Through a deal with CBS, YouTube is now offering Star Trek, MacGyver, and Beverly Hills, 90210 to the 91 million viewers in the U.S. who watch 5 billion videos a month (54.8 videos per viewer). Yes, yes, comScore Video Metrix reports there are another 19.7 million viewers in the U.K who watch 1.4 billion videos a month on YouTube.com (72.4 videos per viewer). But, I’m sorry, I can’t find out how many there are in Canada.
Nevertheless, the YouTube Blog says, “These shows will be available in the new Theater View style we rolled out earlier this week, which provides optimal experience for watching full-length programming on your computer.”
Yes, yes, but what does this mean to search engine marketers?
The YouTube Blog adds, “As we test this new format, we also want to ensure that our partners have more options when it comes to advertising on their full-length TV shows. You may see in-stream video ads (including pre-, mid- and post-rolls) embedded in some of these episodes; this advertising format will only appear on premium content where you are most comfortable seeing such ads.”
Ah, ha! You knew there was a catch!
Still, in order to make it clear to viewers, YouTube has labeled all full-length videos with a Film Strip symbol so they’ll know what kind of content they’re choosing to watch and what type of ads they might see.
I can’t wait to share this news with Matt Bailey, the founder of SiteLogic. My business partner, Jamie O’Donnell, talked with Matt about Trekkie lore and web analytics at SES San Jose 2008. Matt was the first to analyze “the Red Shirt Phenomenon.” (As any die-hard Trekkie knows, if you are wearing a red shirt and beam down to the planet with Captain Kirk, you’re gonna die.) But, check out the YouTube video below to hear Matt’s analysis for yourself.
By the way, Matt Baily will be teaching one of the Search Engine Marketing Training Workshops at SES Chicago 2008. It’s the Search & Analytics Workshop: Using Analytics to Increase Search Effectiveness, which will be held on Friday, Dec. 12, 2008.
To prepare you for Matt’s workshop, here are some basic stats: The Enterprise had a crew of 430 during its five-year mission (although, the show was only on the air for 3 years). In the 80 episodes that were produced, 59 crewmembers were killed, which represents 13.7% of the crew. So, that’s what Matt uses as the overall “conversion rate.”
Heck, I can’t explain it as well as he does. So, watch the video interview above — read his article over on the ClickTracks site — or prepare to be amazed during his workshop at SES Chicago.
, more than 27.4 million U.K. Internet users (78 percent of the total U.K. Internet audience) viewed 3.2 billion videos online in June 2008. Google Sites, driven by the popularity of YouTube.com, attracted nearly half of all videos viewed online in the U.K, followed by BBC Sites (1.4 percent share), Microsoft Sites (0.8 percent share), Fox Interactive Media (0.7 percent share) and ITV Sites (0.6 percent share).
U.K. Internet users watched an average of 117.7 videos per viewer in June the highest videos per viewer average of any of the five countries reportable in comScore Video Metrix, which also includes U.S., Canada, France and Germany.
Google Sites also attracted the most viewers (20.5 million), who watched an average of 77.8 videos per person. BBC Sites drew the second most viewers (5.9 million), followed by Microsoft Sites (5.8 million), and Fox Interactive Media (3.9 million).
Other notable findings include:
– 19.7 million viewers watched 1.4 billion videos on YouTube.com (72.4 videos per viewer). — The average online video duration was 3.0 minutes. — The combined U.K. online video viewing audience watched a total 161 million hours of video content. — 4.2 million mobile phone subscribers used their phone to watch any kind of TV or video in the U.K., of which 37.6 percent were younger than 25 years old.
At SES San Jose 2008, Greg Markel of Infuse Creative talked with Byron Gordon of SEO-PR about the Video Search Engine Optimization (VSEO) session. Markel emphasized the crucial nature of an online video (and online video optimization) strategy especially with relation to YouTube and Google’s universal search.
The Video Search Engine Optimization session will also be held at SES Chicago on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008. As I’ve mentioned before, if you register before Sept. 26 you can take advantage of the “recession special” to save up to $600.
Forum: Google Optimization Posted By: GWC Post Time: September 17th, 2008 at 2:17:19 pm discover more seo….
Google is none-too-thrilled about a SearchIgnite study suggesting that search advertising prices would increase by 22%. Now they’re fighting back by saying the study was misleading. Here are their main points:
Ad prices are not set by Yahoo! or Google, but by advertisers themselves
Yahoo! won’t be able to see the current auction prices for Google ads, just as Google won’t be able to see Yahoo’s prices
The report mistakenly assumes that Yahoo! will serve Google ads for as many of its search queries as possible. This contradicts Yahoo’s own statements that their plan is to serve Google ads on search results pages where they have few relevant ads to serve.
