news

Storm in a trademark over Google UK AdWords bidding

Plans by Google to deregulate the use of trademarks in UK AdWords accounts have been seen by some commentators as a charter for unscrupulous sites to undermine real brands.

The changes proposed by Google are in line with AdWords accounts for US and Canadian businesses and will take effect from the 5th May 2008.  Their reason is to enable advertisers to use more relevant keywords which may incorporate trademarks.

Despite the increased competition, some critics have hit out over increased AdWords costs and less relevant ads taking preference.  On the other hand, some are foreseeing significant increases in conversion rates.

Google’s AdWords results will be determined by several quality factors, including its PageRank algorithm.

April 2008

All Change for the firstfound Website

Previous visitors to www.firstfound.co.uk will have no doubt noticed that we have a new website.

"Over recent years firstfound has gone from strength to strength, with us being seen increasingly as a leading authority in search engine optimisation”, commented firstfound’s Managing Director, Chris Bellamy. “We wanted a new site which reflected the size of the organisation, and the depth of skills and abilities within the company. It is also a great resource for our clients, helping them understand the complexities of Pay Per Click and Website Performance on Search Engines."

Chris wanted to make sure that all the firstfound team were involved in some way in the development of the new website, and the results are here for all to see with just about everyone in the company making an appearance in the photography which was specially commissioned for the site.

"We’re really pleased with the new website," said firstfound Project Manager, Sharon Kovacs, "it’s a really fresh, positive and stands out from the crowd – exactly what firstfound is all about!"

March 2008

Paid-For Links Punished In First Google Update Of 2008

The first Google Update of 2008 proved to be bad news for businesses and site owners whom have turned to paid-for links to boost their position on Google. Businesses who have sold paid-for links too have been hit hard by this.

Instead, the recent update has focused on websites who have gained links organically, focusing on relevant links which have been gained freely. Sites which have used paid-for links have seen a drop in figures from Google’s Page Rank ratings. For instance, some sites have seen figures drop by four places. One such site has seen a drop from 10/10 to 6/10.

This has been met with mixed opinion among website owners. Some have seen this as a ploy for Google to sell more Adwords accounts or as the death of Page Rank as a credible measure of website quality. For some, there has been little change.

Page Rank is a type of rating system used by Google to determine the importance of each page, starting from 0 to 10. Sites with 0 out of 10 Page Rank are the least important, whereas sites with 10 out of 10 are most important.

February 2008

ISPs Join the War on Illegal Downloaders

Persons downloading their favourite TV series online may lose more than just a season of their favourite sitcom or drama series. Instead, they may lose their internet access under a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ law suggested by the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

In a move designed to counter falling CD and DVD sales caused by piracy, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) could be given powers to terminate their customer’s right to internet access, through a three-stage process which includes a warning email (first offence), suspension (second offence) and termination (third offence). Internet Service Providers failing to comply with this law could be prosecuted.

It is estimated that six million UK broadband subscribers download audio and video illegally, through ‘peer-to-peer’ sharing sites such as Bit Torrent. So far, some of the UK’s biggest ISPs have suggested a voluntary scheme, though this has come to no avail.

So far, their have been fears among users over breaches of privacy and lack of confidence over the Government’s handling of IT projects. On the other hand, some have welcomed this proposal, having seen independent music and video shops and sound libraries hit by illegal downloads.

February 2008