It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is on his annual trip delivering presents to all the good little boys and girls around the world. This year, not just one but two major organizations are offering ways to track Jolly St. Nick on his flight. Below, our annual review of how to track him by the […]
In August, Google introduced a field test that brings Gmail content in your search results. So if you searched for [my flights] and you had a flight confirmation email in your Gmail account, Google would show you upcoming flights. This is still an opt in field test available to a limited number of US users […]
Foursquare has made a quick response to Monday’s announcement of Facebook Nearby, with its own announcement today that Foursquare Explore is cranking up its personalization. The irony? It’s going to use Foursquare activity from a user’s Facebook friends to improve the recommendations in Explore. Think of it as Foursquare judo: It’s using Facebook data to […]
Google Maps new iOS app is terrific — although initiating navigation isn’t as intuitive as it might be. But I’ve found that Apple Maps is as good or nearly as good, at least in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have not had a chance to test maps apps side-by-side in other regions. Here’s what […]
Google has decided to take on the decades-old Santa tracking service that NORAD offers with its own “Google Santa Tracker.” It comes in the wake NORAD booting Google out as a partner in favor of Microsoft. NOTE: If you’re looking for the latest information on Santa tracking for the current year, see our Your Guide To […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: FTC Ruling On Google Anti-Trust Issues Expected Tomorrow; EU Expects Settlement Offer Next Month The European Union appears to be closer to agreement with Google about anti-trust concerns relating to search, […]
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 Maps iPhone App Gets 10 Million Downloads In Two Days Just about a week ago Google’s new Google Maps iPhone app was released and oh boy were people waiting for […]
As of today, you can count Facebook as a potentially significant new competitor in local search — on mobile devices. The company is updating the “Nearby” feature in its iOS and Android apps Nearby Becomes Local Search Tool Previously Nearby was about finding where your friends had checked-in. After the app update Nearby will still […]
Local search provider and online ad network YP has released its end of the year review report (.pdf). The data are drawn from a huge volume of queries on its PC destination site, its mobile site and apps, as well as its broader advertising network. YP says that 30 percent of its overall query volume […]
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 In Privacy Flap With Germans Over New iOS Maps According to a report in Computerworld, Google has violated German data protection and privacy rules with its new Google Maps app […]
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 Maps Is Back On The iPhone: Native iOS App Released Google has released its long-awaited map app for the iPhone. And it delivers all the expected features: voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, […]
Yesterday comScore released its November search market share data. The distribution and trends are consistent with what has been happening over the past several months: Google is stable, Bing has gained incrementally, Yahoo lost some share (mostly to partner Bing) and the others have gained or lost a fraction of a point. Stepping back, comScore […]
Google has released its long-awaited map app for the iPhone. And it delivers all the expected features: voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, traffic, public transit, Street View and so on. It’s better than Google Maps for Android because it has been built or rebuilt “from the ground up” and didn’t grow by accretion. The bottom line: it delivers. Yet […]
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 Updates SafeSearch Filter In Image Search Google has changed the default behavior of their image search to work similarly to how web search works. Now when you search for less […]
Just when you thought competition in search was effectively over, it starts to get interesting again. Over the past two weeks I’ve spoken to no less than four companies that say they are trying to reinvent “mobile search” for smartphones or tablets. I would almost guarantee there are more out there as well. These companies […]
Don’t worry, Google’s year in review for 2012 isn’t that predictable for the once in a lifetime calendar event. On the official Google 2012 Zeitgeist website, you’ll find their biggest list ever published, with a total of 838 lists from 55 countries, covering 1.2 trillion searches done worldwide. Digging in deeper, Google has divided the massive […]
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 Finally Adds Their Hanukkah Decorations To The Search Results If you search for [hanukkah] or [dreidel] or [menorah] and so on – you will see special Hanukkah decorations on the […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Nokia Partners With Xyo To Power “Replacement App” Search For Windows Phones One of the persistent criticisms of Windows tablets and Windows Phones is that they just don’t have the app […]
One of the persistent criticisms of Windows tablets and Windows Phones is that they just don’t have the app selection of Android or iOS. Microsoft says however that Windows Phones currently have access to 120,000 apps. Nokia adds,”Of the top 50 apps available for iPhone and Android, 46 of them are available” on the Windows […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: AdSense Text Ads Get Biggest Makeover In Recent Memory In a nod to consistency across platforms and the growth in mobile usage, Google has overhauled its AdSense text ads to be […]
