Google has dominated web search over the past decade, mainly because it was the first search engine to figure out how to effectively leverage the web's link graph to serve up the most relevant results to any query. Its main competitors Yahoo! and Microsoft have had a surprisingly hard time catching up with Google's SERP relevance even after investing billions into their efforts.
The rise of Facebook creates a very important challenge to Google: while links were the pivotal signal to determine page authority and relevance during the first 15 years of the web, Facebook "likes" are set to emerge as an important additional signal, and perhaps an even more important one. After all, the link graph leverages the wisdom of the (web) crowds. Now that more people are "liking" than "linking", it only makes sense that "likes" will take over as the most important manifestation of the collective wisdom and taste of the world's web users.
And guess what? Google doesn't have access to the like graph, while Microsoft does.
This makes tomorrow's Bing event very interesting. If (big if) Microsoft figures out a good way to leverage the like-graph into a more robust set of search results for typical web queries, it may have found itself a chance to chip away at Google's leadership. If successful it would still be largely dependent on Facebook's continued willingness to give it access to the like-graph, but that will be a future battle.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
New York State of Mind
Recently I have traveled to New York City a couple of times for business. These trips are great: I love the energy and vibe in Manhattan, it's great to catch up with NYC-based friends and there is a high concentration of relevant companies in the travel information space that are increasingly interested in partnering with EveryTrail.
But despite these positives, during every visit to Manhattan I feel the urge to temporarily escape the urban jungle of concrete, steel and glass, if only for half an hour. Central Park is always a great quick escape. This morning when I woke up way too early I decided to head for the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a gorgeous morning, after several days of rain. Even though this is not a "green" walk, it makes for a great opportunity to feel the fresh ocean breeze, and offers fantastic views on New York's downtown skyline.
Below is the trip that I created with the latest version of the EveryTrail Android app:
If you want to follow my footsteps you can get the Brooklyn Bridge Walk Guide at EveryTrail.
I'll certainly be back! By the way, I am writing this at 30,000 ft using in flight WiFi on my way back to San Francisco.
But despite these positives, during every visit to Manhattan I feel the urge to temporarily escape the urban jungle of concrete, steel and glass, if only for half an hour. Central Park is always a great quick escape. This morning when I woke up way too early I decided to head for the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a gorgeous morning, after several days of rain. Even though this is not a "green" walk, it makes for a great opportunity to feel the fresh ocean breeze, and offers fantastic views on New York's downtown skyline.
Below is the trip that I created with the latest version of the EveryTrail Android app:
If you want to follow my footsteps you can get the Brooklyn Bridge Walk Guide at EveryTrail.
I'll certainly be back! By the way, I am writing this at 30,000 ft using in flight WiFi on my way back to San Francisco.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Predicted effects of Google Instant on SEO
The launch of Google Instant has caused some to predict the end of SEO. This seems hugely overblown to me. Google Instant won't kill SEO. Not even close. It may shift some nuances in SEO, but by and large the art of driving organic traffic from search engines will remain unchanged.
What the introduction of Google Instant does do is change the way searchers interact with their searches. People will probably look at more search results during a search session. The streaming results will create a feedback loop that makes people iterate quickly on their search queries. Searchers will also be guided, inspired and influenced by suggested queries.
But what does not change is that people come to Google to search for specific information, and leave Google when they've found what they were looking for. This is of course Google's bread and butter, and business model. 90% of searchers leave Google by clicking on an organic link, and the remaining 10% click on a sponsored link. This is a highly efficient (and profitable) practice. If Google does a good job, searchers end up at the best possible page to answer their question or solve their problem. It is unlikely that significantly fewer or more people will succeed or fail with their search tasks using Google Instant than using classic Google search.
Since the number of visitors to Google and the number of indexed pages on the web remain essentially unchanged post-Google Instant launch, the average number of visitors to individual web pages through organic search will remain unchanged too. This is a classic example of a zero sum game. Some sites may loose some traffic, some may win some, but on average sites will get the same level of organic search traffic.
If a site ranked well in the classic Google world, it will rank well in the Instant Google world and its inbound organic traffic should remain largely unchanged.
I do however predict some relatively minor shifts (which will benefit some sites at the expense of others):
* The "Fat Tail" will gain some traffic at the expense of both the long tail and the head. The logic goes as follows: When people type a generic search query (for example "San Francisco") they will see suggestions to refine their query (for example "San Francisco hotels"). If Google's suggestions are any good, the suggestions will often prompt people to opt for the more specific query. Likewise when people set out to do a very specific query (for example: "San Francisco hotels that are family friendly") they may be tempted to pause at a suggested query (for example: "San Francisco hotels").
* The difference in clicks between top ranked results (positions 1 - 3) and lower ranked results (4 and lower) will widen. This prediction is based on my own (relatively new) experience trying out various queries today. The interactivity of the page make me less likely to scroll down since there is already so much going near the top of the page.
