SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 3, 2008

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

From Search Engine Land:

• SMX Advanced ‘08 – Day One Recap
  I am waiting for the You & A With Matt Cutts at SMX Advanced 2008 in Seattle. I figured I should post the conference coverage thus far and then add in the links to the coverage of this session. Here is today’s SMX Advanced coverage:…
• Google May Need To Modify Keyword Policy To Attract More Brand Dollars
  Google wants to attract more brand advertising dollars in search. However it also allows marketers to bid on trademarked or branded terms they don’t own or control so long as those keywords are not part of the ad copy. This practice so far passes legal muster in the US (although…
• Insurgent Yahoo Shareholder Carl Icahn Seeks CEO Jerry Yang’s Ouster
  The drama of whether Microsoft would take over Yahoo has been replaced by the drama of whether disgruntled shareholder/opportunist Carl Icahn can win a proxy fight to replace Yahoo’s board and install his own slate. Reuters reports today that a successful fight would include removal of current Yahoo CEO Jerry…
• Google Says Icon Reflects “Simple, Playful & Unique Brand”
  Last Friday, Google changed their favicon and it caused a big stir amongst Google users. We asked Google why they made the change and they replied that it was to reflect the “simple, playful and unique brand.” Here is the official response from a Google spokesperson:…
• Microsoft announces adCenter Desktop Beta during SMX Advanced Keynote
  Kevin Johnson, President of Microsoft’s Platform & Services Division announced the release of the adCenter Desktop Beta during an SMX Advanced keynote speech today. The software application allows advertisers to create, optimize and manage online campaigns with Microsoft. Previously advertisers were required to manage their campaigns through a web interface,…
• Microsoft Wants To Replace “404″ Error With Live Search Results
  Microsoft has said that between “2 and 10 percent” of site searches lead to a 404 error page. The company thus decided to create what it’s calling the “Web Page Error Toolkit.” It’s a web application that uses either Live Search (or another engine of the site owner’s choice) to…
• Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft Clarify robots.txt Support
  Today, Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft have come together to post details of how each of them support robots.txt and the robots meta tag. While their posts use terms like “collaboration” and “working together”, they haven’t joined together to implement a new standard (as they did with sitemaps.org). Rather, they are…
• Google Defines IP Delivery, Geolocation & Cloaking
  Maile Ohye at the Google Webmaster Central Blog has “defined” what Google considers to be IP delivery, geolocation and cloaking. On the geolocation front, Google recommends you treat “Googlebot as you would a typical user from a similar location.” So, if Googlebot’s IP is coming from California, then serve up…
• Google Rebrands Custom Search “Business Edition” As “Google Site Search”
  Google launched its Custom Search Engine (CSE) in late 2006. It has gone through various changes and feature upgrades since that time and Google just announced that what it was calling CSE “Business Edition” has now been renamed “Google Site Search.” There are several new features that offer increased customization…
• Search Illustrated: Spider Traps
  With so much effort that gets focused on writing great content, acquiring links and social networking, the search spiders are sometimes overlooked. If the site can’t get indexed, it won’t get ranked. This week’s infographic displays some of the common ways the spider can get trapped, unable to maneuver…
• Relying On Averages Is Bad Business
  Too many people rely on stats that purport to measure “averages” to guide their search marketing campaigns and they are all potentially harmful. I am the opposite—you could say that I am passionate about accuracy when it comes to analytics, and when it comes to all forms of measuring your…
• Judge Unseals Shareholder Complaint Against Yahoo
  A Delaware judge presiding over shareholder litigation against Yahoo has denied the company’s request to maintain a seal over the complaint in the matter. (Complaints are typically public records unless the parties can meet a high bar to keep them confidential.) The news was first reported by Reuters and Barrons….
• Getting The Most Out Of A Search Marketing Conference
  It’s easy to get hooked on search conferences. For me, there’s no better way to learn so much about search in the course of a couple of days: what’s working, what’s not working, and what others in the industry are experiencing. The networking opportunities at conferences are priceless—where else do…

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

• Spammers exploit Google Docs – vnunet.com, Vnunet.com
• Google fixes several site security issues, news.cnet.com
• Google Site Search taps the power of the cloud, Official Google Blog
• MSN Moves to Create Entertainment Web Sites, New York Times

