As with many other Web sites, Google.com offers its users a convenient way to find what they’re looking for using a feature called autocomplete. Autocomplete does just what it says—it automatically completes a user’s search form based on the popularity of possible keyword suggestions. For example, as you type “m,” “MySpace” is displayed because “MySpace” is the most searched term that starts with an “m.” If you follow that “m” with “obile mar,” “mobile marketing” is shown because it’s the most searched term that starts with “mobile mar,” and so on.
I’ve compiled a list of the top 26 autocomplete keywords from a to z. I’ve also cross-referenced this list against Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) costs, and came up with some really interesting results.
Key Findings:
- It would cost between $611,930 and $922,680 to own the first PPC position of the top 26 autocomplete keywords.
- “Quotes” is by far the most expensive of the top autocomplete keywords, costing ≈$23.67 per click, or ≈$374,755 per day for the first PPC position.
- The next three next most-expensive CPC keywords are “orbitz,” “gmail,” and “netflix” at ≈$4.79, ≈$4.30, and ≈$4.04, respectively.
- The three lowest-cost keywords with respect to estimated cost-per-day based on clicks-per-day are “facebook,” “photobucket,” and “zillow.”
- ALL of the following keywords do NOT break 1,000 paid clicks per day: “facebook,” “irs,” “photobucket,” “realtor.com,” “southwest airlines,” “usps,” “xm radio,” and “zillow.” The obvious assumption is that users searching those keywords ignore the sponsored links and just go organic.
PPC Costs for the top 26 autocomplete keyword suggestions
New ‘Google Wake Up Kit!’ Spotted on Google Calendar
While using Google Calendar this morning I noticed a new feature titled, “Google Wake Up Kit!” I clicked on it because I often have trouble waking up. Unfortunately, however, it was just an April Fools Day joke from Google.
In combination with the kit, you can receive a new type of notification from Google Calendar, called the “wake up” notification. This notification is relentless in ensuring your timely awakening from restful slumber.
The “wake up” notification uses several progressively more annoying alerts to wake you up. First it will send an SMS message to your phone. If that fails, more coercive means will be used. The kit includes an industrial-sized bucket and is designed to be connected to your water main for automatic filling. In addition, a bed-flipping device is included for forceful removal from your sleeping quarters. Learn more.
Learn more about Punchkick Interactive’s custom mobile software capabilities.
Google May Build Huge Wireless Network Using Floating Balloons
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is considering either a partnership or a full-on buyout of Space Data Corp—a company that provides balloon-based wireless networks. If you think that seems a little strange, consider this: the balloons can help bring wireless service to individuals in rural areas and they can be launched on the cheap—about $50 to launch the balloon, $1500 for the receiver, and a $100 finder’s fee for recovery after the balloon returns to earth.
Additionally, a BusinessWeek article from last month revealed that Space Data believes it can cover the whole country with a WiMax broadband network with just 370 balloons. Compare that with the 22,000 or so towers that would be necessary using traditional methods.
Sources: Gizmodo and WSJ and BusinessWeek via TechCrunch and Broadband Reports
Random Links for February 18, 2008
20+ Tools For Working With Colors
Sometimes all you need to get inspired to build a site is picking a color scheme, or even if you get stuck later in development you need some color help. Mashable.com has gathered 20+ tools for helping the “color challanged” designers.
Source: Mashable
The Analog Cellphone Timeline
Source: Gizmodo
Hide an Image in HTML — Reveal it by Highlighting Text with your Mouse
Source: BoingBoing
p.s. This is really cool.
14 Hidden Hotel Fees to Avoid
Source: Fodors
Hottest Google Search Terms for February 18:
1. patricide
2. ziggs
3. dancing with the stars
4. alex cambert
5. dan cortese
6. kit carson
7. my dad is better than your dad
8. ziggs.com
9. marlee matlin
10. juicy campus
Mobile Ocean Screensaver Copyright Violations
I don’t know if I should be upset, or flattered. I think that my cease and desist letters solve that mystery. Some of the sites I found show hundreds of downloads of our Mobile Ocean Screensaver—that’s a bit upsetting.
I am also amazed that there are 1,350 pages in google search for “mobile ocean punchkick.” This basically means that when people post illegal downloads, they don’t even pay attention to scrubbing out the company name! At they very least I expect them to have setup keyword driven links back to our site. Did they? Nope.
