June 18th, 2010 by Jiri Vala
Categories: Search | Tags: digital, Jiri Vala Jr, JWT, Search, search engines, Search Marketing | No Comments »
Charles Darwin, father of modern search?
Every year Media Post gathers some of the biggest names in the Search Industry for the Search Insider Summit on beautiful Captiva Island, Florida. Opinions are expressed (sometimes quite vociferously), issues are debated, and emerging trends are explored in a no holds-barred think tank environment. This year’s topic was “Where Does Search Go From Here?” – an exploration of our industry’s current position in the marketing ecosystem and what a future landscape might look like for Search.
I was invited to speak at this event and I must say that it was an absolutely incredible experience that I will not soon forget. My head is still abuzz with fresh ideas (or perhaps that was the margaritas). I had the opportunity to debate the big ideas swirling around our industry with some of the most innovative minds in Search including Rob Garner of I-Crossing and search behaviorist and President of Enquiro- Gord Hotchkiss.
I loved the rapid fire TED style format that spurred conversations, brainstorming and an avalanche of ideas. Gord wanted the presentations to be provocative and forward thinking. “Shake things up” he said. So I decided to present what is very much a minority view on the future of the Search Industry: that full-service agencies like JWT are much better suited for delivering successful search campaigns for large clients than search only or digital only agencies. I used Darwin’s Transmutation of Species to make predictions about the evolution of Search by examining the entire ecosystem: macroeconomics , media convergence, attribution, proliferation of marketing technologies, random actors and other factors. I also was able to discuss some of the underpinnings JWT’s full-service 360 degree model without calling it out explicitly.
My presentation resulted in some lively conversations and interesting musings on the future of Search that I hope will be explored further in future conferences. I will expand on two of these in a future post: “How does search get a seat at the table?” and “Marketing technologists.”
Here is a copy of my presentation: “The Evolution of Search”
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December 3rd, 2009 by Jiri Vala
Categories: Search | Tags: cell phones, google, iPhone, mobile, mobile search, Search, search engines, smart phones | 3 Comments »
Mobile search has become more and more prevalent with the introduction of the iPhone and with smart phones becoming more mainstream. This trend is seen in recent research from Google, which has identified search patterns for mobile phones. Results suggest that iPhone searches mimic computer-based search behavior in terms of query length, which are about three words per query for both computer and iPhone. Conventional cell phone queries average 2.5 words. Searchers on smart phones are becoming more like computer-based searchers, not only in query length and diversity, but also in repeat search behavior. This makes sense because as the line continues to blur between cell phones and computers – behavior is sure to follow.
Local search volume is also projected to grow from 28% to 35% of all mobile searches. US local mobile search is also predicted to hit $1.3 billion by 2013, up from $20 million in 2008. This makes it increasingly important for local small businesses to make sure that their sites are updated with location information.
Mobile search is seen as a global upward trend. Yahoo recently extended Yahoo Mobile and the Yahoo iPhone app to nine additional countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and Italy. The company offers mobile service in 17 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas and on 400 devices with HTML-enabled mobile browsers.
Here are some additional links of interest if you would like to read more on the topic:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=105866
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=100931
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=108096
This post originally appeared in JWT CET’s IN THE MIX newsletter. To subscribe to this monthly newsletter, click here.
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November 19th, 2009 by Jiri Vala
Categories: Search | Tags: algorithm, bing, google, hakia, Jiri Vala, Search, search engines, semantic, semantic search, wolfram-alpha | No Comments »
Continuing on my earlier post about the future of search, I’d like to take a look at other types of search engines online. Although Google holds the top spot, two new search engines are exploring different directions in search with their unique capabilities to search the web. Two of the newest models in search engines are Wolfram-Alpha and Hakia, which both use unique algorithms to generate search results.
Wolfram-Alpha calls itself a “Computational Knowledge Engine” that answers factual queries. Most search engines provide a list of links to documents or webpages, while Wolfram answers the queries by computing the answer from structured data and presents the answers on the same page. Wolfram’s platform Mathematica relies on computer algebra, symbolic and numerical computation, as well as statistical capabilities in order to represent real-world knowledge. Since the launch in May of 2009, Wolfram contains more than 10 trillion pieces of data, 50,000+ types of algorithms and models, and linguistic capabilities for more than a 1000 domains.
Similar to Wolfram is Hakia, which labels itself as a “Semantic Search Engine” that delivers results based more on the relationships between keywords and concepts rather than statistical analysis. Most of the major search engines like Bing, Google, and Yahoo provide data based on popular results using statistical ranking methods, whereas Hakia examines criteria that focus on the quality, not the popularity. Hakia’s semantic relationship criteria must be met in order to generate a result. Criteria include whether or not information comes from a credible web site recommended by librarians, represents the most recent available information, and is relevant to the query.
Although not expected to overtake Google or Bing in the search engine game, Hakia and Wolfram-Alpha provide alternate methods of searching on the web. And don’t think that the big search engines haven’t noticed: Google recently released a Beta search engine called Google Squared that seems to be a direct response to the Wolfram-Alpha engine.
The following link offers more information about these fascinating new search engines:
http://news.cnet.com/wolfram-alpha-next-major-search-breakthrough/
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/hakia_takes_on_google_semantic_search.php
This post originally appeared in JWT CET’s IN THE MIX newsletter. To subscribe to this monthly newsletter, click here.
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November 12th, 2009 by Jiri Vala
Categories: Search | Tags: bing, google, Search, search engines | No Comments »
2009 has produced several watershed moments in the evolution of the search industry. The way we find and use information online will change dramatically over the next several years, due mainly to the rise of Twitter, increased competition, and improvements in mobile phone technology.
The most obvious change in the search landscape has been the much heralded arrival of Bing. It’s been difficult to ignore Microsoft’s clever multimillion dollar advertising blitz over the past several months announcing the release of its new search engine. It was this threat of Microsoft developing a “better” search engine that unleashed a firestorm of product development at Google as an offensive move aimed at improving the relevancy of their search results.
A host of other search engines, including the recent release of Wolfram-Alpha, are also forcing Google to revisit the way in which they index and display information to end users.
Some of the biggest challenges to the traditional concept of search will come from social media in the form of real-time search. Real-time searches are growing exponentially thanks to the explosive popularity of Twitter, with the resulting competitive pressure will force dynamic changes in the search landscape.
As consumers become increasingly dependent on mobile phones as handheld computers, they are also becoming more reliant on these devices for mobile search. This not only shapes how search engines deliver results, but also how businesses take advantage of new advertising opportunities.
Innovation is the force that fuels growth and provides exciting new opportunities for our clients to reach their customers. This is why we are explored Search with our IN THE MIX newsletter. We examined search trends and shared some insights, so that we can all be better prepared to recognize new opportunities as they arise.
JWT CET’s IN THE MIX newsletter is prepared monthly by the Engagement Team at JWT’s Communications, Entertainment, Technology practice. If you would like to subscribe to the email version of the IN THE MIX newsletter, click here.
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