By: Ben Fritz | Source: variety.com

Yahoo has signed a deal with online animation management and production firm Gotham Group for original online animation content to be distributed throughout Yahoo! Entertainment.

Much more than the JibJab deal, this partnership looks to be fairly large in terms of diversity and variety of online animation projects.

Yahoo! has signed a first-look deal with management/production firm Gotham Group for original animated content to be distributed online.

Netcos have been cautious as they began moving into original content in the past year. Yahoo!, in particular, has taken only a few small steps, making this pact particularly notable.

Gotham, which represents much of the top toon talent in Hollywood, will give Yahoo! access to online rights for animated shorts already produced by its clients, as well as new original projects.

"The Internet is the only place where you can make a real business out of animated shorts, which is exciting for the talent we work with," said Gotham topper Ellen Goldsmith-Vein.

Deal was made by Yahoo! Studios, the fledgling original production arm of the giant Netco, which recently reorganized in a corporate shakeup that saw entertainment topper Lloyd Braun ankle.

Companies are still discussing what their first project will be. Yahoo! likely will feature the shorts across its array of media properties, including Yahoo! TV, Yahoo! Movies and Yahoo! Video.

Deal was brokered for Gotham by Jon Vein and Endeavor.

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By: Lee Odden | Source: toprankblog.com

Is blog optimization part of search marketing? Absolutely! Blogs are web site content management systems with additional functionality such as comments, trackbacks and RSS. Blogs are really no different than web sites.

If you can optimize a document and that document gets indexed, categorized and ranked by a search engine, it’s part of search marketing in my book. As such, marketers should be aware of how these kinds of channels can be used within the overall online marketing mix. Blogs are one of many platforms that benefit from optimization.

I sincerely believe using blog software to manage certain kinds of content on a web site such as an online media room, to archive newsletters, post frequently asked questions and to provide product updates can make a site that is otherwise very search engine un-friendly, become a viable source of great rankings. This applies to both regular search engines as well as blog search engines. These are applications for a blog besides the common use as a platform to increase credibility and communicate a more personalized voice for a company.

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Source: shoemoney.com

Question : When doing SEM with Azoogle Ads or CJ, do you think it’s a waste of money to bid for anything lower than the top few spots in sponsored search?

ShoeMoney Answer: On the Pay Per Click side of Search Engine Marketing I never pay more then the minimum allowed by the search engine. So basically 10 cents (yahoo’s Minimum) is the most I ever pay per click. This method requires a lot more work and “skill” if you will because you have to come up with longtail keyword combinations, typos, and misspellings.

As far as placement goes really I do not put that much into it. I have found that I get more clicks being 1,2,3 then bad for 4,5,6,7 but ok for 8,9,10 spots. I think this stems from the same explanation as SEO that people either click on the first results or scroll to the bottom and find something that catches there eye.

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