SearchCap: The Day In Search, February 16, 2009

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Microsoft adCenter Desktop (Beta) Now Available To More Advertisers Microsoft has announced that the Microsoft adCenter Desktop (Beta) client is now available for more advertisers. Microsoft adCenter Desktop (Beta) was first […]

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

From Search Engine Land:

  • Microsoft adCenter Desktop (Beta) Now Available To More Advertisers

    Microsoft has announced that the Microsoft adCenter Desktop (Beta) client is now available for more advertisers.
    Microsoft adCenter Desktop (Beta) was first announced at SMX Advanced on June 3, 2008. To be part of this beta now, you must be an advertiser based in U.S. or Canadian with fewer than 100,000 keywords in your combined […]

  • Google Believes It Has Ended (Some) Hijacked Listings In Google Maps

    Recent statements suggest that Google believes it has eliminated the hijacking of claimed business listings in Google Maps, and that hijackings overall (of both claimed and unclaimed listings) are now a rarity.
    Speaking last week at SMX West, Google’s Jennifer Chin, also known as “Maps Guide Jen” in the Google Maps Help Forum, said that overall […]

  • Pros & Cons Of Google’s “Darwinian Approach” To Products

    This year is the 200th anniversary of naturalist Charles Darwin’s birth. I bring that up because Google’s approach to product decision-making has always struck me as “Darwinian.”
    The company introduces new products and services, generally without much promotion and then it’s a version of survivor or “survival of the fittest.” Another appropriate metaphor here is the […]

  • Yahoo Continues New Home Page Test, Adds More Apps & Lightens Colors

    The Yahoo corporate blog announced that phase one of the Yahoo home page test is about done now. Yahoo has taken in a lot of feedback since launching a limited test of the new home page back in September 2008 and has decided to try some new things.
    Yahoo has decided to add more third-party […]

  • Yahoo Doesn’t Take Beef Over Akaushi Keyword Lawsuit

    Eric Goldman covers a recent lawsuit, where Heartbrand Beef, Inc. sued several companies, including Yahoo for selling the keyword Akaushi to Lobel’s of New York. Akaushi is a very expensive Japanese type of beef, known for being marbled with fat and coming out extremely tender.
    Lobel’s does not sell Akaushi, but Heartbrand is […]

  • Hyperlocal Is Happening

    Traditional news outlets are looking closer to home for ways to remain competitive, and in some cases, to survive. Many of these newspapers and television and radio stations are latching on to a trend of going “hyperlocal” with their content—serving the information needs of local neighborhoods or communities—as a way to counter the problems of […]

  • Is Your Search Advertising Budget Harming Your Results?

    Investment banks call me just about every week these days, asking whether our clients’ search budgets are growing or shrinking given the state of the economy. Their interest is in valuing Google and Yahoo stock, but I’m not sure my responses are terribly helpful to them.
    Very few of our clients have set budgets for search. […]

  • Google Is Testing SearchWiki As Way To Remove AdWords Ads

    Last night I discovered reports via WebmasterWorld that shows Google testing a flavor of Google SearchWiki directly on the paid ads, also known as AdWords results.
    Here is a screen capture of that in action:

    I have emailed Google for a statement and I will update this post when I receive one.
    If you want to discuss this […]

  • Happy Valentine’s Day From Google & Others

    Valentine’s Day is being celebrated around the world and today, Google had not one, but two different logos, depending on where in the world you accessed Google. Plus, search engines like Yahoo, Live, Ask and others had their special logos. Below is a compilation of logos that I collected throughout the day, the […]

  • ComScore To Report Google Maps Now Number 1

    Forthcoming January traffic data will reportedly show that Google Maps has taken the lead from MapQuest as the top mapping site in the US. According to the numbers that I received (I’ve asked comScore to verify), MapQuest’s January monthly unique visitors were 41.5 million and Google’s were 42.2 million.
    This is the first time that […]

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About the author

Barry Schwartz
Staff
Barry Schwartz is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

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