It sounds great. A program that guarantees top listings for local searches on Google, Yahoo and Bing. An "officially approved" one in "cooperation" with those search engines. But it's not so, say Google and Bing. The "Local Paid Inclusion" service launched officially today. The site's home page pitches: Local Paid Inclusion is a Google, Yahoo and Bing contracted service and is offered as an approved official program in cooperation with those search engines. Local Paid Inclusion promotes a local business’ profile page, like those found in Google Places, Yahoo Local and Bing Local, into [...]

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

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Matt Cutts Convinces Some South Korean Govt. Websites To Stop Blocking GooglebotMatt Cutts, international diplomat? That might be the more appropriate title for Google’s chief spam cop. According to the Wall Street Journal, Cutts is in South Korea this week and, in a presentation Monday night for about 80 government officials, webmasters, lawyers and journalists, managed to singlehandedly convince some government reps to let Googlebot crawl [...] [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Matt Cutts, international diplomat? That might be the more appropriate title for Google's chief spam cop. According to the Wall Street Journal, Cutts is in South Korea this week and, in a presentation Monday night for about 80 government officials, webmasters, lawyers and journalists, managed to singlehandedly convince some government reps to let Googlebot crawl and index their websites. One of those in the audience was Kang Min-koo, a senior judge in the Seoul High Court. When he saw the court's Web site was on Mr. Cutts' list of government sites that couldn't be indexed by Google – and [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Google: Outside US | Google: SEO | Top News

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube best practices This white paper discusses: Three strategies for maximizing Twitter's impact on SEO Tips for Facebook ads, events, groups and places Common principles between social and search marketing Download now » [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Sponsor Messages

There is an ongoing discussion trying to better understand what Google+ brings to the table. Recently, the stats were released that Google+ now has 90M users and about 60% log in every day. Will Google+ ever be that "Facebook killer" that everyone keeps speculating? That has yet to be demonstrated. My hunch is that it won’t. Not because it can’t, but because I am not convinced that was ever the goal of Google+. Recent algorithm changes, namely Google + your world, support what I am speculating. We are seeing a cross between Search and Social like never before. Not A Facebook Kil [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social | Search & Social

Search Marketing Expo – SMX West kicks off February 28 at the San Jose Convention Center. With nearly 60 educational sessions and keynotes, multiple networking activities and presentations from leading solutions providers, you’ll leave a more informed, effective and inspired internet marketer. SMX West offers flexible pass options to fit your needs, budget and schedule. Which pass is your match? Keep reading, and then register today to secure your spot. The Comprehensive SMX Experience – All Access Pass Participate in a smorgasbord of cutting-edge sessions and keynotes coverin [...]

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

In this article, I’ll outline the steps I take to optimize a webpage to try to improve organic search results;  both increase rankings and improve click-throughs from the search listings. If you’ve been following along in this series, we covered the first steps in the previous two articles. 1. Choose The Keywords To Focus On In Organic Keywords: The First Step In Search Engine Optimization, I covered how to use Google analytics to choose the organic keyword phrases to focus on first in your optimization efforts; those keywords already contributing to the business goals. We then looke [...]

Related Topics: Beginner | Channel: SEO | How To | How To: SEO | Keywords & Content

This week's tool review focuses on the Link Builder toolset from Wordtracker. Wordtracker has been around since 1998 and is most widely known as a keyword research tool. In 2010, they added Link Builder in response to consumer demand and to help their keyword customers with their link building efforts. Based in London, the Wordtracker staff is an international bunch, hailing from England, France, Italy, India, Australia and Ireland. To prove this,  CMO Ken McGaffin jokingly pointed out: I'm an Irishman, living in Scotland, working in London for an English company that does most of its [...]

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

Most multinational sites will serve content via a Content Delivery Network (CDN). But not all CDNs are equal: what should you look for to get the best bang for your buck in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) across the globe? Since Google's Caffeine update to its server infrastructure back in June 2010, Google has stepped up the importance of page load speed to its core algorithm. But page load speed has always been important to Google in providing a good searcher experience for Google searches. And this is a logical stance if you take a second to think it through. After all, if you [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: SEO | Multinational Search | SEO - Search Engine Optimization | SEO: General | SEO: Host Crowding & Clustering

A new eMarketer study says that search ad spend is expected to grow 27% from 2011 to 2012, up from $15.36 billion to $19.51 billion. And by 2016, it is expected to reach almost $30 billion annually. Google will also retain dominant share of the search ad spend at 77.9%, up from 74.4% share in 2011. By 2014, Google's search ad share is expected to grow to almost 80%. Microsoft is expected to grow from 7% share in 2011 to 8.7% in 2014, while Yahoo is expected to drop from 6.7% share in 2011 to only 3% in 2014. The chart below shows overall search ad spend growth in dollars and as a perc [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Strategy | Stats: General | Stats: Spend Projections | Top News

