Google has released a new search deskbar, and links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Are the Bad Guys Winning at Google? - Buyer's Guide to Search Engine Optimization Firms - Google Directory - Fake Hits - Advertising InYahoo - Dollar Value Of A Home Page Link? - Broad Match Killing Relevancy - Google Apparently Tried to Buy Friendster
A new Google Labs experiment called the Google Deskbar is a search application that lets PC users perform Google searches at any time from any application. Like the HotBot Deskbar, the Google Deskbar is a free software download that appears as a search box in the Windows taskbar at the bottom right of most Windows-based PCs.
This is an English-language only product and is available for Windows users (98/ME/2000/XP ) running IE 5.5 or higher.
Links to this week’s topics from search engine forums across the web.
Are the Bad Guys Winning at Google?
Cre8asite Forums
“The other more important point Jill made is that she thought attempts to catch devious SEO tricks was something Google was diligent about catching. She’s finding this may not be true. From an SEO perspective, why in the heck should ANY SEO bother to follow Google’s own guidelines for SEO’s when Google itself isn’t monitoring what’s going on?”
Buyer’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization Firms
JimWorld
“I actually quite like the way they have done this report. It is a well thought out guide of how to look for a company that will suit you, pointing out the pitfalls and benefits of different methods and types of companies with an good glossary of SEO [search engine optimization” terms.”
Google Directory
Best Practices Forums
“The Google Directory is now showing the first major update in over 6 months.”
Fake Hits
Best Practices Forums
“…some sleazeball was offering software like this to kill your competition on PPC [pay per click” campaigns by generating hits on PPC engine referral codes which can be scraped from sponsored listings. It was bad enough when this was an ‘underground’ product. Now it is out for anyone to use, watch those PPC referrals very closely!”
Advertising In Yahoo
High Rankings Forum
“Would like to know how Yahoo supports PPC.”
Dollar Value Of A Home Page Link?
High Rankings Forum
“There’s nothing wrong per se with buying links, selling links or otherwise trading links. The problems for search engines start if: a) you use other’s intellectual property (e.g. the trademarked term ‘PageRank’) in order to sell your links, and/or b) the purpose of the link is deceive the search engine’s algorithm that your site is more relevant to a term than it truly is – i.e. deceptive advertising in the SERPs [search engine results pages”.”
Broad Match Killing Relevancy
Webmaster World
“Now I know exactly what the problem is with Google – it’s broad match. I can’t believe how many advertisers are using this function, and it’s making most, if not all Adword results irrelevant.”
Google Apparently Tried to Buy Friendster
Webmaster World
“I still say that custom SERPs are in their future – and dating would be a perfect match for that.”
Search Engine Forums Spotlight courtesy Search Engine Guide.
The US White House & Blocking Search Engines
SearchDay, Nov. 6, 2003
https://www.searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3105111
At the end of last month, controversy erupted over the US White House preventing portions of its web site from being indexed by search engines. Was the White House doing this as a means to rewrite history unnoticed, or was it an innocent mistake?
Surprised Google & Microsoft Talked Takeover? You Shouldn’t Be!
SearchDay, Nov. 5, 2003
https://www.searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3104441
A headline frenzy was sparked last Friday when the New York Times reported that Microsoft had talked with Google about a possible takeover within the past two months. No one should have been surprised that the companies have talked about a possible purchase. It made sense then. As for now, a more realistic possibility is that the two companies might partner in the short term.
Going Shopping? Ask Jeeves for Advice
SearchDay, Nov. 4, 2003
https://www.searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3103381
As the online shopping search space continues to heat up, Ask Jeeves has entered the fray with powerful enhancements to its smart search capabilities that help in all phases of the shopping process.
Search Engine Milestones for October 2003
SearchDay, Nov. 3, 2003
https://www.searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3102881
Notable news and announcements from the web search world during the past month.
NOTE: Article links often change. In case of a bad link, use the publication’s search facility, which most have, and search for the headline.
| Lycos Europe does homework to reduce losses… Netimperative Nov 7 2003 12:44PM GMT |
| FTC Blocks Pop-Up Spam Scam… SiliconValley.Internet.com Nov 7 2003 11:49AM GMT |
| Google Offering Anita Borg Scholarship… Research Buzz Nov 7 2003 8:07AM GMT |
| Google tests desktop search… CNET Nov 7 2003 3:42AM GMT |
| The next hot internet stock… The Economist Nov 6 2003 5:41PM GMT |
| Spammers turn nasty in battle with antispam websites… Computer Weekly Nov 6 2003 1:08PM GMT |
| As Pop-Ups Annoy, Online Ad Industry Seeks Remedies… dmnews.com Nov 6 2003 12:46PM GMT |
| Lycos Dumps Overture, Files Suit… dmnews.com Nov 6 2003 12:46PM GMT |
| Meta Search Engines… About Web Search Nov 6 2003 11:46AM GMT |
| Health Terms No Driving Force in Search Engines… Yahoo Nov 6 2003 5:20AM GMT |
| Yahoo Adds Some Search Features to Its Front Page… Research Buzz Nov 6 2003 4:34AM GMT |
| Lycos Overture Break-up Scandal… Boston.Internet.com Nov 6 2003 1:19AM GMT |
| Tools that’ll help keep track of your passwords… ZDNet Nov 5 2003 6:24AM GMT |
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