SearchCap: The Day In Search, November 17, 2009

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

From Search Engine Land:

• 21 Link Builders Share Advanced Link Building Queries

  Advanced link building queries, for the link builders who use them extensively, remain a closely guarded secret. It’s easy to understand why. For one, they want to protect a valued link source from getting flooded with link requests from the general link-seeking public. Secondly, there are some choice opportunities out there that would lose their […]

• Google Image Swirl: A New Way To Browse For Similar Images

  The newest addition to Google Labs is a mashup of Google Images, Google Similar Images and the visual query refinement tool, The Google Wonder Wheel. Called Google Image Swirl, the new tool clusters similar images based on characteristics found in both the text surrounding images, as well as using some of the visual analysis techniques […]

• Social Ratings: Scaled Ratings Vs. Booleans

  For years now, it has been a commonality for social media sites to rate content and commentary on a sliding scale. Sites like YouTube and Yelp allow users to rate and review content on a five-point scale, while sites like StumbleUpon and BuzzFeed want to just know if you like it or not.
  Scaled ratings
  Historically, stars […]

• 6 Ways Local Domains Crush Dot Coms In International SEO

  Local domains are a winner in international SEO – here are 6 reasons why they show a clean pair of heels to dot coms. And a few tips to watch out for as far as SEOs becoming enchanted with the tempting charms of the dot com and leaving the narrow path to success.

• Google AdWords To Step Up Account Disabling & Improve Communication Process

  Back in October I reported on Google mass banning AdWords advertisers, unfortunately then, the feedback from Google on the reason was very limited. Today, I spoke with Nick Fox, Google’s Business Product Management Director for AdWords, about new changes taking place today and tomorrow related to advertiser bans.
  Starting tonight, Google will begin permanently banning […]

• Google Earth iPhone App 2.0 Available Soon

  A new version of Google Earth for the iPhone is due soon, and among its new features is one with a personal touch: the ability to see maps you’ve created and/or saved in Google Maps. To make this happen, the new Google Earth iPhone app will add the ability to login to your Google account […]

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

• A new look for Google Translate, Official Google Blog
• Making “Open” Easier, Yodel Anecdotal
• Templates now available in Google Sites, Official Google Blog

Business Issues

• Time Warner Sets AOL Spin For December 9, Barrons.com

Local, Maps & Mobile

• Mapsicle 1.0: Annotating Street View Panoramas, Google Geo Developers Blog

Link Building

• Strategies to Spend Money & Earn ROI from Link Campaigns (without "buying links"), SEOmoz
• Link Mining for Backlink Gems, Search Engine People
• Linkbait vs. Linkbuying, David Naylor

Searching

• Just Released: Shakespeare Quartos Archive Opens Access to Hamlet, ResourceShelf
• Legal Info Now Part of Google Scholar Database; Federal and State Legal Opinions Along and Patents, Law Journals Also Part of the Mix, ResourceShelf
• Searchable Database: All of Your U.S. Census Questions Answered, ResourceShelf
• The Internet Time Machine from the Momento Project, ResourceShelf

SEM Industry

• Bing Maps Goes Hollywood (at PDC), Bing Maps Blog
• What You Say to Matt Cutts Could be Considered Spam! #Pubcon2009, Web Success Team Blog

SEO & SEM

• 5 Worries That Can Kill Your SEO Campaign, Search Engine Guide
• Achieving Strong Themes through Silos and Data Mining Server Logs in the SEO Newsletter, BruceClay.com
• Does Reading Level Matter in SEO?, The Search Agents
• Google Sitelinks Linking to Wrong Sites?, Search Engine Roundtable
• Holiday Marketing Guide 2009: Hot Products, Tips, & Resources for Online Retailers, stayonsearch.com
• How to Track Competitor Search Engine Rankings with SEJ Tools, Search Engine Journal
• Landing Page Testing: How to test and what to test, PPC Hero
• Page Load Performance Can Affect Consumer Behavior: How Does Your Site Measure Up?, comScore
• Use Google Speed Tool to Speed Up Site, RustyBrick
• Why would an FAQ page rank above a site’s homepage?, YouTube

Social Media

• Another First in the UK, Twitter Blog
• Facebook Automatically Displays Couple Photos When Users Become Engaged, All Facebook
• Guide: U.S. Department of Defense Social Media Sites and Services, ResourceShelf

Video, Music & Image Search

• Connecting citizens and journalists with YouTube Direct, YouTube Biz Blog
• Drum roll please…, Yodel Anecdotal
• Pros and cons of watermarked images, Official Google Webmaster Central Blog