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Content Mission: About.com Turns to B2B Market
July 31, 2010, 11:43 pmContent for the consumer is good but let's not forget content for the business world. The B2B world is always a bit of a laggard when it comes to Internet marketing techniques and practices but when it does catch on there is a lot of opportunity. About.com, a long time Internet success story, has seen the B2B light, so to speak. It is starting to...
Panda Search Engine News Wrap-up July 31
July 31, 2010, 2:22 pmWe are back with a new review of the latest search engine news articles and blog posts. Google's wind power Google's purchase of twenty years worth of renewable energy from an Iowa wind farm (Inside Google July 26 2010) What Does Google Read? Want to read like a Google exec? Don't expect any laughs. (Beyond Search July 27 2010) Apple Search Engine...
Wikileaks, Russian Spies, King James: July 2010 Buzz
July 31, 2010, 11:34 amby Vera H-C Chan Leaks stayed a theme in July, as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill passed the 100 day mark and a whistleblowing website posted secret war papers. The revelations kept coming in the Russian spy network, with one more potential Mata Hari surfacing...from Texas? Turns out the month's best kept secret may have been where one not-so-small...
Yelp Not Happy With High Level of Google Exposure?
July 31, 2010, 9:48 amGoogle and Yelp have had some issues for sometime, following a failed acquisition attempt, but it's rare that the tensions between the two companies are aired for an audience. That is just what happened at TechCrunch's Social Currency Crunchup event. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman and Google VP of Product Management John Hanke shared a stage and...
News "Game Changers" Coming Out of the Woodwork
July 31, 2010, 8:54 amNews Corp. is reportedly considering working on some new app-based news product that would be separate from any of its existing print or web publications. An experiment in the future of news? Perhaps. A game changer? We'll see. CNBC seems to think it might be. Given how few details are known about this alleged product, let's not get ahead of...
Cup of Joe: Take Off Your Cynic Hat and Try Something New
July 31, 2010, 8:12 amAre you using a location based service? What about the iPad? Or how about Posterous ? All of these things have at one time been labeled overrated . For example, I think foursquare is a complete waste of time. Why the heck would I want to tell the world where I am! I mean that's really nobody's business! It's not like Twitter where I actually have...
fbFund No More?
July 31, 2010, 7:59 amThings have been a little slow on the fbFund front this year. The site hasn't posed an update since January, and you probably won't be hearing about new ventures anytime soon. Inside Facebook reports that fbFund appears to be "mothballed". fbFund is a seed fund and joint venture run by Facebook Founders Fund and Accel Partners. Investment capital...
AdWords: Quality Score vs Quality of Traffic
July 30, 2010, 9:49 pm"...has anyone seen a correlation between QS of your campaigns and the quality of traffic it brings in?"
Airline Self-Boarding Test, Cross-Country Journey in Jeans, and NYC Subways With Wi-Fi: Buzz Week in Review
July 30, 2010, 8:11 pmby Claudine Zap This week, whether it was heading across the country or across town, travel stories got the Buzz filled with wanderlust: An airline asks its customers to board themselves, a journey in jeans makes for a buzzy viral video, and New York subway riders will get Wi-Fi. All these stories and more in your Buzz Week in Review. What's...
Chewbacca Riding Squirrel = Awesome
July 30, 2010, 7:00 pmby Mike Krumboltz Some art is just OK. You know, stuff like Van Gogh's "Starry Night" or the "Mona Lisa" by ol' whatshisface. They're cool if you're into that whole "masterpiece" thing. Then there are paintings that open up a worm hole through space and time by shear power of their awesomeness. These are very rare indeed. The best example we can...
RIM Reportedly to Have iPad Competitor Ready Before Holidays
July 30, 2010, 4:55 pmEverybody's scrambling to get their iPad competitors out. Most recently, we heard what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had to say about his comany's plans . Research in Motion (RIM) will apparently have its iPad competitor out in a few short months. Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports the BlackBerry maker intends to have one out in November. Hugo Miller...
Introducing the Google Display Network
July 30, 2010, 4:26 pmOver the past year, we've been focused on investing in display advertising, and we've seen great momentum from the increasing number of you running display campaigns with Google. We've rolled out new features and targeting options and more precise measurement tools . To provide more places for you to run display ads, we've added more publisher...
Twitter Launches New User Suggestion Features
July 30, 2010, 4:18 pmTwitter has begun rolling out a "Suggestions for You" feature that helps users find people to follow. You may be familiar with a similar feature on Facebook. "With more than a hundred million users on Twitter, there are sure to be at least dozens of accounts out there that will reflect your interests. The trouble is finding all of them," the...
How Much Should You Spend On SEO?
July 30, 2010, 4:18 pmIts a tough question, especially in a bad economy. The question really begs another question what is your goal for your site ? If you are operating it as a real business where you hope to either supplement your current income or rely on it as your sole source of income then you need to be prepared to invest in search (its often the foundation of...
Rasmus Lerdorf - PHP Performance
July 30, 2010, 4:07 pmLast night the father of PHP Rasmus Lerdorf presented at the Digg office on PHP performance optimization as part of the Engineer-to-Engineer: San Francisco Tech Talks .
Hyper-Local News Site Offers Production for Promotion
July 30, 2010, 4:01 pmWith cable nearly obliterating all signs of local programming on TV, one news outlet is taking it online with an interesting marketing plan to boot. In an interview with HyperlocalBlogger, James Macpherson details his plans to air 16-hours a week of original programming on his local news site Pasadena Now. The programming will include a daily...
WebProNews IT Team Confirms Facebook "Leak" Not Much of a Story
July 30, 2010, 3:55 pmFacebook has put a lot of people on edge about privacy in recent months, and while some of it may be legitimate concern, a lot of the discussion is simply getting blown out of proportion. You've probably read about the infamous "leaked" list of user names this week, that a security researcher shared in a torrent. A bunch of companies have...
Butch Patrick Is Getting Married
July 30, 2010, 3:55 pmby Mike Krumboltz You know the saying "there's someone for everyone"? Well, it's true. Butch Patrick , 57, who played young Eddie Munster on " The Munsters " TV show in the '60s, is getting married. And not to just anybody. He'll tie the knot with his self-described "biggest fan," with whom he used to correspond when they were kids. News of the...
Microsoft Sales Outweigh Acquisitions 2:1
July 30, 2010, 3:02 pmPeople who keep up with tech news have probably noticed that Google makes acquisitions on a regular basis. Meanwhile, reports concerning Microsoft buys are rare. But that isn't necessarily a sign of some media bias; Microsoft confirmed today that the companies it sold in the past year were worth more than the companies it acquired. Microsoft...
OneRiot Makes Staff Changes to Prepare for the Future
July 30, 2010, 2:44 pmOneRiot says it has made some changes that will "propel the company to the future faster." The changes they're referring to are that Kimbal Musk, formerly CEO, is now the Chairman of the company, while Tobias Peggs (formerly President in charge of Strategy, Sales, Distribution and Marketing) is now CEO. Citing, a list of accomplishments that...
Google Publications
July 30, 2010, 2:43 pmPosted by Corinna Cortes and Alfred Spector, Google Research We often get asked if Google scientists and engineers publish technical papers, and the answer is, "Most certainly, yes." Indeed, we have a formidable research capability, and we encourage publications as well as other forms of technical dissemination-including our contributions to open...
Idol Talk: Musical Judicial Chairs
July 30, 2010, 2:25 pmby Vera H-C Chan After the ratings drop and critical pile-on that was Season 9, " American Idol " is bound and determined to make its 10th anniversary one to remember. (Or at least, not one to forget â" a subtle but important distinction.) News and rumors about who's out and who's in are in high boil, and searches are breaking out on Yahoo! for...
Microsoft Doesn't Plan to Let Yahoo and Google Do Their Thing in Japan
July 30, 2010, 1:19 pmMicrosoft is pissed that Yahoo Japan is going with Google rather than Bing. In fact, the company is reportedly moving to block the deal from going through.
Jay Yarow at Silicon Alley Insider provides the following statement from a company rep: "We plan to present evidence to the Japanese FTC explaining why we believe that this deal is...
Mark Wahlberg's Star, Cheescake Factory Deal, iPad Rival: What's the Buzz
July 30, 2010, 1:14 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Allison Adler (Searches increased by 1,061%). The "Roseanne" actress Sara Gilbert came out and named the TV producer as her long-time partner . Cheesecake Factory (+1,582%). The eatery is offering its namesake dessert half off today, in celebration of National Cheesecake Day . Mark...
Search Engine Update - Who's Out There Shaking Things Up?
July 30, 2010, 12:27 pmBits and bobs to keep up with search engine product updates: YouTube, Wolfram|Alpha, Bing Maps and more.Click to read the rest of this post...
Last Call for Facebook Gifts
July 30, 2010, 12:26 pmThe Facebook Gift Shop is closing on Aug. 1 as we focus instead on improving other products. As of that date, you will no longer be able to give new gifts from the Gift Shop. The gifts you've already received on your Wall will remain visible, and you still will be able to view your sent and received gifts on your gifts page . People also can...
Bringing Some Bling to the PayPal Campus' and Beyond
July 30, 2010, 12:21 pmHi All â" Osama Bedier here, PayPal's VP of platform, mobile and new ventures. Today is an exciting day for us: not only is our PayPal X open platform being used by another innovative startup, but they're bringing it directly to PayPal headquarters! Bling Nation, a mobile payments service provider of tap-and-pay payments at the point of sale,
Museum Of Natural History Launches iPhone App
July 30, 2010, 11:39 amThe American Museum of Natural History in New York City has launched a free app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad called Explorer. The Explorer app uses Wi-Fi to act as an "indoor GPS" within the museum, pinpointing a user's location and offering turn-by-turn directions through more than 500,000 square feet that features 45 permanent exhibition...
Is Quality Really in Jeopardy Because of Content Farms?
July 30, 2010, 11:39 amSo-called content farms draw a lot of criticism for a supposed lack of quality and some consider them a threat to quality on the web in general. We're talking about entities like Demand Media, Associated Content, the new AOL, etc. (the definition of the term content farm itself is also debated). I would argue that content quality is not in...
Google launches Korean Voice Search
July 30, 2010, 11:21 amPosted by Mike Schuster & Martin Jansche, Google Research On June 16th, we launched our Korean voice search system . Google Search by Voice has been available in various flavors of English since 2008, in Mandarin and Japanese since 2009, and in French, Italian, German and Spanish just a few weeks ago (some more details in a recent blog post )....
Electronic withdrawal service continues in India
July 30, 2010, 11:09 amHi everyone, it's Dickson Seow again, from the Corporate Communications team. We've received good news â" India users can perform electronic withdrawals right now as you did before. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you over the past few days. While we have received your appreciation for the advance notice and the refund of the...
How Facebook Handles Questions Could Play Key Role in Future Search Habits
July 30, 2010, 11:03 amFacebook's new Questions product, launched in beta earlier this week , has a great deal of potential for answering the questions of half a billion people (the most recent number of Facebook users reported by the company ). Will you use Facebook Questions to seek answers? Let us know . As competition between Facebook and Google over Internet user...
Playdom Enters Facebook Credits Deal
July 30, 2010, 10:45 amFacebook Credits are fast becoming the official currency of developers everywhere. Following recent announcements involving LOLapps, CrowdStar, RockYou, and Wooga, Playdom has also entered a deal that will see it using nothing other than Facebook Credits for the next handful of years. Playdom is an important developer, with millions of people...
Blog on Trending Topics to Get Noticed and Get Ranked!
July 30, 2010, 10:39 amYour blogging style is up to you. I for one usually shy away from newly hot and trending topics for various reasons: firstly, I am not based in the USA and thus I am slow in learning what everyone says, secondly, seeing great coverage, I usually have hard time finding what to add.
Google Search Off Again, On Again China
July 30, 2010, 10:39 amSometimes patience pays off in this media business, even in the blogosphere where first and fast often equals leading the pack. Last night I watched TechMeme light up for an hour or so with this collection of stories about Google's search was, again, blocked in China. Reuters lead the pack in reporting that Google's search, images, mobile, news...
Social Media for Farmers, huh!?
July 30, 2010, 10:30 amby Sage Lewis
Do you think that social media isn't right for your business. Well, think again after you watch this video on my most recent social media clinic I did for Iowa Women Farmers.
Be sure and visit our small business news site.
Back to School PPC Optimization Tips, Research and Downloadable Keyword Lists
July 30, 2010, 10:21 amThe other day I stopped by my local office supply store and was taken aback by how many parents and kids were crowding the aisles filled with school supplies. Back to School shopping in July? Wow. Apparently things have changed a bit since I was a kid! Knowing that the Back to School shopping season has already begun and that traffic peaks in...
How Using Lots of Keywords Can Help You Focus On One Keyword
July 30, 2010, 9:42 amby Stoney deGeyter
If you have ever spent any amount of time doing keyword research you can walk away amazed (or even frustrated) about the sheer volume of ways people search for what is essentially the same thing. Take a single core term like "window cleaner" and you can get dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of search terms all using...
Barnes & Noble Uses its Brick & Mortar Advantage Against Amazon's Kindle
July 30, 2010, 9:33 amThe e-book/e-reader wars are really heating up. Amazon has plenty of good news to share around its Kindle device. Now Barnes & Noble is talking about a major push to increase Nook sales. Julie Bosman with the New York Times reports that in September, the company will start putting a great deal of emphasis on Nook in its brick and mortar stores,...
You Can Now Get '15 Minutes of Fame' with YouTube videos
July 30, 2010, 9:17 amAndy Warhol said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Well, you can now get "15 minutes of fame" on YouTube.Click to read the rest of this post...
Google Confirms That SEOs Are Smarter Than It Is
July 30, 2010, 8:57 amI'm not going to add any context to this quote from a Google employee-it would totally ruin the buzz you'll feel for the rest of the day! I can assure you that the last thing we want is for the business who hires the best SEO to win a better slot. But, the SEOs are, unfortunately, pretty good at what they do, and so sometimes they out smart us ....
Rumors Slate Facebook IPO For 2012
July 30, 2010, 8:56 amIndividuals who want to invest in Facebook probably won't have an opportunity to do so for well over a year. A new, somewhat credible report indicates that the company won't go public until sometime in 2012. "Three people familiar with the matter" spoke to Bloomberg , and said the delay will give Mark Zuckerberg "more time to gain users and boost...
ApartmentGuide Adds Search Tab To Its Facebook Page
July 30, 2010, 8:56 amApartmentGuide.com has introduced a search tab on its Facebook page. To find an apartment, visitors to ApartmentGuide's Facebook page can click on the search tab and enter the city, state or zip code. Price range and number of bedrooms is also an option to narrow the search. Users are offered apartment listings that match search criteria on the...
Google With Direct Dictionary Result
July 30, 2010, 8:44 amPerhaps bad news for the traffic of dictionary sites, which often don't show the actual word definition in the search engine snippets: Google now has a onebox of their own immediately offering the definition(s) for certain words you're searching for. Try enter e.g. pleasant into Google.com and the top will read: "pleas·ant/ÈplezYnt/Adjective ......
Microsoft Will Have Answers to the iPad. Will They Be the Right Answers?
July 30, 2010, 8:38 amMicrosoft feels threatened by the iPad. That was made clear by the words of CEO Steve Ballmer at Microsoft's financial analysts meeting. Microsoft intends to come out swinging with Windows-based iPad rivals. It's just a matter of when, and if customers will have anywhere near the same enthusiasm they have had for the ipad. Of course, Microsoft...
Google Font Previewer
July 30, 2010, 8:26 amGoogle has released a tool which lets you preview and live-edit fonts which are part of the Google Font API. It's called Google Font Previewer and features fonts like Vollkorn, Lobster, Cardo and Reanie Beanie. Once you're done tweaking a font, you can copy the HTML snippet Google shows into your own page. [By Philipp Lenssen | Origin: Google Font...
ComScore Report Says Divas Drive the Dollars
July 30, 2010, 8:21 amDivas drive the dollars. That's according to a new report from ComScore called Women on the Web: How Women are Shaping the Internet. The study shows that women spend 20% more time on retail websites overall than men. Not surprisingly, they lead in sales in every category except Computer Hardware/Software, Electronics, Sports/Outdoor and Music to...
Ballmer: Microsoft Is Working Hard To Bring Rival To iPad
July 30, 2010, 8:20 am"It is job one urgency. No one is sleeping at the switch."
Happy Fathers' Day!
July 30, 2010, 8:15 amToday, in many countries all over the world, it's Father's Day. We all know how special fathers are, so it's great to be able to take a day just to celebrate them. There are tons of great ways to show the fathers in your life how much you care about them, from letters and home-cooked meals, to something as simple as a phone call.
How to Cultivate Social Media Success
July 30, 2010, 8:15 amSponsored by JenKaneCo , well known social media evangelist Brian Solis recently gave a presentation to an enthusiastic group of marketers in downtown Minneapolis to introduce the concepts behind his new book: Engage! The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate and Measure Success in the New Web. The following is an...
#1 Guest Blogging Incentive: Backlinks (Guidelines and Ethics)
July 30, 2010, 8:15 amAccepting guest posts is an effective way to freshen up your blog, share various perspectives and build a stronger community (especially if you manage such a multi-author, multi-topic resource as SEJ). Naturally, if you want to get the maximum benefit from guest blogging, you will need to give back. This post is about the most popular (yet,
Fortune Says: Google: The Search Party Is Over
July 30, 2010, 7:44 am"the web has changed significantly since Google became a verb."
Would You Pay for Twitter if You Had to?
July 30, 2010, 7:27 amThe USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism has released a study (pdf) this week looking at the impact the web has on Americans, and among the nearly 200 issues explored is that of paying for online services and content.
Believe it or not, most don't want to pay. For example, the study found that 49% of respondents have used free...
Google Focusing On Check-In Services with Google Places API
July 30, 2010, 7:15 amGoogle is placing a great deal of emphasis on check-in services, with regards to Google Places. This could mean some interesting things for businesses. "We have been delighted with the enthusiasm we have seen for the Places API, and the innovative ways in which developers would like to use it," says Google Maps API Product Manager Thor Mitchell.
Worldwide Mobile Phone Demand Gains Significantly (Not Just Smartphones)
July 30, 2010, 6:39 amThe International Data Corporation (IDC) has released its Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker study, which finds a 14.5% increase in mobile phone demand, as the market fragments. Mobile phone vendors shipped 317.5 million units during the second quarter, an increase of 14.5% from the 277.2 million units shipped during the second quarter of...
Is Google AdWords Advertising Itself Honestly?
July 30, 2010, 6:33 amI've been working on PPC for my dad's dental seminars business, and I have to admit that while I like a challenge, the system is really overwhelming. It makes me wonder whether Google AdWords - the PPC traffic/platform we're buying/using - is honest in how it promotes itself. Consider these two claims that AdWords makes: 1) Get started in minutes....
7 Ways Google Analytics Can Help When Redesigning Your Website
July 30, 2010, 6:27 amA very useful and instantly actionable post on how to use Google Analytics to easily understand what's working on your site, and what isn't.
Mobile Search, what you need to know
July 30, 2010, 5:53 amBuilding your mobile search campaign is easier than you think, and can be done from within your existing Google AdWords account. Discover what you need to know.
Cameron's Big Society prompts big traffic spike
July 30, 2010, 3:56 amLast week the Prime Minister set out his vision for the "big society", the flagship social policy of the Conservative-LibDem coalition government. The initiative aims to take the emphasis of responsibility away from the government and instead empower people to run local services such as schools, post offices and transport networks. The idea of the...
Google Opens Places API to Developers of Check-In Services
July 30, 2010, 1:16 amIf Google were to put itself in to the geo-location game right now there may be some real howling about Google and world domination. Well, leave it to Google not to be completely out of any game. In the case of the check-in craze that is being pioneered by foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and others, Google has found a way in without having their own...
Whiteboard Friday - Outsourcing Content Creation
July 30, 2010, 12:23 amPosted by Danny Dover This week on Whiteboard Friday, Rand Fishkin describes the methods he recommends for outsourcing content creation. Content is extremely important for SEO and users alike so these best practices are important for those of us without the luxury of an in-house staff of copywriters.
Predict the Future and Grow Your Blog
July 30, 2010, 12:10 amIf you own a website or a blog at some point you have to try and predict the future. Yes, in order to really be successful online you might find yourself going to extraordinary lengths in order to really increase traffic and visibility for your website. Try to think about the largest businesses and events in your industry and take this approach.
Google is Crushing It In Mobile Search Share
July 29, 2010, 11:29 pmWhile Google struggles with a lot of issues because of their high profile involvement in just about everything, they are still the king of the search mountain by a country mile. This is obviously not news but how that domination extends into the mobile search world is still a bit stunning. According to Pingdom , based on global stats with the help...
Facebook Questions Challenging Search Engines And LBS
July 29, 2010, 10:54 pmFacebook Questions beta is the social site's most recent feature launch. It allows users to crowdsource their own questions by submitting them to all of Facebook's 500 million users as well as to all their friends. This seemingly 'innocent' feature is in fact a powerful tool that challenges all 'traditional' search engines, photo search engines...
Googlebot Crawl Speed is NOT the same as Site Performance
July 29, 2010, 8:34 pmThere seems to be a growing confusion and even mythology around Google and site speed. It's becoming painful to read some of the junk around the web on this topic - and also stories from the people who tried to improve their site speed and hurt their rankings instead.
'Dinner for Schmucks,' 'Charlie St. Cloud,' 'Cats and Dogs 2': Movie Review Roundup
July 29, 2010, 6:49 pmby Claudine Zap This weekend, you can choose movies about men acting like frat boys, or pets acting like people. Or just feast your eyes on a teen heartthrob acting serious. The critics are less than thrilled with this trio of summer stinkers. Maybe the best advice is to see " Inception " again. Here's a roundup of critical â" highly critical...
Ad Spending is Up'Depending on How You Look at It
July 29, 2010, 6:20 pmWhile most sources are predicting a rise in ad dollars for the rest of this year, Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente is lowering his estimate from 5.5% to only a 5% growth. That may not sound like much but these days, even .5% really counts. In an article at MediaMemo, Peter Kafka says that it's print (including phone book advertising) and radio...
All About Marc Mezvinsky
July 29, 2010, 6:14 pmby Mike Krumboltz On July 31, Chelsea Clinton will marry longtime sweetheart Marc Mezvinksy . As the nuptials draw nearer and the wedding bells grow louder, the interest in Bill and Hillary's future son-in-law grows larger. Over the past week, online lookups for "marc mezvinksy" soared nearly 80%. Those who don't know his name (but are aware of...
Ad Spending is Up…Depending on How You Look at It
July 29, 2010, 6:06 pm
While most sources are predicting a rise in ad dollars for the rest of this year, Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente is lowering his estimate from 5.5% to only a 5% growth. That may not sound like much but these days, even .5% really counts.
In an article at MediaMemo, Peter Kafka says that it’s print (including phone book...
Google Earth Starts To Depict Rain, Snow
July 29, 2010, 4:51 pmGoogle Earth is meant to give its users a realistic view of the world, and the program by and large accomplishes that. A new upgrade will make it even more accurate, though, by showing users whether or not they'd be getting wet if they were to visit certain parts of the globe. Yes, Google Earth 5.2 is now supposed to account for both rain and...
Redbox Now Offering $1.50 Blu-ray Rentals
July 29, 2010, 4:51 pmCoinstar's Redbox announced today that it is has started rolling out Blu-ray rentals . The company says titles will be available at 13,300 kiosks nationwide. "Offering Blu-ray rentals is an exciting opportunity for redbox to expand our product offerings and build on the relationships that we've established with millions of consumers nationwide,"...
Google Launches New Product Search Ad Format with Product Extensions
July 29, 2010, 4:33 pmGoogle has announced a new advertising format for Google Merchant Center users. The format is based on the product extensions AdWords format that lets advertisers add specific product listings. There is a difference with this new format, however. The format, which runs on Google Product Search, will show users products and prices without them...
Google as the Spammer : Just Isn't Worth The Ranking Effort Any More?
July 29, 2010, 4:16 pmIs it time we call Google the biggest SERP spammer on the net? Awe c'mon the top 12 serp links are all Google self-referential universal Google search spam! "I get the feeling im messing round chasing my tail rather than being an online trader."
Report: Google Has Twice the Malware of Bing, Yahoo, and Twitter Put Together
July 29, 2010, 3:58 pmAccording to a report released by Barracuda Labs , Google has twice as much malware than Bing, Yahoo, and Twitter put together. The study was conducted across these web properties over a two-month period. Barracuda says it reviewed over 25,000 trending topics and nearly 5.5 million search results, analyzing them to identify the types of topics...
Making the Process Clear: Improve Your Search Engine Rankings in 6 Steps
July 29, 2010, 3:46 pmRanking higher in search engines is something that every business is trying to do (or at least they should be). If you search the web, there will be no end of advice on how this or that will get you to rank better. This sea of information can lead to decision paralysis when it comes to actually implementing a search engine optimization (SEO)...
Inside The Google Garbage Factory
July 29, 2010, 3:38 pmGoogle CEO Eric Schmidt has talked about how much garbage there is on the internet. In this piece, I looked at how his own company is responsible for some of it, failing to curb the excesses caused by Google Trends and indirectly profiting from the cesspool he's complained about.
Playdom (Fresh off Disney Acquisition News) Launches World Series of Poker Facebook App
July 29, 2010, 3:21 pmPlaydom has been in the news a lot over the week as Disney announced its agreement to acquire the social gaming company. Today, Playdom announced a partnership with Harrah's Interactive Entertainment to launch the Official World Series of Poker game on Facebook and other social networks. "We are very excited to bring the thrill and excitement of...
Report Shows Google *Is* Mobile Search Market
July 29, 2010, 3:21 pmTo a person with poor eyesight, Yahoo, Bing, and just about every other organization trying to compete in the mobile search market might as well not exist. New stats indicate that Google has an overwhelming lead, allowing it to dwarf competitors by comparison. The graph below, which was constructed by Pingdom's bloggers using data from...
Android Market Wallpaper App Sends User Data to China
July 29, 2010, 2:23 pmAgainst the backdrop of poor payment options and rampant spam in Android's application store, as holy as it is in its open sourceness, is apparently ripe for exploitation. Mobile security firm Lookout studied the Android Market and found a wallpaper application called Jackeey Wallpaper that sends user information to the Website www.imnet.us in...
NetChoice Voices Opposition To Online Retail Tax
July 29, 2010, 2:05 pmRepresentative Paul Hodes (D-NH) introduced today a bipartisan resolution to protect online out-of-state sellers from having to collect taxes in states where they have no physical presence. The resolution (H.R. 1570) "Supporting the Preservation of Internet Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses," says that Congress should not impose unfair tax...
Bing Integration into Windows Live Messenger Beta
July 29, 2010, 1:41 pmWith the latest version of Messenger, you can now bring Bing into your conversations in a few exciting new ways. The first way you will be able to do this is through contextual linking. When a term is recognized, a green dashed line appears under that term. When you click on that word, you are given links from Bing to websites, photos, and videos...
Google Launches New Mobile Ad Format with Location Extensions
July 29, 2010, 1:27 pmGoogle has announced a new location extensions ad format with map features. Businesses can feature their locations and phone numbers on an expandable map ad that can appear on mobile sites and apps in the Google Display Network.
This format shows up as a banner text ad with a business icon that expands to show the business location on a Google...
Vivid Photos from Space
July 29, 2010, 1:23 pmby Mike Krumboltz The universe is an unceasingly beautiful place. Photographer Michael Benson's exhibit, " Beyond: Visions of our Solar System ," now at the National Air and Space Museum , captures that beauty in ways never before seen. In a series of 148 photographs, Benson shows off Earth, the moon, and our neighboring planets in ways humankind...
Poll: Social Media Monitoring or Social Media Measurement?
July 29, 2010, 1:18 pm
Back in in 2008, my good friend Lee Odden asked:
What’s a better term: “social media monitoring” or “social media measurement”?
As someone that provides social media monitoring/measurement tools, I wanted to get a check on whether our feelings have changed towards the use of social media monitoring versus social media...
Obama's How-To Video, Brittany Murphy's Death, Jessica Simpson Job Rumors: What's the Buzz
July 29, 2010, 1:06 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Brittany Murphy (Searches increased by 2,666%). A Los Angeles County coroner ruled that the actress and her husband died of the same cause, even though their deaths came months apart . Homemade ice cream recipes (+1,582%). Work up a sweat with a really sweet payoff . Healthcare.gov...
YouTube Ups Upload Limit to 15 Minutes Per Video
July 29, 2010, 12:50 pmYouTube announced today that it has extended the upload limit to 15 minutes for all users. It was 10 minutes before. If you've tried to upload one in the past that was rejected for length, but would qualify now, you'll have delete it from "My Videos" and do it again.
"We want YouTube to be the best place to upload video," says...
Report: Smart Mobile Marketers Give Away Free Ice Cream
July 29, 2010, 12:49 pmWhat are the latest trends in mobile marketing? Millennial Media just released their SMART (Scorecard for Mobile Advertising Reach and Targeting) report for June and it provides insight on the habits of mobile advertisers. First, we learn that Retail and Restaurants are making a move to attract more mobile customers-with location based coupons and...
Site Speed: Reducing Page Load Times and Increasing Pages Crawled
July 29, 2010, 12:35 pmSince Google announced that they were using Site Speed as a part of the ranking algorithm, it has proven to increase the pages crawled and rankings. Here is some case studies and tips on site speed.
Should your SEO company create your content?
July 29, 2010, 12:32 pmI had the most interesting email exchange the other day with a SEO firm. This particular firm (one that is well known in the industry'and no, I will not name them) contacted me because they wanted to outsource their SEO copywriting. This isn't uncommon - in fact, many SEO firms offer SEO copywriting services but don't keep that particular skill...
Google dynamic linking; one strange and creepy patent
July 29, 2010, 11:46 amI came across a rather strage patent awarded to Google that talks about dynamically adding links to content. Now, I really don't know what it was meant to be used for, but it would make one heck of an app for anyone... it even uses personalization. Cool... but creepy
Google dynamic linking
July 29, 2010, 11:45 amOne strange and creepy patent Imagine if you had a program that would automatically go through the posts on your site/blog and automatically find concepts and dynamically add links to related documents from the web. Now let's go further and have that program track the people reading your page and by looking at their history and implicit past...
BlueGlassLA Conference Recap
July 29, 2010, 11:31 amLast week I attended BlueGlass LA, a new online marketing conference put on by BlueGlass, the newly formed agency based out of Tampa, FL.
Wait, you’re blogging about and linking to your competitors?
Yes. We love competition. It drives us to be better all the time, and there are more than enough companies that need good search marketing...
Which Sites Drive the Most Referral Traffic?
July 29, 2010, 11:19 amJohn Pozadzides of the Web analytics company Woopra wrote a guest post for ReadWriteWeb looking at the web's top sources of referral traffic. He breaks it down in to the following categories: social network, social bookmark, search, and media.
Six versions of Google top the list for search before Bing makes an appearance. Facebook takes the cake...
Buick Taps Facebook, Twitter And YouTube To Promote Regal
July 29, 2010, 11:13 amGM is working on a campaign to promote its 2011 Buick Regal and has launched a website called "Moment of Truth."
GM promises its Moment of Truth site will include all reviews and consumer opinions no matter if they are negative or positive.
"We are inviting consumers to find out on their own that Regal is a true performance sedan...
Is Google to Blame for Its Own News Pollution?
July 29, 2010, 11:00 amSearch Engine Land Editor-in-Chief Danny Sullivan points out how poorly Google handles those gaming Google News, using Google Trends as a starting point.
Do you find Google News to be too heavily polluted? Share your thoughts.
He found a blatant example when the term "chocomize" became listed as "volcanic" on...
4 Ways Link Builders Should Use Twitter
July 29, 2010, 10:56 amKaila explains how not only can Twitter help you find link building opportunities, but can also act as a communication channel, help you tap the pulse of ‘what’s hot’, and actually serve as a place to build links (albeit no-follow, but links nonetheless).
Speeches that will make your people feel empowered
July 29, 2010, 10:41 amby Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler Is this you? You run an annual event for the public, and you want to expose them to new ideas. For example, ways to run a business and empower workers. Or, how technology changes marketing. Or . . . you've got a good sized company and you want them to work together to generate new ideas and innovate. Or . . .
Groupon Personalized Deals Will Be Huge for Customers, Businesses
July 29, 2010, 10:19 amGroupon, the service that provides daily deals that save customers money, is getting a lot of attention these days. Now, they'll be getting much more. Late yesterday, the company announced a big feature in Personalized Deals. Today, they have released an FAQ for those.
"Personalized Deals is the biggest thing we’ve done since we...
Microsoft Names Impressive New Cloud Customers
July 29, 2010, 10:11 amMicrosoft's cloud computing division has scored a significant victory. Three of them, even, as this morning, the company was able to announce that Dow Chemical, Hyatt Hotels, and the University of Georgia will use Microsoft cloud computing solutions.
A Dow VP indicated in an official statement that Microsoft's experience and expertise...
Five Quality Score Myths Busted
July 29, 2010, 9:54 amIn search marketing, it's easy to get people obsessed with a particular metric: you express it on a scale of zero to 10. (Remember Toolbar PageRank?) It's only been a few months now that a significant number of search advertisers have even figured out how to look up Quality Scores on their Google AdWords keywords. (You have to "customize columns"...
Introducing GuestBlogging.com (Check out the Free Videos)
July 29, 2010, 9:54 amSo, you've heard my take on why guest blogging is important . Over the years, you've probably seen other popular bloggers talking about it too. But maybe you can't help thinking ' how does it help you build a popular blog of your own ? If you've been wondering, head over to GuestBlogging.com , because over the next 10 days, I'm going to show you....
Using Google's Android? That'll Be $10 a Year, Thanks!
July 29, 2010, 9:54 amHow are you enjoying that free Android software that powers your iPhone-competing smart phone? I hope you like it enough to reimburse Google $10 a year, because that's what Google CEO Eric Schmidt is hoping to get out of each Android user: "If we have a billion people using Android, you think we can't make money from that?" Schmidt asked...
Motorola Announces Second Quarter Sales of $5.4 Billion
July 29, 2010, 9:48 amMotorola announced its Q2 financial results today. These include sales of $5.4 billion. The company shipped 2.7 million smartphones during the quarter, but mobile device sales were down 6% from the previous year. Other highlights include: - Second-quarter GAAP earnings of $0.07 per share, compared to GAAP earnings of $0.01 per share in second...
Phase One Link Building Strategies
July 29, 2010, 9:37 amHere are 5 great strategies to begin your link building for any site looking to begin, or continue, link building efforts.
Using Google’s Android? That’ll Be $10 a Year, Thanks!
July 29, 2010, 9:30 am
How are you enjoying that free Android software that powers your iPhone-competing smart phone?
I hope you like it enough to reimburse Google $10 a year, because that’s what Google CEO Eric Schmidt is hoping to get out of each Android user:
“If we have a billion people using Android, you think we can’t make money from...
House Panel Approves Bill To Legalize Online Gambling
July 29, 2010, 9:12 amA House committee yesterday voted on legislation that would legalize and regulate online gambling in the United States. The Internet Gambling Regulation and Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267), legislation introduced by Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, passed by a 41-22 vote....
Gamerang Launches New Game Rental Site with Social and API Features
July 29, 2010, 9:12 amGamerang is launching a new site with "the ever-important social media aspect of games" . If you're unfamiliar with Gamerang, it's been renting video games since 2003, with four distribution centers across the United States. Gamerang boasts over 9,000 titles for every major platform. It works essentially like a Netflix for video games, or a...
Wallpaper App Causes Android Security Scare
July 29, 2010, 9:12 amAndroid device owners can perhaps stop frantically deleting apps from their phones. An app that appeared to represent a serious security risk - supposedly transmitting users' passwords, browsing histories, and text messages to someone in China - has been found to mine much less data than early reports indicated. The scare started when, at the...
How to Automate and Scale Your Guest Blogging
July 29, 2010, 9:06 amOne of the things we do to help our SEO efforts is to write professional articles about our niche. We believe this is a great way to get links, and anyone can do this in their own niche. Let's say for the sake of example that we sell wedding shoes. Our staff knows a lot about this subject, and is very experienced in that field of work. Therefore...
The Audacity of Free: The Products and Services Edition
July 29, 2010, 8:26 amLast year, Chris Brogan coined the phrase "the audacity of free" to refer to the entitlement his "friends" feel they have about getting free entry into conferences that he and his team spend months to organize. Somehow, individuals forget along the way that costs accrue when considering the venue, food, exhibit hall, and the staff required on hand...
Chart: Each Google Employee Worth $1.4M
July 29, 2010, 8:25 am
Back in 2008, we reported on the atonishing revenue Google was generating per employee: $210,000 per year!
It appears that revenue has turned into a nice little stockpile of cash for the search giant. If you were to divide up all the cash Google has in its coffers, each employee would walk away with $1.4 million!
Another Reason for Murdoch Not to Like Google
July 29, 2010, 8:20 amNews Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch has had a lot of issues with search engines - most notably, Google. He has repeatedly threatened to block News Corp. content from search engines , but content from the Wall Street Journal, for example, still populates a significant amount of Google search results to this day. Interestingly, while Google...
Amazon and Facebook Team Up and It's Kinda Creepy
July 29, 2010, 8:07 amAmazon began beta testing a new application this week that claims to be a simple gift suggestion engine for your family and friends. It all begins on the Amazon recommendation page . From there, you give Amazon permission to talk to Facebook and from there you get a page full of people matched with products. At the top of the page is a list of...
Mr. Zuckerberg Goes to Washington
July 29, 2010, 8:07 amFrank Capra's famous movie from 1939 "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" is described in IMDb as "A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the US Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn't back down." Yesterday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg went to Washington as well. It appears though that he wasn't site seeing.
Amazon and Facebook Team Up and It’s Kinda Creepy
July 29, 2010, 7:35 am
Amazon began beta testing a new application this week that claims to be a simple gift suggestion engine for your family and friends. It all begins on the Amazon recommendation page. From there, you give Amazon permission to talk to Facebook and from there you get a page full of people matched with products.
At the top of...
Facebook Rolling Out Questions Feature
July 29, 2010, 7:10 amPeople ask a lot of questions. It's natural and it makes sense. It's the only way we can acquire information that we don't currently have. The biggest problem with any question is finding the best source to ask. We have friends and family but they can only go so far in many cases. We have search engines but sometimes you need something else, right?
Ultimate Guide to Facebook Pages
July 29, 2010, 6:55 amCollection of awesome resources to help organizations create engaging Facebook Fan pages.
Google & CIA Invest in Future of Web Monitoring
July 29, 2010, 6:51 am"...the intelligence community and Google have funded the same startup, at the same time. No one is accusing Google of directly collaborating with the CIA. But the investments are bound to be fodder for critics of Google, who already see the search giant as overly cozy with the U.S. government, and worry that the company is starting to forget its...
Karen Wickre To Share Secrets about Blogging @ Google
July 29, 2010, 6:47 amKaren Wickre, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at Google will share secrets about Blogging @ Google today, July 29, 2010, at 1:00pm EDT / 10:00am PDT. There is still time to register for the free webcast and webinar, which is sponsored by Connected Marketing Week.Click to read the rest of this post...
YouTube Increases Upload Limit To 15 Minutes
July 29, 2010, 6:30 am"if you're uploading a video that was previously rejected for being too long, you'll have to go into 'My Videos' and delete it before attempting to upload it again."
Introducing Our New UK Performance Team
July 29, 2010, 6:23 amWhy do we all love digital advertising? Id venture one of the main reasons is that it performs. With more people coming online and the web becoming more and more an intrinsic part of our lives, the opportunities for marketers to harness the power of technology and reach consumers across properties like MSN, Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger and...
Opera Mini Serves a Billion Page Views in a Day
July 29, 2010, 6:20 amOpera has announced that its Opera Mini users viewed over a billion pages on July 25. On that day, every second, Opera Mini servers compressed over 11,500 pages before sending that content to phones around the world.
"Opera Mini has experienced tremendous page view growth in recent years," the company says. "In June 2008, Opera...
Facebook Launches 'Facebook Questions' (Beta)
July 29, 2010, 6:18 am"Facebook Questions is available to a limited number of people right now..."
Amazon Introduces New Smaller, Faster Kindle, Wi-Fi Version
July 29, 2010, 6:17 amAmazon's Kindle has been making a lot of headlines lately, and now the company has introduced a new generation of Kindle devices . The new Kindle is smaller, lighter, faster, and has 50% better contrast than any other e-reader on the market, according to Amazon. It has a new electronic-ink screen and a new design with a 21% smaller body, while...
UK ICO: Google Didn't Take "Significant" Details Over WiFi
July 29, 2010, 6:13 am"On the basis of the samples we saw, we are satisfied so far that it is unlikely that Google will have captured significant amounts of personal data."
comScore Reports Second Quarter 2010 Results
July 29, 2010, 5:26 amRevenue in the second quarter of 2010 was $42.0 million, an increase of 34% over the second quarter of 2009 and a quarterly record. GAAP income before income taxes was $1.8 million in the second quarter of 2010, compared to $2.6 million in the second quarter of 2009. GAAP net income was $0.8 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, in the second...
7 Cutting Edge Web Design Trends (that Can Actually Improve SEO)
July 29, 2010, 3:41 amPosted by randfish As the worlds of web design and SEO merge ever closer, we've been seeing design-specific elements produce a positive impact on SEO for the sites that employ them. It's terrific news for SEOs who love design and are capable of and passionate about making it part of their repertoire. It's also great for designers who find that as...
Have an SEO State of Mind
July 29, 2010, 12:18 amBeing successful with search engine optimization for your own business or your career requires a person to be in an SEO mindset at all times. What this means is that you need to be thinking about how anything you put out into the search engines is going to react in the search results. Whether it is an article or a press release or even a business...
100 Million Facebook Users' Data Published
July 28, 2010, 10:49 pm"People who use Facebook own their information and have the right to share only what they want, with whom they want, and when they want,"
We’ve Moved!
July 28, 2010, 10:49 pmGreetings LilEngine readers and users. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know, as if you haven’t noticed, that we have merged two of our internet marketing properties into one. After careful consideration we decided that the management of two separate websites and blogs was simply getting to be too much. We need to narrow our...
Elixir Interactive Online Reputation Management Case Study
July 28, 2010, 8:03 pmElixir Interactive has shared a very unusual online reputation management study. What is unusual is that the interactive marketing agency, which provides online reputation management and search engine optimization services, and it's well-respected CEO and President, Fionn Downhill, are the targets of a mean-spirited and scurrilous attack.Click to...
Google Shoring Up Social Network Arsenal to Challenge Facebook
July 28, 2010, 7:36 pmThis Google gaming and social network is really boiling over. In the last month, Digg's Kevin Rose tweeted Google has a social networking in the works, an assertion backed up Quora's Adam D'Anglelo and possibly by this document . In mid July, TechCrunch said Google had invested $100 million in social gaming platform Zynga and was striking a deal...
comScore Media Metrix Ranks Top 50 U.S. Web Properties for June 2010
July 28, 2010, 7:08 pmcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly analysis of U.S. Web activity at the top online properties for June 2010 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. Travel sites saw a surge in activity in June as travelers browsed hot summer deals and booked vacation getaways. Americans...
President of Iran Picks on Paul the Octopus
July 28, 2010, 7:02 pmby Claudine Zap Paul the Octopus may have predicted the World Cup winner. But he never could have seen this coming: Being denounced by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . The president of Iran blasted the cephalopod for spreading " western propaganda and superstition. " If anyone should get the blame for spreading the word to the world about the sea creature's...
Old Spice Reaps Rewards of Viral Campaign
July 28, 2010, 4:48 pmSometimes an ad for a product is so clever that you remember the ad but not the product. Not so with Old Spice's new "Smell Like a Man, Man," campaign which went viral earlier this year. According to a Nielsen report which was noted in Brandweek , sales of Old Spice Body Wash have jumped 55% in the past three months and 107% this past month....
Google Adds Page Load Time Metrics to Chrome
July 28, 2010, 4:37 pmAs you probably know by now, Google considers page speed as one of its many signals for search engine rankings. With that in mind, you may also be interested in knowing that in Chrome 6 , developers can access web timing metrics for measuring web page load time across browsers. "Measuring web page load time is a notoriously tricky but important...
Google Getting Rid of Old Version of AdSense for Search
July 28, 2010, 4:37 pmGoogle is retiring the old version of AdSense for Search and telling users to switch to the new version powered by Google Custom Search, which has been offered for a while. If you see "powered by Google" on the logo on the search results page, then you're using the old one. In a post on Google's Inside AdSense blog,
Facebook Questions Debuts In Beta
July 28, 2010, 4:37 pmInquisitive people, rejoice. Facebook, with its enormous user base and familiar layout, entered the question and answer space this afternoon by launching Facebook Questions. The product's still in beta right now, meaning not everyone can use it, but it's already looking well-integrated and rather interesting. Blake Ross, a director of product...
Netflix Adds Search to the Playstation 3 Version
July 28, 2010, 4:19 pmNetflix announced today that it has added search capabilities to its service on the Sony Playstation 3. This is part of a software upgrade from the company. "This architecture allows us to improve your Netflix experience by adding more and more features over time," says Greg Peters, VP of product development. "Sony is the first of the game...
The Social Network Movie Trailer
July 28, 2010, 4:02 pmThe Social Network is an upcoming 2010 drama film directed by David Fincher about the founding of Facebook, I saw the trailer for it yesterday at the Cinemas and it reminded me a little of The Pirates of Silicon Valley Movie (1999), a film about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Anyhow The Social Network film features an ensemble cast which consists of...
Amazon Embraces Facebook Recommendation Feature
July 28, 2010, 4:02 pmDespite being a pioneer in user recommendations and its overall leadership in the online shopping sector, Amazon has been slow to embrace social shopping. But a new feature launched yesterday allows Amazon shoppers who connect their Facebook account to Amazon to get recommendations from their Facebook friends on what to buy. Numerous studies have...
Alex Trebek, teachers and Googlers unite at the Google Geo Teachers Institute
July 28, 2010, 4:01 pm(Cross-posted from the Lat Long Blog ) What do Alex Trebek, teachers and Googlers have in common? Last week, these individuals and groups all came together at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA to celebrate exploration and learning. Google hosted its first Geo Teachers Institute, an intensive two-day workshop in which 150 educators received...
Microsoft Previews Street Slide Product
July 28, 2010, 3:27 pmPrivacy issues aside, it's hard to complain too much about products like Bing Streetside and Google Street View, considering such tools were until recently nonexistent. But Microsoft has previewed its next-generation mapping tool, dubbed Street Slide, and it promises to up the ante in several ways. First, consider the jumpy nature of current...
Personal Facebook Info Reportedly Leaked, Gawker Invades Zuckerberg's Privacy
July 28, 2010, 3:27 pmThinQ.co.uk reports that a directory containing personal details of over 100 million Facebook users has surfaced on a file-sharing site. That's about a fifth of Facebook's total user base. Gawker's Valleywag has posted numerous paparazzi-style photos of Mark Zuckerberg, after photographer Nick Stern followed him around. The piece is framed as a...
Search Engine Strategies San Jose is No More
July 28, 2010, 3:26 pm
I have good news and bad news.
First the bad news: Search Engine Strategies San Jose is no more.
Sucka!
That’s cos the good news is that the event has been renamed SES and the location changed to San Francisco! I so got you with that one, didn’t I?
Well, there’s more. SES is now part of the broader Connected...
Consumers Say Family Recommendations Are Not Enough
July 28, 2010, 3:15 pmA new survey by Cone says that four-out-of-five consumers will go online for a recommendation when they're interested in buying something-even after it's been recommended to them by a friend or family member. Looks like blood isn't thicker than water these days. Not when it comes to parting with hard earned cash. And it doesn't have to be a lot...
Google Launches New Preview Feature for Font Directory
July 28, 2010, 3:09 pmGoogle has launched a new feature for its font directory that lets users preview fonts and generates code to use them. The font directory contains fonts that are part of Google's font API . "Now, whenever you visit the font family page of any of the fonts, you will see a link saying 'Preview this font' that will load your font selection into the...
What is Truly Automated, Adaptive PPC Bid Management Technology?
July 28, 2010, 2:24 pmMost PPC bid management really isn't as automated as they make it out to be. Truly automating it would mean that the tools understand all the little nuances without any manual intervention by a human.
Zedonk Is Redonk
July 28, 2010, 2:00 pmby Mike Krumboltz Napoleon Dynamite made ligers famous. Your yuppie neighbors helped turn labradoodles into the gotta have dog breed. But a zedonk ? That's a new one. ABC News reports that an animal preserve in Georgia is home to a newly born (and very rare) zebra-donkey hybrid. The zedonk's legs are stripped like a zebra's, but its body resembles...
Freedom Sold Separately
July 28, 2010, 1:53 pmWell, this is bizarre. About a month ago, I posted some incoherent ramblings about number crunching' ramblings that included reflections on Paul the psychic octupus, rapidly declining Iranian fertility rates, and World Cup outcomes. I'm not saying there is a connection, but quite possibly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has his reputation...
Logitech Launches Contest to Find Help Promoting Google TV Device
July 28, 2010, 1:42 pmLogitech has started a contest to promote Google TV, the upcoming service for which Logitech is a launch partner. The contest is called "Host with the Most", and asks if "you have what it takes to be a 'host with the most' for Logitech Revue with Google TV?" Logitech Revue is the company's set-top box that will help the Google TV service launch...
