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 Lets Webmasters ID Non-Essential Page Elements
Using a new "robots-nocontent" attribute, webmasters will soon be able to tell Yahoo's spiders that certain elements or sections of a page are not the real "content" of the page. - Forbes Spreads Supplemental FUD
The sensationalistic Forbes article "Condemned To Google Hell" tries to explain Google's supplemental index, but ends up spreading more FUD.
Search Advertising
- Is Microsoft Driving Low-Quality Traffic to its Search Ads?
Microsoft is running ads through IntelliTXT, the much-maligned inline text ad provider. Traffic from those ads does not seem to convert well for some. - Yahoo Panama Announcement Shows Up Multiple Account Difficulties
When you have all sorts of international accounts (remember Yahoo gives a different account for each country), and in some cases multiple accounts in those countries, it gets tough. - Google, Yahoo Respond to Click Quality Council Guidelines
The search engines are taking the issued under advisement, while pointing out that they have already begun to address many of the items on the list.
Linking Issues & Social Media
- NoFollow, or MightFollow?
Loren Baker at Search Engine Journal has asked Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Ask.com to explain just what nofollow really means to them. - Adam Lasnik on Paid Links
Google's spam fighter provided Eric Enge with some insight into Google's thinking on paid links, what their objectives are, and how they view Nofollow. - YouTube to Pay Top Users
Google's YouTube will begin paying top users for the video content they submit under a new revenue sharing partner program that will let the creators share in AdSense revenue generated by their videos. - Eric Ward Podcast on Link Building
Eric Enge and Eric Ward recently recorded a podcast on link building, focusing on personalization and Google's new spam reporting moves. - ClickZ Specifics Event in May: Social Media
A social media-focused ClickZ Specifics event taking place in New York this month may be of interest to search marketers.
Analytics & ROI
- Yes, Virginia, there is a natural and paid search synergy
Does running a natural search campaign and a paid search campaign together create more value than running them in a non-integrated manner? In other words, does one plus one equal three? - Hitwise Tracks the Storm of Online News and Media
A new report from Hitwise maps the current state of the online news and media industry.
Vertical & Specialty Search
- Quintura For Kids: Another Search Engine For Kids
The space is a tough one and I think possibly one that has overreached itself. - SearchQB.com: A Great Google Custom Search Example
An innovative use of Google Custom Search - SeachQB.com - launched last week before the NFL Draft. The site plans to be "the search engine of choice for football scouts, GMs, journalists, and gridiron fanatics" - Wiki Search Adds Jabber Founder to Team
Jeremie Miller, founder of the open instant messaging service, is joining the Wiki Search project. - Google (but not Google News) indexes Belgian newspapers again
Copiepresse's Belgian French-language newspapers from are back in Google, but they are still in talks about Google News, one of the main parts of their dispute. - Google Helping State Government Sites Get Indexed
Google has teamed up with four state governments – Arizona, California, Utah and Virginia – to make public information on their Web sites more searchable. - Google News adds button to Google Finance
It appears that this new button is designed to boost traffic to Google Finance, which lags Yahoo Finance by a wide margin. - PBS Content Now Searchable on blinkx
Video search engine blinkx has added PBS streaming video content to its index.
Mobile & Local Search
- Local.com on a Roll
Local.com has announced new enhancements to its SERPs, days after it launched its Local Verified ad placement product and weeks after the LocalPromote landing page product launch. - MyQuest: India's Exclusive Local Search Engine
MyQuest.com is looking to dominate the local search space in one of the world's most populous countries. - Yahoo Brings Mobile OneSearch to Canada, Europe
Yahoo today launched its OneSearch mobile search application in Canada and five countries in Europe - Microsoft Buys Mobile Ad Firm
Microsoft has acquired Paris-based mobile ad network ScreenTonic, which serves text and display ads to mobile phones and devices in Belgium, France and the U.K. - Citysearch Updates Site, Adds Video
IAC-owned local search site Citysearch has redesigned its site, and has added new features like improved recommendations and video.
In-House & Outsourcing
- Neo@Ogilvy Partners with SEMDirector
The digital media agency will begin providing its clients with SEMDirector's search marketing automation technology.
