Search Engine Optimization News Blog

ICANN stated that it will indeed be opening the domain vault in about two years, making it possible to register your website under your very own .extension - if you have the cash. The reality is that large companies will be the winners, with such monster names as .disney, .walmart and .gerber leading the pack.

The ordinary .joe will have to wait until prices drop before registering their own domain, but hopefully it won’t be long before extensions like .eBay will be available to encourage the online market’s traffic.

The advent of the much anticipated .me domains resulted in an insane rush on GoDaddy last week, and the confusion is still being sorted out - many investors felt cheated even though their money was refunded, as they had been informed they had acquired their desired name only to have their bubble burst a few hours later.

The new plan of open unlimited domains will take much longer to become popular, since the hefty price tag will dissuade all but deep pocketed investors.

Yeah… by 0.3 %. Having just been voted the UK’s best ‘Superbrand’ and with 1.25 billion in their pocket, I’m sure Google is quite concerned about it. The fact that they missed their Wall Street share value expectation by a penny this quarter is really of mild consequence, when you realize that they now have a more solid lead than ever on the whole search business, and Yahoo and Microsoft appear to have no chance of catching up.

Yahoo climbed 0.3% and Microsoft 0.7%, showing that there is life in the stragglers yet, but the obsession with Google continues. For whatever reason, some investors go into panic attacks at the slightest hint of a downturn, but at such lofty heights some fluctuation is to be expected.

Chill out, everyone. Google isn’t planning to go belly up anytime soon.

With the ever increasing gas prices, many consumers are opting for online shopping and store sales are taking a hit. JC Penney reported a 7.4% decrease in in-store spending, and at the same time a 8.7% increase in online sales.

Other large clothing venues also reported a definite shift, with Gap losing 11% of their store traffic but seeing a hefty 21% rise in internet revenue. It’s not just confined to the fashion outlets; electronics, toys and furniture sales are also up online.

The time is ripe for more retailers to take advantage of the at-home shopping trends, and the 56% jump in couponing proves that there are indeed customers looking for good deals. If you find the correct market, this could be the year to make it big.

Shipping cost continue to rise, however, so do your best to find a niche where you won’t have to stress about awful surcharges and up charges. If you are just starting up, you might want to wait on international expansion, and even try to geotarget based on shipping rates in your part of the country.

The gas prices show no signs of dropping anytime soon, so we can expect this trend in consumer preference for surf and shop to continue. Just make sure you plan your campaign carefully; competition for those online dollars is and will be fierce!

In a surprising turn of events, Carl Icahn agreed yesterday to call off his proxy fight against Yahoo - in exchange for seats on the board. One for him, one supposedly for former AOL exec Jonathon Miller (recommended by Yang), and a third for another director to be chosen from Icahn’s stable.

This directly after another large stockholder, Legg Mason, jumped in on Yang’s side of the fight late last week. It is widely speculated that either Icahn saw his chances of a successful board overthrow dwindling, and jumped at the chance to insinuate himself into the board, or else that it is a perfectly viable solution to him allowing him a guaranteed say in further negotiations and the chance to push for a deal with Microsoft from the inside.

The stockholders meeting on August first may be a trifle anticlimactic ( all those proxy cards, what a waste) but at least it’s over - for now. Knowing Icahn, there will be waves in the future.

Jonathon Miller is an intriguing candidate for a board spot, having left AOL under a cloud of rumor and conflict right as revenue started to rise. Ousted from Time Warner prior to a massive restructuring of AOL, Miller became a partner at Velocity Interactive Group, a venture capital firm. Yang must see something in the strategist to feel he would be a good addition to the Yahoo board, and Icahn seems agreeable.

Three seats will by no means give Icahn control of the board, but at this stage in the game perhaps he feels the tide has turned, and it is the best he is likely to get. Icahn has proven over and over that he is a force to be reckoned with, and it remains to be seen how much influence he will be able to wield once firmly entrenched within Yahoo’s inner circle.

Carl Icahn, the billionaire with a past record of hostile takeovers and proxy fights, appears to have definite ideas about the value of Yahoo and what should be done with it. Icahn bought up 50 million shares of Yahoo earlier this year in an attempt to overthrow the current board and inplement his own vision of selling the company to Microsoft.

Icahn controls close to 5% of the stock, and has every intention of duking it out until the stockholders meeting in August. His heavy campaign to get stockholders to vote his ticket and install a new board is premised on his assurance that he can personally broker a deal with Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer.

However, there is resistance from an unexpected quarter. Another major stockholder has entered the fray, this time on the side of Yang and the current board members seeking to stay seated.

Legg Mason Capital Management has a collective interest in Yahoo to rival Icahn’s, and they don’t want Icahn in control. In fact, the CEO of Legg Mason, Bill Miller, pledged support to the current board, and urged others to do the same.

Yahoo has been seen as increasingly desperate over the ensuing months, as negotiations with Microsoft became heated and the partnership with Google was being hammered out. Some investors were incensed at the refusal of Microsoft’s offer, though others remain staunchly convinced that an independent Yahoo makes for a more competitive market.

The partial merging of Yahoo’s ad market with Google’s raised some eyebrows, but it is still in limbo awaiting approval from the powers that be. Out of sight, out of mind! Is this the chance Yahoo has been waiting for?

With Legg Mason’s support, it wouldn’t take much more to tip the scale solidly in Yang’s favor, and ensure the seated board more time to entrench their positions.

In a reply to the latest Icahn / Microsoft offer, Yahoo turned it down almost immediately, citing the ‘one day only’ offer to be almost an insult. The Icahn / Yahoo battle reached new heights of hysteria in the latest exchange via letters to the stockholders - Icahn continues to maintain that Yang does not have their best interest at heart, whereas the current board responds that Icahn has no true idea what he’s doing.

In the middle lies the presumption that by partnering with Google, Yaho has managed to remain independent.

What is Icahn’s next move? He seems content for the moment taking potshots at Yahoo through various platforms, but his vision for Yahoo may turn out to be just that.