From SES Mike Banks Valentine Copyright © 2007

Over the past day at three different sessions where both Yahoo and Ask had representatives on the panel, the moderators, speakers, and audience questions have focused entirely around Google. This happens simply because Google has over half the search market and they matter more to search marketers for the dramatically higher levels of search traffic referrals they generate.

We care about our top sources of traffic more. So it’s got to be frustrating to the representatives of the search engines on panels and in keynotes to hear the name of their competitor tossed about endlessly. Lanzone started the discussion by commenting on the major news organizations headlines like, "In Attempt to Topple Google, Ask.com Launches 3D Search" – thus saying that Ask doesn’t develop the product in ways that benefit the product and the user, but rather only to compete with Google.

But Lanzone handled it with style and didn’t react with anger to the favoritism. He stressed that Ask and Google are parnters, not necessarily competitors – when he stressed that Ask shares big dollars with their competition in this case and stressed that a renewal with Google for the contextual search product would be a "Multi-Billion Dollar Deal – if we renew it with them." We’ll that’s a fairly public negotiation. Take that legal department negotiators.

Lanzone also said that he sees Google as "A Data Source" – yes they are, Billions of times a day – oh, you meant for you too. That seems like a rather clear slap at Google to reduce a company that has taken over the search space and dominates the market – as a "Data Source". Well we all love our Data Source, just like we love our mothers I suppose – but we don’t refer to Mom as something similarly dry like "incubating chamber".

Sherman asked about the "Culture" of Ask, comparing the Google small and nimble innovation teams and the MSN massive machine to Ask, to which Lanzone responded with a suggestion that they like to see teams with the left brain and right brain people working together on new products. Which didn’t go far or produce enlightening answers.

Sherman brought up the flare-up in concern over privacy this summer and Ask announced the new "Ask Eraser" product which will allow users to request that all their personally identifying data be wiped from Ask databses. Lanzone responded with a rather odd answer, sort of downplaying the value and importance of a privacy protection tool by saying, "I’m surprised that got as much play in the media as it did – it has been a slow news summer."

This suggests that Lanzone doesn’t see privacy as a priority, but that they’ve offered it to their users to calm them some in hopes that they can move on and just use the data of those who don’t opt-out. This brought Sherman to ask about whether Ask can offer personalization tools if they are wiping user data. But Lanzone countered saying that users must specifically opt-in to the search history and "MyStuff" settings in order to use those – so their data will still be used.

So finally, Sherman moved on to talk about the Ask product and 3D search asking what effect the development of that new interface will have on search marketers. To which Lanzone replied, "I’m not sure, a lot probably, but I’m not sure in what ways…" since it is so extensive and changes searcher behavior dramatically.

Lanzone mentioned how the new 3D search home page has reduced uses of their own image search product by a significant amount and told how users are engaging directly with images off the results page by clicking on images from that results page. This is clearly the effect all the search engines are expecting from users, though each to different levels and to different effect.

Though Lanzone didn’t address it here, Yahoo is using their "Blended Search" to keep users on the Yahoo site, a gripe many marketers have had about Yahoo for years. We’ll see where it goes with Ask on 3D search. Although if they gain significant market share, it will likely be at the expense of MSN – and Yahoo.

They jumped to the 3D search product appears quite effective, but until it sends significant search referrals to webmasters, they are not likely to be among the fans of 3D search, nor will they pay much attention to it for more than personal use.

I’d like to have seen him pressed for more of a succinct answer on that question from Sherman – and so would the audience. But Sherman moved on to another topic – Mobile search – to which Lanzone responded that he sees it as an important part of the search market. He pointed out how it is actually quite incredible that you can have a mobile phone in your hand, type the letter "P", and have an autocomplete dropdown for a list of queries, choose the query "Pizza" and then you click "Search" and get a list of reviews, an option of "Near You" for maps and phone numbers, then click the phone number to make the call and order.

I agree, that is quite impressive and find it quite incredible myself, although few current phone interfaces work quite that well, at least not yet.

Sherman asked Lanzone for a reaction on Google’s intention to bid on wireless spectrum and Lanzone seemed to dismiss it, saying that it "is so far afield from what we do…" so Ask appears not to be playing in the wireless game. He said, more or less, "Good for them" and wished them luck on it.

Lanzone mentioned the Ask search numbers of 50 million monthly, calling it "Collective Search" and then Sherman asked an intriguing question that I’d like to see expanded on SIGNIFICANTLY as it would have a dramatic effect on search and could convince me to use Ask, just because they were doing it. He asked about the idea of "Tagging" each link that was clicked with the search query and said he’d heard it mentioned my an Ask engineer at another conference. I’d LOVE to hear more about that as it has huge implications. Although all search engines could use this, If they incorporate it into results, it could dramatically change user behavior. Hmmm.

