Facebook has enjoyed meteoric growth, and will probably continue on this trajectory for a while longer; however, it is unlikely that it will be able to live up to the expectations that everyone has of it, including its creator and bosses. Facebook has the ability to generate an immense amount of pageviews, and I have experienced this first hand, when I set up a CPM ad campaign , and watched my budget go up in smoke within minutes (without resulting in enough clicks to even remotely justify the spending of any additional sums). Of course, this was a once-off experience, but it does illustrate the problem that Facebook has always had, and continues to have, and that is the fact that those using Facebook become increasingly blind to the ads the longer they use Facebook. I am signed onto Facebook every day, and don’t remember the last time I noticed an ad, much less the last time I clicked on one.

It has been widely reported that Facebook’s 2011 revenues were around $4.27 billion. There were also reports at the end of August of 2011 that Facebook’s monthly pageviews reached (or approached) 1 trillion per month. Assuming that Facebook had overall pageviews of 10 trillion during 2011, that would mean that its CPM revenue was a little over $0.425, which seems abysmally low for a company which is being hailed as one of the most (if not the most) powerful technology firms.

I was one of the late arrivals on Facebook—I created my account about 2.5 years ago, by then most of my friends had already been on Facebook for a while (some years, some months). During the first few months of my Facebook experience, I felt under attack by the stream of constant updates that everyone was making. Eventually, the barrage slowed down, and has now became a trickle. Having asked others, their experience is not unlike mine. As the novelty of Facebook wears off, and as people connect with the friends that they had lost contact with years ago, those relationships moves offline, or simply die off again.

Facebook’s valuation is predicted to come close or even surpass $100 billion. But I wonder if we are experiencing yet another MySpace-like implosion in slow-motion. Predictions, have a tendency to leave those who make them red-faced, so I’ll leave that to others, and watch intently.

According to the Washington Post:

The broad antitrust argument against Google goes like this: The company’s dominant share of the search market means that it has unparalleled influence over what users find and don’t find on the Internet. As Google has branched into products beyond its main search engine, including mapping, travel and shopping, companies have accused Google of giving its own content better placement in its search results. Critics say this hurts not only smaller companies but also consumers, who don’t get the best results.

Google’s goal is to give people using their search engine the answer as quickly as possible.  Google claims no malicious intent toward its competitors though the company seems to have admitted to pushing its own results higher, and as a consequence, pushed other sites down.  Competition, however, worries that users will miss them completely by not being in the top spots.

Senator Richard Blumenthal offered the following analogy as a reason the search engine giant is being looked at so closely by the U.S. and Europe:  “You run the racetrack.  You own the racetrack.  For a long time, you didn’t have any horses.  Now you have horses . . . and your horses seem to be winning.”

Schmidt remained cool despite accusations by Senator Mike Lee that Google “cooked” results by consistently showing up third for Google Shopping inquiries.  His response was quick and to the point, “Senator, may I simply say that I can assure you we’ve not cooked anything.”

Whether or not Schmidt’s assurances will assuage fears and concerns is something that’s still up in the air.  However, Google’s continued acquisition of companies beyond its core search business coupled with its dominance of that area is most likely not helping its case.

Every time you search on Bing, the information provided helps Bing understand what you’re trying to do. The more you search, the more Bing can learn – and use that information to adapt the experience so you can spend less time searching and accomplish what you set out to do.

Essentially, you’re teaching Bing how you search online.  From the data Bing collects (from your search history), it can begin to infer the best results to display.  Their mission is to remove as much ambiguity from search results as possible.

For example, say you searched for “Olympics”, Bing will return a result set geared toward the Olympic Games.  Websites like Olympic.org and NBCOlympics.com show up.  Pretty straightforward stuff.  But if Bing detects that you’re a history buff based on your search history, it might shift focus to sites discussing the origins of the Olympics.

That’s not to say they’ll abandon the other listings entirely.  It’s more about placement on the page.  For the history buff, a page like http://history1900s.about.com/od/fadsfashion/a/olympicshistory.htm  might appear higher up.  The differences are generally quite subtle, according to the Bing Team.

The overall goal isn’t to prevent users from seeing a diverse set of results, creating a “filter bubble” as they described it.  It’s about providing the most accurate search results for the user to encourage the user to return again and again.  And with each use, Bing should become more attuned to the user.

For those interested in exploring Bing’s Adaptive Search, you should ideally be signed in to the service.  This will allow Bing to access up to 18 months worth of data versus 28 days for those who choose to remain signed out.  (In the future, it may exceed 18 months but that’s the current limit.)  And for those who would prefer to not have customized results based on past search history, the option is there to “Clear” and “Turn off” search history at any time.

