SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 31, 2008

Dec 31, 2008 at 5:02pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: 6 Usability Tips to Maximize B2B Website ConversionB2B marketers invest a substantial amount of time, effort, and money driving is critical to maximizing online marketing results and alleviating obstacles that prevent prospects from taking the desired actions. Below are six, easy to implement usability tips to ensure that visitors get the most from your site and you get the most for your search marketing investment. Google Updates Toolbar PageRank Fo [...]

Filed in: SearchCap

6 Usability Tips to Maximize B2B Website Conversion

Dec 31, 2008 at 3:32pm ET by Mary Harste

B2B marketers invest a substantial amount of time, effort, and money driving visitors to websites. Making sure the site adheres to basic usability principles is critical to maximizing online marketing results and alleviating obstacles that prevent prospects from taking the desired actions. Below are six, easy to implement usability tips to ensure that visitors get the most from your site and you get the most for your search marketing investment. Answer prospects' basic questions first During the usability studies I've conducted, one of the most often repeated complaints I've [...]

Filed in: Strictly Business

Google Updates Toolbar PageRank For New Years

Dec 31, 2008 at 1:43pm ET by Matt McGee

Some webmasters are celebrating, others not so much, as Google closes out 2008 with another toolbar PageRank update -- the first one since September. Google's Matt Cutts confirmed the update via Twitter late last night. There's lots of Twitter talk today about the update, along with discussion on Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Journal. It's worth reminding readers that PageRank itself is just one of 200+ factors in Google's ranking algorithm, and that toolbar PageRank is considered to be outdated as soon as it's updated. [...]

Filed in: Google: SEO, Google: Toolbar, Top News

Link Week Loose Ends

Dec 31, 2008 at 1:23pm ET by Eric Ward

My Link Week columns rotate every other week, and over the course of the last few columns several questions and comments have been sent my way.  For this week's column, I'm responding to a selection of those questions and comments. From my column Is This Link Building RFP A No-Win? First, here's the exact email response/question I sent to the person who sent me the RFP. Thanks for your interest.  If you are serious, it means you feel you will make more money than the $100,000 you say you are willing to pay me to do this for you.  So let me ask you one question.  If I could take [...]

Filed in: Link Week

Rumor: Marissa Mayer, Google’s 19th Employee, To Leave

Dec 31, 2008 at 9:25am ET by Barry Schwartz

Gawker reports that Google's 19th employee, Marissa Mayer, is planning on ending her career with Google in 2009. Marissa Mayer is one of the most public figures that Google has ever had. Gawker reports receiving word that someone overheard discussion from "Top Googlers" that Mayer will be leaving in 2009. Clearly, Mayer doesn't need the job for money, but to have a Google without her would be weird - at least for me. Google has lost many major executives in the past, but if Mayer goes, would this be Google's biggest loss? Right now, these are all rumors and Google has not commented on t [...]

Filed in: Google: Business Issues, Google: Employees, Top News

Google’s Product Search Gaining & A Look At Google’s Top Services

Dec 31, 2008 at 9:11am ET by Barry Schwartz

Google's Product Search Catching Up Fast With Shopping Rivals from Investor Business Daily reports on a comScore release that Google's Product Search is gaining in the category of shopping search. In fact, Google Product Search is up 786% from the year-ago November. TechCrunch ranks the top ten Google products and services by the two data services, comScore and Quantcast. Here is the breakdown: Quantcast 1. Google Search 2. Google Maps 3. Google Image Search 4. Gmail 5. Google Book Search 6. Google News 7. Google Video Search 8. Picasa 9. Google Earth 10. Google Groups C [...]

Filed in: Stats: Popularity, Stats: comScore, Top News

SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 30, 2008

Dec 30, 2008 at 4:59pm ET by Barry Schwartz

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 Solicits User Input On Product PrioritiesBarry spotted this via Twitter: Google has, somewhat quietly, launched a Product Ideas Blog. A related effort is the company's solicitation of ideas and their prioritization from users in a voting area. The first focus is on mobile. Microsoft Updates Virtual Earth Data & ImagesThe Virtual Earth Blog announced that they have updated the data and images for some locations. The update includes data [...]

