Bloglines released a new public beta of their popular web-based RSS reader. The new beta is optimized to run well in Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox. The new beta has several new features including a customizable start page with drag and drop AJAX functionality, three feed viewing options including a "Quick View," "3-Pane View," and a "Full View." New enhanced AJAX drag-and-drop makes feed management easy, plus a new "Unread System" that makes marking feed items clearer, quicker and easier. I have been beta testing the beta for a while now. I am personally strongly considering switching [...]

Related Topics: Ask: Bloglines | Channel: Content

New local search engine Grayboxx has spent over a year developing a methodology and collecting information that offers "implicit" recommendations or endorsements of local businesses. These are represented as scores, called "neighbor recommendations," and offer an alternative to more familiar review sites such as Citysearch, Yahoo Local and Yelp. Grayboxx founder Bob Chandra says this approach allows the site to offer qualitative evaluations for many more business categories and locations than can traditional review sites that require people to actually write reviews. Grayboxx is being somewh [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines

Last week's column Aggressively Seeking Links - How Much Is Too Much? sparked several comments and questions. In the past, I've hesitated to revisit previous columns, preferring to let them stand on their own, but this time I'd like to make an exception to clarify some of the assertions I made. In that column, I wrote "...spotting manipulated linking patterns isn't as hard as some people think it is" In response, I was asked "What would you classify as 'manipulated linking patterns", and "...it would be great if you could give examples of easily identifiable patterns". First, note that [...]

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

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Accoona's IPO Backfires, AgainWeb search IPO stalls on underwriter doubts from CNN Money reports that Accoona's expected $80.5 million IPO has failed due to their underwriter backing out. Maxim Group, their underwriter, backed out after completing an in-depth review of the company. The New York Times reported Edward L. Rose, the firm’s vice... Google Transit Coming To New York Metropolitan AreaGoogle May Start New York Transit Guide to Boost Ads from [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Web search IPO stalls on underwriter doubts from CNN Money reports that Accoona's expected $80.5 million IPO has failed due to their underwriter backing out. Maxim Group, their underwriter, backed out after completing an in-depth review of the company. The New York Times reported Edward L. Rose, the firm’s vice chairman and general counsel for Maxim, said: After completing our due diligence review, we have chosen to disassociate ourselves with the company. This is the second time this year Accoona showed interest in an IPO and had to pull back. The first was earlier this year, when att [...]

Related Topics: Business Issues: Acquisitions & Investments | Channel: Industry | Search Engines: Other Search Engines

Google May Start New York Transit Guide to Boost Ads from Bloomberg reports that Google Transit will soon support the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. Currently Google Transit covers about 15 U.S. cities including Burbank, Humboldt County, Orange County, San Diego, Tampa, Honolulu, Duluth, Las Vegas Monorail, Reno, Eugene, Portland, Pittsburgh, Austin, Dallas and Seattle. Two of New York's largest transit companies, New Jersey Transit and the MTA have both confirmed working with Google to provide maps and schedules to Google. Greg Sterling was quoted when asked about the potential ad [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Transit

Ever since Caltech graduate student Virgil Griffith launched Wiki Scanner, it has been nonstop fun freaking out PR people everywhere. While Wired’s list of salacious edits has everyone abuzz, Searcharazzi still enjoys good, old-fashioned wiki sleuthing, as brought to our attention yesterday. Apparently someone representing FAST Search & Transfer has been modifying facts regarding the firm's recent and well-documented revenue recognition problems. So here you go folks, straight from the Talk:Fast Search & Transfer page on Wikipedia, we have an Appalachian-style wiki feud in the making, r [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Searcharazzi

India's Rediff.com cites unnamed sources to assert that a Google-branded phone may be "a fortnight away" (two weeks). There have been lots of rumors about a "GPhone" for months. They run the gamut from specialized software development, to a Google MVNO to a Google handset. Here's what the Rediff article contends: Sources close to the development said a simultaneous launch across the US and Europe is expected, and announcements would be sent to media firms in India and other parts of the world. US regulatory approval, which is expected soon, is the only hurdle that Google is waiting to cross [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Mobile

Early bird registration for Search Marketing Expo - SMX Social Media in New York ends September 7. Register now and you'll get one of only 200 seats. Even better, you save $200 by acting now! And...keep reading for a valuable bonus offer! SMX Social Media is a must-attend event for interactive marketers who want to learn tactics needed to harness to power of reader-engagement sites and tools like Del.icio.us, Digg, StumbleUpon and Netscape. See the full agenda for this intensive and intimate two-day show happening October 16 & 17 in New York City. Here are 9 reasons why you should register f [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SMX & DMD Alerts

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: SES San Jose Coverage Roundup - August 23, 2007Below is a roundup of all the coverage I was able to find throughout the day of the SES San Jose conference. This coverage is for the fourth day of SES, taking place on August 23, 2007. If I missed any, please add a comment below. Overall, the coverage has... Putting Your Small Business On The Map Online maps: we use them everyday for purposes as varied as finding out how to meet our friends at a new resta [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Below is a roundup of all the coverage I was able to find throughout the day of the SES San Jose conference. This coverage is for the fourth day of SES, taking place on August 23, 2007. If I missed any, please add a comment below. Overall, the coverage has been outstanding throughout the SEM community. We have coverage from aimClear Blog, Ask.com Blog, BruceClay.com Blog, David Dalka, Top Rank Blog, Search Engine Journal, Unofficial SEO Blog, WebProNews and Search Engine Roundtable. SMO: Social Media Optimization, Search Engine Roundtable Issues In Analytics, BruceClay.com User Genera [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Conferences

