International : Yahoo Still Can't Close Search Gap With Google

Panama Provided Lift at First, but Leader's Tweaks Keep Boosting Its Share

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jul 23, 2007 9:30 AM  | 3 min read
International : Yahoo Still Can't Close Search Gap With Google

Brands matter in search, now more than ever. Recent adjustments to both Google's and Yahoo's search algorithms were made to push rich brand-marketing sites up the page of paid search results. But unfortunately for Yahoo, the initial boost Panama provided brands appears to be fading, while Google continues to grow its share of search dollars by continually tweaking its algorithm.

The findings come via a new RBC Capital Markets and SearchIgnite report, based on a data set that included 500-plus search advertisers.

"When Yahoo launched Panama, they saw some initial positive results in ways that were good for both their pockets and those of their advertisers," said Roger Barnette, president of SearchIgnite, a search marketing technology firm. "What's surprising is they haven't continued to make strides. I don't know that they've gone downhill, but they haven't kept up the momentum in monetization."

Quality factor
To rank search advertisers and better monetize advertising, Google and Yahoo factor in not just an ad's price but also its quality -- the likelihood it will be clicked. If an advertiser is willing to pay $5 per click but is never clicked on, that advertiser makes the engine less money per search than a 50¢ cost-per-click advertiser with a high click-through rate. Yahoo only recently introduced this system, coining it Panama, while Google has offered it for years.

The news underscores two pressing issues for Yahoo: First, Panama puts it on an equal playing field with Google but doesn't guarantee it any wins. Second, Yahoo still can't shrug off comparisons with Google, something Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang lamented in his second-quarter earnings call: "Yahoo is too often defined by the competitive landscape. ... I am determined for us to find our own path."

Google's most recent algorithm tweak emphasizes the quality of an advertiser's landing page, awarding extra weight to the higher-quality pages, usually those of brand marketers, while pushing the lower quality ones farther down in the paid-search results. For example, a search for "Lancome lipstick" pulls up an ad for the Lancome corporate site as well as ads for Sephora, Macy's and Nordstrom, which have graphical landing pages rich with information on the search term. It also shows paid search ads for discount cosmetics retailers StrawberryNet and Beauty Boutique, which have relatively simple landing pages with less-relevant information. The new algorithm helps the search engine monetize searches better and also is regarded as more user-friendly.

Falling back again
Google has been tweaking these factors for years and has gotten very good at milking as many dollars as possible out of each search. Panama was meant to help close the monetization gap between Yahoo and Google, and while it appeared to stabilize Yahoo's slide, the portal hasn't kept pace.

In June 2007, Google received 76% of search spending with only a 60% share of consumer searches, according to the joint study; Yahoo, meanwhile, accounted for 34% of searches but only 18.3% of search spend.

"[Google] is just better at moving the levers, tweaking and massaging algorithms to maximize revenue," Mr. Barnette said. Yahoo now has the ability to move those levers too, he said. However, "we just didn't see them do that in last quarter." Yahoo should use Panama to tweak and improve its product, he said, but the question is: "Do they have an experimentation culture at their company as it relates to paid search?"

Overall, costs per click for brand marketers have declined since fourth quarter on all the major search engines. While affiliate, or nonbranded, advertisers saw their click-through rates on Google drop by more than half in second quarter, from 8.7% to 4.1%, brand marketers saw theirs rise to 2.9% from 2.4%, the report said.

Its bearish assessment of Panama conflicts with the bullish statements of Yahoo's management, who trumpeted Panama's success on the second-quarter earnings call last week.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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