Fairsearch.org has released findings from a new study that raises serious and important issues about Google, its influence on searcher behavior and whether the search giant’s actions are deliberately hindering competition. Unfortunately, the study results are tainted by flawed methodology and a blatant anti-Google bias, implicitly favoring the agendas of the companies that sponsored the […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Bing “Action Buttons” Lets You Book Flights, Rent Cars & More Bing announced a new feature in the search results named “Action Buttons.” Action buttons give you quick links to perform […]
Bing announced a new feature in the search results named “Action Buttons.” Action buttons give you quick links to perform specific actions on specific web sites. IF you are searching for an airline, the Bing action buttons may include items like check flight status, book a flight or check in to a flight. If you […]
OK, it’s round two. And I can tell you no, don’t expect much. How do you clear the press table when Google competitors are about to testify at a Senate hearing? Have Eric Schmidt do a post-game recap in the hearing room hallway. He’s done, I’m back, will catch up as best I can. NOTE: […]
Precision evaluations. Side-by-side experiments with human focus groups. Click evaluations. All of it led to more than 500 algorithm changes in 2010. Eric Schmidt is speaking today at a Senate subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC, about Google’s business practices, and answering claims that Google’s business practices are anti-competitive. As part of his appearance, Schmidt (as […]
Twitter has acquired Julpan, a small start-up search service in New York that had focused on analyzing social activity in order to improve search results. Twitter says the acquisition will be used to boost its ability to help users discover interesting content. “We’re looking at how to best surface content to users based on their […]
Today’s the day. Google chairman Eric Schmidt is being called on the carpet in front of a US Senate subcommittee, to talk about whether his company is a monopolistic orge. I’m here, live blogging. Fun starts at 2pm ET. NOTE: Our follow-up article, which covers the entire hearing with highlights and without live blogging typos […]
In which I recommend (a very limited) focus on ranking reports . . . I’ve long railed against the stupidity of keyword ranking reports and the insufferable myopic thrashing that occurs when consultants or business units get wound around the axle trying to diagnose a two spot slip for a favorite pet term. (Or worse, […]
The Google hearing in Congress is less than an hour away. It’s scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm Eastern. Here’s a guide where to watch (and listen) on television and online. Television The hearing will air on C-SPAN3. It’s available on some cable systems (incl. FiOS and AT&T Uverse) and on Dish Network (Channel 212). […]
Since every marketing dollar counts, especially in this tough economy, how can you get the most out of your search investment? Here are three critical questions every B2B marketer should be asking their agency or in-house search marketing team, to hold them accountable for results. Keyword Targeting Methodology Every effective search program is built on […]
Search marketing practitioners get the value of keyword optimization. When it is applied, honed and refined over time, a high-value corporate asset emerges: keyword lists that translate into powerful institutional knowledge. But is there an opportunity to create the same sort of asset beyond search? Absolutely. Search retargeting can provide marketers with a totally transparent, […]
How many links are there still floating around the Internet pointing to old, outdated content? How many links are now returning 404 errors because the content has disappeared altogether? What can you do with your webinar registration links once the webinar is over? The obvious answer is to change where the links point. While this […]
We’re apparently not going to hear anything new at today’s Senate subcommittee hearing on Google and competition. (Danny Sullivan and Gary Price will attend and blog the live testimony.) What we’re likely going to get are very polarized views of Google and how it operates: Google the benign promoter of consumer-centric content and Google the […]
Despite making incremental gains in market share, Bing is still searching for the “secret sauce” that will help it challenge Google’s dominance more quickly. That phrase — “secret sauce” — is how a CNN Money article explains what Microsoft thinks will ultimately set it apart from Google. The article describes a recent meeting in which […]
Is Google (and Bing, by the way) not being “responsible” by failing to remove an anti-Rick Santorum web site? The Republican presidential candidate believes so, speaking out this week against an unfavorable listing for his name. But “fixing” Santorum’s “Google problem” isn’t as easy as it sounds. Defining Santorum For those who aren’t familiar with […]
Search AdWords have had +1 buttons since late May, and now the +1 functionality is coming to the Google Display Network (GDN). Additionally, +1 data will, for the first time, serve as a signal of relevance in the AdWords auction — for display only, for now. As with the +1s that accompany text ads, people […]
In a move that shouldn’t surprise anyone, Facebook is re-organizing users’ homepages. The new look homepage will allow users to “see the things they’re most interested in.” The main elements that will power the new layout are, the revamped Friend Lists, the new Subscribe button, and a real-time ticker. One notable change is that the […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Up Close With Google+ Search It seemed pretty odd that a social network from the leading search company, Google, didn’t offer a way to search through all its posts. But that […]
It seemed pretty odd that a social network from the leading search company, Google, didn’t offer a way to search through all its posts. But that oddity is over. Google+ now allows you to search through its content. Here’s how it works. Do You Have It Yet? First, you might not have Google+ search enabled […]
Did you think the search engine war was over and that Google had won? Perhaps you believed that there were a few outposts still resisting the Google conquest, but expected that they’d give in eventually? If so, you’d better sit down and take a strong drink as the first salvos in the new Search Engine […]
