Survey reveals role of search engines in travel purchases

Study from Google / comScore reveals that only 10% of first visits to travel websites result in sale. 38% of sales take place four weeks after the initial visit. Search engines are being used in more sophisticated ways to find travel related web content.

Joe Friedlein

Open-source search engine launches

Wikia search launches in alpha to a rapturous lack of applause. Only time will tell if the human edited search results will help improve the quality of the search results, but Google can rest easy for the immediate future.

Joe Friedlein

Google gets approval for DoubleClick deal

The Federal Trade Commission approves the Google acquisition of DoubleClick in the US. Approval is still required in the EU, but does this decision clear the way for the search engine giant to continue its march towards total domination of online marketing?

Joe Friedlein

Google uses human power for its search results

Google reveals a little more about how it uses human review panels to assess the quality of its search results. Not new news as such but some interest comments from Google’s Director of Research, Peter Norvig

Joe Friedlein

Google develops online encyclopedia

Google introduces the knol – a unit of knowledge – and launches challenge to wikipedia. Google the content indexer becomes Google the content provider.

Joe Friedlein

Google’s search market share increases

Google increases its market share in the US. As the search engine giant increases its grip on search engine marketing, what can Yahoo, MSN and the remaining competition do?

Joe Friedlein

Small businesses not investing in search

An interesting survey finds that business in the UK are reluctant to invest in search engine marketing, despite the fact that 76% of those that do see positive results on sales.

Joe Friedlein