Business Issues

• Google Diplomats Bend Free Expression to Preserve Global Power , Bloomberg
• China’s music industry warns Baidu search engine over piracy, AFP
• Exec says Microsoft Live Search brand up for reconsideration, SeattlePi
• Yahoo Sets Annual Meeting For August 1, Washington Post

Local, Maps & Mobile

• More cases of Massive Mapspam in Maps, Mike Blumenthal

Link Building

• Debunked: Only The 1st Anchor Text Counts With Google, SEOco
• Hotel & Resort Links – "DoFollow" Tuesdays, Link Building Best Practices

Paid Search & Contextual

• Yahoo Is Going to Automatically Optimize Your PPC Account Without You, PPC Hero
• AdWords Downtime: June 7, 10am-2pm PST, AdWords API Blog
• AdWords API Starter Kit Now Available, AdWords API Blog
• Google Search Ads Rile Its Big Customers, Wall Street Journal
• How to Troubleshoot When Tracking 3rd Party PPC through Google Analytics, PPC Hero

Searching

• "alternative" search engines to these five choices, altsearchengines.com
• Jimmy Wales Reboots His ‘Google-Killer’ – Forbes.com, Forbes
• Answers.com sees growth in wiki responses, Reuters
• Compare FeedBurner Stats With Feed Compare, Performancing.com
• Google Trends KO’d – No Changes in More than 13 Hours, Search Engine Watch Blog

SEM Industry

• Alternative Search Engines Conference, the Sequel, altsearchengines.com
• Are SEO Forums Still Needed?, Search Engine Journal
• Jeffrey Pruitt of iCrossing to Keynote Baidu World Conference, Bill Hartzer
• SMX Advanced 2008 – Icon Grill Search Marketing Dinner, Voices of Search
• SMX Advanced: Thought Leaders Converge, AIM Clear Blog
• WebmasterWorld Compromised – Security Issue Reveals Some Passwords, Search Engine Roundtable

SEO & SEM

• SEO is a Fusion of Relevance and Authority, Search Engine Guide
• Google SERP-rot, Paid Links, , SEO Book
• 25 Blog Optimization Tips Even Dear Old Dad Could Ace (Plus 10 More Tips for Mom!), Search Engine Journal
• 3 CEOs with 3 Strategies for SEO Success, Search Engine Watch
• Digital Asset Optimization – Evolved Search Engine Optimization, Online Marketing Blog
• Google PageRank isn’t the Same as Ranking in Google, Search Engine Watch
• Google Seems Good Sometimes : Helping Hacked Sites, Search Engine Journal
• How Search Engines Can Index Pages in Parts, SEO By The Sea
• Maile Ohye I hate to Disagree, David Naylor
• The Impact of User Feedback, Part 1, Official Google Webmaster Central Blog
• When Top Keywords Suddenly Vanish, Search Engine Watch
• Yahoo Still Trimming Off Trailing Slash, Causing Webmaster Headaches, Search Engine Roundtable

Social Media

• Facebook Platform Now Open Source: fbOpen Released, TechCrunch
• How Social Media (Didn’t) Change Business, Search Engine Guide
• Sudden Disconnect Over Social Networking Deal , Washington Post
• I Know It’s Social – But STFU Already!, ShoeMoney
• Online Marketing Tips Video: Twitter Tips, Search Marketing Gurus
• Social Media Gamblers: Learn To Play The Odds, SEOmoz

Web Analytics

• Pump Up Your Site with Website Workout, Official Google Website Optimizer Blog

Recent Hot Items From Sphinn, Our Social News Sharing Site:

• Are SEO Forums Still Needed?
• Ask the Experts at SMX Advanced 2008
• Site Network Stealth and Uses: Hiding from Google and Competitors
• How Social Media (Didn’t) Change Business
• I Know It’s Social – But STFU Already!
• Free Google Third-Party Ad Providers Widget
• Press Releases: Which Of These Rookie Mistakes Are You Making?
• Google New Definition for Doorway Pages
• Links Only Your Mother Could Love – This Month (May) In SEO
• How to Explore Your Backlinks Anchor Text
• Making Your Site Social Media Friendly
• Developing Tactical Knowledge on Social Media Websites: A Three-Part Strategy for DIY Marketers