Customer Login
0

Hitwise has recently revealed the latest online statistics for website usage. These include the UK’s most popular websites, search engines, social networks and search terms for the week ending 30/05/09. These are ranked by visits over the period.

Top 20 websites
top20websites
Google and Facebook still display their supremecy in online usage. The main proportion of the top 20 websites is dominated by Social Networking sites, search engines and news portals.

Top 10 Search Engines
topsearchengines
Google is stil by far the UK’s favourite search engine. Google.co.uk, Google.com and Google UK image search made up over 85% of visits to search engines.

Top 10 Overall Search Terms
searchterms
Again search terms are dominated by Social Network search phrases as they continue to grow in popularity.

Top 10 Social Networks
topsocialnetwroks
As Facebook continues to grow and grow in the UK so does the websites rankings in terms of visits making up almost half of all visits to Social Networking sites as visits to competitors bebo and MySpace struggle to keep up with the pace.

Source: Hitwise

Share this page:

  • Print this article!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • LinkedIn
  • Live
  • MySpace
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • TwitThis
  • BlinkList
  • Netvibes
  • Netvouz
  • Slashdot
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Blogosphere News
  • Design Float
  • Diigo
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Mixx
  • MSN Reporter
  • Simpy
  • Sphinn

Continue Reading

0

Shares in Yahoo jumped 7% amid expectation Microsoft is preparing to increase its bid for the company. Microsoft is reported to be talking to the internet firm about improving the offer it made in February, which was then worth $44.6bn (£22.4bn).

The software giant wants to do a deal to be able to compete with Google, which dominates the lucrative market for internet advertising.

Yahoo rejected the cash and share offer as inadequate.

Microsoft’s bid was originally worth $31 a share, but the value of the offer has since fallen as the Microsoft share price has declined.

Microsoft’s shares closed on Friday virtually unchanged at $29.24. Meanwhile, Yahoo’s shares were $1.85 higher at $28.67.

‘Negotiating tactics’

Microsoft’s chief executive Steve Ballmer has said the existing proposal was a “generous” one, as it offered Yahoo shareholders 62% more for their shares than they were worth the day before the bid.

The Yahoo board was given until the 26 April to accept the software giant’s offer or face a hostile bid.

In a letter to the internet firm’s board on 5 April, Mr Ballmer threatened to put the proposal directly to Yahoo shareholders and remove the firm’s directors.

After the deadline passed without a response from Yahoo, the Microsoft board met this week to discuss its next move.

But the meeting ended without an agreement, according to reports.

Online advertising

There are suggestions Microsoft will up its bid to around $33 per share, but it is understood that Yahoo shareholders are hoping for $35 to $37 per share.

Mr Ballmer has in recent weeks threatened to either lower the offer or to walk away from the deal.

But some analysts dismiss this as negotiating tactics.

Microsoft wants to increase its share of the lucrative online advertising market, currently dominated by search engine firm Google.

It was worth $40bn in 2007 and is predicted to double to $80bn by 2010.

When Microsoft announced its offer in February it said that “together Microsoft and Yahoo can offer a competitive choice while better fulfilling the needs of customers and partners”.

Source: BBC

Share this page:

  • Print this article!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • LinkedIn
  • Live
  • MySpace
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • TwitThis
  • BlinkList
  • Netvibes
  • Netvouz
  • Slashdot
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Blogosphere News
  • Design Float
  • Diigo
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Mixx
  • MSN Reporter
  • Simpy
  • Sphinn

Continue Reading

0

yahoo.gif

Yahoo, wanting explore alternatives to a Microsoft takeover, have taken a step to free up some time to do so.

Yahoo said they will be extending the deadline for the nomination of directors to its board. These nominations were previously scheduled for the 14th March but Yahoo now say that an exact date was not set so the annual meeting could be scheduled for a later date allowing them breathing space.

This nomination process is of key importance to Microsoft because after Yahoo rejected the buyout offer they have threatened to nominate their own slate of directors who would obviously agree to the takeover.

Microsoft went public with the bid for the company last month after apparently being in talks for around a year. The bid of $42 billion in cash and stock, worth more than Yahoo’s market value at the time was rejected as the board felt the price undervalued the company, even when they were struggling to compete with Google’s online advertising revenue.

Source: www.mercurynews.com/archivesearch/ci_8464569

Share this page:

  • Print this article!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • LinkedIn
  • Live
  • MySpace
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • TwitThis
  • BlinkList
  • Netvibes
  • Netvouz
  • Slashdot
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Blogosphere News
  • Design Float
  • Diigo
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Mixx
  • MSN Reporter
  • Simpy
  • Sphinn

Continue Reading

0

Microsoft are apparently attempting a boardroom coup at Yahoo! within the next seven days in an effort to force the online search engine to begin serious talks or accept its $41 billion (£20.6 billion) hostile bid.

According to the rules that govern the Yahoo! set up, before the annual meeting any shareholder is able to nominate directors. This deadline for nominations is set for 14th March. If Microsoft’s nominations were to be successful, their appointment would be effective immediately.
It is assumed that only serious, formal talks about the previous offer would stop Microsoft launching such a coup.
Microsoft are determined to take control over Yahoo! because of Google’s dominance in the estimated $40 billion online advertising market, which is predicted to double over the next two years.

In February last year, Yahoo! told Microsoft that it was not for sale but did promise to devise ways in which the two companies to work together to fight Google.