Filed in: SearchCap

Google Solicits User Input On Product Priorities

Dec 30, 2008 at 10:30am ET by Greg Sterling

Barry spotted this via Twitter: Google has, somewhat quietly, launched a Product Ideas Blog. A related effort is the company's solicitation of ideas and their prioritization from users in a voting area. The first focus is on mobile. Users first must be registered but then can review, propose and vote on different ideas. The object is to generate and surface the top ideas and then, presumably, build them out. There are already lots of ideas there to peruse. Here are a few chosen at random (unedited): "Products Search in google maps. gmaps should show for every shop: the price, the lo [...]

Filed in: Google: Employees, Google: Labs, Google: Mobile, Top News

Microsoft Updates Virtual Earth Data & Images

Dec 30, 2008 at 9:17am ET by Barry Schwartz

The Virtual Earth Blog announced that they have updated the data and images for some locations. The update includes data refreshes to Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Mexico. In addition Microsoft did global vector data updates, added multi-lingual tile sets for all zoom levels in French, Italian, German, Spanish, added Japan localized tile sets and reprocessed all the oblique (Bird’s Eye) photography wi [...]

Filed in: Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local

Take The 2008 Search Quiz

Dec 30, 2008 at 9:08am ET by Barry Schwartz

Our very own Matt McGee has posted the 2008 Search Quiz for the search community to take. The quiz basically tests your knowledge of events in the search industry, including news, events and community related topics. You can take the quiz over here, but once you click on the link, it should start. There are 21 multiple-choice questions, and if you get one wrong, you lose. The test is being timed, and the person who answers all the questions correctly in the shortest amount of time, wins. You can win a $50 Amazon.com or iTunes (U.S.), or $50 via Paypal. I personally took the quiz an [...]

Filed in: SEM Industry: Awards, SEM Industry: Community

Tough Love For Microsoft Search

Dec 30, 2008 at 5:11am ET by Danny Sullivan

Back in June, I spoke at Microsoft as part of a regular series for those involved with its webmaster tools group and anyone generally interested in search. My talk was called "Tough Love For Microsoft Search," and I covered various reasons why I felt the company has generally failed to make headway in the space. The core premise is that Microsoft as a company isn't succeeding at search because it views search as a task it has to do, rather than one it really wants to do. The article below is an adaptation of that presentation. There's even a movie. Let me say from the outset that ther [...]

Filed in: Features: Analysis, Microsoft: Business Issues, Microsoft: Employees, Microsoft: General, Top News

How Monitoring Twitter Can Help Build Links

Dec 30, 2008 at 4:00am ET by Julie Joyce

Here's a scenario: Jane gets on Twitter and tweets about wanting a coupon for a company that I'll call ABCWidgets, because yes, I am that dorky. The staff of ABCWidgets, being all forward-thinking, are monitoring Twitter to see what's being said about them. They see this tweet, respond to Jane with a 10% off coupon, Jane buys what she wants, then blogs about this fantastic thing that's happened to her. There's a really nice legitimate link, brought about by simple good service and the desire to tell others about it. There are many other positive takeaways from keeping an eye on social m [...]

Filed in: Link Week

Danny Sullivan’s Preview Of The SMX West 2009 Search Marketing Conference

Dec 29, 2008 at 7:01pm ET by Danny Sullivan

In about six weeks, our SMX West search marketing conference returns to Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara, California from Feb. 10-12, 2009. The show features four tracks of sessions spread across three days and covers all aspects of search marketing. Below is a personal preview that I wanted to share with our readers about what to expect -- plus for those who like to listen, a podcast preview that I taped is now available from download here. Search Engine Land produces a number of subject-focused, two-day search marketing events, such as our twice-sold out SMX Advanced show for advanc [...]

