Google: Conversion Rates Hardly Vary by Ad Position

Ever wondered if your AdWords conversion rates would be better if your ads were just positioned differently? According to Google, it doesn't matter a whole lot where they are positioned. Google Chief Economist Hal Varian and his team claim to have done some research into the subject and has concluded that conversion rates just don't vary much by position.

Microsoft Partners With Advance Internet On Local Ad Deal

Advance Internet, which runs news and information websites in alliance with more than 30 newspapers has entered into an agreement with Microsoft that will allow its sales staff to sell ads on the Microsoft Media Network on the local level. Under the agreement Advance Internet's sales force will offer behavioral targeting and audience extension capabilities to its local advertisers on the Microsoft Media Network.

The Top 50 Websites in the US

Compete puts together a monthly ranking of the top 250 Web sites in the US, based on unique visitors, and breaks up the data by relevant categories and behavioral segments. In its latest report, Compete found that the top performers for July fell into four main categories: auto manufacturers that were part of the "Cash for Clunkers" deal, summer blockbuster movie sites, back-to-school shopping sites…

Digital Music Sales Closing In On CDs

The majority of music sales still come from CDs, but digital music sales are making up an ever- greater share of the U.S. market, according to NPD MusicWatch. CDs accounted for 65 percent of all music sold in the first half of 2009 compared to paid digital downloads, which comprised 35 percent of music sales. By comparison, paid digital music made up 20 percent of…

API Released for Second Life Plug-Ins

You don't hear as much about Second Life these days as you did several years ago. For a while, articles were being written left and right about how to leverage this virtual world from Linden Lab as a business tool. Lately, not so much.