Mariposa Botnet Creator Taken Down In Slovenia
July 28, 2010, 1:42 pmThe FBI, the Slovenian Criminal Police and the Spanish Guardia Civil announced the arrest of the suspected creator of the Mariposa Botnet used by hackers worldwide. Last week, the Slovenian Criminal Police arrested the Mariposa Botnet's suspected creator, a 23-year-old Slovenian known as "Iserdo." The Mariposa Botnet was built with a computer...
Algorithms: The Cure for Copywriter's Block
July 28, 2010, 1:24 pmWriter's block, or perhaps more accurate these days, blogger's block, is a common occurrence. Great bloggers try to pump out insightful and engaging content daily, but eventually the question becomes, what more can you write about? It's at times like these when I suggest you delve into a little keyword research. Rather than struggle internally to...
Gwyneth Paltrow's Country Song, Dennis Hopper's House, Snooki's Facebook Game: What's the Buzz
July 28, 2010, 1:07 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Gwyneth Paltrow (Searches increased by 7,166%). The Oscar-winning actress has gone country for her upcoming movie â" and sings the title song to prove it. Dennis Hopper (+5,292%). The late actor left behind a Venice compound going for $6 million. Guns N' Roses (+1,945%). Steven...
Apple Packs New Version of Safari with Extensions
July 28, 2010, 1:07 pmApple released the latest version of its Safari web browser today, version 5.0.1. The release comes with Safari Extensions and the Safari Extensions Gallery . While extensions became available in Safari 5 lat month for developers, the gallery makes them available to users. A few organizations that have already created extensions for the browser...
Old Spice Commercial Increases Sales 107 Percent
July 28, 2010, 1:00 pmIf you haven't seen him yet, check out the YouTube video of Isaiah Mustafa asking ladies, "Should your man smell like an Old Spice man?" As of today, the video has 11,740,466 views -- making it the most viewed video on YouTube during the past month.Click to read the rest of this post...
comScore Finds Social Networking Sites Reach Higher Percentage of Women than Men
July 28, 2010, 12:05 pmAccording to comScore, social networking sites reach a higher percentage of women than men globally, with 75.8 percent of all women online visiting a social networking site in May 2010 versus 69.7 percent of men. This is just one of the highlights of a global report released today by comScore on women's online usage entitled, Women on the Web:...
4 Steps to Social SEO Success
July 28, 2010, 11:34 amThe sheer volume of social media marketing and search engine optimization advice posted online can make it difficult for companies to make sense out what direction they should take. There are many models and approaches to leveraging optimized content for discovery through search and how to develop social networks to engage customers and promote...
Google Wi-Fi Scandal Concerns Most Americans
July 28, 2010, 11:29 amA majority of Americans are concerned about Google's Street View cars that collected private information from their Wi-Fi networks and want better privacy protections put in place, according to a new poll from Consumer Watchdog.
Overall, 74 percent of Americans view Google favorably, but 65 percent say the Wi-Fi scandal is one of the things that...
Introducing Bing Highlights for Safari
July 28, 2010, 11:23 amLast month, we had the pleasure of announcing that, in conjunction with Apple, Bing would be included as one of the search engine choices within Safari . Today, wed like to introduce our first extension for Safari: Bing Highlights . Bing Highlights brings intelligent, contextually sensitive information to the web pages youre reading. Using it is...
Adobe to Acquire Day Software for $240 Million
July 28, 2010, 11:17 amAdobe announced today that it has entered an agreement to acquire Day Software , a content management software company. Adobe has launched a public tender offer to acquire all of the publicly held registered shares of the company for about $240 million. Adobe says the purchase would strengthen its enterprise software solutions, and allow it to...
LinkedIn Now A Place to Seek Legal Insight Related to Your Industry
July 28, 2010, 10:59 amLinkedIn has been spotlighting some new apps that third-parties have been building for the professional social network. For one, they shared Creative Portfolio Display developed by Behance. They are also sharing Legal Updates . Legal Updates was launched last week, and provides LinkedIn users with legal news and commentary related to their...
LinkedIn Gets an App to Display Portfolios
July 28, 2010, 10:59 amThere is a new LinkedIn app called Creative Portfolio Display . The app lets users in creative industries like advertising, fashion, design, architecture, film, photography, and digital media, access tools to manage and showcase their portfolios. "Personal websites dont adequately broadcast your work for discovery by industry peers and top...
Content Development and Copywriting, Meet the 21st Century
July 28, 2010, 10:11 amIn order to reach this objective, your goals and the steps to achieve them must be thought out, clearly defined and focused on building long-term business to consumer relationships.
Lessons Learned from Two Weeks at Distilled
July 28, 2010, 9:55 amMy name’s Ed Fry, I’m 16 years old and I’ve had the opportunity to spend two weeks in the Distilled office in Cannon Street, working with the SEO team. Besides learning more advanced search optimization skills, just commuting across London at rush hour was a mission in itself – I ended up hopelessly off-course on my first...
Search and Social? Eh, no. - SEO Bullshit
July 28, 2010, 9:48 am‘Social is the new search’, ‘forget about SEO and start going social’, ‘social media will replace search’. Eh, no. It’s not, I won’t, and it won’t.
The Clueless, but “Whitehat”, SEO - Sugarrae
July 28, 2010, 9:47 amExcellent post-"interview" from sugarrae exposing one of the so called white hat seo experts. This guy is really hilarious. He doesn't even know who Matt Cutts is!!!!!
Rumor: Facebook May Get Hands On Hot Potato
July 28, 2010, 9:25 amFacebook's hit all sorts of growth records in the last month or so, with its private stock reaching an all-time high ($65 per share) and its user count topping the 500 million mark. Now, it looks like the organization may expand in another way, as a rumor has it ready to acquire Hot Potato. Hot Potato is a check-in service that takes...
The Glass Ceiling, the Inner Circle, and the Key to Building a Popular Blog
July 28, 2010, 9:13 am"What am I doing wrong?" I whispered to the computer screen. A part of me wanted nothing more than to go to bed and forget about blogging forever. And yet, there I was, hunched over the computer, as I dug through my traffic stats for the millionth time. Somewhere inside was the answer to why I wasn't getting more traffic, and I was going to find...
Is Google Trends the BP to Google News' Gulf of Mexico?
July 28, 2010, 9:12 amSearch Engine Land Editor-in-Chief Danny Sullivan points out how poorly Google handles those gaming Google News, using Google Trends as a starting point.
Do you find Google News to be too heavily polluted? Share your thoughts.
He found a blatant example when the term "chocomize" became listed as "volcanic" on...
Google Patent Trail; Analyzing Recent History
July 28, 2010, 9:10 amI posted a round up of the patent awards to Google earlier this week and thought it would be an interesting exercise to round up the last 2.5 years of Google patents. Can we see a pattern? Can we learn anything? Read on and find out!
Women Are Highly Engaged Social Networking Users
July 28, 2010, 9:08 amSocial networking sites reach a higher percentage of women then men globally, with 75.8 percent of all women online visiting a social networking site in May compared to 69.7 percent of men, according to a new report from comScore. "Understanding gender-specific differences in Web usage is valuable to any digital stakeholder looking to successfully...
How to Re-Purpose Your Content to Optimize it for Traveling Season
July 28, 2010, 9:07 amI feel lucky enough to work from home for about 3 years now and to be able to travel wherever I want with my family. This is what I have actually been doing for the past month - traveling (and struggling with somewhat screwed schedule). However another side of this story is that being an Internet marketer who works from home, I am never free. I...
Would You Pay to Use Twitter?
July 28, 2010, 8:56 amWhenever research is brought forward that merits one of those "Is that right?!" responses it's worth looking into. I guess it's the Internet's equivalent of riding by a car wreck, you know you shouldn't look but you do anyway. Well, a study by USC's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism shows that despite the immense popularity of...
Plugin Shows You Just How Much Google is Spying on You!
July 28, 2010, 8:38 amDo you wear a tin foil hat whenever you browse the web? Are you worried that Google knows more about you than any fictional "big brother" ever could? Well, there's a browser plugin that you will love-and will likely tip you from slightly paranoid to full-blown insane! Basically, once installed, Google Alarm notifies you-visually and with some...
5 Things You Need to Know to Succeed With Bing
July 28, 2010, 8:27 amWith the impending implosion of Yahoo's disappointing Panama project and seeming overnight surrender of search to the big boys of Google and Microsoft it's time we all started paying a little more attention to Bing and particularly Microsoft adCenter. Just the other day I was talking with some bright minds in the search space and when we got to...
Econsultancy Finds Companies Are Increasing Investment in Site Search to Drive Sales
July 28, 2010, 8:09 amAccording to new research from Econsultancy, companies worldwide are increasing their investment in site search because they want to improve the experience for website users and increase site usage and sales.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Dans le monde entier, les réseaux sociaux séduisent davantage les femmes que les hommes
July 28, 2010, 7:30 amcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), un des leaders de la mesure des médias numériques, vient de présenter aujourd'hui son rapport mondial sur les femmes et leurs usages d'internet intitulé : Les femmes sur le web : Comment les femmes façonnent l'Internet (Women on the Web: How Women are Shaping the Internet). Cette étude fournit une analyse...
Social Networking Sites Reach a Higher Percentage of Women than Men Worldwide
July 28, 2010, 7:30 amcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a global report on women's online usage titled, Women on the Web: How Women are Shaping the Internet, which provides an in-depth analysis of the female Internet user, highlighting key trends by Internet activity, worldwide region and digital channel. Among its...
"Do Not Track" List Discussed by FTC Chairman
July 28, 2010, 7:29 amDon't think that just because Facebook has managed to not completely trample people's privacy as of late that there is not more activity around the subject. In fact, forces in Washington, this time the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), are speaking at 'hearings' that are looking into this issue right now with talk of a "do not track" list.
“Do Not Track” List Discussed by FTC Chairman
July 28, 2010, 7:13 am
Don’t think that just because Facebook has managed to not completely trample people’s privacy as of late that there is not more activity around the subject. In fact, forces in Washington, this time the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), are speaking at ‘hearings’ that are looking into this issue right now with talk of a...
Cleaning Up Your Dashboard
July 28, 2010, 7:11 amWe are simplifying the left-hand navigation of your home page to make it even easier for you to access the most fundamental parts of Facebook. From testing and feedback from many of you, we've found that the most popular links in the left-hand navigation are News Feed, Messages and Friends. So as we roll out these changes, those three links, along...
Facebook Stories: What's Your Story?
July 28, 2010, 7:11 amA woman's Facebook status updates from her mobile phone become a lifeline for her and a group of 36 people traveling in Haiti during the earthquake. A recently laid-off man lands a new job by reaching out to his friends on Facebook. After 15 years apart, a father reconnects with his daughter through Facebook. These are just a few of the hundreds...
Keeping Dynamic Sites Clean in the Search Index
July 28, 2010, 7:01 am"Here's a short list of tricks I've been using to help canonicalize my dynamic site better to undo all the damage scraper sites cause by mucking up URLs with parameters."(-subscription required)
Google to Use Games in Battle with Facebook?
July 28, 2010, 6:48 amGoogle has been expected to get into gaming for sometime, but now it looks like the wheels are really in motion. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is in talks with Playdom, EA's Playfish, and Zynga. Google was recently reported to have invested a significant amount of money into Zynga, and CEO Eric Schmidt told the WSJ to expect a...
News Picks: Ask.com, historious, Disney & Playdom, @Earlybird & Jet Blue... and more
July 28, 2010, 6:15 amAn overview of some of today's ad/tech news.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Bing UK Summer Ice Cream Giveaway Photos and Fun Stats
July 28, 2010, 5:50 amBack at the beginning of June, Cedric Chambaz wrote about our Bing Ice Cream Give Away . Throughout June, we had a Bing-branded ice cream van travelling in and around London handing out ice lollies to passers by. The team chatted to hundreds of consumers.
News Picks: Ask.com, historious, Disney & Playdom, @Earlybird & Jet Blue... and more
July 28, 2010, 5:44 amAn overview of some of today's ad/tech news. Click to read the rest of this post.
Google Looking At Social Networking For Games
July 28, 2010, 4:40 amWhen asked if Google's service might resemble Facebook's, Mr. Schmidt said "the world doesn't need a copy of the same thing."
Report: Global Internet Speed Comparisons Published
July 28, 2010, 2:30 am"The report looked for the first time at how mobile networks are holding up in the face of greater demand for data on the move."
How to Benchmark in Analytics
July 28, 2010, 2:19 amPosted by JoannaLord We have a lot of changes going on at SEOmoz (feel free to get excited, we sure are!) and with all of these changes to the site comes the need to focus on tracking. Internally we have spent the last few months redirecting our attention to not only the best practices regarding analytics and data mining, but really pushing...
Mariposa Virus Botnet Hacker Arrested
July 28, 2010, 2:01 am"They guys behind it said it was more successful than they had intended to be,"
Wear Your Marketing Hat Often!
July 28, 2010, 1:08 amOptimizing a website is a craft that many acquire after going through the motions time and time again, and gaining the knowledge to do search engine optimization effectively. It is not about jamming keywords throughout your website with having the hopes of gaming the system along the way. Put all that nonsense aside bring some marketing to the...
SEO content marketing roundup, week ending July 28th
July 28, 2010, 12:22 amY es, dear readers, it's time to get current with the latest and greatest of SEO copywriting and content marketing news! This post is dedicated to our SEO Copywriting & Content Marketing Queen, Inside Informant, and Generous Educator, Heather Lloyd-Martin . (I can get away with this, because she's out of town this week!) Heather will be both...
RatePoint Product Review
July 28, 2010, 12:05 amRatePoint is in truth a one stop shop for businesses large and small to be able to grow their company through a variety of online marketing resources. RatePoint drastically improves your customer user experience by helping you increase your web marketing in areas like email, ratings & reviews, online surveys and social marketing.
Yahoo Japan Picks Google Search Over Bing
July 27, 2010, 10:27 pmYahoo Japan -- an independent entity from Yahoo -- has decided to forgo the Bing transition and will be using Google search results, Reuters announced today.Click to read the rest of this post...
Yahoo Japan Switching to Google as Search Provider
July 27, 2010, 7:58 pmIn a surprising development, Yahoo Japan just announced that it would be switching to Google as its search technology and paid search provider . Now, before we all think and ask how could this be possible especially since Yahoo and Microsoft have been starting to work on their search ad integration deal recently. The answer lies in the fact that...
A Journey in Jeans
July 27, 2010, 7:00 pmby Mike Krumboltz Walk a mile in these jeans, baby. Actually, make that around 3,000 miles. A viral video of a guy "walking" across America has become the Web's latest must-see clip . The video, which was sponsored by Levi's and combines stop-motion with time-lapse photography, features a man (wearing denim, natch) walking from New York to San...
Kissing Sailor Identified?
July 27, 2010, 7:00 pmby Claudine Zap Everyone knows the image: Celebrating V-J Day in Times Square back in 1945, a sailor dips a nurse into a passionate kiss and is snapped into icon status by Life Magazine . But the identity of the sailor has remained a mystery. Over the years, several men have claimed the mantle of the man in question. Now, there's one more who says...
Update on PayPal accounts for India users
July 27, 2010, 6:14 pmHi everyone, it's Dickson Seow, from the Corporate Communications team. I'd like to give you an update on PayPal accounts for our India users. In accordance with regulatory instructions, there will be a change in our withdrawal functionality in India starting on August 1, 2010. At present, you can request for either an electronic or cheque...
Study Says Location-Based Social Network Users are Small but Mighty
July 27, 2010, 5:02 pmI'm at the bank depositing money. That's a real tweet I saw this week and it was followed by a Foursquare link showing the exact bank. According to new research by Forrester, that tweeter was probably a young adult male with a college degree and he's one of only 1% of online users who actually do this kind of thing. From my experience, it seems...
PayPal X Developer Challenge Winner Continues to Thrive
July 27, 2010, 5:02 pmHi all â" Naveed Anwar here, senior director of PayPal's Developer Network. I'm pleased to share an update on one of the winners of our first PayPal X Developer Challenge earlier this year. Appbackr is the first wholesale digital marketplace for iPhone and iPad applications. We recognized their potential (they came in second place!), and now...
Defending New Jersey
July 27, 2010, 4:56 pmby Vera H-C Chan Hey, youse louses â" New Jersey's not your punching bag. And this website will prove the dignity of the Garden State: JerseyDoesntStink.com . Okay, maybe a negative isn't the best way to prove a positive, and there's no room for correct punctuation in the URL. Aside from that, the Jersey Doesn't Stink campaign â" started by...
Android Developers Get New Licensing Service
July 27, 2010, 4:56 pmGoogle has announced the release of a licensing service for Android apps in the Android Market. Android's Eric Chu says this comes as the result of feedback from developers who want better protection against unauthorized use of their apps. "This simple and free service provides a secure mechanism to manage access to all Android Market paid...
Disney Acquires Social Gaming Company Playdom
July 27, 2010, 4:56 pmLast week, rumors surfaced that Disney was in late stage acquisition talks with social game company Playdom. Today, Disney has announced that it has indeed agreed to acquire it. Playdom shareholders will receive total consideration of $563.2 million, subject to certain conditions, and a performance-linked earn-out of up to $200 million. "We see...
Bing Introduces Seven New Casual Games
July 27, 2010, 4:56 pmBing may have been launched as a "decision engine," but Microsoft's now trying to make sure it's a site where people will spend a fair amount of time. And to that end, Microsoft added seven new games to what it called the "Bing entertainment browser" this afternoon. The seven games are of the casual variety. Think checkers (or FarmVille), not...
New Games Come to Bing
July 27, 2010, 3:23 pmWhat do pool sharks, fancy flowers, sassy hair dos and spooky fish all have in common? Theyre all part of a stellar line up of new casual games that can be found on Bing available right in the Bing entertainment browser! Earlier this summer Yusuf mentioned casual games were part of our new entertainment experience on Bing and these new games are...
Discovery Network Utilizing Social Media For New Show
July 27, 2010, 3:11 pmI have never been a big fan of horror movies. Getting scared on purpose was never something that I quite understood. One of the scariest movies I ever saw, though, was a film back in 1995 called Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman which showed the response that the world would likely have to a global pandemic if one were ever to occur. At the time I...
iPhone 4 Releasing To 17 More Countries This Week
July 27, 2010, 3:08 pmWaiting for iPhone 4? you may be in luck if you happen to be in one of the following countries… Beginning this Friday, customers can purchase iPhone 4 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. iPhone 4 will...
Amazon Launches Potentially Powerful Facebook Integration
July 27, 2010, 3:08 pmAmazon has launched a new feature in beta, which lets you tap into your Facebook network. The feature says it lets you, "Connect to Facebook to get Amazon recommendations for you and discover your friends' Favorites and Likes".
TechCrunch's Leena Rao shows a screenshot which says connecting Amazon and Facebook lets you:
- discover...
Another Author Sells a Million Kindle Books
July 27, 2010, 3:06 pmWhen Amazon released its earnings last week, some were disappointed, but it was still clear that the Kindle has been doing pretty well . Amazon sold three times as many Kindle books in the first half of 2010 as it did in the first half of 2009, and it was recently revealed that Amazon is now selling more Kindle books than hardcover books.
Google Maps Being Featured On Virgin Flights
July 27, 2010, 3:03 pmThe Red Touch-Screen Entertainment Platform Upgrades Include an Open Tab Service, Next Gen Google Maps and the First-Ever Digital In-Flight Shopping Platform. With this latest upgrade, travelers access to a host of new amenities, including next generation, enhanced terrain view Google Maps, an open tab service for the airline’s...
Optimize Your Social Media Pages for Top Rankings - 5 Easy Things You Can Do Right Now
July 27, 2010, 2:36 pmby Stone Reuning Though the likes of Facebook and Twitter have taken the marketing world by storm, many of our online experiences though still start through search. With well-known brands and small businesses alike now using social media marketing in earnest, it's worth exploring how to get more from your company social pages, namely helping them...
Google Makes Changes to AdWords Partner Reporting Policy
July 27, 2010, 2:13 pmGoogle has announced some upcoming changes to the way its third party partners provide reports and information about AdWords to their clients. "In order to provide the best online marketing experience, we want to make sure that you understand how each dollar you invest in AdWords is performing," says Jason Shafton of Google's Inside AdWords Cew....
Students Found To Blindly Follow Google
July 27, 2010, 1:56 pmYoung people who have grown up with computers and are perhaps more educated than the average individual tend to just put their faith in whatever Google shows them when it comes to online research. A study determined that college students often click on the top search result regardless of other factors. The study was backed by Northwestern...
Apple Launches New iMacs, Magic Trackpad
July 27, 2010, 1:56 pmApple was expected to introduce its Multi-Touch Magic Trackpad when it announced its earnings last week. That didn't happen, but they have introduced it today along with updates to the iMac line. The iMac line has been updated with the latest Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors and new graphics. Apple says the line is the fastest ever...
FCC Launches Consumer Help Website
July 27, 2010, 1:56 pmThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a Consumer Help Center website aimed at providing people with a variety of information. The Consumer Help Center allows people to learn about different issues in telecommunications, find out what's going on at the FCC, get tips for making choices for purchasing communication devices and...
SEO Chrome Toolbar is Here! Download the Mozbar for Chrome Today
July 27, 2010, 1:38 pmPosted by Danny Dover Well folks, this may be the biggest tool introduction since Ryan Seacrest started hosting American Idol. ;-) Today we are launching our SEO toolbar for Google's Chrome browser. This sexy beast is full to the brim with SEO insight and time-saving SEO goodness. This free add-on is ripe for picking and available for download...
Interview with SEO Copywriting Certification Grad, Laura Crest
July 27, 2010, 1:26 pm Laura was born not with a silver spoon, but with a pen in her hand. She has been writing since she can remember, from "what today was like" in her childhood journals to poetry, essays, graduate papers, and then white papers for non-profits to support herself as a graduate student at the University of Washington's Institute for Marine...
What Apple Thinks About Jailbreaking iPhones
July 27, 2010, 1:03 pmAs you have probably heard by now, the EFF has convinced the U.S. copyright office to grant exemptions to the DMCA, which mean that users of phones like the iPhone can jailbreak them. While it may be legal to do so, Apple still doesn't want you to.
Amelia Earhart's Show, Ivanka Trump's Fashion Line, Fat Joe's Album: What's the Buzz
July 27, 2010, 12:46 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Ivanka Trump (Searches increased by 24,162%). The daughter of Donald Trump wants to accessorize you with her new line of bags and shoes . Amelia Earhart (+7,720%). This might be a show you'll want to see in person: Rare photos of the pioneering aviator are on view at Hawaii's Waikiki...
China Floods Lead to Massive Landslides
July 27, 2010, 12:46 pmby Mike Krumboltz The Shuanghe village in China is suffering after an overwhelming rainstorm led to massive landslides, demolishing homes and causing more than 20 people to go missing. Photos of the aftermath paint a stark picture of lives destroyed, as do the heartbreaking images of the grieving villagers. This is only the most recent flood and...
What is Marketing but Selling Ideas
July 27, 2010, 12:34 pmIdeas are the bread and butter of the marketing business, if you will ignore the cliché. Every commercial, every direct mail letter, every single email, almost every word of any marketing piece came from an idea. Ideas are important. They are the fun part of the process, and all too often undervalued. Clearly, your ideas for marketing your...
Apple Search Engine Lightning Bolt to Strike Google?
July 27, 2010, 12:17 pmI recently received a lightning bolt e-mail response to my eWEEK story from April 4 , in which I explored the idea that Google could create some search application specifically to shield its App Store applications for the iPhone and iPad from Google's search index. One anonymous reader wrote July 24 : "I work at apple, all I can say is YOU HAVE NO...
Interview with SEO Copywriting Certification Grad, Lacey Mizell
July 27, 2010, 12:16 pmLacey sharpened her writing skills while teaching English and journalism, and honed her marketing skills during her career as Sales Manager with a major airline. During her career with the airline, Lacey experienced "the joy of helping companies make money." She is currently a freelance writer specializing in SEO copywriting, and her services...
Demand Media's Interesting Expired Domain Redirect SEO Strategy
July 27, 2010, 11:44 amDemand Media is buying branded domains (ie. cybersquating) and pointing them at high earning eHow.com pages. It's ok though... even though these tactics would get us normal folks a penalty or ban, it's probably safe to say that Demand Media will get a pass.
Yahoo Japan will soon be powered by Google
July 27, 2010, 11:41 amYahoo and Google have come to the agreement on the partnership in Japanese market. It was officially announced on each blog on July 27th. While the effective date is yet to be decided, according to the announcements, we can expect below changes. 1. Yahoo's organic search will be powered by Google, though each site would have a room to make the...
United States Copyright Office Declares YouTube Remixes Are Legal
July 27, 2010, 11:40 amMost reporters are focused on the United States Copyright Office declaration that it is it legal to unlock or 'jailbreak' a mobile device from the manufacturer and network provider from which it was purchased from, which permits users to install unapproved software under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's (DMCA) fair use provisions. The...
Wolfram Alpha Rolls Out Widget Builder
July 27, 2010, 11:22 amWolfram Alpha told WebProNews today it has released beta versions of Wolfram Alpha Widgets and Widget Builder to allow users to create and share widgets on their blog or website.
"Widgets are the next step in our goal of making Wolfram Alpha ubiquitous--available to everyone, everywhere," said Barak Berkowitz, Managing Director,...
Feedback and Feature Requests: Share Your Thoughts and Help Us Improve Microsoft adCenter
July 27, 2010, 11:18 amIf you're a regular reader of the adCenter Blog-and if so, you rock!-you know that periodically we pop up to ask for feedback on how we're doing. Your feedback is crucial for us to help bubble up pain points, feature requests and give visibility to your thoughts on adCenter and how we can improve it. If you'd like to share what's on your mind, you...
Ask Asks If the Human Element Will Help Its Search Business
July 27, 2010, 11:01 amAsk has always been the red-headed stepchild of the search industry. It's always lurking in the shadows as the #4 search engine and usually gets a mention in search share only if there was significant up or down movement. Accounting has the Big 4 but search only has the Big 3 which is soon to be the Big 2 ½ or something once bing and Yahoo fully...
Chinese Advertisers Break Away From Google
July 27, 2010, 10:59 amDespite the Chinese government's decision to renew Google's Internet Content Provider license, the company is continuing to run into trouble in that country. The latest problem is that two of Google's authorized advertising agents have ended their relationships with the corporation.
That's in no way a good sign for Google. Wang Xing...
Camera Scanning on the iPhone app
July 27, 2010, 10:54 amComparison shopping has been around for ages and all of us do it. Whether checking different stores to compare prices or reading reviews on various products, theres just something about getting the best deal on the best product that validates the entire shopping experience (or maybe thats just me). As more and more activities become mobile,...
Mayo Clinic Launches Center For Social Media
July 27, 2010, 10:37 amMayo Clinic said today it is launching a Center for Social Media to create broader and deeper engagement by hospitals, doctors and patients. "Mayo Clinic believes individuals have the right and responsibility to advocate for their own health, and that it is our responsibility to help them use social media tools to get the best information, connect...
Site Navigation is integral to Information Architecture
July 27, 2010, 10:32 amIn my [Alan Bleiweiss] latest Search Engine Journal article, Information Architecture – Rocket Science Simplified, I break down the concepts of site navigation as it relates to SEO for the purpose of strengthening sectional and page level focus. But it’s more than just about focus and I wasn’t sure if I was clear enough on exactly why...
Weekly Search & Social News: 07/27/2010
July 27, 2010, 10:31 amHello ladies and gentleman, geeks and phreaks alike, it's time for another edition of ' 7 Days of Search and Social ' ? It was a damned busy week out in the trenches last week and it was again tough to decide what to include and what not too. But hey, that's always a good thing as far as I am concerned. Oh, and I learned something too' I am a...
Who's Reputation is Worse Than a Member of Congress? Advertisers, Of Course!
July 27, 2010, 10:25 amAdvertising suffers from a reputation problem. Here at Marketing Pilgrim we are very interested in online reputation management but even the best social media monitoring tools can't help some industries. Of course, when you spend years simply ignoring how poorly you are viewed by the public in general, it doesn't help.
LinkSpam Bombed… But How and Why?
July 27, 2010, 10:06 amScott Hendison discusses some "fishy" link reports from Google Webmaster Tools & theorizes why he's being "LinkSpam Bombed".
Yahoo Exposes Error In comScore Stats
July 27, 2010, 10:02 amIt's a rare person who would suggest that any online traffic report is completely accurate; most folks know stats from Hitwise, Nielsen, and the like are closer to educated guesses. But it turns out that last month, comScore got Yahoo's June stats wrong by a significant margin, leading Yahoo to announce the problem in a press release today. It's...
Who’s Reputation is Worse Than a Member of Congress? Advertisers, Of Course!
July 27, 2010, 9:57 am
Advertising suffers from a reputation problem. Here at Marketing Pilgrim we are very interested in online reputation management but even the best social media monitoring tools can’t help some industries. Of course, when you spend years simply ignoring how poorly you are viewed by the public in general, it doesn’t help. This is...
How to prepare your website for the Yahoo-Bing change
July 27, 2010, 9:36 amYahoo is starting to display Bing results on the search result pages. Bing results are going to deliver a lot of traffic in the near future. Is your website prepared for that change or will you lose a lot of visitors?
Xbox Lips Lite Case Study has Games Advertising Singing Digital
July 27, 2010, 9:15 amOn the Microsoft Advertising Blog, we like to bring you the very latest digital insight in the form of case studies and proof points, so today were talking Games Advertising. Whether its JJ Richards on in-game advertising or Mark Kroese showing how were helping brands reach consumers through Xbox LIVE advertising , there is no doubt that online...
UK Authority Clears Google Street View Data
July 27, 2010, 9:09 amThere's a bit of good news for Google this morning in relation to the Street View data collection clash. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office announced that it's had a look at some of the data, and the organization is inclined to believe that no harm will come of Google's mistake. It's important to note that the ICO, which is an independent...
Google Teams Up With PowerReviews
July 27, 2010, 9:09 amPowerReviews, a provider of customer reviews for retailers and brands, has partnered with Google to share "premium user generated" product review content from client sites. Ratings and reviews will be displayed in Google search results, Google Product Search, and Google advertising programs. "Clearly, many consumers depend on search for shopping -...
The Thinning Line Between SEO and Social Media
July 27, 2010, 8:57 amI've been doing SEO for as long as I can remember. I rarely stop to look at the distance I've made since I started; more notably, the change in the SEO space and the change in my own philosophies. But when I do stop and look, I realize that I'm even more excited about SEO today than ever before. I believe heavily in the significance of social...
Breaking It Down â" Why Site Navigation Matters
July 27, 2010, 8:57 amIn my latest Search Engine Journal article, Information Architecture - Rocket Science Simplified, I break down the concepts of site navigation as it relates to SEO for the purpose of strengthening sectional and page level focus. But it's more than just about focus and I wasn't sure if I was clear enough on exactly why you need to care so much...
Landing Page Makeover Clinic #28: IntelligentEditing.com
July 27, 2010, 8:41 amThis is another addition to our ongoing series of tutorials and case studies on landing pages that work. Daniel Heuman's software helps writers, editors, translators, and proofreaders prepare error-free documents with greater ease and speed. He tried and abandoned PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, as he discovered the folks who clicked through...
Yahoo Japan Disses Bing, Picks Google as New Search Partner
July 27, 2010, 8:23 amHoly smack in the face Batman! Yahoo Japan just signed a 2-year deal with Google! Yes, with Google! Not, Bing! Before the word "mutiny" jumps to your prefrontal cortex-your "mind" for the rest of us-you need to know this: Yahoo holds only a 35% stake in Yahoo Japan, so the search engine couldn't put its foot down and insist that Bing be the search...
10 Social Media Marketing Questions Answered by Engage!
July 27, 2010, 8:17 amI've been familiar with Brian Solis as many have, for several years. We've done a few video interviews with Brian and he's contributed to popular posts here like this one on social media marketing and this one on content curation . I have to admit that based on his early writing, I thought Brian was overly confident about the opportunities with...
Branded vs Keyword-Rich Domain Names
July 27, 2010, 8:11 amWhenever I am working with a client that is looking to start a new business and website, I am almost always asked the question' should I purchase a domain name with keywords in it for SEO? Unfortunately there is not a clear cut answer to that question. Lets examine the different strategies behind purchasing a branded URL or keyword-rich URL....
What the Heck is Google Punch?
July 27, 2010, 8:05 amNo, really! Does anyone actually know what the unveiled Google Punch does? Apparently Google Operating System spotted Google Punch listed in a Google Documents drop-down-within the video below. Speculation has already started as to what Google Punch could be, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
New W3C "All-In-One" Validator: Unicorn
July 27, 2010, 8:01 am"Unicorn combines a number of popular tools in a single, easy interface, including the Markup validator, CSS validator, mobileOk checker, and Feed validator,..."
Learning The Lessons Of Marketing Automation Consolidation
July 27, 2010, 7:30 amAs I wrote in my June 30 post on consolidation among marketing automation vendors, I expect the number of competitors to shrink fairly quickly as new buyers concentrate their purchases among a handful of leading vendors. This is a natural result of a maturing market, as technology-oriented pioneers are replaced by buyers less likely to research...
Google Adds 'implicit triggering' To Show Definitions At Top Of SERPs
July 27, 2010, 6:59 am"We added implicit triggering, which means you can simply search for [flummox] and find the definition, you don't have to search for [define flummox] or [what is flummox]."
Twitter Tests In-Stream Photos and Videos
July 27, 2010, 6:50 amYou may soon be able to post more than just 140 characters on Twitter. Twitter is testing a new feature that allows users to post videos and photos in their Twitter streams. Some have spotted the feature, while most probably never had it. Twitter gave Mashable the following statement: "Were constantly exploring features and settings. What you saw...
Yahoo Goes Google Instead of Bing in Japan
July 27, 2010, 6:50 amYahoo Japan is turning to Google to power its paid and organic search engine listings. This comes as something of a surprise as Yahoo has a huge deal in place with Bing that is just getting started, but Yahoo doesn't actually own the majority of Yahoo Japan, so that version of Yahoo gets to do its own thing. According to Kara Swisher at Boomtown...
Google's Search-Related Music Store Slated For Holiday Season [Report]
July 27, 2010, 6:07 amThe rumor is growing fast. Now the New York Post has it that Google could launch its search-related music store as early as this holiday season, i.e. November-December.Click to read the rest of this post...
Does Google "Age" Your Backlinks?
July 27, 2010, 5:59 am"If the answer is yes, do they age like a fine wine, getting better and better as time goes on?"
Ad Industry To Facelift Reputation With Institute For Advertising Ethics
July 27, 2010, 5:50 amThe advertising industry is launching its own PR campaign by way of setting up an Institute for Advertising Ethics. The sector has always had a negative image and the likes of the "Mad Men" series are certainly surfing that tide to... sell. With the market staging a robust recovery the industry is planning ahead and wants to tweak its reputation....
Report: Google Global Search Share Dips Slightly, Baidu Up
July 27, 2010, 5:45 am"Google's search revenue growth continues to slow down as the Western search market reaches maturity and Google struggles to gain share in the fastest-growing Asian markets,"
Highlights of #BrightonSEO Conference 23rd July 2010
July 27, 2010, 3:22 amI was back from my annual leave just in time to attend the 3rd Brighton SEO event which was held on 23rd July 2010. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Brighton SEO is a half day mini conference and is organised by Kelvin Newman of Site Visibility. Not only does it feature a line up of quality speakers, it is actually a free conference...
Demand Media's eHow.com Using Interesting Expired Domain Redirect SEO Strategy
July 27, 2010, 2:42 amPerhaps part of the "interesting data" Richard Rosenblatt was talking about was link anchor text on expired domains & cybersquatting efforts that he could redirect in bulk at high earning eHow pages . Not to fear, Demand Media is a trusted Google partner, so the algorithm and engineers are prohibited to take action against the same activity which...
Don't Forget About Online Branding
July 27, 2010, 12:05 amWith no real industry regulation around or even on the horizon, search engine optimization has really taken on many different definitions over the last ten years. Is social media a part of it? Is it not? What should be included in SEO and what shouldn't? The reality is the Google and other search engines favor a branding like approach when...
Meet the New Ask.com
July 26, 2010, 11:25 pmWe've known that Ask has been working on a new version of Ask.com for months, but now it's here. Ask is placing new emphasis on the Q&A side of search, and is injecting the Q&A experience directly into the main search experience, which is what SVP of Product Management Tony Gentile tells WebProNews, sets the new Ask apart from other Q&A sites. He...
Yahoo! Japan switches to Google Search
July 26, 2010, 8:42 pmThe Google Japan blog confirms that Yahoo! Japan will license Google search technology.
Glam Media Moves on the Men
July 26, 2010, 7:07 pmA few days ago, Glam Media, the number one vertical media company for women, announced that they were going to buy ad technology start-up AdPortal. The idea was that their tech would help bolster Glam Media's GlamAdapt program which allows publishers to run their own self-service ad portals.
Continental Airlines Tries Self-Boarding
July 26, 2010, 7:07 pmby Claudine Zap First, you could check in online. Then you could print out your own boarding pass. Now, Continental Airlines is testing a self-board option. Some travelers at Houston Intercontinental Airport can now come to the gate, swipe a bar-coded ticket, and walk themselves onto the plane. A story on USA Today described it as similar to...
Photo Feed Latest Unexpected Move from British Monarch
July 26, 2010, 6:44 pmby Mike Krumboltz Queen Elizabeth II may be 84 years old, but she isn't done trying new things. Not by a long shot. She has a Twitter feed and a YouTube channel, according to CNN . She was given an iPod by President Obama. Now her Royal Highness launched her own feed on photo-sharing site Flickr (owned by Yahoo!), just the most recent life event...
adCenter Desktop Beta 7.4 Update Release Notes (July 2010)
July 26, 2010, 6:09 pmThis update for adCenter Desktop includes several fixes: Fixed: FR/UK users receiving errors on application startup after upgrading. Fixed: Users unable to subscribe to different accounts with the same name under the same customer. Fixed: Internal error when uploading account with too many editorial rejections. Fixed: Agency users suffering...
Webmasters - configure Google services at your hosting panel
July 26, 2010, 5:07 pmWebmaster Level: All Today, as announced on the Official Google Blog, we've taken an additional step to improve access to Google webmaster services. Parallels , one of the leading providers of control panel software to hosting companies, has integrated Google Services for Websites into Parallels Plesk Panel , used by millions of website owners...
Google Apps Applauded By Berkeley Lab
July 26, 2010, 4:44 pmEarlier today, Google made known that Google Apps for Government is available, and a representative of Berkeley Lab has now made clear that it should be popular, too. Dr. Rosio Alvarez, Chief Information Officer at the institution, discussed the migration process in a special blog post this afternoon. On the Official Google Enterprise Blog ,...
Queen's Flickr Stream Offers a Look into Royal Life
July 26, 2010, 3:50 pmby Mike Krumboltz Queen Elizabeth II may be 84 years old, but she isn't done trying new things. Not by a long shot. Her Royal Highness recently launched her own feed on photo-sharing site Flickr (owned by Yahoo!), just the most recent life event to mark a first for the monarch. The Flickr feed , which has been picked up by bloggers and news...
Colleges Get Schooled in the Art of Modern Marketing
July 26, 2010, 3:20 pmWe like to think of colleges and universities as places where learning trumps all else, but the truth of the matter is that institutions like these are still businesses, which means they need to make money. Says Rob Moore of Lipman Hearne, a marketing company specializing in non-profits: "Higher ed institutions today are facing a conflation of...
Ad Age Not Thrilled With How It Was Represented on Mad Men
July 26, 2010, 3:13 pmThe 4th season opener of the AMC show Mad Men aired last night, and in it, the main character Don Draper had an interview with a reporter from Ad Age. While the show is clearly fictional and takes place in the 60s, it seems that Ad Age has taken some issue with how it was represented as a publication.
Rance Crain has posted a spiel about what the...
Digg Updates iPhone App - More Stable, Better Twitter/Facebook Integration
July 26, 2010, 2:52 pmDigg has launched an update to its iPhone app, which comes with better Twitter and Facebook integration and improved stability. Digg lists the following as key changes in the app: Logging in to, or changing accounts on,
Will the BlackBerry Slander Never Stop?
July 26, 2010, 2:46 pmWhen a company is #1 at something " or close to it " any hiccup that comes along is proof their days are over' at least in the bored minds of formula-surfing journalists. Remember 2005? Google was on top of the world and getting poised to really rake it in, right? Actually, no " not if you listened to the press. According to many observers, they...
Google Launches Google Apps For Government
July 26, 2010, 2:34 pmGoogle has introduced a new Government Edition of Google Apps . It includes all of the features of other Google Apps editions, but adds policy and security features. Google says it was designed with guidance from the federal government, as well as the Cities of Los Angeles and Orlando. Google Apps for Government stores Gmail and Calendar data in a...
Latest Update to Digg's iPhone App
July 26, 2010, 2:10 pmWe're excited to announce that we have launched an update to the Digg iPhone App.
The 12-Step Landing Page Rehab Program [Infographic]
July 26, 2010, 1:24 pmPosted by Oli Gardner This post was originally in YOUmoz , and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc. As with that other program, the first and most critical step is admitting you actually have a...
Android Users Can Launch Google Places As Its Own App
July 26, 2010, 1:23 pmGoogle has released Google Maps for mobile version 4.4, and this comes with a new dedicated "Places" icon designed to make it easier to find nearby places with updated Place Pages.
The icon appears on Android-powered devices in the app launcher along with all of the other apps. This way you can go right to Places from the homescreen if...
Free Ship = Good Tip
July 26, 2010, 1:18 pmIt's the wonder offer that works wonders for your sales Editor's Note: This is another in a series of posts we're calling "The Best of the YSM Blog." These are posts containing timeless advice and best practices that never go out of style. Even if you read it the first time, it's not a bad idea to review this information periodically to help get...
Portrait of an SEO
July 26, 2010, 1:11 pmThe following is a guest post by Kpaul. :) A long time ago, on an Internet far, far away (when I wrote for fun - and for free), I did a piece called Portrait of a Blogger . The year was 2002 and blogging was just beginning to really hit the mainstream hard. If you're not familiar with the audience at Kuro5hin.org, they're a snooty version of...
Michelle Obama Headed to Spain, "Inception" Stays on Top, Wikileaks Opens Up: What's the Buzz
July 26, 2010, 1:06 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Wikileaks (Searches increased by 4,336%). The founder of the whistle-blower organization released 91,000 pages of secret documents on the Afghanistan war, and says there are more to come . "Avengers" (+1,148%). The cast for the movie includes Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson ....
Booyah Launches Check-Ins for Products in MyTown
July 26, 2010, 1:05 pmBooyah , one of the companies gaining buzz in the check-in service space, has announced a new product check-in feature for its MyTown game/service. With the feature, users can use their iPhone camera to scan barcodes of products to unlock points and earn virtual goods, as the company puts it, "creating a game out of real life items." "We first...
Android Seeing Massive Growth in the UK
July 26, 2010, 12:47 pmIt's no secret that Android usage is on the rise, but Guardian points to research from GfK Retail and Technology indicating that in the UK, Android's share of the mobile market has grown from 3% in the first quarter to 13.2% in the second. On top of that, contract market sales grew by less than 1%, while sales of Android phones increased by 350%,...
What Do You Love About Your Favorite Bloggers?
July 26, 2010, 12:13 pmGreat tips from Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media on what it takes to be a blogger that people will add to their feedreaders.
How Good B2B Marketers Cheat
July 26, 2010, 12:02 pmby Mike Moran
If you have a business-to-business (B2B) Web site, you're probably tired of all the trite advice you see out there from experts who are clearly speaking to those in the business-to-consumer (B2C) industry. I mean, each time you read these opinions about what you should do, do you find yourself asking, "How is that realistic in...
How to Deal with Criticism Properly
July 26, 2010, 11:50 amby Stoney deGeyter
The only way to avoid hearing criticism is to be deaf or dead.
The only way to avoid being criticized is to never have been alive.
As history books have shown, even the dead can't escape criticism. So, those of us who are alive must simply learn to deal with it; even as we often try to avoid it.
As much as we hate it,...
Google Apps Gets GSA Certification, Runs Late in LA
July 26, 2010, 11:32 amGoogle Apps has met security requirements to qualify it for use by the General Services Administration, a big coup as the company seeks to fend off Microsoft's increasing encroachment on its collaboration software in the cloud business. Funny how the market has flipped. Three years ago, Google was viewed as the challenger to Microsoft's on-premise...
Make Your Readers Love You: 5 Lessons from Pixar
July 26, 2010, 11:27 amEveryone loves Pixar. Okay, maybe not everyone. Let's just say everyone except that 10% of the human race who enjoy hating on awesome like I enjoy sipping coffee. Fifteen years ago, Pixar smashed the creative and technical limits of the animated feature film. It would be easy saying they came from nowhere, if it wasn't for the decade they spent...
Get Great Digital Ideas from our US and EMEA Creative Showcase
July 26, 2010, 11:21 amBereft of digital ideas? Looking for some creative inspiration? Check out the new our brand new Creative Showcase . Youll get to experience a full range of digital experiences and creative executions from simple banners to innovation multi-screen campaigns. You can search campaigns by top verticals, ad formats, countries and properties. If youre...
Court Ruling Raises Fair Use Questions Around DRM
July 26, 2010, 11:15 amElecronista reports that a new court ruling could set a legal precedent to allow the bypassing of DRM for fair use purposes. "The decision could impact the media industry as it may allow breaking DRM for music, movies and other formats as long as the material isn't pirated," says Electronista. Engagdet has a look at a "mystery HTC Windows Phone 7...
Report: Facebook's Account Deletion Process Simplified
July 26, 2010, 11:15 amFor quite some time, the process of deleting one's Facebook account has included a 14-day wait, which is quite interesting considering that the waiting period for acquiring a gun is shorter in most places. Now, however, there are reports that easy-to-find "delete account" buttons are surfacing. Note: the option isn't available on this writer's...
Mobile Advertising and the Rise of Coupons
July 26, 2010, 11:12 amMobile is firmly establishing itself as a crucial advertising channel, and the companies who aren’t utilizing it look set to be left behind. More than two thirds of the population are in possession of a mobile phone, and it’s obvious to see why the direct nature of mobile advertising is so appealing to businesses. Mobile coupon usage looks...
Entertainment Weekly and TVGuide Go with the Meebo Bar
July 26, 2010, 11:05 amMeebo announced today that it has added EW.com and TVGuide.com to its list of publishers implementing the Meebo Bar. The Meebo bar is designed to let readers easily connect with the people they're friends with on social networks.
"Social connections are an increasingly important traffic source; it’s crucial for websites to take...
Who Would Pay for Twitter? Study Says Nobody
July 26, 2010, 10:27 amThe USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism has released a study (pdf) looking at the impact the web has on Americans, and among the nearly 200 issues explored is that of paying for online services and content.
Believe it or not, most don't want to pay. For example, the study found that 49% of respondents have used free...
Google Places Police
July 26, 2010, 10:27 amAs Google continues to expand its Local product set and its importance to businesses it must also work towards making its system more transparent. Google Local search results still continue to be the wild west of online marketing with almost zero transparency and zero customer service for those affected.
NBCU Sets Up "UAP" In-House Ad Network
July 26, 2010, 9:27 amNBC Universal (NBCU), the media and entertainment company, has launched its own advertising platform UAP to serve its own network of owned and operated sites, Mediaweek reported, quoting company executives.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Facebook and Twitter Integration Most Popular with E-Mail Campaigns While Mobile Lags
July 26, 2010, 9:25 am
Although it comes as no surprise to most, the integration of e-mail campaigns and social media outlets is becoming more popular. Leading the charge are Facebook and Twitter which is probably no surprise either. What is a little surprising is just how quickly the numbers dive with regard to other options for social media...
AOL Looking for New Search Partner(s)
July 26, 2010, 9:13 amAol. is still around folks. Back in June I heard CEO Tim Armstrong speak at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's content focused Innovation Days event. He was passionate about Aol. as a comeback story and was intent on focusing on how it would be generating a lot of custom content from real journalists. Honestly, I am not sure where that is at...
Google Commits To "Canary Build" Of Chrome
July 26, 2010, 9:07 amAdventurous Google Chrome fans who are ready to try something beyond the stable, beta, and developer builds now have a fourth option. Google recently announced what it's calling the "canary build," presumably in reference to the poor little birds that were once used as early warning systems in mines. The purpose of the new canary build is in some...
Primal: Semantically Driven Keyword Research and Brainstorming Assistant
July 26, 2010, 8:55 amPrimal is a new interesting semantic search assistant that has drawn my attention due to keyword-research potential. It is being promoted as the tool that builds customized pages around your search term (which is not the reason I am sharing it here). What I liked about the tool is its dynamic manner of generating related terms (as well as related...
AOL Launches Political Ad Platform, Seeks Top Music Ops Hire
July 26, 2010, 8:52 amWhen AOL is in the news, it means business... CEO Tim Armstrong said advertising would be AOL's primary source of revenues in his turnaround plan for the company. As such, AOL already demonstrated its willingness to leave non-viable operations behind by selling its failing and ailing social site Bebo for a reported $10 million. Now it's building a...
How To Mobilize My Website: Best Tools To Convert Your Blog Into A Mobile Site
July 26, 2010, 8:52 am"How do I mobilize my website?" is probably a question you have already started asking. But after the initial curiosity, you have not found yet the time to think seriously about when and how you are going to convert your web site or blog into a mobile version that can be properly viewed on any iPhone, iPad or on any other modern smartphone. In...
iPhone 4 Expands into More Countries, iPad May Have to Wait
July 26, 2010, 8:50 amApple announced today that the iPhone 4 will be available in 17 more countries this Friday (July 30). Countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The device will be available through Apple's retail and...
