search giant
Google Q3 Revenue Increases 31% Year-Over-Year, Up 3% Over Q2 2008
Google beat Wall Street with its third quarter earnings, announced today. Their revenue is up 31% year-over-year and up 3% over Q2.
Analysts have been worried that a weak economy would mean worse results for the search giant, due to tightening advertising budgets and decreased consumer confidence.
But, of course, almost the opposite is true. Advertising on Google is much more affordable than traditional marketing methods such as print and television. Search advertising is also more easily measured and has the opportunity to provide a wealth of behavioral data.
Google Prepares iPhone Ad Options
Google is preparing for the launch of their iPhone ad options, according to AdWeek. Several ad agencies have been given previews of the new option by the search giant.
The ads will be optimized for browsing on the iPhone, which enables direct Internet browsing instead of browsing via the mobile web. They will include an option for click-to-call. The iPhone already has a feature allowing users to click on any text phone number and it will dial it automatically.
Expect the new iPhone ads to be made available soon. AOL’s Platform-A already offers iPhone ad solutions. So has Admob.
Two Health Sites Merge to Challenge WebMD
Two health sites have merged in what many are saying will be a challenge to health search giant WebMD. The Revolution Health Network and Waterfront Media are joining forces to dominate the health space. Waterfront Media runs the Everyday Health Network.
AOL co-founder Steve Case, now CEO of Revolution Health said, “When we entered the health care market we knew one of the areas we wanted to focus on was using the Internet to empower consumers and give them more choice, control and convenience. The merger of Waterfront Media and Revolution Health Network builds on each company’s complementary strengths to create a new industry powerhouse — thus enabling us to accelerate our efforts to reach the largest, most engaged audience and help people stay healthy, manage chronic disease and deal with serious illness.”
What do you think about the merger? Can they take on WebMD? Give your predictions in the comments.
Related Reading:
Searching for Healthcare: How Online Communities are Changing the Face of Medicine
Microsoft Secures Search Ad Partnership with Rodale’s Health Sites
WebMD CEO Fights Off Google Health Virus with SEO
h/t Reuters
comScore: No Clients are Leaving Us for Google
During their conference call announcing second quarter results, comScore addressed whether or not a new Google research product is impacting their business. Google announced their new media measurement tool, Ad Planner, in late June. So far, the program is open by invitation only (though companies can apply for an invite).
comScore CEO Magid Abraham said, “We really haven’t seen an impact so far on our business, we haven’t heard any client who’s said well use [the Google product] instead of comScore,” according to Marketwatch.
A conflict with comScore’s data doesn’t seem to be hurting the measurement company either. Earlier this year, analysts used comScore’s search advertising numbers, showing a decline for Google, to underestimate the search giant for the first quarter of 2008. But Google beat Wall Street in Q1. Google says that the improved quality of their ad product decreased clicks but improved revenues.
Viacom Agrees to Skip YouTube Viewing Histories
Despite a court order requiring Google to hand over YouTube user viewing histories, Viacom and Google have come to an agreement where that data will be left out of the user log handover. Viacom will still receive user ID, user IP addresses, and visitor ID data.
Viacom has been going after Google for the copyright material found on YouTube, something many predicted would happen once the Mountain View-based search giant acquired the popular online video site. And while Viacom may have the law on its side, many feel the media conglomerate should just accept the free advertising that comes with the so-called copyright violations.
Meanwhile, Microsoft and Yahoo may want to take notes on how to negotiate an agreement without the help of the mainstream media.
Google Adds Privacy Link in Wake of Viacom Ruling; YouTube Addresses Privacy Issues
Recently, Google has been resisting calls to add a privacy link to their home page, saying searchers can simply type “Google privacy policy” in the search box to find the info. Plus, they didn’t want to mess up that beautiful front page – well, except for links to advertising and business solutions that will bring them money.
But the search giant has finally caved and added the 7 letter word to its page with a link to the policy. And as John Paczkowski points out at AllThingsD, the link just happened to go up just after a judge ruled that Google has to hand over YouTube user logs in a suit brought against it by Viacom.