Enterprise Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not rocket science. In fact, it is not even as faceted as many other sectors of SEO in which practitioners have to perform many more nuanced SEO tasks (and often by themselves). So why is Enterprise SEO so underserved and why do so few large organizations embrace it properly? Because Enterprise SEO is much more like Supply Chain Management than it is Marketing. As an executive considering investing in an Enterprise SEO initiative, hopefully you can learn from this primer and my experiences over the last decade leading large institutions i [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Enterprise 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: Yandex Joins Bing, Yahoo In Using Nokia-Navteq Map DataRussian search giant Yandex announced that it will be licensing data from Nokia-owned Navteq to offer better and more comprehensive maps coverage around the world: Yandex . . . has purchased a license for digital maps supplied by the leading global location content provider, NAVTEQ. These digital maps will be used in the development of [...] A Roundup Of New U.S. Government Search ToolsThe U.S. g [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Russian search giant Yandex announced that it will be licensing data from Nokia-owned Navteq to offer better and more comprehensive maps coverage around the world: Yandex . . . has purchased a license for digital maps supplied by the leading global location content provider, NAVTEQ. These digital maps will be used in the development of a detailed world map for the Yandex.Maps service. NAVTEQ has provided Yandex with maps from all over the world, including highly detailed maps of Europe, North America, Australia and developed countries in Asia. These maps show intercity motorways, urban tra [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Microsoft: Bing | Search Engines: Other Search Engines | Search Engines: Yandex | Yahoo: Maps & Local

The U.S. government generates a wealth of useful and interesting information. Despite excellent government-oriented search engines like USA.gov and Data.gov, government information isn't always easy to find. That's why if you use government information it's important to put together your own toolkit of specialized government-related search engines. Here's a roundup of several new search tools that have come online in the couple of weeks. FAA Mobile Web App Since it's a mobile app nothing to download Lookup aircraft tail numbers, get airport status, and several tools for aviators Lea [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Search Engines: Government Search Engines

There are times you just want to increase your click-through rates. You might need to raise it to help Quality Scores, increase traffic, or gain visibility for a new product. Often by just raising click-through rates, you might not be raising your conversion rate. You can even decrease your conversion rates with ads. However, we’re going to focus on raising click-through rates regardless of how it affects other metrics. As always, you should be testing this for yourself to see what helps your overall account’s goals. Adding An Extension One of the easiest ways to increase click [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Paid Search

Search Week is an exclusive weekly newsletter for Search Engine Land premium members that recaps stories covered on Search Engine Land over the past week. Below are top stories organized by topic that happened over the past week. Each topic (or Search Engine Land column) is also a link, where you can click through and drill into the Search Engine Land members library to find other stories in that area. Because some stories are listed in more than one category, you may see them repeated. Top News "Don't Be Evil" Tool -- Backed By Facebook & Twitter -- Shows Google's "Search Plus [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Search Week

"2012 will be the year of the tablet," said Kenshoo CMO Aaron Goldman in a recent Search Insider column. With the figures he’s seeing, it’s hard to disagree with him. According to Goldman, 7% of all online sales Kenshoo saw over the holidays came from a tablet, and "Of the sales transactions completed via mobile, over 83% of the revenue was driven through tablets, and overall tablet conversion rate was 2.72%, more than 3x higher the conversion rate for mobile phones. Additionally, the average order value from tablets ($149.84) actually exceeded that of desktop computers ($146.07)." [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Mobile Search | Search Marketing: Mobile | SEO: Mobile Search

Local business marketers often hyper-focus on Google search rankings, but it's important not to forget that even if Bing and Yahoo! do not have the lion's share, even 15% of search volume can create a sizable number of potential business referrals. So, here are a few basic tips for optimizing for Bing Local search rankings. Optimization of business profiles in the Bing Business Portal (or "BBP") is not difficult nor time-consuming. Microsoft's newish Beta interfacing for administrating business listing details is actually pretty slick and easy to use. 10 Tips For Optimizing Local Busi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Local Search | Microsoft: Bing Maps & Local

Last November Canadian digital agency Mediative (owned by Canada's Yellow Pages Group) released an eye- and click-tracking study focused on Google Places and Google Maps on the PC. We wrote up the results when they were published. Mediative then followed up that study with a similar one focused on the Google Places app on the iPhone. For the iPhone-app study, just published yesterday, Mediative monitored eye- and click-tracking with 12 people in Canada. They ranged in age from 21 to 45. The participants were asked to find places to get a tattoo in each of several Canadian cities. Here's the [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile | Google: Maps & Local | Google: Mobile | Stats: Search Behavior | Top News

Did you know that today, 125 years ago, in Fort Keogh, Montana, the largest snowflake was documented and placed in the world record book? The snowflake was 38 centimeters in diameter! But honestly, I am even more amazed that someone actually documented this as a world record. And even more amazed Google has a special logo, aka Doodle, to remember the special day. This may go into the world record book as one of the weirdest Google logos ever dreamed up by a Google Doodler? More Google Logos: Google Gumby Logo For 90th Birthday Of Creator Art Clokey Google Logo Honors M [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Logos