Google Launches Pay Per Action Ads

Google announced a limited U.S. only beta for a new service they are calling Pay Per Action ads. Google Pay Per Action will allow advertisers to create ads that cost only when a desired action is triggered. The advertiser sets the price per action; for example, an advertiser can decide to pay $5 per lead acquisition, as opposed to paying per click or per impression.

These Pay Per Action ads are available to a limited number of AdSense publishers. Publishers will be able to select which Pay Per Action ads they would like to display on their content sites. A publisher accepted into the beta can choose to display all pay per action ads, or select to show keyword specific ads or select a specific ad from a specific advertiser. To do so, the publisher will have to login to their AdSense accounts, go to the referrals section and select other referrals from the options.

Wordtracker launches free keyword suggestion tool

Wordtracker has launched a free keyword suggestion tool to help website owners and managers optimize their websites so that they appear higher in search engine results.

The free tool is available at http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com and gives webmasters up to 100 keywords a time.

Keyword research is an essential first step in any online marketing activity and the new tool from Wordtracker has been designed to allow webmasters to quickly, and easily, brainstorm initial keyword ideas. This handy reference tool is suitable for boosting organic search performance and getting a better return on investment (ROI) from pay-per-click campaigns(PPC).

“Keywords are simply the words people use when they search. Incorporate those words into your website copy and your position in search engines results will rise – often dramatically – and that means more sales online.” Mike Mindel, CTO and co founder of Wordtracker.

“There is a gap in the market for this type of tool and as Wordtracker provides the most popular paid-for keyword service on the web it made sense to create this service.” Mindel continued.

“Our strength has always been providing in-depth analysis that allows marketers to get to understand customer behaviour online. We’re confident that once people see the benefits of initial keyword research, they will realise that this is a profitable marketing resource that they simply can’t do without.” He added.

Google TV 'hoax' gets viewers clicking

A video purporting to show users how to become a tester for a forthcoming TV service to be launched by Google has split the web over claims it is a hoax.

A clip posted to YouTube by tech tutorial channel Infinite Solutions on Friday told viewers they could access high-quality US network TV shows as part of a private test by repeatedly logging in and out of Gmail. Cynical net stalwarts immediately mocked the suggestion that the search giant would employ such arcane beta test methods. But others countered with blog posts and video responses to claim they had indeed successfully found Google TV by following the instructions.

Tutorial host Mark Erickson has posted previous tongue-in-cheek instructional videos, one suggesting users can extend their WiFi range by wrapping their Ethernet cable around a mobile phone.

Many Google watchers have said the latest episode is a hoax because no DNS entry exists for the address given by Erickson, tv.google.com. It would also buck the trend of previous Google beta tests; Gmail was made available via invitation, for example.

If fake, the video would represent not just a grand hoax but a testing of the response to any future possible such launch from Google. It is also a lesson in viral communication for many marketers.

The clip was viewed more than 100,000 times over the weekend, causing thousands of people to log in and out of their email accounts, some hundreds of times, in a desperate attempt to access the service.

Google, Intuit Team Up Against Microsoft

Google just upped the ante in its desktop challenge to Microsoft. The Web search leader hammered out a deal to include various Google tools in a new version of Intuit's QuickBooks small business accounting software. The partnership represents one of Google's most aggressive moves into PC desktop software, the market dominated by Microsoft.

By teaming with Intuit, Google could get access to the 1.5 million small businesses Intuit expects will buy or upgrade to QuickBooks 2007 when it ships this fall. The new software package will include Google's AdWords Find out what Google Checkout can do for your online business. for creating Internet text ads tied to search keywords.

The software will include other tools both companies hope small businesses will find invaluable. It will let businesses list contact information in Google Maps and introduce products into Google search results through Google Base. "QuickBooks has millions of small businesses, and this is the fastest way to get millions of new advertisers into these online networks," Google CEO Eric Schmidt says.

Google Checkout Launched

Google Inc today announced the launch of Google Checkout, a checkout process that makes online shopping faster, more convenient and more secure for Google users. Google Checkout offers an easy and trusted checkout option that enables shoppers to purchase from participating stores with a single Google login. It also works with Google's search advertising program, AdWords, to help merchants acquire new customers and process all or a portion of their Checkout sales for free.

Broadcasting with Google talk

After that Google Talk is launched a lot of tips are coming, and here is a very cool one, how to broadcast with Google talk !

