Google Instant Search: The Basics

September 9th, 2010 by Duncan Parry | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | No Comments »

This blog post is more of a FAQ on Google’s new feature Instant Search; I’ll be following up with my take on what this might mean for Google, search marketers, clients – and the group everybody seems to be forgetting in the industry press – consumers.

Q: What is Google Instant?

This is a new feature on Google’s interface, only available on the most recent version of web browsers (see below). The Google Adwords FAQ is here.

When a consumer searches, GI will change search results as you type, as well as changing the suggested searches (which already happen). These are based on past consumer search queries, your location and past searches (i.e. personalization).

During the process, Google uses an algorithm to predict what a user means and shows results accordingly – e.g. typing “holid” may mean results for “holidays” appear – see image 1 attached.

An example:

Image of Google UK Instant Search results for "Florida holid"

An example of Google UK Instant Search results for "Florida holid"

Q: Why have Google launched this?

Google’s stated reasons:

- faster searches
- helps guide users to searches
- users see results without clicking a button / hitting return and can refine their query as they type based on the results

I also believe this is part of their ongoing efforts to step-up to competing with Bing, whom are focused on interface developments to aid consumers and gain marketshare.

Q: Which Browsers?

This will only work on the latest browser versions in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia: Chrome v5/6, Firefox v3, Safari v5 for Mac and Internet Explorer v8.

If you used Google over the last few days and saw different “swirling” logos, then your browser is compatible.

You can enable it here if not seeing it: http://www.google.com/webhp?sclient=psy

Q: When doesn’t it work?


It won’t work on:

  • older browsers
  • toolbars
  • the address bar
  • browser search boxes
  • iGoogle
  • if you disabled Google autocomplete
  • if you disable it via the drop down to the right of the search box marked “Instant”
  • if use the SSL version of Google search

Many consumers use the first three without thinking; this will limit impact for the initial search in a session – but not once on Google itself. Google may add this to toolbars etc in future, of course.

Q: What are UK Browser Market Shares?

To give context to whom will see this:

  • IE8 – 32%
  • FireFox 3.x – 21%
  • Chrome 5/6 – 2%
  • Safari 5 – 0.19%


= 55.19% of the UK will potentially see this. Source: Statcounter.com

It’s worth noting many corporates use older browsers that don’t support this – including most of the UK Government, many utilities firms and finance companies….so consumers will be getting one experience, and another at work in some cases.

I’ll explain how I think this will affect search and consumers in a follow up post shortly.

Defining Search Engine Optimization in 2010

July 29th, 2010 by Gareth Owen | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | Comments Off

By Gareth Owen, Search Engine Watch, July 28, 2010

My last post, “What’s Next for Search, SEO?,” managed to produce some interesting takes on the future, past, and present of devices and how we use them/optimize for them. Thanks for your responses. They got me thinking — what year am I stuck in?

The simple answer is that I never quite came to terms with the ’90s. Having been born in 1980, I just couldn’t accept that a new decade had anything to do with me. Plus, my football team was unbeatable in the ’80s and is now average at best. So if I were really pressed for an answer, I’d say I was stuck in 1988. Early May, to be precise.

But I’ve also noticed some definite differences in search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns and approaches to SEO from agencies and in-house teams that can give clues about when they last carried out a root and branch review of how they do SEO.

Since 2000, SEO has been developing as an art and as a defined function of marketing. Each year has tended to see specific approaches and developments that have helped to define how you should approach SEO. If 2005 was about internal linking, then 2009 was about optimized PR and advertorials.

What I’m particularly interested in is defining SEO in 2010. This isn’t necessarily about finding something new, more about what seems to really be producing results after the Caffeine update and the May Day changes.

The trend we’re seeing is that highly relevant links from sites with quality link profiles of their own are adding the most value to an SEO campaign, rather than those with outright PageRank (we have also seen a large number of sites suffer ranking drops due to an inordinate number of sitewide inbound links, but that’s another story).

This may not be anything new in itself — highly relevant links have always been important and difficult to come by for a number of reasons. But the reduction in apparent value of PageRank, and increase in the value of a purely relevant site and content, is interesting.

What is doubly interesting (and helpful) is that Google has a tool that can specifically identify what those highly relevant sites might be. (It won’t actually get links from them, you’ll still have to be creative there).

The tool? Google Ad Planner — allowing you to see what sites match the same user profile as your client’s site, and also filter by industry sector/classification of the site, giving a neat picture of what Google feels is a relevant link profile for your client. You can then export a list of the best sites to target for links — it can even tell you which ones are using Google text ads on their site, thereby giving you a foot in the door to discuss advertising rates, content hosting, reciprocal links, or whatever you feel is the right approach for each site.

So, if there’s a theme for 2010, it has to be that taking the time to identify your market and focusing on how to build relationships with those relevant sites will put you above SEOs that are still focusing on optimized PR and advertorials. They’re stuck in 2009…

So. It’s finally happened…

May 21st, 2010 by Duncan Parry | Tags: , ,
Posted in Blog | 1 Comment »

It’s finally official. Google will, with hardware partners, offer a TV solution that combines web access, streaming video and broadcast TV – including side-by-side browsing and viewing. Not their first foray into TV, but the first one that’s consumer focused.