Source

Share this page:

  • Print this article!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • LinkedIn
  • Live
  • MySpace
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • TwitThis
  • BlinkList
  • Netvibes
  • Netvouz
  • Slashdot
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Blogosphere News
  • Design Float
  • Diigo
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Mixx
  • MSN Reporter
  • Simpy
  • Sphinn

Continue Reading

0

Yahoo are predicted today to unveil a project by the name of “Search Monkey”. Search Monkey will apparently be a set of open-source tools that allow users and publishers to annotate and enhance search results associated with specific web sites.

Unlike Yahoo’s “Shortcuts” that sometimes appear at the top of the search page, new enhancements can be applied to any web site.

Publishers can enter additional information that will be displayed with the web search result. For example, retailers can include product information, restaurants can include links to menus, reviews, local merchants can display operating hours, address and phone information, and so on—far more information than a Title, URL and description that make up current generation search results.

Source: http://searchengineland.com/080226-000100.php

Share this page:

  • Print this article!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • LinkedIn
  • Live
  • MySpace
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • TwitThis
  • BlinkList
  • Netvibes
  • Netvouz
  • Slashdot
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Blogosphere News
  • Design Float
  • Diigo
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Mixx
  • MSN Reporter
  • Simpy
  • Sphinn

Continue Reading

0

Yahoo have today announced the official launch of their new Sponsored Search Platform in Europe.

Current users of Yahoo SM will see their account upgraded over the coming month to a new more intuitive platform with AdWords’ rivaling features. I look forward to my upgrade, when I will give a more detailed overview.

Here is the full press statement:

LONDON May 30, 2007: Yahoo! Europe today announces that its new sponsored search advertising platform has launched and that it has started upgrading European advertisers to the new campaign management console.

The platform is designed to enable marketers to better manage their campaigns for an improved overall return on their search advertising investment whilst providing consumers with a more relevant and higher quality search experience.

Richard Firminger, Regional Sales Director of Northern Europe for Yahoo! Search Marketing said, “This powerful new advertising technology marks a key turning point in our efforts to deliver additional value for advertisers and a more relevant experience for users worldwide.”

“Additionally, through this platform, Yahoo! will be able to unlock the full potential of our large global user base and our ongoing investments in creating the largest and most engaged audience.”

To facilitate a smooth upgrade experience for its thousands of European search advertisers Yahoo! will transition customers from its current system to the new platform through a phased rollout.

Beginning today, Yahoo! advertisers throughout Europe will start to receive notifications to access the many new features available in the completely redesigned, easy-to-use campaign management console. Notifications to upgrade will continue in stages over the coming weeks.

Jon Myers, Search Director at Latitude Group said, “I welcome the launch of Yahoo!’s new sponsored search advertising platform and look forward to the positive impact it will have on the search marketing competitive landscape in the UK”.

“Having worked closely with Yahoo! on development and pre-launch testing, I’m confident the new platform will help Latitude bring a new level of sophistication to our clients’ campaigns on Yahoo!”

“The overhaul should result in a robust platform that can easily scale alongside any future industry development, with new features and functionality that enable search marketers to run better campaigns for their clients.”

Yahoo!’s new search advertising platform is designed to connect businesses to consumers even more effectively by empowering advertisers with the right tools, visibility and environment to create ads that are more relevant to users. The platform will provide advertisers with many new features and capabilities once they upgrade their accounts, including:

Fast Ad Activation – provides a streamlined content review process that allows advertisers to launch most new ad campaigns within minutes of submission*. This enables immediate engagement with customer, instant reward for quality improvements and the ability to manage last minute inventory.

Ad Testing – supports automatic rotation of multiple versions of ads to determine the most effective, and over time displays the highest-performing ads more frequently. This empowers advertisers to drive quality, improve click through rate and deliver better value.

Visible Quality Index – scores ads based on quality, bid and other relevance variables, and will be made visible to advertisers to enable them to gauge and optimise placement when the quality-based ranking model is implemented

Intuitive Control Panel – provides a simplified interface, allowing advertisers to easily understand their performance and modify or enhance campaigns every step of the way

Goal-Based Optimisation – enables advertisers to let Yahoo! automatically find the least expensive way to meet their Cost Per Acquisition or Return on Ad Spend goals

Enhanced Geographic Targeting – powered by Yahoo!’s WhereonEarth technology, enabling Yahoo! to more accurately understand and match to user search intent (“Soho, NY” versus “Soho, London”) and colloquial terms (“restaurant near Tottenham Court Road” is in central London).

Share of Clicks Forecasting – displays data regarding the bid needed to achieve an estimated specific share of expected clicks

Assists – allows advertisers to see how ads drive both immediate and deferred conversions across multiple campaigns, not just the last click that led to a conversion.

The new platform has been built for the future so has the capacity to introduce additional distribution options, targeting capabilities and pricing models, as well as additional ad formats enhanced with graphics or rich media. As such it is completely scalable to grow with future market trends.

For more information about Yahoo!’ new Sponsored Search Platform, advertisers can visit our upgrade Centre on http://newsponsoredsearch.yahoo.co.uk

*subject to various criteria including nature of the search terms and presence of sensitive content in the ad campaign.

Share this page:

  • Print this article!
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • LinkedIn
  • Live
  • MySpace
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • TwitThis
  • BlinkList
  • Netvibes
  • Netvouz
  • Slashdot
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Blogosphere News
  • Design Float
  • Diigo
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Mixx
  • MSN Reporter
  • Simpy
  • Sphinn

Continue Reading