The report includes a misplaced focus on cost per click (CPCs) rather than the more important measure for advertisers — return on investment of their advertising dollar.
the study fails to take into account that fact that Yahoo! shows significantly more ads per page than Google
I’m sure the analysts will be split on whether they agree with Google or not.
But one thing Google is getting wrong is the timing. This week’s fast collapse of companies in the financial market and the mortgage problems that have plagued the U.S. for a year now are only reminders of the great risks associated with companies becoming TOO BIG.
Of course, forging an ad deal with Yahoo is not the same as taking on irresponsible loans, but consumers, Wall Street, and the feds are undoubtedly wary of big promises made by big corporations. And Google has become just that in a short 10 year time frame.
In a week after a devastating hurricane and financials falling left and right, Google is not exactly demonstrating sensitivity to the current consumer and regulatory climate by supporting their desire to expand their overwhelming majority market share even further.
Finding what you want on the Internet can be an epic struggle. No matter how powerful search engines have become there are certain instances when even your best efforts are unavailing. And the aggregation of social media on your computer can cause enough noise to make your head explode. Well fret no more because The Filter fittingly named and envisioned by professional noise maker Peter Gabriel offers the latest solution…. discover more seo….
According to Rebecca Lieb of the ClickZ Network, recent surveys show that video has a greater chance of being clicked if it has a thumbnail or image. These results are evident in the popularity of universal search. Rebecca advises marketers to take these statistics seriously and recommends posting related videos with each new video just as I suggested in my interview with WebProNews, which appears below.
As you can tell by the title, Google s Website Optimizer department has been busy. Tom Leung gives WebProNews the scoop on all their new features. First, through experiment pruning, users can disable any page that s not doing as well as was hoped for. They ve also enhanced their reports with a new color coded system, made it easier to validate tags on pages, and submitted several new demonstration videos to YouTube.
Landing pages can make or break a site, and no one wants that second situation to occur. In this interview with Mike McDonald, Frans Keylard, the director of optimization at Widemile, shares some tips that should help improve conversion rates.
There are a lot more interviews on the WebProNews Video Blog from SES San Jose 2008. That includes the five below with members of the Search Engine Watch staff.
After going to all the trouble of getting users to your site, you don t want your landing page to turn them away. According to Tim Ash, a Search Engine Watch Expert Columnist, clutter is the most common problem with landing pages. Tim explains how you have to give users breathing space so they can focus on their main purpose for coming to the site.
Did you ever think of conversions as a blessing and a curse? As Sage Lewis, another Search Engine Watch Expert Columnist, tells WebProNews, everything is trackable online. In most cases, this is a blessing. But for those marketing efforts which do not convert, it can be a curse.
Blogs are powerful communication tools, and companies should embrace them. Yet there are things to watch out for, and Search Engine Watch Guest Blogger Amanda Watlington explores some potential pitfalls in this interview with Mike McDonald.
After listening to a spirited musical intro from a certain Search Engine Watch Blog Correspondent, WebProNews got me to tell my secret to video distribution. I explain how video optimization on your own website was enough in years past, but now in order to succeed you must distribute your optimized videos to sites like YouTube, Yahoo Video, and more.
Okay, taunting Buckeyes from The Ohio State University by having a Wolverine sing the University of Michigan fight song may seem like an odd way to open an interview, but it was payback for the interview below that I conducted earlier this year.
Mike McDonald talks about the humble beginnings of e-business internet video channel WebProNews and some of its funnier moments of adolescence, like forgetting to hit record. Stay tuned ’til the end to see and hear the University of Kentucky Wildcats cheer!
Get it? Got it? Good.
Source: feeds.searchenginewatch.com
Google Analytics Now Shows When a Visitor Uses Chrome
Want to know when the uber early adopters and drinkers of the Google kool-aid are browsing to your site? Then check your Google Analytics.
Anyone checked their Analytics for this yet? Got anyone browsing from Chrome? Share in the comments!
Update from Kevin Newcomb: I wanted to share our early Chrome visitor stats for Search Engine Watch. For Wednesday and Thursday combined, we saw 4.4% of visitors using Chrome, compared to 51.7% using IE, 34.4% using Firefox, 4.5% on Safari, and 3.4% using another Mozilla browser.
