Google Testing Click To Call Again?

Link: Google Testing Click To Call Again?.

Search Engine Journal alerted us to an apparently renewed test of click-to-call at Google. Google had been testing click to call in 2005 and 2006 with an eye toward implementing pay-per-phone call. Rather than show local or 800 tracking numbers, Google was using a field that remembered users' telephone numbers (once entered) and connected calls. It also had been using the functionality on Google Maps. However, in roughly June or July of last year Google stopped accepting click-to-call advertisers and the ads stopped showing up.

Lodging Interactive Launches HotelDirectBook.com Hotel Portal

Lodging Interactive, a leading provider of interactive marketing services to the hospitality, spa and restaurant industries, today announced the roll out of HotelDirectBook.com, a consumer hotel-booking portal. Through HotelDirectBook.com consumers can search for hotels and directly book with hotel supplier sites, ensuring the lowest direct rates with no additional fees.

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Top 10 Dumb Excuses for CEOs Not To Be Leaders in the Social Web | CustomerThink

By now, everyone within reach of a newspaper or web site has heard about the rise of the social web. You might have heard other terms used, like "Web 2.0," "social networking" or "consumer-generated media."

Millions of people are now using the social web to spout off on every topic you can imagine—and some you'd rather not imagine. Or to build networks of hundreds or thousands of "friends" and share photos and videos with them. Or to read and exchange information about what they like, or don't, about all kinds of products and services, from books to restaurants.

Link: Top 10 Dumb Excuses for CEOs Not To Be Leaders in the Social Web | CustomerThink.

Business Gets Social - eMarketer

Last year was the first time trade shows—referred to as “face-to-face” media by American Business Media (ABM)—surpassed business publications in share of total revenue.

Emphasis on socialization is growing for digital media, including social media such as such as blogs, wikis and social networks.

Link: Business Gets Social - eMarketer.

How 2007's Key Search Trend Will Impact 2008 - ClickZ

The search world is ever-changing. Although the changes may not be large, even small upsets to the system can throw an SEO (define) program into a tailspin. And no matter how small an update Google makes to its algorithm, what happened yesterday certainly impacts tomorrow.

Link: How 2007's Key Search Trend Will Impact 2008 - ClickZ.

Seven Top Online Marketing Trends for 2008 - ClickZ

To know where we're headed in 2008, we must understand how Americans adapt to the latest information and communications technology. According to May 2007 research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, roughly half of Americans actively use online communications devices.

Link: Seven Top Online Marketing Trends for 2008 - ClickZ.

comScore Announces Top50 Properties for December

Link: comScore Announces Top50 Properties for December.

comScore released statistics of U.S. consumer activity for the December '07 holiday season. Included was the always interesting list of the Top 50 web properties:

Lodging Interactive Enjoys Record Growth In 2007

PARSIPPANY , NJ , Janaury 15, 2008 – Lodging Interactive, a leading provider of interactive marketing services to the hospitality, spa and restaurant industries, today announced record growth in 2007.  Additionally it reported generating over $350 million in new revenue for its clients.

                   

“2007 was a banner year for our company.  Our sales team added 110 new accounts in ‘07 and we successfully diversified our business with the addition of Chatter Guard, our social media monitoring service, RFPLink our hotel group RFP lead generation system, and our online eProposal Sales System” said DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive’s Founder & President.

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Expedia's Brown on Offline Plans

(With the opening of the first Expedia CruiseShipCenter (Expedia CSC) franchise location this month, Travel Trade associate editor Dori Saltzman discussed the online giant's expansion plans to offline channels with Paul Brown, president of Expedia North American and Expedia Partner Services Group.)

Link: Welcome to TravelTrade.com - Your online resource to the travel industry.

2008 The year of Reputation Management? | Serengeti Communications

At the start of 2006 it was deemed that it was going to be the year that Local and Mobile search would take off. Last year at this time it was stated that 2007 would be the year of the widget. Some bloggers have been asking for 2008 predictions for search, and I’m going to give my main prediction - that 2008 will be the year of Reputation Management - along with the reasons why I believe it’s going to happen.

Link: 2008 The year of Reputation Management? | Serengeti Communications.