Happy New Year's Eve everyone, except for you in the Australian region, where it is New Year's Day! On behalf of the Search Engine Land team, we wanted to wish you all a happy and healthy 2011! As like in the past years, the search engines have special logos up for the New Years. Below are images of those logos from the 2011 search celebration. Google's Logo: Yahoo's Logo: Bing's Logo: Ask.com's Logo: Baidu's Logo: Sogou's Logo: Crea8site Forums Logo (a SEO forum): Search Engine Roundtable's Logo: Related Entries: Happy New Yea [...]

Related Topics: Ask: General | Channel: Consumer | Google: Logos | Microsoft: Bing | Search Engines: Other Search Engines | Top News | Yahoo: General

AllThingsD's Liz Gannes reports that MySpace is considering significant layoffs -- perhaps up to 50 percent of its 1,000 person staff. We also know (and she repeats) that the site could be sold by News Corp. because of recent poor performance. (News Corp's attitude implies that it had nothing to do with that decline.) Reading this piece prompted me to think: what if Google had bought MySpace instead of News Corp? Google is currently struggling to define/execute a social strategy to better compete with the perceived rising threat of Facebook. Would owning MySpace have made things different n [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Facebook | Google: Acquisitions | Google: Business Issues | Top News

The end of the year is the time when people feel more free to make wacky statements and dubious predictions. Whether it's the season, too many rich desserts or the additional alcohol people consume it's not clear. But one such prediction is that Google might seek to become a full-fledged phone company in 2011. Having just gotten off one of those dreary customer service calls with my mobile carrier (seeking to remove some bogus charges from my bill) I'd actually love to see Google really shake things up in carrierland. It would be a bit of the old Google. But it's unlikely to happen. The [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Android | Google: Business Issues | Google: Mobile | Google: Voice | Top News

3rd Annual SMX Biggest Search Geek Contest sponsored by Marin Software Take the 20-question quiz -- top scorer wins an iPad AND a trip for two to SMX West, March 8-10, 2011. What are you waiting for? Take the quiz now... [...]

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Interesting tidbits have emerged from Google's release of an unredacted appellate brief from its trademark battle with advertiser Rosetta Stone. While none of the information is earth-shattering, it’s interesting to note that Rosetta Stone earns a better return-on-investment from advertising with Google AdWords than any of its other advertising methods. Between July 2007 and March 2010, for example, Rosetta Stone "made more than $27 million from orders placed by customers who used Google paid and organic referrals," the court papers reveal. It also received 330,796 orders from paid searc [...]

Related Topics: 1 | Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: Legal | Legal: Trademarks

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: What Every Search Marketer Needs To Know About Web SecurityAll too often web site security is somebody else’s problem. It shouldn’t be. If you work on websites, you should know the basics of web security. The more popular a site becomes, the more value it accrues, the more likely it is to become a target. As you apply search marketing techniques to a site, [...] Yext Takes Google Tags Idea Across WebLocal advertising provider Yext has spearheade [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

All too often web site security is somebody else’s problem. It shouldn’t be. If you work on websites, you should know the basics of web security. The more popular a site becomes, the more value it accrues, the more likely it is to become a target. As you apply search marketing techniques to a site, you are inherently increasing the risks that it will be attacked. Therefore, it is your obligation to understand these risks and help manage them. Hacking Matt’s Cutts recently stated on the official Google blog that, for the fifth year in a row, they will be placing a lot of emphas [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Features: Analysis | Google: Security

Local advertising provider Yext has spearheaded the launch of a Google-like "tags" product that receives distribution across a vast array of local sites including Yelp, Yahoo, Mapquest, Superpages, Topix, Patch, Citysearch and others. It's being characterized as an "anti-Google alliance." That's not exactly correct. As a practical matter it gives advertisers a way to run promotions across what is in effect a new local ad network, which in the aggregate constitutes a massive number of search queries and impressions. The program is the brainchild of Howard Lerman, Yext's CEO. In the wake of G [...]

Related Topics: 1 | Channel: SEM | Google: Maps & Local | Groupon | Search Ads: Pay Per Call | Top News

Facebook passed Google as the most-visited website in the US in 2010, according to a new end-of-year report from Experian Hitwise. And not only that, but Facebook was also the most searched-for keyword of the year, too, just as it was a year ago. In fact, Hitwise says four of the top ten most popular search terms in 2010 involved people searching for Facebook. According to Hitwise, Facebook accounted for 8.93% of all US website visits between January and the end of November, 2010. Google, which was the most-visited site in 2009, dropped to second this year with 7.19% of all visits. But, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Facebook | Google: General | Search & Society: General | Stats: Hitwise | Stats: Popularity | Stats: Search Behavior | Top News

Andrew McLaughlin, one of several former Google employees who joined the Obama admninistration, resigned last week as Obama's number two tech expert. The news was first reported last week by Politico, which says McLaughlin was leaving to launch two start-ups. USA Today, however, reports today that McLaughlin isn't sure what his future plans will include. McLaughlin left Google in May 2009 after serving as Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs -- essentially the company's top lobbyist. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Employees