Now it’s only available in the US this Autumn, so the impact of this for UK advertisers is over the horizon, but here’s my first thoughts.

Will the public use it?

As a digital and technology enthusiast one of my first reactions was “at last”. Let’s contrast that with my fiancée. She works in digital too – but isn’t interested in gadgets. Her reaction was to wonder if the public actually want another set top box in their living rooms?
 
It’s a very good question and reflects the nature of most TV viewing: passive, relaxed. Whilst iPlayer and other TVoD offerings allow us to time shift, after selecting a show we watch passively. And a lot of the population don’t use these services (but they are growing). So will consumers want to access the web or search for videos on their TVs – don’t we already pick up a laptop or mobile in front of the TV for this, but most of the time, just want to relax?

But…I can see how the public can be convinced. Google can promote YouTube content – not just short videos but full shows and channels (e.g. It’s Channel 4 http://www.youtube.com/user/channel4 or IPL deals http://www.youtube.com/user/channel4) and win more exclusives to make the platform attractive.

Plus it’ll be built into new TVs; a premium option to start perhaps, but Google must know that some times a standard is best created by ensuring with no barrier to entry on the cost front – think Video Plus in the UK some years ago.

Accountability in TV?

TV advertising has long been criticised by people in digital for is lack of detailed accountability. Yes, there are industry standards like BARB that sample the viewing habits of a percentage of the population and then extrapolate them of the whole country. But they are being outpaced by the spread of TV content to multiple TVs, laptops, phones, iPads, consoles and the consumption of multiple media whilst the TV (or radio) is on.

So Google could tell which ads are watched when, and with enough market penetration, provide advertisers with almost-real time stats on the volumes of sets tuned in when ads show. But it won’t know how many people were watching that screen, or if they were distracted by other media on a device or in print etc.

Or if the TV was playing to an empty room.

Replacing BARB – “Google Viewer Research”?

Of course, one day they could aim to replace the set top boxes BARB have in 5,100 UK households with a survey platform on their own system that doesn’t just record viewing patterns, but asks participants questions about shows, adverts and what else they are doing whilst the TV is on…there’s a revenue stream all in itself, overlapping with the likes of TNS and other media research companies. Advertisers could pay to run surveys on this platform, just as they do now to track online brand campaigns with the likes of Dynamic Logic.

New Opportunities for Advertisers

So, what does this mean to advertisers and agencies?

Many offline campaigns now encourage the viewer/reader to search for a phrase instead of mentioning a URL. Taken a step further when the browser can be easily called up beside the picture, consumers can be directed to content specially designed for them that integrates with the advert – instead of “finding out more at a website” they could be directed to use their Google TV browser to talk to a customer service rep via IM, receive an instant discount, or watch a product video. When the hassle of finding the laptop, remembering a URL doing a search is removed, “frictionless” advertising and fulfilment could be step closer.

Think Sky’s Red Button, but on steroids – and potentially any TV advertiser could take part, not just those with large budgets to develop a Red Button solution.

Interactive shows could become common, too – Living TV already feature comments made by viewers on their website during ad breaks when screening “4 Weddings” (ok, so that’s my fiancée’s viewing choice, not mine!). One-way broadcast TV could become more interactive– but again, it depends if the viewing public want to take part; just as a section of the UK population aren’t using social media sites (no matter what the pundits tell you), so consumers take up off the boxes, let alone interactive participation, is not guaranteed.

Agency and Brand Skill Sets

So who is going to be best placed to run ads on Google TV. TV people? Digital people?

Neither – and both. The skill sets used to create and place TV adverts are still vital for Google TV – the TV ads will, or the foreseeable future, be from conventional sources. That revenue keeps the channels on air.

The skills of search and digital display planning and buying will be as important as ever for the digital element. Integration will be even more important. I think the smartest agencies will hire TV and digital talent and integrate them if this platform becomes mainstream; the trend is already there with the growth of online video; some clients place it with their TV teams, others digital teams.

These are my initial thoughts, and I want underline that take-up by the public amongst the clutter of laptops, sound systems, games consoles, DVD and blueray players (and dusty VCRs) is key – this could be the next big think for Google, or a flop that fades away.

But…I’m keeping a shelf free in my lounge, just in case.

Duncan Parry, Co-founder and Head of Paid Search

Google Patent Location Based Ads, Facebook Patent Feeds

April 22nd, 2010 by Alastair Boyle | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Blog | 1 Comment »

I’ve attended several ‘future of advertising’ events recently (and even presented one), and whilst opinion is divided on some issues, two common themes are the importance of feeds, and the potential of location based advertising.

The emergence of new ways to advertise to and interact with consumers might seem like an opportunity to challenge the big players. However, believe it or not, Google have recently secured the US patent for location based advertising, and Facebook have secured the US patent for news feeds within social networks.

Although these patents were applied for years ago, they’ve both been confirmed in the past couple of months.

