platform.

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