Below, a recap of stories posted today to the Search Engine Watch Blog, along with other items we've spotted but not blogged separately:
From The SEW Blog...
- Ask.com
Upgrades Weather Results & Adds Earthquake Data
Gary Price reports that Ask.com has launched an enhanced version of the weather results and has added earthquake data to Smart Answers. For an example of the enhanced weather results, do a search on weather in 10010 and then click on the top link and you will get a lot more detail, check it out. Also, if you want earthquake information, just search on earthquakes and you will get the most recent earthquake activity, of course you can also search by location.... - comScore:
Local Search Gains Momentum
SES Local starts today in Denver, so it's timely that comScore released new local search data, which they'll be presenting at the show. Here are the top-level findings: "According to the study, 63 percent of U.S. Internet users (or approximately 109 million people) performed a local search online in July, a 43-percent increase versus July of 2005. Google Sites (30 percent) and Yahoo! Sites (29 percent) garnered the largest share of local searches in July. Microsoft Sites captured 12 percent of local searches, followed by the Time Warner Network with 7 percent." The release has the full market-share breakdown.... - The
Click Quality Council Formed By ClickForensics
ClickZ reports that ClickForensics announced that they will be leading a new group named The Click Quality Council to "discuss Pay Per Click (PPC) quality issues and to ensure their interests are represented in the development of PPC measurement standards." The Click Quality Council has 2,500 advertisers including names such as VISA and LendingTree and agencies such as Carat Fusion and Agency.com. There were hints that this group would be formed in the BusinessWeek's Good Look At Click Fraud. It is important to note that the IAB seems to be setting up a similar organization, but the IAB will have... - Beware:
Giant Bug Found On Google Earth
Google Sightseeing reports a huge alien bug being found via Google Maps. Take a look at here or on Google Maps here and you will notice this huge bug about 200+ feet long on German land. Don't worry, it is not some alien from outer-space. It appears that a bug got stuck between the "glass plate and the film during the scanning process."... - Google
Not To Deliver Orkut Data To Brazil Authorities
Google won't hand data to Brazil judge from the Associated Press reports that Google will not be meeting the deadline to provide Brazilian authorities with the data they requested on specific Orkut users. This comes after Google saying they will hand over the data to Brazil. So the question is, will Google be fined $23,000 per day by the Brazilian judge until they comply? Google has promised to issue a court explanation as to why they cannot provide the data Brazil requested. The AP article also quotes Debbie Frost of Google saying, "We have and will continue to provide Brazilian... - Yahoo
Acquires Jumpcut To Add Editing Tools To Yahoo Video
Yahoo announced that they have acquired Jumpcut, a company that allows you to create videos by remixing them and then sharing them with friends, who can then remix your videos. Jumpcut has an extensive online toolset to remix videos with their online editing tools. Yahoo said that this acquisition will make "Yahoo Video an even better place for people to create, share, and discover great video online."... - Fun and
Profit with Search Ad Arbitrage
Clever (some would say evil) search advertisers are taking advantage of price differences in search advertising programs by buying comparatively inexpensive paid links in search results that drive users to pages with contextual ads with higher payoffs. While this search arbitrage is profitable for those who do it properly, it also aggravates other advertisers who complain that it drives costs up. And searchers aren't always happy with the practice either. The subject of search arbitrage was the focus of a lively debate at a recent SES panel, and guest writer Cat Seda covered the fireworks in today's SearchDay article, Search... - Text
Link Ads Launches Feedvertising
Techcrunch reports that Text Link Ads has launched a new product named Feedvertising. Feedvertising is an advertising solution that allows advertisers to place text ads within RSS feeds. It also allows publishers to get paid for including those ads in their RSS feeds. There is a great tutorial for those who are a bit confused about RSS and ads in RSS at TubeTorial. Also the Link Building Blog has more details here....
Headlines & News From Elsewhere
- What I learned from FeedBurner TotalStats, Pronet Advertising
- Podcast: Who's Tops In Local Search? Dueling Click Fraud Committees? & More, Daily SearchCast
- Gmail Related Topics, Jeremy Zawodny
- Worldwide Google Video Rankings, InsideGoogle
- Social Media eBook Published, Micro Persuasion
- Marissa Mayer's Guide to Running Meetings, Marketing Pilgrim
- Yahoo! Search Marketing to Expand to India Soon, Search Engine Roundtable
- Outdated Metatags Don't Infringe--Pop Warner v. NH Youth Football & Spirit Conference, Eric Goldman
- Google launches video sharing site in Australia, smh.com.au
- Rotating Google AdSense Background Colors, Search Engine Roundtable
- IAC/InterActiveCorp Dips Toe in Comparison Shopping Waters With Pronto, ClickZ
- Good Charlotte Visits Google, InsideGoogle
- Briefly: Another Google Name Transfer, ResourceShelf
- Paid and Organic Search: Profile of MoneySupermarket, Hitwise
- Will Referrals from Search Engines to Retail Websites Reach 35% by Christmas?, Hitwise
- Softbank to Offer Yahoo Link on Phones, Associated Press
- Google and the Long Tail, Venture Beat
- Why Google is Like John Kerry, Google Watch
- Room for a million more: The user-count inflation of MySpace and its forbears, Valleywag
- AOL Pictures goes social and it's not pretty, TechCrunch
- Google Halloween Nostalgia Pics, Google Blogoscoped
- Four Questions for WebmasterWorld's Brett Tabke, MediaPost
- Google Base S2 added to robots.txt, Googling Google
Introducing SES Online
Want to view one of the sessions you missed or listen to an especially informative presenter a second time? SES New York sessions are available for purchase on ClickZ Academy's new e-Learning site. SES is now Online!
