While Google’s antitrust investigation in Europe has received considerable attention, a similar ongoing investigation in India has received far less coverage. However, an article appearing in India-based Economic Times suggests a legal environment in the country that is no less challenging for Mountain View. The article asserts, “Flipkart, Facebook, Nokia’s maps division, MakeMy-Trip.com and several […]
In a formal filing and in a companion blog post by Google SVP and General Counsel Kent Walker, Google has vigorously denied that it has abused its market position in search. Instead, it characterized its actions and UI changes as directed toward quality and improving the user experience. In the blog post entitled “improving quality […]
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 Goes After The App Interstitial: Protecting Consumers Or Its Own Search Monopoly? Google recently published a case study suggesting that app download interstitials on mobile are ineffective, leading to high […]
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 Plus Codes Now Searchable, Making Hard-To-Find Places Easier To Locate Google’s Open Location Codes can now be searched on both Google and Google Maps. Is Google Experimenting With Bringing […]
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google has been given extra time (until August 31) to respond to the European Commission’s antitrust charges. The original deadline was August 17, next Monday; however, Google requested additional time. Notwithstanding historical complaints about maps/local and other vertical areas, for the present, the “Statement of Objections” (formal antitrust charges) […]
If you want a history of Google’s search battles with European antitrust regulators, a new article from Brad Stone (and colleagues) at Bloomberg will more than satisfy you. While there’s very little truly new information, the well-researched (and lengthy) piece is nearly comprehensive and captures all the intrigue, as well as the evolving nature of the dispute. The article is provocatively […]
Windows 10 (so far) is a hit for Microsoft. It has been well reviewed, it’s free, and it already has millions of downloads. It also makes IE successor Edge the browser default and makes it harder to switch away from Bing as your default search engine. There are roughly 1.5 billion Windows PC users around […]
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+ Brand Posts Have Been Stripped From Knowledge Graph Cards Brand posts on Google+ will no longer be displayed in the Knowledge Graph cards, instead they’ll be treated like all other […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Choosing the Right Images for Your Ads- July 14 Webcast A picture is worth a thousand words Study By Former FTC Advisor Tim Wu Claims Google Local Search Results Violate Competition […]
Sponsored by Yelp, the study found users were more likely to click on merit-based results over Google's self-promoted content.
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 Web History Adds Download Option & Drops Filter Options Google makes two large updates to Google Web History, you can no longer filter the results but you can now export […]
Not waiting for the European Commission’s Statement of Objections (antitrust charges) to run its course, France is taking action to regulate Google’s search results and also compel revelation of its search algorithm. TechCrunch reported on a bill now working its way through the French legislature. According to an earlier Financial Times article (FT) about the bill: The French senate is likely to adopt a […]
Company argued Guardian and Yelp got more direct traffic than they actually do.
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 Ups Its Search Game With “Yelp Now”: Adds Dinner Reservation & Food Ordering Search Filters New filters let users search restaurant listings based on available reservation dates and times, as […]
New terms pave the way for Gemini-powered search ads on the PC.
The EU has raised four concerns about how Google has dominated shopping search. A close look at each charge and possible fixes that might emerge.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Announcing “The Landy Awards” Presented By Search Engine Land Search Marketing Industry Awards Program Launches To “Celebrate The Power Of Search” – Recognizing Excellence In SEO & SEM, Profits To Benefit […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Reports: EU To File Formal Antitrust Charges Against Google This Week Company could face billions in fines if Commission decides to impose them. Identify and Eliminate Your R.O.T. Content – April […]
Company could face billions in fines if Commission decides to impose them.
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’s Steady Gains In Paid Search Location Tracking A Win-Win Over the past year, Google has greatly improved its ability to track user locations at ever more granular levels. Columnist Andy […]
Company could face billions in potential fines, up to 10 percent of revenue.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Click-to-Call Deep Dive: Best Practices from Search Experts – April 16 Webcast Tips for search marketers trying to turn mobile callers into customers. Google’s PAC-Maps Gets April Fools’ Ball Rolling Early, […]
Secondary political motivations enter the FTC report controversy.
Article asserts Google lobbying affected agency's decision in antitrust case.
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Accelerate Your Career With Marketing Analytics You Can Use – March 24 Webcast Learn how to use analytics to quickly gain smarter insights and improve marketing performance. Search In Pics: Analytics […]
An “inadvertently disclosed” report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) labels Google a monopoly and appears to directly contradict the decision not to pursue legal action against the company. In early 2013 the FTC formally decided to close its antitrust investigation against Google demanding only modest changes in the company’s business practices. It turns out […]
Last week, Russian search engine Yandex filed a formal complaint against Google in its home market, arguing that Google was using its control over Android and market power to ensure a privileged position for its apps on Android homescreens and handsets. In the U.S., a similar argument was made in the context of a would-be […]
After buying Travelocity last month, Expedia grabs Orbitz in competitive bidding.
Today, many Americans were busy preparing Thanksgiving meals or getting ready to travel to the homes of friends and family to celebrate the holiday. But Google certainly won’t be giving thanks for the European Parliament’s vote in favor of a resolution to “unbundle” Google’s search engine from the rest of its business. The widely anticipated, non-binding vote calls upon […]
The German member of the European Parliament behind the call to break up Google, Andreas Schwab, has a conflict of interest. According to the NY Times, he has ties to and earns money from a German law firm that represents anti-Google publishing interests in Germany. German publishers lobbied for the passage of the “ancillary copyright” law […]
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: 3 Proven Ways To Write Ads That Deliver More Conversions Now you know you need to change your paid search creative to keep it fresh. Contributor Frederick Vallaeys shares tips from […]
Years after a controversy over a decision to promote its own social network, Google+, in search results, Google has begun linking to other social networks in its Knowledge Graph. As first spotted by Bernd Rubel and reported by Search Engine Roundtable, Google is now showing icons for social sites including Facebook, Twitter and even MySpace […]
Europe and the U.S. continue to drift further apart on Google. Even as European parliamentarians and regulators seek ways to restrain Google’s discretion over search results, U.S. courts continue to affirm Google’s right to do whatever it wants with search results — paid and organic. A California state court in San Francisco recently granted Google’s […]
Axel Springer, Germany’s largest publisher and the owner of Europe’s largest newspaper, has said it wants back in to snippets. According to Reuters, the German publishing giant revealed that traffic to its four largest online properties from Google search results “had fallen by 40 percent” and referrals from Google News had dropped “by 80 percent in the past […]
German publishers want their snippets and thumbnails back. A consortium of roughly 200 companies, together known as “VG Media,” have said that the loss of traffic from the disappearance of these elements could cause some of their members “to go bankrupt.” The publishers have been trying for more than a year to collect money from Google for their […]
The attitudes of European policy makers toward Google seem to have hardened of late. On various regulatory fronts, Google faces vocal critics and well-organized opposition. Google’s Eric Schmidt gave a speech earlier today in Berlin seeking to change some of those hardened hearts and minds. Schmidt argued that Google is not only not a monopoly […]
German news and magazine publishers are determined, one way or another, to get Google to pay them for their content. They’re not upset about the content appearing in Google News or search. They want it to appear — they just want Google to pay for it. Google doesn’t want to pay. And there’s no U.S.-style “fair use” copyright exception in […]
Yesterday a new anti-Google consortium called “Focus on the User” launched a website that cleverly uses Google’s own words and algorithm to make an argument against Google+ Local (map pack) search results. It also operates as a concrete proposal that might substitute for the now defunct “rival links” compromise in the Google-EU antitrust matter. One […]