EngineWorks

The Big Bing Theory
by Sean McMahon | July 29, 2009

Today’s announcement that Yahoo! will be turning its search engine over to Microsoft made me a little nostalgic for early days when our online search universe was just forming with hundreds of rapidly expanding solar systems, dying stars, and ominous black holes.  One of the largest galaxies in our universe during the late 1990’s (when I entered this fledgling space) was Inktomi, which was purchased by the very-same Yahoo! in 2002.  As most veteran Internet star gazers know, Inktomi commanded a market share of more than 42% of all online searches performed in the United States in 1999.  With today’s celestial collision between Microsoft and Yahoo!, it is safe to say that Inktomi has become a proverbial red dwarf.

Top Three Positions . . . Be There or Beware!
by Sean McMahon | July 27, 2009

Since you’re reading this blog post, you more than likely have seen many sources touting the fact that the overwhelming majority of search engine users click on the top three (3) Natural search listings for any given query.  Recently, I came across an informative study performed by Richard Hearn, a freelance interactive marketing consultant in Ireland, that re-affirmed this well-known axiom in our industry.

Corporate Blogging 101: Posts That Matter
by Scott Fish | July 20, 2009

Blogs aren’t just for kids any more.

More and more companies around the world are grabbing hold of the idea that their corporate blog can directly impact their image and enhance their communication with target audiences.  The purpose for this blog post is to present a collection of effective corporate blogs, along with an explanation of the different approaches that these companies embrace with regards to the content, purpose, and tone of their blog.

Does anchor text carry through 301 redirects?
by Kent Schnepp | July 6, 2009

Matt Cutts, head of Google’s Webspam team, weighs in on whether anchor text can carry through a 301 redirect. Great information for anyone redesigning their site or changing URLs.

Let's Be Direct . . .
by Sean McMahon | June 10, 2009

I’m shaking my head.

I just received the June 10, 2009 e-mail blast from Search Engine Guide, the self-proclaimed educational Web site aimed at translating the search marketing world into something that small business owners can understand.  This most current edition features at report from WordTracker that identifies the Top 300 search queries within the largest Meta engines (e.g., Metacrawler, Dogpile, etc.) during the past 48 hours.

It's Hip to Be Squared
by Sean McMahon | June 4, 2009

This morning, the G-Men and Women from Mountain View released their new search results product developed by Google Labs called Google Squared.  In actuality, Google Squared is not a new product, but rather a new way that Google displays search results.

It Rhymes With 'Ding'
by Sean McMahon | May 28, 2009

The Associate Press reported this morning, in an article titled ‘Bing it on: Microsoft overhauls search, again’, that the Redmond-based software giant will be launching its re-designed online search service under the new name of Bing.  According to Microsoft, the newly revamped search site is intended to make online searching less haphazard, and easier for individuals to make purchases, schedule travel plans, and locate credible health information.

Expanding Google's Offerings
by Sean McMahon | March 5, 2009

In an article reported by Search Engine Watch today, Google has announced that they are introducing expandable advertisements within their AdSense network.  These new versions of AdSense ads actually increase in size on the page when they are clicked-on by a viewer.  Similar ads in other networks expand when an individual “mouses over” the online ad or scrolls down the page.

(Lack of) Speed Kills
by Sean McMahon | March 2, 2009

An article published today by the British hosting company, UKFast, reaffirmed what we have known here in the States for some time now . . . the ability to improve Web site user satisfaction is directly related to the length of time it takes for your pages to load when retrieved through a search engine listing.  The article, titled ‘Google Warns of 20 Per Cent Drop in Traffic’, points-out that the leading search engine in the world has performed internal studies that have revealed up to a twenty percent (20%) drop in traffic at sites with pages that load half a second slower than another site.

EngineWorks to Sponsor Closing Reception at SEMpdx SearchFest 09
by Mike Rosenberg | February 18, 2009

EngineWorks is pleased to announce that we will be the exclusive sponsor the of  Closing Reception at the upcoming SearchFest 09 taking place here in Portland on March 10, 2009.  We encourage you to attend this exceptional day-long event, and join us after for socializing, networking, and enjoyable libations.