Pay-per-use model lets any marketer tap insights from 6.5 billion searches

San Jose, CA. -- Compete, Inc., a web analytics company that helps top brands improve their marketing with the online behavior of millions of consumers, broke new ground today with the launch of Compete Search Analytics, a Web-based resource that delivers the industry's richest search analytics to novices and professionals alike on a revolutionary pay-as-you-go basis. The new service will be generally available on September 12 2007.

"The tool is essential for people looking to do competitive research into what, where and how consumers are searching online, and I'm impressed by it," said Aaron Wall, search engine optimization expert, blogger and author of the popular SEO Book. "When I log in I feel like a kid in a candy store."

"Compete Search Analytics is professional-strength for pros like Aaron Wall, but easy and cost-effective enough for novices as well," said Jeremy Crane, director of search and online media at Compete. "Whatever your level of experience, in a few short clicks our service will make you more successful with your search marketing programs; it's that intuitive."

Compete Search Analytics is the most complete package for any company or agency, regardless of size or vertical market. By logging into the service - and paying per use by credit card -anyone engaged in search marketing can:

• Discover new keywords they should be bidding on today
• See gaps in their competitors' search strategies they can immediately exploit
• Find the search terms that drive the most engaged visitors (meaning they actually linger after they click)
• Track performance with keywords against peers and competitors

Compete Search Analytics provide data from billions monthly searches on the top six search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, Windows Live, Ask and AOL). It shows keyword referrals, what sites are benefiting most from popular keyword phrases; site referrals, which keywords are driving traffic to specific websites or categories; and site comparisons, how your search referrals stack up against other sites. No other service can provide this level of detail because no other company can match Compete's insights, drawn from the daily browsing activity of more than 2,000,000 U.S. Internet users.

Visit Search Analytics to learn more about the service and sign up to be notified when service is live. Prior to launch, Compete is also offering a limited number of free beta accounts. If you're interested, e-mail us to get yours.

About Compete, Inc.

Compete helps the world's top brands improve their marketing with the online behavior of millions of consumers. Leading marketers such as Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Hyundai Motor America, Upromise, DaimlerChrysler, and Verizon Wireless rely on Compete's services to create effective online experiences and highly profitable advertising campaigns. Compete's online behavior database - the largest in the industry - makes the web as engrained in marketing as it is in people's lives.

Compete was founded in 2000 and is located in Boston, MA, with offices throughout the U.S. For more information about us, please visit Compete, Inc., or to join the conversation visit Compete.com.

A school's preferred-lender list is only a starting place when shopping for college financing

Here are tips for students and parents shopping for the best college loan deals:
See if you qualify for interest-free educational loans offered by charities and governments.

Stick with the federal educational loan programs-Perkins and Stafford for students and PLUS for parents, says Stuart Siegel, a private counselor in Erie, Pa. While the federal loans have fixed rates ranging from 5 to 8.5 percent, private or alternative loans typically have interest rates that rise and fall with the economy. Rates have been rising recently, which increases borrowers' costs and payments.

Fill out a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, to see which federal loans you can qualify for. The Perkins program is the single best deal, offering students loans at a fixed 5 percent. Subsidized Stafford loans are the next best deal, charging a maximum of a fixed 6.8 percent after the student leaves school. The third-best deal is unsubsidized Staffords, which charge interest immediately but don't send bills until six months after the student leaves school. Parents can borrow at rates capped at 8.5 percent from the PLUS program. Higher-income parents who have equity in their home may find, however, that the tax benefits make taking out a second mortgage less costly than PLUS loans.

While a school's preferred-lender lists are a good place to start shopping for an educational loan, the best deals are often found elsewhere. If your school allows you to shop (only about 20 percent of schools borrow directly from the federal government and thus don't let students or parents shop around), check out nonprofit lenders such as MOHELA, NHHEAF, or All Student Loan. Depending on where you live and study, one of these may knock as much as 3 percentage points off the interest rate. A list of nonprofit lenders can be found at www.efc.org/cs/benefits.
Websites such as http://www.simpletuition.com/home have lists of other lenders and loan offers.

When shopping for the best deal, check the terms and fine print carefully. Many lenders attach so many strings that most borrowers never actually receive the goodies.

Choose the loan that offers the most and best upfront discounts, such as waiving both origination and default fees, or other immediate discounts. Most of the goodies that are promised several years down the road won't be paid out if the student consolidates loans or gets into any financial trouble after leaving school.

• Max out on Federal student loans before turning to private loans. Ultimately, federal loans (look for names like "Stafford," "Ford," or "Perkins" in your financial aid award letter) are lower cost loans and have more flexible repayment structures.


• Take the time to research and compare loan options. It's the best way to ensure a good loan choice based on your financial situation.


• Weigh Borrower Benefits carefully. Most lenders offer incentives (sometimes called "borrower benefits") to help their products stand out. Students and parents need to evaluate each benefit for any eligibility requirements. Keep in mind that Borrower Benefits on private loans generally make less of an impact than on federal loans; you may want to evaluate private loans on their base structure, placing less weight on Borrower Benefits.


• When applying for a private loan, apply with a credit-worthy co-signer. This will increase your chances of approval for the loan and will likely improve the rate and fee combination you receive.

"SimpleTuition is dedicated to helping parents and students make sense of their education financing choices," says Walker. "Students and parents can visit our website for easy-to-understand, independent information. At our site families can research, compare and apply for student loans that make the most sense for their unique financial situation."

After answering a few quick questions - such as, amount needed, date needed, and year of graduation - SimpleTuition's online tool custom crunches numbers to allow users research and comparison on over 100 different loan products from more than 45 lenders. This easy to use platform has helped thousands of families determine the best loan options for their needs. SimpleTuition is not a lender. For more information visit http://www.simpletuition.com/.

About SimpleTuition, Inc.

Founded in 2005, SimpleTuition is dedicated to helping students and parents make sense of education financing options. Recently featured as one of Fast Company's Top 12 Web 2.0 sites, SimpleTuition offers the leading independent and interactive solution for researching and comparing over 100 private, PLUS, Stafford, GradPLUS and Federal Consolidation loans from more than 45 lenders. SimpleTuition is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts and is funded by Atlas Venture, IDG Ventures Boston and North Hill Ventures. For more information, visit http://www.simpletuition.com/.