The Guardian may be wincing this week as it emerges it purchased sponsored Google results for the keywords Madeleine McCann.

According to the CounterValue blog, written by Justin Williams, assistant-editor of the Telegraph Media Group, the Guardian showed poor taste at best.

“There is no phrase too sensitive, no taste that is too poor … apparently,” he sneered.

Ouch. Even more painfully, Williams published a further post, asserting the newspaper’s use of paid listings shows it is unable to compete organically.

The Guardian has attempted some comeback, commenting to news source Journalism.co.uk that it has mistakenly paid for these keywords but is now reviewing the list.

Marc Sands, the publication’s marketing manager, said search engines are a new field for newspapers and everyone is feeling their way.

“Everyone is working their way through and trying to remain true exactly to the principles of what they’re doing, but also to ensure that they’re getting read,” he asserted.

Of course, Williams could not leave the Guardian’s response alone and quipped: “Perhaps they were trying to buy the keywords for Madeleine Stowe and somebody’s fingers slipped.”

I do love the industry insights blogs offer.

Copyright SEOptimise. Original article from our SEO Blog - Search Engine Marketing Services

When Search Engine Marketing Goes Wrong…

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High street retailers are gaining more visitors to their websites than their online-only competitors, a new study shows.

The research and analysis gurus at Hitwise compared the 100 largest online high street stores, like Argos and M&S, with the 100 biggest web-only retailers, which include Play.com and the mighty Amazon.

According to the study, these high street retailers received a fifth more UK visitors last month than those companies operating only online.

Interesting stuff. More and more people are turning to the web to shop, but many seem to prefer the brands and shops they are used to in the real world.

I think this comes down to visibility - Marks and Spencer, Argos and other high street brands are put in front of consumers every day.

Their very presence in every town centre is an advert, it builds trust and recognition.

In order to compete, online businesses must increase their own visibility and this may not be as hard as it sounds.

As more people are spending time on the internet, web retailers can use pay-per-click, organic search engine optimisation and other web marketing tactics to increase consumer awareness.

If they market themselves carefully and enthusiastically, they can compete without a physical presence.

Copyright SEOptimise. Original article from our SEO Blog - Search Engine Marketing Services

High street traffic

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Filed under: Barbecuing

Wine glass charms are one of those oft-forgotten saviors from long, drawn-out examinations of lip prints to figure out whose wine is whose. But I’m really surprised that it hasn’t really moved beyond the long-stemmed glassware — until now.

Did you know that you can buy Grill Charms to properly mark your steak before throwing it on the grill? The stainless steel charms are serrated, so you just pop one in and grill and flip like usual. The charm can plainly mark which is spicy, mild, bloody, or, egads, well-done. There are different charms for different uses, whether you get the collection for temperature, spices, or a group of miscellaneous charms for other important markings like health/allergy issues, or just the desire for a specific piece of meat.

Considering the number of times I’ve forgotten what goes to who, this seems like a pretty simple, but handy, grill accessory.

[via CNet)

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Filed under: Casting, Comic/Superhero/Geek

I’m not sure if this gives Peter Berg anything to worry about, but it looks like he’s not the only one itching to reboot Hercules as a franchise. Alexander Nevsky — Russia’s version of Arnold Schwarzenegger (not to be confused with the saint and subject of the famous Eisenstein film) — is working on his own version, which his production company will finance for $12 million. At the moment, the project is unimaginatively titled Hercules: The Beginning.

The Hollywood Reporter article doesn’t specify if this is to be a Russian (and Russian-language) production, or if it is to be in English, akin to Nevsky’s recent American efforts, which have gone (or will go) direct to DVD stateside. The latter strikes me as a boneheaded move, dooming the film to obscurity. If he can produce it in Russia, where he might get some bang for that $12 million, he might wind up with a minor crossover hit in the vein of Night Watch and Day Watch (each of which cost a fraction of that). The world doesn’t need more cheap American B-movies, but a big-time Russian blockbuster might get noticed.

Have any schlock enthusiasts here had a chance to see any of this guy’s movies? Any thoughts? I’ll tentatively say I’m more psyched for the Peter Berg version.

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I was always under the impression that The Hills was a bunch of bull shit.

Audrina Patridge’s official website only confirms the obvious. Check this out from her website:

 Living a stone’s throw away from the MTV production of “The Hills”, Audrina was spotted sunbathing by the pool and asked by a producer if she would like to join the cast. She happily accepted her role as the dear friend of Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag in what was sure to be the beginning of her enticing career.

Ahh, I love the truth.  I wonder if Lauren is crying or some shit. That girl must be crying, since she follows the script like it’s her effing life.  I wish MTV was a little more honest with their shows.

I think that The Hills needs more violence though.  That would shoot up the ratings.  Maybe Heidi and Lauren will have a fighting scene after they shoot angry glances at each other.

Picture Source 

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Geri Halliwell felt ”traumatized” by ”Sex and the City: The Movie.”

The former Spice Girl – who had a cameo role in the original US TV series - was overcome when she watched the film because it triggered all of her emotions.

She said: “I’ve seen ‘Sex and the City’ twice already. It pushed all the buttons – it made me laugh, made me cry.”

“To be honest, I felt quite traumatized by it all. I think I’m quite sensitive when it comes to engaging with other people’s energies and emotions.”

“And yet it’s things like characters in books and films that help me work out my own stuff in life.”

Geri, 35, also said the movie reminded her of her recent reconciliation with the Spice Girls.

