Google announced that the Firefox 5.0 Google Toolbar is now available for download. The toolbar adds many of the features and improvements Google added to 5.0 for IE several months ago including: Custom buttons with gadget support Synchronized Toolbar settings Google Notebook integration Suggestions for navigation errors Improved AutoFill AutoLink Web History and more... To learn more about the Google Toolbar for Firefox, see over here. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Firefox | Google: Toolbar

As Google turns 10 years old, that important birthday sees the company more powerful than ever before. With its competitors in disarray, the Big G seems likely to grow even further. The secret to its success? For me, it's what I've been calling the "Google Hive Mind. " Rather than follow a rigid top-down master plan, the company's direction and success has been shaped by decisions often taken independently of how they'll benefit the company as a whole. But collectively, those decisions DO form a master plan, a hive mind that dictates what the company will do. The hive mind has been hugely [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Business Issues | Google: General

Google is officially 10 today and, as you'd expect, has a birthday logo in celebration. For a look at Google's history you can see the company's interactive timeline. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Google: General

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer tried to present his company's underdog position in search -- and in mobile -- as opportunities "to grow" in remarks at Silicon's Valley's Churchill Club. But he added, "I don't like not being number one" in his interview with VC Ann Winblad. Ballmer in the conversation addressed a wide range of issues, from problems with Windows, to online advertising and search to the future of mobile. He predicted massive growth in the smartphone market but contended that RIM (the US market leader) and Apple's iPhone (the innovator and market maker) would ultimately become nich [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Search Biz

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Search In Pictures: Yahoo Grenoble, Google Lego Drive & Google Chess In this week's Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.... Online and In Person Networking At SMX EastWe’ve been writing about the SMX East content and keynotes lately. There’s another aspect of the show that [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

In this week's Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more. Google Developer Day 2008: Chess anyone? Connect Four: Lego my USB Drive: Yahoo Whitewater Rafting: YouTube pens: Grand Opening Yahoo Grenoble: [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Search In Pictures

We’ve been writing about the SMX East content and keynotes lately. There’s another aspect of the show that is just as important and valuable – networking. And with more than 600 companies sending delegates, there are lots of people to network with! Keep reading to learn more about the networking opportunities and then register today for your All Access pass to SMX East. This even takes place October 6-8 in New York City. Networking begins on SMX Connect, the SMX East online social networking site. You can post your profile and introduce yourself to others that you&rsq [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SEM Industry: Conferences | SMX & DMD Alerts

Twitter announced the launch of Election 2008 on Twitter. The mashup brings together all US political discussions around the 2008 elections from Twitter. For example, I twittered, "Will McCain do the debate? Honestly just testing election.twitter.com" and it showed up seconds later on election.twitter.com. Here is a screen capture of the Twitter Elections mashup: There are other Twitter mashups for the elections: Politweets CSpan's RNC CSpan's DNC Perspctv Current TV's plan to Hack The Debate [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Search Engines: Other Search Engines | Search Engines: Social Search Engines | Twitter

In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: news from the search engines, today's in-depth look: search stats you need to know (August 2008), not-so-light reading: the bible of the search industry, and this week's free tips and tools. News from the search engines Google AdWords: Happy 10th Birthday, Google So, you're turning ten, eh? Well, let me say a few words starting with "thank you". Google, for all of the fussing and complaining I may do at times, I' [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Search | Search Marketing Toolbox

Google Blogoscoped reports Google has added traffic data to Google Maps UK. The traffic results can be seen if you search for london and click on the "Traffic" button at the top right. This include both live traffic and traffic predictions. Traffic data is not available everyone, such as in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Google Maps added traffic driving time to Google Maps US back in August 2, 2007. They then added traffic predictions in April 17, 2008. [...]

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

I recently did an opening keynote down in Silicon Valley and before my audience got well into their first cup of coffee, I started ranting at them. Now, being Canadian, my rants are rather mild and non- threatening (although I apparently scared a lot of Aussies at SMX in Sydney) but consider it a kinder, gentler version of my blowing my top. The reason? Well, Cuil, for one. But they weren’t alone. I was mad at the whole cadre of techno-geeks that are so wrapped up in their coded, widgeted, gadgeted, hyper-whatevered, buzz barometered, Flash enabled, Ajax powered GUIed, KPI dashboarded, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content | Search & Usability

The Search Engine Land team is growing. We've gained two new editors this month, Matt McGee and Elisabeth Osmeloski, plus Melissa Cormier came on as our editorial assistant in August. Below, an update on the entire team, and what we each do. Danny Sullivan, Editor-In-Chief: Danny oversees the entire Search Engine Land website, directing coverage plus writing articles about search, search marketing and the search industry. More about Danny's background can be found here, here and on his personal blog here.   Chris Sherman, Executive Editor: Chris oversees Search Engine Land's columnists [...]