British Royal Family Launches Flickr Account
July 26, 2010, 8:50 amThe British Royal Family has launched a photo account on Flickr. The British Monarchy Flickr accounts features up to date images of royal engagements and archive photographs from the Royal Photograph Collection. In addition to contemporary images of The Queen and Members of the Royal Family at work, the Flickr account features historic photographs...
Why Guest Blogging Works Better Than Article Marketing
July 26, 2010, 8:38 amA week ago, while I was perusing some marketing forums, I found a thread about the effectiveness of article marketing today. Halfway through the thread, there was a post about which one was better - article marketing or guest blogging. Benefits of Guest Blogging For me, I have found guest blogging is definitely more effective in getting traffic...
AOL Keeping Google (And Bing) On Its Toes For Search Deal Pick
July 26, 2010, 8:35 amAOL is currently gauging the offers of several companies to power its search as its $700 million-a-year deal with Google is set to expire in December. Whether it renews its agreement with Google or switches to another search company, AOL is likely to sign in its partner for the few years to come by September, according to various reports.
Click...
WikiLeaks Afghanistan Documents Show Internet's True Power in News
July 26, 2010, 8:17 amThe big news of the moment is that the site WikiLeaks has published over 90,000 secret military documents related to the war in Afghanistan. Posted on Sunday, the documents had previously been shared with three publications (under embargo): The New York Times, The Guardian, and Germany's Der Spiegel.
The White House called the posting of such...
Mobile Search Battle
July 26, 2010, 8:14 amMobile search is as big as it has ever been. Nearly 83% of American Adults have cell phones, with 20% of those being smart devices , one can see marketers urgency to grab their piece of the pie. Towards the end of the second quarter of 2010, a turf war has started to develop between everyone's favorite tech giants Apple and Google. There have...
AOL Keeping Google On Its Toes For Search Deal Pick
July 26, 2010, 8:04 amAOL is currently gauging the offers of several companies to power its search as its $700 million-a-year deal with Google is set to expire in December. Whether it renews its agreement with Google or switches to another search company, AOL is likely to sign in its partner for the few years to come by September, according to various reports. Click to...
Will the Old Spice Guy Get Old?
July 26, 2010, 7:36 amOne of my biggest concerns was that what started as a phenomenal idea might get old quickly, becoming a joke rather than making them. So I think their timing in that sense is perfect — avoiding the issue of overexposure.
How to Setup a Publisher Account on New Digg
July 26, 2010, 7:34 amDigg will lift bans on all domains in version 4. A big change in their v4 interface is that Digg is allowing publishers to open official publisher accounts for their websites. More topics will be covered on Digg. Users will be exposed to content Dugg by the people or accounts they follow. Many media properties with which I work are already...
Rackspace Teams Up with NASA on Open Source Cloud Project
July 26, 2010, 7:05 amRackspace and NASA are collaborating on an open source cloud platform aimed at "fostering the emergence of standards and cloud interoperability." The platform is called OpenStack . Rackspace is donating the code that powers its Cloud Files and Cloud Servers products, and NASA is contributing its Nebula Cloud Platform. From there, the two will...
Google, Apple, Yahoo, AOL, Dell, HP, RIM, McAfee, Symantec, Siemens Sued Over Spam Filtering
July 26, 2010, 6:47 amA few days ago, a Texas-based company called InNova Patent Licensing filed an infringement lawsuit against 36 well-known companies. The company claims to hold the patent on spam filtering, and appears to be resting on the notion that any company using spam filtering owes them. Among the companies being sued are Google, Apple, AOL, Dell, HP, RIM,...
Bada Bing, Bada Hoo at SES San Francisco
July 26, 2010, 6:08 amMicrosoft's Greg Nelson and Yahoo's Mark Morrissey recently gave interviews to Kara Swisher of AllThingsD. Nelson and Morrissey are in charge of a two-year effort to coordinate the massive search and online advertising partnership that their companies struck last year. According to Swisher, their job "essentially is the search equivalent of...
Site Relaunch Checklist
July 26, 2010, 5:22 amLaunching a new version of an old domain - but changing the URLs? Learn what should be on your pre-launch checklist so you can avoid major traffic disruption after launch.
How to Write Highly Popular 30+ Item List Blog Posts to Get Links and Traffic
July 26, 2010, 5:04 amTime flies by. It's more than two years by now that I wrote the highly popular "30+" list blog posts to get links and traffic for SEOptimise. I've often tried to abandon them, to write tutorials or other types of postings but list posts with around 30 items still rule. They get the most shares on social media links attention traffic for several...
Create a Link Building Team Within Your Organization
July 26, 2010, 2:33 amPosted by RobOusbey At a small or medium sized company, you might be part of a very small team with responsibility for SEO, or you may the only person - and it might not even be your full time job. In these cases, people often tell me that the greatest struggle is finding time and resources to do link building for their site. Rather than pitching...
Content Therapy: Here's Lookin' at You, Site!
July 26, 2010, 1:18 amAs promised, today we're going to undertake an honest inventory of our content. This will be a somewhat brutal " but ultimately enlightening and worthwhile " evaluation of our web content. In what Heather has likened to therapy, a "SWOT" analysis systematically examines our relative strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats . Ready?...
Interview of LinkedIn's Marketing Manager - Andrew Chang
July 26, 2010, 12:47 amby Manoj Jasra
Search Engine Strategies is less then a month away and this year it's taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Earlier this week I had the opportunity to catch up with Andrew Chang, Marketing Manager at LinkedIn, to get some insight into his session on PPC and SEO best practices--specific to B2B. Read our...
Your Homepage Should be Clean
July 26, 2010, 12:08 amI come across home pages of many websites that look like they are about to give a person a seizure. Blinking buttons, too many call to actions and a lack of focus can really hurt a business or a website in many different ways. A website home page should always funnel down quickly to the action needed. 1. Focus: Don't feel like you have to shove...
AdCenter Reports Delayed
July 25, 2010, 3:44 pmDue to back end server processing, our reports may be delayed today (Sunday July 25) and should be available early tomorrow morning. This would affect reports via both the API and web UI. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We will post additional information here when available. Jeff Dillon,
Google Must Buy Zynga to Gain Leverage Vs. Facebook
July 25, 2010, 12:50 pmDespite the invitations to play Farmville , Mafia Wars and other "social games" on Facebook, I have stubbornly resisted joining. I don't play games on Facebook but it's not because I have anything against Zynga, which by all accounts makes great social online games. I don't play video games period, pretty much not since I was 15, after which I...
Why I Returned the Apple iPad Tablet to Rutgers University
July 25, 2010, 12:30 pmThis past week, Matt Bailey, the president and founder of SiteLogic, Cindy Krum, the Chief Executive Officer of Rank-Mobile, and I taught half a dozen of the modules in the Rutgers Mini-MBA: Digital Marketing certificate program. Rutgers incorporated "cutting-edge digital technology" into our teaching approach for this program - supplying all...
Backordering Domains 2010
July 25, 2010, 11:02 amReal world steps that can help get you that domain that you just gotta have. (-subscription required)
Running Competitions for Links – #BrightonSEO presentation
July 25, 2010, 10:34 amFirst of all, I just wanted to give a big thank you to Kelvin Newman for putting together a really enjoyable #BrightonSEO conference on Friday. The event was well attended, well covered and offered a lot of new offerings for the folks in attendance… and best of all, it was free!
There were a number of excellent presentations on analytics,...
Mapquest Continues Improving New Design
July 25, 2010, 8:36 amMapquest recently rolled out a complete redesign, but it didn't stop there. This week, the site made some additional adjustments, such as Full Map View and zoom via mouse scroll. With Full Map View, users can now collapse the left pane to view a map that's as wide as the browser window. "This is a great option for those of you that are visual and...
Chatroulette Cleans Up its Act
July 25, 2010, 8:01 amIf you're aware of the existence of Chatroulette, you're probably aware that it is often associated with people exposing their private parts. Unfortunately, those on the other end of that exposure are sometimes minors, and it has become such a problem, that Chatroulette creator Andrey Ternovskiy has decided to get the law involved. In a message...
Shocked to See Many Sites Using My Adsense Code
July 25, 2010, 3:02 am"After many months i was checking my adsense stats and in the report i found many sites that I do not own."
Content Mission: Journalists See Online Strong and Offline Fading
July 24, 2010, 11:56 pmAs the definition of a journalist gets stretched to the outer limits due to the proliferation of content farms and $10 per 'article' writers, it's understandable that there is some concern in the ranks. It's not there won't be outlets for their work but it's more about the state of the traditional outlets where most have made their living....
It's Gonna Be Good: August PRO Training Seminar Finalized
July 24, 2010, 8:36 pmPosted by randfish Today, instead of playing in the uber-rare Seattle sunshine, I spent the day polishing off the PRO Training seminar schedule and it looks amazing. I'm excited to see these sessions myself (and I rarely sit through presentations). Check it out for yourself below; if you're inclined and available, we'd love to see you. Oh, and...
Google Makes it Easier to Track Mobile Clicks
July 24, 2010, 12:28 pmGoogle has launched Mobile ValueTrack for advertisers to track clicks on mobile devices. "The ValueTrack parameter has long allowed you to track the clicks that you get via search and the Google Display Network separately," says Miles Johnson with Google's Inside AdWords crew. "We know that many of you would like to be able to see the clicks you...
5 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn From Comic-Con
July 24, 2010, 11:53 amThis weekend, the eyes and ears of the world are focused on San Diego as a crowd of over 120,000 descend on the city for Comic-Con! What started out in the 70's as a small gathering of scifi and comic fans has grown into the media event of the year. And despite the name, it's not all about comics. Actually, it's tough to even find a booth...
Social Media Doesn't Stop New York Governor from Signing Bill
July 24, 2010, 11:34 amAccording to Glenn Blain of The New York Daily News, Governor David Paterson of New York has signed into law a measure giving New York City greater power to crack down on so-called "illegal hotels." However, Dennis Schaal of Tnooz reports that Paterson issued a statement saying that he, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the bill's...
AT&T Prepares for Tropical Storm Bonnie
July 24, 2010, 9:00 amAT&T made an announcement, saying that it is prepared to respond quickly to Tropical Storm Bonnie, with an "arsenal of disaster response equipment and personnel." "The Texas coast has been tested by inclement weather and hurricanes in the past and AT&T has always been quick to respond and restore service to impacted communities," said Chris...
You Have Until the End of the Day to Do Something Interesting for YouTube
July 24, 2010, 8:20 amToday is "Life In a Day" day. " Life in a Day " is a documentary project being put together by Ridley Scott, Kevin Macdonald, and the YouTube Community. "What are you doing today? Something routine like cooking breakfast or taking the dog for a walk? Or is it something extraordinary like your child's first soccer game or your wedding day?" asks...
Google Exec Speaks Of YouTube, "Imminent Profitability"
July 24, 2010, 8:03 amBeyond Google's second-quarter earnings report, there was bad news and semi-good news for the company's shareholders this week. The bad: YouTube, almost four years after Google spent $1.65 billion on it, still hasn't turned a profit. The good (if you believe it): the site is supposed to be in the black before long. According to Paul Kedrosky ,...
Mad Men Returns with Ads By Google
July 24, 2010, 8:03 amPopular TV show Mad Men returns to AMC tomorrow night, and Google is taking the opportunity to get advertisers interested in targeting viewers through Google TV Ads . "With season four debuting on Sunday, July 25th, Mad Men fans are buzzing with excitement," says Neha Mandal, Product Marketing Manager for Google TV Ads. "For advertisers, this is a...
Cup of Joe: Kevin Spacey & Google Play By Their Own Set Of Rules
July 24, 2010, 7:51 amA few days ago Google launched a new "image search" user interface to the public. If you haven't tried it yet you should go ahead and give it whirl-after reading this post. My first impression was wow! I really like how the images are positioned in a way that maximizes all available screen real estate. As I continued to search for images and test...
Top 16 Tweets from #BrightonSEO
July 24, 2010, 4:35 amFollowing my BrightonSEO presentation yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to use one of the WordPress plugins I recommended, Blackbird Pie , to recap the top tweets from the day: There are some seriously valuable tools in this presentation! Wanna play with buzzstream and highrisehq about 18 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerryu00ae...
Considering The Energy Consumption Of Server CPUs
July 23, 2010, 9:56 pm"When buying a server, processing power, memory, disk space and price are often the reason to select a specific configuration. But with current energy prices and limitations in data centers on the power usage per server, it is also important to look at the average power usage."
An Octopus, a Jellyfish, and a Misguided Whale: Buzz Week in Review
July 23, 2010, 7:53 pmby Mike Krumboltz An Antarctic octopus that spews cold-resistant venom! A giant jellyfish that might have stung up to 100 people! A 40-ton whale that crushes yachts (well, at least one yacht, anyway)! The Web loves weird sea creatures. This past week, there was a lot to love. Octopus fears no cold They almost sound like some kind of a cartoon...
Row, Row, Row Your Boat - Around Great Britain
July 23, 2010, 6:57 pmby Claudine Zap Ordinarily, the news that a grandma had decided to row around Great Britain would make you want to tell her to stick to knitting. But when the grandmother in question is a former U.S. Marine, you better believe she is darn well going to do it. The all-female team of amateur rowers included one Angela Madsen , 50-year-old...
Top 20 WordPress Plugins to Supercharge Your Blog
July 23, 2010, 5:14 pmToday I presented at the excellent BrightonSEO mini-conference . My talk looked at 20 WordPress plugins to supercharge your blog - here's the slides, with links to each of the plugins below. Brighton SEO - 20 Top WordPress Plugins Tweetmeme Blackbird Pie Backtype Su.
adCenter API Sandbox Version 7 Released
July 23, 2010, 4:28 pmNews from the team: You can now access the new Microsoft adCenter API Version 7 in our Sandbox environment. Last month we released Microsoft adCenter API Version 7 to the API Production environment. Now the newest features from the adCenter Summer 2010 Upgrade and several key API improvements are available to you in both Production and Sandbox...
Free Case Not Enough? Samsung Gives Some Disgruntled iPhone Users Free Android Phones
July 23, 2010, 4:16 pmYou may have heard that a few people have been dissatisfied with their recent iPhone 4 purchases. Apple has gone out of its way to make it up to them (whether or not they've done enough is debatable), but that hasn't stopped people from complaining. Some of those people got lucky when they complained publicly on Twitter, because someone was...
If You're Happy and You Know it Send a Tweet
July 23, 2010, 4:04 pmPeople who have way too much time on their hands, have done a study to chart the mood swings of the average Twitter user over the course of a week. Stick with me, it gets good-ish. The people running this test come from the Institute for Quantitative Social Science and the Program on Networked Governance , Harvard University .
Firefox Will Let You Get More Organized with "Tab Candy" Feature
July 23, 2010, 3:59 pmMozilla is working on a new Firefox feature called "Tab Candy", which might make you more productive, or at least less irritated by the number of tabs you have open. "The power of the browser has grown substantially in the last ten years," writes Aza Raskin, Firefox Creative Lead. "We now use the Web to multi-task the activities we juggle every...
If You’re Happy and You Know it Send a Tweet
July 23, 2010, 3:50 pm
People who have way too much time on their hands, have done a study to chart the mood swings of the average Twitter user over the course of a week.
Stick with me, it gets good-ish.
The people running this test come from the Institute for Quantitative Social Science and the Program on Networked Governance, Harvard University....
Report: State Dept. Official May Go To Work For Google
July 23, 2010, 3:41 pmA State Department official who's made something of a splash due to his use of Twitter might soon begin collecting paychecks from Google, according to a new report. Jared Cohen would supposedly assume a "strategic policy role" at the company. Cohen has an interesting track record. He's received degrees from Stanford and Oxford, authored several...
Versions of adCenter API Documentation on MSDN
July 23, 2010, 3:36 pmHello, Currently, adCenter API supports both Version 6 and version 7. To reach the adCenter API documentation on MSDN, go to Microsoft adCenter APIs . Now, since some topics exist in both V6 and V7, it is important to know which topic you are viewing. The bread crumb trail at the top of the topic shows you the version. For example,
Does Android Bloatware Weigh You Down?
July 23, 2010, 3:07 pmAndroid smartphones are mimicking the PC ecosystem by incorporating mucho pre-loaded applications from carriers and other partners that consumers don't want, according this this nice piece from Ars Technica. If any of you bought or played with the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint you know what I mean. There is the Sprint TV and Sprint Nascar apps. Ars says...
Facebook Makes Improvements to the Like Button
July 23, 2010, 2:49 pmFacebook announced today that it is releasing some new features for the Like button social plug-in. There is now commenting for the iFrame version, publishing to connected users via the Graph API, and "more robust" analytics. "Now, when a user adds a comment to the iFrame version of the Like button, a larger, more prominent story will be shared...
Three's Company, 30's a Crowd at SES San Francisco and Connected Marketing Week
July 23, 2010, 2:34 pmIf you scour the rates and registration details for SES San Francisco, you'll find something that I haven't seen before. There's group pricing for 4-6 passes, 7-9 passes, 10-19 passes, 20-29 passes, and 30+ passes.Click to read the rest of this post...
Sara Gilbert's New Gig, Stonehenge's Twin, Cheerleader Ruling: What's the Buzz
July 23, 2010, 1:58 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Sara Gilbert (Searches increased by 14,641%). The former "Roseanne" actress will be hosting a "mom" show on CBS that will go up against "The View." Stonehenge (+1,077%). The ancient monument has a wooden twin . Cheerleaders (+481%). Nothing to cheer for here: A judgment ruled that the...
Email Still Beats Social Networks for E-Commerce
July 23, 2010, 1:57 pmA new report from Econsultancy suggests that email still beats social networks when it comes to marketing for e-commerce. The report says that over a third (37%) of consumers don't use a social networking site, and that those who have become a "fan" or "friend" of a company or brand online are still in the minority.
Is email...
Kroger Launches Online Coupon Center
July 23, 2010, 1:52 pmKroger has launched a new online coupon center available on its website. The coupon center offers manufacturer, Kroger brand and web-only coupons, allin one online center. Users can load offers onto their Kroger Plus Card or loyalty cards for other stores Kroger operates including City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC,...
SEM Advanced Series: Budget Optimization â" Daily Budget Goal
July 23, 2010, 1:52 pmThis is the 3rd post in the SEM Advanced Series , a continuation of the SEM Intermediate Series and SEM Beginner Series . These posts are intended for search engine marketing professionals looking for guidance in monitoring and adjusting the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine the success of a PPC campaign. For the last...
Should Google Be Getting More Bing-Like?
July 23, 2010, 1:18 pmThis week Google released its new design for Image Search. The new design includes a tiled layout with instant scrolling between pages. This has already drawn some inevitable comparisons to Bing's image search , which is particularly interesting given Google's overall more Bing-like user interface launched earlier this year . Do you think Google...
Getting Connected at SES San Francisco
July 23, 2010, 12:43 pmThe Search Engine Strategies conference from Incisive Media has really taken an amazing turn this year for the West Coast event. Not only have organizers move the conference from San Jose to San Francisco, but SES is now a part of an event called Connected Marketing Week that involves a coordinated effort from a number of organizations providing a...
Mystery Star in a Box Causes Buzz
July 23, 2010, 12:14 pmby Claudine Zap Friday evening in New York City's Bryant Park , the place to be is a box. Literally. An arts organization called art.party.theater.company is setting up a temporary installation that magician David Blaine could love. An 8 by 8 foot mylar container. Contents: One secret star. Paparazzi (or at least actors playing the role of tabloid...
Will New York Governor David Paterson Protect Vacation Rentals?
July 23, 2010, 12:01 pmOn Wednesday, I asked, "Will Social Media Get Governor David Paterson of New York to Veto a Bad Bill?" We're still waiting to answer that question, but we do know that social media has rallied Stephen Kaufer, CEO and Founder of TripAdvisor, Arthur Frommer, author of the world famous Frommer's travel guides, and more than 500 people to urge...
Google Experiences Hiccup in LA Google Apps Implementation
July 23, 2010, 11:15 amMarketWatch reports that Google has missed a deadline for the implementation of Google Apps in the city of Los Angeles, due mainly to security concerns expressed by the LAPD. This has got to be an unwelcome snag for Google, who is spending a great deal of time marketing Google Apps for cloud computing. Microsoft is encouraging its employees to be...
Kelly Blue Book Launches Social Seller Toolkit
July 23, 2010, 11:15 amKelley Blue Book, a provider of new and used car information, has introduced its Seller's Toolkit, aimed at helping people sell their car online and on social networks. Users of the Seller's Toolkit can create and send a digital window sticker with customized descriptions and photos to websites like Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist and their own...
Take Your Online Business to New Heights with the Display Network - Part 3
July 23, 2010, 10:34 amby Mike Fleming
Now that you've chosen your keywords to create ad group themes, you want to have ads that will move targeted users from whatever they're doing online to being aware and interested in your product or service. Remember, since the Display Network operates by completely different rules and the users are in a completely different...
75+ Local SEO Meetups'and Why You Should Attend!
July 23, 2010, 10:24 amIf you've been involved with SEO or online marketing for any length of time, chances are you've escaped the confines of your office and ventured out into the real world to meet like minded marketers. Perhaps you're a conference regular attending events like Pubcon , SES , or SMX . If you're like me and tens of thousands of other online marketers,...
Baidu Receives Go-Ahead To Sue Registrar
July 23, 2010, 10:23 amWhat with Google, Facebook, and other Web heavyweights seemingly getting drawn into courts on a weekly basis, it would make sense for Baidu to star in a lawsuit, and now the Chinese search giant will indeed become involved in another one. Only Baidu won't have to defend itself, as the company will actually be suing its domain name registrar....
Apple Begins Case Program, Delays White iPhone
July 23, 2010, 10:20 amAs you are probably aware, Apple announced last week that iPhone 4 buyers would be entitled to a free case (or bumper) to correct the highly-publicized receptions issues with the device. Those who already purchased a case/bumper would be entitled to a refund.
The company has now begun the process of making good on that promise. MacRumors points...
75+ Local SEO Meetups…and Why You Should Attend!
July 23, 2010, 10:00 am
If you’ve been involved with SEO or online marketing for any length of time, chances are you’ve escaped the confines of your office and ventured out into the real world to meet like minded marketers. Perhaps you’re a conference regular attending events like Pubcon, SES, or SMX. If you’re like me and tens of thousands of...
This is the LAPD! Come Out With Your Google Apps Where We Can See Them!
July 23, 2010, 9:31 amRemember when Google won the bid to migrate the City of Los Angeles over to Gmail and other Google Apps? Yeah, it's not going so well. In fact, the migration is going sooooo slowly that Google is having to compensate L.A. around $135,000 for the delay. So, what's the hold-up? Well, apart from the fact that this is a local government...
Google Playing Copy-Cat to Bing
July 23, 2010, 9:31 amIf you have been paying attention to what Google has been doing as of late to improve its user experience, you might be noticing something strange. It seems that almost every time that Google makes an improvement in its aesthetic appeal, it looks more and more like Bing. Remember the short-lived attempt to customize the Google home page recently...
Facebook Tweaks the Homepage Navigation
July 23, 2010, 9:31 amFacebook has made an adjustment to the left-hand navigation on the user's home page. The company says this aimed at making it easier for users to access the fundamental parts of the social network. "From testing and feedback from many of you, we've found that the most popular links in the left-hand navigation are News Feed, Messages and Friends,"...
LinkedIn Group versus Facebook Group
July 23, 2010, 9:25 amI have already reviewed how Facebook Group is different from Facebook Fan Page : a group is better to use for (two-way) discussion while a page is easier to brand and promote. A LinkedIn group is definitely closer to a Facebook Group in this respect, so comparing it to a Facebook page (a wider-used tool nowadays) would be like comparing apples to...
Internet Gambling Bill To Get Mark-Up Tuesday
July 23, 2010, 9:08 amThe Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267) which was debated at a Congressional hearing this week is set to be amended or marked up by the House Financial Services Committee next Tuesday. Michael Waxman, spokesperson for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative tells WebProNews "Chairman Frank is...
Facebook On Ceglia Suit: "We Strongly Suspect The Contract Is Forged"
July 23, 2010, 9:08 amBrace yourself for a long and detailed series of discussions about the way Mark Zuckerberg does (or doesn't) zag his "Z"s and loop his "g"s. The argument over a contract that supposedly gives Paul Ceglia ownership of 84 percent of Facebook has escalated, with Facebook hinting that the contract is a fake. This takes the conversation in an...
Google and Virgin America Improve In-Flight Maps
July 23, 2010, 8:56 amGoogle has a real buddy in the airline industry with Virgin America. During last year's holiday travel season Google offered free WiFi on all Virgin America flights . Now, Google and Virgin have expanded the in-flight maps offered to travelers as they can now get topographic information about where they are and more. Google's LatLong blog tells...
Verizon Shares Earnings, AT&T Transitions Acquired Verizon Customers
July 23, 2010, 8:50 amVerizon announced its Q2 earnings today, reporting strong wireless and FiOS customer growth, increased enterprise revenues, and $9.8 billion in cash flow, up 29.8% from the same period in 2009. Among the highlights were 1.4 million total net customer additions, 665,000 retail postpaid net customer additions, 86.2 million retail customers, 92.1...
YouTube Teams Up with ABC Station to Offer Local News from Citizens
July 23, 2010, 8:08 amLast month, reports came out that YouTube had a "top secret news experiment" in the works, which would involve citizen journalism and "going local in San Francisco." This was played down as simply a version of YouTube Direct.
Now, YouTube has come out and announced that it is indeed participating in an experiment in citizen...
Using Micro Goals to Fine Tune Your Social Media Campaigns
July 23, 2010, 7:49 amby Jennifer Laycock
Earlier this week, I explained the concept of micro goals in regards to social media and why it's so important to track such a large collection of seemingly insignificant numbers. I walked you through both the universal micro goals and how to establish campaign specific micro goals. Today, it's time to look at how...
Google Funds Research of Academics
July 23, 2010, 7:47 amWhile we are all quick to open up on Google with both barrels for a variety for reasons including privacy, service speed and more privacy there are some things happening that are not all bad. Google has announced the that they have awarded about $4 million to about 75 projects "full time faculty pursuing research in a areas of mutual interest" for...
Security Flaw in Older vBulletin v3.8.6
July 23, 2010, 7:42 amOnly affects older vBulletin v3.8.6. Patch is available: "The exploit allows a malicious user to retrieve a forum's database credentials."
Dell Settles with SEC for $100 Million
July 23, 2010, 7:06 amDell announced that it's reached a settlement with the SEC, resolving an investigation into Dell's disclosures and alleged omissions from before Fiscal Year 2008, regarding its relationship to Intel, as well as other accounting and financial reporting issues. The terms fall in line with the framework disclosed last month. Dell will pay a civil...
YouTube Selects YouTube Play Jurors (Including Darren Aronofsky)
July 23, 2010, 6:19 amYouTube has just unveiled the jury for YouTube Play, which was announced last month. The project features over 6,000 videos from 69 countries. The YouTube Play Channel had had over 2 million views.
The jury includes musician Laurie Anderson, the group Animal Collective, visual artists Douglas Gordon, Ryan McGinley, Marilyn Minter and Takashi...
Google to Churn Out New Chrome Releases
July 23, 2010, 5:58 amGoogle has unveiled a new strategy for Chrome: accelerate the rate at which stable releases are made available. The company even thinks it can get a new stable version out once every six weeks. That's double what it currently does.
Google says it has the following three goals:
Shorten the release cycle and still get great features in front...
Foursquare Wants To Pair With Google, Yahoo, Bing And Other Search Players
July 23, 2010, 5:45 amFoursquare, the location-based social media site, is aware of the value of its data for searches and has started talking to "a lot of different potential partners," including industry majors such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft in order to clinch data deals.Click to read the rest of this post...
Dr. Pepper: What’s the Worst That Can Happen?
July 23, 2010, 4:00 amWhat’s the worst that could happen when one of the world’s most famous brands launches a witty, edgy and innovative social media campaign?
It manages to promote hardcore scatological porn to a 14-year-old.
Actually, that’s not the worst.
Worse than that is that the 14 year old’s mother is a “Mumsnetter” – a poster on the UK’s...
Test Your Digital Quotient in our Asia Advertising Competition
July 23, 2010, 3:33 amOur team at Microsoft Advertising Asia are giving advertisers and agencies in the Far East the chance to pit their digital wits against each other in an innovative competition to win a trip to the Spikes Asia Advertising Festival . The DQ Test is open to residents aged over 18 in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines,...
Microsoft Reports Record Fourth-Quarter Results
July 23, 2010, 3:30 am"Microsoft Corp. today announced record fourth-quarter revenue of $16.04 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, a 22pct increase from the same period of the prior year."
Baidu hacking lawsuit allowed to proceed
July 23, 2010, 2:04 am"I hold that Baidu has alleged sufficient facts in its complaint to give rise to a plausible claim of gross negligence or recklessness,"
Whiteboard Friday - How to Get an SEO Job
July 23, 2010, 12:17 amPosted by Danny Dover Guess who's back. Back again. Danny's back. Tell a friend. (My co-workers hate me ;-p) This week's Whiteboard Friday is about how to get an SEO job. In it, I divulge the secret of how I suckered my way into how I earned this job. I also do the worst impression of my life and finish with a shocking twist that I guarantee you...
Low Cost Social Media Traffic Generators
July 23, 2010, 12:16 amTraffic to a website can often times take a great deal of time depending on what your timeline and expectations are. Everyone wants traffic fast but often times that is easier said than done. Pay per click advertising can be very expensive and search engine optimization is long term, so where do you start? When approached strategically social...
Ortsbo Breaks the Language Barrier for Online Chats
July 22, 2010, 8:56 pm"Everyone is Local" That's the tagline for Ortsbo , a new social media translation platform that works in real time. The client allows a person to chat online with a group of friends who all speak different languages. Each person types in their native language and the software automatically translates the text to suit each of the individuals in...
YouTube Mobile gets a kick start
July 22, 2010, 6:15 pmIt's well known that the mobile Internet is huge and growing fast; what's surprising is exactly how fast. According to a recent report , within five years more users will connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs. YouTube consumption on mobile devices has also grown considerably: playbacks were up 160% in 2009 over the previous...
Continuous Deployment, Code Review and Pre-Tested Commits on Digg4
July 22, 2010, 5:47 pmOne of the exciting things, from a development perspective, about Digg4 is continuous deployment - when developers fix a bug or add a new feature, there's no need to wait for a scheduled release. Instead, the change can go live right away. This is great - the turnaround time for a change drops dramatically. But this also opens up the possibility...
How to Open Your Publisher Account on New Digg 4
July 22, 2010, 5:08 pmPublishers can take the following steps to get a publisher account on New.digg.com as bans will be lifted on all domains.
Is the Internet Looking at Y2K Part 2?
July 22, 2010, 5:00 pmRichard MacManus at ReadWriteWeb ran a very interesting story about how the Internet will run out of addresses in less than a year. This is what John Curran, President and CEO of the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) says. Google's Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf has also reportedly made a similar claim. MacManus talks about why a...
Microsoft Trounces Earnings Estimates
July 22, 2010, 5:00 pmYesterday morning, thousands of Microsoft employees celebrated Steve Ballmer's 30th year with the company. This afternoon, they - along with many independent shareholders - are probably cheering again, as Microsoft reported record results for the past fiscal quarter. Revenue for the quarter rose an impressive 22 percent compared to the same...
Bing Launches Gallery of All Past Homepage Photos
July 22, 2010, 4:43 pmIn case you've ever wanted to browse an archive of Bing's homepage images, you can now do so. Microsoft has launched the Bing Homepage Visual Search Gallery . Whereas with the arrows on the homepage itself, you can view a week's worth of Bing photos, you can access any of them from this gallery. "Now you can go back through previous homepage...
15-Year-Old Fools Apple
July 22, 2010, 4:32 pmby Mike Krumboltz It hasn't gotten the press of the "Retina Display" or "Facetime," but the iPhone 4's tethering capabilities are nothing to sneeze at. Tethering, for those who don't know, allows a person to use their cell phone's signal to get their Wi-Fi enabled laptops online. It's pretty cool. Unfortunately, it isn't free. AT&T wants $20 a...
Yahoo Now Including Bing Results - Tips for Optimizing
July 22, 2010, 4:26 pmYahoo has begun testing organic and paid search listings from Microsoft. Up to 25% of its search traffic in the U.S. may see organic listings from Microsoft, and up to 3.5% may see paid listings from Microsoft adCenter. I guess you could say that the early stages of the Search Alliance's transition have begun.
Will you place more emphasis on...
Amazon's Earnings Show Kindle Doing Very Well for the Company
July 22, 2010, 4:21 pmAmazon sold three times as many Kindle books in the first half of 2010 as it did in the first half of 2009. It was revealed earlier this week that Amazon is now selling more Kindle books than hardcover books. This was reiterated in the company's earnings announcement today. Over the past three months, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has...
Amazon Announces Q2 Sales of $6.57 billion
July 22, 2010, 4:03 pmAmazon announced its second quarter earnings today. Net sales were up 41% at $6.57 billion, compared with $4.65 billion in the second quarter of '09. "Excluding the $48 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 42% compared with second quarter 2009," the...
Is 'Salt' Sweet or Sour?: Movie Review Roundup
July 22, 2010, 3:40 pmby Mike Krumboltz If you found " Inception " confusing, then " Salt " may be just what you're looking for. Starring Angelina Jolie as a CIA agent who may or may not be a Russian spy, the over-the-top action flick is earning mostly positive reviews from the critics. In contrast to "Inception," where intricate plot (gasp!) played a key role, "Salt"...
RockYou Swears Allegiance To Facebook Credits
July 22, 2010, 3:29 pmFacebook's virtual currency has scored a significant win. Today, RockYou, which is the developer behind apps including "SuperWall" and "Pieces of Flair," announced that it will effectively recognize no form of virtual money other than Facebook Credits for the next five years. A RockYou representative wrote in an email to WebProNews, "RockYou . . .
YouTube Shows Future Standard Embed Code
July 22, 2010, 3:29 pmYouTube has introduced a new way to embed videos. The new style uses an . Viewers of videos which use the following embed code style will be able to view the embedded video in one of YouTube's Flash or HTML5 players, depending on viewing environment and preferences: YouTube lists environments that support HTML5 here .
Virgin America Flights Get Enhanced Google Maps Data
July 22, 2010, 3:29 pmGoogle announced today that it has completely updated the Google Maps data on the touchscreens of airplane seats on Virgin America. The maps will show viewers (almost) exactly where they're at as they fly as usual, but it now features terrain view and new data showing elevation, mountains, etc. "In other words, it more closely matches what youd...
Symantec: Short URL Spam Reaches Historical Peak
July 22, 2010, 3:24 pmA new report from Symantec's MessageLabs finds that short URLs in spam have reached a "historical peak". This type of spam has increased significantly over the past year.
Spam containing shortened links hit a one day peak of 18%, or 23.4 billion spam emails, on April 30, 2010, doubling last year's peak levels when spam with shortened...
Jen's New Scent, Julie Chen's New Job, Anglina's New Movie: What's the Buzz
July 22, 2010, 3:06 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Jennifer Aniston perfume ad (Searches increased 2,496%). The actress is launching her new scent today: She says it smells like California and the beach . Chris Isaak (+887%). Throw the singer's name into the pool of possible replacements for Simon Cowell on "American Idol." "Salt"...
Consumers Becoming More Comfortable With Online Tracking
July 22, 2010, 2:19 pmThe growth in the use of mobile technology has made U.S. consumers more comfortable with safeguards as fewer are voicing concern about privacy and security on their wireless devices, according to a new global survey by KPMG. KPMG found that 48 percent of the U.S. consumers surveyed on the use of technology (e.g. computers, smart phones, mobile...
Google Speeds Up Dialing on Google Voice Apps
July 22, 2010, 2:02 pmGoogle announced today that it has launched an enhancement for the Google Voice mobile app on Android and BlackBerry devices. The tweak is designed to make placing calls quicker. The feature itself is called "Direct Access Numbers." "At Google we are obsessed with speed. Our mantra is faster = better," says Google software engineer Flavio Lerda....
Be Careful What You RT: Mashable Spreads Amazon’s Hype via Twitter Sheep
July 22, 2010, 1:39 pmWell-put: "I just have little tolerance for people with influence in the blogosphere who choose to use that influence irresponsibly. And I’d consider passing along half-assed info without asking legitimate questions to be precisely that".
Flickr Updates iPhone App to Utilize iOS 4 Capabilities, Adds Twitter Sharing
July 22, 2010, 1:27 pmFlickr has released an updated version of its iPhone app , specifically targeting new features of the iPhone 4 like multi-tasking and support for HD-video uploads. "The version 1.2 adds multi-tasking and allows users to upload their photos and videos in the background," a representative for Flickr tells WebProNews. "After tapping the 'Upload'...
AOL Launches New Mobile Portal and Android Apps
July 22, 2010, 1:10 pmAOL has launched a new smartphone portal at m.aol.com and 2 new Android apps. In fact, AOL specifically says that it's increasing its focus on Android. The smartphone portal is for HTML5-supporting smartphones, providing a touch-driven interface that allows for easy scrolling through articles and content, as well as location-based services for...
Announcing our Q2 Research Awards
July 22, 2010, 1:10 pmPosted by Maggie Johnson, Director of Education & University Relations We're excited to announce the latest round of Google Research Awards, our program which identifies and supports full-time faculty pursuing research in areas of mutual interest. From a record number of submissions, we are funding 75 awards across 18 different areasâ"a total...
Finding Alternatives To Facebook
July 22, 2010, 12:52 pmWith the news confirmed that Facebook membership now exceeds 500 million people worldwide thats nearly 10 percent of the worlds total population its a worthy reminder to note that, never mind its size or seeming monolithic ubiquity, there are other social networking places to complement Facebook . The BBC has produced an attractive visual...
Google Offers Tags Free for 30 Days to Lure Businesses
July 22, 2010, 12:11 pmWhen Google launched its Tags local business promotional service earlier this year, I expressed a little skepticism that people want to spend $25 per month for a small yellow call-out. Tags spotlights coupons, videos, Websites, menus or even custom messages to lure consumers: I wrote about the idea in April : Where is the value add? Tags don't...
YouTube Launches New Version of Music Page
July 22, 2010, 12:00 pmYouTube has launched a revamped version of its Music page , following in the footsteps of its shows and movies pages. The new page showcases the most viewed music videos, as well as special promotions, curated playlists, and unsigned talent. Users can also create their on mixes. "For example, in the mood for electronic beats? Just scroll down to...
AOL Launches Advertising Hub For Politics
July 22, 2010, 12:00 pmAOL has launched AOL Advertising Politics hub aimed at campaigns, advocacy groups and companies looking to target audiences online. Online display advertising has become a key factor for political campaigns. With the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year lifting the restrictions on political ad spending from corporations, companies can now join...
Baidu Reports 118 Percent Rise In Profits
July 22, 2010, 12:00 pmBaidu's second quarter was in many (positive) respects a doozy. The company released its earnings report last night, and posted some very interesting numbers as it beat analysts' estimates. One key stat: profits rose 118 percent on a year-over-year basis. That means profits totaled about 837.4 million yuan, or $123.5 million. Baidu managed to...
8 tips from the SEO copywriting trenches
July 22, 2010, 12:00 pmUnless you're working deep in the online writing trenches, SEO copywriting "rules" can be confusing. Blog posts provide weird information like, "An experienced SEO copywriter optimizes his texts not only to avoid grammatical and stylistic errors but tautology in key words should be also avoided." Online tools stress a magical (and nonsensical)...
Facebook CEO Faces Ownership Challenge
July 22, 2010, 11:49 amby Claudine Zap Let's face it: What you do in college should stay in college. The late nights, the parties, the contracts signed. Wait, what? If you're Mark Zuckerberg , CEO and founder of Facebook , this is the kind of thing from your undergrad years that comes back to haunt you. While he was a student at Harvard, Zuckerberg may have signed over...
Instant Replay
July 22, 2010, 11:32 amOne question that users often ask is how they can find past homepage images. Sure those arrows let you revisit the last 7 days worth of homepages, but what about last month? Well, you asked and we answered. Today were really excited to announce our Bing homepage Visual Search gallery ! Now you can go back through previous homepage images to...
Fired Up for Windows Phone 7
July 22, 2010, 11:32 amThis week, Microsoft took the wraps off Windows Phone 7, as reviewers have begun publishing in-depth reviews of the new experience from Windows Phone (congratulations to our colleagues over in Windows Phone Team ). Like lots of others at Microsoft, were device geeks who couldnt wait to get our hands on what is shaping up to be an elegant,...
New Digital Research: Consumer Multi-Screen Study from Microsoft and Wunderman
July 22, 2010, 11:09 amYou may have seen news about Microsoft Advertisings multi-screen advertising capabilities over the past year. Do Discovery Channels Deadliest Catch , ABCs Flash Forward , History Channels America: The Story of US , or NBCs fall line-up ring a bell? Given the recent success of these campaigns we wanted to dig deeper to understand multi-screen...
Safari Vulnerability: Auto-complete Content can be Hacked!
July 22, 2010, 10:55 amAccording to Jeremiah Grossman, a malicious website can apparently uncover a Safari user's name, work place, city, state, and email address by hacking into the auto-complete file.
70,000 Blogs Shut Down After FBI Finds Terrorist Materials, Blogs May Come Back
July 22, 2010, 10:50 amUpdate 2: CNET's Greg Sandoval now reports that users could see their blogs again, but Blogetery likely won't be hosted by Burst.net in the future.
Burst.net CTO says that the service has not resopnded quickly enough to abuse claims in the past, which appears to be the reason the whole service was shut down in the first place. More on the...
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Talks Legal Battle, Won't See "The Social Network"
July 22, 2010, 10:26 amThis week Facebook surpassed 500 million users, but that's not the only reason the world's largest social network is making headlines.
This post from O'Reilly Radar breaks down where Facebook's half a billion users reside by region. Asia appears to be the fastest-rising region for Facebook users, currently sitting at 17% of the social network's...
YouTube answers your questions about "YouTube Worldwide"; next topic is advertising
July 22, 2010, 10:17 am"YouTube Answers" is a series we began in April to introduce you to a variety of people who work here and give you the chance to ask us questions about a broad topic relevant to the site. Camille Hearst and Shenaz Zack bravely went first, to answer your questions about partnerships . Next, we recruited Brian Truong, Product Manager; Shalabh...
Google Moving Forth And Making Good Amid Slew Of Legal Issues
July 22, 2010, 10:16 amA week after reporting its second-quarter earnings, Google is facing a probe by 38 U.S. States. This comes on top of other potential lawsuits across the globe for its collection of Wi-Fi data. Separately, it is also being investigated for its AdWords policy by French competition authorities and by the EU for wider antitrust issues. And yet, it's...
Google Entangled In 38-State Wi-Fi Snoop Probe
July 22, 2010, 9:55 amGoogle is now facing probes by a total of 38 States in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, over its StreetView Wi-Fi data collection. Connecticut's attorney general is now quizzing the search giant on the 'snooping' process. Click to read the rest of this post...
Salesforce.com Provides Its Own Example of an Employee Social Media Policy
July 22, 2010, 9:54 amThis week has been a big week for social media as the world's most popular social network announced that it reached 500 million users . Salesforce.com is just as excited about it as anybody. "Facebook's stunning growth is pushing the entire IT industry to think social," the company's Chief Marketing Officer tells WebProNews. "At salesforce.com,...
Lawmakers Hold Hearing On Internet Gambling
July 22, 2010, 9:19 amThe House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing Wednesday to discuss regulating Internet gambling in the U.S. and establish safeguards for licensed operators to put in place to protect against underage and problem gambling. "With the recent passage of financial reform legislation, it's great to see the Financial Services Committee now...
Barnes & Noble Launches Nook Android App
July 22, 2010, 9:19 amBarnes & Noble has introduced Nook for Android . This comes in the form of a free app that lets users read eBooks with customizable font styles. The company says this is the first Android eReader app that lets users share eBooks with friends. The company also points out that this is the first eReader software to feature its new "NOOK-centric"...
Website Navigation Design: How To Provide Clear Instructions And Directions To Your Readers
July 22, 2010, 9:14 amHow can you help your readers find what they are looking for on your website? How can you facilitate their need to know what to click next or where to look when in search for something? Navigation instructions, or as someone calls them, interface design instructions for the user, are text-based and visual elements that can help your web visitors...
Does Your Content Know Where Your Audience Is?
July 22, 2010, 9:11 amby Stoney deGeyter
One of the first things you need to do when developing your website is to perform research on your target audience. Without it, you won't know who you are trying to sell to, or how to reach them with your content.
The best way to attract the specific customers you want and make sure you are meeting the needs of your...
Bing To Be Sole Default Windows Phone 7 Search Option
July 22, 2010, 9:02 amConsumers shouldn't expect to be overwhelmed with search options if they decide to buy Windows Phone 7 devices. A high-ranking Microsoft employee has revealed that there will be only one default search engine: Bing. Microsoft, with its 90,000 or so employees, supposedly ran into some technical problems when it came to accommodating search rivals....
Why Internet Marketers Should Support Android
July 22, 2010, 9:01 amMobile is becoming more & more a part of an Internet Marketers life as Android is at the heart of that acceleration. Symbian dominates mobile devices worldwide while Blackberry leads here in North America, albeit both are losing share at an accelerated place, perhaps in part because those devices provide relatively poor to no web browsing....
Yahoo Getting Bigger Bite Of Rising U.S. SMB Ad Spending [WebVisible]
July 22, 2010, 8:52 amSearch advertising spend is on the rise for small- and medium-sized businesses. In fact, that would be the understatement of the year: SMB ad spending in the second-quarter soared 159% from last year, according to a WebVisible report. What's more is that Yahoo is pulling the dollars away from Google and Ask.
Click to read the rest of this...
Twitter Talks About Its Mission to Be More Reliable
July 22, 2010, 8:44 amFacebook announced its 500 million user milestone yesterday, and along with that announced some other stats like how it gets over 100 billion hits per day . This was revealed in a post in which the company talked about how it scales with its massive growth. Twitter is also growing rapidly, and the company is also talking scaling. This is of...
Google's Street View 'Mistake' Gets Attention of 37 States
July 22, 2010, 8:38 amGoogle has pushed the boundaries on just about everything they have done. As of late, their Street View escapades have created some serious ill will on most continents. While it seems that some of the trouble has cooled off a bit ( but not completely by any means) outside of the US it may just be heating up stateside. According to the Wall Street...
Homage to the Business of Link-Building
July 22, 2010, 8:38 amFor a moon or two now, there has been this debate about whether link-builders are, in actual fact, SEO's or whether they should sit in a different realm â" sitting more closely with business development or PR. Much of what link-builders do, after all, is relationship focussed, prospecting and of course results driven â" this to me sounds...
Switch To Bing & They'll Donate $3!
July 22, 2010, 8:32 amSince the launch of bing a little over a year ago, Microsoft has tried all kinds of things to try and boost their search market share. Well they are out with their latest marketing attempt â" switch to bing and Microsoft will donate $3 to schools in need! As of the time of this writing, bing has donated nearly $45,000, $3 at a time. By setting...
Links Ahoy! Turn Copied Content to Instant Links
July 22, 2010, 8:20 am"Content is King" would probably be one of the greatest online myths of all time (well for me at the very least). Yes, we all know and agree that great content will always be invaluable, but great content in a mediocre website? It's like having a great and wise king alone in an old crumbling castle waiting to disappoint bandits with no loot (poor...
Google’s Street View ‘Mistake’ Gets Attention of 37 States
July 22, 2010, 8:17 am
Google has pushed the boundaries on just about everything they have done. As of late, their Street View escapades have created some serious ill will on most continents. While it seems that some of the trouble has cooled off a bit ( but not completely by any means) outside of the US it may just be heating up stateside.
According to...
Dell Warns of Malware on Server Motherboards
July 22, 2010, 7:39 am"The potential issue involves a small number of PowerEdge server motherboards sent out through service dispatches that may contain malware."
Coca-Cola Gets Slammed For Vulgar Facebook Campaign
July 22, 2010, 7:28 amCoca-Cola may be a business giant, but this Goliath is no match for a mom and her mouse! It all began innocently enough with a clever social media marketing plan to promote Dr. Pepper on Facebook. The program was designed to override the Facebook status box of an opted in user with fun but embarrassing quotes chosen at random. "What's wrong with...
Twitter Building Dedicated Data Center
July 22, 2010, 7:24 am
Twitter is preparing to move to a dedicated data center by the end of this year. If it allows for Twitter to be more stable then this can’t happen soon enough. Why should marketers concern themselves with this kind of information? It’s pretty simple. If the Twitter platform cannot be relied on to be consistently up and...
Génération des 15-24 ans : Décryptage des Usages sur Mobile et sur PC
July 22, 2010, 7:06 amcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), un des leaders de la mesure des médias numériques, examine le comportement des 15-24 ans sur internet ainsi que leur consommation du média mobile.
Facebook Reaches 500 Million Users
July 22, 2010, 5:28 amFacebook said the number was "an important milestone"
Google is Being Pressed To Reveal More Info Over WiFi Gathering
July 22, 2010, 5:27 am"Google must come completely clean, fully explaining how this invasion of personal privacy happened and why,"
Working with Navigation in SEO [SEO Fundamentals]
July 22, 2010, 1:42 amPosted by richardbaxterseo Building a solid foundation in your site architecture using search engine friendly navigation is a founding principle in good search engine optimization, but what does that actually mean, and what recommendations can you make to enhance your clients (or your own) SEO? In this article, well look at a few examples of...
Touch Points Happen Online Too!
