Archive for May, 2008
SES for the first time in Hamburg
29 May. 2008 | Author: The international conference series Search Engine Strategies (SES) is being held for the first time in Hamburg, after five years presence in Munich.
On June 23 and 24, one can gather vast insights round and about the theme of search engine marketing and optimization. Whatever one’s level of knowledge, the resources cover the range from basics of search engine advertizing through to advanced topics. Participants can discover, for example, how search engines list websites, how links are best generated without risking spam-penalties, or the latest top trends in the world of web searching. Local search is also addressed – specifically Location Based Services will be highlighted.
The SES is hosted by the internet information services SearchEngineWatch.com and the Clickz Network, both of which belong to the Incisive Media stable. More information about the planned events, registration or sponsoring is available on the SES website.
Local Search using wissen.de
The knowledge portal wissen.de, and t-info GmbH (the holding concern for suchen.de) have joined forces on this project.
suchen.de has been integrated into the start page of the online-knowledge site, using a search field, labeled ‘Local search on-site’ [de=Lokale Suche vor Ort]. wissen.de users now have access to various local search functions gleaned from the databases of t-info, as announced by the wissen.de team in a press release. Most interesting is that specialized suppliers are not only discovered via directory category, but now also using product names.
The locality-based enquiry functions as usual. After the entry of search-term and location, one views a results list. However the generated results are only the basic version of suchen.de. Practical features such as map-view and search, route planner or business cards linked to individual results (some of which have free calling options) are not included at present.
Posted in Local Search per PC, Local Search, News, Local Search Engines | 
Tags: Auskunftsportal, lokale Informationen, suchen.de, Suchmaschine, t-info, wissen.de, Wissensmagazin | 
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Mobile Local Search become a Key Application
A report by the British market-research institute Juniper Research, predicts a strong growth in the use of mobile-based Local Search services in the year ahead.
Globally, within the next five years, it is estimated that around 1,3 billion mobile phone users, that is 30 percent of all users of mobile services, will regularly use local search services. Juniper Research based its prognosis on interviews, case studies and analyses of several leading undertakings in the mobile search sector.
Above all, advertising is seen to have the strongest growth potential in this field. The analysts expect that by 2013, approximate 43 percent of all web-based advertising income will be generated from localized mobile-device searches.
They however do warn that too much advertising is distracting for users, and can have the effect of deflecting clients. A deciding factor for the growth of the use of localized mobile search offerings is first and foremost, the accessibility and quality of these local directories and service
Exploring with Google Maps
Using Google Maps, the world is now ever more discoverable than before. User-uploaded photos, videos and maps, matched to the locality of the requested search, have recently been added to the arsenal of Google’s local search capability, providing yet more local and background information.
To do so, one enters a location into the search field. A preview of the results appears in the menu adjacent to the map. If one wants to see more, just click either on “Explore this location” [de= ‚Erkunden Sie dieses Gebiet’] or on “More Photos, Videos and User-Created Maps” [de= ,Mehr Fotos, Videos und von Nutzern erstellte Karten’]. On clicking, an expanded results list appears. Simultaneously thumbnails of the photos and videos appear overlaid on the map, where they in turn can be clicked to view. Using the search results it is also possible to click on User-Maps, and select whether further photos or videos should be displayed. These extended results are then only accessible via thumbnails on the map-view. Shifting position or changing viewing scale of the map reveals further results.
Whether photos, videos or maps – the newly access content is completely user-generated and uploaded. The photographs originate from [geo-tagged user photos, from] the Web2.0 photo service Panoramio, which was acquired by Google in July 2007. They show interesting buildings, attractions or city views. YouTube, an acquisition of Google in October 2006, delivers the videos. However Google’s usual high quality controls are not in evidence – the videos are seldom really useful, as regards local information. The User-Maps have been assembled by other users of Google Maps’ “My Maps” [de=„Meine Karten“], and categorized by the creator us “public” accessible.
Enticing customers with online coupons?
