The Online Marketing Guy

Most people think the Webmaster Tools programs as a bit like black holes. You send in a question, concern or idea and nothing ever happens…it just sort of disappears.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, the truth is light years away from this thinking.

Witness Live’s revised and expanded WMT program.

Working at Microsoft, I’ve had occassion to meet and hang out with the folks who drive the WMT program, and I can honestly say, they are an excellent bunch of smart, talented folks. What particularly impressed me with them was the depth to which they were willing to go to learn more about what the webmastering community, in general, wanted from tools.

With expanded focus on points such as backlink data, surfacing issues with your site and more advanced filtering of data, their newest additions make this toolset a truly useful addition to any Webmaster’s toolbox. And hey, if one of the biggest engines online is willing to invest in helping you make your site better, that’s got to be worth something.

If you’re reading htis last bit of praise and thinking, “Yeah, but Duane works for MSFT, so he has to think that way.”, guess again. Holding the cup of Kool-Aid and drinking it are two very different things.

The bottom line with this update at Live’s WMT program - it’s worth using and gives you useful data.

Now, stop reading, and start checking it out already!

Tags: Microsoft, Live, WebMasterTools by searchgeek
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OK, so the WSJ is saying that Doubleclick might be on the block for 2 billion. No biggie, right?

Well, who do we all know with pockets deep enough to handle that purchase and still have change for parking? Microsoft.

Makes sense, sort of.

If Microsoft buys Doubleclick, they’ll be one of, if not THE, largest providers of ad serving services in the world - to say nothing of network opportunities. You’d htink this might make Google quiver a bit - right?

Nope - see, it appears they are planing (unofficially) to make a carbon copy of the Doubleclick system for themselves. No details have resolved around all this, but the possibilities are interesting.

OK, so back to the point. We have this MS + DC beast lurking about, massive in size and it’s about to do…what , exactly?

Serve ads? Cool - but where? Doesn’t matter, as something that size will create it’s own gravity.

But, will it slow G down? Likely not. The critical problem that Microsoft tends to have is that it does big business very well and it does some entry level stuff rather well, but really does nothing to focus on the bulk of the space - in the middle. So, companies stuck in the “mid-size” category find solace with Google’s offerings. Easy to use, robust, low-to-no cost - they’ve built their image on this stuff.

The other rather significant missing item in the puzzle for MS is market share. Google has it, MS wants it. Buying Doubleclick isn’t goign to make Microsoft any better at search, nor will it increase their market share in search.

It could have a positive impact on revenue, but if ever there was one company in history that wasn’t at a loss for funding, it’s Microsoft.

The whole thing is still an interesting idea…but I like the one where MS buys Yahoo better…

Tags: Google, Industry News, Doubleclick, Microsoft by searchgeek
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