SearchCap: The Day In Search, November 20, 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: Google SearchWiki Launches, Lets You Build Your Own Search Results Page Google will announce today the launch of SearchWiki, a major addition to its user interface that allows users to edit […]

on November 20, 2008 at 4:52 pm | Reading time: 8 minutes
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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:

  • Google SearchWiki Launches, Lets You Build Your Own Search Results Page
    Google will announce today the launch of SearchWiki, a major addition to its user interface that allows users to edit search results. When using SearchWiki, you can re-order, remove, or add web pages to the search results for any query. You can also add notes to specific listings. You have to be logged in to a Google account so that the changes you make will be saved and shown the next time you run the same search. “This is a way for search to adapt to a more interactive experience,” says Google Product Manager Cedric Dupont. “We ran a bunch of experiments, and the response was overwhelmingly positive from our users. They asked for this feature.”
  • Google AdWords Testing New User Interface
    The Google AdWords blog took the proactive approach and blogged about a beta test they are running on a small group of AdWords users. The beta is a new user interface for the AdWords management console. The new interface should make it easier and quicker for advertisers to manage their campaigns. I am hoping to get a screen shot or two from Google, but if you see it, please contact me with those details.
  • A Small Business Search Marketing Thanksgiving From A-Z
    Thanksgiving is almost here, and as the McGee family sits down at a table full of turkey, stuffing, and potatoes next week, we’ll do our regular Thanksgiving tradition: From A-Z, each family member takes a letter and shares something s/he’s thankful for this year. In that same spirit, here’s a list of things that small businesses can be thankful for — one for each letter of the alphabet — this Thanksgiving. These are things that can make the difficult challenge of online marketing a little easier for any small business.
  • Building SEO Momentum by Using a Consistent Site Structure
    Change. It is a part of life, especially on the web. Evolve or die. But some things need not change to be successful. In some cases change undermines your momentum, particularly in the field of search, where most of the traffic goes to the top couple ranked sites. One of the biggest problems in the field of SEO for enterprise-level sites is content management. Product lines, editorial calendars, marketing, and content management systems often dictate that pieces and parts of a site are organized in a sub-optimal way and/or move locations. Back in 1998 Tim Berners-Lee stated that Cool URIs don’t change:
  • Yahoo Wins T-Mobile “Default Search” Business
    Yahoo’s oneSearch will be the “default” search engine on T-Mobile’s new Web2Go portal. Yahoo has such a relationship with T-Mobile in Europe already. In the US, Yahoo also provides mobile search to AT&T. Verizon and Google are battling for similar “default” status on Verizon handsets. Both Google and Microsoft have a relationship with Sprint.
  • Live Search Incentivizes Canadian Searchers With Big Ticket Search
    Ars Technica reports Microsoft is now trying a new way to incentivizes searches, this time in Canada. Microsoft launched Big Ticket Search to influence Canadians to search using Live Search. Canadians can win wide range of prizes, ranging from 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer SE to gift certificates. Every time a Canadian searches at Big Ticket Search, they have a chance to win one of the 1,488 prizes being offered. The prizes include:
  • Google Kills Lively
    The Google Blog announced they will be discontinuing Lively, Google’s Virtual World project. In short, they said that Lively is simply “not going to pay off” and that they will be closing it down by the end of December.
  • Yahoo Brings “Glue Pages” To The US
    A big hit in India, Yahoo has decided to launch “Glue Pages” in the US market. Barry wrote about Glue when it first appeared in India. Glue Pages are essentially structured search results, pulling content on particular queries or topics from a range of sources: Wikipedia, news, Yahoo Answers, image search, blogs (in some cases) and video. There are also paid search ads on the page. The sources change with the particular topic and not all topics are available, although the Yahoo Search Blog says more will be added over time.
  • Fortune 500 Begins To Embrace Blogging
    Business-to-business (B2B) blogging is be a great way to forge relationships, talk with customers and prospects, demonstrate thought leadership, and dramatically increase visibility in natural search results for targeted search terms. Done right, it ultimately drives substantial traffic when others in the media and blogosphere link to compelling or noteworthy content. Yet the Fortune 500, many of which are B2B companies, has been slow to embrace blogging. Last year, Forrester Research reported that only 29 of the Fortune 500 companies were blogging. While the number of large companies blogging is still relatively small, that number more than doubled in 2008. If you’re looking for insight into big business blogging, both for B2B and B2C companies, check out the Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki, a directory of Fortune 500 companies with business blogs. The wiki, started as collaborative project between Wired Magazine’s Chris Anderson and Socialtext’s Ross Mayfield, is a compilation following active public blogs by company employees blogging about their companies and/or products. Easton Ellsworth of We Know Media and John Cass of PR Communications joined the effort to expand the project.
  • Study Shows Traits Of A Great Search Marketing Company
    More than 100% ROI. 31% increase in brand awareness. 30% increase in web site traffic. 22% increase in online conversion rates. Does your search marketing agency hit those milestones? If so, you’re a “best in class” company according to a new Aberdeen Group study, What Does it Take to Create Best-In-Class Search Engine Marketing? Aberdeen surveyed more than 200 companies with formal search marketing initiatives in place, gathering information on their strategies, experiences, and results. According to the survey, the top companies achieve these results:

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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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