Google has launched their own web browser today with the promise to better handle complex web programs and video rich content. Google had mailed a copy of a promotional comic book prematurely. The comic book can be found here. It was immediately followed by a post on Google’s blog site confirming the rumor that quickly spread across the web. The browser is called Google Chrome. It is considered “a fresh take on the browser”. Their plan is to make all of Chrome’s software code open to developers similar to Mozilla’s Firefox format.

This launch follows a recent update to Internet Explorer 8 as well as Firefox 3. It also follows a recent 3 year partnership extension between Mozilla and Google. With IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera being the main players, Google enters a very highly competitive space.

Google continues to produce different softwares and applications with the intention of having them fully integrated with one another. With office applications, desktop search, a new browser, email, google earth, Android among many other programs there is definitely a long term goal of providing an all-in-one fully integrated solution for their consumers. Most likely it will also be free of charge.

Call it another shot at Microsoft. Microsoft needs to figure out a strategy to counter this movement or they will continue to see their market share erode.

Thoughts? Please comment!

Paul Lee
Director of Online Marketing
LeadQual - SEM

Yahoo! & Ichan have come to an agreement a few weeks ahead of the upcoming shareholders meeting. It was expected that the meeting would result in a contentious battle between Yang and his board and Carl Icahn and his supporters. Icahn had proposed ousting the entire Yahoo! board and replacing them with his own suggested group. However Yahoo! And Icahn agreed to expand its board to 11 members. Icahn and two new members will join the board while current director Robert Kotick will step down. The two new members are expected to be from the pool of board members recommended by Icahn.

Paul Lee
Director of Online Marketing
LeadQual - Search Engine Marketing

Both Google & Microsoft reported their earnings today. Both search engine companies missed analyst’s estimates bringing up more question about how much the slowing economy is weighing on the search engine market.

Google fell $49.70 (-9.3%) to $473.74 as of 9:35PM PST. Microsoft slid $2.14 (-7.8%) to $25.37.

The missed targets brings up the concern that searchers are spending less online and the effect of the economy on the technology industry as a whole. Google reported a slowdown in the growth of consumers clicking on their online ads. Eric Schmidt said that Google faces “a more challenging economic environment” for the first time in a while. Though some technology companies, most notably Intel Corp, was able to beat estimates, the entire technology sector was brought down by the slow reported earnings.

Google also reported a higher than expected increase in research as their spend rose 65 percent which cut into their profits. Administrative expenses also rose 49 percent partly due to their fight against Viacom Inc.

LeadQual as a whole is starting feel the impact of the economy as many clients are curbing their spend or targeting higher ROI at the expense of volume. As LeadQual’s clients range across numerous industries, we see that some sectors such as real estate are hit the hardest while others like B2B continue to remain more steady. Though marketing dollars are being cut, many companies do end up allocating a larger percentage of their budget to SEM because it’s a medium that is fully trackable and easy to measure.

Paul Lee
Director of Online Marketing
LeadQual - Search Engine Marketing

Yahoo! Inc turned away a proposal by Microsoft and activist shareholder Carl Icahn. The new proposal would have broken off Yahoo’s search business to be sold to Microsoft while the rest of the business would be left under the control of Ichan’s new board.Yahoo! balked calling it an “odd and opportunistic alliance” that doesn’t consider the best interest of Yahoo’s shareholders and investors. Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock also made a statement that Microsoft and Ichan brought a “take it or leave it” offer. He said “It is ludicrous to think that our board could accept such a proposal. We will not be bludgeoned into a transaction that is not in the best interest of our stockholders.” Yahoo noted that Microsoft and Icahn did try to sweeten the offer by offering to buy $8 billion in Yahoo shares for $35 each in addition to purchasing the search business for $1 billion dollars. Yahoo! and MSN would also have struck a long term search engine partnership that would have generated more revenue for Yahoo!.This is probably the last proposal to be brought to the table before the upcoming shareholder meeting on Aug 1st which is expected to be a heated battle as Yahoo’s CEO Jerry Yang and Icahn fight for the control of the board.Yahoo! would have been opened to selling at $33 a share which was the last price Microsoft offered 6 months ago. The original offer was $44.6 billion.

Paul Lee
Sr. Manager of Web Marketing
LeadQual - Search Engine Marketing

The search landscape has always been prone to big changes. Universal Search comes to mind. The revamp of Google’s algorithm last year caused epic chaos and closing of businesses. However in the first 6 months of 2008, it’s been relatively quiet other than the Yahoo MSN acquisition drama. Here are some quick hits for the big search engine players.

Google

- Finished the Acquisition of DoubleClick: I recently made a visit to the Google SF campus and there seems to be a lot of talk about many features and tools brewing between Google & DoubleClick. I hope Google could really capitalize on DoubleClick’s strengths and pump out some new betas soon.

- Questions about Search Growth: There was much hoopla about ComScore’s data release sometime in February about the slowing growth of the search market. Wall Street Analyst responded with concerns and lowering of valuations. However there was immediate response by the search expert blogosphere claiming Wall Street has no idea what they are talking about and the many inaccuracies of the ComScore data. I for one don’t forsee Google or any search firms running into any trouble. In this down market, companies continue to allocate a greater amount of their marketing budgets to search as search has been found to be the most effective marketing medium outside of email blasting your consumer base. It is also highly attractive during the down turn because it is direct marketing meaning you know for every dollar you put in how much you get out.

- Google Sites: Launched in Feb. This tool allows you to collaborate with others and create a website. Similar to a wiki, it can be edited and modified by multiple people. It is fully integrated with Google Docs.

-Google Health: Launched in May. I have to admit I’ve not used this feature. If anyone has any feedback or comments it would be greatly appreciated.

- Google Planner: Launched in June. This is a research tool to further give insight and visibility into Google’s Content network. You can sort by demographics or type of sites and see what websites from the Google Content Network matches with you set of inputs.

- Google Death: Just kidding. Partially. As many know Google pumps out betas and are constantly testing new products and features. Two of these features specific to search engine marketing are getting the axe. Cross Channel Tracking and Pay Per Action Campaigns. Both are a tragedy and has made things a bit complicated for our Google Adwords Management though I could see their reasoning. By eliminating these tools the need to utilize their Google Analytic Tools become all the more important. Sneaky Devils.

Yahoo

- Acquisition: Hands down the biggest news of the first half of 2008. Microsoft put in a bid to acquire Yahoo. There has been endless coverage of this saga. Even now there are whispers of Yahoo being more open to selling themselves to Microsoft at the lower bid price. With the recent partnership with Google, any acquisition will cost Yahoo $250 million to break out of the contract.

MSN

- MSN AdCenter: The only big news outside of the acquisition is the continued roll out of the Microsoft AdCenter Editor desktop tool. As they continue to expand the beta program, more and more word is coming out on its functionalities. Speculation abound on how this will affect MSN search. LeadQual has access to this beta and so far we’ve run into many issues and bugs, but still its a billion times better than MSN’s web UI, so we’ll patiently wait for the updates.

ASK

- They are still alive?: You bet they are. The reason you are hearing less and less of them in the search world is that they shifted their strategic focus from competing against Google & Yahoo for market share to targeting a specific niche: Middle Aged Women & Housewives. If your company caters specifically to that demographic, its a good time to actively think about advertising on their site.

Paul Lee
Sr. Manager of Web Marketing
LeadQual - Search Engine Marketing