Google announced in an email to advertisers today that “the AdWords pay-per-action beta test will be retired”.

“Starting the last week in August, your pay-per-action campaigns will no longer be active, and any ads in your campaigns will stop running. As a result, you will no longer be able to edit or create pay-per-action campaigns.”

This move is to make room for the DoubleClick acquisition:

“As part of Google’s recent acquisition of DoubleClick, the Performics affiliate network is now a part of Google and has been renamed Google Affiliate Network. To consolidate our offerings, we will be phasing out the AdWords pay-per-action beta in the last week of August 2008.”

The news was also posted on the Inside Adwords Blog: We are retiring the pay-per-action beta

Today, Yahoo and Google officially announced a non-exclusive agreement. This agreement “enables Yahoo! to run ads supplied by Google alongside Yahoo!’s search results”, per Yahoo

The move comes as no surprise to many. In early April, Yahoo conducted a limited test of Google’s Adsense on Yahoo Search.

Google quickly followed today’s announcement with it’s anti-monopoly case for the Department of Justice.

Let Me Opt Out

Minutes after the announcement, I quickly sent an email to my Google AdWords Relationship Manager asking to be opted out “IF” I have the opportunity.

Ultimately, it comes down to money for advertisers. (Doesn’t it always?)

Yahoo Sponsored Search does not have a strong Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). Over the past month, I have begun trimming my spending on Yahoo and moving more funds into Google. Yahoo doesn’t pay for itself, like Google does.

If Yahoo ads do not have a good ROAS, then why would I want my Google ads there?

As I mentioned before, one of main themes in 7 Habits of Highly Effective Pay-Per-Click Advertisers is separation.

• Separating Content from Search
• Separating Match Types
• Separating Negatives

Search separation allows advertisers precision analytics. Blending Google with Yahoo defeats the separation. In fact, it taints the analytics with bad ROAS.

If Google does not allow advertisers to opt out of Yahoo Search, then cost per conversion will increase. If Cost per Conversion increases then spending will decrease. This ultimately defeats the whole point for Google.

I ask Google: “Allow AdWords clients to Opt out of Yahoo”

Universal Search is the blended results Google announced last year. The official announcement was May 16, 2007. The new search results blend listings from news, video, images, maps, and the traditional “blue links”.

Google’s Universal Search has still not exploded on to the travel segment as I expected it would 6 months ago, but that doesn’t mean it is not inevitable. It is similar to living on the banks of a river. You do not know when the flood is coming. However, that does not mean you shouldn’t build your house to sustain the water when it does arrive.

Universal, or blended, search is becoming crucial to the travel industry. Users searching for a vacation will be provided maps, videos, images, and anything else Google can find related to that vacation. It’s becoming extremely important that travel marketers keep content fresh and explore all avenues of the web.

Below are some quick ways to prepare your travel site for Universal Search.

1. Image File Names - Use one or two words, separating with dashes, to describe the image. That is all that is needed. It is important not to abuse these file names with repetitive keywords. Those “black-hat” tactics no longer work, and may even have a negative impact on rankings. Travel Site Tip: Be sure to include your destination in the image description.
2. Alt Tags – Be sure to use the “alt” tags on all images. Similar to the other points, do not abuse this feature. Not only are alt tags important to search engines, they are essential to visitors with disabilities that utilize screen readers. This is another reason why descriptive image alt tags are essential.
3. Use Video Tagging – When posting a video to any host, be sure to take advantage of tags that the service offers. Use tags for keywords that convert to revenue for you. Remember it’s not always the popular keywords you want. You want to focus on the ones that convert.
4. Optimize the content around the media – It is important to never let a video or image stand alone on your site. Surround the media with good content. All pages should be able to stand alone without media.
5. Include your address on your website – This makes it easier for Google’s Local Search to find your address and update its mapping system. This is essential and yet tricky in the travel industry. Your accommodations may not match the address of your office.
6. Submit your site to Google Maps - Getting listed in Google Local/Maps is essential, and yet tricky, in the travel Industry. Often times the address of the office may not match the address of the accommodations. To make sure your address is correct in Google, it’s best to do it yourself. The guide to adding a business listing is here. It’s important to include as much information as possible, including images, video and good content. Travel Site Tip: If you have multiple locations create a listing for each location.