For many years in the USA, vouchers/coupons have been a much loved advertising form, which has recently spread wide across the Internet. In fact, there is a real boom at the moment in the States, promoting online-coupons for bargain hunting.
This is discussed by news agency Pressetext (pte) in a recent report. Revealed by the USA internet market-research firm ComScore, hits for the special Coupon-Portals such as Coupons.com or RetailMeNot.com, rose a healthy 38% in March 2008, compared to figures for 2007, to a total of 281 Million. The reason for this growing consumer interest in the discount sites, is seen to be the worsening economic climate and increasing consumer prices.
Rebate-items are not only found and printed from coupon sites in the US– local search services like Google Maps or Mojopages.com have recognized the viability of Vouchers, especially for smaller and medium-sized undertakings. Coupons are now accessible through these local search services both for location-search specific clientele, and also can attract clients to visit firms directly and thereby soften them up for purchasing.
In Germany, this form of advertising has not yet been launched by local search engine services. Only the online-directory glenglobe.de has offered featured firms the possibility of presenting special-offers, or rebates and vouchers to online customers.
Wouldn’t it make sense, if other local search engines and directories [in the German-speaking region] were to expand their offerings through the option of online rebate-coupons or vouchers? In so doing, the users benefit and the participating firms themselves gain from offering value-for-money, also benefitting from growing site visits.
Posted in General, Discussion, Local Search, Practical features |
Tags: Coupons, Coupons.com, glenglobe, google maps, Mojopages.com, Rabattmarke, Rabattscheine, RetailMeNot |
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geoflags.de: digital depiction of the world
A new internet portal, geoflags.de has recently been launched. It concerns itself with the geographic location/placement of places, news and individuals.
Using the new portal, visitors generate a map view after entering a place name. On the displayed map, numerous varied-color markers – called Geoflags here– are visible. The flags indicate various points of interest: such as special attractions, museums or hotels, as well as standard frequent searches such as restaurants, mail boxes, shopping or cinemas. Not only these flags are displayed, but also Place-markers [de=Ortsmarker] reflecting detailed information about palces in the news, with addresses, Wikipedia articles, photos or comments of other users. The gain a better overview, one can sort and display the Geoflags using one or more category links in the menu list.
The Place-markers are the result of a cooperation between the portal operators with various partners, including Wikipedia, tagesschau.de and booking.de. Further Geoflags may be added by registered users of geoflags.de. Membership of this new portal is free for private individuals.
In a press release, the operators Geoflags GbR in Hamburg, outline the aim of the new undertaking. The goal is the “digital depiction of your world from above”. It aims to be more than the standard modern online directory with comment functionality; Geoflags differs from services like Google Maps or Qype, by using real-time information about friends, non-commercial markers or current news about the vicinity.
A mobile version of the service is planned; according to the operators it is hoped to be market-ready in May 2008.
Posted in Web Communities, Local Search per PC, Local Search, News |
Tags: Community, Geoflag, geoflags, Geoflags.de, lokale Informationen, Ortsmarke, Ortsmarken, web2.0 |
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Google Maps: Route Planning with Street View
The USA-version of Google Maps now offers yet another new feature. The search engine giant has now integrated its panorama view “Street View” into its route planner.
Thereby users are able to orient themselves before their journey as to the waypoints and local features, as outlined by Google staffer Andy Szybalski in Google Lat Long Blog. This works only for localities where street views have been documented and released. Whether or not this feature is available, is indicated by a camera icon within the route instructions generated.
With a click on the photo icon, the street view opens on the map, for the specified location. Using the fat white arrow, one is able to manipulate the view to gain an ‘actual’ idea of the planned stretch of roadway, seeing attractions, speed limits or the construction/layout of the street in question.
Google has also provided a short video to enlarge on the details of this new function.
Posted in Local Search per PC, Local Search, News, Local Search Engines, Practical features |
Tags: google maps, lokale Informationen, Maps, Panoramaansicht, Routenplaner, street view |
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GoYellow.de displays user ratings
The internet online directory GoYellow.de provides users with much information, in addition to the customary contact details. As of the end of April 2008, many search results now offer user- posted ratings (under the link “Bewertungen” en=Ratings).
