Unless you've been hiding under the bedcovers, a recession is looming or already here, with most economists pointing to the latter. Retailers reported that year-over-year January sales numbers were negative, consumer debt has increased (most likely to cover basic household needs), and restructuring at firms such as Macy's, Home Depot and Ann Taylor have resulted in layoff.
Search engine marketing firm Netconcepts has launched GravityStream 2.0, an enterprise-level automated natural search advertising platform for online retailers. This platform converts a retailer's Web pages into optimized landing pages to match its branded items with consumers' unbranded queries.
Yahoo's board of directors has rejected Microsoft's unsolicited proposal, claiming that it undervalues Yahoo's business. Microsoft sent an open letter to Yahoo's board last month offering to buy out shareholders in a $44.6 billion bid.
With 24 states voting in primaries on February 5, candidates took advantage of highly geo-targeted online search marketing campaigns, according to Peter Greenberger, team manager, elections and issue advocacy at Google.
SearchIgnite, a search- and auction-based media technology provider, has struck multiyear agreements with CyberAgent and Septeni, two Japanese search and digital marketing advertising agencies.
Matt Naeger, VP General Counsel, IMPAQT February 11, 2008
With weekend rumors validated Monday morning of Yahoo's rejection of Microsoft's $44.6 billion acquisition, we're still left wondering what Yahoo's next move will be. Speculation of the "other options" Yahoo is willing to look into range from a possible deal with AOL to a partnership with Google.
The DMNews Essential Guide to Search Engine Marketing
Dave Tomlinson, Rapp Collins Retail February 11, 2008
Total search-related ad spending soared in 2006 to $9.4 billion, up from $5.7 billion in 2005, according to a study by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Association. More than 85 percent of that spending was for paid-search listings.