July 22, 2010, 12:16 amThe probability of your audience or potential customer wanting to see you in multiple areas before they decide to make a purchase with your business is very likely. Touch points are more important now than they ever where in prior years of marketing on the web. Customers make strategic purchases now rather the purchases based on emotion or...
Graphic Adventures, the Book
July 22, 2010, 12:05 amEarly last year after reading a book about Lucasfilm, I wanted much more information on my beloved games like Maniac Mansion, Secret of Monkey Island or Loom. I ended up browsing Wikipedia for info on these titles, and that in turn gave me the idea of turning the Wikipedia articles into a book of its own. I've started the project with Google Docs...
Microsoft's Test With Yahoo Remind Webmasters To Get Into Bing's Index
July 21, 2010, 9:32 pm"During this testing phase, it's important to look at how your site is showing up in search results on Yahoo! and Bing today,..."
The Local Business Owner Who Would Not Be Mollified
July 21, 2010, 6:56 pmby Miriam Ellis I couldn't help him. After 45 seconds of conversation with a local business owner who phoned me out of the blue, his voice literally quivering with rage, I knew my words could bring scant balm to his personal inferno of a Gilead in which the negative review had been left and the whole world, he was sure, was laughing at him. I...
Not Marketing to Baby Boomers? You Should Be!
July 21, 2010, 5:30 pm
There are 78 million Baby Boomers in the US today but they’re largely ignored when it comes to marketing. Why? Conventional wisdom says that these consumers, born between 1946-1964, already have brand loyalty and no interest in technology or trying new “trendy” products.
According to a report by The Nielsen Company,...
If You're a Linchpin, You Have Nothing to Fear from Trada
July 21, 2010, 5:01 pmTrada, the paid search management environment that enables crowdsourcing in a bid to help advertisers create more effective campaigns, won't create your marketing plan with you. It won't jump on a phone call with you to discuss the relative merits of different strategies. It won't live and die with your results, explain why a certain tactic is...
eBay Financial Report Tops Forecasts
July 21, 2010, 4:56 pmBelieve it or not, this is a good - or even great - day to be an eBay shareholder. Although Google and Yahoo's stocks basically fell off cliffs following iffy earnings reports earlier this week, eBay managed to publish some positive numbers this afternoon and has seen its stock jump in after-hours trading as a result. Here are the key figures...
Consumer Watchdog: Google Spent $1.34 Million Lobbying in Q2
July 21, 2010, 4:38 pmConsumer Watchdog issued a press release saying that Google spent $1.34 million trying to influence federal lawmakers and regulators in the second quarter of 2010, a 41% increase over $950,000 in the same period a year ago. The group says Google has spent a total of $2.72 million lobbying during the first half of the year. This is based on reports...
Google Trada Investment Smells of Interest Conflict
July 21, 2010, 4:38 pmGoogle's venture capital arm invested $4.5 million of the $5.75 million in funding Trada banked July 21 as part of its plan to expand its business overseas. Trada offers a crowdsourced paid search marketplace for those who want to spend $5,000 to $50,000 per month in advertising online. Paid search experts help the advertiser come up with a good...
Whale Ahoy!
July 21, 2010, 4:15 pmby Mike Krumboltz Paloma Werner and Ralph Mothes were sailing their 10-meter ship near the coast of South Africa, when they were joined by an unexpected guest : A 40-ton whale. The Southern Right Whale soared from the water and landed on the deck of their boat, crushing the mast and rigging. Amazingly, the two escaped the encounter unhurt. Even...
Pandora Reaches 60 Million User Milestone
July 21, 2010, 3:26 pmFacebook isn't the only one announcing impressive milestones today. Pandora announced at the New Music Seminar that it has 60 million registered users. That's not exactly Facebook's 500 million, but pretty impressive nonetheless.
It wasn't that long ago that Pandora's obituary was all but written, but things are looking bright for the company...
Understanding Yahoo, Microsoft Search Alliance Changes
July 21, 2010, 3:18 pmYahoo and Microsoft announced more details of the coming integration of their two search engines and it appears from various reports out there that many people do not fully understand how the changes are going to play out.
The two had previously given details about some of the paid search changes, but this release goes in to more details about...
Facebook Gets 100 Billion Hits Per Day
July 21, 2010, 3:12 pmFacebook of course announced today that it surpassed 500 million users, but the company has shared a few more stats today as well. Facebook gets 100 billion hits per day. It has 50 billion photos. It has 2 trillion objects cached, with hundreds of millions of requests per second and has 130TB of logs every day. This is all according to a post in...
Report: Email Still Beats Social Networks for E-Commerce
July 21, 2010, 2:54 pmA new report from Econsultancy suggests that email still beats social networks when it comes to e-commerce success. The report says that over a third (37%) of consumers don't use a social networking site, and that those who have become a "fan" or "friend" of a company or brand online are still in the minority. The report is based on a survey of...
"Google Tags For Free" Offer Presented
July 21, 2010, 2:54 pmTalk of free 30-day trials may not "wow" a lot of folks. Some people, for example, will wonder whether a company won't find an excuse not to take a product back, and other individuals realize just returning a product with a receipt can accomplish the same thing. But local business owners should definitely take advantage of an opportunity to try...
The NEW Bing Webmaster Tools is Now Live
July 21, 2010, 2:20 pmI will cover this in greater detail later but for now, I figure it is worthwhile to provide a little info around Bing's announcement today that their freshly redesigned Bing Webmaster Tools is now online. Here is a core snippet from their announcement explaining what is included in the new version: The redesigned Bing Webmaster Tools provide...
Tips for Optimizing Now That Yahoo is Including Bing Search Results
July 21, 2010, 2:18 pmYahoo has begun testing organic and paid search listings from Microsoft. Up to 25% of its search traffic in the U.S. may see organic listings from Microsoft, and up to 3.5% may see paid listings from Microsoft adCenter. I guess you could say that the early stages of the Search Alliance's transition have begun.
"The primary change for these...
Determining the Nation's Happiness with Twitter
July 21, 2010, 2:03 pmYou may recall Facebook's Gross National Happiness project , in which status updates throughout the social network are monitored for positive words to give an idea of how happy people are in general. New Scientist reports that a computer scientist named Alan Mislove at Northeastern University in Boston (along with some colleagues) has been...
Connecticut AG Presses Google Over Street View
July 21, 2010, 2:03 pmConnecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal sent a letter today on behalf of 37 states to Google asking it if it had tested its Street View software before using it. At issue is Google's unauthorized collection of Wi-Fi data which possibly included emails, passwords, web browsing and other private information. Google has admitted to...
Econsultancy Research Finds Email Beats Social Media for Consumer Attention
July 21, 2010, 1:58 pmRemember the First Law of Wing Walking: "Never let hold of what you've got until you've got hold of something else." Well, a new report on consumer online shopping behavior from Econsultancy says that marketers still need to focus on targeted and relevant email marketing if they want to enjoy e-commerce success even if consumers are increasingly...
How to Become a YouTube Sensation
July 21, 2010, 1:17 pmBecoming a sensation on YouTube is a lot of work but it is a passion for many and the how-to's are plentiful in that open community. Well today I came across a series of videos that are incredibly inspiring and do a great job of showing how truly achievable it is to become a YouTube sensation. If you want to see what it takes for an everyday...
Facebook Hits its 500 Million Mark, Launches Stories App
July 21, 2010, 1:05 pmFacebook was expected to announce that it reached 500 million users this week, and sure enough, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced it today. Facebook has also launched a new app called Facebook Stories . This lets users share and read hundreds of stories about how they've used Facebook, categorized by themes and locations around the world. Zuckerberg...
David Cameron's Visit, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Photos, Auschwitz Escape: What's the Buzz
July 21, 2010, 1:00 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Searches increased by 911%). The model/actress who replaces Megan Fox in "Transformers 3D" is seen doing similar moves in early photos from the set . Bed bugs (+421%). The unwelcome critters decided to make a home in a Victoria's Secret store in New York...
500 Million Stories
July 21, 2010, 12:25 pmAs of this morning, 500 million people all around the world are actively using Facebook to stay connected with their friends and the people around them. This is an important milestone for all of you who have helped spread Facebook around the world. Now a lot more people have the opportunity to stay connected with the people they care about. To...
Will Social Media Get Governor David Paterson of New York to Veto a Bad Bill?
July 21, 2010, 12:07 pmI've written a couple of social media case studies over the past year, but I was tipped off to a new one late last night. A brand new group of bed and breakfast hosts, vacation rentals owners, property managers, brokers, and inn keepers called Protect Vacation Rentals is using social media to get Governor David Paterson of New York to veto Bill...
The Role of Advertising on Facebook
July 21, 2010, 11:39 amAt Facebook, everything we do is about making the world more social and creating more personalized experiences. On Facebook, people do everything from remembering their friends' birthdays to reuniting with old classmates to even finding people willing to donate their organs to save their lives. We think making the world more personal and social is...
Installing adCenter Desktop With Elevated Privileges
July 21, 2010, 11:27 amIn organizations where users are not the administrators of their computers, there are several methods of elevating the adCenter Desktop installation: Log on to the computer as an administrator and install adCenter Desktop. Use Group Policy software installation and management to assign or publish adCenter Desktop. Use a software management tool,...
Google Improves Border Accuracy in Google Maps
July 21, 2010, 11:16 amGoogle has launched some improvements to its borders for over 60 countries and regions in Google Maps (coming to Google Earth soon). "Making Google's mapping tools as accurate as possible is a complex process, especially when a map's accuracy has both quantitative and qualitative aspects," says Google Geo Policy Analyst Charlie Hale. "We receive...
Borders Launches Online Textbook Marketplace
July 21, 2010, 11:14 amBorders has launched a new "Textbook Marketplace" that allows users to buy and sell new and used textbooks.
The Marketplace features more than 1.4 million titles including a selection of used textbooks at a savings of up to 90 percent. Users can also earn cash via the site's used textbook buyback option.
"College students spend...
SEO content marketing roundup, week ending July 21st
July 21, 2010, 11:04 amGetting social with it: this Wednesday's roundup of the latest and greatest of SEO content marketing news and links features social media marketing, as content marketers grapple with such slippery issues as social media SEO, whether social media is helpful or hurtful to marketing campaigns, and how social marketing stands up to search engine...
Manual PPC Bid Management is Dead
July 21, 2010, 10:53 amFirst reason speaks volume to this article: While you’re adjusting bids manually, your competitors are writing and testing creative ad copy.
Webmasters Complain About New Google Image Search
July 21, 2010, 10:41 amIt's very rare that a major website launches any kind of redesign without any complaints from users. Google is no stranger to this itself, and it should come as no surprise that this week's launch of the new Google Image Search has come with its own share of complaints (although I'd be surprised if the complaints outweighed the positive opinions)....
Microsoft Rebuilds Bing Webmaster Tools from the Ground Up
July 21, 2010, 10:29 amMicrosoft has just launched a newly updated Bing Webmaster Tools which according to the Bing Community Blog is a huge improvement to the old Microsoft Webmaster Tools. The update was being carried out after Bing has reached out to the webmaster and SEO communities who are in unison in wanting to have more transparency on how Bing crawls and...
Google Ventures Invests in Search Marketing Firm Trada
July 21, 2010, 10:23 amGoogle Ventures has invested in a paid search marketing firm called Trada . Google Ventues has invested $5.75 million in Trada, along with Foundry Group , which previously invested $2.2 million in the company. According to Trada's description of itself , it allows advertisers to create a new paid search campaign in Trada, then PPC experts are...
Simple Co-Citation Analysis for Linkbait Promotion
July 21, 2010, 10:09 amIf you promote it - and it's good - they will link. One way to find prospects for promoting linkbait is through cocitation analysis of similar linkbait. Here's a process for finding link prospects for a linkable asset using simple, targeted, hostname-only co-citation analysis.
Cause Marketing 101
July 21, 2010, 9:38 amCause Marketing has been one of the fastest growing marketing segments over the last few years. Here is an introduction in to what cause marketing is and how it can help you and your business or non-profit.
18 Simple SEO Items Commonly Missed in Web Development
July 21, 2010, 9:33 amI run into these things all the time with new clients, and frequently with people who claim to know SEO and best practices. Great post - you could even use it as an audit checklist.
Google Ventures Invests In Paid Search Play
July 21, 2010, 9:16 am
You have to hand it to Google. They’re not afraid to put their efforts somewhere that will cause a ruckus among those concerned about whether Google is ‘too invested’ in its own business, so to speak. In the latest case of “We dare you to tear this one apart”, Google Ventures has invested in Trada which is an...
Google Increases Bounty On Chrome Bugs
July 21, 2010, 9:09 amDon't be surprised if any security researchers you know start canceling meetings and spending more lunches at their computers. Google's set out to attract their attention by increasing the maximum reward for finding a Chrome bug to $3,113.70. The maximum reward used to be $1,337.00, meaning the change works out to a 233 percent increase. Also,...
MySpace And MTV To Feature Live Comic-Con Coverage
July 21, 2010, 9:08 amMySpace and MTV.com are partnering to bring live streaming coverage of celebrities at Comic-Con. Starting Thursday, July 22, daily live shows will be hosted by MTV Movies Editor Josh Horowitz and will stream on MySpace and MTV's homepage. Users will be able to post comments and questions in real-time for a chance to have celebrities answer live. ...
Bing's New Webmaster Tools Are Here
July 21, 2010, 9:08 amAt SMX Advanced last month, Microsoft announced that Bing would redesign its Webmaster Tools this summer. The new version is now available. Bing Webmaster Tools Senior Product Manager Anthony M. Garcia summarizes the changes: The redesigned Bing Webmaster Tools provide you a simplified, more intuitive experience focused on three key areas: crawl,...
The Foundation Of A Success SEO Campaign: Keyword Research
July 21, 2010, 9:02 amYep, it's true â" keywords are the foundation of your campaign and they will make or break your success. If your phrases are all way too competitive, it'll take too long to get results and you'll struggle in the interim. If your phrases are all too generic, you aren't going to have good conversions and that is ultimately what it's about. So...
Never Miss a Great Business Opportunity: Follow up with Important Contacts
July 21, 2010, 9:02 amI've been in the web marketing long enough to realize how important connections are. But being highly important, "online" connections are also very unstable. One day you know the person nd consider him your good friend and solid partner, the next day you lose contact with him and never hear back. Things may get hectic. Your important email sent to...
How to Avoid Being Google Slapped
July 21, 2010, 9:02 amPhoto src If you're an AdWords advertiser, chances are you've heard the expression "Google slap." Maybe you've even known someone who has been Google slapped or you've been Google slapped yourself. A Google slap can mean one of two things: Google has deemed your ad and associated landing pages of such poor quality it has significantly lowered your...
Google Market Share Up, Searches Down
July 21, 2010, 8:44 amGoogle saw more searches in June than May, but also a decline in market share. According to comScore , Google has seen a small decline in its search market share for June 2010 with Yahoo and Microsoft both increasing last month. Google is down 1.1% to 62.6% total share of searches, while Yahoo and Microsoft sites (including Bing) have both risen...
Google + WordPress, The Matt Cutts Point of View (podcast)
July 21, 2010, 8:30 amWordpress experts and WebmasterRadio hosts Frederick Townes and Joost de Valk interview Matt Cutts about Wordpress, blogging, SEO and much more.
Yahoo Starts Including Microsoft-Powered Search Results
July 21, 2010, 8:29 amYahoo has begun testing organic and paid search listings from Microsoft. Up to 25% of its search traffic in the U.S. may see organic listings from Microsoft, and up to 3.5% may see paid listings from Microsoft adCenter. I guess you could say that the early stages of the Search Alliance's transition have begun. "The primary change for these tests...
A new beginning: Bing Webmaster Tools
July 21, 2010, 8:29 amToday, were announcing the release of the updated Bing Webmaster Tools . After the Bing launch, we reached out to the webmaster and SEO communities to see how we could improve the webmaster tools. Your feedback was very consistent: you wanted more transparency to see how Bing crawls and indexes your sites, more control over your content in the...
The Foolproof Cure for Weak Content: 4 Ways to Get Some Perspective
July 21, 2010, 8:28 amWhen I was fifteen, I wrote a novel. I thought it was pretty good, and daydreamt about literary stardom. Fast forward ten years. I recently found my old notebooks and read that novel over again. And ' let's just say it wasn't as good as I remembered, and leave it at that. It's amazing what a difference perspective makes. Usually, you're not going...
Help: Hyperlinks (URLs) Are not Being Properly Displayed in Word 2007!
July 21, 2010, 8:22 amI came across another annoyance of Word 2007 caused after I opened a document that contained some errors. It is a really annoying thing to happen and what is horrendous is that it happens without the user's consent. The Problem This is something you will easily notice only if there are URLs in your document. Instead of the URL you will notice that...
Yahoo Starts Including Microsoft Search Results - Tips for Optimizing
July 21, 2010, 8:18 amYahoo has begun testing organic and paid search listings from Microsoft. Up to 25% of its search traffic in the U.S. may see organic listings from Microsoft, and up to 3.5% may see paid listings from Microsoft adCenter. I guess you could say that the early stages of the Search Alliance's transition have begun.
"The primary change for these...
Up to 25% of Yahoo Search is Now bing-ified
July 21, 2010, 8:11 amLast week Yahoo sent a letter to their search advertisers about a rather large window for when they can anticipate the integration of bing . In a post yesterday on the Yahoo blog they went a little further and said that they were currently testing the results. Here is what they said We've started testing organic (also referred to as algorithmic)...
Testing begins with Yahoo!
July 21, 2010, 8:06 amOne of the most significant things our search and advertising platform teams have been working on over the past several months is the preparation and engineering for our search alliance with Yahoo! When we announced our intention to enter into a search and advertising relationship with Yahoo! almost a year ago, we began a journey that will help us...
Localeze Set For More Social-LBS Deals Soon, Looking To Go Global
July 21, 2010, 7:34 amLocaleze, the business listings identity management provider for local search, have a lot in the pipeline for the near and longer-term future. We spoke to them in a resolutely future-oriented conversation and this is what you can expect. Read on.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Yahoo Q2 Ad Revenues Hurt By Just One Week Slowdown?
July 21, 2010, 7:19 amYahoo reported second-quarter earnings of $213 million, soaring 51% from $141 million a year earlier. However, revenues came in below expectations, hurt by one week slowdown in June, it said... Really? Click to read the rest of this post...
Skype Launches New Pay-Per-Call System for Advertisers
July 21, 2010, 7:18 am
Skype has partnered with Marchex to offer a new pay-per-call advertising service in the US, Canada and Western Europe. The Click & Call program works with a “Free Call” button that can be placed anywhere on the web. When a customer clicks the button, the Skype software launches and the call is connected at no cost to them....
The Bifurcating Display Advertising Industry
July 21, 2010, 7:13 amThe world of online display advertising as we know it is bifurcating. The display ad market, which accounted for $8.0B of the $22.7B in total internet advertising revenues in 2009 and is projected to grow to $13.4B by 2013 is rapidly headed in two very different directions. One direction leads to a land of increasingly complex, but incredibly...
How To Get Instant Targeted Twitter Traffic
July 21, 2010, 7:01 am"Here's a recipe you can use to get traffic and leads from twitter "on demand".(-subscription required)
Celebrity Video from Dougray Scott's Leuka Charity Golf Day Sponsored by Bing
July 21, 2010, 5:10 amIt's not often Hollywood comes to Chiswick in West London. But last Friday it did just that! Last week, I wrote that we'd been honoured to sponsor Dougray Scott's Mini Masters golf tournament in aid of the charity Leuka . It was a fantastic day filled.
Updated Bing Webmaster Tools
July 21, 2010, 3:34 am"The redesigned Bing Webmaster Tools provide you a simplified, more intuitive experience focused on three key areas: crawl, index and traffic."
Yup, SEO Can Be A Competitive Advantage
July 21, 2010, 3:20 amPosted by randfish Another great post from Jason Cohen popped onto my radar yesterday entitled " Startup Competitive Advantages the Work ." It's definitely worth a read, even if you're not at a startup. As a passionate (OK, maybe obsessed is the right word) startup guy and someone who loves SEO, I couldn't help but want to jump into the fray with...
Wordpress, Thesis Theme and the GPL Smackdown
July 21, 2010, 3:11 am"... the license is clear and if you want to extend Word Press, you have to abide by that license, and premium themes are covered by that rule. Other premium theme authors like Brian Gardner have gone GPL and Thesis should too."
New Google Images Design
July 21, 2010, 1:20 amGoogle has revamped its image search . Instead of showing image information right below individual images in the results overview, you'll now get just the image thumbnail. Hover over it, and the thumbnail will grow a bit in size and show its information text below it, like file name, originating site, and contextual keywords (you can also click on...
Keyword Research Tips To Help You
July 21, 2010, 1:14 amKeyword research is probably one of the most important steps you will take when you start your on site optimization for your website. Keyword research when done right can have your website operating like a well oiled inbound marketing machine. When done incorrectly it could cause you to miss out on very valuable web traffic leading to a loss in...
Yahoo! Tests Microsoft Search Results
July 21, 2010, 1:08 amStraight from the horse's mouth : We've started testing organic (also referred to as algorithmic) and paid search listings from Microsoft for up to 25 percent of Yahoo! Search traffic in the U.S. The primary change for these tests is that the listings are coming from Microsoft. However, the overall page should look the same as the Yahoo! Search...
SEOmoz - SEO Software Tools Product Review
July 21, 2010, 12:22 amIt is no surprise that SEO and search engine marketing are a very important component in today's marketing marketplace. Businesses who still feel the internet is a fad or search engine optimization is fool's gold will simply not make it for the long haul. For those who might just not be ready to approach the space or are not sure exactly how to do...
Yahoo Tests With Bing Goes Live
July 20, 2010, 11:07 pm"We've started testing organic (also referred to as algorithmic) and paid search listings from Microsoft for up to 25 percent of Yahoo! Search traffic in the U.S."
Video is Becoming a Must Have for Online Retailers
July 20, 2010, 11:03 pmIt wasn't long ago that long load times and stuttering video kept many consumers from watching videos online. But with the advances in video streaming and the rise in low price, high-quality computers, videos have become a regular part of the internet landscape and they're not just for fun anymore. Says eMarketer: "The percentage of the top 50 US...
Hitwise UK Reports The Times Traffic Loss from Paywall is "Less That Expected"
July 20, 2010, 9:16 pmOkay, so maybe Rupert Murdoch will get the last laugh. According to the headline of today's post by Robin Goad, the Research Director at Hitwise UK, "Times Paywall traffic loss less than expected."Click to read the rest of this post...
Google Refreshes Image Search with More Images
July 20, 2010, 7:49 pmGoogle is set to revamp the overall interface of its Image Search vertical. According a post on the Official Google blog, the new Google Image Search will soon feature more images on the search results page. In fact, if you take a look at the sample screenshot of the new image search results page, you won't see any text anymore aside from the...
Yahoo Begins Testing Search Ads from Microsoft
July 20, 2010, 7:31 pmThis has long been overdue, but Yahoo is nonetheless starting to integrate both organic and paid search listings from Microsoft for up to 25 percent of Yahoo Search traffic in the U.S. This means that these search listings is now coming from Microsoft Ad networks. Some U.S. users would have started seeing this integrated Microsoft search ads on...
Blueglass LA Session: InHouse SEO
July 20, 2010, 6:51 pmModerator: Tony Adam Speakers: Jessica Bowman , Founder, SEOinhouse.com Marshall Simmonds , Chief Search Strategist, New York Times Company/About.com, Co-Founder and CEO, Define Search Strategies Laura Lippay , Director of Technical Marketing, Yahoo! Media Jessica's up first! SEO Efficiency & Accountability Set up lines of defense incorporate SEO...
Does 'Inception' Make Sense?
July 20, 2010, 6:06 pmby Mike Krumboltz If the measure of a great movie is that it confuses, divides, and causes endless debate about "what it all means," then " Inception " may be the best flick to hit theaters in a good, long while. The Christopher Nolan-directed film, about a man (Leonardo DiCaprio) who invades people's dreams to steal their secrets, has earned...
Man Caught With Monkeys
July 20, 2010, 5:48 pmby Claudine Zap The Mexican airport security guards were not monkeying around when they stopped a man with a suspicious lump in his shirt. The moving bulge turned out to be â" yes, actual monkeys in his pockets. In fact, 18 tiny titis were tucked into Roberto Sol Cabrera Zavaleta 's pants. Two had died on the journey from Lima, Peru . News of...
Does Inception Make Sense?
July 20, 2010, 5:31 pmby Mike Krumboltz If the measure of a great movie is that it confuses, divides, and causes endless debate about "what it all means," then " Inception " may be the best flick to hit theaters in a good long while. The Christopher Nolan-directed film, about a man (Leonardo DiCaprio) who invades people's dreams to steal their secrets, has earned...
Blueglass LA Session: Links matter: How to measure and attain them
July 20, 2010, 5:13 pmModerator: Chris Winfield Speakers: Rand Fishkin , CEO and CO-Founder, SEOmoz Dave Snyder , Partner, Search & Social Rand is up first, so here we go! Strategic Link Analysis for SEO Step 1 - Determine your goals The links match in different ways to different goals. If you're in marketing and you want to attract a specific person, you don't...
New Search Alliance Transition Updates and Tips
July 20, 2010, 5:02 pmImportant information about the organic and paid search transition, new Yahoo! and Microsoft editorial guidelines, mobile updates and more As Yahoo! continues to work closely with Microsoft to implement the Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance, we want to call out some important updates and tips to help ensure the best transition experience for...
Interview with SEO Copywriting Certification Grad, Laura Armbruster
July 20, 2010, 4:57 pmLaura Armbruster is pursuing her dream " to be a writer. A geek at heart, she soon found her ideal niche in creating web content and search engine optimization. She has over 15 years of technical support management experience, along with consulting, project management, and customer service management. She wants her clients to be cared for,...
Times Paywall traffic loss less than expected
July 20, 2010, 4:56 pmIt's been a few weeks now since The Times made their controversial move to take their content behind a paywall and charge online consumers to read their content. The move has attracted a lot of attention as The Times is the first general news content provider to charge for its online content. Specialist publications such as the Wall Street Journal...
Yahoo! Begins Testing with Microsoft
July 20, 2010, 4:56 pmWe've started testing organic (also referred to as algorithmic) and paid search listings from Microsoft for up to 25 percent of Yahoo! Search traffic in the U.S. The primary change for these tests is that the listings are coming from Microsoft. However, the overall page should look the same as the Yahoo! Search you're used to â" with rich...
Droid X Delivery Now Delayed Until August 3
July 20, 2010, 4:51 pmJust days after I reported Verizon Wireless' pledge to deliver the Motorola Droid X by July 23 after discovering that the Android 2.1 device was selling like hot cakes, the carrier is now listing August 3 as the next shipment date. Verizon began selling the multimedia-intensive Droid X July 15 for $199 with a $100 mail-in rebate but quickly sold...
Charice Denies Cosmetic Botox, Wesley Snipes Can't Evade Jail, Glenn Beck Going Blind: What's the Buzz
July 20, 2010, 4:51 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Wesley Snipes tax evasion (Searches increased by 1,623%). The movie star lost his appeal to avoid a three-year prison sentence for failing to file his tax returns . Botox (+1,529%). The 18-year-old Filipino pop star Charice, who will appear on "Glee," did not get cosmetic treatments...
OMG! UFO! Or Maybe Not.
July 20, 2010, 4:51 pmby Mike Krumboltz Last week, the Web was aflutter over rumors that a UFO had been spotted over Xiaoshan Airport in Hangzhou, China. There was even video that showed, well, something, soaring high in the sky. The Atlantic reports that Geoffrey Forden, a weapons expert from MIT, has analyzed several of the alleged UFO videos. He has come to the...
Yahoo Comes Up Shy With Q2 Earnings Report
July 20, 2010, 4:51 pmHowever else Yahoo's shareholders may feel about the company's financial situation, they can perhaps take comfort in the idea that Carol Bartz won't be wasting lots of money on champagne and confetti today. Yahoo's second quarter earnings report didn't contain much news the CEO could celebrate. The company failed to hit three out of four major...
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg May or May Not Have Signed a Contract
July 20, 2010, 4:51 pmYou may recall last week when reports came out about some guy who claimed to own the majority of Facebook . Paul Ceglia claimed to own an 84% stake in the company, saying that CEO Mark Zuckerberg signed a contract with him in 2004. The timing described didn't appear to line up with common accounts of the founding of the company (such as the one in...
Twitter @earlybird Account Teaches Us a Lesson in Tweet Proofreading
July 20, 2010, 4:51 pmA couple weeks ago, Twitter unveiled its @earlybird account , which is designed to provide followers with exclusive deals from the company's advertising partners and other businesses. Last week, the account got into full swing, as it tweeted its first deal from Disney . The second deal was made available today for a new 32-inch Vizio HDTV at...
comScore Announces Date for Second Quarter 2010 Financial Results
July 20, 2010, 4:50 pmcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced it will report its second quarter 2010 financial results before U.S. financial markets open on Thursday, July 29, 2010. In conjunction with this announcement, management will host a conference call and webcast on Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. (ET) to...
Advancement of Online Marketing
July 20, 2010, 4:50 pmIn terms of newspaper readers versus online readers, it is no longer a question of why online marketing has become a staple and print media is losing ground. The real question is why online marketing is working so well. Consider the advantages it has over print media in terms of time, costs, and effect. Let's go into more detail of why online...
Weekly Search & Social News: 07/20/2010
July 20, 2010, 4:50 pmHello ladies and gentleman, geeks and phreaks alike, it's time for another edition of ' 7 Days of Search and Social ' ? Lookin to beat the summer heat? The this massively cool round up of all the goodiness of the week that was should do ya' well. It was actually quite a busy one out there and I really did have to wrestle with what to keep and...
Blueglass LA Session: Building Communities that People Love
July 20, 2010, 4:50 pmModerator: Brent Csutoras Ben Huh , CEO, Cheezburger Network JR Johnson , CEO and Founder, Lunch.com First up is JR According to Brent, JR started out with Virtual Tourist ( which sold to Expedia for gobs of money #WIN ) With Virtual Tourist, going back to 1999, there were communities out there, like Geocities. I spoke with venture...
Blueglass LA Session: Marketing Strategy: Don't forget search
July 20, 2010, 4:50 pmModerator: Loren Baker Speakers: Melanie Mitchell , SVP/Search Marketing Strategy at Digitas Dave Roth , Director of Search Marketing at Yahoo David Szetela , CEO, Clix Marketing First up is David I'm not on the search side of Yahoo - I'm a search marketer like you. Search Marketing at Yahoo We do search marketing the way everyone does - there's...
Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance News: Editorial Guideline Updates (US and Canada)
July 20, 2010, 4:45 pmThe upcoming Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance is without a doubt one of the most exciting changes Ive seen in the search engine marketing (SEM) industry since I started working in it back in 2005. Although Im looking forward to seeing how this new partnership will alter the SEM landscape, theres no doubt Microsoft adCenter and Yahoo!
Microsoft Starts Testing on Yahoo! in Mid-July
July 20, 2010, 4:45 pmAs we continue to make progress implementing various aspects of the Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance , our two companies continue to work together towards the goal of providing a quality transition experience for advertisers in the U.S. and Canada.
The 7 Secrets of Running a Wildly Popular Blog
July 20, 2010, 4:44 pmDid you ever wonder why some blogs attract tons of readers and others don't? Of course you've wondered. We all have. Because if you're reading this blog, you almost certainly have a blog of your own. You think it's great, and you want lots of other people to think it's great too. So what's the answer? Why do some blogs become more popular than...
Apple Posts Record Quarter at $15.7 Billion
July 20, 2010, 4:08 pmApple has released its third quarter financial results. This reflects fiscal 2010 third quarter ended June 26, 2010.
The company boasted record revenue of $15.7 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.25 billion. This compares to a year ago, when Apple reported revenue of $9.73 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.83 billion.
Obviously Apple...
Reddit Sets a Price for "Gold" Version that it Used to Ask for Donations With
July 20, 2010, 3:45 pmLast week, Reddit announced Reddit Gold, a paid version of its service that would cost whatever users were willing to pay. This was essentially Reddit's way of asking for donations to help with its operating costs, and giving those donors a little something extra.
It didn't take long for Reddit to declare the initiative a triumph, saying,...
Microsoft Launches Limited Beta of New Security Essentials
July 20, 2010, 3:33 pmMicrosoft announced the beta for its next version of Microsoft Security Essentials today. Among the new features are:
- Windows Firewall integration
- Enhanced protection for web-based threats
- New protection engine
- network inspection system.
The new protection engine provides enhanced detection and cleanup features with better performance,...
Microsoft Announces Kinect Pricing for November 4 Release
July 20, 2010, 3:11 pmMicrosoft announced today that the Kinect for Xbox 360 will include Kinect Sensor and the video game "Kinect Adventures," and that it will retail for $149.99 when it launches November 4 in North America. The Kinect Sensor will work with all Xbox 360 consoles (of which 40 million have been sold, according to the company).
The company...
Google Director Challenges Jobs On Mobile Search
July 20, 2010, 2:50 pmIt doesn't look like the rift between Apple and Google is going to heal anytime soon, at least where the mobile market is concerned. Today at the paidContent Mobile Conference, one relatively high-ranking Googler used the word "bullshit" to describe Steve Jobs's ideas about mobile search, and also hinted at taking on iAds.
To be...
Skype Gives Businesses "Click & Call" Ads to Place Around the Web
July 20, 2010, 2:49 pmGoogle's not the only company to offer a new ad format today. Skype introduced its new Click & Call ads, supported by Marchex. Skype says Click & Call Advertising provides an efficient and measurable way to acquire new customers by using Skype to drive inbound calls.
With the program, advertisers can have their phone numbers highlighted...
Google Updates Google Images Layout
July 20, 2010, 2:36 pmGoogle again clones Bing. This time Google images gets the Bing-like update. Congrats again to the Bing Team.
Look At Your Video Campaign. Now Look At Old Spice. Why Has The Old Spice Man Captivated Us?
July 20, 2010, 2:14 pmHere's a good look at what Old Spice did right with the recent social/video/viral campaign: "...while the campaign pretty much lasted only 11 hours, thanks to the urgency to participate, it still did remarkably better than some of the more organic campaigns that have become instant hits."
More Marketers Turning To Digital Media For Brand Building
July 20, 2010, 1:50 pmMore marketers are using digital media to sell and build stronger relationships with their customers according to a new report from the Direct Marketing Association and David Shepard Associates.
The report found social networking sites to be the most used platform by digital media marketers. However, many businesses still consider themselves...
Google Indexes Over 10 Billion Images
July 20, 2010, 1:49 pmGoogle launched a new version of its image search today (as well as a new ad format) and in the announcement, Google dropped a few interesting stats about its image search growth.
Google Image Search first came out in 2001. Back then, Google says it indexed around 250 million images. By 2005, the company says it indexed over a billion. As of...
Understanding and Establishing Micro Goals for Your Social Media Campaigns
July 20, 2010, 1:41 pmby Jennifer Laycock
A few weeks ago I wrote a handful of articles on how to develop a proper social media strategy by developing goals, breaking those goals into supportive goals and matching goals to appropriate tactics. Those three articles outline the foundation that needs to be laid for any good social media plan, but your job doesn't...
Google Launches New Image Search Ads
July 20, 2010, 1:40 pmGoogle began rolling out a new design for its image search today, and along with that came a new ad format. The format is called (appropriately) Image Search Ads.
"These ads appear only on Google Images, and they let you include a thumbnail image alongside your lines of text," explains Google Images Product Manager Nate Smith. "we...
Google Launches New Image Search Design
July 20, 2010, 1:29 pmGoogle announced today that it is rolling out a new design for Image Search. The new design includes a tiled layout with instant scrolling between pages. This has already drawn some inevitable comparisons to Bing's image search, which is particularly interesting given Google's overall more Bing-like user interface launched earlier this year.
You...
Google Apps Gets User Policy Management Feature
July 20, 2010, 1:00 pmAfter launching multi-domain support a couple weeks ago, Google has now launched user policy management for Google Apps. These features are designed to give IT administrators greater control and flexibility within Google Apps, the company says.
"With user policy management, admins can now segment their users into different organizational...
Google Tells FTC a Hot News Doctrine Would Hurt Journalism
July 20, 2010, 12:37 pmLast month the Federal Trade Commission published its staff discussion draft of potential policy recommendations to "support the reinvention of journalism." Those potential recommendations have been the subject of a fair amount of controversy throughout the industry.
Suffice it to say that not all of the recommendations have been...
Google Enters 20-Year Wind Power Agreement
July 20, 2010, 11:25 amTwo months ago, Google invested $38.8 million in two wind farms, and as out-of-the-blue as that development may have appeared to some people, it wasn't an isolated event. This morning, Google followed up with what it's calling a "20-year Power Purchase Agreement" involving another wind farm.
Hardnosed shareholders shouldn't worry...
Linktoberfest! - SEO Infographic for Link Data Visualization
July 20, 2010, 11:15 amHere is some great visualization & information about link building from Vertical Measures where they included a fun graphic. Love the graphic guys!!!
5 Current Social Media Stories That Mean Good Things For Your Business
July 20, 2010, 11:05 amThere are too many happenings everyday in the social media space for any single business owner to keep up with. Today's web is fast, and very, very innovative. The production never slows down. New tools and integrations are launched seemingly every other minute.
While I'd encourage you to sift through the headlines and social media app...
MovieTickets.com Partners With Xbox Live
July 20, 2010, 11:04 amMovieTickets.com said today it has been selected to provide an online movie ticketing service via the Microsoft Xbox 360.
Xbox Live users in the U.S. are now able to make mobile movie ticket purchases through a text-in or a Microsoft Tag viewed in movie studio advertisements. By clicking on a film's advertisement on Xbox Live, a user can...
MapQuest Greatly Expands Coverage of Live Traffic
July 20, 2010, 10:41 amMapQuest announced that it has expanded its live traffic coverage. It now includes over a quarter-million miles of roads in major North American cities.
MapQuest is now including "key" arterials and city streets. The goal of this is to provide users with more information to make better decisions about alternate cross-town...
eBay Makes Changes to User Agreement
July 20, 2010, 10:21 ameBay announced today that it has made a couple of changes to the eBay user Agreement. These concern eBay Buyer Protection and the holding of seller funds.
eBay Senior Counsel Braden Dong highlights the changes:
- Provisions have been added regarding eBay Buyer Protection. If a seller changes his or her reimbursement method for eBay Buyer...
How Tumblr Opened My Eyes to the Social Web
July 20, 2010, 10:00 amMy pal Terry (VanHorne) dropped a post on WordStream that looks at using Tumblr as a channel, not just as part of some crappy link wheel. Who knew? If you've any experience using it, please do leave a comment... Enjoy.
Does Google show the right Sitelinks type for your website?
July 20, 2010, 9:36 amWhen Google displays Sitelinks below your website listing in the search results, it's very likely that your website will get more clicks and more visitors. This week's article explains how to check your Sitelinks and how to make sure that Google displays the right Sitelinks for your website.
YouTube Insight: Film critic reviews for your video now included!
July 20, 2010, 9:06 amWouldn’t it be nice if you could find out if people liked your video, or hated it so much that they left right after the first scene? YouTube can answer that.
Welcome to Insight. Insight is a free innovative tool available in your YouTube account that essentially transforms your videos into focus groups, giving you detailed statistics...
Google Readies Hong Kong-Based Q&A Site
July 20, 2010, 8:47 amAlthough many human rights and free speech advocates may not approve of the concessions the company's made, it looks like Google's attempt to stand up to the Chinese government is continuing. Google is supposed to launch a new Q&A service to compete with other products it will stop supporting.
Owen Fletcher reported this morning,...
Facebook Scores Low In User Satisfaction
July 20, 2010, 8:44 amWhile Facebook is the most popular website in America, users indicate they are not enthusiastic fans of the social network, according to the 2010 American Customer Satisfaction (ACSI) Index E-Business Report, released in partnership with ForeSee Results.
Facebook scored 64 on the ACSI's 100-point scale, which puts its satisfaction even lower...
Apple's Defensive Tactics Under Fire
July 20, 2010, 8:10 amMaybe Apple is experimenting with trying to keep online buzz alive around a product even if it is turning negative despite it being one of the most successful product launches in the esteemed company's history. It appears that rather than quieting the critics following last Friday's "Antennagate" show press conference, Steve Jobs' comments that...
Google Buzz Just Became a Great Deal More Useful
July 20, 2010, 8:05 amGoogle has introduced some new features to the Google Buzz API, which launched at Google I/O back in May. This includes the much-requested firehose, which makes available all public activities on Buzz as they are published, with one subscription.
Launch partners include OneRiot, Collecta, Gnip, Postrank Analytics, and Superfeedr's Track....
Google Wins Patent For Cursor-Driven Search Relevancy
July 20, 2010, 8:03 am Did that just feel weird to read? It is indeed the latest patent obtained by Google, a giant innovative step for search: now the Mountain View-based company will be able to serve more relevant search results based on your mouse pointer movements on the page.
Click to read the rest of this post...
5 Tips on Twitter Chats Plus 8 Marketing & PR Chats to Follow
July 20, 2010, 7:52 amThere are many tactics companies can implement as part of a smart Twitter Marketing strategy. Growing the initial following is important as is providing the budding community you're building with something of value to keep coming back and to spread the good word to their networks. One such tactic that offers value and brings people together is the...
Apple’s Defensive Tactics Under Fire
July 20, 2010, 7:42 am
Maybe Apple is experimenting with trying to keep online buzz alive around a product even if it is turning negative despite it being one of the most successful product launches in the esteemed company’s history. It appears that rather than quieting the critics following last Friday’s “Antennagate” show press conference,...
Google Building Search Turbo With Metaweb Buy
July 20, 2010, 7:42 amAs Microsoft's Bing and Yahoo forge ahead with their Search Alliance integration, Google is also readying to turbo charge its Search activities by purchasing Metaweb. Click to read the rest of this post...
Consumers Love Social Media Sites and Cable Companies About the Same
July 20, 2010, 7:18 amAre social media sites like Facebook and MySpace falling into the category of "We put up with their nonsense because there are precious few options"? A recent study conducted by Foresee Results indicates this may very well be the case as social media sites scored the lowest on its American Customer Satisfaction Index as reported by TechCrunch A...
Discover v201003: Migrating your Account Structure Reports
July 20, 2010, 6:54 amAccount structure report is one of the popular report formats in v13 of the AdWords API. This report allows you to download all the account attributes in a single report without performance details. A common use of account structure reports is to sync a local database against the AdWords server without using more expensive get() API calls. Despite...
Increase Conversion: The Key Principles of Making a Killer Landing Page
July 20, 2010, 6:19 amWelcome to the first installment of the ‘Increase Conversion‘ series. In the coming weeks we will bring you a host of different articles on how to increase your conversion rate throughout your marketing campaigns. This article will help to explain the key principles of improving conversion on your landing pages
Search Marketing Expenditures Drive up Global Ad Dollars
July 20, 2010, 5:25 am
With half the year behind us, ZenithOptimedia has revised their 2010 global ad forecasts from a 1.5% decrease to a 1.3% increase in North America. The change is due to a surprising increase in consumer spending and confidence despite rampant unemployment and most of the change is coming from the online sector.
Newspapers and...
TED Talks @ Cannes â" Two Online Now
July 20, 2010, 5:23 amYou may remember we hosted TED@Cannes last month, and Ive just been pinged by them to let me know a couple of the talks that were recorded there have been edited and are now online. Hans Rosling on population growth. The world's population will grow to 9 billion over the next 50 years - and only by raising the living standards of the poorest can...
Improving Conversions, CTR and Quality Score - An In Depth Review Of AdWords Ad Sitelinks
July 20, 2010, 4:49 amA new and overlooked way to increase conversion rates and CTR (and by proxy improve your AdWords quality score). Fantastic, in depth article on AdWords Ad Sitelinks, how to set them up as well as use cases. An amazing first post from the latest member of the Redfly team. Go Sinead!
Web Host Shuts Down 70,000 Blogs With No Notice
July 20, 2010, 1:12 am'Blogetery.com said its server had been "terminated without any notification or explanation."'
New Insights into Googlebot
July 20, 2010, 12:25 amPosted by rolfbroer This post was originally in YOUmoz , and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc. Google has found an intelligent way to arrange the results for a search query. But an interesting...
Blekko Cozy Up to Webmasters, Offers Killer SEO Data Free
July 20, 2010, 12:19 amBoth Yahoo! and Microsoft have confirmed that they will start testing the Bing algorithm live on some Yahoo! traffic this month. One of the big questions from the SEO perspective is what happens to Yahoo! Site Explorer ? If it goes away then webmasters will need to get link data from web indexes built by SEO companies, perhaps either Open Site...
Establish Your Website Goals
July 20, 2010, 12:07 amThe internet space is crowded, very crowded so it really takes a great deal of energy and marketing for any business to stand out online. Don't worry about what your competitors are doing or what someone else is trying to do on their website because their goals might be completely different from yours. Really focus on your ultimate business goal...
Redbox Goes eBox in a Bid to Battle Netflix
July 19, 2010, 9:22 pmRemember when Blockbuster was king of the video rental biz? It was a brilliant concept developing at a time when studios were charging $80 for a new movie on VHS. But as DVD took over from VHS and the price point on new movies began to drop, Blockbuster found itself slipping from the top spot and now has become the Betamax of home video...
Google Bombing of "Holy See" Upsets Vatican
July 19, 2010, 8:30 pmRemember the good old days of Google Bombing? Back when George W Bush's bio page at the White House was ranked #1 for "miserable failure"? Well, this is something we haven't seen for a while, and it is largely thought that this practice would no longer work, but as the Vatican reported to Google a few days ago, it still does. A search for "Holy...
That's Professor James Franco to You
July 19, 2010, 7:20 pmby Claudine Zap James Franco may have played a juvenile delinquent on " Freaks and Geeks ," but in real life, he's a doctoral candidate . You read that right: The actor now making appearances on " General Hospital " may soon require you to address him as Dr. James Franco, PhD â" after his soap opera run ends, 'natch. Franco's role on the soap...
Blueglass LA Session: Social Media Marketing
July 19, 2010, 6:34 pmModerator: Jordan Kasteler Speakers: Brent Csutoras Social Media Marketing Expert, BlueGlass Interactive Michael Brito , VP of Social Media at Edelman Digital Tony Adam , Sr. Manager, Online Marketing at MySpace Up first is Michael Using Social Media to Create Customer Advocacy How do I know when I'm loyal to a brand? I looked in my cabinets, my...
Using a 302 Redirect in Place of a 404 Error is a Bad Idea
July 19, 2010, 5:03 pmIf your site is currently treating unavailable pages (404 errors) like temporary redirects (302 redirects) you may not have any problems with the search engines but your site is losing out on some important advantages of a proper 404 error. The Way a 404 Normally Works This is how a 404 normally works on a website when a search engine, let's use...
What Can You Do with Atlas' End-To-End Campaign Management API?
July 19, 2010, 4:51 pmWith the release of the Atlas Creative Management API this June, Atlas will have a complete, end-to-end API suite for campaign and creative management. So what does that mean to you? The Atlas Creative Management API allows API users to create and update Atlas Ads and Creatives, as well as upload digital campaign assets into Atlas. With this...
ThinkEquity Bestows "Buy" Rating On Yahoo
July 19, 2010, 4:51 pmOne day ahead of Yahoo's second quarter earnings report, a financial firm has suggested that investors give the company their support - and their money. ThinkEquity upgraded its rating on Yahoo from "Hold" to "Buy." The imminent earnings call was the first reason for that move. ThinkEquity predicted that Yahoo will report $1.162 in net revenue,...
Adobe Soon to Enable Any Publisher to Easily Create Digital Magazines for Tablets
July 19, 2010, 4:34 pmContent publishers are excited about the iPad and other tablet devices. Such devices provide readers with a new way of interacting with content. Print publishers, in particular, are hopeful that this kind of publishing can make up for some of the losses they have experienced on the print side. As Adobe notes, WIRED launched its digital edition...
Baidu to Compete with Google in the Mobile OS Space Too?
July 19, 2010, 3:54 pmInformationWeek is reporting that Baidu may be looking at developing a mobile operating system, citing Chinese media reports. The project would be led by former Google employees. Meanwhile, TechCrunch says Android is poised to dominate in China . Nokia Siemens and Motorola jointly announced that Nokia Siemens will acquire the majority of...
Bloodhound SuperSonic Car Prepares for Take Off
July 19, 2010, 3:48 pmby Mike Krumboltz A team of British scientists and engineers has created a full-scale model for a car they intend to drive more than 1,000 mph . The model, aptly named the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC), was built by a team of aerodynamic experts, who took three years to build it. Recently shown off to the world at the Farnborough International...
Consumers Want Social Media, Businesses Say Not So Fast
July 19, 2010, 3:30 pm
Despite the fact that the average customer wants to interact via social media, 30 percent of companies don’t have a program in place to handle the demand. That’s according to a study by Yankee Group and it’s not really surprising. Many companies still see social media as a time-waster that keeps their employees from...
Yahoo-Bit.ly Acquisition Rumored Possible
July 19, 2010, 3:19 pmBit.ly, the URL shortener with a fish logo, might itself be snapped up in the not-too-distant future. A new report indicates that Yahoo and several other (unidentified) companies are in talks to acquire the company, although it's not time for business card shops to send out congratulatory notes/ads just yet. Om Malik began his article by writing,...
The Approval Rating of BP and Obama, By Way of Twitter
July 19, 2010, 3:19 pmThis week BP successfully recapped its ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. Test results are favorable and show that oil and gas are, for the time being, confined. This news inspires cautious optimism in the hearts of residents and spectators alike. Online, however, the social effect continues to flow across social networks and social graphs,...
