A client of mine asked me this question the other day. It is something that has been floating around for some time, and Google has steadily been offering different types of Search Results when you perform a query.

It might be best if I explain how Search Results used to be presented. Generally, if I searched on a term the results page would show the usual Sponsored and Organic results. - The Sponsored at the top (often in a highlighted box) and down the right hand side while the Organic or Natural Results would appear down the center or left hand side. All and all I would say it wasn’t as exciting as it could be. As humans aren’t we more interested in something pretty and interesting? Looking at basically a table of contents didn’t inspire people to start clicking. Well, as new media has evolved Google has taken stock.  This makes Search Engine Optimization that much more important.  

You may or may not have noticed but for many searches no longer is the usual Sponsored and Organic Results presented. They are blending the customary results with news, images, video, and local search results. For real estate they are going a step further and in some cases will show actual listings. Instead of the boring text pieces there is now almost a menu of options to click.

There was a great article by the experts at Search Engine Land that further explains how it all works, but regardless this means more exposure if done correctly. As a Realtor this means you now have the opportunity to show up numerous times in the Search Results if a little more time is put into your site. Clearly do not ignore the importance of content to your site as this is still the majority of the Search Result; however, optimizing images on your site or even using video portals like YouTube could garner numerous positions on the first result page.

A recent study mentions if you are already appearing in the organic results and then utilizing the Sponsored, Paid Advertising, you have an 80% chance of one of these results being clicked on. The theory is that by appearing twice you are lending credibility; now think about if you appear in multiple places on that search result. It is going to be much harder for someone to ignore you.  

Companies in trouble oft nowadays look for ways to outsource key areas of production to streamline costs and raise much-needed cash. So "why not outsource your search advertising to your biggest competitor?" must have been what Yahoo was thinking when it woke up this morning, and after a wild ride today, that’s exactly what the company announced. Google, Yahoo strike ad deal!

After earlier in the day formally announcing their walking-away from any past or future deals with rival suitor Microsoft, Yahoo announced the news that a Google partnership has been met, reviving the stalled agreement and ushering in a new era in search marketing.

Or, not quite… Both companies agreed to "delay implementing the deal for up to three and a half months while regulators review it." There is also a $250 million penalty if the deal doesn’t go through, and you can’t factor out Carl Icann and his continuing bid to replace Yahoo! CEO and co-founder Jerry Yang, as well as the entire Yahoo Board of Directors, and then push through that deal with Microsoft we still slightly remember.

The deal only affects US and Canadian markets, so for those hoping to expand your Mexican search advertising mix you will unfortunately have to wait. The deal does bring Yahoo some much needed cash "Yahoo expects the deal, which has a 10-year term, to generate US$250 million to $450 million in operating cash flow during the first 12 months." It also, at least in the short-term, gives search marketers like myself additional easy access to a larger target market, and hopefully at a reasonably-priced advantage from the old separate-campaign method.

But they both feel like short-term advantages. Google becomes a larger monolith, to be sure. As Aaron Wall points out, this "gives Google another opportunity to spy on web users who use their largest competitor, allowing Google to get a better view of the average web user and making it easier for Google to clone and beat Yahoo! in any market where Yahoo! leads." Part of me wants to laugh at Yahoo’s dire predicament, but the prospect of Google being the sole source of search information and advertising, without any true competition, is a bit unsettling.

Of course, our marketing team holds the highest Google Adwords certification! And although we all here share a fear of monoliths, (and monorails also, surprisingly) we all agree that Google has produced the best, most effective, search service yet seen. Whether we have a choice in the matter, we will see, but we are definitely willing to take the ride with them into that great big advertising horizon beyond.

Yep… Yahoo search marketing has updated their terms and conditions to include an automatic "optimization" for all advertiser’s ads, keywords, budgets and bids. This means that you, the advertiser, will have to manually opt out of this service via a written request and then they will only make "commercially reasonable efforts to reverse the changes…" Read below for the exact excerpt taken from Yahoo’s terms and conditions:

OPTIMIZATION. In the U.S. only, for those advertisers not bound by an Insertion Order, we may help you optimize your account(s). Accordingly, you expressly agree that we may also: (i) create ads, (ii) add and/or remove keywords, and/or (iii) optimize your account(s). We will notify you via email of such changes made to your account(s), and can also include a spreadsheet of such changes upon your written request. If you would like any of such changes reversed, please reply to such email within 14 days of the change(s), and we will make commercially reasonable efforts to reverse the change(s) you specifically identify. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you remain responsible for all changes made to your account(s), including all click charges incurred prior to any reversions being made. It is your responsibility to monitor your account(s) and to ensure that your account settings are consistent with your business objectives.

Can Yahoo actually believe that they know exactly what your clients need, want and can afford by simply inputting information into their "system?" There has been a lot of negative buzz going around about this change and we will have to wait and see what Yahoo will do in response to the negative reactions they are receiving from their paid search advertisers.

Maybe Google is the smarter choice???