The Google Blog announced that when you conduct searches at Google.com for local specific information, you may get local reviews and business comparisons. For example a search on pizza 10010 returns three results, all with five stars, from pizza restaurants in NYC. Here is a screen capture: It also works with movies 10010. On the business front, a search on web 10901, brings up a local result for my business (RustyBrick) and two of my competitors, with no reviews. Other search engines return similar results. For example, Ask.com for a search on pizza 10010 brings up 3 local results wi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Maps & Local | Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers | Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines | Search Features: Shortcuts

The Google Blog announced that Google will be launching a new feature for Orkut users that use Claro as their mobile provider in Brazil. The feature will enable users of Orkut to SMS message their Orkut friends from their mobile phones. The details on exactly how this is done, is not exactly clear. But if you do receive a "scrap" message from a friend and it has the word "mobile" next to the friend's name, then it was sent via mobile phone (via Orkut help). [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Google: Mobile | Google: Orkut | Google: Outside US | Search Engines: Social Search Engines

News.com reports that Google is expected to release a new upgraded version of their Google Enterprise Search Appliances today. The new Google Mini will "enable companies to perform searches on intranets as well as internal business applications." The search boxes are expected to be available for purchase as soon as they are announced. I will update this post when I hear about the product launch. Update: Official press release just released. Updates to the Google Mini include: (1) Secure Search (2) Google OneBox for Enterprise (3) Site Search Improvements More details at mini.google.com. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Google: Enterprise Search | Site & Enterprise Search

If you have been wondering where Danny Sullivan has been over the past week or so, I have spotted a post at SEOMoz that has recent pictures of Danny. Danny, Rand and friends were invited over to Google's Kirkland office, the place where most of the Google Webmaster Central team is based, Saturday night. There are some cool pictures of the Google Kirkland office at SEOMoz. In reality, Danny has been traveling, meeting with various search companies and should be back in full swing in the next day or so. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Offices

CrossEngine is the new (and in my opinion better) name for the Mr Sapo meta search engine. It is similar in functionality to TurboScout and Trovando in that it has a search box at the top of the screen with a list of search engines that you can use below that. Simply type in your search, click on the engine that you want to use and view your results in the bottom pane. If you want to try a different search engine, just click on the name and a new set of results will appear. Search engines of this type are very good when you want to quickly compare results from a variety of different engines, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Search Engines: Meta Search Engines

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web: From Search Engine Land: News Search + Personalization + Social Media = WikioWikio is a relatively new startup that blends articles from major news web sites and blogs with commentary and tags from Wikio users. It also offers powerful search and customization options that go beyond what you find at most other "media harvesting" sites on the web. Google News offers personalization,... Are You Linkbaiting The Right Audience Last summer, I was asked for my personal definition of [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Wikio is a relatively new startup that blends articles from major news web sites and blogs with commentary and tags from Wikio users. It also offers powerful search and customization options that go beyond what you find at most other "media harvesting" sites on the web. Google News offers personalization, but doesn't let you choose your own sources or interact with other users. Topix.net allows you to comment on news stories and participate in forums, but doesn't let you add tags or vote for your favorite stories. Digg lets you vote and comment on stories, but doesn't offer any personalizat [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Search Engines: News Search Engines | Search Engines: Social Search Engines

Last summer, I was asked for my personal definition of the term "linkbait." In a column titled Link Bait Kool-Aid, I wrote that linkbait was "more or less anything you create anywhere on the web that inspires other people to link to it." The link to your bait can come from another web page, from a blog, from a social media sharing site (bookmarks, news, videos or whatever), from a tagging site or even from an email newsletter.  In a nutshell, anywhere you are with a mouse and a clickable link can be viewed as a potential target venue for link seeking via linkba [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Link Building: Linkbait | Link Week

Over the weekend two YouTube videos were released, the first named How to Sign Up for GoogleTV Beta and then a follow up named UPDATE: GoogleTV Beta. Both are attempts by the video author to prove that Google TV is a real thing. But so far, everyone reporting this knocks it down as elaborate hoax. Both Techcrunch and Google Blogoscoped call it a hoax, explaining that the DNS information doesn't match. Is Google TV a possibility? I believe so. Is this it? I doubt it. Postscript: See this article, FAQ: What We Know So Far About Google TV, for more information about the announcement of G [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Video | Google: Parodies | Google: TV

China censorship damaged us, Google founders admit at The Guardian has a quote from one of Google's founders, Sergey Brin, when asked about Google censoring content in China, "On a business level, that decision to censor... was a net negative." This is reportedly the strongest regret remark made by Google on their dealings in China. Forbes.com expands with more quotes from Brin, where he clarifies, that he felt oppression while in the Soviet Union and would "never have wanted to compromise in that direction." Brin was arguing that some information is better than no information. Philipp Le [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Critics | Google: Outside US | Legal: Censorship

