Microsoft Versus Google: Online Writers Gear Up to Make More Money

Internet marketing advertising shows fantastic economic growth like never before! Whether you are a business owner, advertiser, publisher, writer, or reader, online marketing and advertising affects us all.

Communication and media firms, ad revenue web sites, and business or private websites and blogs; if it is on the Internet, chances are it involves ad agency advertisements. The ad industry is bursting with growth and phenomenal profits.

Channeling this information throughout the globe are the three largest search portals, Google, Yahoo, and MSN. They are fierce competitors on one hand and the hub of emerging technologies on the other. Two of these giants, Google and Microsoft, appear to be positioning for battle.

Advertisers: Microsoft adCenter for Advertisers and Google AdWords Program

As Microsoft continues to pursue first place in the online advertising and marketing industry, their foremost adversary Google, continues to make improvements to maintain their dominant position. Google has made changes to their Google AdWords Keyword Tool [Google Keyword Tool]. Many AdWords and AdSense users feel these changes are for the worse, while others have expressed that the changes were well overdue.

Most that support the changes, recall reports of inaccuracies found in previous editions of the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. Opponents of the changes are still debating about the accuracy of the latest release.

Changes to the Google Keyword Tool include the replacement of "Approx Average [Monthly] Search Volume" (local and language targeted) with "Global Monthly Search Volume" (total worldwide search volume). As a result, this popular keyword tool no longer compares last months' search volume to the average monthly search volume. Now, it compares last month's "Local Search Volume: Month" to the "Global Monthly Search Volume." For easier understanding, view the keyword tool display.

Programmers Reference: Using the AdWords API and the keyword tool, it can be determined that: 1) Field lastMonthSearchVolume is equal to data in the "Local Search Volume: Month" column, and 2) Field avgSearchVolume in object KeywordVariation returned from call getKeywordVariations() corresponds to the "Global Monthly Search Volume" column in the KeywordToolExternal web app (See related articles for more information about the technical aspects of the keyword tool).

Aside from Google Keyword Tool, Google Labs has other tools in their arsenal to combat Microsoft adCenter Labs: Google Keyword Tool Search Based Beta, Google Website Optimizer. AdWords Insights for Search Beta, AdWords Traffic Estimator, AdWords Keyword Insertion, Google Labs Sets, and Google Labs Trends-these are just a few titles from Google's tool box. Not to worry, Microsoft adCenter Labs has a few new tools as well.

Publishers: Microsoft AdCenter for Publishers (pubCenter Beta) and Google AdSense Program

Leading advertisers and publishers are flocking to the Microsoft adCenter website to see upcoming events on Microsoft adCenter for Publishers (pubCenter Beta). For now, acceptance into the Microsoft pubCenter Beta program is limited.

Some beta testers anticipate four times the revenue from Microsoft pubCenter Beta than the current Google AdSense program. The official launch of Microsoft pubCenter should be a big boost to affiliate management companies, ad revenue web sites, and the freelance writers' community.

At Microsoft adCenter Labs, a dedicated applied research group has been busy developing massive bundles of tools for audience intelligence, keyword research, and content analysis. For every Google tool there seems to be twice as many Microsoft tools.

What Happens Next - Bail or Jump Ship

Should ad revenue web sites abandon Google AdWords and rush over to Microsoft pubCenter? Alternatively, must ad supported websites spawn new websites? Regardless, freelance writers are in for a windfall; they will have more opportunities to write and higher revenues in return.

There is still the big debate as to whether ad revenue web sites can use both Google and Microsoft technology on any one website. It is doubtful either party would agree to such terms. No matter the outcome, expectations are higher profits from all ad revenue streams.

LIST OF SOURCES

"adCenter", Microsoft adCenter Labs

"Google Labs", Google Labs