Nokia Siemens to Acquire Motorola Wireless Network Infrastructure for $1.2 Billion
July 19, 2010, 3:01 pmNokia Siemens Networks and Motorola today announced that Nokia Siemens will acquire the majority of Motorola's wireless network infrastructure assets. Said assets come at the price of $1.2 billion in cash. "This is an exciting acquisition that I believe has significant benefits for customers, employees and our shareholders," said Nokia Siemens...
Zsa Zsa's Surgery, Ice Cream Celebration, Autobahn Block Party: What's the Buzz
July 19, 2010, 2:55 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. National Ice Cream Day (Searches increased by 1,475%). If you missed it (it's celebrated the third Sunday in July), don't worry: It's still National Ice Cream Month . Zsa Zsa Gabor biography (+780%). The 93-year-old actress successfully underwent hip surgery . Weekend box office...
Web N-Gram Now More Accessible
July 19, 2010, 2:49 pmToday the Microsoft Research team will be at SIGIR 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland discussing new updates to the Web N-gram service and participating in a number of other workshops as well as a Keynote. Where you can Find Microsoft at SIGIR: Keynote: Refactoring the Search Problem to Exploit Difference Between Clients and Servers Dr. Gary Flake,...
Guilt by Association: Do You Really Know Who You Are Linking To, Parts 1-12
July 19, 2010, 2:39 pmby Stoney deGeyter
Note: Recently I've gotten some ribbing from friends and colleagues about my exceedingly numerous multi-part posts. In order to wean myself off my favorite form of not-having-to-think-about-what-I'm-going-to-write-about-next, I've combined all 12 parts of this series into a single post. Enjoy! :)
Part 1: Guilty of Crimes...
Why Google Musn't Let the Government Peek Under its Hood
July 19, 2010, 2:26 pmCan you imagine the reaction Google's leadership had behind closed doors to the New York Times' editorial that suggested the company let the government take a peek under its hood? It really is a "when hell freezes over proposition." The venerable Times suggested , among other things, Google let the government check to see whether or not the search...
Blueglass LA Session: How to not FAIL at getting search traffic
July 19, 2010, 2:26 pmModerator Loren baker Speakers: Vanessa Fox , Founder, Nine by Blue Adam Audette , President, CEO AudetteMedia Two of my favorites in this session, Vanessa and Adam - let's see how this one goes! Up first is Vanessa When I think of search, it's not just this ranking aspect. It's about understanding your audience, and how to meet their needs....
70,000 Blogs Shut Down After FBI Finds Terrorist Materials
July 19, 2010, 2:03 pmSomething strange is going on. As CNET's Greg Sandoval reports, Blogetery.com and Ipbfree.com, blog/forum platforms that hosted massive amounts of user-generated content, have been shut down by unnamed law enforcement agencies for unnamed reasons. Blogetery is said to have hosted over 70,000 blogs.
It is unclear if the two terminations...
BusinessWire to Give Businesses More Ways to Increase Press Coverage
July 19, 2010, 1:51 pmBusinessWire , the popular newswire service, is set to launch some new services for businesses and organizations next month. These are the NewsHQ online newsroom and the InvestorHQ investor center. BusinessWire says these microsites were developed specifically to help corporate communicators and investor relations officers house and maintain...
Adap.tv Adds Dailymotion As A Partner
July 19, 2010, 1:51 pmOnline video advertising marketplace Adap.tv has added new publishers including Dailymotion, Redlasso, Blastro, Clipsyndicate, Mindjolt, Nabbr and Videojug. Adap.tv's onesource (ato) platform allows publishers to better optimize their online video inventory with video ad-trafficking, yield optimization and simple syndication management tools....
DMOZ Planned System Outage Notification, Round 2
July 19, 2010, 1:45 pmOver the next three days, we will be making additional upgrades to DMOZ. As with the previous planned outage, we will be taking some parts of the directory offline so that we can complete the work. While the directory content will stay on view throughout the process, all directory submissions will be disabled from Tuesday, July 20 - Thursday, July...
Blueglass LA Session: Marketing Metrics for your Business
July 19, 2010, 1:04 pmModerator: Chris Winfield Speakers: Dave McClure , Angel Investor Neil Patel , Co-Founder, Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics Alright - first session of the conference. The only question is whether Dave's gonna find my liveblogging so awesome that he offers to invest in my SEO audit company. Though my business plan is "as little client work and as much...
The One Stop Shop for Common Microsoft adCenter Help and Resources Links (Part I of II)
July 19, 2010, 12:47 pmAs we all know, Bing and Microsoft Advertising have hundreds of resources and help tutorials all over the internet to help you, the advertiser, learn more about our product offerings and how you can be successful online marketers. In an effort to help save you valuable time, I have provided a list of organized adCenter help and resource links to...
Redbox May Soon Look for its Slice of Netflix's Online Pie
July 19, 2010, 12:41 pmNetflix appears to be facing increasing competition from all sides. In addition to long-time rival BlockBuster, retailer-based rental services and Hulu's recently launched Hulu Plus paid service, Coinstar's Redbox is reportedly looking to launch an online strategy. Redbox is of course known for its kiosks featuring $1 DVD rentals. They can be...
Study: Virtual Goods Increase Brand Awareness, Purchase Intent
July 19, 2010, 12:06 pmA new report from Appssavvy claims that "virtual goods may be bringing the largest disruption entertainment, communication and e-commerce infrastructure companies have seen for a long time." The company's research found that leveraging social activity around virtual goods has been successful in building brand awareness, influencing positive...
Google Makes Google Search Appliance More Accessible with OpenSearch
July 19, 2010, 11:49 amGoogle announced today that it has integrated the Google Search Appliance with the OpenSearch protocol, which is a collection of formats for sharing search results. OpenSearch can be used to describe a search engine, so that it can be used by search client applications. "People should have the power to conduct searches from everywhere," says...
How To Create A Facebook Fan Page: Guide To The Best Strategies And Examples
July 19, 2010, 11:37 amDid you know that if you already have a personal profile Facebook page and want to create another one for your company you can't? Businesses on Facebook are supposed to have a Fan Page, not a Personal Page! Yeah, and it is official: go check out the Facebook terms of service, and read carefully what they say: if you do create a personal profile...
Video Viewing And Social Networking Continue To Grow
July 19, 2010, 11:22 amConsumers have been streaming more movies and TV shows than a year ago (12 percent and 5 percent more, respectively), according to new research from Interpret.
Netflix has significantly increased its share of the streaming video market, up 36 percent from the first quarter of 2009. Streaming continues to be the main way for viewing content...
What Creates Digital Ghettos?
July 19, 2010, 10:28 amOpen source software is awesome, and I am much richer for it existing. But the concepts that work in widely downloaded free software may not apply as well elsewhere. One of the best books on this topic is Jason Lanier's You are Not a Gadget , which in large part inspired this post. Openness is one of the most widely espoused important ideals upon...
Mastering Your Content Message: What's the Buzz?
July 19, 2010, 9:59 amHave you mastered your content message? "Sure I have!" you may exclaim. "I've defined my target market and have addressed their needs and pain points - what more can I do to perfect my perfect message?" Well, how about checking out the buzz around your product/service? In last Monday's post, I talked about checking out your competition . ...
SEO Spammers vs the White Hat Army!
July 19, 2010, 9:29 amSEO has garnered a reputation outside of the industry as being somewhat responsible for web spam. A quick search online will throw up all manner of forums and blogs slating the practice of search engine optimisation. I myself work in the industry and even I sympathise with the views of the anti-SEO contingency. But what is often overlooked by...
Social Media Inception
July 19, 2010, 9:29 amOver the weekend my wife and I ventured out to see the summer blockbuster, "Inception." We absolutely loved it. It's been getting great reviews and everyone's been talking about it. The question is, why? Just last week Old Spice took the Internet by storm. There wasn't a person I knew who hadn't watched one of their amazing videos (and some were...
Unnamed Government Agency Shuts Down 70,000 Blogs for Undisclosed Reason
July 19, 2010, 9:27 amSomething strange is going on. As CNET's Greg Sandoval reports, Blogetery.com and Ipbfree.com, blog/forum platforms that hosted massive amounts of user-generated content, have been shut down by unnamed law enforcement agencies for unnamed reasons. Blogetery is said to have hosted over 70,000 blogs.
It is unclear if the two terminations...
Study: Social Media Marketing Reduces Reputation Crisis Costs by 33%
July 19, 2010, 9:18 amThere are many ways to measure the ROI of social media marketing. One that Forrester recommends in its new report The ROI of Social Media Marketing is the "risk management perspective." Essentially, how does a social media marketing initiative help reduce the financial impact of a reputation management crisis? The costs of a social PR crisis can...
The Insider Guide to Creating An Audience of Raving Fans
July 19, 2010, 9:12 amThere's a scene in the animated series Futurama that cracks me up every time I think about it. The show's characters are at the horse track of the future, but there's controversy when a race ends very, very closely " so closely that the race officials need a powerful electron microscope to judge the "photo finish." The track loudspeaker eventually...
Apple Releasing iPad to 9 More Countries on Friday
July 19, 2010, 9:07 amApple announced today that the iPad will be available in nine new countries this Friday. These include: Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore. All models of the iPad will be available through Apple retail stores and through authorized resellers. Currently, the iPad is available in...
Netflix To Launch In Canada This Fall
July 19, 2010, 9:07 amNetflix said today it will expand into Canada this fall offering streamed movies and TV episodes to users there. The launch is the first for Netflix outside of the United States, but it will not include the company's DVD mailing service. Netflix says it's the first time it has offered a streaming-only service. Canadian Netflix members will be able...
State Media Targets Baidu Over Counterfeit Drug Ads
July 19, 2010, 9:06 amChinese search giant Baidu may be in trouble. China Central Television (CCTV) - which is state-owned and easily the country's largest broadcaster - has accused the company of allowing sites that deal in counterfeit drugs to buy ads. As explained by Reuters this morning, "CCTV reported on Sunday that Baidu and other search engines had profited...
How to Get 10,000% More Backlinks in Google, Without Doing Anything
July 19, 2010, 8:49 amThat's not a typo. You can actually get 10,000% more backlinks in Google, simply by doing nothing . That's the jittery reality of Google Caffeine, the new indexing system that Google rolled out in June. Billed as the "largest collection of web content we've offered," , Caffeine indexes the Web more deeply and frequently, providing better...
foursquare Follows Twitter's Footsteps with Search Engine Talks
July 19, 2010, 8:37 amWhen Twitter finally got to the point where it realized that there needed to be a next step (whether they felt ready or not they were told they were ready by everyone and their brother) they turned to deals with the search engines. It's a rite of passage for businesses t reach the level where they can even be thought of as a viable source of...
Foursquare Coming to a Search Engine Near You?
July 19, 2010, 8:31 amFoursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley says the company is in talks with "everyone" in the search space including Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, according to a report from the UK-based Telegraph . How any of the search engines would integrate Foursquare data is anybody's guess, but Crowley told the publication the company's data "generates hugely...
4 Huge Mistakes to Avoid When You Build Links
July 19, 2010, 8:25 amWhen you're buying links, you know that you're risking a site, that you're going against Google's guidelines (and let's face it, that's the engine we all want to conquer), and that you could end up with a serious mess on your hands if your site gets banned. Here are four big mistakes that you should avoid. 1. Not explaining the risks of paid links...
foursquare Follows Twitter’s Footsteps with Search Engine Talks
July 19, 2010, 8:22 am
When Twitter finally got to the point where it realized that there needed to be a next step (whether they felt ready or not they were told they were ready by everyone and their brother) they turned to deals with the search engines. It’s a rite of passage for businesses t reach the level where they can even be thought of as a...
SEO Ranking With Web Definitions
July 19, 2010, 7:55 am"Any tips on how to get your own site list in the "Web definitions for" list?"
How do I avoid the duplicate content penalty?
July 19, 2010, 6:23 amby Mike Moran I recently got this question and stared at it. Long and hard. There were so many things wrong with the question that I didn't know where to start. But since this is a blog post, don't fear. I've figured out where to start by now. I hope when you are at the end of the post that you know where to start, too. Duplicate content is a...
Search Alliance Starts Live Testing Microsoft Organic And Paid Search Results On Yahoo
July 19, 2010, 6:10 amAs Yahoo and Bing progress on the Search Alliance, Yahoo said it is live testing results of Microsoft organic and paid search on its platform this month. In its update, Yahoo also gave a few other prospective dates and steps. Read on.Click to read the rest of this post...
News Picks From The Weekend: Breaking Records At Facebook, Zynga And Foursquare
July 19, 2010, 6:00 amAn overview of some of the weekend's ad/tech news not to be missed: watch out for multiple records.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Selling on the Web
July 19, 2010, 3:15 am"Selling on the Web has brought challenges and more competition in ways not possible with the old-style, pre-Internet times. So, how do Manufacturers get their product to the consumer in an online world?"
Multi-Level Marketing BS
July 19, 2010, 3:08 amExcellent Penn & Teller program on multi-level marketing . BTW, NSFW. Those who are easily offended, shouldn't watch it. Any of it. Not one minute..... As Penn & Teller rightly point out.... Easy Money Is BS These multi-level marketing schemes aren't limited to home parties for sex toys, BBQ accessories, and household cleaners, of course. They are...
Link Building: It's a Popularity Game
July 19, 2010, 2:20 amThis infographic shows how the game of link building should be played...
Google Buys Search Entity Metaweb
July 19, 2010, 2:10 amGoogle has continued its recent acquisition spree by picking up Metaweb which will be used to enhance its search results. What's that you say? Google is buying another company to help it do search better? Now that's a company that is secure in its 'search-hood". The LA Times Technology blog tells more Metaweb provides an online database of "over...
Conversion Rate Lessons for Newspaper Paywalls
July 19, 2010, 1:13 amPosted by Tom_C Paywalls are a hot topic online at the moment. In the UK The Times has recently put their whole site behind a pay wall and in early 2011 the New York Times is set to also go behind a pay wall. Both of these sites are part of the News Corporation empire and join sites such as the Wall Street Journal which has been behind a paywall...
YouTube Marketing for Ecommerce
July 19, 2010, 12:10 amIt is no shock that YouTube could bring some nice quality traffic to any website when utilized properly. Some like to get in front of a shaky camera and talk, some like to launch viral marketing campaigns and some like to catch humorous footage at the office. The truth is that there is no right or wrong approach for the most part. Just getting...
Pandia Search Engine News Wrap-up July 18 2010
July 18, 2010, 8:49 amWe apologize for the lack of search engine news wrap-ups and newsletters for the previous weeks. The Pandia site is run by a wife and husband team on a part time basis, and we came to the conclusion that we needed a vacation. It seemed the world of search engines managed well without us, while we were walking in Scotland and the English Lowlands....
Android Market Sales Commence In Korea
July 18, 2010, 7:47 amSouth Korea has a reputation for being home to some of most ardent smartphone users in existence, and Android devices are supposed to be among the world's most advanced smartphones. It never made much sense, then, that Koreans were only allowed to access free Android apps, and Google's now (mostly) corrected the oversight. Tim Bray announced on...
Testing Relative or Absolute Links: Which are Better For SEO
July 18, 2010, 2:54 am"WebmasterWorld members review and test absolute and relative links to try and establish which works best from an SEO perspective."
Content Mission: Search Neutrality, The New York Times and Google
July 17, 2010, 11:51 pmI realize this Sunday section I have here on Marketing Pilgrim is supposed to be concentrating on the business of content but I needed to say something about an editorial from this past Wednesday's New York Times . Since editorials, no matter how ill conceived, are content I will stretch the boundaries of the definition today. The gist of it as...
The Real Impostors
July 17, 2010, 12:39 pmThere was a bit of an unanticipated dustup in response to Mona Elesseily's perfectly sensible column about "fake" PPC experts over at Search Engine Land last week. ( George Michie also nicely pointed out some useful advice he's really written lately.) Surprising that it was so controversial. We may come back to that issue, but it also reminded me...
Yahoo/Microsoft Search Alliance in Cartoon Form
July 17, 2010, 7:21 amMicrosoft and Yahoo have released a new video illustrating how the two companies intend to create a "powerful new choice in search" with their Search Alliance, due to begin making its way to customers before the end of the year. There is not much in the way of news about the alliance to come from the video, but it does put its goal into a simple,...
Cup of Joe: Sometimes You Should Be Yourself & Sometimes You Really Shouldn't!
July 17, 2010, 7:10 amLast night I let everyone on Twitter know what kind of underwear I wear. Don't worry I was only joking. But that's how I use social media. I try to be as authentic and myself as much as possible. But sometimes I have to ask myself, is that really the best game plan? We have all heard that the trick to social media is to be yourself. In doing so we...
Cup of Joe: Sometimes You Should Be Yourself & Sometimes You Really Shouldn’t!
July 17, 2010, 6:58 am
Last night I let everyone on Twitter know what kind of underwear I wear. Don’t worry I was only joking. But that’s how I use social media. I try to be as authentic and myself as much as possible. But sometimes I have to ask myself, is that really the best game plan?
We have all heard that the trick to social media is...
Google Acquires Metaweb For Better Answers To Search Queries
July 17, 2010, 2:50 am"We've acquired Metaweb because we believe working together we'll be able to provide better answers (to search queries),"
Google Quarterly Profits Up, $1.84bn, But Shares Decline
July 17, 2010, 12:34 am"Net profit for the three months to the end of June came in at $1.84bn (1.2bn), up by a quarter on the $1.48bn it recorded a year earlier."
Google News Changed, "in response to your feedback."
July 17, 2010, 12:31 am"...some of you wrote in to say you missed certain aspects of the previous design...
Bristol, Levi, Penelope, Javier, Carrie, and Mike: Buzz Week in Review
July 16, 2010, 8:04 pmby Mike Krumboltz Love is a many splendored thing. It's also a many searched-for thing. This week, several high-profile couples either announced their engagement or got married. Some shared their love with the world, posing for magazines, while others let the news hit well after they said "I do." Here's a recap of the search interest on celebs in...
Fear Doesn't Stop Social Media Users from Revealing their Location
July 16, 2010, 8:04 pmSusan is having coffee at Starbucks in Santa Monica. Mike is seeing a movie at Edwards Fashion Island. Cynthia is at Home feeling Left Out! Gelocation applications are taking hold of the social media world thanks to the proliferation of smart phones and wifi hot spots. Now it's not enough to Twitter what you had for lunch, you have to have an...
Fear Doesn’t Stop Social Media Users from Revealing their Location
July 16, 2010, 7:48 pm
Susan is having coffee at Starbucks in Santa Monica. Mike is seeing a movie at Edwards Fashion Island. Cynthia is at Home feeling Left Out!
Gelocation applications are taking hold of the social media world thanks to the proliferation of smart phones and wifi hot spots. Now it’s not enough to Twitter what you had for lunch,...
Yahoo! Answers: Streamlining Search
July 16, 2010, 6:20 pmComing off the heels of the largest-ever Q&A with David Beckham , Yahoo! Answers has even more exciting news. This week, the Yahoo! Answers team made a slew of improvements that streamline search to find the information you want on the world's most popular question-and-answer sit e. First up, we have three new sorting options near the top of the...
The Scarlett Ruth
July 16, 2010, 6:03 pmby Claudine Zap Ruth Madoff isn't talking. But her new hairstyle speaks volumes . She was spotted by ABC News at a Manhattan café sporting red locks instead of her customary blonde bob. Madoff is married to Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff , who was put away for 150 years for defrauding investors of billions of dollars. So she understandably keeps a...
Warrant Related to Controversial iPhone Leak Withdrawn
July 16, 2010, 4:25 pmRemember the whole Gizmodo-iPhone-leak controversy? Today, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation , the San Mateo County D.A. has withdrawn the warrant obtained to search the house of Gizmodo's Jason Chen. The Wall Street Journal reports that Gizmodo reached an agreement with the authorites to give the D.A. materials deemed "relevant to...
Local Merchants Utilizing Social Media More as Confidence Remains Flat
July 16, 2010, 3:33 pmThis week, MerchantCircle shared the results of its "Merchant Confidence Index," in which about 10,000 local merchants shared their confidence levels in the current economy. While confidence has remained generally flat, the index also found that many of these merchants are more prominently using social media as a free online marketing tool to...
Google Acquires Metaweb For Smarter Search Results
July 16, 2010, 3:16 pmTwo days ago, Marissa Mayer published an article in which she mentioned the wide range of meanings a simple search term like "jaguar" can have. Now, Google's taken a big step towards improving its grasp of language, with the company announcing this afternoon that it's acquired Metaweb. Let's address two points right now. First, Google did not...
Joaquin Phoenix Movie Controversy Scores Big Buzz
July 16, 2010, 3:04 pmby Claudine Zap It's been one wild ride for Joaquin Phoenix. The acclaimed Oscar-nominated star (" Walk the Line ") announced in 2008 his retirement from acting and the start of a hip-hop career. Now there's a film that follows his transformation. But is it real? Or a really good put-on? There is no denying that the ex-actor has been acting â"...
adCenter API Sandbox Environment Downtime: July 19-20
July 16, 2010, 2:24 pmThe adCenter API Sandbox environment will experience downtime from Monday, July 19 to Tuesday, July 20 to make updates for the adCenter Summer 2010 Upgrade and launch Sandbox in adCenter API Version 7. The adCenter API Sandbox environment will be unavailable, but the adCenter API Production environment will operate as normal, and ads will continue...
MapQuest Makes Improvements to Route Planner
July 16, 2010, 2:24 pmMapQuest announced that it has enhanced its Route Planner product with some new features. Route Planner is a tool that lets users plan trips that include up to 26 stops, giving the quickest route and most efficient order for those stops. "People are saving a lot of time and mileage using Route Planner so we figured why not track it? At the top of...
Baskin-Robbins Retires French Vanilla
July 16, 2010, 2:12 pmby Mike Krumboltz Baskin-Robbins is making a few changes. The ice cream retailer, famous for its 31 flavors, has announced that five of the flavors are going into what it calls "deep freeze." Think of it as the ice cream equivalent of forced retirement. The five flavors on the cusp of retirement include Campfire S'mores, Apple Pie a La Mode,...
Data Inaccuracies in Indexed Pages Lists
July 16, 2010, 1:54 pmA client recently asked if there was a way to identify which pages in their site were not being indexed. Google, Bing and Yahoo all have very different systems and getting a definitive answer from any of them is next to impossible. Anyone that has done research on indexed pages in the past 10 years know that the three engines don’t agree...
YouTube Users Already Part of Google's Rumored "Google Me" Social Network?
July 16, 2010, 1:02 pmOver a year ago, Google announced that it would start requiring all people signing up for YouTube usernames to have a Google account. Now they're going to start requiring all users of YouTube that signed up prior to that to connect their accounts to Google accounts as well.
Are you already part of Google's new social network? Share your thouhts...
Apple Talks iPhone 4 at Press Conference
July 16, 2010, 12:30 pmApple kicked off today's press conference by playing a YouTube video of the iPhone antenna song, which can be seen below:
Steve Jobs acknowledged that Apple isn't perfect and that phones aren't either, but he says the company wants to make users happy.
Jobs says...
Google News Offers Olive Branch With Two-column View
July 16, 2010, 12:00 pmAfter two straight weeks of fielding complaints about the revamped Google News , the search engine has finally bowed to the whiners consumers who use it. Google June 30 offered its biggest refresh for Google News ever, adding more personalization features that let users promote or demote content and publications they liked or disliked. The problem...
How Can You Learn Marketing From The Grateful Dead?
July 16, 2010, 11:43 amSometimes we learn best about doing things in new and innovative ways by understanding them in terms of something we already know. Stories provide useful context and perspective and thats exactly what David Meerman Scott has done with his latest book thats just been announced: Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can...
MySpace Rolling Out New Profile Pages
July 16, 2010, 11:43 amMySpace is gradually introducing users to new profile pages in an effort to reduce the clutter of the old design. Sean Percival, MySpace's vice president of online marketing, tweeted his own "clean new" profile today. "We're testing a new look and feel of our site among users and the response so far has been positive," a MySpace representative...
Q2'10 spam & virus trends from Postini
July 16, 2010, 11:35 amEditor's note: The spam data cited in this post is drawn from the network of Google email security and archiving services, powered by Postini, which processes more than 3 billion email messages per day in the course of providing email security to more than 50,000 businesses and 18 million business users. Spam and virus volumes this year have...
Top Public Figures That Influence Purchases
July 16, 2010, 11:23 amTop 10 People Who Influence What Americans Buy As the effects of the global recession linger, consumers are changing the way they shop, becoming more budget-conscious, eco-aware and cause-oriented, while paying greater attention to what, why and from who they are buying. Arnold Worldwide has named the top ten public figures, across entertainment,...
Oakland PD Using Flickr Photos To Identify Looters
July 16, 2010, 11:23 amI saw an article on the the San Francisco Chronicle web site today entitled Oakland Police Looking for Looting Suspects. The article reports on the Oakland Police Departments latest efforts to prosecute looters who participated in last weeks Johannes Merserle protest that turned violent with rioting and looting taking place after dark. Oakland...
Google Continues Adding Options for Google News
July 16, 2010, 11:06 amAt the end of June, Google made some big changes to the Google News home page . In fact, Google called these changes the biggest redesign of Google News since its beta launch in 2002. Since this redesign, Google has been making some adjustments as people have shared their feelings about it. "Some of you told us that you really liked it, especially...
Old Spice Man Viral Marketing Campaign Impresses
July 16, 2010, 10:49 amMaybe you should watch it for yourself: And heres the backstory: Fresh off his appearance during a tv spot during the Superbowl, former ASU 1996 Rose Bowl wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa, reprised his role as the manly Old Spice Man and has caused a coup in social media circles. In an industry thats been increasingly filled with social media experts...
Take Your Online Business to New Heights with the Display Network - Part 2
July 16, 2010, 10:23 amby Mike Fleming
So, you've come to realize that there's a whole Display Network out there through Google AdWords that, if utilized correctly, will take your online business to new heights. But, you've also realized that's a big "if utilized correctly." You may have been burned by the Display Network before (formerly called the Content...
Barnes & Noble Looks to Build Digital Libraries, Gives Classic Books Away
July 16, 2010, 10:04 amBarnes & Noble is encouraging customers to build their own personal digital libraries with a promotion called Barnes & Noble Classics.
Customers will get a free weekly slate of "high-quality, special edition classic eBooks" to read on the company's Nook eBook Readers, the iPad, PC and other devices using BN eReader software,...
Movie Trailer For 'The Social Network' Releases
July 16, 2010, 10:00 amJustin Timberlake posted a trailer to the new Facebook movie (The Social Network) on his blog in which he plays Napster’s founder Sean Parker. In the "Social Network" Parker gives advice to the young entrepreneur, Mark Zuckerberg - played by Jesse Eisenberg. The release movie is set for October 1, 2010.
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MySpace Redesigns Profile Pages
July 16, 2010, 9:56 amMySpace has long been criticized for poor design and as part of a turnaround effort, the struggling social networker has finally done something about it. The new profiles are not available throughout the site, but Sean Percival, MySpace’s VP of Online Marketing, tweeted about his own "clean new" profile early on...
MySpace Acquires Threadbox Assets, Team
July 16, 2010, 9:22 amMySpace's messaging interface may soon take a turn for the better - and/or the Facebook-like. Late yesterday, MySpace acknowledged that it's acquiring the assets and team of Threadbox, which deals in real-time social messaging and takes some amount of pride in comparisons to Facebook. A short statement on the Threadbox homepage tells what the...
Yahoo And Gannett In Local Advertising Deal
July 16, 2010, 9:22 amYahoo and Gannett have entered into a local advertising partnership under which all of Gannett's 81 newspaper sites and seven of its broadcast sites will sell Yahoo advertising. The partnership expands Yahoo's Newspaper Consortium which includes more than 800 newspapers and has sold more than 40,000 local ad campaigns. "Local advertising continues...
NYT Suggests Government Regulation of Search Results, Google and Others Question This
July 16, 2010, 9:10 amThere's a very interesting discussion going on about whether or not the government should regulate search results. This begun earlier this week, when the New York Times ran an editorial titled, "The Google Algorithm", which suggests one way "to ensure the editorial policy guiding Google's tweaks is solely intended to improve the...
Google Q2 Results Not Good Enough?
July 16, 2010, 9:06 amGoogle's second-quarter earnings figures were good, with a 24% year-over-year increase, and yet still not good enough as they came below market expectations. This is why the forecasts we gave you earlier this week were mixed.
Click to read the rest of this post...
35 SEO & Social Media Expert Interviews
July 16, 2010, 9:05 amThree of the most trusted SEO and social media experts, Rhea Drysdale, Tamar Weinberg and Lee Odden. Photo by toprankonlinemarketing . Interviews are often overlooked pieces of distilled wisdom. They aren't very popular on social media but they definitely should be! In interviews experts often provide the most valuable nuggets of their knowledge...
Yahoo: We're Switching to Bing Next Month'or Maybe Next Year
July 16, 2010, 8:53 amYahoo has emailed advertisers to let them know that they should expect a full transition to Bing's search results as early as August' 'or maybe 2011. That's a heck of a window! I mean, August is just around the corner and the busy holiday season is starts in just a few months. Either you're ready to make the transition or you are not. Why have...
2 Ways to DISlike Things on Facebook (FireFox and Google Chrome)
July 16, 2010, 8:47 amEver since Facebook has introduced its "Like" functionality, many people have been wondering why there is no way to "DISlike" things there. I am not that kind of a person that likes to "thumb-down" stuff when sharing at social media sites. When I don't like things, I just ignore them. But still I was curious to see how the community powers social...
Yahoo: We’re Switching to Bing Next Month…or Maybe Next Year
July 16, 2010, 8:43 am
Yahoo has emailed advertisers to let them know that they should expect a full transition to Bing’s search results as early as August…
…or maybe 2011.
That’s a heck of a window!
I mean, August is just around the corner and the busy holiday season is starts in just a few months. Either you’re ready to...
Is Google Getting Sloppy?
July 16, 2010, 8:36 amI have a question for you. Do you think Google is getting sloppy? By that, I mean, does it seem like Google is pushing new products and updates out the door without first conducting in-depth testing and customer feedback? Exhibit A: Google Buzz. Turns out, it was pushed live without the normal rigorous testing 'and Google paid the price. Exhibit...
Mozilla Launches Firefox Home for iPhone, iPod Touch
July 16, 2010, 8:30 amMozilla has launched Firefox Home for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This is a free application that works with Firefox Sync. "Firefox Home provides access to your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and open tabs on your iPhone," explains Mozilla's Stuart Parmenter. "Get up and go and have exactly what you are looking for on the Web on your iPhone or...
Is Your Online Marketing Agency a Dud? 23 Signals of Credibility
July 16, 2010, 8:23 amHiring outside expertise to grow thought leadership, sales and market share is essential for companies that do not have the internal resources to do so. At TopRank Online Marketing, we have conversations with companies every day that have deep expertise in their fields, but when it comes to online marketing, they've realized the need for outside...
Chinese Social Media Users: Can We Be Frands?
July 16, 2010, 8:00 amDespite the government's alleged attempts to control Internet usage in China, social media continues to flourish in the country and that's good news for anyone with a product to sell. According to the new "OgilvyOne Connected" report, 1 in 4 social media users in China is an "initiator," a member of the "cool group" who is capable of swaying...
iPhone 4 Song for the "Big Day"
July 16, 2010, 7:20 amAs I wrote yesterday about all of this iPhone 4 mania and ultimately how 'over the top' it is, I realized I was just like many others. Words, words and more words. Well, since I can't carry a tune I'll let someone else put this whole ridiculous thing to music (Hat tip to TechCrunch). Here is a song from Jonathan Mann's Rock Cookie Bottom .
Google's Q2 Success Still Not Enough for Investors?
July 16, 2010, 7:03 amIt seems that every time we report on Google's quarterly performance it's about disappointment in the investment community over numbers that most companies would kill for even in good times. It's an interesting exercise that never ceases to amaze. Google, who offers no guidance to the investment community, had a good second quarter as net revenue...
iPhone 4 Song for the “Big Day”
July 16, 2010, 7:02 am
As I wrote yesterday about all of this iPhone 4 mania and ultimately how ‘over the top’ it is, I realized I was just like many others. Words, words and more words. Well, since I can’t carry a tune I’ll let someone else put this whole ridiculous thing to music (Hat tip to TechCrunch).
Here is a song from...
"Blogging, the Google Way" with Google's Karen Wickre
July 16, 2010, 7:00 amKaren Wickre, Google's senior manager of corporation communications, will be one of the speakers at the ClickZ BlogworkZ forum on August 16 at Connected Marketing Week.Click to read the rest of this post...
Video: Marketing Lessons From the Greatful Dead
July 16, 2010, 6:39 amSometimes we learn best about doing things in new and innovative ways by understanding them in terms of something we already know. Stories provide useful context and perspective and that's exactly what David Meerman Scott has done with his latest book that's just been announced: " Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can...
Google’s Q2 Success Still Not Enough for Investors?
July 16, 2010, 6:34 am
It seems that every time we report on Google’s quarterly performance it’s about disappointment in the investment community over numbers that most companies would kill for even in good times. It’s an interesting exercise that never ceases to amaze.
Google, who offers no guidance to the investment community, had a good second...
Brands and the World Cup: who were the real winners and losers?
July 16, 2010, 6:01 amSpain has emerged as world champions and the excitement is over for another four years. 32 teams battled it out in South Africa for World Cup glory, but the game wasn’t just being played on the pitch; brands went head-to-head in a fiercely contested online marketing battle.
Are We Over-Engineering the Link Graph?
July 16, 2010, 3:08 amGreat breakdown by Nicola Stott. Yes, anchor text is important, but we are also over emphasizing the importance.
Being Realistic With SEO Is Step 1
July 16, 2010, 12:23 amI come across some crazy things sometimes in this industry and I wonder how and why sometimes people feel they deserve to be successful online after one month when other businesses have spent years putting in hard work to build up their brands in the online space. If you are getting involved in the internet marketing space you really need to be...
Google News Changes to Reflect Your Feedback
July 16, 2010, 12:22 amChris Beckmann, the Product Manager for Google News, posted "Google News changes reflect your feedback" on the Google News Blog. And it appears that the folks at the Googleplex have been watching and listening to your comments.Click to read the rest of this post...
Whiteboard Friday - The Biggest SEO Mistakes SEOmoz Has Ever Made
July 16, 2010, 12:17 amPosted by Danny Dover This week's Whiteboard Friday features the return of Rand (woo hoo!) and his self declared biggest SEO mistakes. We screw up a lot here at SEOmoz (hell, they hired me), so we feel it is only appropriate to take this opportunity to share what we have learned in an effort to prevent you from making similar mistakes. SEO is...
Twitter Beautifies Follower Notification Email
July 15, 2010, 7:09 pmWith absolutely no fanfare at all, Twitter has thrown the switch on an updated Follower notification email that tells you everything you wanted to know about a person and more. The old notification email greeted you warmly then announced that NAME HERE is now following your tweets on Twitter. After that was a snapshot of their current followers,...
'Inception' Movie Music: Dreamy or a Nightmare?
July 15, 2010, 6:52 pmby Claudine Zap While the new movie " Inception ," which stars Leonardo DiCaprio , is about a stealer of dreams, one blog is calling the soundtrack a nightmare. The movie music's serious offense? The foghorn sound that you hear â" a lot â" if you listen to the background music of the trailer. The Atlantic Monthly actually presents the...
Office.com SEO: search engine-friendly URLs
July 15, 2010, 6:34 pmEditor's note: In our continuous effort to make this blog as compelling as possible to our large and diverse audience, we are expanding the scope of the Bing Webmaster Center blog. Starting with this post, we will host occasional posts from "guest bloggers" from within Microsoft who work on search or use search-related technologies in their daily...
The most World Cup-crazy countries
July 15, 2010, 6:29 pmLast weekend, Spain won the 2010 World Cup. For the month leading up to the final, Googlers joined the world in cheering for their favorite teams. Around our campus, games were watched on computer screens and on cafe video screens. Code went unwritten. Emails went unanswered. Throughout the world, real life also slowed during World Cup matches....
comScore Launches Video Metrix 2.0 to Measure Evolving Online Video Landscape
July 15, 2010, 5:53 pmThis afternoon, comScore announced the introduction of Video Metrix 2.0, the next generation of comScore's online video measurement service. The new service offers several enhancements - including reporting of online video ad impressions - designed to better align with the today's evolving online video landscape.Click to read the rest of this...
'Inception': Movie Review Roundup
July 15, 2010, 5:26 pmby Claudine Zap A summer blockbuster where thinking is involved? Yes, " Inception ," has lots of action and chase scenes. But the sci-fi thriller that stars Leonardo DiCaprio also has an intricate plot, a large part of which takes place in the sleeping minds of its characters. Needless to say, the movie's mazelike story left critics confused â"...
Google's Q2 Earnings Disappoint Shareholders
July 15, 2010, 4:40 pmGoogle neither blew estimates out of the water nor bombed with its second quarter financial report this afternoon. Shareholders seem to be focusing on the targets the company missed, however, sending the stock down sharply in after-hours trading. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. Google reported earnings per share of $6.45, even...
YouTube And Yahoo Top Video Sites In June
July 15, 2010, 4:40 pmMore than 177 million U.S. Internet users watched video content in June, according to the latest report from comScore. Google sites, driven by video viewing on YouTube, ranked as the top video content property with 144.5 million unique viewers, followed by Yahoo sites (44.9 million viewers) and Vevo (43.7 million viewers). Google sites had the...
A Mystery Over China
July 15, 2010, 3:59 pmby Mike Krumboltz On July 7, something unusual happened near the Xiaoshan Airport in Hangzhou, China. An oddly shaped bright light appeared, forcing the airport to close down and delay 18 flights. Things are now back to normal, but people are wondering, what was that "thing"? An ABC News article on the mysterious sighting explains that some who...
New Video from the Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance: what does it mean for you?
July 15, 2010, 3:49 pmThe team's put together a video illustrating how the upcoming unified marketplace will help you reach your Yahoo! Search and Bing customers through one platform â" Microsoft adCenter. Take a look! For more information, check out the Search Alliance website , and stay tuned here on the blog for news and updates.
Google Working With Wikipedia to Translate "Smaller Languages"
July 15, 2010, 3:37 pmGoogle July 14 said it is working with Wikipedia contributors, translators and Wikipedians (I assume these are users) across India, the Middle East and Africa to translate more than 16 million words for Wikipedia into Arabic, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Swahili, Tamil and Telugu. While Wikipedia has the so-called "common languages" English, German...
Chrome Team Names Favorite Extensions
July 15, 2010, 3:13 pmAnyone who's still at a loss as to why they should try Chrome - or is using it, but feels a little adrift - may want to look at a new list Google's put into circulation. The Chrome team has identified 19 apps that can make the browser much more useful.
Here's the list of apps in the order Google named them: Opinion Cloud, Google Voice,...
Apple To Address iPhone 4 Problems Friday
July 15, 2010, 3:13 pmApple is holding a press conference tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific Time to address the issues surrounding the iPhone 4 and it antenna problem.
Many users of the iPhone 4 have reported weak reception when it's held a certain way, leading to it being called the "iPhone 4 death grip."
Earlier this week Consumer Reports said it could not...
comScore Launches Video Metrix 2.0 to Measure Evolving Web Video Landscape
July 15, 2010, 3:02 pmcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced the introduction of Video Metrix 2.0, the next generation of comScore's industry leading online video measurement service. The new service offers several enhancements â" including reporting of online video ad impressions â" designed to better align with...
Viva World Cup! Viva Yahoo!
July 15, 2010, 2:39 pmYahoo! topped the FIFA World Cup online league Goal! The comScore numbers prove what Paul the Octopus could have predicted" Yahoo! Sports World Cup was the US leader in FIFA World Cup coverage for three consecutive weeks. The combination of great coverage, exclusive contributions from David Beckham , bloggers , Yahoo! Fantasy World Cup , special...
The Weather Channel Launches Redesigned Website
July 15, 2010, 2:21 pmThe Weather Channel said today it has launched a redesign of its website, weather.com aimed at offering users a more localized and customized experience. "The weather.com redesign is all about consumers and creating a site that addresses how they want to view the weather," said Monisha Longacre, vice president of product strategy and development...
Millennial Media Finds iOS Outpaced Android In June
July 15, 2010, 2:21 pmFor quite some time, Android has been gaining on Apple's mobile operating system, looking more and more like it would become a favorite among advertisers. Millennial Media has determined that Android's growth slowed a bit in June, however, while Apple saw some impressive increases. According to Millennial Media's latest Mobile Mix report, "Apple...
Foursquare â" A Marketing Channel Not A Campaign
July 15, 2010, 2:16 pmIt was interesting to see this question (below) asked as a comment to a recent article on Foursquare that I was reading. "I need to know my ROI on implementing another piece of social media? (referring to Foursquare as "another piece of social media." There are several things about it that I would like to rip apart, but the kinder, more gentle,...
Google Apps Goes To India
July 15, 2010, 1:24 pmA country that's known for its fast-developing tech industry - and for its enormous population - should soon have improved access to Google Apps. Google and Tata Communications announced a deal today that involves both Google Apps and India (for starters). A Tata Communications representative explained in an email to WebProNews,
Our 2010 EMEA CS4HS Awardees
July 15, 2010, 12:55 pmWe recently told you about CS4HS , our workshop program for high school and middle school computer science teachers in the U.S. We now have some additional news to share: our 2010 EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) CS4HS awardees have been selected! The CS4HS program provides funding to European, Middle Eastern and African universities...
Video: The Future of Advertising is Here - Kostas Mallios - Digital Showcase NYC
July 15, 2010, 12:38 pmKostas Mallios, GM of Corporate R&D at Microsoft, speaking at our Digital Showcase event in New York last month. He talks about the experience on Windows Phone 7 , demos Pivot from Microsoft Live Labs , and gives the assembled advertisers and agencies his opinion of the future of advertising. Check out Joshua Green's presentation on Viruses Make...
It's not about how smart you are'
July 15, 2010, 12:32 pm. ..Or how many products you have in stock' 'Or how many folks you have on your team' 'Or that you were the first to market. Prospects just don't care. But here's what they do care about, "What's in it for them?" And the way you tell your prospects, "What's in it for them" is crucial to making the sale.
Cloud Music Service Coming To iTunes?
July 15, 2010, 11:57 amMore than a quarter of Apple iTunes users have a strong interest in a free cloud-based music option, and many would be willing to pay a subscription fee to access their own music libraries on multiple devices, according to a new report by The NPD Group. NPD's "iTunes Usage Report" asked consumers to report on their reactions to a music service...
Dissing Darth Vader
July 15, 2010, 11:52 amby Mike Krumboltz Darth Vader is such a powerful icon, it's not surprising that it took three actors to portray the character in the original " Star Wars " trilogy. James Earl Jones did the voices. Sebastian Shaw 's face was used in the closeups during the end of " Return of the Jedi ." And David Prowse was the guy walking tall in the black suit...
Silverfish Handcatch!! So Ends The Greatest Viral Ever
July 15, 2010, 11:40 amAs I write this, Sam is busy delivering meme training for the company. For those interested in memes, social media and viral videos there really are no words to describe how immensely, insanely amazing the old spice campaign has been. This video sums up the whole thing:
Silverfish Handcatch!
To make this post useful in some way – why not...
International Search Summit Goes Stateside: Seattle Here We Come
July 15, 2010, 11:35 amThe International Search Summit will be heading to Seattle, Washington in October, for the first Summit to take place outside of Europe. The Seattle Summit will follow the same format as its European counterparts and provide delegates with a day packed full with international specialists speaking on a range of SEO, PPC and Social Media topics.
Want More Link Juice? Here’s an Easy Way to Get It
July 15, 2010, 11:00 amGreat post focusing on the internal link juice that is so often overlooked. A process is provided and examples of great pages to obtain internal links are mentioned.
Hulu Plus Makes It To PS3
July 15, 2010, 10:31 amAlthough a fair number of people have hooked computers up to televisions, and a few folks might be willing to stare at their monitors for hours on end, a new development should help Hulu reach a much larger crowd. Hulu's now available through the PS3. A couple of quick notes regarding the current state of things: only PS3 Plus subscribers are...
BBC.com Launches New U.S. Website
July 15, 2010, 10:31 amThe BBC said today it is launching new U.S. edition website along with a redesign with advertising partner HP. "Building on the incredible journalism already available on BBC.com you're going to see more analysis, more insight and more perspective that connects the dots on events and issues that affect us all in the U.S.," said Miranda Cresswell,...
PPC Advertising Copy: 7 Heavenly Virtues
July 15, 2010, 9:57 amIn the landing page optimization world, only a small elite reach peak performance. Those are the multitalented practitioners who have the good fortune of being fueled with data from a decade's worth of testing, and who excel above the pack at sussing out the patterns that matter. From there, they relentlessly follow that logic in every test....
Tweet With Your FACE: Why Big Brands Need Social Brand Ambassadors
July 15, 2010, 9:39 amThis is something Zappos has done for years that really needs to catch on more than it has, because: The rewards for corporations are huge, and Tthe competition is too risk-averse to do it. And avoiding all risks is not the way to run a winning company. But first let me tell you what I'm talking about and what I'm NOT talking about. You still...
You Keep Using That Keyword. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means
July 15, 2010, 9:35 amby Stoney deGeyter
Keyword research is a funny thing. You can gain a lot of knowledge about what words people use when searching on the engines, but it tells very little about what a person wants when they search using a particular keyword or phrase. The intent behind the search is the missing component, and I don't know of any keyword tools...
PayPal's Boss on Meet The Boss TV today
July 15, 2010, 9:22 amHi everyone â" Anuj Nayar from the PayPal communications team, here. I wanted to let you know about a recent interview in which PayPal president Scott Thompson sat down with Jonathan Spragg, host of Meet The Boss TV . In a broad ranging interview they discussed everything from what it's like to manage all the innovation in PayPal today to...
Microsoft adCenter Home Page Dashboard: Instant Insight Into Your Campaigns
July 15, 2010, 9:22 amThe new adCenter Home page dashboard has been released as part of the adCenter Summer 2010 Upgrade . The dashboard provides a quick snapshot of your online campaigns, and it resides right on the Home page. As soon as you login to adCenter, you will get instant insight about all your campaigns across the entire account in a matter of seconds. The...
Netflix Gets More Streaming Content From Warner
July 15, 2010, 9:22 amWarner Brothers and Netflix said today they are expanding their existing streaming content agreement that will add a number of TV shows to the Netflix catalog. Under the agreement, Netflix has acquired the streaming rights to all 100 episodes of "Nip/Tuck," "Veronica Mars," "Pushing Daisies" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." "Netflix...
Omnicom Makes Big Commitment To Google Display Ads
July 15, 2010, 9:05 amGoogle's display ad business is about to explode (in a positive way), according to a new report. Omnicom Media Group has supposedly committed to spending hundreds of millions of dollars on Google's display ads over just the next couple of years. To provide a little background info: Omnicom Media Group is the media services division of Omnicom...
How to Know When Your Site Needs Social Media Before SEO
July 15, 2010, 8:24 amby Jennifer Laycock
Every now and then Search Engine Guide's Associate Editor Stoney deGeyter finds himself on the phone with a potential client trying to talk them into putting their conversation on hold and giving me a call. Why? Because they're in a position where they need to focus on both social media and search engine optimization to...
Cosmetic Surgeon Sues Online Critics to Save Face(lifts)
July 15, 2010, 8:01 amThe next time you leave a scathing review of a business, you may want to make sure you are giving opinions and not stating falsehoods as facts. The former should see your speech protected. The latter could bring on the wrath of litigious cosmetic surgeon, determined to sue your butt for millions of dollars! That's the case in California, where a...
News Picks: Starbucks Big On Facebook, EarlyBird & Disney, Facebook Ownership Lawsuit
July 15, 2010, 8:00 amAn overview of some of today's ad/tech news not to be missed.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Could Relying on Traditional Link Checkers Damage SERPs?
July 15, 2010, 7:59 am"The solution isn't simple, it will take time to build, but "deep external link checking" must be done to fully identify bad external links."(-subscription required)
7 Deadly Blog Writing Sins
July 15, 2010, 7:55 amThis is a guest post by Frank Lee. These days, many people have started a blog for hobby or business. The trouble is, with so much competition out there, your blog really has to stand out from the crowd. In fact, not only does your blog need to stand out from the average ones that are popping up every day, but you also need to compete with...
The Best of iPhone 4â²s Rumors and Reality
July 15, 2010, 7:27 amWith all of the iPhone mania raising antennae all around the tech journalism world it's almost so deafening that one is tempted to try to duct tape the press. Wait, that wouldn't be right because Consumer Reports has made duct tape cool and journalists are not cool (but bloggers are, right?). Anyway, we wanted to help you with all the rumors that...
Next Up: Google Search Algorithm Under Government Scruitiny
July 15, 2010, 7:23 am"Still, the potential impact of Google's algorithm on the Internet economy is such that it is worth exploring ways to ensure that the editorial policy guiding Google's tweaks is solely intended to improve the quality of the results and not to help Google's other businesses."
The Best of iPhone 4′s Rumors and Reality
July 15, 2010, 7:13 am
With all of the iPhone mania raising antennae all around the tech journalism world it’s almost so deafening that one is tempted to try to duct tape the press. Wait, that wouldn’t be right because Consumer Reports has made duct tape cool and journalists are not cool (but bloggers are, right?).
Anyway, we wanted to help you with...