Brands and businesses are moving away from traditional websites, and placing more and more emphasis on their Facebook pages. This is great from a customer service and interaction standpoint, but certainly muddies the waters from an SEO perspective. It used to be that with the right mix of keyword-laden text, reciprocal links, and clever use […]
After three months, anyone who wants in to the Google+ social network can now get in. The company announced the news today on its blog, along with a new Google+ search feature and expanded functionality for hangouts. Beta Opens To Everyone Buried at the end of Google’s blog post is the news that the service, […]
Asking questions is considered to be one of the most basic yet the most effective ways of learning. Whether you ask questions to better understand a technique, an event, or a motive, you’re gaining insight that should help you in the present and the future. It’s no wonder that question and answer sites continue to […]
In preparation for the anti-trust hearing this Wednesday, Google has released a guide to the Senate judiciary hearing web page. The questions address Google’s point of view on the various questions or points on hand, they include: When you hear, “Google is a gateway to the web and controls what people see,” remember… When you […]
The Yahoo Search Blog announced they have transitioned much of their Asian algorithmic search to be powered by Bing with the exception of Korea. Specifically, Asian Yahoo search users in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam will now get Bing powered results. In addition, they also migrated over more European countries […]
Call tracking has long been criticized by Local SEOs and others as violating the sanctity of what Localeze’s Gib Olander has called the “NAP” (name, address and phone number) — the central currency of all local business listings. The concern was and is that the rented tracking numbers (metered phone numbers) would be crawled or […]
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 Wallet Now Live, But In Very Limited Availability As expected, Google has formally announced the first rollout of Google Wallet — the company’s first official entry into the growing mobile […]
As expected, Google has formally announced the first rollout of Google Wallet — the company’s first official entry into the growing mobile payments space. But Wallet is only taking a baby step today. Google says the app is only being made available to Sprint Nexus S 4G phones, and users will be able to pay […]
I hate people who claim to have all the answers. Well, okay, hate is a pretty strong word, so let me rephrase. People who are smarty-pants know-it-alls are ‘not my preference.’ On the other hand, I love people who ask great questions. Great questions are those deceptively simple questions that stop you in your tracks, […]
David Segal’s story in The New York Times earlier this month about the virtual closing of local businesses on Google Places and the significant and negative impact it has had on some real-world businesses – is the latest warning that losing control of your business’ online presence can have a detrimental effect on your ability to […]
I’ve spoken a lot in these columns about the differences between mobile SEO and desktop SEO, often warning webmasters to do more than just reformat their desktop content for smaller screens. But if you’re in the process of creating a mobile site, you may be wondering what to put on your mobile site that’s different […]
What is the correct process for on-boarding new clients at the enterprise level? How do you get the most value out of the on-boarding process, for all participants? I often hear questions about the brass tacks of search marketing campaigns: how is reporting handled? What happens when we engage, how does the on-boarding process work? […]
It has been reported by the BBC, that Facebook will soon be allowing users to sync Twitter accounts with their Facebook updates. Previously only Facebook pages or the use of third party applications had this type of linking ability. Of course, the odd man out in this revelation is Google+. Facebook and Google+ haven’t been […]
According to documents seen by TechCrunch, Google Wallet is launching later today a bit behind schedule. As we discussed when the announcement was initially made in May, only a small number of people will initially have access to Google Wallet. There are only a handful of merchant and retail partners and only one handset currently […]
In a move that Google says was designed to “ensure quality, improve Google products and services and compliance with AdWords API Terms and Conditions,” the company earlier this week revoked access to the AdWords API to a large number of developers, raising the ire of many who complained about a lack of warning and communication, […]
Next week on Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights will hold antitrust-related hearings on Google. This is a proceeding separate from but broadly related to the wide-ranging FTC antitrust investigation. The title of the hearing is “The Power of Google: Serving Consumers or Threatening Competition?” This title perfectly anticipates the two […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Twitter Announces Analytics For Tweets, Traffic & Buttons This week at TechCrunch Disrupt, Twitter announced Web Analytics to webmasters (and Tweeters) see how their content is being shared and how their […]
This week at TechCrunch Disrupt, Twitter announced Web Analytics to webmasters (and Tweeters) see how their content is being shared and how their buttons are being used. This new platform integrates fully with the new t.co shortener to help see content distribution. During the presentation it was announced that the t.co ‘link wrapper’ is now […]
Google operates one of the largest cloud-based computing systems in the world, and takes great pride in its reliability, investing significant amounts of both money and human resources to make sure that all of its services are always-on and accurate. Here’s the story of how, to eliminate what many would consider an almost insignificant issue, […]
Since no analytics provider seems to have invented the perfect system to meet every need, we’re seeing an increasing number of advertisers using multiple systems together in order capture a wider set of data for reporting and optimization purposes. This is generally some combination of a search/display/Facebook technology provider and one or more analytics systems […]