Weekly Search News & Related Tid-bits

By Jeff Campbell, VP Product Development

In case you missed it...

Microsoft's shopping comparison engine offers users an additional discount with their Cashback program. Based on a CPA model, advertisers pay a percent of sales to MSFT instead of a CPC. Yes, another pixel on your checkout page that shows 3rd parties your revenue stats. Game changer?

Not surprisingly (especially after purchasing the largest 3rd party ad server out there), Google opens it's network to 3rd party tracking tags.

Ann Smarty breaks down the difference between Alt tags and image titles in definition, use, and importance weightings for the engine rankings. She's written some great SEO articles over the last few months if she hasn't hit your radar yet.

SEW provides the important excerpts of Juniper Researches' latest mobile study:

• 2008 mobile search adspend will reach $445 million, which is 34% of total mobile adspend.
• Mobile search revenues (including data charges) will reach $4.8bn by 2013
• Both mobile search adspend and total mobile adspend will be highest in the Far East/China region, followed by Western Europe and North America

Finally, on the lighter side, re-live Google's Top 10 Flubs, Flops & Failures...PC World reminds us that no one is perfect, not even Google ;). "Without Google's willingness to take risks and not be afraid of tripping, stumbling, and sometimes falling flat on its face, the company might not be what it is today."

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