Global Internet Audience Grows 10%
comScore Networks, a firm that measures the digital age, has found that 747 million people, age 15 and over used the Internet worldwide in January 2007. This is a 10 percent increase over January 2006.
Out of the top 15 countries, ranked by penetration, Internet audiences in India grew the most with an increase of 33 percent. This was followed by the Russian Federation, which grew its Internet audience by 21 percent and trailed by China, which increased by 20 percent.
From the New Communications Forum
I’m in Las Vegas, but what happens here definitely won’t stay here. I’ll blog pretty regularly from the New Communications Forum, which begins this morning with pre-conference sessions, two in the morning and two (including the one I’m conducting on podcasting) in the afternoon.
The conference proper gets underway tomorrow with a keynote by David Weinberbger. Among the sessions I’m anxious to attend:
Rice University Adjunct Offers SEO Course
Throughout the blogosphere, one can find untold informational references when it comes to search engine optimization. The problem, however, is that there are aspects of SEO, such as text-to-code ratio and link buying, in which a knowledge seeker could find many articles from opposite sides of the issue. Where is the real authority in the realm of SEO?
Organic or Paid? Links or Content? These questions often spur much research from search professionals, but in the end are akin to the “tastes great vs. less filling” dilemma of endless debating.
PayPerPost Solicits Gizmodo, Gets Wagged
PayPerPost offers bloggers payment for writing reviews of products or services. Their business model has drawn criticism from sites like Valleywag, which just happens to be under the Gawker Media umbrella with Gizmodo.
Email Marketing Remains Consistent
A new study from Forrester Research, "Email Marketing Comes of Age" finds that 97 percent of consumers and 94 percent of marketers are using email. For marketers, consumers who embrace email are their most valuable customers.
Consumers who are fans of email spend more online, make impulsive purchases, are willing to pay for convenience and communicate with others about ads and emails they value.
Google Desktop Receives A Makeover
Even though Windows Vista hasn’t been received with quite the fanfare Microsoft would have liked, the fact remains that the integrated desktop search functionality represents a potential snag in Google’s master plan for continued dominance within the industry.
Yahoo Is Back, Just Ask Them
The difficulties of 2006 have given Yahoo’s top executives new hope for this year, as early indications show their new advertising system has been working as advertised.
What’s Wrong at Best Buy?
Electronics retailer Best Buy is in hot water. Near as I can tell, they shouldn’t be. What’s gone wrong at the Minneapolis-based company seems to be a lack of coordination rather than the underhanded scheme that characterizes reporting about the crisis.
And it is a crisis, make no mistake. The company stands accused of maintaining a “secret” intranet that duplicates its consumer website but with higher prices. When customers come into the store asking for the price they saw on the web, employees reportedly show them the look-alike page on the intranet claiming the price isn’t as low as they thought, forcing them to pay more.
A Wrap-Up of Search Summit
Search Summit was well worth the trip down to Sydney. The conference was at Luna Park and I also got the opportunity to stay with friends and go out to dinner. I lived in Sydney for 10 years and while I don’t regret moving away from the corporate world it’s good to experience the buzz of the big city once in a while.
Interview with Web Analyst Joel Collymore
Continuing my series of Interview with Analysts here is my interview with Joel Collymore. I will be out of the country for about 10 days so the next interview will be published when I am back – that is after 15th.
What is your current position and the name of the company you work for?