Companies that are too dependent on display ads for revenue are vulnerable to many forces in the marketplace. For example Google algorithm changes may drastically reduce traffic and therefore negatively impact revenues.

1. Investment Thesis
Answers.com
Mike Moran
Dr. Augustine Fou
December 2013
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Augustine Fou

2. Executive Summary
• Answers.com is vulnerable to future Google
algorithm changes since 50% of the traffic comes
from search and 27% specifically from Google
• Too dependent on display ads (CPM revenue model); CPMs
being depressed by ad exchanges and Facebook as
alternatives.
• Device targeting will be commoditized by cross device ad
exchanges like TapAd
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Augustine Fou

3. Website
33 million pages
indexed
relatively well
indexable
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Augustine Fou

4. Traffic
• 80-100 million unique visitors /mo
• increasing portion from mobile
• large traffic from outside U.S.
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Augustine Fou

5. Portion of Traffic from Search
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Augustine Fou

6. Dr. Augustine Fou – Digital Forensics
“I advise clients on optimizing
advertising across all channels. Using
insights and fast-feedback loops from
digital, we can not only target brand ads
better, but we can detect and mitigate ad
fraud and waste.”
FORMER CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, HCG (OMNICOM)
MCKINSEY CONSULTANT
CLIENT SIDE / AGENCY SIDE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSOR AND COLUMNIST
ENTREPRENEUR / SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
PHD MATERIALS SCIENCE (MIT '95) AT AGE 23
ClickZ Articles: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-clickz
Slideshares: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-slideshares
LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/augustinefou
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@acfou
Augustine Fou