As 2008 comes to a close I thought I’d do a quick recap of the topics we have been talking (and blogging) about this year in the world of digital media and search engine marketing.
Mergers and Buyouts
A lot of headlines have been written this year about various potential mergers and buyouts, mostly in the world of the search engines. Whether it is Microsoft buying Yahoo, Yahoo partnering with Google, or Yahoo merging with AOL barely a month has gone by without a new story about the battle for search engine supremacy. And where has it got us? Back where we started with Microsoft and Yahoo still trying to find the best way to dethrone Google.
Away from search (slightly) there was the Google Double Click deal which caused a stir, something which is still yet to show real significance.
Google Pushing Non Search Products
At the Above and Beyond event in September Google discussed everything, apart from web search. A clear sign of intent that they are looking to diversify in 2009 and place the Google strangle hold on other markets such as mobile marketing and display advertising. On top of this they launched Google Ad Planner which allows digital marketers to plan digital campaigns outside of search and Google Ad Creator which allows people without flash experience to build display adverts.
Quality Score
Two lots of wholesale changes to quality score in 2008. The first in September where minimum bids were removed and dynamic quality score was introduced. On top of this Quality Score began to be displayed on a 1-10 scale and Google began showing the estimated first page bid for all of your keywords.
This was then followed at the end of October when they began normalising click through rate based on an ads position when factoring it into quality score calculations. Further changes were launched at the same time which affected when and why an ad appeared in the valuable “yellow box” positions at the top of the results.
Google’s Gambling U-turn
One of the biggest stories of the year outside of the merger talk was Google’s U-turn on their policy of not allowing gambling advertisers. Amazingly, in the face of a difficult Q3, Google’s halo slipped and they decided to begin allowing legitimate gambling advertisers onto the Adwords programme. Opening up millions of pounds of additional turnover in one swift move.
Google Trademark Bidding
As always, changes on Google, are big changes. And with the removal of trademark protection they ruffled a few feathers and made themselves a few quid in the process. Their argument was that quality score and min bid would take care of it, but then they removed min bid and left a lot of trademark owners with a headache and high CPCs on brand terms. Now Google find themselves with a high profile court case on their hands!
Social Media
Once again on of the hot topics of the year in many different guises. Whether it was Facebook getting a Facelift, Google launching and subsequently pulling lively.com, or Barack Obama using social media tools to become US President the word social, closely followed by media, network or utility have been uttered many a time in 2008.
Browser Wars 3.0
The launch of Google Chrome announces browser wars 3.0 and looks set to see this space slightly more interesting than usual in 2009. Although it does have a lot of people questioning what information you would be giving away to Google by browsing using Google Chrome.
Best Practice Funding
As Google’s dominance grows, their charity slows! Google announces that as of Jan 1st 2009 they will no longer be offering best practice funding to search marketing agencies that resell Google Adwords. No big deal for direct advertisers but for agencies slow to adapt it could mean a few casualties in 2009 as the more innovative and transparent PPC agencies learn to live without handouts.
There’s my recap of the year, anything I’ve missed?
It’s been another fast paced and exciting year in the digital world we operate in and no doubt 2009 will follow suit and through up surprises and changes which give me something interesting to write about!