Online maps: we use them everyday for purposes as varied as finding out how to meet our friends at a new restaurant to sending out invitations to our child's birthday party. Maps are valuable graphical presentations of how to get to a certain place. Most companies that depend on local customers are beginning to recognize that including their full physical address as well as a map on their web site is a must. But often, if a map gets included at all, it is slapped on a web page without much thought. With just a bit of effort, you can include maps that are truly useful to your site visi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Search Marketing: Landing Pages | Search Marketing: Local Search Marketing | Small Is Beautiful

Microsoft and Nokia team up to offer Windows Live on S60 devices from the LiveSide Blog reports Microsoft and Nokia, in a new agreement, will begin to allow S60 device owners to use Windows Live suite on their devices. The rollout will be across 11 different countries, and you can find in the Windows Live suite Windows Live Hotmail, Messenger, Contacts and Spaces. S60 users have already had the ability to use Windows Live Search on their devices, in an agreement back in September 2006. With all the speculation around Google Mobile phones, you bet Microsoft is pushing to capture a larger sh [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Microsoft: Bing Mobile | Microsoft: Partnerships

Built on its new Silverlight application, Microsoft last night released a new, experimental search site dubbed "Tafiti," which means "do research" in Swahili. You'll need to download Silverlight to use the engine, which offers a richer "visualization" of Microsoft Live search results. It offers Web, RSS, image, news and book search presented in a rotating carousel. It also offers the ability to drag and save search results. The most provocative (though perhaps impractical) aspect of Tafiti is its "Tree View" that literally indicates search results as leaves on a tree. Don't see this as [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Microsoft: Bing | Search Engines: Experimental

Brazilian prosecutors say Google has not provided Orkut user information regarding crimes from the Associated Press reports that Brazilian authorities say that Google Brazil is still not complying with requests to hand over information on those using Orkut for illegal activities. Some use Orkut to help spread child pornography and hate speech. Prosecutor Sergio Gardenghi Suiama said: In some cases Google has not even preserved the evidence we need to file charges against the pedophiles that use the Internet to spread their ideas. Google's attitude is ensuring the impunity of pedophiles an [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Google: Legal | Google: Orkut | Legal: General | Legal: Privacy

Facebook Gets Personal With Ad Targeting Plan from the Wall Street Journal reports Facebook will be launching a new ad service as early as late fall. The ad service will generate very personalized results, based on the wealth of information Facebook has on their users. The ads will not just be generated based on gender, age or geo-location but also based on personal preferences such as religion, music, family and more. The ads will be displayed on a profile's "news feed" and on several other pages. It is still early in the game, and Facebook has not released any details about their ad pro [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Search Ads: Behavioral Targeting | Search Engines: Social Search Engines

Since I'm speaking this week at Search Engine Strategies on the topic of SEO through Blogs and Feeds, it seems fitting that this issue of "100% Organic" be related to blog optimization. Even the top SEOs make mistakes with their blogs (and yes, I make some of them too). What are they? Here's my list: Allowing title tags to be auto-generated (from the post title, category name, etc.). Every category page and most permalink pages (i.e. post pages) should be hand-crafted. Don't just let the blog software reuse the post title or category name with your blog's name tacked on in the front. Why? B [...]

Related Topics: All Things SEO | Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

The first widely reported Google Mapspam (and see here) clearly highlighted the potential and pitfalls for local search. Mapspam is a relatively new phenomemon, where black hat SEOs are spamming local search and map listings. It also raised a number of questions for Google, and for the search marketing industry: Will spam define local's future? How should Google respond to verified reports of Mapspam? Is Google's abuse reporting mechanism adequate? When and what technical changes will Google make to prevent future abuse? How can the integrity of maps data be guaranteed? How should the grow [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Maps & Local | SEO: Local | SEO: Spamming

Yahoo Search will be launching new Search Shortcuts for health, consumer electronics and NFL related queries. Health Yahoo will pull data for their health shortcuts from Yahoo Health and utilize their Yahoo Groups and Yahoo Answers services as well as other authoritative health sites to provide useful and quick answers to your health related searches. For example, a search on Alzheimer's returns a result that looks like this: As you can see, Yahoo links you to Yahoo Health, articles on symptoms, treatments, and medications. Plus they have links to community sites such as Yahoo Groups, Y [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Yahoo: Search | Yahoo: Shortcuts

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Ask.com Adds Counting Clock FeatureAsk.com is now displaying a new counting clock feature on local searches. What I mean by "counting clock," is that the clock counts up the seconds, in real time. So a search on san jose, ca returns the current time, all the time, on the right hand side of the... SES San Jose Coverage Roundup - August 22, 2007Below is a roundup of all the coverage I was able to find throughout the day of the SES San Jose conference. Th [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap