The End is Here: Yahoo Closes Geocities

Julie McCormick / Search Engine Journal

This past summer I wrote about how Yahoo was going to finally shut down Geocities this fall. That day is finally here, and the internet will never be the same. Life will go on, of course, but early web adopters will no longer be able to amuse themselves by looking back at their earliest web creations.

After 15 years (it was launched in 1994), GeoCities had long been irrelevant and outdated.

Sure, there’s always archive.org, but due to the fact that few GeoCities sites ever received any notable traffic, the majority are not likely to be found there. And yea, GeoCities’ old rival Tripod still exists, but it’s not really quite the same, is it?

There’s not much more to say that I haven’t already said. You may have been old and feeble, GeoCities, but we’ll always look back fondly upon the good ol’ days.

RIP.

Yahoo To Discontinue Paid Inclusion Program

At the end of 2009 Yahoo will no longer be offering the paid inclusion advertising program. This unexpected move from Yahoo comes as a shock to most speculators.

From Yahoo

“We are committing our resources and efforts to our core areas of focus, including improving the search experience and relevancy of our ads to increase user engagement and ROI for advertisers, and as a result, have decided to exit Search Submit. We have stepped up innovation in Search Marketing, recently rolling out search retargeting, Rich Ads in Search and improved matching technology, and in Consumer Search, with enhancements like the new search results page. These enhancements deliver value, control, innovation and relevance to our advertisers, leading to increased ROI.

Yahoo! will exit Search Submit at the end of 2009. Yahoo! is providing those advertisers affected by the decision a sufficient lead time to assist in the transition. In addition, Yahoo! has recently announced a series of important enhancements to its Search advertising business and will work closely with many Search Submit advertisers to provide them with search solutions that will benefit their businesses.”