Other copyright violations pertaining to Flash Lite software.
Google PageRank Algorithm Possibly Updated
I am not 100% sure on this one, but I think that Google may have updated it’s PageRank Algorithm. Today I noticed that our site’s PageRank was lowered, so I started to check some other sites. After some digging it seems to be somewhat across the board. Our sites root, http://www.punchkickinteractive.com, dropped from a PR6 to a PR3. http://www.punchkickinteractive.com/blog/ dropped from a PR7 to a PR4. http://www.wikipedia.org/ dropped from a PR9 to a PR8. http://www.google.com and http://www.adobe.com/, however, are still PR10.
If anyone else is has noticed a similar PageRank pattern, please post a comment about it.
While doing a google search for “flash lite poker,” I found a site listing more than 50 Flash Lite games (most-likely in violation of copyright). If you are a Flash Lite developer, you should check out this list of illegally posted Flash Lite games to see if your content has been stolen or infringed upon. Note: we are NOT promoting this link, rather, we are posting it so that the developers of the games can pursue action against the target Web site.
We edited the link to so that it could not be spidered.
http://www [DOT] kingofwarez [DOT] com [FORWARD SLASH] showthread.php?t=15084
The Game List (as identified by the target site):
-Pong Lite
-whack attack
-road rider
-memik
-monster kick
-payjaz
-locura
-lunar lander
-hiorlo
-dan muffin
-dawn of the fly
-clear the field
-foursight
-dance
-cornrush
-martian mayhem
-bubble shooting
-are you thirsty
-log jam
-fruitball
-crazy taxi
-crazy taxi night
-micro invaders
-penalty shootout
-speedracer
-retch
-snapper game
-pocket slots
-doodle
-lite poker
-casino blackjack
-knights puzzle
-tempiduri
-danze van hellzing
-frisbee fetch
-fruit slot
-fugitive tortoise
-go sushi
-jan ken
-cube – puzzle game
-sokoflash
-snake lite
-presidance
-moby
-iSnake
-cQuenzer
-Tic-tac-toe
-Fruitball
-Darkkiller
-Remember
-Ping
-Blackjack
-Floored
-Dodge
Via The New York Times, “Google said yesterday that it had bought GrandCentral Communications, acquiring a service that lets people use a single number for all their phones.
Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
GrandCentral users can also create a single mailbox, accessible over the Internet, for all their phone messages, Google said on its Web site.
Users register their phones and can set all or some of them to ring based on who is calling.”
Random links for Monday, June 25th
- Is Google going to launch a Google-branded handset?
A short post asks this question citing Google’s announced partnership with LG Electronics. - Creating and Testing Mobile Web Sites with Adobe CS 3
Short article on testing .mobi sites with Dreamweaver CS3 and Device Central. It’s another great read from Scott. - Vodka Authentication by SMS
Apparently, counterfeit Vodka is running rampant in Russia. To combat that effort, the Russian government is creating a Vodka authentication system via SMS. “By sending the serial number of the bottle to a designated short code, they will get a response by SMS certifying (or not) the product.” - Penrillian .sis Packager
Penrillian have recently released a useful .NET application that allows anyone to package up passive content (music, images, ebooks etc) as part of standard UIQ or S60 .sis install. - Nokia Mobile Web Server
- ustwo is hiring interface designers
- iPhone guided tour from Apple
- Top 10 phones for playing games
It is what it is. Every list of links needs a good “top 10″ article. - Appleiphany
“Appleiphany (noun): The feeling experienced when using or viewing an Apple device, questioning why the heck things haven’t worked like this all along. Example: When viewing the recent iPhone Guided Tour, I kept asking myself why mobile phones don’t already do all this stuff… seriously, it’s so dang obvious. See also hindsight.”
I am trying to get a feel of who actually uses the mobile Web and what your favorite mobile Web sites are. Some good ones that I have seen are mobile.google.com and mobile.nikebasketball.com.
Please don’t be shy—post your best and worst mobile Web site examples. If you vote on the poll, I’d love to hear why you do or don’t use the mobile Web. Also, what phones do you use to browse? If you don’t browse the mobile Web, what is stopping you?
