Highlights from the SEW Blog: December 3-7, 2007

By Kevin Newcomb , December 10, 2007

We've collected all the search marketing news from selected posts to the Search Engine Watch blog in the past week, along with recent search-related headlines from around the Web.

From the SEW blog:

Organic Search

• Yahoo Adds Support for Page-Level Exclusion Tags for Non-HTML Docs
  Yahoo is giving webmasters more control over page-level directives to its Slurp crawler for non-HTML files.
• SEW Experts: SEO.edu: Can You Learn SEO From a Book?
  It's challenging to learn search marketing. Since the rules are made by the search engines and their algorithms, all we can do is try the tactics we learn from others and see what works and what doesn't.
• SEW Experts: Choosing the Best Domains for Search Engine Visibility
  What's in a name? Search engine visibility starts with buying the best domains.

Search Advertising

• Google Improves AdWords Location Targeting
  Google AdWords advertisers now have new options for location targeting of their ads.
• Google Improves AdWords Troubleshooting
  Google has upgraded its Ads Diagnostic Tool, a tool that allows AdWords advertisers to determine why their ads may not be showing on a given SERP.
• Can Better Tools Make Up for Less Traffic for Microsoft?
  Microsoft is hoping that new tools it's launching today at Search Engine Strategies Chicago will allow advertisers and webmasters to make the most of limited traffic.
• SEW Experts: How Google, Yahoo Content Ad Matching Really Works
  If you think you know how Google and Yahoo perform content ad matching, you may be surprised.

Linking Issues & Social Media

• SEW Experts: A Convenient Truth: To Link Builders With Love
  There's no doubt link building is a win-win. The only way to acquire relevant and meaningful links is to provide some value to the Internet community.
• Google Makes Paid Link Guidelines Crystal Clear
  Today in both the Webmaster Central blog and on Matt Cutts' personal blog, the topic of paid links is discussed in detail.

Analytics & ROI

• Hitwise to launch paid and organic search tools
  Hitwise has added several new features to its Search Intelligence product, including Paid and Organic and Fast Moving Search Terms data.
• SEW Experts: Measuring Cyber Monday
  Is it seasonality, or the effect of your SEO efforts?

Local & Mobile Search

• Google Launches Local PlusBox
  The Local PlusBox appears as a plus sign and hotlink to a Google Map appearing after an AdWords ad in the top position.

Vertical & Specialty Search

• Podcast & Audio Search
  Preparation was the name of the game at today's Search Engine Strategies Chicago "Podcast & Audio Search" session.
• Who Holds the Keys to Video-Related Ads?
  Nielsen will release a service enabling broadcasters and cable networks to control and make money from their online video distribution.

Small Business/Big Brand SEM

• SEW Experts: SEM Brand Reputation Management
  The cold harsh reality for those who have ever purchased traditional media is: it happens. How fast can you pull your ads?
• Big Site, Big Search at SES Chicago
  This unique session at SES Chicago explored the role and shape of search marketing in large and even global corporations.

In-House & Outsourcing

• SEW Experts: Wherefore Art Thou SEO?
  With so many so-called search professionals on the market today, it's easy to pick one that's inept -- or even unscrupulous.
• SEW Experts: SEM Agency: Uphill Battle?
  Our new and ever-changing industry presents some unique challenges.

SEM Industry Issues

• Thoughts on Don Schultz's Keynote at SES
  His presentation focused on providing some perspective on the maturity of the search industry.
• Thoughts on Seth Godin's keynote at SES
  Watching Seth on stage is like watching a nightclub entertainer. And it is entertaining.
• Top 10 stories from SES Chicago - Day 1
  It's only Day 1 at SES Chicago and there are already 40 stories coming out of the conference.
• Top 10 stories from SES Chicago - Day 2
  Looking through the 50+ news stories and blog posts from Tuesday, Dec. 4, here are the top 10 stories from SES Chicago on Day 2.
• Top 10 stories from SES Chicago - Day 3
  It's Day 3 at Search Engine Strategies Chicago and it's getting hard to keep up with all the stories coming out of the conference and expo.
• Top 10 stories from SES Chicago - Day 4
  Looking through more than 30 news stories and blog posts from Thursday, Dec. 6, here are the top 10 stories from SES Chicago on Day 4.
• SEW Experts: SEMs Get 'No Respect' No More
  At Search Engine Strategies Chicago, keynote speaker Don Shultz told search marketers in no uncertain terms that they need to start thinking differently about what they do.
• SES Wit and Wisdom: The Don of Marketing
  If not yet the godfather of search marketing, he's definitely our HL Mencken. Brilliant, funny, brutally honest.
• SEW Experts: SEM Mentors: The Apprentice
  The search marketing industry needs to take responsibility in solving the search marketing staffing crisis, like this SEM apprentice turned mentor.

Searching/Search Technologies

• SEW Experts: Always Rank No. 1 in Google: Custom Search
  Implementing a Custom Search Engine won't change your organic search engine rankings. But it will give you the flexibility to make your listing the top result on every SERP when visitors conduct a search from your site.

More from the SEW Blog

• SEMPO Brings Search Engines Together for Education
  SEMPO, the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, is bringing representatives from Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft to its annual meeting for a round-robin discussion of each company's latest issues and initiatives.
• Online Information Show this Week in London
  While many search marketers in the U.S. are headed to Chicago or Las Vegas this week, our UK readers should not feel left out.
• SES: 4 Best SEO panels picked by SEW Expert Jackson
  Search Engine Watch Expert Mark Jackson recommends his top 4 must-see SEO panels at Search Engine Strategies Chicago.
• SES Chicago is attracting a crowd of bloggers and journalists
  In the past couple of days, a small army of bloggers and journalists have indicated that they're heading for SES Chicago.

Search Headlines

We report the top search marketing news daily at the Search Engine Watch Blog. You'll find more news from around the Web below.

• Conference Coverage Recap: SES Chicago & PubCon Vegas 2007, Search Engine Roundtable
• 2008 Outlook: No Sign of a Cooldown in Local Online Ads, ClickZ News
• Search-Engine-Friendly Content Management, ClickZ Experts
• Questions for Frazier Miller, General Manager of Yahoo Local, ClickZ Features
• Search Engine Results Pages Turn Into Destinations, ClickZ Stats
• Are Outdated Policies Squashing Your Brand Evangelists?, Search Engine Guide
• LinkedIn Announcement: The Good News and The Bad, Read/Write Web
• Link Value Factors, Wiep.net
• A Three-Part Primer on Search Spam, Mike Moran
• Live Search survey hints at upcoming changes, LiveSide.net
• Understanding Bids and Budgets, Yahoo Search Marketing Blog
• Google Local Symposium: Listen Carefully, It is Google, The Local Onliner
• B2B Search Marketing: What to Do When Abandonment Rates Continue to be High, B2B SEO
• Anchor Intelligence To Audit Click Fraud, TechCrunch
• An On-page Optimization SEO Checklist, SEO Theory
• Collarity and the Implicit Social Graph, Collarity Blog
• Librarians on Social Networking, Resource Blog

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