I’m no patent lawyer, but it could at least be argued that Twitter, Myspace and Google are all using news feeds covered by Facebook’s patent. Google’s patent is potentially even more wide-reaching.

Whilst there’s plenty of speculation on message boards, no one can really predict the extent to which Google and Facebook will seek to enforce their patents. Still, if I was launching a mobile ad network or trying to monetise a social network which happens to be based almost entirely on feeds, then I’d be a bit worried.

Alastair Boyle, Group Account Director

Is Apple’s new iAd platform really a Google killer?

April 15th, 2010 by Duncan Parry | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Blog | 1 Comment »

So, the time of year came around again for technology giant Apple to give lucky App developers a first glimpse of their new iPhone software, the 4.0 operating system (OS).

There was a host of great new features included for the new iPhone OS but the topic of most interest to me was the launch of their new advertising service iAd.

For those unaware of what iAd is, it’s Apple’s first move into the digital advertising arena. After their acquisition of Quattro wireless last year for a fee reported to be in the region of $275million, they have combined Quattro’s technology to produce their own advertising platform, which will allow them to serve ads into their own devices.

Just a few months before Apple’s move to acquire Quattro they had a bid rejected for Quattro’s biggest competitor and the world’s largest mobile advertising network, Admob. Unfortunately for Apple they lost out to their titan-like rivals, Google.

If you keep tabs on the mobile industry you may have heard about many legal battles erupting left, right and centre, most recently to do with patent infringement, with Apple and Google jostling it out with a few bloody blows. Although Apple filed this against the handset manufacturer HTC (Google’s preferred manufacturer for their flag ship device the Nexus one, as well as many more great handsets of late) this was always aimed at Google and their reported usage of technology similar to the patents filed for the iPhone.

So the battle has now commenced, with Apple feeling the heat and lashing out at Google’s entry into the handset market, which is becoming a very impressive one. But the move we had all been waiting for has come with Apple’s fight back and now entering the advertising market.

Admob have been ruling the iPhone advertising industry for the past one and half years and Google’s proposed acquisition (still yet to be approved) had left them in a healthy position. Although there are many iPhone advertising networks Admob’s reign has mainly been unchallenged.

Apple’s new iAd system promises some great advancements – for example the inclusion of HTML 5, which could provide great engagement and interactivity for all adverts and should be applauded as very positive step forward.

Google vs AppleBut will that make it a Google killer?

Even if this could possibly be conceived of, it is a very long way off. Apple’s iAd system for one will only be available in their Apps. They stated yesterday that when they reach 100m devices they have the possibility of a billion ad opportunities a day, at 10 ad impressions per user. This may be close to the truth but are Apps really the future? I myself continually see evidence that disproves this.

Admob currently deliver their advertising worldwide through all phone OS systems (Android, Symbian, RIM, Apple, Java, low and medium spec handsets to name but a few) on the open web and in App. They have a huge market share and one that will only continue to grow. Apple’s entry to the  market is limited to in App and only on their own devices, it may slow Google’s growth in one area, but even 100 million handsets compared to the world’s 4.2 billion mobile users cowers in insignificance.

Google recently had a patent accepted for location-based marketing services which will be a big part of its future growth in mobile, again leaving Apple in its wake.  I would suggest any attempt now to block Admob out will result in loss of this vital revenue stream in future and one that Apple surely can’t ignore.

Maybe in the future we will see the Google/Admob partnership powering only Android OS and an Apple/Quattro partnership powering Apple OS as the titans clash. But is this really a battle for handsets? Not really – this should be a battle for the open mobile web; one I think where it is really clear to see that Google are already miles ahead and where the future of mobile really lies.

Mark Anthony Baker, Senior Account Manager

ASBOF levy extending to Paid Search in May

March 11th, 2010 by Duncan Parry | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | 1 Comment »

The ASBOF levy, charged as part of the self-regualtion of the UK advertising industry, is being extended to paid search advertising in May. We welcome this at Steak as further recognition of the importance of search and digital overall in the wider marketing mix.

This is part of wider changes to the code of self regulation for the advertising industry (called the “CAP Code”), which is administered by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority). The CAP Code will be extended to website content and mobile advertising in September, 2010.

To fund this, a levy will be collected against paid search spend from 1st May 2010 at 0.1%. The levy will be collected by agencies. In addition, Google has agreed to contribute seed capital to this fund for the first two years in recognition of the volume of direct spend handled by the search engine; they had previously refused to collect the levy via their systems. The ISBA, representing advertisers, wrote to advertisers in January 2010 informing them of the change.

This follows a 18 months consultation between industry organisations including the IAB (representing the digital industry), the IPA (representing agencies) and ISBA (respecting advertisers). The extension of the CAP Code was agreed upon as part of the industry’s continuing efforts to ensure self regulation is successful, up-to-date and to avoid any future government legislation. Steak is a member of both the IPA and IAB and sits on their search councils, and has played a part in this consultation.

Please note that FSA regulation is unaffected by the extension of the CAP Code.

Background reading and announcements:

CAP Code and The ASA
IAB
ISBA

ASBOF
The IPA

If you are a Steak client and have any questions, please contact your Account Director.