How to Get Good SEO Clients by Aaron Wall clearly explains that earning respect and trust in the SEO community is a vital ingredient in getting good SEO clients. Ranking well for "SEO" or "SEM," Aaron says, is not enough, in "fields which have a bad reputation." So how do you build trust in the SEO field? Here are some tips from Aaron: Participate in active parts of the web Be seen as an expert Submit articles to WebProNews Go to conferences and more tips at Aaron's post [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Search Marketing: General | SEO: General

Over the past week, there were many rumors that Google is pondering building out a Second Life like application. Michael Eisenberg's Google Earth as a Virtual World kicked it off, stating, that heard a rumor "through the PhD grapevine" that Google is working on such an application. Techcrunch quickly picked up on this rumor, summarizing it, expanding that Google Earth will be the virtual land in which the community will live in. GigaOM suggests that this virtual Google Earth will be developed in China and Google Blogoscoped suggests that Google's Niniane Wang is the lead for this project. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Earth | Google: Other

Back in March, 2006 newspaper publishers The Tribune Co., Gannett and KnightRidder (now McClatchy) acquired 75% of news aggregation and community site Topix.net. But with the exception of a minor placement of a "contextually relevant news" box on content pages of some of those sites, the newspaper owners haven't done very much with Topix. Now, however, Tribune has struck a deal that has Topix providing content and a back-end platform for general merchandise classifieds on their newspaper sites. (Tribune is currently trying to sell itself.) Consumers will be able to upload images and text de [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Search Engines: News Search Engines

The BBC is reporting that they are in talks with Google to begin revenue sharing advertising revenue when their videos are shown on YouTube. Few details are known yet, but rollout of the new revenue providing model could begin as quickly as within the next couple of months. And this move could give original video creators the ability to earn revenue each time their videos are watched on YouTube. One option the team is considering is showing extremely short video ads before the video requested begins playing. And by short, they mean a mere three seconds, instead of the industry standard of [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Video | Google: YouTube & Video

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web: From Search Engine Land: Google Checkout Blogs On Recent PromotionsI gave Google Checkout some hassle earlier about promotion they were doing of the service. Earlier this week, I met with them during a visit to Google. The team explained that some of the promotion they've been doing is designed to react to consumer demand, to serve Google users that... Q&A With Marissa Mayer, Google VP, Search Products & User Experience Marissa Mayer has been the driving force behind Google's [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

I gave Google Checkout some hassle earlier about promotion they were doing of the service. Earlier this week, I met with them during a visit to Google. The team explained that some of the promotion they've been doing is designed to react to consumer demand, to serve Google users that are asking to make it easier to filter shopping results by Google Checkout merchants. Now the Official Google Checkout blog is up with a post discussing this in more detail. The post also talks badges that have been used recently instead of the standard cart icon, as well. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Retail | Google: Checkout

Marissa Mayer has been the driving force behind Google's Spartan look and feel from the very earliest days. In this wide-ranging interview, I talked with Marissa about everything from interface design to user behavior to the biggest challenge still to be solved with search as we currently know it. I had asked for the interview because of some notable findings in our most recent eye tracking study. I won't go into the findings in any great depth here, because Chris Sherman will be doing a deep dive soon. But for the purpose of setting the background for Marissa's interview, here are some very [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: OneBox, Plus Box & Direct Answers | Google: User Interface | Search & Usability

Our most recent Search Engine Land column, Just Behave, launches today. Just Behave focuses on search and user behavior, and will appear every Friday. Today's debut features Gord Hotchkiss with an exclusive interview with Google's Marissa Mayer, who's Vice President, Search Products & User Experience. Gord is a well-known expert on searcher behavior, the driving force behind a number of notable user eye-tracking studies and a frequent panelist and moderator on the searcher behavior panels at Search Engine Strategies. [...]

Related Topics: About Search Engine Land | Channel: Content | Columns | Search & Usability

Intel inside again for new Google servers at News.com reports that Google has began purchasing Intel processors for their servers. Intel designed custom motherboards for Google, so that Google would use the hardware. Back when I was at Search Engine Watch, I reported on March 3, 2006 that Google switched to AMD from Intel, Google did say that they would continue to buy from both AMD and Intel. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Partnerships

The Google Book Search Blog announced a new feature they worked on together with Google Maps that shows you "places mentioned in this book" on the Google Book Search page. For example a Google Book Search result for Illustrated New York (1888) brings back a Google Map on the bottom left of the Google Book result page. The map has pins scattered amongst the Google Map, showing the readers, "places mentioned in this book." Cute idea. I wonder if they can plot Neverland on Peter Pan. ;-) [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Book Search | Google: Maps & Local