Meanwhile, YouTube addressed the ruling on its blog. While they’re planning on complying with the ruling, they are working with Viacom lawyers to remove at least some of the information they’ll be handing over:
Of course, we have to follow legal process. But since IP addresses and usernames aren’t necessary to determine general viewing practices, our lawyers have asked their lawyers to let us remove that information before we hand over the data they’re seeking. (You should know, IP addresses identify a computer, not the person using it. It’s not possible to determine your identity solely based on your IP address. Rather, an IP address can reveal what geographic area you’re connecting from, or which Internet service provider you’re using.)
What do you think of Google’s move to put the privacy link on the homepage? How about YouTube’s decision to comply with the law? Fire off in the comments!
Related Reading:
If You Give Google a Cookie
Google: A Clear & Present Danger to Corporate Data Privacy
Google Privacy Practices Under Attack
Google Defends Data-Retention Practices
Dear Google: Facebook Is Just Not That Into You
Google FriendConnect friended Facebook. It looked as if Facebook (stocked with former Google executives) might become BFFs (best friends forever).
Then Facebook blocked Google FriendConnect.
The message is clear:
Dear Google,
Facebook is just not that into you.
Facebook says Google has forced them to break off their FriendConnect relationship. Apparently, Google has invaded the privacy of Facebook users without their permission.
Facebook hasn’t turned a cold shoulder or abandoned the search giant. The social network has “reached out” to Google to find a way to make it work.
We view this trial separation leading to divorce, not an open marriage.
Here’s what Facebook had to say in their developers’ blog, under “Thoughts on Privacy.” Read, “I want to be alone.”
Now that Google has launched Friend Connect, we’ve had a chance to evaluate the technology.
We’ve found that it redistributes user information from Facebook to other developers without users’ knowledge, which doesn’t respect the privacy standards our users have come to expect and is a violation of our Terms of Service.
Just as we’ve been forced to do for other applications that redistribute data in a way users might not expect or understand, we’ve had to suspend Friend Connect’s access to Facebook user information until it comes into compliance.
We’ve reached out to Google several times about this issue, and hope to work with them to enable users to share their data exactly when and where they choose.
What this means to you: the search engines are becoming more like car dealerships where certain models can be sold under the same roof. Facebook and Google will form their alliances and consumers will lose out.
The full text of the Facebook “Dear Google” blog post is after the jump.
Click to read the rest of this post…
Microsoft WorldWideTelescope Launches
Microsoft launched WorldWideTelescope, it’s downloadable answer to Google Sky, Google Earth and Google Moon, yesterday. Other than being a bit of a memory hog (understandable for the power it provides) and requiring the latest version of DivX and .Net framework to install, WWTelescope is a pretty amazing program.
You can aimlessly browse around the solar system and beyond, zooming in with incredible detail on Earth, the moon, other planets or galaxies, or you can download a professional tour of any of the above. Each item you look at comes with various “Imagery” options. You can check out satellite images of Earth, a street view, a hybrid of both or use the incredible cool “Earth at Night” mode. The options for viewing space are too numerous to numerate. For a quick fix, you can browse through various collections of space images, like those taken from the Hubble or Chandra telescopes, and see where in space those images are from.
If anything, WWTelescope is too advanced, offering a slew of advanced and sometimes incomprehensible options aimed at professionals and true hobbyists. You can even hook up your telescope to it. But it’s still great, interesting fun for the average user. I just wasted an hour or so “researching” it for this article, and left with the same semi-accomplished feeling I get when I waste time on Wikipedia.
Microsoft products have often fallen behind Google on the coolness factor of their products. This time they definitely have the search giant beat.
SEMDirector Rebrands as Covario In Race for Interactive Advertising Platform
Search engine marketing technology firm SEMDirector today rebranded as Covario to reflect the depth and breadth of its performance management technologies. Covario’s platform enables global brands to manage not only search advertising but other interactive media, including display advertising. For the search industry, it’s a wakeup call that “SEM” as a specialized service faces increasing [...]
Google Launches Checkout For Political Contributions
Somewhere out there, at least one of Ron Paul’s followers is unhappy. Why, you ask? Because the presidential candidate has enjoyed an amazing amount of support from certain corners of the Web, and a certain search giant has only now launched something called Google Checkout for Political Contributions.
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google launches checkout [...]
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