It’s very early to tell, and entirely non-scientific, but it appears that Chrome is taking its share mostly from Firefox, with a small dip into IE. In August, the browser usage of SEW visitors broke down like this: 52.9% IE, 37.1% Firefox, 4.4% Safari, and 3.7% Mozilla.
Source: feeds.searchenginewatch.com
As consumers cut back, marketers offer recession specials
Earlier this week, comScore released the results of a study examining recent changes in consumer attitudes and perceptions about the state of the U.S. economy. The study found that consumers in all income segments are cutting back on spending due to concerns about the economy, and that they were doing so to an even greater extent in July 2008 than in April 2008.
So, what does this mean for search engine marketers?
Many consumers have become increasingly cost conscious and are turning to the Internet for pricing information. The survey findings revealed that nearly three out of four consumers believe the Internet has made it a lot easier or somewhat easier to find better, more useful pricing information.
In addition, 75 percent of respondents said that they believe the Internet will become an even more important channel for pricing information, with 41 percent of respondents saying it will be a lot more important and 34 percent of respondents saying it will be somewhat more important in the future.
Do you need some examples to drive this point home?
In New York, Andrew Jeffery of Minyanville.com reports, It appears the city that never sleeps has finally succumbed to the economic slowdown, and it s not just the neon Recession Special sign outside Gray s Papaya.
In San Francisco, Liza Zimmerman of the S.F. Wine & Cocktail Examiner reviews a Recession special: the Viansa 2007 Dolcetto is another well-executed example of using classic Mediterranean grapes on California soil.
When Hyundai asked the Complex Blog to review their first Genesis offering touching down in the states, the company best known for econo-boxes threw Complex the keys and we took this recession special for a ride.
But wait! There s more!
Go to the Rates and Registration Details page for SES Chicago 2008. Just like last year, there is an Early Bird Rate that enables you to save $200 if you register before November 21. But, unlike last year, there is also a Recession Special, which lets you save $600 if you register before September 26.
And if you want to appear as sartorially challenged as one SEM industry observer said the brains of Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization are, then turn up at SES Chicago wearing the Recession Special Shirt being offered by Ten Deep at Turntablelab.com. According to the review, Nothing like a nice, timely shirt that reflects things going on in today s headlines.
Of course, wearing such a shirt violates the dress code in the SES Speaker Guidelines, which states: “Business casual attire is recommended. Formal business attire is perfectly fine. If in doubt, overdress. You won’t feel out of place, as many speakers will also be in formal attire. How you look has an impact on how well the audience receives your presentation.”
It’s a classic dilemna for marketers: Follow the guidelines or take advantage of today’s headlines. What would I recommend? I’d advise you to jump on the “recession special” to save $600, but skip over the shirt. But, I should disclose that SES is a client. If you want to take more of a fashion risk, that’s a decision that you’ll have to make for yourself.
, a Caucasus state which was recently invaded by Russia.
Google left a lot to be desired, but today comes an announcement that more data has been added to their Georgia Maps. Notice in the screenshots below how more cities are visible upon a search for Tskhinvali today than a few weeks ago.
BEFORE
TODAY
Still, upon a search for Abkhazia, Google takes me to a business listing in for an institute dedicated to policy in the Georgian region.
What do you think of this update? Is Google still lagging behind on data for this region of the world? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Top rated WebProNews Videos from SES San Jose 2008
According to Rebecca Lieb of the ClickZ Network, recent surveys show that video has a greater chance of being clicked if it has a thumbnail or image. These results are evident in the popularity of universal search. Rebecca advises marketers to take these statistics seriously and recommends posting related videos with each new video just as I suggested in my interview with WebProNews, which appears below.
As you can tell by the title, Google s Website Optimizer department has been busy. Tom Leung gives WebProNews the scoop on all their new features. First, through experiment pruning, users can disable any page that s not doing as well as was hoped for. They ve also enhanced their reports with a new color coded system, made it easier to validate tags on pages, and submitted several new demonstration videos to YouTube.
Landing pages can make or break a site, and no one wants that second situation to occur. In this interview with Mike McDonald, Frans Keylard, the director of optimization at Widemile, shares some tips that should help improve conversion rates.
There are a lot more interviews on the WebProNews Video Blog from SES San Jose 2008. That includes the five below with members of the Search Engine Watch staff.
After going to all the trouble of getting users to your site, you don t want your landing page to turn them away. According to Tim Ash, a Search Engine Watch Expert Columnist, clutter is the most common problem with landing pages. Tim explains how you have to give users breathing space so they can focus on their main purpose for coming to the site.
