SearchCap: The Day In Search, May 7, 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:

• The Big List Of Major B2B Search Engines
  Most search marketers focus on Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. But B2B search marketers also have a growing number of vertical search options. Clicks and leads from these vertical search sites may not yield the same traffic as general search engines, but the percentage of qualified traffic and conversions can…
• From My Inbox: Some Search Tools To Checkout
  After Yahoo-Microsoft madness, a bit of a lull. So I’m cleaning out my inbox and wanted to mention a few items that might be of interest. Below, a way to quickly search blogs & social media sites all at once, a new video search tool, a study into automatic search…
• Developing In-House SEO Functionality
  My last Search Engine Land post, In-house SEO functionality resonated with many in-house SEOs. “Eletitor” commented on the necessity of getting the entire management team on board for in-house SEO success. Kevin Cheng mentioned the need for preparations prior to hiring any in-house SEO, as well as the bureaucratic…
• Google, Sprint, Cable Companies Join Forces On Wireless Internet Initiative
  Sprint, the troubled, third largest US wireless carrier has been mulling a spin off or sale of Nextel and has been the subject of takeover rumors itself. It had ambitious plans to roll out a national WiMax network that had seemingly been placed on the back burner. However, today, the…
• Essential SEO Spring Cleaning For Your Website
  It’s Red Sox season again in Boston. That means we’re at that meteorological intersection of winter and summer: it could very well be 80 degrees or it could snow. While most other parts of the country experience a season called spring, we get a small window of opportunity to…
• The Elevator Pitch Is Dead. Introducing The Twitpitch
  The landscape of corporate public relations is changing fast. First the press release died and we told you how to write a press release for the social media audience. Now the elevator pitch is dead and here’s how to adapt….

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

• District Of Columbia Tests Google Apps, InformationWeek
• New chatback styles, Google Talkabout
• Working Offline With Google Docs, Part 1, PC World

Business Issues

• Google director Ram Shriram sells shares, Forbes
• Alibaba.com Net Soars on China Gains, Wall Street Journal
• $1 Billion of Cash Flow For Yahoo-Google Search Deal? Keep Dreaming, Silicon Alley Insider
• Microsoft Bankers Talked To Facebook About a Deal, Wall Street Journal
• Viacom Chairman: Won’t Tolerate Piracy By Video Sharing Web Sites, CNN Money

Local, Maps & Mobile

• Changes Afoot For UK Live Maps Users – A Heads Up, LiveSide

Link Building

• Search Engine War: The Future without Links, Search Engine War
• The Link Farm: How Does Google Define a Link Farm?, Search Engine Roundtable
• Tips on Content Centered Link Building, Online Marketing Blog

Microhoo

• Microsoft’s Yahoo foray signals its shaky grip on the desktop, Wall Street Journal
• Rumors of Jerry Yang’s Dethroning Are Greatly Exaggerated , AllThingsD
• WSJ: The War for the Web, Andy Kessler:
• Is Yang Still In Control At Yahoo?, TechCrunch
• Bill Gates says Microsoft going ‘independent’ way, AP
• Microsoft’s Project Granola: Facebook Tastier Than Yahoo?, AllThingsD

Paid Search & Contextual

• Additional TV Ads webinar now available for sign up, Inside AdWords
• Introducing the Known Issues page…and a known issue, Inside AdSense
• Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Never Drink While Doing Google Adwords, SEM Geek
• Split Testing Adwords: You’re Doing It Wrong, SEO Fast Start
• Google AdSense Test Four Text Ads In Large Rectangle Unit, Search Engine Roundtable
• Monday: The Biggest Pay Day For Google AdSense Publishers, Search Engine Roundtable
• Post-Launch PPC Process and Optimizations, Shimon Sandler
• Promoting a Blog through Facebook Advertising and Google Adwords, Digital Inspiration
• The Top 3 Reasons PPC Lead Gen Campaigns Miss Volume Targets – Part 2, Search Engine Watch

Searching

• BeatYouThere LaunchesUnique Real Estate Search, altsearchengines.com
• More than a pretty face, Live Search
• Is Quick.as Better than Google?, altsearchengines.com
• Similarr: Talk About Search Results, Read/Write Web

SEM Industry

• Actionable Organic Search Analytics, BruceClay.com
• On-site Search As A Crystal Ball, BruceClay.com
• Reputation Management in a Social Media World and On Your Site, BruceClay.com
• CEO Tells Wall St. Why He Invests in SEO, Search Engine Watch
• Searchengineforums – Ten Years Online!, Searchengineforums
• Barry Schwartz from Search Engine Roundtable, Search Feature
• eMetrics Keynote – The Coca-Cola Marketing Metrics Journey, Part Two, BruceClay.com
• Marchex Gains, Beats Estimates, Screenwerk

SEO & SEM

• Banned By Google, Andy Beard
• Hewlett Packard Giving Away Free Templates With Embedded Links, www.wolf-howl.com
• How Legal Fictions Can Break Google’s Paradigms on Greyhat SEO, seoroi.com
• 10 Clear Questions for the Engines that Deserve Some Answers, SEOmoz
• The Times: Linking To The BBC Will Boost Your Google Ranking, Seoco.co.uk
• 8 Ways to Evaluate a Page (Domain Independent), Search Engine Journal
• How Do You Tell Google that You’re a UK Site?, Search Engine Roundtable
• Preventing Secure & Non-Secure Site Duplication, Search Engine Guide
• Upgrading a website? Four key SEO tips for web design firms, E-Consultancy

Social Media

• CultureMob: A Budding Event Search Site With Smart Features, mashable.com
• Twitter Starts Blacklisting Spammers, TechCrunch

Video, Music & Image Search

• Google vows to keep fighting Viacom, BusinessWeek
• YouTube India is Live – Watch Videos Popular in India, Digital Inspiration

Other Items

• Google Homepage Links to Donation Page for Burma, Google Blogoscoped
• Daily SearchCast, May 6: Yahoo Largely Survives Microsoft Walkout; Google Loses PR Chief To Facebook, Daily SearchCast

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

• Twit for Hire Cartoon – Will Twit you for $$$
• Link building made easy when the client gets involved
• Hewlett Packard Giving Away Free Templates With Embedded Links
• 8+ Ways to Evaluate a Page (Domain Independent)
• The Elevator Pitch Is Dead. Introducing The Twitpitch
• 99 Creative and Memorable Profile Avatars
• Would you attend a Greyhat SEO panel at SES/SMX/SBM etc.?
• Split Testing Adwords: You’re Doing It Wrong
• SEO is about to Grow Up – Are You Ready for the New Wave?
• Do You Report Your Competitors?
• The Costs of Over Reliance On Social Media Traffic
• Sphinn – Deterring Spam Whilst Rewarding Great Stories
• How to Steal Competitors’ Keywords While Protecting Your Own
• Wasting Your Time with Web Analytics
• Microsoft Yanks Its Offer For Yahoo