Google Sponsored Links

A recent study found that most Google users can't tell the difference between the main listings and the sponsored links. When asked how Google could make sponsored links easier to notice, the people questioned suggested putting them in a different place (Google already does that), labeling them (Google does that too), or putting them in a box (Google does that). While this raises some real questions about the observational abilities of many web users, it presents an interesting opportunity to those of us using sponsored links. If many search engine users can't tell the difference between regular listings and sponsored links, then for a small number of dollars you can have the equivalent of a top-level listing in a search engine without having a lot of search engine optimization work done on your site.

Is this really a good deal? Maybe. Search engine optimization involves one major investment and then smaller investments over the years to maintain your position. A sponsored link requires repeated payments forever. Depending on what keywords you use, how many hits you get (you pay for each click on your ad), what percentage of hits translates into business, and how much money you get from each client who comes in via the sponsored link, such a link could be very cost-effective or very expensive.

Want to investigate this? We'd be happy to talk to you about the pros and cons. We can also do a quick investigation of the keywords that would work well for you and the cost per click for these keywords.

Google Maps

Do you use online maps, such as MapQuest? Do you find it frustrating to have to reload the entire page every time you want to zoom in or move the center slightly? Well, Google has applied it's expertise here also and the results are rather impressive. You can find it at http://maps.google.com. If you go to this URL you arrive at a map showing the entire USA. Just for the fun of it, type in your own address. Because you are starting with a map of the entire US, you have to specify your city or town and state.

The first thing you'll notice is that the map is very readable. You'll also see the graphic equivalent of a pushpin at your address. And above that pushpin is a balloon with the address and links to a directions page. Notice one other thing -- the balloon and pushpin cast a shadow on the map. If you make the balloon go away (click on the X in the top-right corner) the shadow goes away too. Pretty nifty, huh?

The slider on the left lets you zoom in or out, while the four arrows pointing in four directions lets you slide the map in any direction. You can also re-center the map by double-clicking on any point on the map. The map moves without requires a reload of the page.

Google Maps is still in beta, so there are some missing pieces and some rough edges (Alaska seems to be missing for the most part, while Hawaii is all there). But this looks like something to watch.

Microsoft's AntiSpyWare

If you talk to IT managers at large companies, most will tell you that spyware is much more of a challenge than viruses these days. There are many antispyware utilities out there. Examples are SpyBot Search & Destroy, AdAware, Spy Sweeper, and Microsoft AntiSpyWare. All but Spy Sweeper are free. Unfortunately, not all are equal. One of our favorite techie newsletters, WindowsSecrets (http://windowssecrets.com/) tested 17 spyware utilities and found that none did the job perfectly. The article is here. Microsoft's AntiSpyWare (formerly Giant AntiSpyWare) did the best job, but for best results they recommended using a combination of Microsoft's AntiSpyWare and WebRoot's Spy Sweeper.

You can find Microsoft's AntiSpyWare at http://tinyurl.com/6fuq4. This is a beta version (meaning it hasn't been officially released yet), but we haven't heard of any problems with it. Microsoft has just announced that it will continue to offer the consumer version of this utility for free after it is officially released. But note that it only works with Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

SpySweeper is available at http://tinyurl.com/5vu4t and costs $29.95 for a year's subscription. It works with Windows 98 SE and all later versions of Windows.

One note of caution: There are many sites offering antispyware. Many use language intended to panic the user into downloading their software. Some actually install spyware on your system rather than remove it! Don't install anything that you stumble across or that pops up unless you absolutely know what it is. If in doubt, do a Google search on the name. If still in doubt,

Thanks for joining us this month. See you next month.