Getting Granular: The DigitalGrit Blog

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.

Will Google be Bigger than Microsoft?

HipMojo predicts that Google could be bigger than Microsft by 2010.

Right now: Google is at $130 billion while MSFT is at $280 billion.  That’s less than 4 years to increase by $150 billion.  And yes, that assumes MSFT does not increase in value.  Is that realistic....

Today, MSFT has a market cap of $284 billion, and that includes a wallop of cash.

Tale of the tape: Google $287 billion; MSFT $284 billion

Pretty crazy, huh? Yet not unthinkable, considering how quickly Google innovates. There's something to be said for those massive beta launches; there's method to the madness there. Google's not afraid to make bold moves early on -- I mean, when did they launch Blogger? And how long did it take Microsoft to launch its own paid search, post-Overture? Microsoft may still own our desktops, but they're just not keeping up with Google in the Web space. And Google may just squeeze MS out of our offices, as well.

Thanks to Andy Beal for this one!

Google Up, Yahoo Down

While Yahoo hangs its head over a 38% drop in revenue for Q3, Google reports more than a 70% increase over last year's revenues, exceeding analyst expections by a good $50 million. With $2.69 billion in reported revenue for the quarter, I think they're OK to cover the YouTube deal.

Cha-Cha on Good Morning America

To follow up on our previous post, the buzz about Cha-Cha continue to grow. The new search engine was featured on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday.  In a segment entitled "Make Money From Home While You Cha-Cha," Tory Johnson (CEO of Women for Hire) focused on Cha-Cha as a new emplyment opportunity:

Unlike many other jobs, serving as a ChaCha guide does not have to be scheduled in advance. It's all about flexibility.

There is no set schedule and no minimum time requirements that you must work.

This type of work can be done at your convenience — during the day when the baby sleeps, at night when you return from another job, or weekends for fun.

Talk about humanizing search.

It's a PR tactic that's working for Cha-Cha, too. According our IG2 analytics reports, we've seen nearly 10X the traffic on this blog since the segment aired -- all from folks searching for "Cha cha search". (We're actually ranking above Cha-Cha in Google right now.) No wonder Cha-Cha's site's been down so much over the last few days.

Windows Live Search -- Open for Business, Officially

The "beta" has been removed from WindowsLive Search. With a sleek, celan design that makes Google's look old and clunky, the new Microsoft Search is certainly attractive.

Now let's get some feedback on the results! (Jeremy Zwadony has already weighed in on speed and relevancy, with a review that's mixed overall, but notes that the Web search has "greatly" improved. Read his commentor reviews, too.)

Also, now in beta: QnA -- Microsoft's newest community effort, similar to Yahoo! Answers.

Seven Types of Searchers (Thank you, AOL Leak! -- And Slate!)

Account Manager Cate Dunn shared this email with the team today:

Following AOL’s recent data leak, Slate columnist Paul Boutin synthesizes the data from http://www.splunkd.com/ (which has preserved the data despite AOL’s attempts to recall) to create the seven types of searchers.  Mostly general (and some humorous) information, but some interesting bits including:

“The guy who searches for the same thing over and over and over. . .(is) most likely to craft advanced search terms like "craven randy fanfic -wes" and "pfeffern**sse."

http://www.slate.com/id/2147590/?nav=navoa

Thanks, Cate!

Seven Types of Searchers (Thank you, AOL Leak! -- And Slate!)

Account Manager Cate Dunn shared this email with the team today:

Following AOL’s recent data leak, Slate columnist Paul Boutin synthesizes the data from http://www.splunkd.com/ (which has preserved the data despite AOL’s attempts to recall) to create the seven types of searchers.  Mostly general (and some humorous) information, but some interesting bits including:

“The guy who searches for the same thing over and over and over. . .(is) most likely to craft advanced search terms like "craven randy fanfic -wes" and "pfeffern**sse."

http://www.slate.com/id/2147590/?nav=navoa

Thanks, Cate!

Heard about Cha-Cha? (Search Engine, Not DiGregorio)

Have you heard about ChaCha?

