A Kaleidoscope of Search Engines 2008

"Oh My God! Search is changing forever" is an expression that has been generously tossed around the web every time one of the major search engines, especially Google, makes the slightest of the moves. More than anything, comprehending the implication of these changes assumes utmost importance for any search marketer and to all online business owners.

Search engine marketing is a dynamic industry and is in the process of evolution; while some changes are subtle, others are radical. With search engine marketing, the only one thing that is constant is 'change'. We have witnessed some significant changes in the year gone by; changes which threw up great opportunity and challenge, alike.

Keeping up with the tradition, "What we have learned and where are we headed", we dedicate this newsletter to the past (2008) and future (2009) of search engine marketing. The newsletter delves into some of the noticeable changes that happened in the field of search marketing in 2008, and how it changed the search marketing and online business landscape. We would also take a sneak peak at some of the predictions for the forthcoming year.

Google Universal Search

Back in May 2007, Google implemented one of the most radical changes to its search results. The introduction of 'Universal Search', a system to blend results from various 'vertical' search engines (i.e. web, images, books, etc.) that Google has, was construed as a defining move.

This year saw Google Universal Search in real action. Shopping and blog search results were added to the existing list of news, video, local and book results. Universal search gave online businesses a reason to rejoice. It is a well documented fact that photos and videos are more appealing than written text, and they could now be used by online business to reach their intended audience; also giving them a wider reach in the process.

'Comparative blending' gave Universal Search a whole new dimension as it was no longer limited to blending results. Comparative blending picked relevant results from all vertical search engines and compared them against one another. It then decided what should and what should not feature in SERPs. Before 'Comparative bleeding', websites dedicated to video, photo and the likes were missing out on online visibility. Vertical search (seldom used) was the only way to find them but Universal Search changed it all. Comparative blending not only facilitated the entry of such websites into mainstream search, but also opened up new avenues for business owners. Take the example of a travel website which has video and images of tourist destination, helping consumers make a better choice. Universal search could now return these videos and images as search results for all relevant searches.

Geo Targeting and Local Listing

Search engines, in an endeavor to provide more relevant results, started to filter and display results based on principles of geo targeting. Search engines did so by determining the geographic intent of the searchers. Search engines used many indicators to establish this intent.

Local businesses up until then were competing with the 'biggies' of their industry on a global platform, and found it increasingly difficult to get the desired online visibility. The advent of geo targeting ended this struggle for good. Local businesses were now able to target their desired market by adapting their websites and thus reaching their target audience. Geo targeting helped them establish a space for themselves online, which otherwise was unimaginable in most cases.

Local listing via Google's ' Local Business Center' was an added 'shot in the arm' for local businesses, as it not only helped them in carving a strong online presence but also assisted them in getting to the top (local listing in most cases is displayed on top of organic results).

Google AdWords and AdSense

Google AdWords Editor witnessed a slew of changes which included the release of three new versions, the latest being version 7.0. For those of you who are unfamiliar with AdWords Editor, it helps you to manage your AdWords account without going through the web interface. It comes in quite handy because it allows you to upload changes when you are offline, make bulk changes and incorporates many other useful features. This year also saw Google combining contextual targeting feature with placement targeting, something which could not be accomplished earlier.

Entrepreneurs in the liquor industry had a reason to smile because Google revised its policy to allow hard liqueur and beer search ads. Their counterparts from the gambling industry in the UK were equally happy as Google allowed gambling ads. And the goodies are far from over.

Google Finance, Maps, News and Image search allowed display of search ads, giving online businesses a reach wider than before. Search ads also became a part of Google Search Suggest, a feature launched earlier this year. Search ads now appear across most channels owned by Google.

To top it up, Google introduced a Search Based Keyword Tool which allowed AdWords users (professionals and individuals) to get deeper insight into their keywords. It now shows keywords that are potentially missing from their Ad Group(s). The launch of this tool coincided with the holiday season, and this came as a great boon for advertisers and online retailers. And for webmasters looking to make the most of their online properties, Google AdSense program is now extended to all publishers.

Yahoo Abstract Search

While Google was busy consolidating its market position, Yahoo was frantically trying to fend off hostile takeover attempts by Microsoft. Not to be left far behind, Google made attempts to strike a deal with Yahoo but stopped just in time to avoid being labeled a monopoly.

In the meantime Yahoo launched 'Glue Pages' in a dire attempt to give its result pages a fresh new look and hoped to regain some market share. Glue Pages gave benefits similar to that of Google's Universal Search, and was a boon for online businesses looking for alternate ways (images, videos, etc.) to reach their intended audience. Yahoo also launched 'Search Monkey' to bolster their attempt. It however failed to kick off as it required technical skills to set it up, something that online entrepreneurs lacked in general.

Yahoo came up with 'Abstract Search', a revived version of Search Monkey, and this time around Yahoo took the onus to retrieve abstract from web pages automatically. It is of great importance, especially for eCommerce websites, because they can now display individual products and prices in SERPs. It is most likely to drive more qualified traffic and would potentially lead to better conversion rate.

A Window into the Future

In order to successfully market your products and services you will need to show the right product to the right people at the right time. Semantic web was designed to accomplish this and is slated to play a much larger role in the following year.

Google's recently released SearchWiki, now decked up with sound effects, could play a larger role in personalized search results. It raised concerns about SEO and its future as a dying industry; but is definitely otherwise.

SEO is all set to become more holistic in nature and would go beyond search engine rankings. Website usability and accessibility, and visitors' engagement quotient will play a pivotal role in your overall success. Not to forget that Video and Mobile marketing will make deep inroads into the online marketing arena.

We will keep you posted of these developments as and when it happens via our newsletters, articles and blogs (If you haven't subscribed to our blog you can do it here).

Enjoy you holidays and we will be back in the New Year with lots of refreshing things you could do to make the best of your online venture.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.