Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web. From Search Engine Land: Sudden Change In The Number Of Links Reporting In Google Webmaster? Don’t Panic. Over the past week or so, we’ve been hearing reports of the number of links being reported within […]
Over the past week or so, we’ve been hearing reports of the number of links being reported within Google Webmaster Tools drastically changing from what it was days before the change. Last week, we received some reports of Google increasing the number of links being reported in the tool. This week, we are seeing dozens […]
Tensions were high in the pay-per-click world yesterday, as marketers held their collective breath waiting for news of what were rumored to be “big changes” from Google AdWords. Indeed, it was big news — the launch of Enhanced Campaigns, which let marketers combine separate desktop and mobile campaigns into one, with a variety of implications. […]
I am absolutely fascinated by the automotive industry and am admittedly a car guy. The newest cars continually impress me because every new model seems like a significant upgrade over the previous model. And, they really are. New cars are lighter, stronger, more spacious, safer, more fuel efficient, and quicker than ever. A 2013 Mazda […]
The past 12-18 months have seen a great deal of attention around the concept of Big Data in the marketing world. The numerous ways in which Big Data promises to increase insight into online behavior, customer profiling and more has been written about extensively. At Conductor, we agree that Big Data will lead (or has […]
Super Bowl commercials aren’t typically about direct purchases. Brands run them to create awareness and buzz and to make us feel all soft and fuzzy towards them through our adorable-foal/hot actor reunion-induced tears (thanks a lot, Budweiser!). For the last five years, I’ve tracked where advertisers are trying to send viewers, where those viewers are […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web. From Search Engine Land: Find Content Quicker On The Go With Twitter’s New Mobile Search & Discover Upgrades Users will now be able to find more on the go as a new round of mobile […]
Users will now be able to find more on the go as a new round of mobile updates have been launched for Twitter. The updates rolled out center on content discovery as the Search, Discover and Connect tabs have all been updated. The new changes make it easier for users to view more information at anytime, from any […]
“If we were going to build AdWords today, what would it look like?” That’s the question Google’s Nick Fox, VP of Product Management, and his team began asking last year. The result is AdWords enhanced campaigns, a major update announced today that is designed to simplify campaign management across multiple devices, and to increase adoption […]
Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cutts, posted a video on YouTube named Why don’t you turn off the PageRank feature in the Google Toolbar? It is a very fair question, given Google has downplayed the importance of PageRank over the years. Google has: Removed PageRank scores from Google Webmaster Tools in October 2009. Google dropped the […]
Over on the Google Lat / Long blog, Google Maps announced new feature that overlays lifts and trail maps for 38 major ski areas in the U.S., available from Google Maps using your Android device or iPhone. It could be a handy feature, provided you have two things: something like Burton Screen Grab gloves so you […]
We model our online prospects with a number of different funnels, paths, flows and journeys. There is the classic AIDA sales funnel (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). There is the Brad Geddes search funnel (Awareness, Interest, Learn, Shop, Buy). Joseph Jaffe Flipped the Funnel. Dave Evans added the social cloud to the funnel. For me, it […]
Facebook is the most preeminent social networking site in the world. It is not the first and probably won’t be the last, but it is likely the most important. Facebook usage is massive because users spend large lengths of time on the site. If Facebook was a country, and its users were citizens, then it […]
Update: The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center now says it’s gotten hundreds of reports of this problem, and is seeking complaints from people who have been affected. Recently a friend contacted me because his daughter was in tears about her mugshot photo being posted on the Internet. She was arrested a few years ago, the matter […]
Google has acquired retail feed management provider Channel Intelligence (not to be confused with Channel Advisor) for $125 million. The company counts major brands and retailers among its clients. Channel Intelligence (CI) offers a range of services built around data management and product feed optimization. It lists Target, Philips, HP, Neiman Marcus and Best Buy […]
Since roughly 2006 Naver has been the leading search site in South Korea. Consistently Google has been unable to break through and — according to various traffic estimates — has less than 5 percent of the market there. That’s as recently as Q4 of last year according to data I’ve seen. Mysteriously, however, StatCounter is […]
Yesterday, Australia’s highest judicial body, called The High Court of Australia, overturned a lower court decision that held Google responsible for paid-search ads deemed deceptive by Australia’s antitrust regulator, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). According to Bloomberg, roughly six years ago the ACCC sued Google claiming that certain travel-related ads appearing in search […]
Amid industry discussion about what Google’s enforcement of new policies will mean for its AdWords distribution partners, IAC says its Mindspark toolbar company, and all of its companies, are fully in compliance with the policies currently in place. Google put new standards for its partners into place in October, issuing rules meant to bar software […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web. From Search Engine Land: How Facebook Made Me Search In Strange New Ways Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wonder who I know that has gone skydiving, lived in France, eats Chinese food, while […]
