SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 9, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
Danny Sullivan's latest articles
AOL To Sell Ads Direct, Using Google’s Tools
As John Battelle notes, the embargo on AOL’s deal to white label Google’s AdWords system and sell ads direct on its own has been broken. It’s no surprise this was coming. A white label deal was announced back in December 2005 when AOL renewed with Google:
George W. Bush: A Failure Once Again, According To Google
Remember how Google introduced a link bomb fix in January that, among other things, finally got US President George W. Bush out of first page of results for searches on miserable failure and failure at Google? Bush is back, at least for failure, and the White House has only itself to blame. Someone reading our […]
Google Voice Local Search Launched
You’ve heard the rumors. Now you can try the experimental service from Google Labs. Google Voice Local Search is now live and publicly claimed by Google. Greg Sterling will be along to say more either here or in a fresh post. In the meantime, you can call (1-800-GOOG-411) and get local information by talking to […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 6, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
Google Exec On Board Of Company That Might Pollute Google Results
Bottom Slurping for Google Juice from Kate Kaye ClickZ is a fairly jaw-dropping story of Associated Content, a site cofounded by Google vice president of advertising sales Tim Armstrong, that might very well be generating the type of AdSense-powered crud that pollutes Google and other search engines as I just mentioned earlier today. Armstrong is also a board member of the […]
Search In Pictures: New Column From Search Engine Land
Last week, Barry Schwartz tried a new idea of showing what was happening in the world of search based on pictures he found on the web. You liked it enough that we’ve decided to make it a formal column called Search In Pictures, which will run on Fridays here at Search Engine Land. The latest […]
AFP & Google Settle Over Google News Copyright Case
The most significant copyright case against Google News, that filed by Agence France-Presse back in March 2005, has now ended. Google has signed a licensing agreement with AFP that settles the suit. News from the AFP here. The statement from both companies has the usual spin that this is about "new" uses rather than Google […]
Google: Master Of Closing The Loop?
I gave SEO Book’s Aaron Wall a big mention for his piece on trust earlier this week, but he’s got another post out now that deserves as much attention: Google as the Invisible Hand of the Online Economy. In it, he covers things such as how by being everywhere, Google reinforces things for Google itself. […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 5, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
AdSense Units Get Bigger Google Logo
A fresh, new look for AdSense ads from Google’s Inside AdSense blog makes it official. The new AdSense displays that have been in testing from last month, with the "Ads by Google" much more prominent in the lower right-hand corner? They’re here to stay.
Cost Of Protecting GOOG Chief: $1/2 Million
Google’s top execs taking salaries of only $1 is old news. The cost of protecting them, especially Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is considerably more. Over half a million dollars, $532,755 to be exact, to protect Schmidt. That’s according to company’s latest financial filings, reports the New York Times.
WSJ Covers Ask.com’s “Information Revolution” Ad Campaign
Ask.Com’s ‘Revolt’ Risks Costly Clicks from the Wall Street Journal weighs in on the Ask.com guerrilla marketing campaign we covered last month, especially focusing on the negative comments that have appeared on the associated web site. The article also highlighting the television commercials now airing. I’ve seen these myself on TV here, and a video […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 4, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
Thailand Blocks YouTube Over Video Insult To King
First Brazil blocked YouTube over a celebrity sex video. Then Turkey blocked YouTube over a video said to be insulting to country founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Now it’s Thailand’s turn. YouTube is now blocked in Thailand after the service apparently failed to remove a video clip deemed insulting to the country’s king.
Google Desktop Now Out For Mac
Want Google Desktop for the Mac? More than two years after it was released for the PC, it’s finally available for the Mac, says Google (and said also here). And here’s what Mac folks are saying about it on Techmeme.
Follow Search Engine Land On Twitter
Want to get updated about news from Search Engine Land via Twitter? We have an account there, sengineland. Why not searchengineland? Too long a username, sadly. Anyway, visit that page, and if you’re logged in, use the "add sengineland" link in the white "Actions" box on the right-hand side of the page. Now you’ll get […]
Google Website Optimizer Now Available, But Is It Cloaking?
Google Website Optimizer, a tool that allows you to easily test different page layouts, is now available to anyone with an AdWords account. Previously, it had been out in limited beta since last October. It remains unclear whether using the tool would be considered cloaking, which is against Google’s webmaster guidelines. The Good Cloaking, Evil […]
Tips On Knowing Whom & What To Trust
I’m an avid reader of Aaron Wall at SEO Book, because he always has great insight. Questioning the Legitimacy and Authenticity of Internet Marketing Advice & Sources from Aaron out today is an especially good read that I’d recommend to anyone trying to understand what to trust, and what not, when it comes to products, […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 3, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
Will Utah’s New Trademark Bill Stop Competitive Keyword Buys?
