Keeping Up: Chronicling Technology Innovation Online

Yahoo Eclipses Google in Customer Satisfaction (per ACSI)

Data was released this morning from the well-known University of Michigan American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) showing that Yahoo has eclipsed Google in terms of customer satisfaction.   This is shocking because Google gained their power and share from an excellent user experience.  I am sure alerts and sirens are going off at Google this morning internally.  Although it may not be acknowledged outwardly, Google's pride has probably taken a hit here.  If I know anything about Google, WATCH OUT everyone else.  They will really get the entrepreneurial fires burning now.  This is good for the industry because it says that Yahoo still has a place in the market - everyone in the search business is cheering for that.  At the same time, it fires Google up and drives even more great innovation.  This will likely stoke another round of the competitive slugfest in Silicon Valley.  Hold on to your hats!

Watch your Match Types in Search Engine Marketing

Google is currently in the middle of yet another court case regarding paid search ads and trademarks. The interesting part of this case is that broad match is at the center of the issue.  Anyone who has done paid search marketing has at one time or another wrestled with what the best match type settings should be for a campaign.  In the case of Sport Court vs Rhino Sports, Sports Court alleges that Rhino violated an injunction and bid on "Sports Court" trademarks.  Rhino argues that they bid on "court" related terms and Google broad match then rendered an ad that ultimately violated the injunction.  Is this a good defense?  Probably not because any good campaign should have a strong negative keyword list built and certainly if you have an injunction against you. 

Either way, this case is yet another example of comments I have made in the past.  Watch your keyword list and build a good negative keyword list.  By its nature, search engine broad match logic can be VERY liberal.  If you have an absolute no-no list of keywords, put the those terms (on exact match) in your negative keyword list and rest in peace.  Google does a better job than its peers giving you the information to make a good negative keyword list so use that information to your advantage. Google now gives you the Search Query report which shows some of the long tail terms that were matched via broad match.  Take my advice and avoid a court case!

Google Quality Score - frustration or friend?

As a heavy search engine user and long time search marketer, the quality score introduced by Google has been a large frustration. It frustrates legitimate advertising and the "way things have always been done".  Now knowing that Google is my "frienemy" (per the Urban Dictionary), I want to "trust but verify" as they say. I trust Google inherently because you can't argue with their success. But they definitely have the ability to drive you INSANE on the way.

Recently, I have come across the Google quality score as a stumbling block in relation to several different campaigns that I am involved with.  This spurred me to do some reading on the topic and I found some great insight that finally makes some sense.   Gord Hotchkiss, CEO of Enquiro, posted on SearchEngineLand regarding eye tracking tests and the Golden Triangle or what Gord terms as "The Area of Greatest Promise" which is the top left corner of any search display page. 

Essentially, Gord contends that Google's entire search/text ad business model is in jeopardy if over time, this area of real estate is not always filled with THE ABSOLUTE BEST answer.  Its simple and he is right.  That makes sense and explains why Google would be extremely aggressive about advertisers in that slot.  If the ad copy and the landing page don't have strong relevancy, over time Google is in trouble and then so is every search engine marketer out there, myself included.

Its frustrating to live in a quality score world.  However, its existence tells me that search engine marketing is maturing and that this issue will begin to separate the phony search engine marketing types who don't invest strategic thought into their work.  Often, the score appears very arbitrary but those that embrace the concept rather than fight it will win in the end.