SEM Industry Issues
- Yahoo and Microsoft Planning Merger Talks?
A little unfounded speculation for a Friday: Microsoft was allegedly asking Yahoo to consider a merger, but then it wasn't. - What will be the Downfall of Google?
Andrew Goodman recently discussed a way that Google could lose its stranglehold on the search market. - Google Fights Back in Viacom/YouTube Copyright Suit
Google denies all allegations in the lawsuit filed by Viacom in March for $1 billion as a result of alleged copyright infringement on YouTube. - Yahoo to Acquire Right Media
While many people are spinning this as a defensive move sparked by Google's planned acquisition of DoubleClick, it's really more of an offensive strike. - Google and DoubleClick's Integration Hurdles
There's just no way that a conflict of interest would not arise, or at least the appearance of a conflict, which would be just as bad for Google. - Utah Legislators Doing Research -- After They Passed the Law
After passing a misguided Trademark Protection Act that will ban advertisers from using the trademarked terms of their competitors to target ads to Utah users, Utah legislators are now apparently talking to the companies involved and realizing they may have made a mistake.
Searching/Search Technologies
- Ask Brings the Algorithm Mainstream
Ask.com's recent offline advertising campaign is shifting into high gear to build up buzz around Ask's upcoming Edison algorithm. - Google Gets Personal with iGoogle
Google's new iGoogle Personalized Homepage service includes a variety of new features, and more insight into where Google is going with personalized search.
More from the SEW Blog
- Yahoo Photos Shutting Down, But Who's Telling the Users?
Yahoo is shutting down its Yahoo Photos service, and encouraging users to migrate to its Flickr photo-sharing service, but they still haven't told their users. - YouTube Set to Test Marketability of SciFi Film
YouTube is using a new animated science fiction show, Afterworld, to test their marketing abilities. - Yahoo Is Better: Or That's What They Are Branding
Following their push to build niched portals, Yahoo announced the start of a new campaign: "Be A Better ..." - Yahoo Search VP Leaves for VC Firm
Yahoo's VP of consumer Web search Andrew Braccia has left Yahoo for the greener pastures of venture capital. - Yahoo, Comcast Partner on Display Ads
Yahoo and Comcast announced today that they will partner for displaying advertising on the Comcast website. - Ebay: Now Portable
eBay's new widgets let any seller take their listing "to go" and plant it on a blog or website.
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.
- Fear of Google, Scobleizer
- Hacking Your Way To Number One, EvilGreenMonkey
- Yahoo Keeps Keyword Inventory Tool on Life Support, Marketing Pilgrim
- Yahoo Information Navigation Interface, SEO by the Sea
- Geo Targeted Advertising for Google Maps and Google Earth, SEO by the Sea
- Sorry, Folks: Link Building Is Just Harder Now, Tropical SEO
- Have I got a niche for you!, SEO Scoop
- Pew Research: 'Web 2.0' Crowd A Small Minority, Search Engine Land
- Why I Love the Google's Supplemental Index, SEO Book
- Search Engines Giving You the Tools to Kill Yourself, SEO Book
- Windows Live Hotmail launches; "Windows Live Mail" to succeed Outlook Express and Windows Mail, LiveSide
- How to use the h1 heading tag, Improve the Web
- Google Gadgets are now an AdSense unit, Niall Kennedy
- Optimizing site launches, SEO Theory
- A Redesign Isn’t About Design, Accessible Web Design
- 17 ways to beat Google - Search innovations and who is doing them, Don Dodge
- Best SEO Contests and Ratings, ClickZ
- Paid Search Doesn't Scale for Brand Advertisers, ClickZ
- NBC U And Viacom File Brief Supporting LA Copyright Case Against YouTube, Google, paidContent
- Technorati and the "A-Word.", Global Neighbourhoods
- Photobucket goes to Myspace, ValleyWag
- SEO: The Difference Between SEO and Search Engine Positioning, 15 Degrees North
- 6 Common Retail SEO Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
- Back from WebSearch University, Google Librarian Central
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