Getting Granular: The DigitalGrit Blog

Yahoo/HotJobs in deal with local newspapers

Yahoo's struck a deal with seven major newspaper publishing groups will use its technology to sell ads and offer search on the Web sites of over 150 daily papers across 38 states. Ads placed in these papers will also appear on Yahoo HotJobs.

According to Reuters:

Yahoo aims to expand its reach into local markets, viewed as a key growth channel for the newspaper industry as it faces circulation declines and a migration of readers to the Internet and other media...

..."We believe the local segment is largely untapped and provides significant opportunities to expand audience engagement and subsequently grow local advertising," Yahoo Chief Executive Terry Semel said.

Local search is just getting hotter by the day. If you haven't started thinking about this as part of your marketing plan, START.

Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Working Together on SiteMaps.org

SiteMaps.org will do the impossible: Unite Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. The big three have agreed to work together on the Google-created, XML-based protocol.

SiteMaps has seen great adoption by search engine optimzation professionals and webmasters alike, as the tool makes it easier for search engine spiders to index a site and tell how frequently it's updated.

The Big Three will encourage other search engines, as well as CMS vendors, to support the protocol.

From Computer Business Review.

ClickRiver - Ad Network for Amazon and A9

Earlier this month, Amazon quietly launched its own ad network. Clickriver will place sponsored links on Amazon in a fashion similar in pretty much every way to AdWords.

 

Currently in Beta, the A9-created technology will place PPC ads alongside search results and on detailed product pages.

About time Amazon did this -- it's a great opportunity for advertisers to gain visibility on one of the Web's most popular sites -- hopefully in a highly relevant context.

Here's the info provided by Amazon about the new network.

Love to hear some feedback from anyone who's already tried it!

Lycos Aims To Be "Cool Again," Launches Lycos Cinema

Lycos, one of the granddaddies of Internet portals, is heading in the right direction.

The site, which started out as a Yahoo competitor, touting its strength in search (remember the "Go fetch!" ads with the black labrador?) ultimately became a popular hangout for teens online. Absorbing community sites like Tripod and Angelfire, they were really on the cutting edge of stickiness, drawing young people in to build their own content and connect via online communities.

(The portal itself was purchased by Terra Networks in 2000, then shortly after by Daum.)

But the gloss of Tripod and Angelfire died down as sites like MySpace and LiveJournal gained popularity with the cool kids.

Now, in an effort to regain their place among the "in crowd", Lycos is launching Lycos Cinema. The new service adds a level of interactivity to the portal that may just return it to its former glory:

Lycos said it is using proprietary technology to enable viewers to watch synchronized videos on the Web. The company compared its ability to offer such a service with massive, never-ending online games such as Warcraft and Second Life, which host hundreds of thousands of players.

Lycos users will be able to watch films and create public chatrooms to invite other potential viewers. Viewers in any one particular viewing room can type comments on the window, while watching the movies that are streamed at the same time.

Sounds like a plan. And just in time for the new year -- hear that, media buyers?

Unlike YouTube, by the way,  Lycos Cinema will accommodate full-length feature films. Uploading capabilities will be live by later this year/ early next.

Read more about the launch here.

WOMMA Issues Guidelines for Business Bloggers and the Marketers Who Contact Them

In the aftermath of the Edelman/Wal-Mart fiasco, WOMMA has been scrambling to save face (Edelman is on their board, after all) and issue a new code of ethics (Edelman was instrumental in penning the existing code). Edelman's membership is currently in review, and WOMMA has taken quick action to put a new code of ethics -- now referred to as a "tool" -- in place.

They've actually created two sets of guidelines: One for business bloggers (including agencies in the blogging space) and one marketers attempting to "leverage" blogs and contact bloggers.

Both are up on the WOMMA site. The first, the WOMMA Ethics Assessment Tool, consists of the Ethics 20 Questions is up as a "Discussion Draft for Public Comment." If you work in this space, read it and comment. It's a pretty reasonable ethics code, but there's always room for improvement.

The second set, The Ethical Blogger Contact Guidelines is also in discussion draft mode. This tool is a little fresher, and basically seeks protect bloggers from spam and block paid blogging without disclosure.

This document is a public draft of guidelines for marketers to follow when doing outreach within the blogosphere. It is neither a "how to blog" nor a "what to blog" document. Rather, its intent is to give clarity and guidance to marketers who are working and corresponding with bloggers, and to ensure that their efforts adhere to the standards set by the WOMMA Ethics Code.

These guidelines are designed to help marketers embrace specific practices that are deemed ethical within the blogosphere. Adopting them will empower marketers to quickly identify issues within existing communications and will help ensure that future efforts at communicating with bloggers are ethically sound.

It's a lot to take in, but definitely read and comment. If you're doing any work with blogs for your own business or for clients these rules WILL AFFECT YOU. Take the time to provide feedback.

We need some best practices established out here in blog land.

MarketingSherpa Acquired by MarketingExperiments

Yesterday, 237,000 marketers received an email announcing that MarketingSherpa is now part of MEC Labs, better known as MarketingExperiments.

It's a good pairing. MarketingSherpa has always been known for its Case Studies -- formulaic interviews with client-side marketers sharing campaign goals, tactics and results (for better or for worse!) across verticals and channels. Marketing Experiments' Dr. Flint McLaughlin had a similar goal of discovering effective online marketing tactics, but took a more scientific approach to the topic.

I can only imagine what crazy-usefuly content the 72+-inches of caffeinated marketing know-how that is Anne Holland could accomplish in Dr. Flint's lab!

Ask -- not Google or MSN -- Powers Lycos Search

That's right -- Lycos has selected the dark horse, IAC's Ask.com, to fuel its search. See the article on MediaPost today:

STRIKING A BLOW AGAINST TWO of its far bigger rivals, Ask.com will replace MSN and Google as the natural search and sponsored listings provider on Lycos. Previously, MSN Windows Live powered organic search results and Google supplied sponsored search listings.

By partnering with Lycos, which had 25.7 million unique visitors in September, Ask.com will be able to boost its brand and expand its paid listings business. Lycos generates about 125 million search queries per month, according to internal company numbers. 

Ask has made headlines since its February relaunch, becoming the fastest-growing search engine among users this year -- but still owning only 5% marketshare, next to Google's 44%. The new partnership will help fuel that growth, making Ask.com a much bigger contender in the space.