Getting Granular: The DigitalGrit Blog

Google & eBay in Bed for Ad Alliance Outside US - Click-to-Call Key in Deal

From AP:

In a deal between two of the Internet's most prominent properties, Google will begin selling advertising for Web auctioneer eBay outside the United States and help buyers quickly ring an online merchant to do business.

The arrangement announced Monday promises to introduce "click-to-call" Web site technology to a broader audience and potentially speed its adoption as a means of more quickly connecting online consumers with advertisers. It will allow potential buyers to call eBay merchants or Google advertisers by clicking a link on a Web page.

"We have a chance to create a whole new way for buyers and sellers to connect online and to create what we hope will be a significant revenue stream for both eBay and Google," eBay Inc. Chief Executive Meg Whitman said in an interview Sunday night.

While eBay set up a deal a few months back with Yahoo for domestic advertising, Google will now be handling all ads outside the US. Nice of eBay to share the love.

Also note that click-to-call is critical in this deal -- and it's not just a Skype thing. AP reports that both Skype AND Google Talk will be employed:

Last year, eBay bought the Internet phone service Skype. Google has its own messaging and Internet-based telephone service, Google Talk. Both services will be used in the partnership, though details were not disclosed. EBay does plan to rely on Google's international presence to build a worldwide market for Skype.

Promoting "click-to-call" advertising was also part of the deal eBay announced with Yahoo in May. Yahoo also has been testing the concept.

Read the article.

Google & eBay in Bed for Ad Alliance Outside US - Click-to-Call Key in Deal

From AP:

In a deal between two of the Internet's most prominent properties, Google will begin selling advertising for Web auctioneer eBay outside the United States and help buyers quickly ring an online merchant to do business.

The arrangement announced Monday promises to introduce "click-to-call" Web site technology to a broader audience and potentially speed its adoption as a means of more quickly connecting online consumers with advertisers. It will allow potential buyers to call eBay merchants or Google advertisers by clicking a link on a Web page.

"We have a chance to create a whole new way for buyers and sellers to connect online and to create what we hope will be a significant revenue stream for both eBay and Google," eBay Inc. Chief Executive Meg Whitman said in an interview Sunday night.

While eBay set up a deal a few months back with Yahoo for domestic advertising, Google will now be handling all ads outside the US. Nice of eBay to share the love.

Also note that click-to-call is critical in this deal -- and it's not just a Skype thing. AP reports that both Skype AND Google Talk will be employed:

Last year, eBay bought the Internet phone service Skype. Google has its own messaging and Internet-based telephone service, Google Talk. Both services will be used in the partnership, though details were not disclosed. EBay does plan to rely on Google's international presence to build a worldwide market for Skype.

Promoting "click-to-call" advertising was also part of the deal eBay announced with Yahoo in May. Yahoo also has been testing the concept.

Read the article.

YouTube Generation: Google Video replaces Froogle, Groups on Google Homepage (Screenshots)

Via Micro Persuasion:

Google has placed Video Search on the homepage, bumping Groups and Froogle to second page status. Actually, make that "additional-menu-but-still-first-page" status.

In light of YouTube's lightening-fast growth, this definitely confirms that video is this year's pink.

YouTube Generation: Google Video replaces Froogle, Groups on Google Homepage (Screenshots)

Via Micro Persuasion:

Google has placed Video Search on the homepage, bumping Groups and Froogle to second page status. Actually, make that "additional-menu-but-still-first-page" status.

In light of YouTube's lightening-fast growth, this definitely confirms that video is this year's pink.

Microsoft Buying eBay? Shut up!

Just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, MarketingVox reports (via McPaper)that Microsoft is considering the acquisition of eBay. (You know you've got some bucks when you can just buy eBay.)

Microsoft has been in talks for several weeks about a possible acquisition of eBay, reported the New York Post on Friday, citing sources close to the issue. Apparently, Microsoft has considered buying eBay and merging it with MSN in a bid to challenge Google for internet supremacy, but as a result of antitrust concerns the talks have "cooled somewhat," according to the Post.

Moreover, last week eBay and Yahoo announced a strategic advertising and e-commerce alliance that may have dampened the talks as well, though one source has suggested the partnership would not necessarily deter Microsoft from going after eBay.

I've been referring to the recent flurry of news about Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, eBay, et.al. as the "search wars," but I think "portal war" is a more appropriate term.  It's a race to own full-service corner of the web, like AOL did back in the 1990's.

