SearchCap: The Day In Search, Feb. 14, 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:

• Google Webmaster Central Leaves Beta; Its Blog Gains Comments
  Google Webmaster Central has officially come out of beta, about a year-and-a-half after Google Sitemaps — core of the service later renamed Google Webmaster Central — launched. To celebrate, a new era for Google. The Official Google Webmaster Central Blog becomes the first official Google blog to gain comments. Google…
• Google Officially Opens Gmail To World
  Google finally makes it official. Gmail is open to all. An announcement on the Official Google Blog confirms what everyone already discovered last week, that Gmail restrictions have been dropped. You still can invite friends and family to use Gmail, like you did before. However, invitations are no longer necessary…
• Google Earth Adds KML Search Feature
  The Google Maps API Blog announced that Google Earth has added a feature built into the Google Earth application to enable you to search for Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files. KMLs allow developers add elements such as geographic structures and overlays; here are some samples. By searching in Google Earth,…
• VSearch: Embedded Voice Mobile Local Search
  Voice technology provider VoiceSignal and directory services company INFONXX are launching an "embedded" voice-driven local search product for mobile phones called "VSearch." Available starting in March, the two companies described the service in their announcement this morning:…
• Google Scores Higher On Forbes Tests
  Google Boosts Its GPA at Forbes rates each of Google’s products and then gives Google an overall GPA (grade point average). Overall, Google did better than last year, gaining a B- rather than a C+. Here is a look at how each product was graded….
• Eurekster Adds More ‘Wiki’ To Swickis
  Eurekster, the social-vertical search engine, has introduced some new features that make its flagship product Swickis more social. Swickis are social site-search widgets. Eurekster has added "Q&A" functionality to Swickis and the ability for site users to add links directly into the site’s index. And you can now vote on…
• Google News: Top Of Mind, Even If Not Top Of Traffic
  I’ve often written about how Google News comes under far more criticism and attention than its apparent usage as a news resource, considering other sites like Yahoo News have more traffic. Is Google News the Tail Wagging the News Search Dog? from Greg Jarboe at Search Engine Watch tries to…
• Google’s Matt Cutts Keynote At SES London
  A Keynote Conversation with Google’s Matt Cutts from Search Engine Roundtable provides live blogging of Google’s Matt Cutts talking to Search Engine Land executive editor Chris Sherman during the keynote at SES London today. Matt covers: Eloping, a nice Valentine’s Day topic His typical day fighting spam Google search algorithm…
• Google Ads Getting New Google Checkout Badges
  Since Google Checkout was launched last June, merchants in the program who also advertise on Google through Google AdWords have had little Google Checkout shopping cart icons in their ads. Today, Google Checkout announced the icon will be updated to a badge format similar to the Google Checkout buttons…

Search News Headlines From Elsewhere

Business Moves

• Technorati Loses Key Developer to Google, TechCrunch
• Social Search Service Searchles Receives Gets Angel Funding, PaidContent.org
• Krugle to Power Code Search Engine for Yahoo! Developer Network, Press Release
• Journal Sentinel to Join Google Ad Deal, Forbes.com
• Lenoir Officials Defend $260 Million Tax Incentives to Google, Marketing Pilgrim
• Yahoo! search marketing director Jones defects to I-Spy, DigitalBulletin
• Ex-Yahoo! executive joins Journal board, Bizjournals.com
• Date Yahoo!, Marry Google, Kill Microsoft, MSNBC.com

Local Search

• Time travel in Norway with Eniro maps, Ogle Earth
• How Good Are Zillow’s Estimates?, Wall Street Journal
• Google Earth spies on key bases, facilities in S. Korea, World Tribune
• Gray Blob on Google Maps?, Google Blogoscoped

Paid Search

• Test CPC Site Targeting, Inside Google AdWords
• eBay Pleased With Yahoo Ads, As Google Tests Start, InformationWeek
• Google Quality Score, made Visible, Shimon Sandler
• adCenter Dynamic Link Information Updated and Other Notes, eWhisper
• Googlection 2008, techPresident

Podcasts

• Rand Proposes, Google Sitelinks Update, Search Algorithms, StumbleUpon, SEO, PageRank, Yahoo, Keyword Tools & More, Search Pulse
• Google Webmaster Central Leave Beta; Matt Cutts Keynote; Google Checkout Bigger Badges & More!, Daily SearchCast

Video Search

• Online Video Industry Index, Read/Write Web
• Video and Podcast SEO at SES London, Search Engine Roundtable
• Google Shifting Resources to YouTube Monetization, GigaOm
• Blogpulse Now Offering Daily Ranking of Most Linked to Videos on the Web, ResourceShelf

SEO

• Canonicalization Made Simple, ClickZ
• Making the Case for SEO to Small Businesses, Small Business SEM
• View All Your Google Supplemental Index Results, SEO Book
• Network Your Way To Links, The Link Spiel
• Possible Google Valentines Day Update About To Take Place?, Search Engine Roundtable

Spam

• A Growing Spam Crisis at Google?, Threadwatch
• Search Spam: Hidden Counter Links, Google Blogoscoped
• 13 Reasons Why NoFollow Tags Suck, Search Engine Journal
• Has the 302 Hijack returned?, Widget Logic

Social Media

• MyBlogLog Interview, SEO By The Sea
• Pheedo Launches Social Media Ad Widgets, Techcrunch
• Yahoo! Travel in Flickr partnership, mad.co.uk
• Blogs & Social Media Drive Traffic and Search Rankings, Search Engine Journal
• What the Google Decision Means for Social Media, Pronet Advertising
• Party Report: Diggnation Live @ the Beach Chalet, Valleywag

Valentine’s Day

• DreamHost CEO Josh Jones Proposed via Google, DreamHost
• More Holiday Gadgets: Valentine’s Day!, Inside Google Desktop
• Yahoo! and Swatch partner for Valentine’s Day, NMA
• What the search industry leaders are doing for Valentines Day, Lunartics
• Win a Date With Chris Hooley, Graywolf
• Search Industry Celebrates Valentines Day, Search Engine Roundtable
• Google’s Valentine’s Logo Sure Looks Like “Googe