Mediarun Search Marketing News

Is search engine marketing set to go visual?

August 16th 2010

Search Engine Optimisation News

We've said it before and will undoubtedly say it again, when Google makes an announcement in the world on online search the ears of practically every SEO agency prick up.

So when rumours start circulating that Google is close to finalising a deal with visual search engine Like.com, everyone who creates search engine marketing strategies stops to listen.

Like.com is the remaining, economically viable portion of visual search engine Riya, which users could use to search for people by face. Google showed interest in the former visual data sifting firm way back in 2005.

One such firm, Zscaler, has released a new browser-specific security tool, which it claims slashes the risk of Firefox users clicking on links to sites riddled with malware.

When Riya was wound up in 2009 and the parent firm launched e-commerce visual comparison website Like.com, Google's interest in visual search was reignited. So much so, it seems, that the firm is on the cusp of taking over Like.com - which could lead to Google ramping up its visual search programme.

Figures upward of $100 million (£64 million) are being batted around by tech sector analysts and the acquisition could thrust Google well and truly into the online retail spotlight.

But the most interesting aspect of the acquisition is the wider effect the incorporation of Like.com could have on search engine marketing as a whole. If Google begins to levy Like.com's visual search technology, then marketers embarking on website optimisation strategies might have to begin refining the look and feel of their sites - including any images they use for online marketing purposes.

But, Google might not be acquiring Like.com for its visual search engine marketing tools. Perhaps the firm is just buying up the competition as it rolls out its own visual search engine Google Goggles - which can already be downloaded on any Android-powered device.

Whatever the search giant's motives, the alleged acquisition highlights the speed at which the search engine marketing sector is subject to change. If the takeover goes ahead, visual search could become a major part of online marketing almost overnight and the rapid ascension of such technologies could leave a huge number of online businesses behind the times when it comes to search engine optimisation.

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