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 Fights Order To Surrender Names Of Search MarketersA federal judge has ordered Google to reveal the identities of four AdWords advertisers who were clients of search engine marketing agency Wpromote. The order comes as part of a lawsuit involving Google’s AdSense for Domains and AdSense for Errors programs, in which plaintiffs argue that the search company placed their ads on low-quality web [...] Google And George Clooney Founded NGO Launc [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

The agenda is live, and we’re now accepting submissions to speak at Search Marketing Expo – SMX West 2011, March 8-10, 2011 at the San Jose McEnry Convention Center. To increase the odds of being selected, be sure to read the agenda. Understand what the sessions are about. Ensure that your pitch is on target to the show’s audience and the session. Please also be very specific about what you intend to cover. Also, if you do not see a particular session listed, this is because there are no openings for that session. Use this form to submit your request. As you might guess, interest is [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SMX & DMD Alerts

A federal judge has ordered Google to reveal the identities of four AdWords advertisers who were clients of search engine marketing agency Wpromote. The order comes as part of a lawsuit involving Google’s AdSense for Domains and AdSense for Errors programs, in which plaintiffs argue that the search company placed their ads on low-quality web pages. The marketers’ data was introduced anonymously as part of the search company’s defense, in an effort to prove that parked domains and error pages could produce good conversion rates. Since the report, authored by Wpromote CEO Michael Moth [...]

Related Topics: 1 | Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: Domains | Google: Legal | Top News

Satellites have long been used for good and ill but never before have they been marshaled to help prevent human rights abuses and political violence -- before they happen. But that's the aim of a project that involves the UN, Google, Harvard and a non-profit organization called Not On Our Watch, co-founded by US actor George Clooney. The objective of what's being called "The Satellite Sentinel Project" is to monitor and thereby prevent anticipated violence expected to coincide with a vote in Sudan about whether to split the country into two: north and south. The project is the brainchild o [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: General | Google: Other | Google: Outside US | Google: Partnerships

As expected, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has re-filed his patent infringement lawsuit against some of the biggest companies on the web. The suit alleges that 11 companies have infringed on technology developed in the 1990s by Interval Licensing (AKA Interval Research Corporation), one of Allen's companies. The 11 companies named in the suit are Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Apple, AOL, eBay, YouTube, NetFlix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Staples. Allen first filed the lawsuit in late August, but it was dismissed earlier this month as being too vague. The district court judge gave Allen until [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Facebook | Google: Legal | Legal: Patents | Yahoo: Legal

SMX West will feature three jam-packed days with over 60 sessions of cutting-edge content on SEO, paid search, social media marketing, local and mobile search marketing, analytics and more. SMX West is programmed by Danny Sullivan and Chris Sherman, the editors of Search Engine Land. Register now to take advantage of the lowest-available super early bird rates. Want to send a team? Discounts of up to 35% are available – check out our group rates. Register Today for SMX West! [...]

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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 Vows To Look At Deceptive Cloaking TechniquesGoogle’s Matt Cutts tweeted that Google will be looking more at Cloaking in the first quarter of 2011. Cloaking, as defined by Google, “Cloaking refers to the practice of presenting different content or URLs to users and search engines. Serving up different results based on user agent may cause your site to be perceived as [...] Gender And Tech Companies: Where Are The Women?Google’ [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Make your New Year’s resolutions yet? Plan to get to the gym more often? Stop smoking? Take your career or business to the next level? Get the innovative strategies you need to jumpstart on your professional ambitions at Search Marketing Expo – SMX West, March 8-10 in San Jose, CA. Saving money also a 2011 resolution? Register now and save up to $400 with super early bird rates! The SMX West agenda features 60+ tactic-packed sessions covering SEO, paid search, local and mobile search, social media marketing and more. Programming includes advanced, intermediate and beginner level con [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SEM Industry: Conferences | SEM Industry: Search Marketing Expo - SMX | SMX & DMD Alerts

The head of Google spam fighting team, Matt Cutts, has tweeted that Google will be looking more at cloaking in the first quarter of 2011, perhaps with more clarification of what exactly cloaking is. Cloaking, which is against Google's webmaster guidelines, is defined by Google as follows: Cloaking refers to the practice of presenting different content or URLs to users and search engines. Serving up different results based on user agent may cause your site to be perceived as deceptive and removed from the Google index. Matt's tweet read: Google will more at cloaking in Q1 2011. Not j [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: SEO | Google: Web Search | SEO: Cloaking & Doorway Pages | Top News

Google's Marissa Mayer is profiled in a Q&A interview in Newsweek. It's both about her past and about women in technology -- why there are so few of them in Silicon Valley engineering roles. Mayer says she never really encountered any obstacles as a female computer science/math student at Stanford. She also discusses Google's early efforts to recruit women to create "gender balance" in the company. Mayer estimates that Google has somewhat more female engineers than the norm in Silicon Valley: What percentage of engineers in Silicon Valley are women? It hovers somewhere around 15 to [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Facebook | Google: Business Issues