SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 26, 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:

• Logo Bomb: Google Maps Returns Anti-Microsoft Logo For Microsoft Listing
  Garett Rogers at Googling Google has reported that a search on Google Maps for microsoft has returned an anti-Microsoft image within the Microsoft listing, as shown to the left. The image was originally on a Yelp.com page and automatically inserted into the Google Maps result. It appears to now…
• Getting Link Love From Google Custom Search Engines
  I’ve written previously about Google Custom Search Engines.  These vertical Googlettes let anyone create a search engine with results based on Google’s index, with an added layer of human editorial selection. Put more simply, you create a Google CSE; you select the sites you want in it, and then you let…
• No SEO Bull: Calacanis Challenge Sees Traffic Rise 21%
  Neil Patel challenged Jason Calacanis, who said last month that SEO is bull, that SEO can improve traffic to his site. Jason accepted the challenge and the early results have now been posted. Neil shows that by making "white hat" recommendation, he has increased Jason’s search traffic by 21 percent….
• Google Builds Local Map Content in 3D
  In January, Google announced a contest in which US and Canadian students were invited to generate their college campuses in 3D, using Google Sketchup. A few individuals or teams whose works are judged to be the best will be flown to Google headquarters in Mountain View for a special…
• Yell.com Launches PPC On UK Directory Site
  UK yellow pages publisher and local search purveyor, Yell.com announced that it launched PPC ads on its site as well as targeted banner inventory. Yell owns U.S. yellow pages publisher Yellow Book USA. One of the more innovative print yellow pages publishers, Yell also offers mobile, enhanced mapping, vertical guides…
• Rebranded Canadian Local Search Site ZipLocal Launches
  ZipLocal is a new, consolidated "Web 2.0" local search destination growing out of a number of earlier local search sites including Zip411.net and redToronto.com, among them. Here’s an example results page for "Sushi , Toronto." The site has many Ajax features and offers send to mobile, as well as the…
• Google Gives Seminar On Google for Politics
  Google canvasses for political ads at the LA Times reports that Google gave a seminar at the annual conference for political consultants and internet activists run by George Washington University. The seminar, "Making the Most of Google in 2008," saw Google advising how groups can use Google services to promote…
• Live.com Link Command Currently Offline
  The Microsoft Live.com link command operator is currently offline and has been offline since yesterday morning. Kevin Gibbons reported yesterday that a link:http://www.msn.com returns a blank page. I tested more examples and have seen it down since at least 5:27 AM (EST) yesterday morning. All other searches seem to work,…
• Google Continues Testing Navigational Link Placement
  It appears we have more sightings of Google experimenting with additional navigational link placement ideas. These are links that let you reach various Google search services beyond web search….
• Yahoo Removes Directory Links From Individual Search Results
  Yahoo Removes Category (Directory) Links From Under Search Results at Search Engine Roundtable reports that Yahoo has removed the links from the individual search listings to the Yahoo Directory….
• Yahoo Releases Greatly Simplified "SiteBuilder" Tool
  How many U.S. small businesses have websites? Is it 30%, 40%, 50%? Answering that question gets quickly into debates over the definition of a "website." For example, is a "landing page" or a "profile page" a website? Do the small business data provided by InfoUSA, Axciom, Localeze, TruelLocal (and now…
• TimeSearch: Searching Through History
  TimeSearch is an interestingly different search engine, since the focus is just on time, as one may expect from the name. It’s the brainchild of Bamber Gascoigne, (a well known British television presenter of historical programmes and academic quiz shows) and HistoryWorld. The search options are fairly limited – to…
• Travelocity: Non-Branded Terms Convert Nearly 25% But "Assists" Might Be Less Than Assumed
  Earlier this month, Travelocity’s chief marketing officer Jeffrey Glueck generated a bit of a stir in the search marketing world after giving a speech saying his company found only 4 percent of non-branded search terms brought in bookings. Problem is, Glueck now says those figures weren’t reported correctly. As it…
• Comparing Search Popularity Ratings: Google Climbs & Good News For Live.com
  Previously, I’ve covered individually the latest search popularity figures for February 2007 in the United States that have been issued by the major ratings services of comScore, Nielsen//NetRatings, Hitwise and Compete. Now it’s time to compare the figures from each of these services against each other plus look back over…
• Register Now For SMX Advanced 2007 Seattle!
  Just a quick reminder for our SearchCap newsletter readers and anyone who visits Search Engine Land. Our first Search Marketing Expo event, SMX Advanced, happens in Seattle this June 4 and 5. We hope you’ll be attending. If so, register before April 2 to save on getting a ticket! The…

Search News Headlines From Elsewhere

Applications & Portal Features

• Computer Science 101: A Case Study In Google Applications, InformationWeek

Business Issues

• Google admits project in Goose Creek, The State
• Google’s expansion is coming at a price: it’s losing its popularity, The Observer
• Yahoo! India content head quits, CIOL

Local, Mobile & Maps

• The Local Authorities: Drilling Down 2007, Ask.com Blog
• Yahoo Local vs Google Maps Beatdown, SEO by the SEA
• Idearc Launches TV Campaign, Search Engine Watch Blog
• MapQuest : Send Maps to Cell Phone, Search Engine Journal

Paid Search & Contextual

• The Guide to Creating AdWords Pay Per Action Campaigns, eWhisper.net

SEM Industry

• Yahoo! Searchlight Award 2007 Winners, Yahoo! Publisher Network
• Kinetic Results Now Dexterity Media, Search Engine Watch Blog

SEO & SEM

• Buying Text Links – Good or Bad?, The Organic SEO
• Creating a Free Service to Build Links, Link Building Blog
• Search Personalization and SEO, ClickZ
• PageRank, Self-Serving Links, and Domain Trust, SEO by the SEA
• Give your search-engine rankings a lift, The Office Live Blog

Social Media

• Three Innovative Ways to Use Twitter, Pronet Advertising
• BBC Takes a Quick Look at Digg, Pronet Advertising

Video & Image Search

• YouTube Awards – The Winners, Google Operating System
• TV Guide to Launch Online-Video Search Engine, FOXNews.com

Other Vertical Search

• Greg Linden on Google’s Deep Web Strategy, O’Reilly Radar
• Meta Search Discussion Boards and More with Klotsu (An Early Beta) from Pidgin Technologies, ResourceShelf
• Finding and Searching for Entities with TextMap, TextMed, TextBlg, and TextBiz, ResourceShelf

Other Stuff

• Google Heard Me, Now What?, 10 Zen Monkeys
• Google staff get on their bikes, The Brunei Times
• Dog Day at Kirkland, Official Google Blog
• Podcast: Logo Bombs On Google Maps Blow Up For Microsoft; NBC & News Corp. Offer YouTube Challenge; Why Does Google Hate Cats? Meow! And More!, Daily SearchCast