Potentially malicious sites' search results - labled.

If you search using Yahoo, you would have noticed SearchScan service in it’s beta format on the right-hand top corner – it already in use in some of the geographies and I believe will have an effect on the ranking and click thru’ rates of the defaulting sites. While Google has had the service for a few months now, the Yahoo service which is powered by McAfee is far more prominent and will keep the user away from the site for sure – making it critical for sites to rectify their processes, be it viruses, malware, spam or other harmful software, especially in case they are depending heavily on SEO traffic.

Listed below is an example of things going a little awry for Agency FAQS. With the kind of warning, even I was wondering if it was safe to venture on to the site and I have been using the site for ages.

This is a simple search result, notice the RED.

Afaqs has just been declared a proclaimed spammer.

The process being followed by Google or Yahoo is not clear yet, as neither has published its classification technology, which makes it difficult to determine how alike the two services are. The one visible difference is the prominence of the warning in case of Yahoo, while on Google; you do get a text link “This site may be harmful to your computer”.

The service makes a lot of sense for the user and will prompt the site-owners to clean up their acts or be listed “harmful to search”.

Tracking the trends.

A comprehensive report on the growth of the BTL marketing services across industires with reasons for the same and the most effected aspects of the "traditional" media formats. Please download the full report from the Articles and White Papers section of The BTL Life from here.

Marketing in a recession ; an article download.

Is it an economic recession or a mere slow down? Is it just the beginning or is it already over? Is the recessionary trend going to be “V” shaped curve or would the curve be of the scary elongated “U” shape, and is India immune?

It’s anyone’s guess. While I do have my views buts I don’t know for sure and if I did know I would be an exceptionally rich person. However, what I do understand is that time is right to be cautious as the cloud cover ahead is a couple of shades darker.

In a slowdown environment, the pressure on the availability of the marketing dollar is going to increase, and if you are in a US centric organization where the funds are allocated in USD denomination or currencies which are linked to the USD – then expect a further pressure where-in the dollar depreciation, which has already eroded about 10-15% of the marketing budget, will further weaken by a few percentage points. This will knock down the quantum of your funds by the time you are able to see the funds in your spend account.

Download the full article on how to tackle the challenges of marketing in a recession from the Articles & White Papers section of The BTL Life from here. You can also access other knowledge papers from the same location.

SCAM! SCAM!! SCAM!!!

Very interesting to see the huge coverage of the festival which celebrates and facilitates ideas and their creators! Even more interesting to see a brand & it’s advertising related story making it to the cover page of the economic times. Indeed sad that the story is in the news for all the wrong reasons.

 

While I understand that the fest, in its current form, is not the place to discuss ROI on campaigns or their effectiveness to business, but I think there is very good reason for the industry to sit up, start to take it selves seriously and weed out what is obviously scam work and presentation. If it cannot do so, then we need to understand what is the industry felicitating? And can you think of any other example where the fraternity encourages & recognizes con work?

 

It is common knowledge (but sad to see it in print) that 90% of the work was legal scam!! Read the article here if you have not already read it.

Analytics made understandable by the Red-Shirt Phenomenon.

I came across this brilliant piece of work by Matt Bailey of Site Logic Marketing, on analytics / analysis of the Red-Shirt Phenomenon in Star Trek. You don’t need to be a fan of Star Trek to enjoy and understand this (of course I am a big fan). You also don’t need to be into data analytics to enjoy this - though it will hit home harder!

Loved the research finding “When Captain Kirk meets an alien woman and “makes contact” the survival rate of the red-shirted crewmen increases by 84%.”

Read the article here & enjoy.