This new search engine launched on Monday, and it's already making waves. Currently in "Alpha Mode" (rather than go "Beta," which Google's practically trademarked) the site is "Part Wikipedia, part Yahoo Answers and part About.com," according to Search Engine Watch.

How so? In addition to providing tradtional, algo-driven Search Engine results pages, the site will also provide real-time results via live "guides." Welcome to Social Search.

Like About.com guides, ChaCha's will be matched with their areas of expertise. Currently, 3,000 guides have been tapped to participate. ChaCha guides, who will be paid,can invite other guides to join as apprentices, fueling viral growth of the site. (Cool, huh?) Guides have to start of as apprentices and be trained by experts prior to any public interaction. (There's speculation that many of these guides will be pulled from 10 million-plus, cash-hungry college students.) Pay increases as guides gain experience, topping off at $10/hour.

Guides will also have profiles, adding to the community aspect of the site.

The site's a little shaky this first week (it was actually down, but had a nice smiley face on the screen during the outage) but reviews so far seem optimistic, if a little skeptical about providing enough guides for a fast-growing audience.

Give it a shot for yourself and let us know what you think!

Heard about Cha-Cha? (Search Engine, Not DiGregorio)

Have you heard about ChaCha?

This new search engine launched on Monday, and it's already making waves. Currently in "Alpha Mode" (rather than go "Beta," which Google's practically trademarked) the site is "Part Wikipedia, part Yahoo Answers and part About.com," according to Search Engine Watch.

How so? In addition to providing tradtional, algo-driven Search Engine results pages, the site will also provide real-time results via live "guides." Welcome to Social Search.

Like About.com guides, ChaCha's will be matched with their areas of expertise. Currently, 3,000 guides have been tapped to participate. ChaCha guides, who will be paid,can invite other guides to join as apprentices, fueling viral growth of the site. (Cool, huh?) Guides have to start of as apprentices and be trained by experts prior to any public interaction. (There's speculation that many of these guides will be pulled from 10 million-plus, cash-hungry college students.) Pay increases as guides gain experience, topping off at $10/hour.

Guides will also have profiles, adding to the community aspect of the site.

The site's a little shaky this first week (it was actually down, but had a nice smiley face on the screen during the outage) but reviews so far seem optimistic, if a little skeptical about providing enough guides for a fast-growing audience.

Give it a shot for yourself and let us know what you think!

End of an Era: Danny Sullivan Leaves SES

Shocking news to all in the Search Engine Marketing industry: Danny Sullivan, founder and organizer of Search Engine Watch and Search Engine Strategies, is moving on -- in his own words:

After ten years, I'm leaving Search Engine Watch and almost certainly leaving the Search Engine Strategies conference series as well. My contracts with their owners Incisive Media are expiring, and we've not been able to agree on new ones... [Incisive purchased both SEW and ClickZ from JupiterMedia earlier this year.]

In terms of Search Engine Watch, I'll be serving as editor-in-chief through November 30, 2006. As of December 1, I'm gone, except for an extremely slim chance I might do some columns for them going forward. It's so slim that no one should be expecting that it will happen.

As for SES, I'll still be chairing the SES Multimedia & Mobile Edition show this October in Los Angeles, then the SES Chicago show in December. After that, I'd say there's another extremely slim chance that I might do SES events on a case-by-case basis (again so slim that I'm not expecting it will happen). At the moment, I'm not contracted for any thing beyond those named (I'm currently listed as chairing the SES NY 2007 event, and I've asked that I be removed from the site).

SES has always been the biggest show for SEM and SEO firms, and DigitalGrit has participated in both the New York and San Jose events for many years now.

We're saddened by Danny's departure, and unsure of where the show will go from here. He's been a trusted leader in this space for as long as there's *been* a space, and we wish him well in whatever his next venture is.

...And whatever it is, Danny, count us in for a booth. ;-)

To keep up with Danny Sullivan, grab the feed from his blog, Daggle.

(Thanks to Andy Beal for breaking the news gently!)