TagMan

TagTrends (Google Hot Trends Tool) Back Online

2007-09-11T12:16:00.000-04:00

TagTrends is back online. Read Top Google Searches Tool for the details. (That post is on my search engine marketing blog, where I post on a more regular basis.)

Iowa Straw Poll Results

2007-08-11T21:10:00.001-04:00

I've taken TagTrends offline while I work on some issues. In the meantime, I'm going directly to Google Trends to see what searches currently have spikes in volume. Right now, iowa straw poll results is hot:

If I were managing online advertising for one of the candidates, I'd be using Google Trends data to figure out which keywords to buy via Google AdWords. Check out the post on my search engine marketing blog where I ran an advertising experiment doing just that. Also, I've seen some interesting comments on that blog to the question:

Which Presidential Candidate is Most Qualified for the Job?

I'll be curious to see how Ron Paul fairs in the Iowa Straw Poll. Will he give Mitt Romney a run for his money (pun intended) or is his campaign somehow isolated to the Internet?

Tags (build your own blog tags w/ TagBuildr or TagMuse): iowa straw poll, ron paul, mitt romney, google trends

Doemitz Ferrari via TagTrends

2007-07-25T15:12:00.000-04:00

I've seen some strange traffic to my site lately, due to TagTrends. For example, I just noticed hits from a Google search for Doemitz Ferrari. Here's a current snapshot of that search:

Turns out to be a rather odd story. Reuters has this headline: Nude blonde, gold stilettos and a Ferrari. That story begins:

BERLIN (Reuters) - A mysterious blonde paid a visit to a petrol station shop in the small eastern German town of Doemitz on Sunday -- wearing nothing but a pair of golden stilettos and a thin gold bracelet.

At the end of the story, they mention "A quick-witted customer did, however, snap pictures of the woman believed to be about 30 years old as she walked back to a waiting Ferrari and climbed into the passenger seat."

Ok. See the tags for yourself...

Tags (byo w/ TagBuildr or TagTrends): doemitz ferrari, golden stilettos, doemitz blonde

YouTube Debate after CNN Debate Coverage

2007-07-23T22:04:00.000-04:00

After catching some of the CNN coverage of the Democratic Presidential Debate, it's interesting to see the CNN YouTube Debates site. Judging by the top searches I'm currently seeing on TagTrends, it looks like there's quite a bit of interest in the debate. That's cool. Here are some of the top search trends: youtube debate, democratic debate, cnn debate, presidential debate, cnn youtube, utube debate.

See for yourself on the YouTube debate site.

TagTrends: NYC MTA Subway Blackout

2007-06-27T19:56:00.000-04:00

Hmm, I think something happened in New York City today. ;-)

Follow the tags to keep up with the news: ny1, mta nyc, ny 1, nyc news, nyc transit, mta info, mta subway, nyc blackout, ny1 news, ny one, nyc subway, mta.com, mta.info, ny1.com, metro north, mta transit, wnbc, con ed, con edison, wcbs, 1010 news, metronorth, www.mta.info, mta news

[TagTrends data from Google Trends]

WiTricity - Wireless Electricity

2007-06-07T21:28:00.000-04:00

Checking TagTrends (Google Hot Trends and Technorati Tags mashup) today, I came across a new word: witricity. If you're playing a game of TagMan, keep in mind that tags are often new words like this.

Turns out that the witricity tag refers to WiTricity, wireless electricity announced at MIT (my alma mater) today:

MIT team experimentally demonstrates wireless power transfer, potentially useful for powering laptops, cell phones without cords [read full story on MIT site...]

Apogee Tags (made w/ TagBuildr): witricity, wireless, electricity, mit

Google Hot Trends Crossword Clues Clutter

2007-06-03T15:53:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's just because I'm looking at Google Hot Trends on a Sunday, but it seems useless because it's cluttered with crossword clues. Google did specifically mention crossword puzzle clues when they announced Google Hot Trends (emphasis mine):

And today we're introducing a new toy we are calling Hot Trends. It's a new feature of Google Trends for sharing the the hottest current searches with you in very close to real time. What's on our collective mind as we search for information? What's interesting to people right now? Hot Trends will tell you. At a glance, you'll see the huge variety of topics capturing our attention, from current events to daily crossword puzzle clues to the latest celebrity gossip. Hot Trends is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