They wound it up with a video clip Ask will be running which shows the 3D product in use and compares it to "10 blue links" to diss Google – er no I mean "Alta Vista". So he said with a grin and tongue firmly in cheek.

Check out Mike’s SES photo gallery.

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About the Author

Mike Valentine is an SEO Specialist offering occassional commentary on Search Engine Developments through his Reality SEO Blog and developed WebSite101 Small Business Ecommerce Tutorial in 1999 to help educate the little guy to the intricacies of online business.

Jim stated that they’ve seen great growth since launching Ask 3D. They feel that they are the fastest growing in their category. Ask is not as concerned with beating the others at market share, they are more concerned with getting satisfying results back to the searchers. After launching ask 3D they are finding that about 50% of their users are not clicking on the web results but rather on of the other offerings on the page. Jim also pointed out that they are trying to get as much information above the fold as possible. To do this theyare putting content where other search sites are putting ads.

However, Ask 3D is just the beginning. Jim said that the items they have on the roadmap for Ask over the next 12 months is very exciting. However, he didn’t go into details on what that might be. He did talk about Ask Eraser though, were users that are concerned with privacy can erase it. In just a few hours all your search and tracking information will be removed from Ask and it can’t be subpoenaed. He also pointed out that with Ask, you need to turn on the history tracking tools and opt into personalized services. They don’t just give them to users.

Ask is also working on a project called farm (I think that’s the right code name). The project is designed on making data fresher and better. Getting it up to the levels that will give searchers much better results.

Not many products were talked about other than the main Ask search engine. There was a small tidbit that the new Bloglines was coming soon, but it was skimmed over. They did show a new TV commercial though that shows what the new Ask offers and, at the end, compares it to another, popular, search engine. It really showcases everything that Ask offers on the main search results page and should be on TV next week.

Again, listening to Ask talk about their product offerings at an SES conference, it makes me wish I used it more often than I do. Maybe that’s my goal for September, use Ask.com more.

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Lanzone ranged across several topics this morning in his keynote discussion with Sherman. The Ask CEO tried to keep a promise of not saying 3D all the time, a reference to the recent update of Ask to its current Ask3D configuration.

“We hit on this three-panel interface that maps to the three stages of search,” he said of the new Ask. Options for narrowing or expanding the search appear on the left, content in the center, and options for the discovery of deeper content on the right.

It’s an approach that gets visitors the right answer in the right place, at the right time, said Lanzone. They want to focus more on providing better results than worrying about beating Google in search.

In discussing the search behemoth, Lanzone noted how Ask has been a Google partner. “It’s got to be almost a love-hate relationship with them,” he said of the prospect of anyone partnering with Google.

More of Lanzone’s 40 minute chat may be heard at WebmasterRadio.fm.

The search engines have been relatively quiet the past couple of weeks. Previous SES San Jose shows usually give the search and marketing industry some new products and services to try, and opinions to discuss.

We expect the same this year, having already heard from one major search provider that is eager to clarify the implications of another industry firm’s announcement scheduled during SES San Jose.

Keynotes for this year’s edition of SES San Jose should be entertaining. Mayer’s talk should expand on Google’s idea of universal search.

Lanzone’s talk may be similar, as he plans to discuss Ask3D, Ask’s approach to universal search, as part of a Q&A session with conference organizer Chris Sherman.

“I may breakdance, if asked,” Lanzone quipped in an email to WebProNews about his keynote.

We’ll have a camera on him if he chooses to break out and do ‘Electric Boogaloo 3: AIIGH! Call An Ambulance’ at the show. Spin on your head, Jim.

On switching users to the new AskX environment

The AskX website is a testing ground for what the next generation of Ask.com could be. AskX.com is the sandbox area and slowly but surely will be migrated over to everyday Ask.com users starting at some point in this quarter, but we have a lot of testing to do still. AskX is the potential future interface of Ask.com or potential future experience for Ask.com.

On exploring paid search partners outside of Google

We control about ten percent of all search queries in the U.S. (between Ask.com and our distribution network)We will most likely strike another deal with one of the major networks (Google is the incumbent) because our own ad system combined with an ad network will make us the most money. It is going to be a significant deal. We will be the ones with the power in the relationship because we own our traffic, ten percent of the market.