The star – who quit the girl group in May 1998 to pursue a solo career - added: “In a way, seeing the four women in ‘Sex and the City’ and how the story of their lives had moved on reminded me of the Spice Girls and how we’ve moved on.”

“The Spice Girls reunion tour was a very healing experience for me. It put to bed every bit of doubt, guilt, insecurity I had about leaving the girls when I did. I felt I’d made amends with them.”

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A quick-thinking air traffic controller managed to guide five people to land safely at Cork, courtesy of SMS. Despite a radio communications blackout on board, the pilot managed to use his cell phone to establish contact with the air controller, where the latter used consecutive text messages to guide the plane onto the runway safe and sound. This is truly an achievement in human creativity, and it goes to show where there’s a will, there’s a way. Good thing there was reception up in the air that helped preserve the lives of all five on-board. I guess they’re going to be ambassadors of text messaging for life.

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Filed under: Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL), General Electric (GE), Wal-Mart (WMT), Exxon Mobil (XOM), China, Money and Finance Today

What Happened to Safe Haven Stocks?
When the markets hit a rough patch, many investors turn to ’safe’ stocks for shelter. Stocks like Wal-Mart, GE, Exxon Mobil, Google etc. You would think these big name stocks can weather the market storms of late, but in fact have gotten caught and underperformed the Dow over the past quarter. They are hardly “safe” for investors who want to preserve capital in a bad market. If these firms can’t post promising results, not many companies can.
What Happened to Safe Haven Stocks? - 24/7WallSt.

Cash-Strapped States Quicker to Seize Unused Accounts
Faced with swelling budget deficits, a growing number of states are taking control of unclaimed property — such as bank accounts and traveler’s checks — sooner. Generally, states can seize abandoned property if the owners fail to claim it after a specified period that varies by state. People should track their bank accounts and other assets closely. ING, which turned over $3.8 million to states last year, is warning customers that states can seize accounts if there’s no activity for a certain period, often three to five years.
Cash-strapped states quicker to seize unused accounts - USATODAY.com

Famous Brands for Sale: Gone But Not Forgotten
Adios Kinkos, GE appliances, Dr. Pepper, Wisk, Exxon gas stations and more. Corporations often start a business that becomes a famous brand, or buy companies that already have highly recognized brand names. Over time these brands often lose their earnings power. Corporations who find themselves in this situation have few options other than to sell these operations or to spin them off. Here are some of 2008’s big brand moves.
Famous Brands For Sale, Gone But Not Forgotten - 24/7 Wall St.

Which College Grads Earn the Most?
A new study ranks the earning potential of graduates from the top colleges in the U.S. Graduates of Yale University leads the list as the college with the biggest returns. Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn and Colgate follow.
Which College Grads Earn the Most?

Solutions to 6 Nest Egg Woes
Can you still retire on time? Sure you can. Here are six common problems and how to solve them. It’s never too late to build your nest egg.
Catch Up On Your Retirement Savings - Kiplinger.com

Bankrupt Retailers: Pushed to the Brink
Changes in the law have sharply reduced retailers’ ability to reorganize, driving many to liquidate quickly. The new provisions in the bankruptcy law — pushed primarily by mall owners, suppliers, and utility companies, and signed by President George W. Bush in 2005 — were intended to shorten the time that a company stays under court supervision. The point was to protect creditors, who sometimes had to wait years for payments while lawyers racked up hefty fees and managers collected big pay packages.
Bankrupt Retailers: Pushed to the Brink - BusinessWeek

5 Best Coupon-Clipping Web Sites
Coupon sites are everywhere. Here’s where you’ll find the best, most reliable deals.
5 Best Coupon-Clipping Web Sites - SmartMoney.com

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Filed under: Action, Music & Musicals, RumorMonger, Remakes and Sequels

Well, what do you know? Here I was thinking I was one of the few people out there who actually had fond memories of Walter Hill’s musical flop Streets of Fire, but you can now add Albert Pyun to the list of the film’s dedicated fans. Reports have surfaced over at AICN that the B-movie director extraordinaire is planning a sequel of sorts to the 1984 cult classic. According to AICN, the title is The Road to Hell, and will bring back Streets‘ original star, Michael Paré, to star alongside Clare Kramer (Buffy) and Courtney Peldon (Boston Public).

If you haven’t seen the original, then you are missing out on some prime ’80s cheese. What other decade would feature a rock and roll musical set in an urban fantasy land with Willem Dafoe sporting vinyl overalls in a sledgehammer fight to the death? According to AICN, the film will not be a direct sequel to Hill’s original flick, but instead a tribute film that will take “STREETS’ mood and energy, infusing 50s styled “hardboiled” dialog and characters possessing “dark” shades of gray.”

Now that we finally have confirmation from Pyun on that The Sword and the Sorcerer sequel, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see which project Pyun makes first. So even though I’m not all that thrilled about a sequel to one of my youth’s guilty pleasures, I can’t say no to a plot description like this: “Consider it Moulin Rouge meets torture porn. A heavily torqued romantic fantasy where dreams still live but they carry very big knives. ”

I’m sold. How about you?

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Filed under: Gaming

Sure, Wii is great and all, but we’re guessing a man in China who tried to extort $1,400 from his parents by “kidnapping” himself and demanding a ransom after they refused to buy him a “Nintendo computer” was probably a little too infatuated with Ninety’s white box. The man — who we’re hoping is more of a “boy” — apparently hired two men to kidnap him, and was arrested after he withdrew his own ransom from an ATM. Genius. Quick tip, kids: real tennis, bowling, golf, and boxing are almost as much fun as Wii Sports, believe it or not — and they involve just slightly less jail time.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

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