Filed in: Features: General, SEM Industry: Conferences, Top News

SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 29, 2008

Dec 29, 2008 at 4:55pm ET by Barry Schwartz

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: 5 (More) Search Tools You May Not Know … But ShouldHow would you like to track hot news geographically? Or see where social conversations are happening on a map? Maybe you'd like to find businesses that are open 24 hours a day, or research keywords on a state-by-state basis. If so, read on for a look at five search tools you may not know about, but should. About two months ago, we published 7 Search Tools You May Not Know ... But Should. That be [...]

Filed in: SearchCap

5 (More) Search Tools You May Not Know … But Should

Dec 29, 2008 at 1:28pm ET by Matt McGee

How would you like to track hot news geographically? Or see where social conversations are happening on a map? Maybe you'd like to find businesses that are open 24 hours a day, or research keywords on a state-by-state basis. If so, read on for a look at five search tools you may not know about, but should. About two months ago, we published 7 Search Tools You May Not Know ... But Should. That became a popular article and let us know that we should continue uncovering largely unknown search tools in future articles. So, here's the second in an irregular series of posts about search tools you [...]

Filed in: SEM Tools, Search Engines: Audio Search Engines, Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines, Search Engines: News Search Engines, Search Engines: Other Search Engines, Search Engines: Social Search Engines, Top News

Blogger Image Thumbnails In Google A Bug?

Dec 29, 2008 at 8:35am ET by Barry Schwartz

Steve Rubel reported seeing an excess of what he calls "Blog Thumbnails" in the Google search results. In short, when you do certain searches, Google may show little thumbnail alongside the first set of results. For Steve, this has been happening for "blogger's name and some other related keywords." Personally, I have been seeing these types of thumbnails for a while, but they only have come up for me for very specific searches, so I assumed it was a smaller bug then it really was. Google's Matt Cutts has commented claiming this is some sort of bug and he has reported it to the right peo [...]

Filed in: Google: SEO, Google: Universal Search, Google: User Interface, Google: Web Search, Top News

Local Searches Set to Flip to Mobile Phone

Dec 29, 2008 at 4:00am ET by Stephanie Hobbs

Given the continuing growth in the smartphone market, mobile phones are poised to become the first source people turn to when searching for local business information. Until widespread adoption of smartphones occurs, though, there will be a gap that smart businesses will seek to fill. There were some especially telling findings in comScore's presentation, "New Takes on Local Audience Targeting," at the Interactive Local Media 2008 conference hosted last month by the Kelsey Group. Most Americans turn to online resources for local search Presently, two-thirds (64%) of Americans say [...]

Filed in: Locals Only

SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 26, 2008

Dec 26, 2008 at 12:44pm ET by Barry Schwartz

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 Shovel, Santa & Holiday PartiesIn 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 To Monetize Friend Connect?Michael Arrington said he has confirmed reports that Google employees call Google Friend Connect, "Friendsense." Friend Connect is Google' [...]

Filed in: SearchCap

Search In Pictures: Yahoo Shovel, Santa & Holiday Parties

Dec 26, 2008 at 9:06am ET by Barry Schwartz

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. Yahoo! Cabana One 2008: Yahoo Shovel: Filo & Yang: Yahoo's Santa?: Google NY Sales Holiday Party 2008:: Google Gingerbread Gallery:: [...]

Filed in: Search In Pictures

Google To Monetize Friend Connect?

Dec 26, 2008 at 8:06am ET by Barry Schwartz

Michael Arrington said he has confirmed reports that Google employees call Google Friend Connect, "Friendsense." Friend Connect is Google's social widget that site owners can add to their site to help bridge other Google account users together. Google launched it early this year and then made it widely available to anyone to add to their web sites. Arrington suspects that Google will soon monetize Friend Connect "as a shoehorn to insert advertising onto third party websites." I would not argue with that. I can go on a long rant right now, but I pretty much did that in my article nam [...]

Filed in: Google: AdSense, Google: Business Issues

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