The TagMuse Technorati mashup I created a few months ago is pretty useful for generating ideas for blog topics. It pulls data from Technorati popular searches and Technorati tags. When I heard about Google Hot Trends, I thought I could use this data for blog ideas, too. I'm experimenting with a new mashup called TagTrends. It looks at the top 100 hot searches from Google Hot Trends and filters it down to only those single and double keyword phrases (since most tags are one or two words). It then compares these searches to the Technorati tags page. As with TagMuse, the idea is to find keywords people are searching for but other bloggers haven't already written about extensively. However, with the crossword clues clutter, I'm not sure if TagTrends is going to be as useful as TagMuse. Let's compare the top 7 tag results from both tools for today:

1. youtube
2. ron paul
3. myspace
4. frank rich
5. naruto
6. orkut
7. friendster

1. patty schnyder
2. nutritionist davis
3. lutrine
4. faux gold
5. perry caravello
6. japanese porcelain
7. flivver

The TagTrends data (from Google Hot Trends) seems like nonsense. Maybe it'll be better during the week. BTW, here's why I think the problem stems from crossword clues clutter. Consider the hot trends page for nutritionist davis:

Note the nonsensical "Related searches" data and that the "Location" is skewed to New York, NY. I suspect those related searches are people searching for crossword puzzle clues from the Sunday editions of newspapers like the New York Times and New York Post. Unless I can find a way to filter these kinds of searches out of the TagTrends data, I'm not sure this new mashup is going to be very useful. Guess I'll stick to the Technorati data and TagMuse. Then again, maybe TagTrends will be more useful on a weekday.

Tags (made w/ TagBuildr): google hot trends, crossword clues, technorati tags, mashup

TagMan on Squidoo

2007-05-19T06:33:00.000-04:00

Found an interesting lens on Squidoo about iframes. I've added the Flickr version of TagMan to the Squidoo lens for TagMan in an iframe. Let me know if it doesn't look right in your browser. That same lensmaster has also written about unimproved lenses. Haven't heard that term before. He indicates that you need at least 4 modules in addition to the introduction. Seems kind of arbitrary. I know my lenses tend to be pretty short. You can't judge quality by quantity.

Ok, ignore the rest of this post. I'm going to use it as a reminder to myself as to which Squidoo lenses I need to "improve" due to a low quantity of modules. Enjoy a game of TagMan.

Note to self - lenses that are done and their module count:

6 Pixel Ads
4 TagMan
3 Maine Gifts (needs more modules?)
5 Tweaker for Google AdWords
4 Trail Mix
5 Ted Leonsis SEO Contest (delete this one?)
4 Search Engine Advertising Tips

Works in progress:

3 Technorati Tags
3 Search Engine Marketing Firm
3 Domain Name Reputation Management
3 PPC Distribution Fraud

Placeholders with zero modules:

Wild Blueberries
Sympathy Flowers
Funeral Flowers
Send Flowers

Yikes! I hope I'm not addicted to Squidoo. Geez.

Tags (made w/ TagBuildr): squidoo lens, iframes, flickr game, unimproved lenses

Web 2.0 Event Tags

2007-04-30T10:54:00.000-04:00

Looking at the TagMuse results this morning, I noticed that a handful of searches pertain to web 2.0 events. They are:

Tags are a very useful tool for tracking these kinds of events. By following the primary tag for a given event across multiple web 2.0 sites (Flickr, del.icio.us, Technorati, etc) you catch multiple perspectives of the event.

I should also point out that when you're playing a game of TagMan, you might need to guess numbers as well as letters. ;-)

Tags (made w/ TagBuildr): web 2.0, flickr, del.icio.us, technorati, tags, microsoft, barcamp, mit

Marilee Jones on Google

2007-04-28T17:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday on my search marketing blog, I wrote a post about Marilee Jones. I noticed a surge in traffic from google.com directly (not just blogsearch.google.com). Turns out that Google included my blog in their "Blog posts about marilee jones" section, appended to the search results. It looked like this:

This is the first time I've seen one of my blog posts featured in Google's "Blog posts about {search phrase}" section. Pretty cool. Note that I picked up on the Marilee Jones story via TagMuse:

Try TagMuse the next time you're looking for ideas for your blog!