Related Topics: About Search Engine Land | Channel: Other

Bob Massa, one of the original SEOs (though I don't think he likes to be referred to with that label), always talks about SEO from a conversion standpoint, offering quotes like "traffic without conversions is the epitome of futility." The SEO space is a bit crowded right now. So many people are fighting for attention that it seems like people are fighting without purpose. There may be more people writing SEO blogs than there are reading them. That abundance of new publishers makes it easy for established authors to build links by re-spinning old phrases with new definitions, but if those li [...]

Related Topics: All Things SEO | Channel: SEO

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 Launches Yahoo-Google Facts Site Google has launched a new informational site designed to tell its story about why there's no need to fear an ad partnership between it and Yahoo. Within the site, you'll lots of information about the deal except for one key fact: when exactly does it start? The launch of... How To Walk A Mile In A Search Engine's Shoes Small business owners are often curious, and sometimes desperate, to understand why their [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Google has launched a new informational site designed to tell its story about why there's no need to fear an ad partnership between it and Yahoo. Within the site, you'll find lots of information about the deal except for one key fact: when exactly does it start? The launch of the site suggests any day now. Here's what's on the site: Facts page: Why Google says ad prices won't be set between it and Yahoo; how Yahoo should earn more off the deal; how Yahoo won't be able to see prices at Google; how Google & Yahoo will set minimum bids independently and much more.   What People Are Sa [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Partnerships | Top News | Yahoo: Business Issues | Yahoo: Partnerships

Small business owners are often curious, and sometimes desperate, to understand why their web sites are doing well -- or doing poorly -- when it comes to search engine visibility. Online forums and message boards are filled with questions like "Why is my competitor outranking me?", "Why doesn't my new product page bring me any search traffic?", or "How come my site hasn't been crawled in a month?" If you live and breathe search marketing, these questions are often pretty easy to answer. But when you're busy running a small business, these questions may as well be rocket science. One way to [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | How To: SEO | Small Is Beautiful

Last night Google released Google Moderator, a tool to organize "tech talks" or question and answer sessions. It is a free service that Google used internally, but now made public. Matt Cutts said Google calls this application Dory "after the fish who asked questions all the time in Finding Nemo)." To me, this seems like a more interactive version of Yahoo Suggestions, which is actually a closed tool to just Yahoo feedback. Matt Cutts said Google may be using this tool for future Webmaster Chat sessions. It will allow people to submit questions and then have those involved in the sessio [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Apps For Your Domain | Google: Moderator

Microsoft has announced three new enhancements to their mapping solutions with Virtual Earth. The first are new features in Live Search Maps. The second is a new Virtual Earth Web Service and Virtual Earth Map Control 6.2. The third is a new version of Microsoft Virtual Earth 3D and 3DVia. (1) New Feature Release of Live Search Maps includes: "Community collections" contributions are now included almost immediately after submission. Plus they are now using this information to "augment search results in the "business" scope." More local verticals including search refinement, related sear [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local | Top News

There are plenty of analytics tools available to help you measure traffic to your collection of videos. These range from the straightforward stats supplied by YouTube Insight to the complex dashboards available from TubeMogul. One area where we've not seen much progress is competitor analysis. In conventional search marketing, we have a variety of tools to help us assess the competition. Visibility in natural search results can be measured by that old standby, WebPosition. PPC activity can be mined using aggregators like LongTailAdwords. And for those with mega-budgets, Hitwise offers a bi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Video | How To: SEM | Video Search

Our SMX East search marketing conference is coming up fast -- Oct. 6-8 in New York -- and I'm going to be highlighting some sessions we're having in the run-up to the event. First up is a late breaking entry: Search & The US Presidential Campaign. By several accounts, this is the year the US presidential candidates "got" search. On this panel, we're going to take a closer look. Eric Frenchman from the McCain-Palin campaign is on board, as are Peter Greenberger from Google and Diane Rinaldo from Yahoo, to share their experiences in working with the campaigns. We're still working t [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | SEM Industry: Conferences