SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 27, 2007

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.

From Search Engine Land:

• Keeping It Private On Google Reader
  Almost two weeks ago, I wrote my Google Reader Gets Social With Friends Shared Items post detailing how disturbing it was that Google Reader was now sharing items with people it considered my friends, on an opt-out basis. Privacy concerns over this finally exploded this week, with Google Reader…
• Get Your Sphinn Google Gadget
  Patrick Sexton at SEOish created a Sphinn Google Gadget that you can add to your Google Personalized Home page. The Sphinn Google Gadget displays the most recent hot items at Sphinn, the what’s new items, and also the most recent comments. To add the Sphinn Google Gadget to your Google…
• Google To Sign Deal With Japan’s Largest Mobile Operator, NTT DoCoMo
  Via TechCrunch, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo to tie up with Google-sources from Reuters TechCrunch reports that Google is set to close a deal with NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile phone operator. The deal will make Google search the default search service for NTT DoCoMo’s 48 million customers. In addition, Google Apps…
• Coming Soon To Walmart: Off The Shelf SEM Services?
  Next time you’re doing the aisles at Walmart-owned Sam’s Club, perhaps you’ll see a package for SEM services on the shelf next to 40 packs of razor blades and 12 cans of tuna. Karl points out that Sam’s Club is now pitching “SEM” online, at least what seems to be…

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

• WARNING: Google’s GMail security failure leaves my business sabotaged, David Airey
• Google Resorting To Begging To Get Folks To Comment On The News?, TechDirt

Business Issues

• EU: Microsoft’s Last Stand Against Google’s Acquisition of DoubleClick, TechCrunch
• How to deal with getting fired (from Yahoo), Penelope Trunk
• Digg This: Deal or No Deal?, BusinessWeek
• Ex-Googlers use their fortunes to hunt for the next Google, International Herald Tribune

Conferences

• Meet The SMX West 2008 Programming Team, Search Marketing Expo Blog
• Ultimate Search Conference: Day 4, BruceClay.com

Local, Maps & Mobile

• Three Mobile Web Services to Know About (WeatherBug Mobile, 411 Sync, WHOIS Lookup), ResourceShelf
• Top 25 Stories of Google Earth 2007, Google Earth Blog

Link Building

• 7 Tips for Training Link Developers, Search Engine Watch
• Chris Crompton’s Coopertive Link Exchange Network – Powered by Amazon, ShoeMoney

Paid Search & Contextual

• Google AdSense Testing New Report: AdSense Unit Data, Search Engine Roundtable
• Google: you are too sexy for your pants, China Daily
• AdSense inspiration, Inside AdSense
• Keyword Advertising is TM Use in Commerce But Doesn’t Violate Injunction–Boston Duck Tours v. Super Duck Tours, Eric Goldman

Searching

• How Does a Search Engine Know the Language of A Query? Google Explores Character Mapping, SEO By The Sea
• Baidu Launches Patent Search, Pacific Epoch
• Web Archives: Archive-It Adds Advanced Search Interface, ResourceShelf

SEM Industry

• 5 Questions with Ask Italy’s Antonio Gulli, Ask.com Blog
• Why Did the Search Marketing Associations Fail?, SEO Book
• Isobar Extends Search Prospects, Acquires Extenseo, Merges With iProspect, MediaPost
• Sphinn’s Wisdom: 60% success, Andrew R H Girdwood
• Top Online Marketing Blog Posts 2007, Online Marketing Blog

SEO & SEM

• Democrat Dennis Kucinich: 2008 Presidential Candidates & Online Marketing Strategies, Search Marketing Gurus
• Republican Duncan Hunter: 2008 Presidential Candidates & Online Marketing Strategies, Search Marketing Gurus
• The Position 6 Google Penalty?, Search Engine Roundtable

Social Media

• Facebook Launches Community-Driven Project to Add Foreign Language Support, mashable.com

Video, Music & Image Search

• 2007: The Year in Review (Part 1), YouTube

Other Items

• Yahoo to patent "smart" drag-and-drop, Ars submits prior art, Ars Technica

Last 20 Hot Items From Sphinn, Our Social News Sharing Site:

• Why CopyBlogger WON’T Buy Seth Godin’s Meatball Sundae
• David Airey gets his ‘.com’ back!
• How to Design a Proper Search Engine Experiment: Finding Google’s Rules on Your Own!
• 7 Tips for Finding and Submitting Great Content to StumbleUpon
• Using Google Sitemaps for Competitive Intelligence
• TopRank Tips on Liveblogging Conferences
• NEW at Wal-Mart: SEM Services
• Take the 2007 Search Marketing Quiz & Win Money!
• How to track Social Media Users with Google Analytics
• How To Wrap A Present
• Blogging in the Middle of the Night
• 55 SEO Interview Questions