Did you ever think of conversions as a blessing and a curse? As Sage Lewis, another Search Engine Watch Expert Columnist, tells WebProNews, everything is trackable online. In most cases, this is a blessing. But for those marketing efforts which do not convert, it can be a curse.
Blogs are powerful communication tools, and companies should embrace them. Yet there are things to watch out for, and Search Engine Watch Guest Blogger Amanda Watlington explores some potential pitfalls in this interview with Mike McDonald.
After listening to a spirited musical intro from a certain Search Engine Watch Blog Correspondent, WebProNews got me to tell my secret to video distribution. I explain how video optimization on your own website was enough in years past, but now in order to succeed you must distribute your optimized videos to sites like YouTube, Yahoo Video, and more.
Okay, taunting Buckeyes from The Ohio State University by having a Wolverine sing the University of Michigan fight song may seem like an odd way to open an interview, but it was payback for the interview below that I conducted earlier this year.
Mike McDonald talks about the humble beginnings of e-business internet video channel WebProNews and some of its funnier moments of adolescence, like forgetting to hit record. Stay tuned ’til the end to see and hear the University of Kentucky Wildcats cheer!
The Inside AdWords blog gave the following example of how you can use the new report:
Say, for example, you sell and ship gourmet ice cream to anywhere in the U.S. After running the report, you find that your ads are doing great in Miami, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona, but you’re also finding a surprising amount of customers from Juneau, Alaska. Next step: refine your campaigns. By specifically targeting those locations where your ads perform best you can maximize your campaign’s performance.
What do you think of the new Geographic Performance reports? Have you run one? Let us know in the comments.
Incentives can help mobile users overcome their initial negative reactions to mobile advertising, according to survey data released by ABI Research.
37% said incentives would increase their response to a text-based ad
11% said incentives would have no impact
We think that in general, advertisers and operators must tread carefully when delivering marketing messages to a consumer s mobile handset, especially given that many subscribers believe they are paying a significant amount of money for their mobile services, says research director Michael Wolf. However, we believe that marketing and advertising messaging that is properly crafted and that utilizes incentives could enjoy more acceptance on the part of the consumer.
According to Rebecca Lieb of the ClickZ Network, recent surveys show that video has a greater chance of being clicked if it has a thumbnail or image. These results are evident in the popularity of universal search. Rebecca advises marketers to take these statistics seriously and recommends posting related videos with each new video just as I suggested in my interview with WebProNews, which appears below.
As you can tell by the title, Google s Website Optimizer department has been busy. Tom Leung gives WebProNews the scoop on all their new features. First, through experiment pruning, users can disable any page that s not doing as well as was hoped for. They ve also enhanced their reports with a new color coded system, made it easier to validate tags on pages, and submitted several new demonstration videos to YouTube.
Landing pages can make or break a site, and no one wants that second situation to occur. In this interview with Mike McDonald, Frans Keylard, the director of optimization at Widemile, shares some tips that should help improve conversion rates.
There are a lot more interviews on the WebProNews Video Blog from SES San Jose 2008. That includes the five below with members of the Search Engine Watch staff.
After going to all the trouble of getting users to your site, you don t want your landing page to turn them away. According to Tim Ash, a Search Engine Watch Expert Columnist, clutter is the most common problem with landing pages. Tim explains how you have to give users breathing space so they can focus on their main purpose for coming to the site.
Did you ever think of conversions as a blessing and a curse? As Sage Lewis, another Search Engine Watch Expert Columnist, tells WebProNews, everything is trackable online. In most cases, this is a blessing. But for those marketing efforts which do not convert, it can be a curse.
Blogs are powerful communication tools, and companies should embrace them. Yet there are things to watch out for, and Search Engine Watch Guest Blogger Amanda Watlington explores some potential pitfalls in this interview with Mike McDonald.
After listening to a spirited musical intro from a certain Search Engine Watch Blog Correspondent, WebProNews got me to tell my secret to video distribution. I explain how video optimization on your own website was enough in years past, but now in order to succeed you must distribute your optimized videos to sites like YouTube, Yahoo Video, and more.
Okay, taunting Buckeyes from The Ohio State University by having a Wolverine sing the University of Michigan fight song may seem like an odd way to open an interview, but it was payback for the interview below that I conducted earlier this year.
Mike McDonald talks about the humble beginnings of e-business internet video channel WebProNews and some of its funnier moments of adolescence, like forgetting to hit record. Stay tuned ’til the end to see and hear the University of Kentucky Wildcats cheer!
And if you want to appear as sartorially challenged as one 
