There is a large amount of hoopla over the Google UI change. This post was inspired by one over at WordStream asking if Google was the new Bing. I'll say what a few people have said already, but I have a little more ranting behind it as well. Google's new look is not Bing, it's Ask. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="216" caption="2006 Matt Cutts as the Zombie Jeeves"][/caption] A while ago (and we are talking years) at SMX Advanced ...

Live released a new look ... look familiar?? *sigh* But it does look good. Live looks like Ask, Ask is using Microsoft Maps, hmmm ... New Live.com Ask.com ...

I've heard from a number of people in the industry that the new CEO of Ask has been contacting them trying to get them back as brand ambassadors. Smart move? Yes. Executed well? No. The CEO, if he isn't already, needs to be reading Seth Godin's blog. If he is already, I would suggest not skimming the entries. Why? It looks like he got the concept - the company made a boo-boo, and he knew that many influential bloggers we mad. So he reached out ...

I've got a meeting soon, but I need to get this out while it's fresh on the mind. Last year I sat in Seattle at a Google Dance, and watched the beginning of blended search. It wasn't on Google. It was on the new Ask.com. I was stoked. The interface was smooth, easy to understand, and put everything in one place.A few months ago, Ask announced that it was dropping out in the race for search dominance, and focusing on women. What everyone in the ...

We got a call from AOL marketing services yesterday. Bit of a surprise to me, but then I thought about how many times I've heard AOL's name in the past week and was surprised no longer. From new executives to the acquisition of Bebo, their like 105th acquisition in the past year (I exaggerate), I can see they are on the move.Then thinking about how Time Warner is planning to spin them off got me thinking. Ask just made a dumb move focusing just ...

I just read a story about how Google is heading downwards in financial terms. Of course this has little impact on their status as the search engine leader, but its interesting to read today. One reason really ... Ask.comThe morons (sorry, its true) at Ask.com have decided to go back to the 1996 way of doing things and stop playing with the big boys.Partner this with Yahoo's downturn ... and all of a sudden I am scared. Seriously. I really don't ...

Microsoft tried to buy Facebook to no avail. Now they are trying with Yahoo. And Google got flack with Doubleclick? Wait ... why isn't anyone noticing that MSN is buying EVERYONE again. There may still be competition, but really??I am still riding the fence on this one though. There is some real good that COULD come from a Yahoo/Microsoft merger. But I still am not a fan of Microsoft. So what I really need to say is Go Ask Go! ...

I'm all about it. I can't wait to get one of my websites on this to try it out. Go ASK Go! ...

Remember at SMX Advanced when I was all psyched about the new Ask.com and it's look and integration? At SES, they have annouced some results from that new look. (Via BruceClay)How has this changed user behavior?Ask has seen a huge jump in user satisfaction, a 30 percent drop in users clicking through to the second SERP, 15 percent drop in users sessions with more than one search. Users really are coming and getting what they want in that first ...

I shared some of these viewpoints with Ask last night, but it wouldn't hurt to air them elsewhere. Techdirt just ripped up the new Ask.com interface and algorithm. I disagree with them on one point but completely agree on another, more relevant point. Disagree:Ask does have the better search engine in some cases. Case in point, SMX Advanced Penalty Box discussion. Someone brought up the fact that someone is spamming .edus for Buy Viagra. Try ...