Last year, with Yelp walking away from an acquisition offer of their own, Google upped the ante by purging Yelp results from Places and then giving Places its own app.  But it was the content – i.e. Yelp’s healthy collection of community-based reviews – that Google needed to make Places viable.  Licensing content from review sites had been getting the job done, for the most part, but without Yelp, Places wouldn’t see the growth to which Google was accustomed with its properties.

Enter Zagat

Zagat is a highly regarded brand in the review genre.  Their restaurant ratings system has been trusted for 30+ years and has integrated ratings and reviews submitted by an extensive “surveyor” base, with a strong online community of their own.  Couple this with a demonstrated ability to innovate with tremendous insight (according to Google’s blog entry) and it seems a natural addition to Google’s empire.

Zagat’s restaurant reviews – that Google will now own – appear to be the biggest threat to Yelp.  Though, they’re currently behind a pay-wall, they’ve proven moderately successful.  No word on whether the subscription-based business model will change.

When the Dust Settles

A number of questions still remain.  Will Zagat’s on-line offerings become free?  Why not?  Google is known for “free” and making the Zagat restaurant, entertainment venue, and travel reviews available pro bono could drive a hefty stake into Yelp’s traffic.  What’s more, the boon to Places and Google’s local search results can’t help but be felt by every site in the field.

Whether it remains subscription-based or goes ad-supported, Zagat’s core business model is still print publishing.  It’ll be interesting to see if/how this manifests under Google’s watch and how competitors will react to the ever-growing conflict of interest balancing act that’s becoming the norm in Mountain View.

A Lack of Growth

Doubtless there are myriad analysts pouring over her work history to try to pin down the reasons things went wrong for her.  One of the items being scrutinized is her inability to grow a company that was once “the” place to go on the Internet.  It’s not to say that Yahoo isn’t sizable.  With 500 million unique visitors a month, it’s still in the upper echelon of the Web.  But missteps along the way, including a failed takeover attempt by Microsoft, have kept the company from expanding past its core.  Growth is vital, especially in the tech industry where people can move from one new idea to the next seemingly overnight.  Without it, Yahoo was basically relegated to “also ran” status.

Asian Assets

Yahoo has a not insignificant asset in the Asian market.  Baltz, however, failed to exploit it.  More specifically, her – some would say – tumultuous relationship with Alibaba CEO Jack Ma might have been a roadblock to proper and beneficial business transactions.  Indeed, some have even wanted to sever ties entirely by selling off the Asian assets.  It might have given Yahoo the liquidity they desperately need to repair and grow the core business.

In Search of a Minor Miracle

The blame does not lay entirely in Bartz’s court.  She is the third CEO Yahoo has had in four years.  Tim Morse, Yahoo’s CFO is currently acting as interim CEO until a fourth can be found.  What they need now is somebody who has a firm grasp on the tech/Internet industry.  Whoever steps in to permanently fill the void has some decidedly tough decisions to make if Yahoo is to thrive as it once did.  Otherwise, the company could very well be gobbled up for a bargain, broken up and sold piecemeal.

A possible reason? Local searches don’t account for the lion’s share of searches across Google–only about 20%, in fact–but they can often return higher conversion rates. In addition, that 20% jumps to 40% on mobile platforms. Translation: If you aren’t optimizing your digital storefront for both local searches and mobile platforms, you might be missing out on a sizable chunk of potential customers.

So how does one go about this process? There are myriad ways to insure you’re on the right track.  Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Location Pages: Whether you have only a single brick and mortar store or own a national chain, a location page with relevant information (e.g. address, hours of operation, phone number) should be created for each one. Do the same for the mobile version of the site with pertinent information readily clickable and “mobile-friendly”.
2. Social Media: Include links to facilitate sharing on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp.  Even foursquare check-ins could prove useful in this ever-changing field.
3. Submissions: Make sure your localized pages are submitted to the proper search engines, directories and information services (e.g. the Yellow Pages).

Again, these are just a few ideas to get you started. If done in conjunction with a proper and ethical search engine optimization campaign, they can increase the possibility of capturing the coveted top spots on local and organic SERPs.

From movie posters to convention centers to bus terminals, QR Codes have entered the mainstream, particularly as the saturation rate of smartphones increases.  And as marketers continue to find creative ways to implement them, they become even further entrenched.  The post office has even offered a deal to direct mailers that utilize them.