A few years ago VCs and entrepreneurs believed that there was an opportunity to disrupt online search, to offer a more compelling or next-generation experience. Companies like Powerset, which was sold to Microsoft, were among a class of search insurgents that spoke broadly about the opportunity to go beyond what Google was doing. That battle for the […]
Quixey and Ask have entered into a deal in which apps from Quixey’s database, whether for mobile or the PC, will be integrated into search results. It’s going live today and should be rolling out now, although it’s not yet live for me. Apps in Ask search results will be from Android, iOS, Windows Phone and […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Mobile Search Beyond Google: In App Search Tools A couple months back, I covered the rise of a new generation of Windows Phones, and how they will slowly bring more mobile […]
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the top two US and European antitrust regulators will meet in Europe next week to compare notes and discuss potential outcomes. Both are negotiating with Google to settle antitrust claims that would avoid formal legal action. The FTC’s Chairman Jon Leibowitz will meet with the EU’s Joaquin Almunia. […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Seeking Maps Fix, Apple Fires Mapping Team Manager And Asks Outsiders For Help According to a widely cited Bloomberg report published earlier today Apple has fired another executive in connection with […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: How To Gather Evidence To Help Determine If It’s Time For A Mobile Website Is t time for a mobile website? I was talking to some clients a few weeks ago […]
When Apple announced, in June, that it was introducing its own maps and ousting Google from its default position on the iPhone, that was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to Mountain View. Apple subsequently introduced an elegant-looking but flawed mapping app as part of iOS 6. While Apple and its mapping mistakes have […]
Twitter is rolling out an update to its search results that will put a new “Top Photos” section above matching tweets. “Top Videos” may also appear. Twitter will also begin automatically showing tweeted pictures for those searching on the iPhone or with Android devices. Top Photos & Videos Twitter already shows top photos and images […]
Earlier today Nielsen, xAd and Telmetrics released the third part of their “mobile path to purchase” study conducted earlier this year. The research focused on three verticals: restaurants, travel and autos. While almost all the mobile and tablet users doing research on these devices are highly qualified purchasers, there are differences in the consumer behavior […]
Globally there are arguably four main digital mapping competitors: Google, Apple, Microsoft and Nokia. Google is the clear leader. However Nokia is making a renewed bid to challenge Google’s mapping supremacy with a rebranded platform “Here,” new APIs, a Google Street View-like offering, augmented reality and new apps for third party smartphone operating systems. Apple […]
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 Fined $208,000 In Australian Defamation Case, May Appeal Google has been told to pay the equivalent of $208,000 (USD) after recently losing a defamation case in Australia involving how it […]
Google posted some tips for building a search engine friendly mobile tablet experience for users and search engines. Google is clear to point out these tips are NOT specific “recommendations for building search engine friendly tablet-optimized websites.” Google does not have guidelines or official recommendations for tablet-optimized web sites but they did want to offer […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: China Blocks Google Search, Gmail, Google+, Maps & More TheNextWeb reports China has decided to block Google services. Currently, Google search, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Analytics, Google Drive, and […]
In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Priceline To Buy Travel Search Engine Kayak For $1.8 Billion Priceline is a public company that owns several other travel brands, including Booking.com, Agoda.com, Cheaptickets.com, Rentalcars.com and a few other travel […]
Almost exactly three years ago then Google employee Marissa Mayer described “the perfect search engine” in an interview with IDG News. She said it would be one “that could understand speech, questions, phrases, what entities you’re talking about, concepts. It would be able to search all of the world’s information, [find] different ideas and concepts, […]
Got the new Google Search app on your iPhone or iPad? Here’s a trick. Ask it, “What’s the best smartphone?” The app will politely decline to say. The app will reply in one of two ways that I’ve found: “No one phone is right for everyone.” “You’ll have to decide for yourself.” Don’t have the […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Yelp Adds Restaurant Menus (And Images) Following on the heels of Foursquare, YP and a few others in the local segment Yelp is adding restaurant menu information and pricing. With the […]
Announced in August, Google’s new Google Search app for iOS has been apparently stuck in Apple’s app approval process for over two months. No longer. Google’s just announced that the new app is out. The news came on Google’s official blog today. The company has also posted a video of how it works: [youtube width=”560″ […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Verisign Blames Google For Drop In Domain Registration & Renewal Rates The number of new domains being registered, and existing domains being renewed, is slowing down and Verisign — the company […]