Now is the time to prepare your Universal Search presence.

One day that river will flow over the banks. Is your house ready? Have you done everything you can to prepare for blended search?

Let’s take a minute to remember some of the great Google Products that did not make it over the years. Below are some of my favorites.

Google TiSP

This was to be the ultimate cure for not having an available internet connection. Google TiSP allowed customers to utilize the mechanisms of local municipal sewage system in order to gain high speed internet access. The “icky” feeling that users received, ultimately proved to be the downfall of Google Tisp.

Google Romance

In 2006, Google took a stab at the dating pool. Using Soulmate Search potential partners could go on a Contextual Date. Ultimately, Google Romance did not make it pass the day it was released.

Google Gulp
These line of “smart drinks” by Google, were designed to maximize surfing efficiency by making uses more intelligent. Google Gulp was initially available in 4 flavors: Glutamate Grape, Sugar-Free Radical, Beta Carroty, and Sero-Tonic Water.

Google Gulp’s failure possibly stemmed from its lack of privacy issue. According to Google, “Google Gulp will send packets of data related to your usage of this product from a wireless transmitter embedded in the base of your Google Gulp bottle to the GulpPlex™”

Gmail Paper

Gmail Paper allowed users to instantly have a paper version of all of their emails. This was a salute to traditional communication that was sure to be a nostalgic winner.

However, the 2-4 business day turn-around for printed messaged, proved to be a problem for some folks. Plus, the technology that Google required to reproduce emails was way too costly.

I am anxious to see what today brings us.

In the early stages of Google, the search results were clean and simple. In fact, that is what made it so brilliant. While Yahoo covered your page with ads, images, and personalization, people preferred the simplistic approach to Google.

Google is fading away from what they were so good at: Simplicity.

On March 3rd Google announced “teleporting”, search within a search. The concept allows users to search within a website directly from the Google search engine results page (SERP).

Amazon Example

Ultimately it’s just another dirty beer can on the Google highway. As several have pointed out already, it is flawed and unnecessary.

301 Confusion

Dave Dugdale (of RentVine.com) recently pointed out one flaw with the search-within-a-search.

Although, this is probably not a major flaw, because eventually it should find it’s way to the new site. However, it does bring up a point about deciding what sites to use this tool on and what sites not to use it on.

Unfair to the small player

Part of Google’s popularity has often been their ability to give the smaller player a chance to compete against the big name brands.

There is obviously a connection here between the popularity of the site. All sites do not have this new feature. The extra search box gives an advantage to the big time brand names. So what is the magic number to give a site it’s own search box? How many visitors a month does it take?

• Why ChicagoTribune.com and NOT AJC.com?
• Why FoodNetwork and not ESPN.com?

Clearly, there is a rhyme and reason to this… I hope. Is there a certain criteria that some sites have that the others do not?

Non-brand search terms

Searching for a dot com is one thing, but how about just keywords. Below is an example of a search for keywords instead of a brand.

Clearly this site now has a huge advantage over the competition, because Google chose to give them their own search box.

Google is constantly tweaking perfection. Although the new “features” sound like enhancements for the user’s sake, it’s not at all. It leads to more confusion and more pollution.

I am starting to miss the standard 10 Blue Links of Google.

Google’s Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products & User Experience, revealed on the Today Show some recent Google Trends for 2007.

Fastest Rising US Searches
1. IPhone
2. Webkinz
3. TMZ
4. Transformers
5. YouTube
6. Club Penguin
7. MySpace
8. Heroes
9. FaceBook
10. Anna Nicole Smith

Presidential Candidates Searches
1. Ron Paul
2. Fred Thompson
3. Hillary Clinton

Top Google searches of 2007