Apogee Tags: marilee jones, google search, blog posts about

Technorati Cannot Not Be For Sale

2007-04-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

Having Sanford "Sandy" Robertson join the Technorati board seems like a clever move by Technorati's current CEO, David Sifry. He writes:

Prior to founding Francisco Partners, Sandy was the founder and chairman of Robertson, Stephens & Co., which most of you will remember was the leading technology investment bank formed in 1978, and sold to BankBoston in 1998... Perhaps most interesting to me, he has had significant financing involvement, including IPOs and secondary financings in more than 500 growth technology companies throughout his career, including 3Com Corporation, America Online, Inc., Applied Materials, Inc., Ascend Communications Inc., Dell Computer Corporation, E*Trade Securities, Inc., Siebel Systems, Inc. and Sun Microsystems, Inc.

In one fell swoop, Sifry now has a powerful ally on the Technorati board (while that board is looking for a new CEO) and a prominent investment banker at his disposal. I wonder what exit option Sifry has in mind. It is amazing how ubiquitous Technorati Tags have become. Despite Google's entry into the blog search arena, Technorati has survived. I doubt it will remain independent much longer.

I suspect that Yahoo! is too cheap but it would be logical for them to purchase Technorati. Cede algorithmic search to Google and combine Flickr, del.icio.us, Yahoo! Answers and Technorati into a new social media search platform. Leave Google in the dust. Or, perhaps Microsoft or Ask's parent company IAC see the value in Technorati's ubiquity? I can't believe they don't have many suitors.

Well, while you're waiting for the drama to unfold, explore Technorati Tags by enjoying a game of Technorati TagMan:

Tags (made w/ TagBuildr and NOT Technorati Tags): technorati, sandy robertson, david sifry, dave sifry, goog, yhoo, msft, iaci

TagMuse: silverlight

2007-04-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

New tag on TagMuse today: silverlight. It's because of Microsoft Silverlight. Here's the story:

Tags (made w/ TagBuildr): microsoft, adobe

TagMuse: DoubleClick Acquisition

2007-04-13T23:57:00.000-04:00

Interesting to see doubleclick show up on TagMuse this evening:

See my thoughts on the Google acquisition of DoubleClick on my search marketing blog. Or, read about it via Inside AdWords or Inside AdSense.

Tags (byo w/ TagBuildr or TagMuse): marketing, acquisitions, sem, advertising, google, adsense, adwords

Gmail Paper and Fake Company

2007-04-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

The Gmail Paper and TiSP April fools jokes from Google cracked me up (noticed via both TechCrunch and TagMuse). The inclusion of a fake company, AdventaStar Inc, in the Gmail Paper testimonials was a nice touch. Interesting that the adventastar.com domain was registered so quickly: "Record created on 2007-03-31 23:23:57." Perhaps that was an inside job?

Tags (byo w/ TagBuildr or TagMuse): gmail paper, april fools, tisp, google, adventastar inc

Testing WebProNews Video Clip

2007-03-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

Strange to see myself mentioned in a WebProNews video clip. Let's see if it will display in a blog post:

Tags (byo w/ TagBuildr or TagMuse): webpronews, video clip, yahoo search marketing, nicole eggers

TagMuse: Learning 2.0 + kcls27things

2007-03-28T15:16:00.000-04:00

I've noticed some unusual tags via TagMuse lately. These appear to be related: learning 2.0, kcls27things. Looks like a library learning program that is generating some interest in the blogosphere. Read the KCLS Learning 2.0 27 Things FAQ for more info. That says:

Learning 2.0 aims to show you and your colleagues 27 things - new (or newish) web tools and trends that are increasingly popular in libraries and increasingly popular with our patrons. Blogging, MySpace, YouTube (for video sharing) and Flickr (for photo sharing) are just some of the things the program focuses on.

They also have a Flickr group set up. BTW, KCLS = King County Library System. Learning 2.0 looks like an interesting program.

Tags (byo w/ TagBuildr or TagMuse): blogging, myspace, youtube, flickr, kcls, library, 27 things

Technorati Search is Global

2007-03-26T15:59:00.000-04:00

I wonder if more people use Technorati outside of the United States. Looking at TagMuse today (which gets data from Technorati popular searches and related tags), many of the search topics pertain to European sites. Examples:

sevenload : German media portal (English version) for videos and photos (sort of a YouTube + Flickr web2.0 hybrid)
smava : Launch of a German site for private lending (smava.de)
citizencamp : BarCamp event in Italy

Is this an indication that European users are more into Technorati than Americans?

