SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 19, 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:

• SES NY Day Three Live Coverage Recap
  The third day of SES NY is now complete. Here is the live blogging coverage I found throughout the day for the event. I’ll add any new coverage to tomorrow’s recap….
• Search Biz: Online Marketing Will Continue To Grow Despite Slowdown, Yahoo Woos Shareholders & Alibaba Wants To “Close Sesame”
  Markets are riding rollercoasters, central banks are bailing out major financial institutions, inflation is rearing its ugly head, and consumers are apparently pulling back into their shells, but none of this gloom-and-doom is even remotely threatening the growth in online marketing and advertising spend, according to eMarketer. The market…
• Google SafeSearch Filter Bug: Porn Found On Google Universal Search Results
  This morning I reported at the Search Engine Roundtable that users have been spotting explicit pornographic images on Google web search for a search on hot celebrities (warning: before clicking, take caution). The query triggers Google to show an image search result at the top of the web search results,…
• Google Japan Adds Tabs In New Design
  Google Blogoscoped reports Google Japan has a new design being pushed out to their users. The new design can be seen at this IP location and contains tab links to other Google properties. Here is a screen capture of the new design:…
• Google Sees “Watershed Moment” For Mobile Usage
  Google is now reporting that it is seeing a rapid increase in mobile Internet search and usage on several platforms. According to an interview with Reuters, Google mobile product manager Matt Waddell said, “We have very much hit a watershed moment in terms of mobile Internet usage. We are seeing…
• Why You Should Track “Soft” SEO Metrics
  As an in-house search marketer, you hold a unique position. You help manage all your company’s content with the goal to maximize the return on that content’s creation. You are the pointy end of the spear in the quest for low-cost traffic and conversions. Setting aside the growing salaries…

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

• Google Charts API Update, Google Blogoscoped
• Gadget Maker goes global, Official Google Blog
• Google brings gadgets to Docs’ spreadsheet, InfoWorld
• Google Spreadsheet Gadgets and More, Google Blogoscoped
• Introducing the Google Visualization API, Google Code Blog

Business Issues

• ABCSearch acquires Aftervote.com, DMNews
• About hakia’s Market Positioning, Hakia Blog
• Exclusive: Blogdigger Acquired by Odeo, Read/Write Web
• How Apple Got Everything Right By Doing Everything Wrong, Wired
• How does Google’s ‘Web platform’ differ from others?, News.com
• The Google Conflict: Search Engine or Destination?, ClickZ
• Yahoo turns to radio ads to lure Google Web searchers, News.com

Local, Maps & Mobile

• Add your business to Local Search in India, Official Google Blog
• Google Local Business Center Upgrade -Unlimited Category Options, Mike Blumenthal
• Local.com Patent Licensing Moving Forward, Screenwerk

Link Building

• The Anatomy of a 12-Month Link Baiting Campaign, Search Engine Guide
• A Simple List Might be Better Link Bait?, Marketing Pilgrim
• Niche Marketing and Link Building Resources, Search Engine Journal
• Text Link Ads Silver Bullet or Poisoned Chalice, DaveN
• Yahoo Site Explorer Showing Less Links Recently?, Search Engine Roundtable

Microhoo

• Microsoft still committed to Yahoo: Citigroup, National Post
• Yahoo takes the long road to Redmond, News.com

Paid Search & Contextual

• Google’s Thin-Skinned Lawyers, New York Times
• Google AdSense May Use Web Beacon Tracking in Future, Search Engine Roundtable
• Terms and Conditions clarification, Inside AdSense

Searching

• Is Google’s user interface outdated?, News.com
• Gigablast Better than Google or Ask.com : According to Study, Search Engine Journal
• Gigablast Launches Site Search for Websites, Bill Hartzer
• Mefeedia Launches Extensive Multimedia Search, Read/Write Web
• Testing the Quintura Site Search Widget, Pandia

SEM Industry

• You Say Big Brother, I Say Friendly Neighborhood Peeping Tom Bearing Gifts, BruceClay.com
• SES New York 2008: Bill Tancer WebProNews Videos, WebProNews
• SES New York 2008: Todd Malicoat and Brent Csutoras WebProNews Videos, WebProNews

SEO & SEM

• 3 Core Qualities of a Reputation Manager, ViperChill
• A Deeper Look at Vertical Search – Interview with Iri Amirav from iMedix, SEOmoz
• Keyword and Competitive Research Done Right – RankSense, Search Engine Journal
• Uncovering the Real Universal Search, Search Engine Watch
• You don’t need sitelinks to get a search box, SEOptimise

Social Media

• 5 Ways To Have Fun with Twitter When You’re Bored, Read/Write Web
• Are You Monitoring Twitter?, Search Engine Guide
• Facebook Could Use a Little FriendFeed, Read/Write Web
• Google Spreadsheets Adds Gadgets, a Directory of Features, Google Operating System
• Jason Calacanis gives product demo of My Mahalo at SES New York, Search Engine Watch Blog
• Mahalo Adds New Social Search Tools, Search Engine Watch Blog
• StumbleUpon – Demographics and Returning Traffic Spikes, SEOmoz
• Twitter Is The Tech Water Cooler, Read/Write Web
• Useful Gadgets are Better than Viral Ones, SEOish
• User Generated Content: What it is, why you want it and how to get it, Web Optimist

Web Analytics

• Web Analytics Tips – SES New York Style – adCenter Analytics, adcentercommunity.com

Other Items

• Doodle: Fallas, Googlified
• Google Local: Funny Temporarily Unavailable Message, SEOdisco
• In Blogging and RSS, Headlines Can be Make or Break, louisgray.com
• Yahoo Drives March Madness Mobile, Red Herring

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

• The Syndication of SEO Celebrity
• What’s SEO’s Secret Sauce? Content, Timing and Links
• What You Can Learn from Your Competition
• 17 Habits of Highly Popular Bloggers
• SearchToons Launches on SEJ – Calacanis Debuts!
• Social Media Marketing w/ Podcasts, Vidcasts, and Blogs
• The baiting hordes of social news sites: how will you react?
• To Use Images or Not to Use Images in Your Posts
• Guide to Geo Targeting for SEO and Usability
• SEO Tip: Almost 7 Ways To Re-Optimize Your Posts
• Negative “Anti-Marketing” and Reputation Management for Affiliates
• 12 Must-Have Tools for Active Digg Users
• Organic Listings Forum : Google PageRank, Blogs and Paid Links
• How to To Compare Different SE’s Results
• 7 Reasons Why Mixx Is Better Than Digg