SearchCap: The Day In Search, September 20, 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:

• Hitwise: August 2007 Search Share Favors Google, Yahoo – Microsoft Drops
  Yes, it’s that time of the month again — search popularity stats time. Several ratings services are out with figures for August 2007, and I’m starting off with a look at those from Hitwise. They keep Google on top, Yahoo showing some gains and Microsoft continued drops….
• Zillow Grabs Another Big Round Of Cash
  As the Wall Street Journal reported this morning, real estate and local search site Zillow announced another round of investment — this time a whopping $30 million. That means the company has raised roughly $90 million since launching in early 2006. Among other intended uses of the money, the site…
• Google-DoubleClick Senate Hearing To Begin Next Week
  I won’t repeat verbatim the cliche about politics and strange bedfellows, but that’s exactly what we’ll have on parade next week as the public hearings in the US Senate begin about Google’s proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick. As News.com succinctly and ironically points out, “an unlikely alliance of former…
• Sorting Out The Mobile Search & SEO Mess
  One of the biggest challenges of being a mobile SEO is comparing keyword results across the many different search engines. While the goal of all the mobile engines is the same, their approaches vary considerably. Many traditional SEOs will simply target Google and hope for the best in the…
• Google Hires In-House Lobbyist To Address A Range Of Issues Before Congress
  Anyone who believes that the United States is a truly free market should think again. The US government is in so many instances the gatekeeper or arbiter for the spoils of public assets, such as wireless spectrum. And Google has discovered how central political favor in Washington to its fortunes….
• The Great Google Directory Ban Of Sept. 2007
  Earlier this month, a discussion on our Sphinn site looked at how it seemed Google was going after directories with penalties. But was this really happening, or was it just forum noise coming out in particular from Digital Point? Today, Rand Fishkin takes a long look in the issue in…
• Google Launches Google Shared Stuff
  Google Blogoscoped reports that Google has launched Google Shared Stuff. This is a bookmarklet that you add to your browser, which enables you email or share web pages with your friends. In addition to adding web pages to your Google Shared Stuff page, or emailing those web pages, you can…
• The Pros and Cons of Microsites As An SEO Option
  I’ve never been a fan of “one page salesletter” web sites espoused by some marketers (here’s an example). Such sites seem to drone on, with so many screenfulls that I get tired of scrolling. And there are so few pages to the site that it’s an SEO nightmare. If…
• The Million iPhone Question
  Let me preface this by saying that I am pretty tired of talking about the iPhone. But given that Apple recently sold the one-millionth unit, it’s generating more buzz around the office than ever and I have no choice. I’ve spoken more about the iPhone to clients and colleagues…
• Time For A Site Redesign?
  Since the 1990s, usability experts and site visitors have been chanting the same web design mantra: Make your site easy-to-use, professional… easy-to-use, professional… Research into how people interact with sites shows that visitors make snap judgements—often within seven seconds of landing at our virtual doorsteps. In fact, the Stanford…
• Why Local & Mobile Search Matters: Sherman & Sterling Preview SMX Local & Mobile
  Hear SMX Local & Mobile conference co-chairs Chris Sherman and Greg Sterling discuss the importance of local and mobile search and why you should attend. Download the show preview MP3 file. SMX Local & Mobile is the only event 100% dedicated to getting search marketers up to speed on this…

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

• Now even better, Google SketchUp Blog
• Zero-day exploits attack Yahoo, AOL instant messengers, News.com
• Portal Problems, Forbes

Business Issues

• Google adding second building in Lenoir, News & Observer
• Has Google actually read U.S. v. Microsoft?, News.com

Local, Maps & Mobile

• Google LatLong: Custom icons for your maps, Google LatLong
• Google Maps: Save Trees. Go Green!, Googlified

Link Building

• Link Building for Local Search, Search Engine Watch
• Link Building is Getting More Difficult, but Why?, Search Engine Roundtable
• Yahoo Site Explorer Back, Search Engine Roundtable

Paid Search & Contextual

• AdWords PPC Geotargetting / Language Setup, McAnerin Muse
• Bigmouthmedia comments on Best Practice Funding, BigMouthMedia
• Google to end ad agency subsidy, The Guardian
• Yahoo Site Blocking: Block Sites from Displaying your Yahoo Ads, Search Engine Roundtable

Searching

• Promoting Your Own Services in Search Results, Google Operating System

SEM Industry

• The Man Responsible for NY Times Going Free, Technology Evangelist
• Sullivan: Designation for Compliance in Search Doesn’t Cover It All, Ad Age
• The SEO Reputation Problem, Search Engine Journal

SEO & SEM

• 20 More Ways that Search Engines May Rerank Search Results -SEO by the SEA, SEO By The Sea
• 4 Step Guide to Keyword Research at Brisbane SEO Blog, blog.sitemost.com.au
• More SEO Noise, John Andrews
• Searching for Options: Integration Spells Sweet Success, Search Engine Watch
• Google Webmaster Tools Link Report Download Feature Not Working, Search Engine Roundtable

Social Media

• Technorati Is Trying, and It’s Counting for Something, Pronet Advertising
• 23 Community Reactions to the New Digg: Outlook Not Good, Techipedia
• Add more photos to orkut!, Orkut Blog
• Build a Facebook Profile You Can Be Proud Of, Quick Sprout
• Hide and Speak: Recovering from a Social Media Disaster, Search Engine Guide

Video, Music & Image Search

• NBC Launching VOD Service – What about Hulu?, NewTeeVee
• Blinkx CEO: we don’t need Google, Times Online
• ABC’s AOL Pact Marks Web’s Growing TV Allure, Wall Street Journal

Web Analytics

• New Website Optimizer Strategy and Tips, Inside AdWords

Other Items

• Google Scooter Etiquette, ClickZ
• Podcast: Live.com Getting Relaunch, Tech Upgrade; Google The Ad Agency?, Daily SearchCast

Hot Items From Sphinn, Our Social News Sharing Site:

• Are You Using the Five Types of Links Properly?
• Thank you Sphinn & All You Wonderful SEOers
• What Bill Belichick Can Teach You About Blackhat SEO
• 23 Community Reactions to the New Digg: Outlook Not Good
• Why is Digg Forcing Me to Give Out my Zip Code?
• You Can’t Automate Search Engine Optimization
• How Engadget Made Digg Homepage Twice Within 3 Hours For The Same Story!
• Why the New Digg Sucks
• Greg Boser’s Hysterical SEO Vanity Contest
• The SEO Reputation Problem
• Manchester SEO Pissup Pix ‘n More ::
• Enormous list of Stumbleupon articles
• The SEO Vanity Contest – 2 free passes to PubCon!
• 20 More Ways that Search Engines May Rerank Search Results
• Free Targeted Traffic From Yahoo Answers
• Two Free Font Utilities You Should Check Out
• Top 11 Digg-like Sites For Bloggers, Designers, And Web Developers
• How to get the perfect logo for your blog
• Share Your Sphinn Love!
• Danger Will Robinson: BlogRush Debate is a big Bandwith Waster!
• What happened to ethics? SEOs that Mislead Clients
• Propeller.com Goes Live : Netscape Makes the Switch