Wow. Via Techdirt, news from the EFF that the Utah legislature has passed a Trademark Protection Act law preventing people from buying ads linked to terms that are also trademarks of others. The Trademark Blog notes the law probably violates the US Constitution. Certainly it will be hard to enforce. In addition, we’ve got US […]
Ranking The SEO Ranking Factors
Back in 2005, SEOmoz tried to assemble a list of all the possible search engine ranking factors out there and get various experts to rate them. I say tried to because while they had a list, and ratings, no one knows all the factors or exactly how each individual search engine chooses to use them. […]
Ask Ramps Up The Mystery Ads
First in the UK, Ask rolled out a guerilla marketing campaign aimed at sparking an "information revolution" to choose Ask over Google. Now a different yet still mysterious campaign is underway in the US by Ask. Valleywag reports about billboards on Highway 101 between San Francisco and San Jose saying "The Algorithm Killed Jeeves" [Ask’s […]
Snakes On A Google
We noted the great Google python rampage in headlines yesterday, but the story continues. Since it’s a slow news day, so why not. On April 1, the python pet of a Google employee in New York got loose. No joke. The python was found yesterday, and no one was harmed. Not even the python. Need […]
MSN Gets The Message: Don’t Prefill The Search Box
I’m still waiting for the promised official response from Microsoft about the entire prefilling of the search box thing that happened at MSN UK, as we wrote about last week. But via Threadwatch, MSN UK apparently has a blog about the — yes — MSN UK home page. There, MSN explains about the experiment, which […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 2, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
New Search Blogs From Women
I’ve written before about how there are many women are involved in search and search marketing, but blogrolls like ours can still feel man heavy. Fortunately, there are some new blogs up from women in search, including Google Webmaster Central’s Vanessa Fox. Here’s a round-up.
Yahoo Underground: Fringe News Featured
The Yahoo Blog has announced the launch of Yahoo Underground, a new site backed by Yahoo News that’s meant to look at fringe cultures. April Fool’s joke? Could be, given how the post stresses "Beginning today, April 1…." Then again, the main feature about last year’s World Science Fiction convention? Um, well, that seemed pretty […]
Ask Kevin: Ask.com Acquires Kevin Federline’s “Search With Kevin”
I had lunch with Ask CEO Jim Lanzone last Thursday when he was here in the UK, and I’ve been itching to tell the news he gave me under embargo. Now it’s up, with Jim himself sharing the announcement in video. Kevin Federline’s Search With Kevin service is being acquired and merged with Ask, to […]
TiSP: Google Flushes Free Wireless Broadband For All
Now posted on the Google Blog, news of the new Google TiSP service offering free wireless to homes via their, ahem, plumbing systems. Sir Thomas Crapper would be proud. See discussion at Techmeme. Google’s latest feature will better connect you with previous Google products that have been rolled out on the first of April: Google […]
March 2007: Search Engine Land’s Most Popular Stories
Below are Search Engine Land’s 10 most popular stories from March 2007:
The Matt Cutts Blog Gets Hacked
The Dark SEO Team has had a bit of a beef with Google’s Matt Cutts from back in 2005 over URL hijacking. Looks like they’ve pulled a prank on him today. Matt’s blog is down, hacked — and archives wiped out as well. Matt has posted previously to this about the site being slow (post […]
Matt Cutts & CuttsCon
Goodness knows Google’s Matt Cutts is popular at conferences. I’ve seen him swamped by people at them. In fact, so many people surround Matt wherever he goes that I nicknamed them "Cuttlets" last year and wondered if they’d ever form a formal fan club. Well, turns out they’ve done more than that. Fans of Matt […]
Thanks For The Link, Mainstream Media — Now Let’s Have More!
I’ve been publishing online about search for nearly 11 years now. My work, or my comments, have been quoted in mainstream publications on the topic of search for virtually the same time. Much more often than not, those references never include a live link back to my web site, not from the websites of those […]
Google Under Fire For Showing Pre-Katrina New Orleans Images; Others Doing The Same?
Google goes back to pre-Katrina maps from USA Today reports that Google Maps has changed their satellite imagery of New Orleans to show pre-Katrina images, getting some local residents angry and wondering if there’s some type of cover-up in the works. However, it’s unclear if these are pre-Katrina images or not — and the situation’s […]
Feed & Information Overload? Read SearchCap!
I was talking to someone recently who felt overwhelmed by all the search news that happens when they’re out of-touch while traveling. They’d fire up Google Reader after getting back, only to have hundreds of posts to read through. I suggested they read our SearchCap newsletter. A few weeks later, they said it made a […]
Register For Search Marketing Expo Seattle & Save $200
Heads-up! The early bird registration deadline our Search Marketing Expo Advanced show in Seattle is coming up fast. Register before April 2, and you’ll save $200 on the ticket cost! SMX Advanced happens on June 4 & 5 and is especially designed for experienced search marketers. A full agenda covering the debates, summits, tips & […]
Google Partners With LG & Mobile Handset Maker Deal Chart
Google has gained another mobile phone handset partnership, this time with LG. As of the second quarter of this year, selected LG handsets shipped throughout the world will be preloaded with mobile versions of Google software, including Google Maps, Gmail and Blogger. Yahoo signed a similar deal with LG in February. It’ll be interesting to […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 27, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web:
Yahoo Click Fraud Settlement Approved
Search Engine Watch has news that a settlement in the Checkmate click fraud action against Yahoo has received final approval by the judge overseeing the case. Those with claims were required to file by November 20 of last year, following instructions at the Checkmate Settlement site. Here’s the Yahoo statement they’re giving to the press […]