Eliminating the Need to Type

There’s a reason companies still work on branding themselves.  Beyond the recognition and loyalty, it’s usually a lot easier (and faster) to go to your favorite search engine and type “amazon blu-ray” than it is to go to type in the Amazon.com URL and navigate accordingly.  It’s a concept known as “search as navigation” and it accounts for a decent amount of keyword traffic volume and PPC budgets.  The easier and faster a company can make it for the consumer to find what they’re looking for, the better the odds of a conversion.  One way that translates is in reducing keystrokes.

Enter the QR Code

If you have a smartphone, you have access to a barcode scanner.  Free.  Now you (i.e. your potential customer) don’t even have to fire up Google or Bing.  Just scan the QR Code in the catalog, flyer, or wherever the code is located, and the information is right there in the palm of your hand.  You can make a purchase, then and there, or save it for later.

The search engine and SERP-based marketing (PPC) has been completely bypassed.  If you were the company that implemented the QR Code, your competition – who might be doing a PPC-only campaign – didn’t even get a pair of eyes on their site.

Finding the Marketing Balance

Should you abandon your current search engine marketing strategy?  Not quite.  QR Codes, while growing in popularity, are still relatively new.  They also require a smartphone’s barcode scanner.  However, since smartphones are becoming all but ubiquitous, they’re a technology that should be placed in the “strongly consider” pile when organizing your SEM plan.  Finding ways to integrate them into your marketing materials could mean the difference between a captured sale and wasted ad dollars.

One of the primary concerns is that scraper sites can – and do – out-rank the legitimate content owners.  It’s effectively spam and it’s something Google has been fighting ad nauseum.  The “Panda” algorithm was launched earlier this year and its sites were somewhat set on eradicating the troublesome “content farms.”  Then in June, an update to Panda attempted to refine the quest.  The June update also took steps to reintegrate sites which had been removed inadvertently.  However, the scraper situation wasn’t adequately resolved.  If anything, Panda might have done more harm than good.

Crowd-sourcing Datapoints

To help Google get a handle on scraper sites and refine the algorithm even further, Matt Cutts recently sent out the following tweet:

Scrapers getting you down? Tell us about blog scrapers you see: http://goo.gl/S2hIh We need datapoints for testing.

The link points to a Google Doc form titled simply “Report scraper pages” and, according to the first paragraph:  “Google is testing algorithmic changes for scraper sites (especially blog scrapers). We are asking for examples, and may use data you submit to test and improve our algorithms.”

If the datapoint “call to arms” proves successful, it could mean significant changes to rankings, hopefully for the better.  Unless, of course, you’re a scraper site/content farm or get confused with one (again).  If Google doesn’t get a handle on the spam, which some have complained has gotten to be a serious problem, Bing may see its share of the market increase.  Assuming, that is, it doesn’t suffer the same scraper blight.

As technologies improve, costs go down, and infrastructures get upgraded, the feasibility and practicality of non-standard – i.e. not powered by traditional fossil fuels – vehicles slowly increase.

UPS  Dabbles In Electric Delivery Vans

UPS has agreed to purchase 100 vans from Electric Vehicles International.  Don’t worry:  While the vans will be decidedly “greener” than much of their brethren, they’ll still have the familiar brown appearance.  The electric trucks will join a fleet that already includes other alternative-energy vehicles.

One of the greatest “risks” of electric vehicles is what’s been dubbed “range anxiety” – that fear of running out of power before reaching a charging station.  For UPS, the risk is all but eliminated for the vans because they follow a known route with a known distance and are usually back “home” in time to recharge overnight.

Still, “range anxiety” is one of the biggest hurdles preventing the alternative-energy vehicle market from reaching a tipping point into mainstream.  It’ll take a huge leap of faith to build the infrastructure to support the vehicles and many companies are still too wary.  Fortunately, there are companies ready to take the necessary steps.

Daimler Set to Build a Hydrogen Economy

German carmaker Daimler is teaming up with technology group Linde to build 20 new hydrogen filling stations across Germany.  The new pumps, which will be added to existing gas stations, will essentially give fuel cell vehicles an “all access pass” to reach any location in the country without fear of running out.

The project, however, is not government subsidized for the most part so Daimler and its allies are taking a sizeable risk based on the belief that there is – or will be – a market for their vehicles.  But it’s a necessary risk to help the industry evolve and could make Germany the first nation to fully support.

A Slow But Steady Global Effort

UPS and Daimler aren’t the only companies attempting to jumpstart the electric movement.  Hyundai has a grand plan of 10,000 fuel cell cars by 2015.  Toyota, Nissan, and GM also have plans to market fuel cells to the general public.  Hopefully, as the market grows, the infrastructure will follow and vice versa.  With any bit of luck (and a lot of investment), gas pumps will be replaced by fuel cell pumps and recharging stations in the not too distant future.

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

It will be interesting to see where Apple goes from here.