* Highly ranked generic pages could slightly increase their traffic gap with lower ranked, more specialized pages. This prediction is due to the fact that highly ranked sites with pages relevant to a search intent will start showing up while the search intent is not yet fully clear to Google. For example, when a user intents to search for "Yosemite hiking trails" a highly ranked site for this topic may show up when Google figures out that "Yosemite" is being typed (along with other relevant pages for Yosemite). Once the user sees a page about trails, she may click on it, never seeing the more specialized site that would come up when the query is more complete.
Obviously the above predictions are based on initial thoughts and observations. The real effects of Google Instant will slowly emerge over time.
What the introduction of Google Instant does do is change the way searchers interact with their searches. People will probably look at more search results during a search session. The streaming results will create a feedback loop that makes people iterate quickly on their search queries. Searchers will also be guided, inspired and influenced by suggested queries.
But what does not change is that people come to Google to search for specific information, and leave Google when they've found what they were looking for. This is of course Google's bread and butter, and business model. 90% of searchers leave Google by clicking on an organic link, and the remaining 10% click on a sponsored link. This is a highly efficient (and profitable) practice. If Google does a good job, searchers end up at the best possible page to answer their question or solve their problem. It is unlikely that significantly fewer or more people will succeed or fail with their search tasks using Google Instant than using classic Google search.
Since the number of visitors to Google and the number of indexed pages on the web remain essentially unchanged post-Google Instant launch, the average number of visitors to individual web pages through organic search will remain unchanged too. This is a classic example of a zero sum game. Some sites may loose some traffic, some may win some, but on average sites will get the same level of organic search traffic.
If a site ranked well in the classic Google world, it will rank well in the Instant Google world and its inbound organic traffic should remain largely unchanged.
I do however predict some relatively minor shifts (which will benefit some sites at the expense of others):
* The "Fat Tail" will gain some traffic at the expense of both the long tail and the head. The logic goes as follows: When people type a generic search query (for example "San Francisco") they will see suggestions to refine their query (for example "San Francisco hotels"). If Google's suggestions are any good, the suggestions will often prompt people to opt for the more specific query. Likewise when people set out to do a very specific query (for example: "San Francisco hotels that are family friendly") they may be tempted to pause at a suggested query (for example: "San Francisco hotels").
* The difference in clicks between top ranked results (positions 1 - 3) and lower ranked results (4 and lower) will widen. This prediction is based on my own (relatively new) experience trying out various queries today. The interactivity of the page make me less likely to scroll down since there is already so much going near the top of the page.
* Highly ranked generic pages could slightly increase their traffic gap with lower ranked, more specialized pages. This prediction is due to the fact that highly ranked sites with pages relevant to a search intent will start showing up while the search intent is not yet fully clear to Google. For example, when a user intents to search for "Yosemite hiking trails" a highly ranked site for this topic may show up when Google figures out that "Yosemite" is being typed (along with other relevant pages for Yosemite). Once the user sees a page about trails, she may click on it, never seeing the more specialized site that would come up when the query is more complete.
Obviously the above predictions are based on initial thoughts and observations. The real effects of Google Instant will slowly emerge over time.
Another great family hike
Arastradero Preserve remains one of my favorite parks in the Bay Area.
Last weekend we went for a short hike. Map and pictures below. Click the last picture (bottom left corner of the trail) to see why we turned around.
Arastradero family hike at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best hikes in California and beyond
Last weekend we went for a short hike. Map and pictures below. Click the last picture (bottom left corner of the trail) to see why we turned around.
Arastradero family hike at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best hikes in California and beyond
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
EveryTrail Guides
The EveryTrail team & community has been hard at work getting ready for the Summer. I am most excited about EveryTrail Guides, that will be available for purchase on iPhone and Android. Tons of great guides have been created, and many more are still to come. Here is a sample:
Skyline to the Sea Trail | Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim | Half Dome | The Boston Freedom Trail | Upper Yosemite Falls Hike | Lands End, San Francisco | Angel Island State Park | Cataract Trail Loop in Marin County | Coyote Creek Loop at Henry Coe State Park | Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail | Bay Area Wildflower Hikes | Bay Area Scenic Drives | Sunol Wilderness | Stanford Dish Hike | Grand Canyon: Kaibab to Bright Angel Trail | The Grand Canyon Rim Trail
Skyline to the Sea Trail | Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim | Half Dome | The Boston Freedom Trail | Upper Yosemite Falls Hike | Lands End, San Francisco | Angel Island State Park | Cataract Trail Loop in Marin County | Coyote Creek Loop at Henry Coe State Park | Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail | Bay Area Wildflower Hikes | Bay Area Scenic Drives | Sunol Wilderness | Stanford Dish Hike | Grand Canyon: Kaibab to Bright Angel Trail | The Grand Canyon Rim Trail
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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