Starbucks Takes the Prize for Top Brand on Facebook
July 15, 2010, 6:52 amWhat do Family Guy, Lady Gaga and President Obama have in common? They're three of just a handful of Facebook fan pages with more fans than Starbucks. The coffee giant has just crossed the 10 million mark making them the most popular brand on Facebook, beating out Coca-Cola by several million. What's the secret to their success? Media Post News...
Yellow Pages To Clock In 39% Of Revenues From Digital Offerings By 2014 [BIA/Kelsey]
July 15, 2010, 6:39 amYellow Pages is set to benefit from the global growth of digital offerings and will derive 39% of its revenues from "video, SEM/SEO, mobile, social and reputation management" by 2014, according to a study by research firm BIA/Kelsey.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Software will be Unpatentable in New Zealand
July 15, 2010, 4:19 am"Despite what appears to be a big-budget lobbying effort by the pro-patent fraternity, Hon Simon Power announced today that he wouldn't be modifying the proposed Patents Bill hence software will be unpatentable once the Bill passes into law." - New Zealand Computer Society
Bing Japan Launch Fireworks
July 15, 2010, 12:56 amYou may have noticed that Bings Tuesday homepage was a tribute to a celebration in Japan. We were celebrating as Bing Japan removed its beta tag, launched a new product feature and became a contender in the Japanese search market. There were many new features to show the crowd but to showcase our focus on entertainment ; we hit the city with...
Google Lands Omnicom As Display Ad Partner
July 15, 2010, 12:27 amGoogle continues to expand its efforts to get away from being a revenue one-trick pony. A recent result of these efforts is the announced partnership with Omnicom who will be using Google's ad exchange to purchase display ads for their clients. With Apple having some reception issues ( nothing a roll of duct tape can't fix though ) and suffering...
SEO Strategy Tips â" Get it Right!
July 15, 2010, 12:15 amWhat does SEO mean to you or your business? To some it means simply putting together a series of inbound links that look like a science project and to others it looks like an online marketing business building plan aimed to actually brand and generate revenue, I think I would take the second approach. The right SEO strategy is not complicated but...
PayPal and MOL Team Up To Offer Prepaid Card in Malaysia for Online Shopping and Gaming
July 15, 2010, 12:04 amHi all. Melanie Tan here, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, PayPal Asia Pacific. We know that many people across the region don't have a credit card or are uncomfortable using it online, and thus are missing out on all the benefits of using PayPal for faster and safer online shopping. That's why I'm excited to tell you that...
Internet Social Networks: Our World View Is Narrowing
July 14, 2010, 11:44 pm"We think we're getting a broad view of the world, because it's possible that our television, newspapers and internet could be giving us a vastly wider picture than was available for our parents or grandparents."
Recall Rumors of the iPhone Rock the Web
July 14, 2010, 6:57 pmby Claudine Zap As soon as the iPhone 4 was introduced, a storm of complaints followed. And now there's the dreaded "recall" talk. But there seems to be a disconnect between Apple and users of the snazzy gadget. Some iPhone owners have noticed problems with reception. Apple first said it was all talk. Then the company blamed the problem on a...
Facebook Marketing: Ultimate Guide
July 14, 2010, 5:37 pmPosted by timsoulo This post was originally in YOUmoz , and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc. Howdy Seomoz fans! It is an overused practice to start from some "shocking" stats and dissertate on...
eBay Launches Social Media Seller Initiative
July 14, 2010, 4:57 pmeBay sellers who use Twitter and Facebook on a regular basis might soon receive a bit of recognition for their efforts. Something called the eBay Ink Social Media Seller program has launched, and while it's still very much in the early stages, it's not looking like a terrible idea. Richard Brewer-Hay explained this afternoon on the eBay Ink blog,
Only 4 Days Until BlueGlass LA!
July 14, 2010, 3:59 pmI can't believe it but BlueGlass LA is in 4 days. If you're waiting to buy your tickets to BlueGlass LA , don't wait longer, seats are filling up and BlueGlass LA is going to be incredible! The speaker lineup for BlueGlass LA reads like a list of top quality Keynotes,
View the Latest adCenter API Webcast Recording on Demand: July 2010
July 14, 2010, 3:54 pmLast week, Johann Garcia, adCenter API Product Planner, hosted a live webcast to review the latest API release . Watch the recording here: https://www112.livemeeting.com/cc/microsoft/view?id=8KW823 . (Also check out the API V7 Sneak Peek webcast recording from April.) Heres a recap of what Johann covered. API version 7.0 was released in late June,...
The Hobbit Rumors Heat Up
July 14, 2010, 3:47 pmby Mike Krumboltz Calling all Hobbits! Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson , the man who brought the " Lord of the Rings " trilogy to life, is reportedly meeting with actors who he may cast in "The Hobbit," another epic based on a novel by "LOTR" scribe J.R.R. Tolkien. It's worth noting that " The Hobbit " hasn't been given the official...
Google Promotes AdSense In Your City Program
July 14, 2010, 3:09 pmAdSense publishers who live near Boston, Chicago, or New York - or can travel to one of those cities on short notice this summer - should consider filling out an application and maybe packing a bag. Google's looking for people to participate in what it calls the AdSense in Your City program.
A key note before we get much further: if you...
The @Earlybird Gets the Sponsored Twitter Ad
July 14, 2010, 2:23 pm
In an effort to turn Twitter’s captive audience into dollars, Twitter has launched @earlybird, a new account that give followers exclusive deals from a variety of sponsors. Up first is Disney Pictures and a Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal on tickets to “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
The account has only been live for a week and...
Chupacabra Sighting Times Two
July 14, 2010, 2:17 pmby Mike Krumboltz A barn in Hood County, Texas, has become ground zero in the hunt for the chupacabra . Earlier this week, animal control officer Frank Hackett shot and killed what was unquestionably one of the ugliest creatures to ever walk the planet. That much we know. What's less clear is whether or not the departed creature was the elusive...
Google is for Pandas, Facebook is for Lobsters
July 14, 2010, 2:17 pmIn the spirit of such wonderfully polarizing opposites such as " Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus a social software programmer has come up with a cute analogy of the different users Google and Facebook (or other social Websites such as Twitter) appeal to. Adam Rifkin, co-founder of social app site Renkoo, said Google, with its search and...
Google Keyword Targeting Tool Launches Globally
July 14, 2010, 2:05 pmGoogle said today it is launching its broad match modifier tool for AdWords globally after a successful beta test in the UK and Canada. "The broad match modifier is a new AdWords targeting feature that lets you create keywords which have greater reach than phrase match and more control than broad match," writes Dan Friedman, on the Inside AdWords...
SEO content marketing roundup, week ending July 14th
July 14, 2010, 1:48 pmToday is the second of Wednesday's blog post series featuring the latest and greatest of SEO copywriting & content marketing news and links! Today's word: the SEO content marketing landscape offers up divergent opinions and healthy debate about quality content and linking strategy! So let's get to it while it's still fresh off the press! The...
Al Pacino's Ad, U.S. Mint Poker Chips, "Covert Affairs" Debut: What's the Buzz
July 14, 2010, 1:25 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Al Pacino (Searches increased by 1,499%).The veteran actor is starring in his first commercial ever, for coffee . Sunscreen (+1,360%). The cancer death-ray block only works if you put it on right . United States Mint (+315%). Hey high rollers: Why mess around with plastic poker chips...
Twitter's @earlybird Starts Offering Deals
July 14, 2010, 12:57 pmLast week, Twitter announced its new @earlybird account , designed to provide followers with exclusive deals from the comapny's advertising partners and other businesses. Now, the account is in full swing, as it has tweeted its first deal. The deal comes from The Walt Disney Studios, and allows followers in the U.S. to get a special deal on...
Google Changes Ad Policy in Response to France Case
July 14, 2010, 12:15 pmAmong several other policy updates related to permissible advertising categories and claims, Google has quietly updated its policy to allow "radar detection databases and software," specifically in France and Poland.
Ad Sitelinks now available for any campaign
July 14, 2010, 12:04 pmBack in November we launched Ad Sitelinks to help you get even better results from your top performing ads. Since then, we've seen advertisers experience huge gains with Ad Sitelinks, boosting their clickthrough rates on average by more than 30%. Today, we're introducing a new one-line format that allows you to get the benefits of Ad Sitelinks for...
SEM Advanced Series: Budget Optimization â" Divide Across Month
July 14, 2010, 11:58 amThis is the 2nd post in the SEM Advanced Series , a continuation of the SEM Intermediate Series and SEM Beginner Series . These posts are intended for search engine marketing professionals looking for guidance in monitoring and adjusting the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine the success of a PPC campaign. Today well deep dive...
Study: Just 2% Of Marketers Disregard Facebook
July 14, 2010, 11:25 amIt's a very rare marketer who believes he (or she) can ignore Facebook, according to new data from SeeWhy. SeeWhy found in a recent study that more than three-quarters of marketers have in fact already incorporated or decided to incorporate the social network into their strategy.
Specifically, Charles Nicholls, the founder of SeeWhy, said...
Storing and Displaying Chinese Characters in MySQL/PHP
July 14, 2010, 11:14 am"How to display Chinese characters stored in MySQL/PHP database."
Jewel Goes Undercover
July 14, 2010, 11:13 amby Mike Krumboltz We haven't heard much from singer Jewel lately. Or maybe she's just been in disguise. The incredibly popular folk singer and part-time yodeler went undercover at a Los Angeles karaoke bar to sing some of her best-known songs to a confused and delighted audience. With a crew in tow from Funny Or Die , the singer played the part of...
U.S. Remains Top Spamming Country
July 14, 2010, 11:05 amThe United States continues to be the top country for spam, accounting for 15.2 percent of all global spam, an increase from 13.1 percent in the first quarter of 2010, according to a new report by Sophos.
India trails the U.S., accounting for 7.7 percent of worldwide spam, followed by Brazil (5.5%), the UK (4.6%) and South Korea (4.2%).
...
Symantec Reports the Most Spammed States in the U.S.
July 14, 2010, 11:03 amSymantec has released its annual MessageLabs Intelligence Special Report, ranking the most spammed U.S. states and territories.
According to the report, Idaho receives the most spam (for the second year in a row), at a rate of 95.2%. The top spammed states are Idaho, Alabama, and South Carolina, with spam rates above 93%. The national average is...
Google Apps Users Get New Mobile Security Options
July 14, 2010, 10:56 amGoogle has announced some new mobile device management options for Google Apps administrators. The options will be available to all Google Apps Premier and Education customers starting this week.
Google Arranges To Scan Over 160,000 More Books
July 14, 2010, 10:20 amThe digital collection of public domain works Google Books maintains is in store for yet another major boost. Google's struck a deal with the National Library of the Netherlands that will see the search giant gain access to more than 160,000 additional books. This should bring Google a fair step closer to achieving its goal of organizing the...
How to Find Thousands More Prospects for Your Business
July 14, 2010, 10:08 amEver wonder why conversion rates are so low? A "good" sales page will usually convert between 1 and 5 percent of its readers. Those numbers vary wildly depending on about a zillion factors, but that's the middle of the bell curve. So that means between 95 and 99 percent of people reject what you've got to offer. Seems a little depressing when you...
Are YouTube Users Part of Google's Rumored "Google Me" Social Network by Default?
July 14, 2010, 10:02 amOver a year ago, Google announced that it would start requiring all people signing up for YouTube usernames to have a Google account. Now they're going to start requiring all users of YouTube that signed up prior to that to connect their accounts to Google accounts as well. Here are the reasons Google gives for connecting YouTube accounts to...
Google Announces Partnerships with Ford and General Motors
July 14, 2010, 9:28 amGoogle announced that it has extended its Google Maps Send-to-Car service to Ford and GM vehicles. This applies to Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the US that are enabled with Ford SYNC, as well as OnStar equipped GM vehicles, which include models from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn. Users of the...
Facebook and SEO - should you care?
July 14, 2010, 9:21 amI had been getting a bit leary of all the hype around 'FaceBook Search - the Google killer' and decided to take a closer look at what's going on there. While there are some interesting bits with the OpenGraph stuff (I am a meta data geek tho) I don't really think it is something to worry about - what do YOU make of it all?
Bing Crafts DonorsChoose Search Incentive
July 14, 2010, 9:11 amMicrosoft may have found a way to convince many more parents, grandparents, and teachers to use its search engine. Starting today, individuals who make Bing their default search provider will get the chance to donate $3 of Microsoft's money to a school-related project of their choice. The process, which is possible thanks to a partnership with...
Opera Mini 5.1 Comes to Android
July 14, 2010, 9:11 amOpera announced today that Opera Mini 5.1 is now available for Android devices. The company claims this is the most popular browser for mobile phones, and places an emphasis on its speed. "Opera Mini is a favorite not just on feature phones, but also on smartphones, scoring an impressive 1 million downloads on the iPhone during the first 24 hours...
Facebook Details Mobile Strategy
July 14, 2010, 9:11 amFacebook has plans to expand its mobile strategy and become a platform for developers to distribute apps, according to Erick Tseng, Facebook head of mobile products. "Where we're going from here is a platform strategy. We're going away from a one-off app strategy, said Tseng, at VentureBeat's MobileBeat conference. Part of its mobile platform...
The Power of the P.S: Do's and Don'ts
July 14, 2010, 9:11 amThe P.S. It's one of the most powerful copywriting tools in your arsenal and yet very few people know how to use it effectively and to its full potential. Here are a few ways to make sure your P.S. doesn't read like an afterthought. DO: Restate the Benefits as a Summary This is particularly useful if you have a LONG sales letter, or a very...
Paid Search Seeing Upward Movement
July 14, 2010, 9:05 amWe all want things to get better for business in general. Even with Internet marketing not suffering the same decimation that most advertising sectors did during our recent and ongoing economic slide, there was significant impact. If nothing else the economy cooled the fast growing industry and made it look more, gulp, real. There may be reason to...
Magic Artist (for the iPhone)
July 14, 2010, 9:05 amWe created an iPhone app called " Magic Artist ". What it does is paint a picture based on a snapshot you take (or a photo from your phone's album). You can see brush stroke by brush stroke being painted. Hope you like it, feedback welcome. If you don't have an iPhone, post your photo in the comments and I will run it through the app for you and...
What's Your Digital Dream?
July 14, 2010, 9:00 amOur tag line at Microsoft Advertising is "You Dream It. We Deliver It." The premise is, that with advertising going more digital, some aspects of marketing are now a software problem. So how can Microsoft's technology, strong background and experience in marketing our own products, coupled with our huge audiences around the world, help the...
Twitter Gives Users Visibility in Search Results
July 14, 2010, 8:54 amTwitter is now showing "name results" for people in search results. The feature appears to still be in the process of rolling out, as not everyone is seeing the results, but I'd imagine that those who are not will soon. The feature was first spotted by MG Siegler , and has attracted the attention of others throughout the Blogosphere. Some suggest...
How to Compare Google Webmaster Tools Data with Google Analytics Data (Excel)
July 14, 2010, 8:53 amWe have that handy "Search Queries" link in Google Webmaster Tools that is supposed to show for which keywords our website does well on Google. Besides, the tools shows "Average position" for each keyword. The option has been widely discussed - and more often than not it arouses some kind of a doubt: people seem to see few words that actually...
SEO Tops Digital Marketing Tactics for 2011
July 14, 2010, 8:42 amHere we are just past the halfway mark in 2010 and we've tapped into the stream of future marketing planning with our readers for 2011 with a poll. Our question? What 3 online marketing channels & tactics will you emphasize in 2011? The number one answer? Not social media, not email marketing.
Top Tips for Multilingual Marketing and SEO
July 14, 2010, 8:30 amIf you want your web marketing efforts to be as successful as possible in overseas markets, you need to think about properly localising your websites for the regions you are targeting. There are several issues to consider, including translation, country-specific domains and hosting, geolocation and SEO. Overcoming the language barrier Probably the...
The Top 10 Free PPC Tools
July 14, 2010, 8:30 amLet's face it, not everyone has access or resources to employ the premium search engine marketing tools such as Hitwise and Omniture. However, the same type of results can be achieved using tools available to anyone at no cost. Working in an agency and with multiple campaigns, I actually find myself using the free tools more often than the premium...
Facebook Ads'Instantly
July 14, 2010, 8:13 amBy Renée Revetta Facebook recently enabled a feature that instantly suggests a dynamically created Facebook ad based on a provided URL. I tested it out to uncover how Facebook set up this feature. As with most things, there are some pros and cons to the dynamic ad creation approach. Facebook creates the ad by searching the HTML of the provided...
Facebook Ads…Instantly
July 14, 2010, 8:05 am
By Renée Revetta
Facebook recently enabled a feature that instantly suggests a dynamically created Facebook ad based on a provided URL. I tested it out to uncover how Facebook set up this feature. As with most things, there are some pros and cons to the dynamic ad creation approach.
Facebook creates the ad by searching the HTML...
HootSuite Update Gets You Down with the In Crowd
July 14, 2010, 7:35 am
Twitter dashboard HootSuite added a new layer of functionality this week that emphasizes the influencers in your social media crowd and further lays the ground work toward becoming a pay service.
Like high school, social media users fall into cliques and everyone wants to hang with the popular kids because they’re the ones...
Google Fiber for Communities Site Debuts
July 14, 2010, 7:21 amAmidst the very arid and nearly barren news landscape for the Internet marketing industry (unless you consider pure speculation and duct taping your iPhone news) is Google's announcement of a new website. It seems very innocuous but when you think about what Google is facing these days maybe there is more to this. The site, Google Fiber for...
Cross Training Workouts for Connected Marketing Week
July 14, 2010, 6:32 amOn Monday, I recommended that you wear your cross training shoes to Connected Marketing Week, which will be held from August 16 to 20, 2010. Today, I'll give you some recommendations for your cross training workouts at The Moscone Center in San Francisco.Click to read the rest of this post...
FaceBook Gift Shop To Shut Down
July 14, 2010, 6:26 am"Facebook Gifts, the virtual shop born out of a 2007 "hackathon" by FB staffers, will close on August 1, even as the social networking giant looks for other ways to make money."
Bing UK Sponsors Leuka Mini Masters Golf Tournament in London
July 14, 2010, 6:24 amOn Friday, well be joining Dougray Scott and his celebrity friends for a round or two of golf in Chiswick, London. Bing will be sponsoring the Leuka Mini Masters event which looks set to be a day of thrills, spills and (hopefully) the odd hole-in-one, all in the name of charity. Leuka is a Leukaemia charity based in Hammersmith Hospital that:...
Follow Team HTC-Columbia on Google Maps
July 14, 2010, 6:07 amAs a former professional cyclist, nothing beats the thrill of being in the peloton and racing towards the finish line. Although I've traded in my cycling career for life as a Googler, I'm still a fan and enjoy watching my former teammates and friends battle in races like the Tour de France , which started on Saturday. While the cyclists were...
News Picks: Google Fiber, Picasa & Picnik, Outlook & Facebook
July 14, 2010, 3:49 amAn overview of some of today's ad/tech news.
Click to read the rest of this post...
Covario Still Sees 2010 Tech Ad Spend Rising 14%-18% As Q2 Figs Show Double-Digit Growth
July 14, 2010, 3:40 amCovario, the provider of interactive marketing analytics, said it still sees global search ad spending by high-tech and consumer electronics firms growing 14% to 18% in 2010. Paid search advertising among those companies rose 16.5% in the second quarter from the first quarter and jumped 35% from the same period a year ago, it said.
Click to read...
Google Tops U.S. June Searches Again With 65% Market Share [Nielsen]
July 14, 2010, 3:32 amGoogle is once more number one search engine in the U.S. for the month of June with a market share of 65%, research firm Nielsen said in a report. Click to read the rest of this post...
Google Referral String Failing For Links Opened In New Window
July 14, 2010, 3:16 am"Right now the team is expecting to have a fix out in the next week or so."
You choose, Bing gives!
July 14, 2010, 2:23 amEvery day students use Bing to learn and explore, so we have a vested interest in seeing them succeed. Whether that is through providing new tools for teachers and students, sponsoring programs like 10,000 Rockets or through our various partnerships. Recently we have had the opportunity to partner with DonorsChoose.
Don't Let SEO Frustrate You
July 14, 2010, 1:09 amI understand that for some of you this might be easier said than done but it is important to realize that SEO is often times a long term goal and it is important to pace yourself and be realistic with the goals of your website. There can be many reasons why things take a great deal of time to work for each website and it is important to understand...
1&1 Web Hosting Product Review
July 14, 2010, 12:13 amWeb hosting is a very important step when you are trying to get yourself or your business out online for everyone to see. If you pick the wrong web hosting company you could find yourself banging your head against a wall eventually. Your website could make its way onto a spammy server or the customer support might just not be there to help you...
An Inside Look at Competitors Backlinks with Open Site Explorer
July 13, 2010, 11:56 pmPosted by fabioricotta This post was originally in YOUmoz , and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc. Hi SEOmoz folks, Sometimes we begin a new SEO consulting job and do not to know where to start our...
5 XML Sitemap Disasters
July 13, 2010, 11:45 pmAn XML sitemap is like a road map to every page of your site that search engine spiders can access and crawl without having to drill down through several levels of navigation. There are multiple XML Site Map generators out there such as Google sitemap generator , xml-sitemaps.com and xmlsitemap.com . As with many generators,
Microsoft Patents "Cybersquatter Patrol" a Hunter-Killer App for Discovering Squatted Brand Domains
July 13, 2010, 9:51 pm"Today it was revealed that Microsoft created and patented technology to help companies hunt for squatted typos of their brand name."
George Steinbrenner's Death Spurs Searches
July 13, 2010, 8:02 pmby Claudine Zap You know the owner of the Yankees is really dead when the owners of the Mets say nice things about him. As soon as the news broke of George Steinbrenner 's death, fans of the man hit the Web. Searches were out of the park for " george steinbrenner ," " steinbrenner dead ," and " george steinbrenner net worth ." It's true that even...
June Search Engine Rankings Show Google Losing Share a Bit
July 13, 2010, 8:01 pmComscore's latest search engine rankings report covering the month of June is showing that Google lost around 1.1% market share. This is almost equal to the combined search market share earnings of Yahoo and Microsoft Bing. But no cause of alarm for Google though, since comScore was quick to point out that the increase in Bing and Yahoo's market...
He Did Survive
July 13, 2010, 6:03 pmby Mike Krumboltz The Holocaust is one of humanity's darkest hours. It's impossible to imagine what it was like in Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi concentration camp. Instead, we'll point you toward this video of an elderly man, who survived his years in Auschwitz. With some help from his young relatives, the man dances to (wait for it) "I Will...
Some Guy Says He Owns the Majority of Facebook
July 13, 2010, 4:31 pmFacebook has found itself the subject of a lawsuit from a guy named Paul Ceglia who claims to own an 84% stake in the company. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2009, New York's Attorney General accused him of defrauding customers of his wood-pellet fuel company. Of course this is not the first time Facebook has defended itself from claims...
Google Fiber For Communities Site Launches
July 13, 2010, 4:31 pmSometime this year, Google's supposed to name several communities in which it'll install high-speed broadband networks, and for the sake of not getting anyone's hopes up, we'll say right here that "sometime" is not now. But a site called Google Fiber for Communities did launch today so that everyone can stay informed and push for further...
Google's Brand Debacle Backfires
July 13, 2010, 4:20 pmAs Google reached the limits of returns in direct marketing they started pushing the value of branding (because, hey, if you can chalk it up to latent branding value there is no cap on your max bid). Surprisingly, they even got many big brands to buy their own brands AND buy sitelinks on the AdWords ads. Some went so far as providing case studies...
6 Ways to Learn SEO
July 13, 2010, 4:08 pmPosted by randfish One of the most common questions we receive here at SEOmoz is "What's the best way to learn SEO?" There are many ways to answer, but in this post, I'm going to cover the responses I give most often and those I've seen have the most success. But, before I describe each of these, it pays to understand that not all learning...
comScore Releases June 2010 U.S. Search Engine Rankings
July 13, 2010, 3:57 pmcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly comScore qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace. In June 2010, Americans conducted 16.4 billion core searches, up 3 percent vs. May.
Do You Need Help Sifting Through All the News?
July 13, 2010, 3:56 pmMany news consumers are increasingly relying on human-edited news aggregation and content curation to sift through their news and establish trust. While not all mainstream media sources are thrilled about the concept, it's just how it is, and there is no doubt that plenty of people from that world are relying on these things themselves to one...
Google Says Interactivity & Creativity Are the Keys to Increasing Online Ad Success
July 13, 2010, 3:19 pm
Google Chief Exec Eric Schmidt and his fellow media moguls talked to the Wall Street Journal last week about their plans to get creative with online advertising. After fifteen years as a part of the Internet landscape, the banner ad simply isn’t as effective as it used to be and though online ad spending is up again, it’s not...
Google, LVMH Cheer Trademark Infringement Ruling
July 13, 2010, 3:11 pmAnyone who had hoped the French Supreme Court would be able settle the dispute between Google and LVMH over keywords, advertising, and trademark infringement is in for an unpleasant surprise. The French Supreme Court did in fact rule on the case today, but now both sides are celebrating.
A little background info: the clash centers on...
Bing Sweepstakes: Winners Will Be Chosen on July 19th... Enter Today!
July 13, 2010, 3:05 pmIf you didn't see our first announcement or the tweets via the @adCenter or @MSAdvertising feeds, this is just a quick reminder that time is running out to enter the Bing Sweepstakes (choose your location to enter: US | UK ). Winners will be chosen.
Google Eyes Mouse Movement as Possible Search Relevancy Signal
July 13, 2010, 2:59 pmGoogle was granted an interesting patent today. The title is "System and method for modulating search relevancy using pointer activity monitoring". Here is how the abstract for the patent describes it:
A method and system of modulating search result relevancy use various types of user browsing activities. In particular, a client...
Apple Holds the Key to AdMob's iPhone Success
July 13, 2010, 2:48 pmDespite Apple passing a death sentence to rival mobile advertising firms, the company has yet to enforce the iPhone advertising ruling handed down in June. According to CNET , that's something that Omar Hamoui, founder and CEO of Google's AdMob division, is very grateful for' "They haven't been enforcing (the new regulations) yet. We're very...
Google Integrates Picnik with Picasa Web Albums
July 13, 2010, 2:42 pmToday, Google started integrating some features from Picnik ( acquired earlier this year ) into Picasa Web Albums. The features allow users to edit photos. Picasa Web Albums users using English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and...
Introducing our Google Fiber for Communities website
July 13, 2010, 2:42 pmIn February we announced our plans to build experimental, ultra-high speed broadband networks. Over the past several months, our team's been hard at work reviewing the nearly 1,100 community responses to our request for informationâ"not to mention the nearly 200,000 responses from individuals across the U.S. Throughout this process, one message...
Apple Holds the Key to AdMob’s iPhone Success
July 13, 2010, 2:39 pm
Despite Apple passing a death sentence to rival mobile advertising firms, the company has yet to enforce the iPhone advertising ruling handed down in June.
According to CNET, that’s something that Omar Hamoui, founder and CEO of Google’s AdMob division, is very grateful for…
“They haven’t been...
Twitter Users Are More Social And Politically Active
July 13, 2010, 2:25 pmAmericans who use Twitter are more likely than the average adult to be highly active on the Internet and in their communities, according to new survey by Gfk MRI. The survey found people who use Twitter are highly active when it comes to blogging, video sharing and posting reviews. They are 506% more likely than the average U.S. adult to write a...
Conduit: We're Doing for Web Apps What iPhone Did for Mobile Apps
July 13, 2010, 2:08 pmMobile apps have captured much press and imagination this week, as Google has unveiled its App Inventor project , but Conduit is reminding everyone that web apps are big business. The company has announced that its network has grown to over 250,000 app publishers & 170 million users, with adoption of apps by end-users increasing 233% between last...
Jon Bon Jovi's Injury, Hugh Hefner's Bid for All of Playboy, Bottled Water Ban in SF: What's the Buzz
July 13, 2010, 1:39 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Hugh Hefner (Searches increased by 15,182%). The Hef wants the Playboy empire all to himself . Bottled water (+2,822%). The city of San Francisco has proposed banning the bottled form of the beverage at city events . Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 (+2,221%). Check out what the name of the...
eBay Talks Upcoming Updates for Sellers
July 13, 2010, 1:16 pmeBay announced its upcoming seller updates for the fall. eBay's Dinesh Lathi says the updates will help sellers take advantage of increased holiday traffic, maximize sales, and streamline their operations. "As promised, were continuing to consolidate changes that impact your selling into two or three releases per year with lead time to adapt," he...
Where Blackle Comes Black, Uneven Google Comes Crooked
July 13, 2010, 12:59 pmThere's not a whole lot of interest going on ahead of Google's second-quarter earnings, which I will preview later. But the Website " Uneven Google " is the latest in a string of user interfaces that rattle the Google search engine cage: Here is what the query results look like: Yes, in answer to your question; the search results are the same as...
Interview With SEO Copywriting Certification Grad: Art Remnet
July 13, 2010, 12:52 pmGreeti ngs All! This Tuesday's SEO Copywriting Certification Grad profile features Art Rement , an accomplished SEO Copywriter a nd Principal at The Strategic Marketing Group , and Owner of MySitePDQ (I'd actually assumed that 'PDQ' was a complex application or something web-techie'but actually, it is a very simple acronym for "pretty...
YouTube To Provide Upcoming Video Producers With $5 Million
July 13, 2010, 12:41 pmThink you've got a video idea cooler than OK Go , but don't have the cash to produce it? If you've already had some success on the online channel, help may be on the way. YouTube has announced a plan to give out $5 million in grants to worth video creators.
Papa Bear Vs. Mama Grizzly
July 13, 2010, 12:13 pmby Claudine Zap Sarah Palin is a force to be reckoned with: This last quarter, her SarahPAC raised more money than any other Republican aside from Mitt Romney - $865,800. And she's spreading it around to Republican candidates she endorses across the country - $87,500, to be exact. This puts her in serious presidential candidate territory for 2012....
News Picks: Twitter's SocialAds Network; Skype vs Fring; Microsoft Tablets To Rival iPad
July 13, 2010, 11:59 amAn overview of some of today's ad/tech newsClick to read the rest of this post...
Microsoft Achieves Facebook-Outlook Integration
July 13, 2010, 11:50 amChecking one's email and signing into a social network are similar acts, allowing a person to catch up with friends and colleagues. Microsoft's latest move seems both smart and natural, then, as the company's given Outlook users the option to integrate their Facebook and Windows Live experiences. This opportunity is possible due to the Outlook...
What Is Viral Marketing: Key Principles And Strategies
July 13, 2010, 11:50 amWhat is viral marketing? What are the characteristics of an effective viral marketing campaign? What does it take to produce content that flies on the wings of spontaneous word-of-mouth promotion? In this MasterNewMedia guide on viral marketing you can learn and understand the basic principles, foundations and strategies at the heart of effective...
Reddit Taking Donations for Reddit Gold (and Gettting Them)
July 13, 2010, 11:12 amUpdate: Reddit is already calling the effort a triumph and says, "We're getting a much-needed cash infusion."
Original Article: Reddit has announced Reddit Gold - a paid version of its service. It costs what you are willing to pay for it. As Reddit describes, "It's a way of supporting reddit, boosting our bottom line and...
Google Apps adds more admin controls for mobile devices
July 13, 2010, 11:09 amEarlier this year we announced support for mobile device security policies in Google Apps to help administrators manage iPhone, Nokia, and Windows Mobile devices from the Google Apps control panels. These policies let employees access information from their phones while helping administrators keep corporate data more secure. Today, we are...
More Consumers Using Facebook And Twitter For Brand Engagement
July 13, 2010, 11:07 amNearly 40 percent of consumers visit Facebook and Twitter to supplement the news, information or deals they receive via email marketing, according to a new study by ExactTarget.
"Consumers don't silo their engagement with brands to a single channel, instead they tend to 'layer' marketing channels on top of one another to meet their...
How to Know When Your Site Needs SEO Before Social Media
July 13, 2010, 11:01 amby Jennifer Laycock
Every now and then I find myself on the phone with a potential client trying to talk them into putting our conversation on hold and giving my Search Engine Guide's Associate Editor Stoney deGeyter a call. Why? Because they're in a position where they need to focus on both search engine optimization and social media to...
New Google Release Could Change Everything. Will it?
July 13, 2010, 10:57 amThis week, Google released a new Google Labs project - App Inventor for Android. The product is designed to let anybody (as in non-developers) create Android Apps. This could go one of several ways. It could fade away into the graveyard of Google Labs projects that never became full-fledged products, it could get a handful of users, or it could...
How the Web Buyer is Changing the Way You Market
July 13, 2010, 10:06 amIn his book "Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing," acclaimed marketer Drayton Bird highlights not only how direct marketing is still relevant, but how it can adapt to the buyer even more. While this blog post focuses more on the web part and goes beyond direct marketing, the points are still valid. What is the purpose of direct marketing?...
comScore Selects Imperium's RelevantID for Enhanced Respondent Validation as Part of Ongoing Survey Respondent Quality Initiative
July 13, 2010, 10:06 amcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced that it has selected Imperium's RelevantID® to provide survey participant duplicate respondent screening. This third party digital fingerprinting tool will provide an additional layer of survey panelist verification in order to prevent the same panelist from...
Weekly Search & Social News: 07/13/2010
July 13, 2010, 9:53 amHey there' hows things? Did you know it's time for another edition of ' 7 Days of Search and Social ' ? Of course you did. Waiting with baited breath I am sure. The week that was did have a fair amount of goodiness, specifically there was a TON of stuff on link building (was it link building week and I didn't get the memo?). That being said, the...
RT @E_Schmidt The Hilarious Story of How We Built Froogle 2.0
July 13, 2010, 9:36 amAre you trading in commodities? Is your store indistinguishable from your competitors' store, for all intents and purposes? It's time to figure out your unique value proposition, because Google's gunning for you. Meanwhile, Eric Schmidt' laughing his head off as we sit idly by and watch. Watch what? Watch Google amassing positions at the start of...
How to tell Google that your website is not about toads
July 13, 2010, 9:36 amYou know what you sell and you know the topic of your website. Are you sure that Google puts your website in the right category? If your website is about shoes, Google still might think that it is about frogs and toads. How can you tell Google that your website is not about toads?
Evaluating the Lifetime Value of the Link
July 13, 2010, 9:19 amUnfortunately, links fall off the link graph. Google loves freshness, and as such, it is in their best interest to eventually stop indexing pages and shifting a page that still exists from one that does pass value, to one that doesn't. As SEOs and webmasters, people who desire to have links that will continuously pass value to our pages, it's in...
Time is on Your Side, Using Day Parts Reporting in Google Analytics to Increase Your AdWords ROI
July 13, 2010, 9:19 amIn June, Google Analytics released a new version of AdWords reporting for all accounts. The much-improved update makes it easier to analyze your AdWords campaigns by providing new reports, as well as new ways to dimension your reports . Prior to the update, you had to run these reports from within AdWords or custom build your own reporting to...
Microsoft IIS SEO Toolkit: SEO tips and tricks
July 13, 2010, 9:11 am
I recently went through the not inconsiderable pain of installing the Microsoft IIS SEO Toolkit. It’s probably easier if you already run IIS servers. Since we are a LAMP shop, I’ve used Microsoft servers before but never installed them. I don’t quite know why this tool is a plugin to the server – it is essentially a...
Google Likely Benefited From Q2 Ad Market Uptick But Forecasts Are Mixed [Reports]
July 13, 2010, 9:08 amSearch engine studies are rife, just two days ahead of Google's second-quarter earnings announcement on Thursday. All agree that the online advertising market has experienced an uptick during the period, and after all, eMarketer did say mid-June that search would be the biggest single winner of U.S. online ad spend this year. Google, notably, is...
Bing Takes Users to Mars
July 13, 2010, 9:08 amMicrosoft has added Mars imagery to Bing Maps and to its WorldWide Telescope project. The imagery comes straight from NASA itself. "Microsoft Research and NASA are providing an entirely new experience to users of the WorldWide Telescope, which will allow visitors to interact with and explore our solar system like never before," says Bing's Chris...
Efficient Frontier Documents Search Spending Bounceback
July 13, 2010, 9:08 amMarketers are returning - or even rushing back - to the practice of employing search ads, according to the latest data from Efficient Frontier. Efficient Frontier found that spending on search ads increased by 24 percent in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2009. That's good news for the search industry, and arguably...
"Deadliest Catch" Game To Launch On Facebook
July 13, 2010, 9:08 amThe Discovery Channel has partnered with social game company Hive Media, to develop a game based on the television show "Deadliest Catch." The social media game is set to be released in November on Facebook. The game will be available only in North America. "Deadliest Catch has always been one of our favorite Discovery Channel shows," said Brian...
“Deadliest Catch” Game To Launch On Facebook
July 13, 2010, 8:57 amThe Discovery Channel has partnered with social game company Hive Media, to develop a game based on the television show "Deadliest Catch."
The social media game is set to be released in November on Facebook. The game will be available only in North America.
"Deadliest Catch has always been one of our favorite Discovery...
Reddit Fundraiser a "Triumph"
July 13, 2010, 8:39 amThe next time your company needs to raise funds for more people or servers, forget venture capital. That's so, 2009. Instead, simply ask your users to chip-in with a donation of their choice. That's exactly what Reddit did yesterday, much to our chagrin . But, you know what? It worked ! More than 6,000 of Reddit's eight million active users made a...
11 People that Will Piss You Off
July 13, 2010, 8:36 amby Stoney deGeyter
No matter where you go in life, you're sure to find people who seem to make it their life's joy to make you angry. They probably don't even realize what they are doing... it just comes naturally. Two conflicting personalities at work.
I find it fun to think of people who you can't stand the most, then think of their...
RIM Unveils BlackBerry Protect Security App
July 13, 2010, 8:33 amResearch in Motion (RIM) has unveiled a new security application for BlackBerry called BlackBerry Protect. The product allows users to wirelessly backup, restore, and locate their BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerry Protect comes equipped with remote device wipe, remote device lock, a "lost and found" screen, the ability to locate the device on a...
The Evolution of Ranking Signals: Google Is Getting Past the Link
July 13, 2010, 8:33 amOK, well I decided to drop a post over on WS on what is likely going to be a bit of a controverial topic. But as an avid search historian, from a tech perspective, it does seem we're on the cusp of a new frontier of signals beyond the reliance on links. I am certainly open to ALL input on it though. It is an interesting topic worth discussing IMO.
More Cloud Announcements from Microsoft
July 13, 2010, 8:30 amYesterday Microsoft had plenty of news coming out of its Worldwide Partner Conference, and today the news continues.
The company's new channel chief, Jon Roskill, addressed the Microsoft partner community for the first time, and unveiled business strategies and resources to help partners utilize the cloud (a major theme of Microsoft's during the...
Reddit Fundraiser a “Triumph”
July 13, 2010, 8:14 am
The next time your company needs to raise funds for more people or servers, forget venture capital. That’s so, 2009.
Instead, simply ask your users to chip-in with a donation of their choice. That’s exactly what Reddit did yesterday, much to our chagrin. But, you know what? It worked!
More than 6,000 of Reddit’s...
Is Spiritual Business a Contradiction in Terms?
July 13, 2010, 7:48 amWith all the beads, prayers, affirmations, "laws of abundance," and other woo-woo business accoutrements flying around these days, you'd think there's some fire sale promotion going on spirituality. Maybe it's the rough economy, or the unsettling pace of change. Business seems to be getting more and more difficult, and support is hard to come by....
18 Examples of Awesome Viral Linkbait
July 13, 2010, 7:33 amConnecting great content with it’s target audience, promoting it on the correct channels, and causing an emotional response is not easy, but can yield excellent results when executed correctly. Let’s take a look at three kinds of viral linkbait content that audiences love: Videos, Infographics and Widgets.
Marketing In The Era Of Social Media
July 13, 2010, 7:30 amMarketing, advertising, service, communications, and business dynamics in general is undergoing incredible transformation. The innovation transpiring across the board however, wasn’t ushered out of vision as much as it was pressured through the democratization of content and the equalization of influence. After years of the socialized media...
Outlook Integrates Facebook
July 13, 2010, 7:13 amThere are few areas of any 'traditional' communications outlets anymore that are just that outlet alone these days. In fact, finding a standalone product that doesn't integrate with your Facebook account, for instance, is becoming more rare. Now you can add Microsoft's Outlook to that list as Facebook integration is complete and being rolled out...
6 Tools For Better Blogging With An iPad
July 13, 2010, 7:07 amLike many others, I recently purchased an iPad out of curiosity. While my intentions were of discovery, I quickly found some productivity gains with blogging. The upside to blogging with an iPad is that it's portable and you can easily log your thoughts on a screen that is a lot more convenient than typing into an iPhone or other smartphone. Also,...
Link Attacks - Removing a Competitor's Inbound Links Isn't Difficult
July 13, 2010, 2:34 am"Often, all it takes to get a higher ranking page to drop some pr is getting one or two of their backlinks removed. Here are a couple of games they are playing...The Trademark Ploy... The Google Spoof Email: 'You are linking to a site that has been identified as a malware host. Your listing in Google will be removed.'" (-subscription required)
10 Online Ways to Advertise for Jobs Without Recruitment Agencies
July 13, 2010, 2:33 amThis week you may have noticed we have started recruiting for an SEO executive - rather than just writing up a standard we are recruiting post, I thought I'd share the process of how to advertise for jobs online. This is quite worryingly from Oxford - image credit Flickr Twitter - If you have a following for your company or personal brand on...
Microsoft Adds Facebook Integration Into Outlook
July 13, 2010, 2:02 am"The add-on to Microsoft Outlook's Social Connector is available for download immediately."
Mark-up Your Events Online with Microformats
July 13, 2010, 12:57 amPosted by richardbaxterseo Today, we're going to talk about Microformats , a simple set of extensions to HTML, allowing us to add meaning to certain types of data found in our web pages. As SEOs, Microformats provide us with a wonderful toolbox to enhance our Google search snippets, particularly if you own a site with reviews , recipes , contact...
Build Links Through Social Media
July 13, 2010, 12:22 amFor the first years when social media made it onto the playing field of marketing companies where not sure what to do with it, now if you avoid it you could face a serious downfall with your business. SEO and social media go hand-in-hand and has become a crucial ingredient to marketing any business. There are however distinct methods to the...
Content Farming - SEOs Get It, Journalists Don't
July 13, 2010, 12:00 amRecently, there have been a series of negative articles about content farms. Content farms, such as Demand Media's eHow and similar low-cost content publication sites, are now deemed an industry "concern". "Industry" being the traditional publishing idustry, and concern presumably being "competitive threat". A trade group called the Internet...
Time Spent On Yahoo Sites Declining
July 12, 2010, 11:37 pmBoy it's a good thing Yahoo picked up content chop shop Associated Content to make that 'great' content to keep visitors around its sites. Apparently there is less time being spent on Yahoo sites than ever. Here is a chart compiled by Citi analyst Mark Mahaney and shared with us from Business Insider SAI .
It's a scavenger hunt!
July 12, 2010, 7:22 pmYesterday Wired magazine released their brand new iPad app . It's the same price per issue as the print edition ($4.99) and comes with a bunch of slick features . Now, normally we don't pimp out products from our sister site, but we made an exception for this one because we honestly think it's a breakthrough. Also they gave us brownies. But still,...
Polanski Free: What's Next?
July 12, 2010, 6:13 pmby Mike Krumboltz Monday's announcement that Switzerland won't extradite Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski to the United States has set off a firestorm of buzz. More than 30 years ago, Polanski fled the U.S. on the eve of his sentencing after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. He is now a free man . Last year, Polanski...
Checking out your competition, one SERP at a time
July 12, 2010, 6:02 pmDo you know what your competition is doing, right now? "I don't care," you may say. "I'm too focused on making money to worry about them." And in a way, you have a point - you shouldn't look to your competition as a way to determine your entire marketing strategy. But â" and here's a reality check: No matter how good you are, your prospects...
Less Print Magazines Being Launched, But Also Less Dying
July 12, 2010, 4:36 pmAccording to MediaFinder , which claims to be the largest online database of U.S. and Canadian publications, 90 magazines were launched in the first half of 2010. That is way down from 187 titles launched during the same period in 2009. However, despite the significant drop in new titles launched, there have also been a great deal less to die....
Google Continues To Make Healthy Showing In Asia-Pacific
July 12, 2010, 4:36 pmAs everybody knows by now, the whole Google-China scuffle has not done the search giant's market share any favors in that country. But it's been quite a while since we've checked in on Google's performance in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole, and today, comScore was good enough to provide some relevant data. Google fans will be pleased to know...
Consumer Reports Gives iPhone 4 a Thumbs Down
July 12, 2010, 3:26 pmToday, Consumer Reports called it "official" . The iPhone 4 has reception problems. The organization says it reached the conclusion after testing three iPhone 4s purchased from separate retailers, in a controlled environment. Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that a class action lawsuit against Apple & ATT from iPhone owners has been approved by a...
comScore: Yahoo Loses "Time Spent" Fight
July 12, 2010, 3:14 pmJune did not go at all well for Yahoo, judging by new statistics from comScore. In fact, at least in terms of time spent on the company's properties, June was terrible, with Yahoo managing to set a couple of records of the wrong sort.
Jay Yarow noted earlier today, "Time spent on Google sites (38.9 billion minutes) was greater than...
Wrapping up World Cup Coverage with Yahoo! Search
July 12, 2010, 2:56 pmSoccer lovers followed coverage of the 2010 World Cup with Yahoo! Search tools and shortcuts, and today we bring you some of the tournament's top search trends on Yahoo!. Throughout the first week of play, U.S. fans were eager to know more about the World Cup opening ceremonies , the World Cup schedule and World Cup brackets . Even the venues were...
Google Maps Apes Bing's Bird's Eye View
July 12, 2010, 2:22 pmGoogle July 9 made its 45° aerial imagery view, introduced to Google users in February in Google Maps Labs, available in select cities in the U.S. and worldwide to all users of Google Maps. As the name implies, 45° imagery shows a location from a 45° angle rather than from the top. Users can use this view to see the sides of buildings and other...
How to Conduct a Link Opportunity Inventory (Plus 9 Common Link Opportunity Types)
July 12, 2010, 2:14 pmSometimes it makes sense to design link building campaigns around the most common link opportunities in a given market. This article provides a framework + worksheet for discovering your market's most abundant link opportunities.
Microsoft Unveils Dynamics CRM 2011, Dynamics Marketplace
July 12, 2010, 1:59 pmMicrosoft demonstrated its next-generation CRM release at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference today. Previously known as CRM5, the product's official name is Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Along with the release (coming in beta in September), will be the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace , described as an online catalog to provide an easy way...
More Employees Visiting Social Networks At Work
July 12, 2010, 1:59 pmEven though more companies are regulating social networking sites, employees are finding ways around security blocks, according to a new survey from Trend Micro. The survey included 1,600 users in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan, found globally social networking at work increased from 19 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2010. The highest...
Track Your Mobile Campaigns Alongside Display with ATPA Mobile
July 12, 2010, 1:41 pmAs you may already know, we've added even more partners to the Atlas Technology Partner Alliance (ATPA). Now you can execute campaigns with EyeWonder , PointRoll, Tumri, Unicast and our first mobile partner, Ringleader , while capturing enhanced reporting in the Atlas Media Console. As we discussed in our interview with Atlas Sales Engineer (now...
Weekend Box Office "Despicable" Winner, Amazing Eclipse, Home Run Hit-Off: What's the Buzz
July 12, 2010, 1:30 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Total solar eclipse (Searches increased by 1,413%). Unless you happened to be in a Pacific island this weekend (lucky you) you missed seeing this live. Enjoy the amazing view here . World Cup 2010 winner (+601%). Spain won the cup. South Africa won the world stage, and an octopus won...
mSpot Launches Streaming Movie App for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
July 12, 2010, 1:10 pmmSpot has announced the launch of a free app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, which lets users watch full-length streaming movies instantly.
"The Mobile Movies iPad app makes them the first company to make streaming full-length movies available across Apple devices (beating Netflix to the punch)," a representative for mSpot tells...
Fring: Skype are Cowards, Skype: Fring are Liars
July 12, 2010, 1:01 pmSkype and Fring have become engaged in something of a battle of words on the companies' respective blogs today. Well, first, Fring issued a press release claiming Skype forced Fring to stop Fring's use of the service, threatening legal action. Fring posted on its blog, "Now that fring expanded capacity to support the huge demand for video calling...
Updates To Our Homepage
July 12, 2010, 12:04 pmTake a look at the Google Analytics homepage and you'll notice some small design and content changes that will improve your experience. Besides some under the hood improvements such as HTML5 and CSS2 validation, here are a few of the changes: Added dropdowns to the top navigation across the whole site so users can find their way to the content...
Steve Ballmer Talks Up "Terribly Important" Tablets
July 12, 2010, 11:48 amThe tablet PC market may not be an easy one for Google - and its new operating system - to enter. Steve Ballmer indicated this morning that Microsoft is "hardcore" about the field, and will be launching more than a few models before the end of this year. As reported by Patrick Goss , Ballmer said during his keynote at the Worldwide Partner...
File transfer in orkut and iGoogle chat
July 12, 2010, 11:25 amHave you ever wanted to quickly send a file to a friend who's online? Now it's easy! We're excited to announce that you can now share pictures, documents, and other files with your friends while chatting in orkut and iGoogle . To give it a try you don't need to install anything, simply start a conversation with a friend and click Send a file... in...
Conversion Tracking: What It Is and How to Enable and Disable It in Microsoft adCenter
July 12, 2010, 11:19 amConversion tracking refers to an optional reporting metric that helps you measure the success of your PPC campaignsand more accurately evaluate your return on investment through the use of a tracking script embedded on your website. Once implemented, this script reports back to adCenter when a user (who arrived at your site through your adCenter...