Tags (byo w/ TagBuildr or the NEW TagMuse Technorati mashup): technorati, web2.0, youtube, flickr

TagMuse: Apple TV

2007-03-22T17:30:00.000-04:00

Via TagMuse, here's a new popular tag: apple tv. This is the official Apple TV page. Many popular blogs are talking about it today: Gizmodo, Engadget, Lifehacker.

Try TagMuse.

TagMuse and Technorati WTF

2007-03-21T00:13:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's a little confusing looking at the popular searches on Technorati (that's where TagMuse gets its data). I can see why Technorati introduced their WTF feature. It gives some context to these searches. At least it provides the potential for offering explanations about these searches without necessitating wading through blog posts to try to figure out WTF everyone is searching for.

For instance, right now TagMuse is identifying 7 of the top 10 searches on Technorati as topics that might be worth blogging about. (The idea is to identify top searches that aren't in top tags - topics many people are searching for but not as many people have blogged about it. Read the TagMuse FAQ if that doesn't make sense.) These are the 7 topics: steven furtick, dell, elsa pataky, cathy seipp, paris hilton, highrise, antonella barba. In fact, steven furtick is actually the #1 blog search according to Technorati. Hmm, WTF is this about? No idea. Try Technorati WTF for steven furtick. There are currently 5 WTF blurbs on that topic. A couple of things I'm trying to figure out:

Does Technorati WTF add value? IOW, is it more useful to read those WTF blurbs than to actually sift through blog posts?
Is TagMuse a good idea? Read the FAQ, try it and let me know.

Tags: tagmuse, technorati wtf, blog search

TagMuse: highrise

2007-03-20T16:57:00.000-04:00

I'm seeing highrise on the TagMuse list. Looks like 37signals quietly launched their new CRM software called Highrise. Take the tour. More coverage via Mashable and Scobleizer.

BTW, try TagMuse (a Technorati mashup) to see what's happening in the blogosphere and/or to get ideas for your own blog posts.

Tags: 37signals, crm software, technorati, mashup

TagMuse: twittervision

2007-03-19T13:55:00.000-04:00

Checking TagMuse earlier today, I noticed this new tag: twittervision. Looks like a cool mashup of the Twitter feed and Google Maps API. Watch twittervision.

Tags (byo w/ TagBuildr): twitter, sms, mobile, web 2.0, web2.0, blogging, google maps, api

TagMuse: goplan

2007-03-18T10:32:00.000-04:00

Checking on TagMuse this morning, I noticed the goplan tag. Check out the goplan blog for the story...

CeBIT Tags

2007-03-16T12:18:00.000-04:00

I've been using the new TagMuse Technorati mashup the past few days. Today, it's telling me that cebit is a popular blog topic. Turns out that CeBIT is the "world's largest computer expo." Here's a description from the official site:

CeBIT is the world's largest trade fair showcasing digital IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. The key target groups are users from industry, the wholesale/retail sector, skilled trades, banks, the services sector, government agencies, science and all users passionate about technology. CeBIT offers an international platform for comparing notes on current industry trends, networking, and product presentations. Deutsche Messe AG has organized CeBIT in Hannover each spring since 1986.

These are the related tags (according to TagMuse): cebit, origami, microsoft, hannover, computer, samsung, umpc, tecnologia, gps, messe, andererseits

Squidoo Startup Secrets Seth Says

2007-03-15T22:31:00.000-04:00

Interesting web 2.0 startup advice from Seth Godin in his Happy Squidoo Day post. Squidoo is an unusual site. I'm still not quite sure how to explain it, but I like it. At any rate, it's a good database of tags for TagMan. Try the Squidoo version as a way to explore the Squidoo site:

I've noticed some hits lately from this office games lens on Squidoo. Check it out - you can play Squidoo TagMan in an iframe. Nice.

P.S. While you're here, check out this new tool: TagMuse.

Tags (byo with TagBuildr): squidoo, seth godin, web 2.0, startup, tagman, office games

Tellme TagMuse Test

2007-03-14T17:44:00.000-04:00

One of the new tags I'm seeing via TagMuse is tellme. These are the related tags: tech, skype, voxeo, voip, voice. Explore the tellme tag. Or, just read about tellme on Techcrunch. ;-)

Try TagMuse the next time you need ideas for your blog or want to know what's happening on Technorati.