Does the adage "You can't be all things to all people" have any significance here here?

Microsoft Buying eBay? Shut up!

Just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, MarketingVox reports (via McPaper)that Microsoft is considering the acquisition of eBay. (You know you've got some bucks when you can just buy eBay.)

Microsoft has been in talks for several weeks about a possible acquisition of eBay, reported the New York Post on Friday, citing sources close to the issue. Apparently, Microsoft has considered buying eBay and merging it with MSN in a bid to challenge Google for internet supremacy, but as a result of antitrust concerns the talks have "cooled somewhat," according to the Post.

Moreover, last week eBay and Yahoo announced a strategic advertising and e-commerce alliance that may have dampened the talks as well, though one source has suggested the partnership would not necessarily deter Microsoft from going after eBay.

I've been referring to the recent flurry of news about Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, eBay, et.al. as the "search wars," but I think "portal war" is a more appropriate term.  It's a race to own full-service corner of the web, like AOL did back in the 1990's.

Does the adage "You can't be all things to all people" have any significance here here?

BusinessWeek: Search at 10% of its potential...there's life beyond Google and Yahoo!

BusinessWeek predicts the specialization of search, likening Google and Yahoo! to NBC and ABC, and the new, highly specialized engines to smaller networks like The History Channel and Noggin.

According to their interview with VC Ron Conway, "Search is in its infancy today ... It's at 10% of its potential, maybe." 

Beyond more vertical search engines, BW sees a change in search as we know it:

While Google and other giants seem wedded to the current paradigm -- type words into a rectangular box, and get a list of 10 blue links -- startups are throwing caution to the wind. Without existing users to alienate, they can afford to rethink everything from the search interface to the formulas used to deliver info.

The result is likely to be a move away from a single ubiquitous search box, away from the reflexive hop to Google to find info on the Net. Instead, people may use several different search engines, each tailored to a specific task. One might specialize in blog postings, another in video clips, and a third in general information.

The article also predicts upgrades in algorithms and suggests that we "look for Google and its competitors to snap up many promising startups" in vertical search.

It's an eye-opening read (even if you already saw specialized search on the horizon). Check it out.

BusinessWeek: Search at 10% of its potential...there's life beyond Google and Yahoo!

BusinessWeek predicts the specialization of search, likening Google and Yahoo! to NBC and ABC, and the new, highly specialized engines to smaller networks like The History Channel and Noggin.

According to their interview with VC Ron Conway, "Search is in its infancy today ... It's at 10% of its potential, maybe." 

Beyond more vertical search engines, BW sees a change in search as we know it:

While Google and other giants seem wedded to the current paradigm -- type words into a rectangular box, and get a list of 10 blue links -- startups are throwing caution to the wind. Without existing users to alienate, they can afford to rethink everything from the search interface to the formulas used to deliver info.

The result is likely to be a move away from a single ubiquitous search box, away from the reflexive hop to Google to find info on the Net. Instead, people may use several different search engines, each tailored to a specific task. One might specialize in blog postings, another in video clips, and a third in general information.

The article also predicts upgrades in algorithms and suggests that we "look for Google and its competitors to snap up many promising startups" in vertical search.

It's an eye-opening read (even if you already saw specialized search on the horizon). Check it out.

Verisign Buying Moreover?

Good Lord, the RSS/blog market is starting to feel like banks a few years ago...cannibalization everywhere!

In another story I missed this week, it appears that VeriSign is buying news aggregator Moreover. And VeriSign also bought Weblogs.com last week. And VeriSign itself is being purchased by eBay.

Anyone else finding it hard to keep up?

In a funny PS, a comment on the above-linked blog post reads, "Will Google buy VeriSign?" Well, buddy, be glad you didn't put any money down on that one! Looks like Google has some new competition in its scheme to take over the world...

Verisign Buying Moreover?

Good Lord, the RSS/blog market is starting to feel like banks a few years ago...cannibalization everywhere!

In another story I missed this week, it appears that VeriSign is buying news aggregator Moreover. And VeriSign also bought Weblogs.com last week. And VeriSign itself is being purchased by eBay.

Anyone else finding it hard to keep up?

In a funny PS, a comment on the above-linked blog post reads, "Will Google buy VeriSign?" Well, buddy, be glad you didn't put any money down on that one! Looks like Google has some new competition in its scheme to take over the world...