If you have a mic plugged in, unplug it
Double click on the speaker icon in the lower right corner. This will open up "Volume Control". Select "Options" and then "Properties". Then check the button next to "Recording" then click OK. You may also have to change your setting under Mixer Device.
Now the Recording Control screen should be up. On my computer I selected "Wave Out Mix"
Finally, you might just need to play around as each PC is going to be a little different. The best way to get it to work if you're having trouble is to call a friend on your messenger and simply play around with the settings until they hear music or you see the microphone equalizer moving around in the chat window on your end
It works fine with one user, but when calling another friend it makes the second call on holds.

Online Ad Revenues Grow for Third Straight Year

U.S. online advertising revenues grew for a third consecutive year as keyword ads targeted to specific search queries continued to dominate, an industry group said Thursday.

Online advertising set a new record of US$12.5 billion last year, a 30 percent increase from the previous high of $9.63 billion in 2004.

Search remained the largest generator of revenues, accounting for $5.1 billion, or 41 percent, of the 2005 figures. That's slightly higher than the 39 percent share in 2004.

Internet ads also set a record for the fourth quarter, with revenues totaling $3.6 billion, a 34 percent jump from the same period in 2004 and 15 percent more than the previous record of $3.1 billion, set in the third quarter of 2005.

EBay Auctioned Dmoz Editorship

For long time there was a lot of speculation going on about the corruption of dmoz editors, but its first open example came on 18th Oct when a dmoz editor auctions his editorship of a dmoz category having a PR of 5. Ebay finally removed the thread after receiving lot of complaints regarding the same. But by the time thread was removed the bidding has touched $850.

Finally no doubt that getting in dmoz donnt means ur site need to be good and u should write meaningful descriptions, more than that one must have budget to bribe dmoz editors. Google still in its algorithm gives high weightage to dmoz and it seriously need to give a thought on that.

Some interesting points mentioned in the posting at EBay were...

8. What category is this editorship?
I'm sorry but you are bidding on a blind category with a Page Rank 5. If I mentioned which category it was for before receiving the money, the editorship might be revoked. Obviously it's not mortgages, adult, or gambling or I wouldn't be selling the editorship. However, it is a niche that has profitable keywords.

9. Can I make money as a DMOZ editor?
People understand that the DMOZ is corrupt and will often attempt to bribe you. When you are with a corporate client, you can easily charge $1,000 or more for a DMOZ listing. It is both that important and extremely difficult to get listed.


11. If a DMOZ editorship is so great, why are you selling it?
I own 3 category editorships with different logins. I’m only selling one of them.

Google Map Creates Tension In India

Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam expressed concern Saturday about a free mapping program from Google, warning it could help terrorists by providing satellite photos of potential targets. Google Earth, an Internet site launched in June this year, allows users to access overlapping satellite photos.

Google Trust Rank

Trust rank, a new technology Google search engine creates that makes searches more accurate and reliable. The new tool is being developed to replace the Google Page Rank technology, apparently due to be phased out soon. To get to grips with this change, let's get clued up on how Google.com employs its advanced search technology in order to provide information such as Page Rank and Trust Rank.

Page Rank Explained - the Google Page Rank uses a very complex technology capable of combining information of a wide link structure in the web with text-match techniques in order to bring results that match exactly what the user searches. The Page Rank algorithm is complex, but there can be said that the net result is based on the number of pages linked to your page. The Page Rank Google interprets each link leading to a specific page as a vote. Not only the number vote is evaluated but also the importance (Page Rank) of pages' count, so important pages make too other pages more important.

Trust Rank - the only problem about the Google Page Rank system is that it allows creation of some deluding webpages, created with the sole purpose of pointing to a single target page, to force a Page Rank increase somehow. Yet, some pages present several keywords hidden as invisible text, to appear earlier in query results. Based on such facts, the Trust Rank system will separate sites into two different groups: Trusted and Un-trusted. Google will also tag sites that employ any form of spam technique. As it would be completely impossible to review all content, Google will manually look at clusters, and then, tag sites that use some kind of spam techniques. Other sites that link to tagged sites will be punished as well. Whereas pages that steer clear from spam will be marked as trusted. Trusted sites linking to other trusted sites will increase their importance to Google, accordingly.

Whichever way Google will present the Trust Rank system or whether it will be visible on the Google Toolbar is yet to be known, but webmasters expect Google to give further information soon.