SearchCap: The Day In Search, May 8, 2013

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web.

From Search Engine Land:

• AdWords Ad Group Mobile Bid Adjustments Roll-Out Starts Today
  Google announced that ad group-level mobile bid adjustments will start rolling out today and continue over the next couple of weeks in the Web UI. The added feature went live in the AdWords API last week. Like the elusive Keyword Planner that is rolling out now, ad group mobile bid adjustments are only available in […]
• Enhanced Campaigns: New ‘Set Bid Adjustment’ Button Added For Bulk Edits
  To make multiple bid adjustments for locations and dayparts without having to click into each target individually, Google has added a new “Set bid adjustments” button to the Web UI. The button is available when you are in the “All online campaigns” view, as well; so, you can make bulk changes across multiple campaigns.
• Yahoo Announces New Search Tools & Upgrades In Their Continued Battle To Win More Of The Search Market
  Just a day after the story broke that Yahoo wanted out of their deal with Microsoft, Yahoo’s senior vice president of search Laurie Mann commented on new search tools and upgrades that are scheduled to launch over the coming months. According to an article in Bloomberg News, some of the planned upgrades are being created […]
• Attention Merchants: New Changes To Google Shopping Feed Specifications
  Google announced changes to the Google Shopping Feed Specification today. Here is a review of the updates and deadlines to be aware of: Products Without Unique Identifiers In the biggest change, Google has added the ’identifier exists’ attribute for merchants selling custom goods and other products that don’t have unique identifiers like brand names or MPN codes. In categories […]
• Klout Integration Pushes Human Powered ‘Expert’ Answers Atop Bing’s Search Results
  From Yahoo! to Facebook to Quora, social sites have long been struggling to leverage the Q&A format successfully. Today Klout officially enters the ‘social answers’ space with a unique proposition, integration with Bing search — outside of the social search bar and into a big bold listing within the main search pane. The new ‘Klout Experts’ product […]
• Why Vertical Search Is Threatening Google’s Reign
  Until recently, Google has dominated search. It has been the main stomping ground for consumers looking to buy products, visit sites, or conduct research. However, the nature of search is changing, especially on mobile devices. My own search behavior is a prime example. As a frequent traveler, I go straight to Kayak.com to search for […]
• No, Publishership Isn’t Coming Soon To Google Search To Join Authorship
  There are expectations in some quarters that publishers will soon be able to have their logos showing up in Google in the way that authors can have their pictures appear. But, Google says there are “no plans” for some type of “publishership” to go live similar to the way it handles authorship. Expectations were raised […]
• How to Use The Keyword Planner — The New Keyword Tool From Google AdWords
  Last month, Google quietly began rolling out the AdWords Keyword Planner to select AdWords accounts last month. In typical AdWords fashion, one of the biggest overhauls of the Google Keyword Tool ever went almost unnoticed!   This new keyword tool combines elements of two existing keyword tools, the Google Keyword Tool and the AdWords Traffic Estimator, adding a […]
• Google Celebrates The Iconic Work Of Graphic Designer Saul Bass
  Google is celebrating the work of graphic designer Saul Bass today, giving him his very own Doodle video complete with a musical composition by composer Dave Brubeck. Born in New York City on May 8, 1920, Saul Bass made a career creating iconic film posters, title sequences and corporate logos. Many know Bass’s work from […]
• Even If Yahoo Wants To Leave Microsoft, Here’s Why It Can’t
  Despite effectively renewing its search deal with Microsoft recently, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Yahoo wants a way to break that deal. Why didn’t Yahoo take the opportunity it just had? I suspect that technically and financially, it couldn’t. Yahoo’s “Get Out Of Microsoft Free” Card The WSJ story says that Yahoo has […]

Recent Headlines From MarTech, Our Sister Site Dedicated To Internet Marketing:

• Google Glass Gets A Software Update That Tightens Ties To Google+
• Klout To Compete With Quora In Social Q&A Space With New ‘Klout Experts’ Product
• Infographic: 10 Years Of LinkedIn
• Study: WordPress Grabs More Share Of Top 100 Blogs
• With New Gmail And Chrome Integrations, Is Google Trying To “Colonize” iOS Devices?
• Springtime For Twitter: How The Social Media Service Has Blossomed Into A Real-Time Media Giant
• The ABCs Of A/B Testing
• Google Glass Diary, Day 1: Getting Started With Google Glass

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

• More than 70 of the world’s languages in the blink of an eye, Official Google Blog

Business Issues

• Yahoo’s Mayer Plans Search Revamp to Narrow Google Lead, Bloomberg

Local Search & Maps

• Foursquare’s Dennis Crowley on Automatic Check-Ins, Ad Age
• Foursquare’s Latest iOS Update Delivers New Incentives for Checking In, SocialTimes
• Google Operating System: Maps Engine Lite and the New Google Maps, Google Operating System

Link Building

• Link Building Techniques That STILL WORK!, 312digital.com
• MajesticSEO Beginners Guide to Correlation: Part 2, Majestic SEO Blog
• Poll: Are You Reactive Or Proactive With Google’s Disavow Link Tool, Search Engine Roundtable

Searching

• Reference: New Database From Colorado State University Tracks Energy Legislation In All 50 States, LJ INFOdocket
• Reference: World Trade Organization Launches New Trade Monitoring Database, LJ INFOdocket
• Use These Secret NSA Google Search Tips to Become Your Own Spy Agency, Wired

SEO & SEM

• Local SEO – “Optimization and Understanding Your Users”, Search Engine Guide
• Facebook Graph Search: Local Search Ranking Factors, Search Engine Watch
• Google Webmaster Tools Crawl Error Reports Delayed, Search Engine Roundtable
• How Guest Bloggers are Sleepwalking Their Way into Penalties, SEOmoz
• How to Speed Up Checking Indexation Rates with Excel, RKG Blog
• How To Use Excel Solver To Optimize Your Campaign Budgets, PPC Hero
• It is Still Possible to Spam the Google Search Results, Bill Hartzer
• Self-Hosted WordPress Websites: A Few SEO Do’s and Don’ts, Search Engine Journal
• Should I use the Vary HTTP header on URLs that redirect based on user-agent?, YouTube
• The Formula For Local SEO Success, Search Engine People
• The Importance of Localisation in International SEO, koozai.com
• The Power of Bing Ads – The Details, Bing
• Understanding International SEO – Why The Devil is in the Detail, apexinternet.co.nz
• Understanding the Emerging Trends in SEO – Building Maximum Exposure, Daily SEO Tip
• Using Excel to Help Move to Enhanced Campaigns, SEOptimise
• Your Search Ads Are Losing Money: Stop The Bleeding!, WrightIMC