Search Headlines & Links: September 28, 2006

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….

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