Sports Illustrated And Turner To Launch New Sports Site
July 12, 2010, 11:13 amSports Illustrated and Turner Sports, both owned by Time Warner, are partnering to create a new sports website, featuring media assets from the two companies.
Sports Illustrated will manage and create all editorial content across its platforms, including its magazine, its websites, mobile and the tablet version of the magazine.
Under the new...
Product Descriptions - Get Your Ecommerce Store in Shape
July 12, 2010, 11:09 amby Stone Reuning
Consumers scour the Internet to research products before
making a purchase. Today's shoppers want information before they buy. Those retailers
providing the information shoppers seek in a unique manner can enjoy significant
advantages over other retailers competing for a shopper's purchase. And now with Google's MayDay...
Reddit Taking Donations for Reddit Gold
July 12, 2010, 11:07 amReddit has announced Reddit Gold - a paid version of its service. It costs what you are willing to pay for it. As Reddit describes, "It's a way of supporting reddit, boosting our bottom line and helping us afford faster computers and more employees (or was it the other way around?)."
In other words, Reddit needs help, and is asking for...
Does Google Offer Too Many Ad Formats?
July 12, 2010, 10:56 amThe Wall Street Journal is running a piece discussing how tech companies (like Google, Yahoo, AOL, Groupon, etc.) are touting new online ad formats. Author Jessica E. Vascellaro has some quotes from Google CEO Eric Schmidt about some things the company is thinking about within this realm. For one, according to this piece, Schmidt says Google is...
Do you know how to operate in public?
July 12, 2010, 10:55 amby Mike Moran
If you are old (like me), then you might be doing certain things the way you always have, without realizing that times have changed. The old ways don't necessarily continue to work. All this was brought to mind when I read a recent story about how State Farm Insurance followed the old procedures, which didn't work out for them...
eBay Turns to Microsoft for Cloud Computing
July 12, 2010, 10:21 amMicrosoft and eBay made a joint announcement this morning, declaring that eBay will be one of Microsoft's first customers for its Windows Azure cloud computing platform appliance. eBay will incorporate Azure into two of its data centers. "Microsofts focus on and investment in the Windows Azure platform appliance shows they are committed to...
Week End News From Web Majors You Might Have Missed
July 12, 2010, 9:45 amHere's a shortcut to interesting news that you might have missed this weekend: Google App Inventor, Google China, Facebook closing down its gift store, Yahoo and Zillow and more...Click to read the rest of this post...
3 Things You Should Know About the New PRWeb
July 12, 2010, 9:34 amAs a longtime customer of PRWeb, I've seen many changes over the years. The oldest optimized press release I could find of mine that's still online dates back to mid 2001 and in the years since, it's been an evolving relationship moving from customer to consultant. From the days of talking new features as a super user with founder David McInnis to...
Google vs. Bing Part II: Link Analysis
July 12, 2010, 9:30 amAnthony Verre posted part II of his series (on the Trail) looking into the differences between Google and Bing - this time it's link analysis. There is even a nice download at the end with all the data - some really good stuff here. Thanks Tony.
TwitVid Launches SocialAds to Help Brands Gain Followers, Retweets
July 12, 2010, 9:29 amTwitter advertising is becoming big business, and not just for Twitter. As Twitter works on building its Promoted Tweets feature and sells sponsored Trending Topics spots , other companies are finding their own ways of capitalizing on the Twitter buzz. TwitVid , a popular social video platform has announced SocialAds , a stand-alone video ad...
Top 7 Ways to Increase Link Popularity with Content on Your Site
July 12, 2010, 9:23 amBuilding links is still a big topic with SEOs and site owners alike and we're all a bit fed up with trying to get reciprocal links. While it may be more fun, using social media channels to build links take a lot of time and may not suit everyone. So it's time to get creative and come up with some content you can put on your site that attracts more...
How to Develop an Endless Source of Ideas that Sell
July 12, 2010, 9:18 amYour bottom line is bottoming out. Your customers are looking elsewhere. Your well of new ideas has run dry. What can you do? You could turn to your accountant for money-saving schemes, or hire a lawyer to re-structure your business. You could bring in a salesperson to drum up customers. I'll bet you wouldn't think a technique used by designers...
Report: Google Invested $100-$200 Million In Zynga
July 12, 2010, 9:11 amGoogle Games - along with the company's social efforts - may stand a better chance of getting off the ground than most people thought. Reports indicate that Google's established ties with one of the top organizations in the social gaming space by investing $100-$200 million in Zynga. Neither company's confirmed the move, and obviously there's a...
Facebook Users In The UK Get Safety App
July 12, 2010, 9:11 amFacebook has partnered with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) on a safety application for teenagers in the UK. The application ClickCEOP will appear on a user's profile page when they add or bookmark it, allowing teens to report suspicious or inappropriate behavior. "By adding this application,
Google App Inventor Aims to Let Anybody Easily Create Android Apps
July 12, 2010, 8:54 amGoogle has a new Google Labs project designed to let anybody (as in non-developers) create Android Apps. The project is called App Inventor . While in beta status, App Inventor could become a huge factor in Android growth, should it find semi-mainstream use. If you can get people of all ages creating any kinds of apps they want with little to no...
Manage Your Tasks with Gmail and "Email Yourself" FireFox Addon
July 12, 2010, 8:42 amGmail is an awesome tool that can be used in hundreds of ways (besides actually sending and receiving email). Recently I have found a great way to manage my web tasks with Gmail filters and a FireFox addon I discovered a few days ago.
Blog Post Recycling â" Get it Done Right!
July 12, 2010, 8:42 amWhen you start to become a power blogger over time you will realize that some of your blog posts have a tremendous amount of web traction and others simply don't. You will also realize that eventually at some point you will want to push your blog posts out a bit further too really increase your potential visitors and also your website link...
Google's Supposedly Easy Android App Creation Tool
July 12, 2010, 8:14 amGoogle lets you sign up for a program called App Inventor that is meant to make Android mobile app creation easy... by getting rid of most of what's traditionally associated with programming. Google suggests that "[i]nstead of writing code, you visually design the way the app looks and use blocks to specify the app's behavior." [Via Reddit .] [By...
Google Mayday Update Gave a Big Boost to Mash-up Aggregator Sites
July 12, 2010, 8:14 amNew Google Forum: "When Mayday first dropped on us, there was a sudden INCREASE in rankings for mash-up sites. You can see examples of what I'm talking about at... Just a mish-mash of content and words that help the page rank well. I see such absurd automated content... and still the page outranks the Siemens website for some long tail searches!"...
Google's Reported $100M-$200M Zynga Spend Real Key To 'Google Me' Social Platform?
July 12, 2010, 8:07 amReports have it that Google has invested between $100 million and $200 million in social gaming platform Zynga. Beyond the actual size of the spend, the real question is whether this move will finally give the Mountain View-based giant the leverage it desperately needs to launch its own full-blown social platform, i.e. the rumored 'Google Me.'...
Facebook unveils child safety App
July 12, 2010, 8:04 am"The button, aimed at children and teenagers, will report abuse to the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) and Facebook."
Consumer Reports "we can't recommend the iPhone 4."
July 12, 2010, 8:02 amOur findings call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4's signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that "mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength."
Wear Your Cross Training Shoes to Connected Marketing Week
July 12, 2010, 7:56 amHere's a helpful tip: Wear your cross training shoes when you head to Connected Marketing Week, which is being held at The Moscone Center in San Francisco from August 16 to 20, 2010.Click to read the rest of this post...
Reddit Asking For Alms. Conde Nast Must Be So Proud!
July 12, 2010, 6:47 amI had to do a double take this morning when I read about the plight of reddit, one of the original social news websites. Apparently things aren't so good over at the Internet property. It'sso bad that they have started to ask for donations to keep the site afloat. I bet you that their owner, Conde Nast, must be so proud. eConsultancy reports...
Social Networks Driving CPM's' Down
July 12, 2010, 5:55 amIn economics any time there is an abundance of supply the price for that particular good goes down. The easier to obtain, the less 'valuable' that resource is. In today's online world there is no shortage of traditional Internet measures like ad impressions because of the huge amount of traffic being run through social networks. The trouble is...
Video: Viruses Make You Ill â" Joshua Green - Digital Showcase NYC
July 12, 2010, 5:44 amLast month, our team in New York held an event for advertisers and agencies that set out to showcase digital marketing and inspire the attendees with thoughts on content, social media and how we use technology. In this first video, Joshua Green , a fantastic speaker and former media researcher at MIT now based at the University of California,...
Social Networks Driving CPM’s’ Down
July 12, 2010, 5:42 am
In economics any time there is an abundance of supply the price for that particular good goes down. The easier to obtain, the less ‘valuable’ that resource is. In today’s online world there is no shortage of traditional Internet measures like ad impressions because of the huge amount of traffic being run through social...
Google AdWords Suicide
July 12, 2010, 4:32 amInspired by the Google AdWords customer in India who threatened to kill himself if Google didn’t respond to his Google AdWords Help thread, Ian Howie gives his top 5 AdWords grievances and offers some solutions.
Google China: Just Abiding by the Laws? No, Censoring!
July 12, 2010, 3:31 amSo China just renewed Google's license to operate there. Google has tried to "abide by Chinese law" as they prefer to put it . Chinese law says: The communist party decides what's the truth and what not. What's not true shall neither be published nor searched for. Are multinational corporations like Google good law abiding citizens? Rarely. Is...
SMX Advanced 2010 â" Best of Seattle & London
July 12, 2010, 3:31 amHaving attended both SMX Advanced conferences in London and Seattle this year, I thought it would be useful to share the highlights of each event and compare the differences of each conference. Image credit: Flickr On a personal level I found them both to very good events, for different reasons. London provided my first SMX speaking opportunity,...
Google App Inventor for Android
July 12, 2010, 1:48 am"To use App Inventor, you do not need to be a developer. App Inventor requires NO programming knowledge."
International CRO - Choosing the Wrong Colors and Other Mishaps
July 12, 2010, 12:47 amPosted by Sam Crocker Good morning Mozzers! Today we're going to walk you through some rather basic but far-too-oft overlooked conversion factors specifically for international SEO. Anyone who has had the pleasure of using ecommerce sites in multiple countries may have noticed that as a general rule the sites look pretty similar if not identical.
B2B SEO is a Different Animal
July 12, 2010, 12:24 amWhen you start to perform search engine marketing and optimization for your own business website you really have to figure out whether you are attempting to market a business to a B2B or B2C audience. A consumer audience could very well read their email at midnight and purchase something but not a business audience. Your SEO efforts are going to...
Google Games?
July 11, 2010, 9:28 pmTechCrunch writes : "Google has quietly (secretly, one might say) invested somewhere between $100 million and $200 million in social gaming behemoth Zynga, we've confirmed from multiple sources. (...) Zynga will be the cornerstone of a new Google Games to launch later this year, say multiple sources." Wikipedia has some information on...
Google Sites Has Largest Audience in Asia Pacific Region While Tencent Captures Highest Share of Online Minutes
July 11, 2010, 8:52 pmcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its May 2010 ranking of the top online properties in the Asia-Pacific region based on data from its comScore Media Metrix service. Google Sites led as the most-visited property in the region reaching 55 percent of the online population, while Tencent led in...
Google Renewed its ICP License in China
July 11, 2010, 5:22 pmGoogle.cn will be able to operate legally in mainland China for at least one more year.
Content Mission: YouTube Looks To Increase Video Quality Through Grants
July 11, 2010, 12:00 pm
First of all, you may be wondering what “Content Mission” is. It’s simple. These days everyone is on a mission to discover, develop, create, utilize and monetize online content. It’s easier said than done and the content marketing industry is evolving rapidly as the discipline does as well. Each Sunday I will take a look...
China Renews Google License
July 11, 2010, 8:13 am"The battle between Google and the Chinese government appears to have ended in a score-draw." - BBC
YouTube Announces Support For 25-Foot Screens
July 11, 2010, 8:11 amThis development may be a sign that YouTube's engineers have run out of things to do. Or it could just be a not-particularly-hilarious joke. But for whatever reason, YouTube recently announced support for videos that are meant to be shown on 25-foot screens. For those of you who don't happen to work in movie theaters or use whole walls as...
Google's China Victory
July 11, 2010, 5:58 amChina renews Google's licence for operating in mainland China. When Google decided to give the Chinese authorities an ultimatum by stopping censoring Chinese search results, many observers thought they were mad. It looked like they were abandoning the world biggest market. Google must have known that the Chinese Communist Party will not give up on...
Google As Publisher...
July 10, 2010, 9:06 pmWidgets Video content Video games Product comparison Travel eBooks They might prefer to use different labels (so as to minimize fear in the marketplace & slow down regulators), and they might claim that aggregate statistics control the investments & thus they are not really publishers, but they plan on skimming a big piece off of the top of many...
Google Secretly Invests in Zynga
July 10, 2010, 6:00 pmTechCrunch reports: "Zynga will be the cornerstone of a new Google Games to launch later this year, say multiple sources. Not only will Zynga's games give Google Games a solid base of social games to build on, but it will also give Google the beginning of a true social graph as users log into Google to play the games."
StarCraft/WarCraft Retreat on Real Forum Names
July 10, 2010, 10:33 amAmid a firestorm of protest from its users, Blizzard on Friday backed down on plans to require users in its "StarCraft II" and "World of Warcraft" forums to use their real names. "We've decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums," Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment,...
4K Video Comes to YouTube
July 10, 2010, 10:22 amIt takes a lot of bandwidth on the user end to watch in 4K resolution - but the results can be astounding.
Cup of Joe: Before You Can Truly Speak From Authority You Must Become An Authority
July 10, 2010, 9:59 am
Taylor Mali reminds us that speaking from a place of authority is still cool. Speaking from authority is important but, it’s more important to not only speak like an authority but to be one.
The other day I saw a link on Twitter to a blog post about about Google Caffeine. Being the uber search geek that I am, I clicked it....
NASA Invites Its Twitter Followers To Tweetup
July 10, 2010, 7:00 amNASA is inviting its Twitter followers to a special Tweetup with astronaut T.J. Creamer at 3 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 29.
The event will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington.
While in space, Creamer set up the International Space Station's live Internet connection. He posted updates...
Bing Search Share Up 88% Since Launch
July 10, 2010, 4:39 am"Bing's short-term climb is impressive, but a longer view shows Microsoft's upstart search engine making even bigger inroads against its main rival. "
LeBron and Paul: Two Big Announcements
July 9, 2010, 8:12 pmby Mike Krumboltz If you're a fan of the sporting life, this was one of your bigger weeks. Not so much for the games that were played, but rather for the bizarre announcements that riled up folks across the United States and around the world. LeBron James and Paul the Octopus have little in common, save for their exceptional talents for ticking...
It's a Snoop Dogg's Life
July 9, 2010, 7:36 pmby Claudine Zap What's up with the Snoop Dogg ? Recently, rapper Snoop Dogg has fetched some serious buzz. The hip-hop impresario has gone international in his tastes - he recently tried to rent a country, and he may be a soap star in the near future. Here's your buzz roundup. Snoop Dogg (who was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus) may be the protégé...
Study: Online Merchants Getting Serious about Mobile
July 9, 2010, 4:34 pmBill Zielke here, senior director of merchant services. Forrester Research and Shop.org recently released findings from a study that shines some light onto how rapidly merchants are adopting mobile commerce strategies. The survey revealed that one in five companies currently have a fully-implemented mobile strategy in place. Even more telling,...
Online Subscriptions Driving Magazine Sales
July 9, 2010, 4:33 pmOnline subscription will generate 24 percent of new business sales for magazines in 2010, according to a new report from the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA). The percentage of subscriptions generated from the Internet has increased steadily since 2006: "Magazine publishers are being smart about leveraging online marketing opportunities to...
Susan Esparza: On Tech, Women and You’re Not Helping
July 9, 2010, 4:29 pmfrom the article: "The question of why there aren’t more women in tech is a good one, as is the question of why The Daily Show can’t seem to hire funny women for their writing staff. But quit pretending few women in [X position] means NO women in any position."
Queen Elizabeth II: Great-Grandmother-to-Be
July 9, 2010, 4:10 pmby Mike Krumboltz This December, Queen Elizabeth II will become a great-grandmother. Elizabeth's grandson, Peter Phillips , and his wife, Autumn , are expecting their first child, "a baby who will be Queen Elizabeth II's first great-grandchild," according to the AP . For folks used to hearing only about Princes Charles , William , and Harry , this...
Imposing Coherence: Ever-Shifting Mission Statements
July 9, 2010, 3:59 pmAt a recent industry presentation, I had the chance to see several of Google's high-ranking executives provide the high level elevator pitch about how they've evolved and where they're headed as a company. Putting a shiny, consistent wrapper on any company that has dozens, then hundreds, of products, must never be easy. So you update, transform,...
Google Delves Into 45° Imagery
July 9, 2010, 3:14 pmSatellite views of a town are often neat - until you realize it's hard to recognize places by their rooftops. So Google seems to have made a wise (and possibly Microsoft-inspired) update to Google Maps by releasing what it simply calls "45° imagery."
45° imagery is quite similar to what Microsoft/Bing Maps has termed a...
Queen Elizabeth II: Great-Grandmother to Be
July 9, 2010, 2:39 pmby Mike Krumboltz This December, Queen Elizabeth II will become a great-grandmother. Elizabeth's grandson, Peter Phillips , and his wife, Autumn , are expecting their first child, "a baby who will be Queen Elizabeth II's first great-grandchild," according to the AP . For folks used to hearing only about Princes Charles , William , and Harry , this...
The History of SEOmoz (1981-2010) + Open Q&A
July 9, 2010, 2:33 pmPosted by randfish Last week, Mixergy's Andrew Warner interviewed me about the founding of SEOmoz and our trajectory to date. It was a very personal interview about the background of the company, but turned out to be a great experience. I've posted it below for those who might want to watch over the weekend and if you prefer, there's also a full...
YouTube Announces $5 Million Grant Program
July 9, 2010, 2:33 pmLet's face it: while there's some fantastic content on YouTube, there's also some stuff that features good writing and acting, but is recorded using a bad cameraphone and a poorly disguised studio apartment. YouTube intends to address that problem with the new YouTube Partner Grants program. This initiative will involve YouTube distributing $5...
Miami Heat's Sold-Out Season, Don Johnson's Lawsuit, Chris Gartin Rumors: What's the Buzz
July 9, 2010, 2:22 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Chris Gartin (Searches increased by 3,113%). Even the rumor that Jennifer Anniston has a boyfriend is enough to set off a frenzy of buzz. Relax, everyone. She and Gartin are " just friends ." Barbara Walters (+2,778%). Not even heart surgery can stop the "The View" host from getting...
Millennials Won't Quit Facebook And Twitter
July 9, 2010, 1:36 pmMillennials are expected to make online sharing a lifelong habit, according to new research from Pew Internet and Elon University. In an online survey of 895 technology stakeholders and critics, 67 percent agreed with the following statement: "By 2020, members of Generation Y (today's "digital natives") will continue to be ambient broadcasters who...
Millennials Won’t Quit Facebook And Twitter
July 9, 2010, 1:22 pmMillennials are expected to make online sharing a lifelong habit, according to new research from Pew Internet and Elon University.
In an online survey of 895 technology stakeholders and critics, 67 percent agreed with the following statement:
"By 2020, members of Generation Y (today's "digital natives") will continue to be...
5 Things to Keep Off Social Networking Profiles (If You’ll Ever be Job Hunting Again)
July 9, 2010, 1:08 pmToday let’s take a look at five things that probably shouldn’t be posted to your social networking profiles if there’s any chance at all you’ll be job hunting in the future.
Investing in the Future of Video: YouTube Announces Partner Grant Program
July 9, 2010, 12:49 pmThe YouTube ecosystem is vibrant and growing fast. We have over 10,000 partners, and 94 of Ad Age's top 100 advertisers have run campaigns on YouTube and the Google Display Network. We've made great progress in the last five years. But we think we can do better. That's why today we are announcing the YouTube Partner Grants program that will invest...
Join PayPal at MobileBeat 2010
July 9, 2010, 11:23 amHi All â" Eric Duprat, General Manager of PayPal Mobile, here. For the third consecutive year, all the major players in the wireless industry will gather for MobileBeat 2010 , sponsored by VentureBeat . The two-day conference is set to kick off on Monday, July 12 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, with the overarching topic being "The Year...
HIRPS: A new model for PR and influencers
July 9, 2010, 11:11 amby Josh Bernoff Here's the problem. "Influencers" - that's reporters, analysts, bloggers, anyone with an audience - are targets. PR people are the ones who want to influence them. The PR folks subscribe to databases from companies like Cision and Vocus and then send out hundreds of undifferentiated press releases (it's called "spray and pray")....
Take Your Online Business to New Heights with the Display Network - Intro
July 9, 2010, 11:00 amby Mike Fleming
If you are only using the Search Network of Google AdWords to reach customers for your website, you are limiting your online advertising reach big time. On the Search Network, your ads only show when people are looking for what you offer, which is typically in the later stages of the shopping funnel. But, that's a very small...
NTP Sues Google, Apple, Microsoft And More!
July 9, 2010, 11:00 amNTP, the patent holding company best known for developing wireless email, has filed lawsuits against Apple, Google, HTC, LG, Microsoft and Motorola, for infringing on eight of its patents related to the delivery of electronic mail over wireless communications systems. Donald E. Stout, NTP's co-founder, said, "Use of NTP's intellectual property...
Google Found In Violation Of Australian Privacy Act
July 9, 2010, 10:54 amGoogle's indiscretions with regards to WiFi data collection have earned it - for now - three years of close supervision in Australia. That appears to be about the maximum penalty Australian Privacy Commissioner Karen Curtis can impose after determining the company violated a privacy law.
Curtis said in a statement, "On the information...
Facebook Set To Close Gift Shop
July 9, 2010, 10:25 amFacebook will be phasing out its virtual gift shop and closing it on August 1, the company announced in a blog post Thursday night. So what does this mean? The Facebook Blog provides more details. "The gifts you've already received on your Wall will remain visible, and you still will be able to view your sent and received gifts on your gifts...
China Renews Google's Internet License
July 9, 2010, 8:59 amAfter months and months of censorship, workarounds, and harsh words between them, it's been decided: the Chinese government will not force Google out of the country. Google announced this morning that its Internet Content provider license has been renewed. Google's announcement was quite understated, with no gloating evident. Indeed, it just...
Yahoo And Zillow Partner On Real Estate Ad Deal
July 9, 2010, 8:59 amYahoo and Zillow.com have partnered to create a real estate advertising network, bringing together the second and third most trafficked property websites. The move expands on existing partnership between Yahoo and Zillow that began in 2006, when Yahoo integrated Zillow's home valuations on its own real estate site. The financial terms of the deal...
Advanced Ways to Make Sense of Your FireFox Bookmarks
July 9, 2010, 8:24 amWe consume so much info on the web that it is absolutely impossible to do without some smart bookmarking tools. FireFox built-in bookmarking feature is one way to go: the browser bookmarks can now be organized by folders and tags and they are always by hand. And what's more, there are a few addons and tools that help make sense of them: Delete...
Consumer Watchdog Believes Google 'WiSpy' Potentially Logged Homeland Security Data
July 9, 2010, 8:01 amIn the long list of legal issues Google is facing at the moment, here's another one to add to the record: Consumer Watchdog suspects the Mountain View-based company to have picked up unprotected payload data (i.e. Wi-Fi) from the home network of a member of the Department of Homeland Security as well as from houses of members of Congress....
Week in Review on Google's Street View
July 9, 2010, 7:38 amWhile Google has made nice with China and had its 'operating license' renewed, their Street View efforts are getting mixed reactions around the globe. Recently, Google has come under serious pressure from the likes of the EU's European Commission and countries directly (Germany) about its 'accidental' collection of data from unsecured wireless...
Week in Review on Google’s Street View
July 9, 2010, 7:24 am
While Google has made nice with China and had its ‘operating license’ renewed, their Street View efforts are getting mixed reactions around the globe. Recently, Google has come under serious pressure from the likes of the EU’s European Commission and countries directly (Germany) about its ‘accidental’ collection of data...
After All That, China Renews Google's License
July 9, 2010, 7:04 amWell it looks like the "Will they renew or won't they renew?" arc of "As Google-China Turns" is over and it has a happy ending for Google. In the past few weeks Google had backed off its hard line stance on China by not redirecting its in-country traffic to the Hong Kong site. Instead it started to offer the opportunity for Chinese visitors to go...
After All That, China Renews Google’s License
July 9, 2010, 6:40 am
Well it looks like the “Will they renew or won’t they renew?” arc of “As Google-China Turns” is over and it has a happy ending for Google. In the past few weeks Google had backed off its hard line stance on China by not redirecting its in-country traffic to the Hong Kong site. Instead it started to offer the opportunity...
Throw Away the Plugins! Gmail Gets Multi-Signature Support
July 9, 2010, 6:09 am
One of the reasons I waited for Google Chrome to add extension support was my use of a plugin that provides a different Gmail signature, depending on the email address I used.
I use a lot of different email addresses.
Well, Chrome added extensions months back and now Gmail has gone all native, with full support for graphical...
Harry Potter fever: Wizarding World theme park, Deathly Hallows, Lego game
July 9, 2010, 5:56 amWith the unveiling in June of the Universal theme park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the movie trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the release of Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, it's fair to say that Harry Potter fever is casting a spell over online audiences again. Of the 32 million distinct search terms that UK internet...
Whiteboard Friday - 7 Ways to Take Advantage of Google's Site Speed Algorithm (Pop-Up Video Style)
July 9, 2010, 12:19 amPosted by Danny Dover Want happier website visitors and higher rankings? This week's Whiteboard Friday is about how and why to speed up your website. It is more technical than previous videos so I tried to spice it up with an ode to one of my favorite canceled TV Shows, Pop-up Video . Can't stand the content? At least the added commentary is...
Beginners Tips for SEO
July 9, 2010, 12:13 amThere really is no secret sauce when it comes to search engine optimization. There are however some important efforts that every new website owner or SEO beginner should be doing when it comes to getting their message out. Meta Tags: Every meta tag on your website should always be unique. I come across websites all the time where all the meta tag...
Google's Template for Facebook Killer Lies in Real Life Social Network
July 8, 2010, 11:27 pmGoogle may be rewriting the playbook for Facebook, if a fat slide deck traversing the Web is an accurate template of what the search engine has in store for its alleged Facebook killer Google Me. In late June, news trickled out via Twitter tweet from Digg CEO Kevin Rose that Google was working on Google Me, a social software service designed to...
I Like it, I Love it, I Want Some More of It
July 8, 2010, 10:59 pmIn information retrieval some words are powerful / potent. They are really descriptive and get right to the point of what someone is looking for. Other words have little to no value. The reason the concept of stop words came about is that you really couldn't tell much about a document by it including words like a, an, the, and, are, etc. The flip...
Canada: Do Not Call, or Do Not Care?
July 8, 2010, 8:29 pmCanada's version of the Do Not Call anti-telemarketing legislation (offering homeowners a chance to sign up for a national Do Not Call registry) has been a flop, according to reports . 300,000 complaints; 11 fines; total collected: $250. Come on, Canada's marketers and regulators. We can do better. We can do more to speak out against outdated...
Making Facebook Photos Better
July 8, 2010, 8:29 pmWe're constantly working on making Facebook better, and one area where we've been spending a lot of time is on photos. Coming to Facebook two months ago from Divvyshot (a tiny little photo startup) I was amazed at how much people are using Facebook Photos . Ninety-nine percent of people using Facebook have uploaded at least one photo. More than...
Study: Your Neighborhood Is Making You Fat
July 8, 2010, 6:18 pmby Claudine Zap Warning: That super-convenient, hipster-urban neighborhood you live in? It's making you fat. According to a study (that looked only at women) out of Erie, New York, residents who lived within a five-minute walk of multiple restaurants had higher Body Mass Index scores than women who lived near grocery stores. Translation: Your...
'Predators' Return: Movie Review Roundup
July 8, 2010, 6:01 pmby Mike Krumboltz After several poorly received sequels, the " Predators " return to theaters this weekend. This time, instead of battling Ah-nold (as they did in the original 1987 film ) or aliens (as they did in the two woeful "Alien vs. Predator" flicks), the dreadlocked killers duke it out with Oscar winner Adrien Brody and the...
UK Bing Search Buzz: Touchy Feely Technology to Get Excited About
July 8, 2010, 5:38 pmConsumer electrical manufacturers and retailers havent had an awful lot to shout about in recent years, with the recession hitting their profits and the fact that there just hasnt been anything really new and exciting to stir the imaginations of the average gadget hungry consumer. 2010 ushered in a new decade but also a new dawn of some truly...
Keeping Your Cool
July 8, 2010, 5:10 pmby Vera H-C Chan Blood popsicle , anyone? All right, that might not be the first thing to reach for in triple-digit heat. But with weathermen bandying about high-faluting adjectives like "sweltering" and "blistering" â" and with searches on Yahoo! like " sunburn relief ," " tips to prevent heat exhaustion ," " what does heat rash look like ,"...
Google Knocked By Another Financial Analyst
July 8, 2010, 4:53 pmGoogle is not having the best possible week. Yesterday, an analyst representing J.P. Morgan cut his price target on the company's stock by $73, and today, an analyst with Oppenheimer followed suit, actually cutting his price target by an even-more-dramatic $115. Not all is lost. Jason Helfstein still feels Google's doing well in the U.S., and...
Best of Digg: June Comments
July 8, 2010, 4:52 pmIn addition to presenting the most talked-about news of the day, Digg allows users to discover and comment on the sometimes beautiful and sometimes ridiculous images that fly across the web. Author: T.J.
MLB.com In Streaming Deal With Global Crossing
July 8, 2010, 4:13 pmGlobal Crossing said today it has partnered with MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, to provide a high-speed network for all 30 Major League ballparks, to allow the league to offer live video streaming to its online subscribers.
The Global Crossing Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) allows MLB.com's...
Six Social Marketing Events Not to Miss in July
July 8, 2010, 3:38 pmMeet and greets marketers shouldn't miss We'd like to share some of the spectacular upcoming events around the globe in July, and also show you how you can find more local events and communities for Search and Social near you. We've included the Twitter pages for the events, so you can follow chatter from the event organizers even if you can't go....
Bing Captures Bigger Share Of U.S. Search Market
July 8, 2010, 3:26 pmBing had the most search growth for the month of June, growing 7 percent month- over-month to capture 9.85 percent of the U.S. search market, according to the latest figures released by Hitwise. Google accounted for 71.65 percent of the search market, but saw a one percent drop in growth month-over-month. Yahoo's search growth was flat,...
Get More Great Content from @copyblogger on Twitter
July 8, 2010, 3:21 pmSince we're taking it a bit easy this summer by dropping from six posts a week to three , you might find yourself going through withdrawal. Not to fear. We share additional content related to copywriting, content, social media, SEO and online marketing from many sources across the web @copyblogger on Twitter. So join us on Twitter !
The Twelve Most Important Reputations in Social Media Monitoring
July 8, 2010, 3:21 pmAre you monitoring your reputation on the web? Not just your company name, but all of your reputations? What, you didn't know you had multiple reputations to monitor? Over at Actively Listening (the Trackur blog) you'll find 12 Critical Keywords Every Company Should Monitor in Social Media including: 6. Your Marketing Message "So easy even a...
Facebook Acquires Travel Recommendations Firm
July 8, 2010, 3:19 pmJust one week after Google announced its acquisition of travel industry giant ITA Software, it appears that Facebook is dipping a toe in the same water. This afternoon, Nextstop revealed that it's being absorbed by Mark Zuckerberg's organization.
Nextstop is, as its name tends to imply, a company that deals in travel recommendations. ...
Hulu CEO: Ad-Free Version Not Out Of The Question
July 8, 2010, 2:33 pmWhen the details of Hulu Plus were announced, many people were dismayed that the service still included advertisements. Now, Hulu's CEO has indicated that he'd be willing to do away with the ads - so long as enough customers are willing to pay more money. Om Malik was able to talk to CEO Jason Kilar sometime yesterday, and in an article published...
OMG! Double Rainbow! So Intense!
July 8, 2010, 2:28 pmby Mike Krumboltz So you like rainbows, huh? Heck, we all do. But not even Kermit the Frog or Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" can match YouTube's Hungrybear9562 (real name: Paul Vasquez) for over-the-top ROYGBIV enthusiasm. In a video that's taken the Web by storm, Mr. Vasquez captured footage of the elusive double rainbow. Wait, scratch that....
How to Make Your Content Trusted Content
July 8, 2010, 2:24 pmby Stoney deGeyter
I was talking with a client the other day about how to optimize their content. They kept saying, in a way of trying to understand what they need to do to improve their website, that what they need to do is to create a bunch of content and keep using their keywords over and over.
Uh... no.
That might work in politics,...
Google Could Have Collected WiFi Data From Members Of Congress
July 8, 2010, 2:16 pmGoogle's Street View cars could have recorded communications from some members of Congress, involved in national security issues, via unencrypted WiFi connections, according to an investigation by Consumer Watchdog's InsideGoogle. Rep. Jane Harman, D-CA, chair of the Intelligence Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee and former member of...
World Cup Traffic Increases
July 8, 2010, 2:16 pmVisits to a custom category of websites with World Cup Coverage increased 69% last week as compared to the previous week. The World Cup section of Yahoo! Sports captured over 1/3rd of visits for the week ending June 19, 2010 followed by Univision Futbol (one of the only official websites streaming all of the games online for free) and the official...
Apple's iAd Generating $1,400 Revenue a Day?!?
July 8, 2010, 1:53 pmOK, you can take this with as many grains of salt as you wish, but one iPhone developer is claiming to have hit the jackpot with Apple's new iAd format. Posting his earnings to Hacker News, the app developer claims to have earned almost $150 in eCPM on the first day! The question is, will iAd be able to sustain this kind of engagement or is there...
Bing's Search Share Gains 7% in June'Kinda
July 8, 2010, 1:53 pmMy hat is off to Experian Hitwise. Their email got my attention with this subject line: Experian Hitwise reports Bing share of searches increases 7 percent for June 2010 7%! What the heck? How did Bing gain that much market share? Oh you mean, Bing increased its share from 9.23% to 9.85%-a 7% increase! Sneaky!
Bing’s Search Share Gains 7% in June…Kinda
July 8, 2010, 1:45 pm
My hat is off to Experian Hitwise.
Their email got my attention with this subject line:
Experian Hitwise reports Bing share of searches increases 7 percent for June 2010
7%! What the heck? How did Bing gain that much market share?
Oh you mean, Bing increased its share from 9.23% to 9.85%–a 7% increase!
Sneaky!
Apple’s iAd Generating $1,400 Revenue a Day?!?
July 8, 2010, 1:30 pm
OK, you can take this with as many grains of salt as you wish, but one iPhone developer is claiming to have hit the jackpot with Apple’s new iAd format.
Posting his earnings to Hacker News, the app developer claims to have earned almost $150 in eCPM on the first day!
The question is, will iAd be able to sustain this kind of...
comScore Puts Android Up Yet Again
July 8, 2010, 1:08 pmPalm's out of the running. Microsoft's about to lose its advantage. And although they're still way out in front, even RIM and Apple appear to be in trouble, according to the latest report from comScore, which indicates that Android has taken market share from all of its top competitors.
You can see the data for yourself below. ...
Amanda Knox Has a Jailhouse Birthday, LeBron James Is on the Twitter, LiLo Did Dilaudid: What's the Buzz
July 8, 2010, 1:00 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Amanda Knox (Searches increased by 3,754%). The American student doing time for a murder conviction celebrated her 23rd birthday. She may be joined in jail by her parents, who are being charged with slander . Earthquakes (+2,964%). Southern California got a bit of a shake . LeBron...
Is it time to reassess your linking strategy?
July 8, 2010, 12:02 pmby Mike Moran
I wrote a post in this space over a year ago that advised small businesses on how to attract links to their Web sites. In that article, I offered the somewhat contrarian advice that spending lots of time begging sites to link to you might be time better spent building content that entices them to do the same thing, but without...
Matching Tactics to Goals Enables a Stronger Social Media Plan
July 8, 2010, 11:46 amby Jennifer Laycock
The past few days, I've been talking about the need to establish solid goals around which to build you social media efforts. We've looked at why you need to have goals, we've explored the three categories of goals to help set the foundation for your efforts and we've talked about breaking your primary goals into supportive...
YouTube Hosting Q&A With Katy Perry
July 8, 2010, 11:39 amYouTube said today it is hosting an event that will allow fans of singer-songwriter Katy Perry, to ask the artists questions. The YouTube Blog offers more details. "You have until midnight PT on July 18 to submit a video or text question to Katy's channel (www.youtube.com/katyperry). Everyone will be able to vote on the questions until July 18,...
Google "Confident" On Potential In-Depth EU Antitrust Inquiry
July 8, 2010, 11:30 amThe EU is taking anti-competitive allegations regarding the search industry with great attention but Google said it is "confident" is has a "good case" after EU competition commissioner Joaquim Almunia stated that he is "looking at the allegations very seriously."
Click to read the rest of this post...
comScore Reports May 2010 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share
July 8, 2010, 11:16 amcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending May 2010 compared to the preceding three-month average. The report ranked the leading mobile original equipment...
Will Facebook Search Become the Dominant Player?
July 8, 2010, 11:16 amIn recent months I have been reading all kind of material on Facebook, search and SEO. I'm not here to predict the future or to hype Facebook as the new better search. Instead I'd like to analyze the clues we already have. Others have done great work on Facebook SEO by now. Moreover I'd like to combine these clues with the statistics suggesting...
Has Associated Content cheapened SEO copywriting?
July 8, 2010, 11:10 amMy, how the SEO content development fur is flying. In the July 6 issue of MediaWeek, the headline " Council to Counter Web Generators' Growing Clout " was front and center. The Internet Content Syndication Council (ICSC), comprised of representatives from firms such as Proctor and Gamble and Reuters, is complaining that content aggregators like...
Ask LeBron James Questions Tonight With #lebrondecision
July 8, 2010, 11:04 amTonights the night; LeBron James will hold numerous cities around the country hostage with the anticipation of his decision. Hell announce his choice via an ESPN special aptly called The Decision , which airs at 9 PM ET... oh, did we mention, he'll be answering your questions via Twitter tonight? What question do you have for LeBron James? Tell...
Yahoo's CFO Pledges To Improve Buying/Selling Strategy
July 8, 2010, 11:04 amIf you've ever heard about a Yahoo acquisition and thought that the price sounded excessive - or heard about a sale and thought the opposite - know that Yahoo's CFO is aware of the problem. Tim Morse recently indicated that the company is trying much harder to spend wisely. Morse told Brian Womack during an interview, "You've seen our track...
MTV Gets Into Social Gaming
July 8, 2010, 10:47 amMTV Networks said today it has purchased Social Express, a social gaming development company. The move by MTV marks its first entry in the social gaming space, the company said it will develop social games based on original IP (intellectual property) as well as shows and characters from Nickelodeon and its other brands, with the first game to...
Will YouTube's "Life in a Day" Incude Any Video Marketers?
July 8, 2010, 10:24 amOn Tuesday, The Official YouTube Blog announced the launch of "Life in a Day," a cinematic experiment that will attempt to document July 24, 2010. I emailed my daughter, who attends the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, because she documents all kinds of interesting things with her Flip Video Camcorder. But, then I wondered if any video...
While Twitter Search Booms, Facebook Grows On India And Indonesia As U.S. Slumps
July 8, 2010, 10:12 amTwitter is slowly but surely imposing itself as a player to be taken seriously in the search business, with the number of queries conducted on Twitter Search now reaching 800 million a day. At the same time, figures were released regarding fellow social site Facebook, showing that the latter had recorded much slower growth in the U.S. in June,...
"The Social Network" Gets A Second Teaser Trailer
July 8, 2010, 9:55 amA second teaser trailer for David Fincher's "The Social Network" has hit the web. Don't get your hopes up though; no actual film footage was used. Check it out for yourself below and tell us what you think . The latest teaser is essentially the cliff notes history of Facebook told via status update. Its fairly effective, but hopefully the next...
U.S. Launching Program To Detect Cyberattacks On Critical Infrastructure
July 8, 2010, 9:27 amThe U.S. National Security Agency is launching a program called "Perfect Citizen" aimed at detecting cyberattacks on private companies and government agencies running critical infrastructure such as the electricity grid and nuclear power plants.
Perfect Citizen would rely on a set of sensors deployed in computer networks for critical...
Mapping Anchor Text To Landing Pages
July 8, 2010, 9:26 amA simple, but effective overview of something that is overlooked far too often.
YouTube: All Your TVs & Phones Are Belong to Us
July 8, 2010, 9:15 amNot content with gaining your attention during lunch-or that boring presentation your boss is making-YouTube would like to take over your TV and your mobile phone. In a double whammy of deliciousness, YouTube has announced both a new mobile site and "Leanback." First, the mobile offering . It appears that Google is tired of the hold-ups and...
Mobile Status Updates Done By Only 10% of Mobile Phone Users
July 8, 2010, 9:15 amAttention all members of the social media industry! Attention all members of the social media industry! It's time to consider how the REST of the world uses social media in its various forms especially from a mobile phone perspective. I say this only because the chatter amongst social media experts, ninjas, gurus and Maharishi's seems to lean...
Using Social Media: Colleges And Universities Vs. Businesses
July 8, 2010, 9:10 amColleges and universities in North America continue to increase their adoption and large scale use of social media technologies, outpacing both Fortune and Inc 500 on the blogging front. Besides using these to augment and extend their overall communication, learning and student support services, educational institutions have found a key use of...
Google Expands Its Reach With YouTube Leanback
July 8, 2010, 9:00 amForget scooting forward, typing a fresh search query, playing with the mouse, and then pushing back again between clips. YouTube Leanback has debuted, and it's meant to make watching consecutive YouTube videos a more relaxed and uninterrupted experience.
YouTube Leanback qualifies as one of a number of projects meant to take Google into new...
Getting All Employees Involved in Your Social Media Plan
July 8, 2010, 8:46 amGetting your entire company on-board with your social media strategy can help create an immediate impact in your social presence online. Instead of just one person trying to tackle creating a social brand, you can leverage all employees abilities and experience to make a bigger splash. In order to make your entire company known, you should give...
Why Facebook Ads Suck: It Cares About Your Privacy
July 8, 2010, 8:29 am
I’ve never run a Facebook advertising campaign.
Why?
Because, based on the crappy ads that are served to me, each time I log in, I have no faith that my ads will be served to those that are actually interested in what I have to offer. Now I know why:
We have designed Facebook to provide relevant and interesting advertising...
Old HTML Redesign To Pure CSS And Site Drops From Google SERPs
July 8, 2010, 7:59 am"I effectively took my average page size from 80k to 20k (before gzip compression) and the site is lightning quick. Visitors have been super happy with the improvement. Every visitor but googlebot apparently."
U.S.: Renewed Push For Internet Sales Taxes
July 8, 2010, 7:54 am"Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced a bill on Thursday that would rewrite the ground rules for Internet and mail order sales by eliminating the option for many Americans to shop over the Internet without paying state sales taxes."
SEO Basics: Telephone Game & the Fresh vs. New Content Debate
July 8, 2010, 6:56 amThere's a game of telephone going on about a hundred different theories of Search Engine Optimization and the influences or signals that affect search visibility. One that I continue to hear revolves around the notion that search engines like fresh content.
Google Will Gun for Gaming Software, Analyst Says
July 8, 2010, 6:21 amGoogle's next significant Internet foray could be gaming, according to downstream traffic data collected by a HitWise Intelligence analyst who monitors Web traffic trends. Many Internet observers quickly pointed out that in bidding to buy ITA Software for $700 million, the company was looking to mark new territory on the Web, entering a vertical...
Googles YouTube Wants More Screen Time, Incl. Your TV, With Leanback
July 8, 2010, 5:59 am"The company charted its course during the launch of a new product called Leanback, described by some as web video for couch potatoes."
Time for Travel to Look Outside the Box - 5 Tips
July 8, 2010, 5:01 amOver the past couple of weeks, Ive been inspired by the World Cup. The strategy of each game is what drives my enthusiasm, and I believe that coaches and players who are willing to take risks bring even more excitement to the game. As I think about travel marketing strategies, I tend to see a lot of the same tactics over and over again: search,...
Don't Fall Into the Trap of A/B Testing Minutiae
July 8, 2010, 4:09 amPosted by randfish Jason Cohen recently authored a post on A/B testing that deserves both broader awareness and a deeper dive. Most of us in the online marketing world are aware of the power A/B tests can bring through improved click-through, sign-up and conversion rates. Getting a higher percentage of visitors to a page to take a desired action...
The Online Service We Need, Want and Love
July 8, 2010, 2:00 am
There are a bunch of online apps and services that make running Distilled much much easier, and I wanted to share these with you. This is mostly written from my perspective at Distilled LLC (our new American office) – as I wanted to give some idea of how we function as a small, flexible company. I also didn’t feel it was fair to...
Twitter Search Grows
July 8, 2010, 1:22 amTwitter is aspiring to be the next big search engine and Biz Stone is claiming the numbers to prove it. Fast Company is jumping on the bandwagon to push Twitter up the search ladder past the bing / Yahoo! search cluster. Here's their take. According to cofounder Biz Stone, who spoke yesterday at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Twitter now reaches some...
Think Big as a Small Business
July 8, 2010, 12:06 amIf you look around you it is clear that every business should be doing "something" online to spread their word and message about what they do as a business. I'm not saying you have to become a guru in your industry over night but if you have a loss of business or need more and you don't think like a big business it might be time to start. There is...
5 Real-Time Online Marketing Tools You Give You The Edge
July 7, 2010, 8:31 pmAs markets become increasing saturated and margins become increasingly thin, it’s getting more and more important to sieze every possible business opportunity given to you – This is where real-time comes in. Acting instantaneously on each of your opportunities will often give you the upper hand, likewise it will allow you to practice...
Sarah Palin: New Chair of the Republican Party?
July 7, 2010, 7:14 pmby Claudine Zap Things have gotten so bad for Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele that some are suggesting that he step down â" and Sarah Palin step in. Steele seems to be suffering from gaffe-gate. His latest slipup, on the Afghanistan war, which he called a " war of Obama's choosing ," even had his fellow Republicans up in arms...
SEO content marketing roundup, week ending July 7th, 2010
July 7, 2010, 7:09 pmGreetings fellow SEO copywriters & content marketers! Today marks the inaugural weekly blog post featuring the latest and greatest content marketing news. Explore, engage, go forth, and prosper! Got quality? The buzz-phrase for today's SEO content marketing roundup is "quality not quantity." Strong content helps land incoming links,...
James Bond in Trouble?
July 7, 2010, 6:57 pmby Mike Krumboltz A slew of criminal masterminds have tried to stop James Bond . These nefarious fiends could stand to learn a thing or two from MGM . The financially troubled studio has done what all the bad guys bent on world domination could never do: They pulled the plug on 007's upcoming adventure. The film, known for now as " Bond 23 ," was...
OpenTable Change SEO Strategy & Integrate BazaarVoice [case study]
July 7, 2010, 6:43 pmOpenTable, a popular restaurant bookings engine, used to run its own reviews on its website via its own platform. However, as its business expanded, reviews became less core to the business and consequently a liability to effectively manage and develop. Toward the end of 2009, it became clear for OpenTable that it was "not our business to...
Yahoo Partners With Offerpal Media
July 7, 2010, 4:56 pmThe Yahoo Application Platform (or Y!AP, if you shorten it and embrace the company's use of exclamation points) grew significantly more appealing today. A deal between Yahoo and Offerpal Media ensures that developers and users will have more payment options. Note: this doesn't just mean that users are presented with a greater number of ways...
More Businesses Using Social Media To Gain Customers
July 7, 2010, 4:17 pmMore than one-third (35%) of U.S. businesses have had success using social media to attract new business, according to a new survey from Regus.
The U.S. lags slightly behind the global average, with 40 percent of businesses globally having successfully used social media for business development.
Globally, social networks are still used for...
Mullets: Banned in Iran
July 7, 2010, 4:16 pmby Mike Krumboltz The mullet, the only haircut that's "business in the front and party in the back," has been the butt of many a joke. For the well-being of the nation, Iran banned its very existence. A buzzy article from the UK's Daily Telegraph explains the specifics. The list of acceptable men's haircuts that meet government approval comes from...
Congrats to Our Sphinn Survey Winner!
July 7, 2010, 4:15 pmThank you to all who took our Sphinn Member Survey last month. We've just drawn the winner of a free pass to SMX East or West, and that winner is....
Will Search Become a Public Utility?
July 7, 2010, 3:56 pmWhen you think of public utilities, you think of things such as water, electricity, and telecommunications, right? Well, what if search were added to that list? How would you feel about that?
More WebProNews Videos
It's an interesting thought and one that, according to Kevin Ryan of Motivity Marketing, is not too far out in left field. He did...
Hitwise Predicts Move Into Gaming For Google
July 7, 2010, 3:47 pmGoogle's never been a predictable sort of company. Its focus on green energy, support for the Klingon language, and decision to set up beehives on corporate property are just a few examples of unusual behavior. But if Google acts in a rational manner, Hitwise believes the company will enter the gaming sector. This isn't a random guess. In...
Amazon Launches Grocery Service In The UK
July 7, 2010, 3:13 pmAmazon.com said today it has begun to sell groceries in the UK and will offer brands such as Kraft, Nestle, Pepsi and Proctor & Gamble. Amazon said it will offer over 22,000 products including Pampers, Ariel, Uncle Ben's, Dolmio, Schwartz, Kenco, Carte Noir, Walkers, and Oreo as well as pet products from Bakers and Purina One. Amazon will be...