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wonder who I know that has gone skydiving, lived in France, eats Chinese food, while mixing a smoothie with their new Ninja NJ600 Blender?” Apparently, this is exactly how we should be thinking. At least, the way Facebook sees it. Not to undermine that this could likely become […]
While I hesitate to define anything link-related as being easy, there are definitely a few things that can be easily fixed, things that can make a sometimes small and sometimes major difference in how your site performs online. Link builders are certainly not miracle workers, but much of the time, links are still seen as […]
In search marketing, we work in the communication business. Two aspects of communication which are often forgotten — or at least not seen to be a part of the “message” — are the buying or inquiring forms and the price. Let’s deal with the forms first. Many writers at Search Engine Land have talked about […]
ConstantContact’s SinglePlatform division has released the results of a new survey of small businesses (SMBs). The “headline” finding is that nearly half (49 percent) say they’ve never updated their listings online. The survey polled “more than 350” SMBs. Most small businesses are overwhelmed and confused by even basic online marketing. This is reflected in some […]
A study published by Harvard professor Latanya Sweeney claims that companies placing public record ads linked to people’s names through Google may use language that reflects racial bias, though why this happens is unclear. The study found that ads associated with black identifying names were more likely to have ads with the word “arrest” in […]
A new Dilbert cartoon once again takes a jab at SEOs and what they do or can do. The latest comic reads: Woman: Asok, your meeting stole an hour of my life. Woman: According to international law, I may now claim you as my indentured servant. Man: Wow. That…. Actually is a law. Woman: (Thinking) […]
Search toolbars are big business for security software company AVG and media company IAC. But could revenue from these toolbars be in danger, as Google says it is stepping up enforcement of its policies against shady behavior related to toolbar downloads? IAC’s Mindspark makes substantial revenues through search toolbars, and AVG, in September 2011, said […]
Think you know everything about Google AdWords or Bing Ads? Have all the best practices nailed, are a master of match types, and have encyclopedic knowledge about gaining the upper hand when sparring with the quirky idiosyncrasies of bidding, scheduling and conversion optimization? Think again. As kung fu masters remind us, “the wise always remain […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web. From Search Engine Land: The Zen Of PPC Campaign ReportingOkay. It’s February. We’ve finally got all the year-end reporting and summaries for our clients done and delivered, and have set forth to meet our new […]
Okay. It’s February. We’ve finally got all the year-end reporting and summaries for our clients done and delivered, and have set forth to meet our new plans and objectives for 2013 with big, fresh PPC budgets. And, except for the fact that it seems I am three months behind after only three weeks into the […]
If you want to succeed with gaining search traffic through SEO, building links is one of the most important ranking factors that can help you. But go too far, and the search police might crack down on you. How do you avoid a disaster? To help, the folks at DNA created a “Link Apocalypse” infographic summarizing some recent missteps […]
We hear a lot about how TV viewers often multitask with a second device, followed by evidence such as Twitter hashtag activity and Facebook likes. While we absolutely flocked to Twitter in droves yesterday during the game, we also did had search engines at the ready to provide us with those #infiniteanswers Amy Poehler was […]
As promised last month, I’ll be sharing more information about how to do mobile SEO specifically and less about why to do mobile SEO. This month, I’m going to go through how to do mobile keyword research. First, though, a brief explanation of why to do mobile keyword research. Mobile Keyword Research Then & Now […]
Recently, Facebook and Foursquare announced new features that will drastically change the ways local businesses leverage the social networks to build customer loyalty and drive new sales. With Facebook, the introduction of Graph Search provides businesses with greater incentive to invest time and effort in their presence on the site so they can appear among the […]
Surely every organization managing an event site knows at this point that people want to know what time things start. And that those potential viewers are likely to turn to Google to find out. This year, Google just provides the answer right at the top of the page: February 3rd at 3:30 pacific. Just as […]
Since 2009, I’ve been writing articles here on Search Engine Land about how Super Bowl commercials influence online behavior and how well (or not) advertisers have taken advantage of that online opportunity. One clear trend has been that each year, these commercials trigger increased online activities. This is both because each year, we are more likely […]
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 Settles With France: No ‘Link Tax,’ But €60 Million Media Fund Google has avoided getting hit with a “link tax” in France by agreeing to create a €60 million “Digital […]
Google has avoided getting hit with a “link tax” in France by agreeing to create a €60 million “Digital Publishing Innovation Fund” to essentially help French media adapt to the online age. The settlement, announced today in France by President Francois Hollande and Google’s Eric Schmidt — and announced on Google’s blog — ends several […]
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.
Yesterday, right under the deadline, Google delivered its proposal to the European Commission (EC) in an effort to settle potential antitrust claims against the company and head off a formal enforcement action. The proposal was required to concretely address four “areas of concern” identified by the EC. Briefly, those involve “search bias” and “diversion of […]
New York-based Vringo has sued Microsoft over two patents that pertain to the ranking and placement of ads in search results. The patents were originally issued in the early ’90s and owned for a long time by Lycos, which later sold them. The patents in question are 6,314,420 and 6,775,664, referred to in the complaint (below) as the […]