Lots of other interesting stuff in there, go take a look and then come back and let me know if you think Ask will ever become more than the “#4″ in search.

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Andy Beal is an internet marketing consultant and considered one of the world’s most respected and interactive search engine marketing experts. Andy has worked with many Fortune 1000 companies such as Motorola, CitiFinancial, Lowes, Alaska Air, DeWALT, NBC and Experian.

You can read his internet marketing blog at Marketing Pilgrim and reach him at andy.beal@gmail.com.

When Bulkley stated that, compared to Google, “your basic algorithmic search is not as good,” Lanzone agreed. You have to admire that honesty. “I would also say we have the most upside potential because we are five years younger than Google,” he pointed out. He then launched into a cooking analogy.

“What we have is probably what I would call the best special sauce,” Lanzone said. “We do the hardest part well. What we don’t do well enough yet are the basics, the ingredients, the infrastructure of search that requires a lot of manpower and a lot of resources and a lot of trial and error. So I think about it like we have gourmet chefs who have been using worse ingredients to make a search engine.”

As to what the future holds for Ask, Lanzone refrained from making any vague generalizations about growth. “The big difference for us is that we are going to stay focused on search,” he said. “We are going to continue to build great doorways, not destinations. The product roadmap for us is to be able to find stuff that you’re looking for faster, whether it’s content, commerce or community. Our first job is to become a preferred primary search engine.”

“Now because search engines are naturally hubs to the internet,” Lanzone continued, “people may want email from us as a matter of convenience, but it’s nowhere on our roadmap today. If there was demand, I could see us building it, but I don’t see us getting into the content business. Our job is to search content, not provide it.”

The rest of the interview is available here.

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Yoran’s biography has not been removed from the website yet, but the Washington Post reported the CEO resigned his position over the weekend.

He cited issues close to home as the reason for his abrupt departure:

Although In-Q-Tel frequently finds mention as a venture capital firm, its true intent is to find and identify startup companies working on technology that could be of use to the intelligence community.

The report noted Yoran’s observation that some 120 technologies backed by In-Q-Tel have been adopted and put into use by the intelligence community. Naturally, he could not discuss those in any detail, citing security reasons.

This has been a very active news day regarding CEO departures. First, Ask.com CEO Steve Berkowitz punches out of IAC to take a position at Microsoft overseeing MSN. IAC announced today Jim Lanzone would succeed Berkowitz.

Then, the always-quotable Scott McNealy yielded the Sun Microsystem’s CEO chair to company president/COO Jonathan Schwartz. McNealy will stay on as chairman of the company.

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IAC/InterActiveCorp announced the CEO’s job, vacated Friday by Berkowitz, has been filled. The company moved quickly to fill the space abruptly left by Berkowitz’s departure.

“Jim is one of the most respected leaders in the search industry, having been principally responsible every day for the turnaround of the Ask product and brand over the past several years,” Doug Lebda, IAC President and COO, said in a statement.

That turnaround has slowly moved the Ask.com search engine into being a more respectable destination for searchers. The company dumped their long-time Jeeves the butler icon to better capitalize on the Ask name on its own.

Presently, Ask.com holds about six percent of the search market, trailing Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Compared to past years when the site earned little trust from searchers, it’s an improvement for the company.

Lanzone will be expected by Lebda and IAC’s top man Barry Diller to continue the upward progress seen by Ask.com over the past year. Diller and IAC have placed the Ask functionality throughout the varied IAC online properties, like CitySearch, Ticketmaster, and BlogLines.

“We have a lot of momentum behind Ask.com,” said Lanzone. “My goal is to keep pushing us forward down the path we’re on.”

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1. He’s a “bloody nice chap”.

2. He’s passionate about Ask (real passionate).

That passion clearly comes across in a recent interview with John Battelle. It’s also nice to see Jim being honest about where Ask needs to catch-up.

We’re the underdog here, kind of like Firefox. Google does a good job of presenting themselves as the underdog, and MSN is helping them with the way they act publicly. But to me they are both giants. So back to your original statement, yes, we feel passionately that there is more to search [than] the Google paradigm. Nothing against them, but we are doing some things better, and those who experience it are coming back more often. That is why we’ve grown market share, and hopefully we can accelerate the curve.

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Andy Beal is an internet marketing consultant and considered one of the world’s most respected and interactive search engine marketing experts. Andy has worked with many Fortune 1000 companies such as Motorola, CitiFinancial, Lowes, Alaska Air, DeWALT, NBC and Experian.

You can read his internet marketing blog at Marketing Pilgrim and reach him at andy.beal@gmail.com.