GoYellow.de has however not reinvented itself as a Web2.0 portal. The displayed feedback/ratings are not generated by other GoYellow users, but rather by users of various partner portals of the online-directory. As is to be gathered in a press announcement by the GoYellow Media AG, the displayed ratings are gleaned from the driver portal autoplenum.de, the service auction portal blauarbeit.de, gastronomy portal restaurant-kritik.de, and the local ratings community GoLocal.de (which is another service belonging to GoYellow Media AG).
Whomever wishes to air their opinion regarding artisans, restaurants, doctors or other service providers, and/or rate these, is only able to do so directly via the above partner portals.
The collaboration with blauarbeit.de also brings other advantages to users of GoYellow.de: craftspeople can bid directly on the projects posted by GoYellow.de users, for artisan or garden work. A similar service has been on offer for a while already though GoYellow, as a result of the cooperation with MyHammer.de.
Posted in Web Communities, Local Search per PC, Local Search, News |
Tags: Auskunft, Auskunftsportal, Autofahrerportal, autoplenum, blauarbeit, Branchenbuch, Branchenverzeichnis, GoLocal, GoYellow, lokale Informationen, restaurant-kritik, User Generated Content, Verzeichnisdienst, web2.0 |
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Yahoo! Local with dynamic Search Circle
The USA-version of the local search portal Yahoo! Local, now is offering a new feature – the so-called “search circle”.
Using this new function, the user can limit the results to their personally chosen area/region, via the map view option, said Tom Wailes of the Yahoo! Local Team, in a post in the Yahoo! Local Blog.
To use the Search Circle function, after generating search results, one clicks on the “expand Map” link above the map provided. In the subsequent enlarged map, a blue-edged circle appears, defining the geographic limits of the search results at hand. The defining circle can be moved, enlarged or reduced according to mood or need. The results are then adjusted automatically to reflect the newly defined area. Thus it is possible for instance, to show all cafés, restaurants or shopping possibilities within a radius of X kilometer from any point, such as home, work or hotel.
A similar feature has also been available for over a year at AskCity.com (the local USA search option of ask.com (see our post). On that site, users are able to define a sector for search generation using a drawing tool provided. However, unlike Yahoo! Local, one is not able to drag or adjust the circle without redrawing.
Posted in Local Search per PC, Local Search, News, Local Search Engines, Practical features |
Tags: AskCity, lokale Informationen, search circle, Tom Wailes, Yahoo, Yahoo! Local |
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SEO for local search services: a fiercely contested battle for the top rankings
Recently the latest edition of the Search Engine Marketing Index SUMAXX was released. In the category “local search”, much has changed in the period since the last analysis.
Although there are numerous local search services, many users, seeking local search results, continue to use the web-search giants Google and Yahoo. Therefore it is important for operators of local search and online branch directories, to have their services reflected in the generated results (of the giants). For this sector, SEO (search engine optimization) is the magic word. SUMAXX indicates those providers who have successfully optimized their pages, frequently being found among the top results of the most important German web search engines,
The rankings (including local search services, among many other branches of the business) are assembled quarterly by the Search Engine Marketing agency Bloofusion Germany GmbH (see an earlier post). The 1st Quarter 2008 results are now available.
In the segment “Local Search”, Bloofusion notes much movement in the first 3 months of 2008, in comparison to the last quarter of 2007. Stadtbranchenbuch.com and goyellow.de have moved up two places to places one and two respectively. The online-directory gelbeseiten.de also has attained improved SEO, thus shunting up five positions to the new #3 position, followed by cylex.de and yahoo.com. The big loser with respect to SEO, according to SUMAXX, is the city-portal meinestadt.de, which slipped from position 2 to 10. On the other hand, the highest rank newcomer is local search machine suchen.de, which moved up nine places to position 7. Yellowmap.de also managed to find its way into the Top Ten in place 8. The ninth ranking was gained by dasoertliche.de