LeBron James Making a Decision with Bing
July 7, 2010, 2:45 pmWe are sure by now you have heard, seen or read that NBA player LeBron James will be making a decision as to which NBA team he will choose to play for next season. LeBron will be making his decision on a special program, The Decision, which airs live this Thursday, July 8, at 9 pm ET on ESPN. We are excited to be a part of LeBrons important day...
Dog Saves Troops: Then Troops Save Dog
July 7, 2010, 2:33 pmby Claudine Zap The Buzz loves a shaggy dog story. And this "tail" has a happy ending. A stray Afghan desert dog that became the mascot of a British Special Air Service guards was taken prisoner by the Taliban . (Again, we promise, happy ending.) As told by the Mirror , the dog, who was adopted by B Company, 1st Battallion , Gurkha Rifles troops,...
Mozilla Firefox 4 Beta 1 Has Been Released
July 7, 2010, 2:21 pmRecently Mozilla unleashed Firefox 4 Beta upon the world, and most of us couldnt be happier. The latest edition, of the worlds second most popular browser, has been in discussion for well over a year now but the wait is finally over, you can download it here . Are you downloading the Beta version? Let us know . What makes Firefox 4 Beta so special...
MySpace Upgrades Global Music Offerings
July 7, 2010, 2:14 pmMySpace users all over the world should have a much easier time discovering music thanks to some new changes. This afternoon, MySpace overhauled its approach to playlists, eliminating (or at least cutting back) limitations that might have affected the way people shared songs.
A key point before we get much further: this development involves...
Wireless Internet Access Becoming More Widespread
July 7, 2010, 1:58 pmCell phone and wireless laptop Internet use have each grown more widespread over the last year, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Nearly half of all adults (47%) go online with a laptop using a Wi-Fi connection or mobile broadband card (up from the 39% who did so as of April 2009) while 40% of adults use the...
German Official Cites Privacy Problems At Facebook
July 7, 2010, 1:41 pmFacebook might soon suffer a hit to its bank account - and more importantly, to its reputation - in Germany. A data protection commissioner has begun formal proceedings, accusing the company of illegally obtaining and storing non-users' email addresses. According to Joe Crowther , Johannes Caspar, who also pressured Google over its Street View...
SEM Advanced Series: Budget Optimization â" Spend Until Depleted
July 7, 2010, 12:48 pmThis is the 1st post in the SEM Advanced Series , a continuation of the SEM Intermediate Series and SEM Beginner Series . These posts are intended for search engine marketing professionals looking for guidance in monitoring and adjusting the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine the success of a PPC campaign. For the first part of...
Ringo Birthday, A Live DJ, Tattooed Girl: What's the Buzz
July 7, 2010, 12:29 pmby Vera H-C Chan Our picks from the hottest searches of the day. Ringo Starr (2,443%). Happy 70th birthday...just don't make him sing on his own birthday. DJ Tiesto (563%). Don't believe the rumors: He's still alive . Freecycle (+387%). Could a Dear Abby column explain the resurgence in Search interest? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (+305%). The...
Distilled Summer Hours
July 7, 2010, 11:48 amIn our effort to continue to make Distilled a great and productive place to work, we have decided to trial a summer hours scheme. The summer hours scheme is a form of flexible working time that is currently offered at a number of agencies and large corporations across the UK and the US. For example, Kellogg’s have run a similar scheme for more...
Five Crowdsourcing Sites that Give Small Businesses Quality Designs on a Budget
July 7, 2010, 11:32 amThe recession had a strong impact on how small business spend money on online marketing and advertising, and pretty much on everything else that has anything to do with online visibility. Many businesses resort to DIY tools in an attempt to save money. For some the strategy works (particularly for those with some skill), but many others fail...
J.P. Morgan Cuts Google Price Target By $73
July 7, 2010, 11:21 amIn eight days, Google will give its second quarter financial report, and at least one group of analysts seems to think bad news is inevitable. J.P. Morgan cut its forecasts in several respects this morning, with the most dramatic reduction being a $73 chop in Google's price target. J.P. Morgan's Imran Khan, speaking on behalf of his company,...
Twitter Launches @earlybird Deals Feed
July 7, 2010, 10:46 amTwitter has introduced a new ecommerce feature called @earlybird which offers "special time-bound deals, sneak-peeks, and events." "We partner with select advertisers and retweet offers that they have crafted only for the Twitter community," the company said. "Our advertising partners determine the terms of the offer, including availability,...
The Force that Powers Persuasive Content (And 3 Ways to Intensify It)
July 7, 2010, 10:34 amYou hear it from us all the time' If you want to engage and influence, connect emotionally and then justify logically . That's still true. But there's a Force more powerful than logic or emotion' And it's you . Same as it Ever Was First, what do we know about effective persuasion? We can now scan and record human brain activity in controlled...
Massive YouTube Film Experiment Announced
July 7, 2010, 9:17 amA project that should entirely live up to the billing "historic cinematic experiment" has begun. Ridley Scott, Kevin Macdonald, YouTube, and LG have asked people all over the world to record (part of) their lives on July 24th, and then much of the footage will be used to create a single film that'll premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival....
Borders Rolls Out eBook Store
July 7, 2010, 9:17 amBorders has launched its own branded eBook store, powered by eReading service Kobo. The company says its goal is to capture 17 percent of the eBook market by July of 2011. Borders' eBook store launches with more than 1.5 million titles, available in a number of formats, including ePub, mobile and PDF. "The race to emerge as a retail leader within...
Local Search On Smartphones Prime Lead Generator For Businesses [study]
July 7, 2010, 9:08 amConfirming the trends put forward by comScore in April, a study by Kantar Media's Compete brings further evidence that local search on smartphones has become a prime lead generation contributor for businesses.Click to read the rest of this post...
Are PPCers a Dying Breed?
July 7, 2010, 8:54 amI realized in the past few weeks that I am having a hard time keeping up with the new releases in Google AdWords. They are innovating faster than I can test the new features. I love it. But I also start to question, is this all going to be the end of PPC managers? Are Google, Yahoo, and Bing innovating so much that the PPC role will diminish?...
No, You Can't Automate Social Media!
July 7, 2010, 8:30 amOver the past two years or so, social media's increased popularity has really done something for those assuming that it's all a "get rich quick" opportunity. The widespread adoption of social media has caused for hordes of "experts" to suddenly come into town assuming that they can totally own this niche. These new "Internet Marketers" take...
The Marketer's Guide to Utilizing Google Docs
July 7, 2010, 8:30 amDespite all the new and more or less established collaboration and sharing tools, the one I use most of all is Google Docs. Yes, it is still buggy but I have found it to be the fastest and the most reliable. Besides, on the plus side I never need to login to it (as I am always logged in to my Google account) and it has exactly the set of features...
SEO Auteur: My Interview With Dustin Woodard
July 7, 2010, 8:30 amI first became aware of Dustin when he dropped my name in a post (which is still a very effective way to get someone's attention). I ended up meeting him at the first SMX Advanced networking function and we've been friends ever since. We've called upon Dustin to speak at multiple SearchFest events in Portland and his search marketing insights,...
What Google Could Do With ITA's Software
July 7, 2010, 8:18 amNot even a week went by before word that the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission were brokering to scrutinize Google's $700 million bid to acquire flight information software company ITA Software, as I noted on eWEEK yesterday . ITA's QPX software organizes flight times, availability and prices. Airline customers such as US Airways...
Saying Something "sucks" In An Online Revue Is Considered Slander
July 7, 2010, 8:11 am"My question is, do they really have me on something here, or is it my legal right to say their product sucks in this manner?"
European Search Engines Can't Compete with Google; Whine to EU
July 7, 2010, 8:01 amGoogle appears to be in hot water over allegations that it's deliberately penalizing rival search engines in its search results. The European Commission, Europe's highest antitrust authority [led by Joaquin Almunia], is currently looking into "some allegations of anticompetitive conduct in relation to search," Almunia said in his speech in London....
Link Building with the Experts - 2010 Edition
July 7, 2010, 7:54 amThe link building interview is back. In prior years, I’ve gotten together some of the best minds in link building and asked them to answer some questions about link development. It’s been more than two years since the most recent one, so I decided to bring it back – this time on Outspoken Media.
Foursquare, IFC, Huffington Post In Geo-Located Content Deals
July 7, 2010, 7:49 amCall it layers or context or whatever you want. The bottom line is that Foursquare is launching a new content service with the Independent Film Channel (IFC) to give users targeted, geo-localized information for their check ins. Likewise, the Huffington Post has also entered a deal with Foursquare to push local news info context to its users....
European Search Engines Can’t Compete with Google; Whine to EU
July 7, 2010, 7:41 am
Google appears to be in hot water over allegations that it’s deliberately penalizing rival search engines in its search results.
The European Commission, Europe’s highest antitrust authority [led by Joaquin Almunia], is currently looking into “some allegations of anticompetitive conduct in relation to...
Cannes Lions 2010 â" A Digital Reflection
July 7, 2010, 7:21 amFirst, great to see so many people return to Cannes! If my increased bill for rose wine on the Carlton patio was any indication, the mood and the attendance was completely different than 12 months ago. Marketers were looking for innovation and creativity along with results and ROI, not just cost savings and agencies were talking about innovation...
Twitter Launches Revenue-Earning @Earlybird Exclusive Offers
July 7, 2010, 6:38 am"We're starting with US-wide offers but will explore location-based deals in the future."
More Than Just A Check In Play for foursquare
July 7, 2010, 6:21 am
While I am admittedly not too enamored with geo-location services personally there is little denying the rise in popularity. Foursquare, Gowalla and others are experiencing some of the ‘hockey stick’ growth that was once reserved for Twitter and Facebook.
The problem as of late has been the nagging question of “What else is...
Reddit User Hits Reputation Management Lottery
July 7, 2010, 6:01 amFaced with an unfavorable RipOffReport web page ranking number one for his name on Google, Reddit user Carl Herold turned to his fellow Redditors for help. On June 30th, Carl posted a message on self.AskReddit asking for advice on how to deal with a complaint from a former vendor he claims is a lie. The post received so much attention that Carl's...
'Publisher As Agency' Trend Continues With Tribune
July 7, 2010, 6:01 amThe Tribune Company is struggling to pull itself out of bankruptcy proceedings but it continues to try to move its business forward by becoming the latest publishing company to turn agency. This type of move by larger publishers is becoming more commonplace these days as they scramble to re-invent themselves in light of the digital 'revolution'...
‘Publisher As Agency’ Trend Continues With Tribune
July 7, 2010, 5:55 am
The Tribune Company is struggling to pull itself out of bankruptcy proceedings but it continues to try to move its business forward by becoming the latest publishing company to turn agency. This type of move by larger publishers is becoming more commonplace these days as they scramble to re-invent themselves in light of the...
Die Nutzung von Online Gaming ist im letzten Jahr in Deutschland um 25 Prozent gestiegen
July 7, 2010, 5:27 amcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), eines der führenden Unternehmen im Bereich der Messung der digitalen Welt, meldet heute, dass im Mai 2010 insgesamt 19,8 Millionen Deutsche Online Gaming Seiten besucht haben. Damit verzeichnete die Kategorie einen Anstieg von 25 Prozent im Vergleich zum Vorjahr.
Who Rules the Web: The Royal Court of Search
July 7, 2010, 4:00 amI realised the other day that the internet is a lot like mediaeval England. The power that some of the top people online hold is really similar to the old school ruling system.
Someone like Matt Cutts has so much power over the entire lives and livelihoods of so many people, and you practically have to appeal to get an audience with him so he can...
EU Investigating Google Over Allegations Of Rival Sites Being Demoted In SERPs
July 7, 2010, 2:03 am"He appeared to accept Google's arguments that it is hard to behave as a monopoly on the web, saying the fluid nature of the Internet may make it more difficult for powerful companies to elbow out other companies in new markets."
Save Your SEO with a 301 Redirect
July 7, 2010, 1:19 amSometimes it is simply impossible for businesses to maintain their URL structure on their website redesign. It can be devastating for a business if they do not set up their URL structure correctly. A 301 redirect will attempt to pass some of that power from the old URL over to the new one. There are many ways you can do this depending on your site...
Streaming live from the Twilight Eclipse premiere
July 7, 2010, 12:23 amWhether you're on Team Edward or Team Jacob (we're pretty much split 50/50 here at YouTube), tune in tonight to watch red carpet coverage of the Eclipse premiere, live from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. From 5:30 p.m. PT onwards, Twilight 's YouTube channel will give you a front-row seat to the arrivals area where many of the film's stars,...
GoStats â" Free Website Analytics and Hit Counter Product Review
July 7, 2010, 12:23 amWebsite Analytics are a very important tool in understanding your demographics and what drives your business online. The secret to increasing sales is to know your customers, where they came from, what their searching trends and buying cycle are. Harnessing all that information is key to continued success of any business in the online space. This...
7 Types of SEO Evidence
July 6, 2010, 9:43 pmPosted by Dr. Pete We've had a lot of discussions recently about SEO as a Science. Unfortunately, these discussions sometimes devolve into arguments over semantics or which approach is the "best" in all situations. I'd like to step back for a few moments today and talk about the wider world of SEO evidence. While not all of these types of evidence...
Casper Bot Search Attempting To Infect Sites
July 6, 2010, 9:41 pm"Seen quite a few of these over the past few days, generally in groups of half a dozen-ish."
Excessive Worry About Competition
July 6, 2010, 7:37 pmExcessive Worrying = Missed Opportunities Do you worry too much about who you are competing against? Do you feel competitive research leads to many more "move on please" rather than "let's go!" types of outcomes? Believe it or not, it may be a good sign. Competition is usually a good thing , it means something is worth fighting for. A lot of...
Eau de Bruce Willis
July 6, 2010, 6:58 pmby Claudine Zap Is there anyone who screams manhood more than Bruce " Die Hard " Willis? Lucky for us, the essence of BW has been captured in a scent : Bruce Willis Eau de Parfum. (Pardon his French.) And guess what, the company that makes it calls it only " the manliest scent in the world ." So expect it to smell like, um, sweat and beer? Well,...
A Lottery Winning Streak...But Who Really Wins?
July 6, 2010, 4:57 pmby Vera H-C Chan Maybe the odds of winning the lottery would be a lot better if Joan Ginther would stop buying all the good tickets. By now you may have heard of the Las Vegas resident, who you probably want sitting next to you when an asteroid, slungshot by aliens, is aimed at your plane. She recently cashed in a winning $10 million scratch-off...
Database Administrator Sentenced To One Year For Hacking
July 6, 2010, 4:56 pmA former senior database administrator for electric provider GEXA Energy in Houston was sentenced today to one year in prison for hacking into his former employer's computer network, the U.S. Department of Justice said today. Steven Jinwoo Kim, 40, of Houston pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2009, to one count of intentionally accessing a protected...
Analyst Pushes eBay To Launch Fulfillment Program
July 6, 2010, 4:56 pmIn the past year, eBay's stock has risen by 17.57 percent. Amazon's stock has risen by 40.92 percent. It's possible to argue that eBay might learn a thing or two from Amazon, then, and an analyst at RBC Capital has done so by suggesting that eBay launch a program similar to Fulfillment by Amazon. Below, you can see a diagram of how Fulfillment...
Firefox 4 Beta Released
July 6, 2010, 4:06 pmAvailable for download.
Only Two Weeks Until BlueGlass LA!
July 6, 2010, 3:53 pmIt's hard to believe, but BlueGlass LA is in 2 WEEKS ( I can't believe its time to start packing again ). If you're waiting to buy your tickets to BlueGlass LA , don't wait longer, seats are filling up and BlueGlass LA is going to be incredible! The speaker lineup for BlueGlass LA reads like a list of top quality Keynotes,
18+ SEO Excel Functions
July 6, 2010, 3:29 pmSEO and Excel are like chocolate and peanut butter – great together. Here are 18 Excel functions (and two formulas) that can make SEO just a little bit easier.
Report: Tough Review Of Google-ITA Deal Likely
July 6, 2010, 3:17 pmFive days ago, Google and ITA Software announced that they'd reached a "definitive agreement" covering an acquisition. Only - if you hadn't already guessed - it looks like a government agency may have a thing or two to say, as a new report indicates that antitrust regulators will take a close look at the transaction.
The main...
Cockney English a Dying Language
July 6, 2010, 3:12 pmby Claudine Zap Barney Rubble! The cockney accent is on its way out? Can't be, guv'nor! A British professor (not Henry Higgens ) has proclaimed that the accent of the East End is leaving. Gone in 30 years, finds a study. Blimey. The dialect made famous by " My Fair Lady " is out. What's in: "Jafaican," according to a story on the BBC . Not to...
There Are Government Apps for That
July 6, 2010, 3:12 pmby Claudine Zap No matter what your opinion of the present administration, everyone can probably agree on this: Wading through government programs (you know, the stuff that's supposed to help you) is a chore and a half. Well, the government for once has already thought of that . The White House relaunched its website USA.gov and added a mobile app...
Lyrics on Bing: Awesome Experience for Music Lovers and Potential Opportunity for Advertisers
July 6, 2010, 3:06 pmIf you're anything like me, you've spent a decent chunk of your life listening to, discovering and going to see bands play music (350+ shows and counting). I'm one of those walking encyclopedias of random music trivia and would probably be a certified genius if all the space in my brain currently taken up by song lyrics were replaced with actual...
What If We Held a Rally to Protest the Google News Redesign and Nobody Came?
July 6, 2010, 2:37 pmOkay, so I was a little grumpy when I posted Google News Redesign Offers "News for You" last Thursday morning. But I hadn't had my second cup of coffee that morning. Then on Saturday, I asked, "Is the Google News Redesign a Repeat of the New Coke Disaster?" So, I admit that I, too, questioned whether revamping the Google News homepage was a...
More Smartphone Owners Using Local Search And Social Networking
July 6, 2010, 2:23 pmMore people are increasingly using their smartphones for local search, social networking and gaming, according to a new survey from Compete.
Nearly one in three smartphone owners has called or stopped into a local business after finding it using a local search application. In the first quarter, close to a third of Android and iPhone users found...
Yahoo Loses VP Of Engineering To Skype
July 6, 2010, 2:10 pmConsidering that laws prevent kids from working much, and that many people try to retire by age 65, it's a big deal when a person spends 10 years with a company. Unfortunately for Yahoo, that means it's also a big deal that Madhu Yarlagadda, a vice president of engineering, is leaving for Skype after more than 11 years.
Yarlagadda got his...
Google Chrome 6 Sports VP8 Support, Better Browser Sync
July 6, 2010, 1:45 pmGoogle's Chrome Web browser is quietly ratcheting the rivalry with Mozilla's Firefox, which served as a shining example of what the development process of an open source Web browser - or any browser for that matter - should be like. Geek.com July 6 offered a great early look at the next iteration of Chrome - version 6 - by combing through this...
NASA Launches Free Online Moon Game
July 6, 2010, 1:39 pmNASA has released a new free online video game called Moonbase Alpha. Moonbase Alpha has single and multiplayer options that allow users to play the role of an exploration team member in a futuristic 3-D lunar settlement. Players must work to repair systems and oxygen flow after a meteor strike damages a solar array and life support equipment. ...
Google Sets Forum-Like Goals For Wave
July 6, 2010, 1:04 pmGoogle Wave may soon make some significant strides towards winning over people who don't see the need for a new form of communication. This week, Google semi-officially endorsed an open source project that would see Wave imitate several aspects of traditional online forums. David Crane, the founder of Debatewise, is the developer behind the push,...
Google Testing New, More Integrated Local Search SERPs
July 6, 2010, 12:56 pmA VERY in-depth post about some experiments Google is running with local search results.
Preparing for the Transition to adCenter
July 6, 2010, 12:47 pm3 important tasks to complete in your account Over recent weeks, Yahoo! and Microsoft teams have been meeting with advertisers to solicit feedback and understand their key questions and concerns. One piece of feedback we've frequently heard: "Give us more details!" So, in the spirit of providing more information, we'll address some of the common...
Weekly Search & Social News: 07/06/2010
July 6, 2010, 12:40 pmHello my wearing web wandering search geeks and welcome to another edition of ' 7 Days of Search and Social ' - if there are two things that slow down the news/blogging world in the search industry; it's summer and holidays. We had both last week (two North American holidays at least). But the funny thin? It was actually super busy my fellow...
You're Doing it Wrong
July 6, 2010, 12:29 pm5 common mistakes that can hurt your ads' performance Editor's Note: This is another in a series of posts we're calling "The Best of the YSM Blog." These are posts containing timeless advice and best practices that never go out of style. Even if you read it the first time, it's not a bad idea to review this information periodically to help get...
Interview with Pam Foster, SEO Copywriting Certification graduate
July 6, 2010, 12:06 pmGreetings! Today, we're starting a new blog feature where each week we'll feature a Certified SEO Copywriter. I'm pleased to introduce Pam Foster - one of the first Certification graduates. Pam is a Sr. Web Copywriter and SEO Consultant who worked in corporate communications roles for about 26 years before leaping into the freelance life in...
How Online Shoppers Make Their Purchasing Decisions
July 6, 2010, 11:54 amHi all, I'm Stacy General, online personal shopper for PayPal. A recent study by The Nielsen Company provides some interesting insights on how online shoppers are making their purchasing decisions. According to the survey, one-third of global Internet users and half of North Americans mainly shop at online-only retailers. Based on these...
Netflix Signs Movie Deal With Relativity Media
July 6, 2010, 11:37 amNetflix has reached a deal with Relativity Media to stream the studio's films via its "Watch Instantly" service. Netflix says the deal marks a continued shift in the distribution of major motion pictures in the U.S. Under the agreement movies previously distributed to pay channels such as HBO, Showtime and Starz will become available to be...
Smarter Ways to Get Content Ideas for B2B Blogs
July 6, 2010, 10:52 amOne of the most common challenges of business blogging is sourcing content. The range of things that can interrupt content creation are important obstacles to overcome because without content there is little reason for readers to return. Blogs are fairly easy to start and if you've been a reader of this blog, chances are pretty good that you...
NASA Adds New Features To Its Website
July 6, 2010, 10:19 amNASA has introduced new features to its NASA.gov website in an effort to offer better navigation and make it easier for users share information on Facebook and Twitter.
The new features on NASA.gov include:
*We added images to the 'What are people interested in?' box on the homepage.
*We changed the...
Becoming a More Dedicated Blogger
July 6, 2010, 10:14 amThe best way to achieve a consistent audience for your blog is to practice consistency yourself. To become a more dedicated blogger, set a blogging schedule and do your best to stick to it. A consistent schedule "trains" your readers about when to expect new posts.
Advantages of Web Marketing for Increased Income and Buzz
July 6, 2010, 9:54 amThe new rules of web marketing clearly put traditional marketing into the museum. Well, maybe not the museum, but the new rules of web marketing squeeze your dollar, increase niche product revenue, and introduce your product to more buyers than ever before. Why is that? For many companies and industries, traditional advertising methods can waste...
Want More Readers? Try Expanding Your Internet Universe
July 6, 2010, 9:54 amEver notice how everyone on the blogs you read seems to agree on everything? We all know that content is king, that transparency is good, that sleazy sales pages are bad. We even seem to know the same people: Brian, Sonia, Naomi , Johnny , Dave N , Chris G . What we forget is that this little galaxy we're occupying is only a tiny sliver of the...
How To Get A Story To The Digg Front Page
July 6, 2010, 9:50 amI am sure many people know of the traffic-driving and link-buildling benefits that the efficient use of Digg can produce. In case you don’t know, in my case I have been able to drive from 600 to over 1.6 million pageviews and generate from 8 to over 700 editorially placed links pointing to sites that I have promoted to the Digg front page.
MySpace In Ad Talks With Google, Yahoo And Microsoft
July 6, 2010, 9:37 amNews Corp is reportedly in talks with Google, Microsoft and Yahoo about striking a search advertising deal for its struggling social network MySpace. Currently MySpace has a search advertising deal with Google that was reached in 2006 and is worth $900 million over a four-year period. That deal expires next month and News Corp needs to reach some...
Six things that you should know about SEO
July 6, 2010, 9:36 amMost people know that being listed on Google's first result page will bring them a lot of targeted visitors and that they will get a lot of sales through that listing. However, you also have to know what to do if you want to get these results. This week's article shows you six things that you absolutely must know about SEO.
Marketing Pilgrim is Looking for a New Blogger
July 6, 2010, 9:20 amAs you know, the fabulous Jordan McCollum has retired. So, we're now looking for a new member of the team to help support Frank Reed, Joe Hall, and me. Here's what we're looking for (please read carefully): Write two blog posts per day, Monday to Friday. Posts must be focused around current marketing news stories-we're not looking for "how-to"...
Google UK Chief Speaks Of Focus On Mobile, Social
July 6, 2010, 9:20 amIn nine days' time, Google will report its second quarter financial results, and no matter how well the search giant's done, at least a few critics are sure to argue that it needs to succeed in new fields. Matt Brittin, Managing Director of Google UK, seems to feel mobile and social are the two main candidates. Android has become fairly...
Information Architecture â" Rocket Science Simplified
July 6, 2010, 9:14 amI can't count how many times in the past couple years I've heard people talk about how important information architecture (also referred to as IA) is to SEO. Yet it's almost always presented in a way that calls upon a lot of highly technical lingo. Taxonomy. UX. Contextual browsing. Mental model. Ontology. Semantic web' Honestly...
Break Your Goals into Micro-Goals to Make Them Achievable
July 6, 2010, 8:53 amby Jennifer Laycock
Here's the thing about goals. They're well intentioned and broad in focus and we wave them around as if we're really proud of these lofty ideas we hope to achieve. But unless we take the time to create a plan of action to reach them, they rarely amount to more than warm-fuzzy inducing line items.
The problem with the way...
Woot! The Associated Press Gets a Taste of Its Own Medicine!
July 6, 2010, 8:45 amYou may already be aware that The Associated Press (AP) has gone down a ludicrous path of insisting you owe them money, if you quote one of their stories. Now it appears the news organization has been caught indulging in some double-standards, by quoting from Woot's announcement that it had been acquired by Amazon.com. In light of this, the...
An Optimization Guide for Onsite Behavioral Targeting
July 6, 2010, 8:39 amOnsite behavioral targeting can help you personalize your Web pages to create comfort and confidence for your visitors, ultimately driving them deeper into your site with higher engagement. Based on learned behaviors and predictive attributes, analytics engines can automatically serve content that resonates with each visitor's intent and...
BP Reputation Management FAIL
July 6, 2010, 8:39 amSo BP's reputation is obviously on the line. Well, "on the line" is a gross understatement, but you know what I'm saying. And in the search engine marketing world, many have taken notice of their aggressive efforts to manage their reputation online. According to a recent Search Engine Watch article , estimates near $1M a month in spend between...
Yahoo Upshot Blog To Create Search-Driven News Content
July 6, 2010, 8:35 amAs it transitions to becoming a content provider from a pure search approach, Yahoo is innovating and moving boldly into unchartered territory as it launches today its UpShot blog that will carry search-driven news content. Yes. That's news content that will be produced on the basis of search results. Read on.Click to read the rest of this...
Summer of Music Brought to you by Bing
July 6, 2010, 8:17 amComing off the heels of the launch of the new Bing Entertainment feature, we're excited to kick off a music-themed summer with an East and West coast concert series, chances to win tickets to private shows and a Lady Gaga fan search contest! First let's talk Gaga. In honor of the 40th Anniversary of America's Top 40', we're teaming up with...
Twitter's @EarlyBird Account To Feed Users With Shopping Deals
July 6, 2010, 8:03 amTwitter is coming up with a new revenue-generating stream by way of its @Earlybird account, it seems. If you're a deal seeker, this might be for you.Click to read the rest of this post...
ICANN Approves Chinese Character Domains
July 6, 2010, 7:30 am"Icann said firms in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan would soon be issuing domains for people and organisations within their countries that are written with all Chinese scripts."
Developers Apps Removed From App Store Over Hacking Complaints
July 6, 2010, 7:21 am"According to Thomson's e-mail, some of the apps that had jumped into the top-selling app lists contained user comments complaining that their accounts had been hacked to purchase the software."
An Introduction to Magento
July 6, 2010, 6:49 amMy name is Kirstie, I started at Distilled in April 2010 and I am a PHP Developer with a particular interest in all things open source. My specialities lie in PHP5, Object Oriented design and build, application architecture, 3rd party integration, Magento, Zend Framework and Systems Analysis. In other words, I’m a nerd! I’m...
The Twitter Hype is Over
July 6, 2010, 6:10 amDear Readers, at the end of last week I haven't published the "Twitter weekly" column. This time it was no poor time management issue. I did it on purpose. The week before I had written a highly popular "Twitter weekly" post but it was the last of its sort. Why? The Twitter hype is over! Twitter has peaked usage and traffic-wise in January , or...
Join us for a Social Media Party with IAB UK in London
July 6, 2010, 4:16 amOn Thursday in London, myself and Kate Box, who heads up social media advertising sales in the UK, will be donning our party gear and joining a host of speakers to evangelise about social media marketing best practices. Kate and I have been asked to talk about how you should promote your party and what tactics, free and paid, you can use to make...
Prioritize and Summarize - Final Step of the 8-Step SEO Strategy
July 6, 2010, 12:50 amPosted by laura This post was originally in YOUmoz , and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc. My friends, youve made it. Youve sat through over 10,000 words Ive shoveled into these SEO Strategy posts...
Learn from Your Analytics Data
July 6, 2010, 12:20 amWhether it is Google analytics or some other technology (such as Go Stats) you use, it is always important to track what is happening on your website. If you have pages that need help your analytics information will become very important. Good analytics monitoring will also allow you to really leverage your online marketing efforts. Here are some...
MySpace Looking for a New Ad Buddy
July 6, 2010, 12:03 amMySpace needs to find another company willing to pay them for the opportunity to advertise to their decreasing number of users. They need to do this at a time when their executive suite has installed a revolving door to more easily handle the traffic in and out of the offices. It also comes at a time when the best company MySpace can find itself...
Google Playing With Local SERP's
July 5, 2010, 11:45 pmSometimes in search you are alerted to something that is a bit dramatic in its presentation. Google has been experimenting with their positioning of the most critical elements of a local search SERP and it makes for some interesting "What if?" questions. This new look SERP was brought to my attention from Mike Blumenthal's blog . If you want to be...
Top Rankings for Facebook Pages
July 5, 2010, 11:37 pmby Manoj Jasra
Facebook pages are popping up as quickly as websites and blogs, in fact I am often seeing organizations push users to their Facebook page due to the built-in social interactivity of Facebook pages. With the majority of our online experiences still starting with search, whether it be on Google, Bing or Facebook, there are many...
Google Playing With Local SERP’s
July 5, 2010, 11:30 pm
Sometimes in search you are alerted to something that is a bit dramatic in its presentation. Google has been experimenting with their positioning of the most critical elements of a local search SERP and it makes for some interesting “What if?” questions.
This new look SERP was brought to my attention from Mike Blumenthal’s...
French Navx AdWords Banning Case - Comments
July 5, 2010, 2:12 pmGoogle will appeal the French regulator's decision in this Navx case ' and I can see why. There are so many products and services banned from advertising with Google, third parties have a field day documenting all of them. Google's own help files keep evolving, and provide a real sense of the breadth of the issues they must consider when deciding...
Marketing Perspective is Going to Have to Shift
July 5, 2010, 1:37 pmThe marketing perspective is going to have to shift. Whether you are living in the world of small businesses or global corporations recruiting talent, and then retaining that talent is becoming a priority. Effective internal marketing empowers employees to take on learning the ends and out of the company, the industry and how to work with their...
Bringing Products to Life with Clever Ads
July 5, 2010, 1:25 pmMarketing and advertising are interesting avenues when it comes to products that may initially be considered "bland" or "not exciting". Creative professionals have such an uncanny and amazing ability to bring these "ordinary" products to life through commercials, motion graphics, visual effects, and more. I know you're probably expecting (and...
Google Sets Date Of Second Quarter Financial Report
July 5, 2010, 11:18 amAny of Google's investors who feel that the company has some explaining to do need only wait another nine days. Google's announced that it will report its second quarter financial results on Wednesday, June 15th. Things could get ugly for a couple of reasons. As the graph below shows, Google's stock hasn't done at all well since March 31st,...
Exclusive Insights – Bruce Clay Talks TopSEOs
July 5, 2010, 11:12 amI was going to write this article right after SMX Advanced, but instead of settling, the dust has actually kicked up big time but since this is a holiday weekend, I figured it’s time to write up the one on one conversation I had with Bruce Clay regarding TopSEOS, while up at SMX Advanced.
Wireframing And Website Prototyping: Best Professional Tools To Design Your Website
July 5, 2010, 10:06 amProfessional wireframing and web design prototyping tools take a step forward compared with free wireframing tools and commercial website prototyping tools, by allowing you to draw highly-realistic mockups of websites. In this MasterNewMedia guide you will find the best professional wireframing and website prototyping tools that you can use to...
Facebook's Face Recognition Tagging Feature Signalling Photo Search?
July 5, 2010, 9:53 amFacebook is currently testing a new feature for pictures that allows automatic recognition of faces and subsequent faster tagging of photos, thanks to newly-acquired technology company Divvyshot. The company says it's only the first of other new features for Facebook photo, including browsing and uploading. Let's see the potential implications....
5 Dirty Words in Link Building
July 5, 2010, 9:15 amSeemingly innocuous words that make professional SEO's cringe. Open mouth, insert soap.
We're Taking the Summer Off'
July 5, 2010, 9:13 amWell, not the whole summer. But we are giving ourselves a break. We spend a lot of time teaching people how to build smart, sustainable businesses with content. The kind of businesses that give us enough free time to have some decent work-life balance. After all, working your own schedule, to suit your own life, is one of the biggest benefits of...
Where Is Your Link Army Hiding?
July 5, 2010, 9:01 amIf "content is king", links are the king's supporting army, quietly helping the kingdom grow in power and authority. Unfortunately, as with a physical army, as most links get older they â" or rather their influence â" begins to deteriorate. Why won't a powerful link just stay a powerful link? Why can't you just build a huge amount of links...
Preventing Whois Bowling Games - The Whois Who Spam Tango
July 5, 2010, 8:56 amWhich domain is the real domain? "...Goodbye to both yours and the attacker domains from and the #2 website is elevated under some cherry keywords and the old #1 is gone." (-subscription rquired)
5 Dirty Words in Link Building
July 5, 2010, 8:43 amThere are a lot of bad words people use when talking about link building and link builders. Many of them involve expletives, and only the really creative ones are worth remembering. But the worst ones seem harmless, or even good. Some of these seemingly innocuous words make me feel like washing my own mouth out with soap. Don't let their innocent...
Skype Moves Near Facebook HQ To Consolidate Mobile, Consumer Electronics Segments
July 5, 2010, 8:26 amSkype, the chat, voice and video calling platform has plans to extend its reach to consumer electronics and mobile devices and the first step will be to move its offices in Stanford, next to Facebook's headquarters. The move will take place by October. Hires should follow.Click to read the rest of this post...
Will Your Life Be Better in 10 Years Because of the Internet?
July 5, 2010, 8:09 amAssuming we are granted seeing the next 10 years unfold, how will the Internet impact your life and in particular your social interactions? According to 'experts' (overused and often undeserved title alert!) a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project , life is gonna be good because of the social web. Honestly, since most of these folks...
How and Why to Create a "Save as PDF" Button for Your Best Content
July 5, 2010, 8:03 amSome content you create and publish on the web is too great to be used only once. No, I don't mean republishing here. What I mean here is leveraging your best content by giving your readers the ability to save or download it in an alternative format. I haven't experimented with this tactic for too long as well but when I came across Web2PDF tool...
It Just Costs More to Have An iPhone
July 5, 2010, 7:34 amThis is not shocking. From AT&T's data plans to just about every other aspect, having an iPhone just costs more money. This is not an indictment it's just something that appears to be a fact for most. In fact, an app store analytics provider, Distimo, reports on apps for the iPhone leading the way for average costs. (OK, so the BlackBerry Apps are...
USA.gov Search Now Powered By Bing
July 5, 2010, 7:23 amThe U.S. General Services Administration has launched a newly redesigned USA.gov featuring new mobile applications and better search functionality. "Revamped with direct input from the public, USA.gov leverages cutting-edge technology to provide faster, easier, more innovative government services directly to the American people," said Dave...
Let the Internet Be the Voice of Your Business
July 5, 2010, 7:23 amThere are lots of great older businesses out there that are doing some really amazing things in society yet their websites and their online voice simply don't allow them to shine like they should. The internet should be used like a megaphone for your business in order to get your voice heard far and wide.
Innovation in Mobile Experiences â" Advertising and Windows Phone 7
July 5, 2010, 5:34 am"Mobile advertising growth is eight times the growth of online over TV in the same time frame," says Charles Johnson who heads up Mobile Advertising for Microsoft. In his presentation at our business conference in Cannes 10 days ago, Charles took the audience through the opportunities in mobile advertising, how targeting capabilities are getting...
Yahoo To Use Search Query Interests To Identify News Content
July 5, 2010, 5:19 am"This idea of creating content in response to audience insight and audience needs is one component of the strategy, but it's a big component."
Using Google's Webmaster Tools Search Queries Report To Identify Low Hanging Fruit
July 5, 2010, 2:46 amPosted by Tom_C Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow spot those SEO opportunities on your site which were low effort and high value? Well this post gives you a few ways you can do that! Sweet. I'm going to be digging around in the recently released search queries report in Google Webmaster Tools: Step 1 - Gathering The Fruit The first thing...
Google News Users Hate Changes, Threaten to Go to Bing
July 4, 2010, 11:27 pmAny time Google makes changes to one of its popular Web services, people pile on to complain. When the company made alterations to its search user interface in May, people complained . Many people griped when Google added more refinements to the left-hand rail and some just didn't like the new logo. The whiners are out in full force again with the...
Eric Schmidt On Newspapers, Mobile, and What Might Eventually Kill Google
July 4, 2010, 10:07 pmGoogle CEO Eric Schmidt spoke at the Activate 2010, and the Guardian has an overview of some of his comments . Eric says "Mobile is the hottest area of computer technology ... The smartest developers now are writing apps for mobile before they write for Windows or Apple Mac desktop operating systems. Part of that is because these devices are...
What's It Like to Work at Google?
July 4, 2010, 9:50 pmOver at Reddit , people who work at Google are invited to tell what it's really like there. Knowing that some replies posted in such threads may be fake, here are three comments, from the negative to the positive. CinoBoo writes: I've been there for about 5 years. You can read about the good parts anywhere, so I'll try to offer a counterpoint...
The Inside Line On SEO
July 4, 2010, 8:30 pmThere are so many blogs on search marketing. Then there are so many forums. And Tweets. So much SEO noise, and so little time. So how does anyone make sense of it? The deluge can be overwhelming for the experienced SEO, let alone the poor beginner. If you are just starting SEO, here are the ten areas you should spend most of your time on when...
Social Media Etiquette: 20 Dos and Don'ts to Avoid Looking Like an Ass
July 4, 2010, 7:13 pmIf you want to avoid coming across as a complete ass, getting yourself banned, or just being blacklisted by your network, here are 20 tips for social media etiquette you might want to keep in mind.
"I know engineers. They love to change things."
July 4, 2010, 3:42 pmIf you look at Google News, there a "new" way to view News for you: Sections! Yes, that's actually the "old" way that the Google News homepage sorted top stories. So, it appears that Google has been listening to those of us who have asked, "Is the Google News Redesign a Repeat of the New Coke Disaster?"Click to read the rest of this post...
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"I know engineers. They love to change things."
July 4, 2010, 3:06 pmIf you look at Google News, there a "new" way to view News for you: Sections! Yes, that's actually the "old" way that the Google News homepage sorted top stories. So, it appears that Google has been listening to those of us who have asked, " Is the Google News Redesign a Repeat of the New Coke Disaster? " Click to read the rest of this post.
Happy 4th of July!
July 4, 2010, 7:23 amTrent Reznor Scores "The Social Network"
July 4, 2010, 7:00 amTrent Reznor, of NIN fame, recently said on his official site that he is nearing the completion of the score for “The Social Network”. If you are unfamiliar with the film, it’s the story about the founding of Facebook starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake… among others.
Are you going to watch...
Hamburger Sales Increase 105% in Lead Up to Independence Day
July 4, 2010, 12:00 amMyWebGrocer report that hamburger sales increase a whopping 105% as Americans prepare to celebrate the birth of the USA. MyWebGrocer collected the data through their grocery ad platform which works with over 100 US retailers (representing over 5000 stores). Click to read the rest of this post...
Google Says: Avoid meta-refresh and JS redirects
July 3, 2010, 9:38 pm"I would strongly recommend not using meta refresh-type or JavaScript redirects like that if you have changed your URLs."
Yahoo is Testing a New Algo - is this the Bing Beta?
July 3, 2010, 6:09 pmMembers are monitoring some very different Yahoo SERPs this July 4 weekend. Some are seeing bizarre entries indeed, including non-English sites in the US results
Is the Google News Redesign a Repeat of the New Coke Disaster?
July 3, 2010, 3:12 pmThe Official Google Blog announced that the company was "revamping the Google News homepage" on Wednesday. It's only Saturday, but I already think the Google News redesign is a repeat of The Coca-Cola Company's New Coke disaster in 1985.Click to read the rest of this post...
Johnny's Copyblogger Wrap-Up: Week of June 28, 2010
July 3, 2010, 1:32 pmAfter Brian didn't run last week's Wrap-up due to alleged technical issues, I got nervous and decided that I'd better secure my position around here by showing some evil initiative. Eventually, after agonizing seconds of brain-wracking agony, I got the idea to defraud advertisers. So I called Xerox. "This site has nothing to do with copying...
Couple's Adoption Wish Comes True on Facebook
July 3, 2010, 11:48 amMolly Connolly is a new parent after adopting a son with her husband, John, earlier this year. After years of trying to have a child, she and John found a birth mother through Facebook after discussing their struggle on the service. We asked Molly to share her account of the day her son was born as part of our "Your Stories" series. Submit your...
Answering Recent Questions on Privacy Controls
July 3, 2010, 11:48 amWe recently launched simplified privacy settings in response to feedback that certain Facebook settings had become too complicated. We hope that most of you have had a chance to check them out and find the ones that are right for you as you share and connect with your friends and people around you. As we rolled out the new settings , we asked you...
Cup of Joe: The Google Killer That Will Never See the Light of Day
July 3, 2010, 7:21 amIts rare that I will use the words "innovative" and "Microsoft" in the same sentence. But today I am breaking that habit to talk a moment about Pivot. Pivot is an innovative piece of software from Microsoft that makes it possible to visualize large sets of data in very interesting ways. Gary Flake demoed Pivot at TED back in March. I have been...
Bing Launches Tour De France Bing Maps App
July 3, 2010, 7:20 amMicrosoft's Bing has been doing some really interesting things with Bing Maps, and more specifically Bing Maps Apps. This week, the company launched a new map app for the Tour De France , which starts today and runs through July 25th. "The 97th Tour de France will be made up of 1 prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,642...
AdSense And Google Analytics Stat Discrepancies
July 2, 2010, 11:33 pm"These last two days the comparative numbers have been way out of wack, with yesterday's page view reporting differing by a factor of almost 200..."
Google Updates and SERP Changes - July 2010
July 2, 2010, 10:05 pm"WebmasterWorld's monthly SERP monitoring and update thread for July 2010."
Cars, Cars, and More Cars: Buzz Week in Review
July 2, 2010, 7:47 pmby Mike Krumboltz The car business may be struggling, but automakers aren't slowing down on innovation. This past week, an honest-to-goodness flying car made waves, a luxury car maker revealed a snazzy battery-powered ride, and researchers talked up a car that helps the visually impaired to drive. Put the pedal to the medal and catch up on those...
Five Things To Do on the Fourth of July
July 2, 2010, 6:56 pmby Claudine Zap As the Fourth of July rolls around, plenty of people are getting out the grill and stocking up on everything red, white, and blue. For ideas on how to celebrate the day, patriots headed to the Web. Here, your buzz roundup on the holiday, and searches to steer you on what to do on the day. See the fireworks . Those preparing to...
109-year-old mechanical contracting company "goes Google"
July 2, 2010, 5:46 pmEditor's note: Today's guest bloggers are Aaron McCarthy, IT Director for Limbach Facility Services, Cristine Leifheit, Team Lead. McCarthy and Leifheit recently spearheaded the move to Google Apps for Limbach's 500 employees. A mechanical contractor founded in 1901, Limbach Facility Services switched from Lotus Notes®/Domino® to "Go Google" and...
Facebook Has New Suggestions for New Users
July 2, 2010, 3:34 pmFacebook has launched a new feature for suggesting pages of interest to new users. New people who join Facebook will be presented with a list of Pages that other people in a "similar demographic" like. "Friends on Facebook are constantly helping each other connect with more of the people and interests that matter in their lives," says Facebook...
SEW Labs at SES San Francisco; What's With the Egghead?
July 2, 2010, 3:27 pmSES San Francisco has a new track. It's a track hosted by SearchEngineWatch and it's call the SEW labs. If you have been to a Search Engine Strategies Conference before, then you are probably well versed in what happens in a 'site clinic'. Basically attendees to the site clinic turn up and thrust their businesses cards into the moderators hand,...
Google Music, Android 3.0 To Launch Together This Year
July 2, 2010, 2:59 pmTwo of the most anticipated projects in development at Google should be rolled out in a coordinated fashion rather soon. Android product manager Gaurav Jain indicated in a recent interview that Google Music and Android 3.0 will come out together in time for the holidays. Zach Epstein deserves credit for coming across the interview, which was...
Use Ad Testing to Help Reach Your PPC Marketing Goals - Part 3
July 2, 2010, 2:44 pmby Mike Fleming
First, we took a look at types of ads that you can test and then we look at how to analyze the results of your tests and set up new ones. But, one more thing we must know is when to consider a test complete and ready to be analyzed. If you consider a test complete before you have statistically significant results that prove...
Tips to get a Job through Social Media
July 2, 2010, 2:19 pmI feel sorry for not discovering that cool post earlier but I thing it is worth a Sphinn anyway. Finding the job web 2.0-style: the right way.
Bing Helping You Plan a Holiday BBQ
July 2, 2010, 2:13 pmIts t-minus 3 (or so) days until the Holiday weekend and Im sure many of you are planning to attend a BBQ or host your own. Whether youre the host or the guest, your to-do list is probably continuing to grow. Good news! There are many ways that Bing can help you plan for this years holiday festivities. First, will you be inside or out? Check out...
Facebook Offers Scholarship to Female Computer Science Students
July 2, 2010, 1:50 pmFacebook has announced a new scholarship, the Facebook Grace Hopper Scholarship , which it will award to 5 women university students excelling in Computer Science, to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference. The conference takes place in Atlanta from September 28tht to October 2nd.
SEM Intermediate Series: Implementing Negative Keywords in Your Microsoft adCenter Campaigns
July 2, 2010, 1:27 pmThis is the 13 th post in the SEM Intermediate Series , a collection of posts intended for search engine marketing professionals looking for guidance in monitoring and adjusting the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine the success of a PPC campaign. This series is a continuation of the SEM Beginner Series . If you haven't already read...
Yahoo Gives Search Suggestions in "Near Real-Time"
July 2, 2010, 1:15 pmYahoo has enhanced its Yahoo Search Assist tool (the search suggestions that come up when you start typing a query), to provide what Yahoo calls "near real-time" suggestions as you type. "You probably already use Yahoo! Search Assist to conduct your searches quickly, but now you can get even fresher suggestions, which will be especially useful...
5 Tips for Marketing Through Content
July 2, 2010, 12:58 pmGather.com is a site that started as a social networking site, but is now a demand-driven media company, attracting 7 million unique visitors per month (and growing), according to the company. Demand-driven media is certainly a competitive industry these days with companies like Demand Media, AOL, Yahoo and others all playing their roles. Tell us...
Selecting Audiences by Geographic Region in the Atlas Media Console
July 2, 2010, 12:52 pmYou may know that Atlas recently released the Beta of a new tool called Audience Messaging, which manages, tracks, and reports on delivery of creative to specific audiences based on user-defined targeting criteria. But did you know how easy it is to create an audience based on latitude and longitude? If you can draw a box, you can create a...
Get Timely Suggestions on Yahoo! Search
July 2, 2010, 12:35 pmWe've recently enhanced Yahoo! Search Assist to provide near real-time suggestions as you type your query. You probably already use Yahoo! Search Assist to conduct your searches quickly, but now you can get even fresher suggestions, which will be especially useful when there are recent top news or events related to your search topic. With the new...
Marketing Lessons From The World Cup
July 2, 2010, 12:17 pm Now that the Round of 16 is over and we are down to the final 8 teams that will be playing in the Quarterfinals of the World Cup - most of the marketing that has accompanied the games has been played out and it's a good time to try and look for some lessons from the International phenomenon that is the World Cup. To help, here is my round up of...
LeBron James House Hunts, Roger Ebert Back Tracks, Carrie Prejean Weds: What's the Buzz
July 2, 2010, 12:01 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Roger Ebert (Searches increased by 915%). The movie critic backed off his statement that "video games can never be art." Maggots on plane (+499%). Just when you think air travel could not get more miserable: Maggots were discovered on an overhead compartment of a plane in Atlanta ....
How People Value Data
July 2, 2010, 11:26 amThe other day a person contacted me about wanting to help me with ad retargeting on one of my sites, but in order to do so they would have had to have tracked my site. That would have given them tons of great information about how they could retarget all my site's visitors around the web. And they wanted me to give that up for free in an offer...
Will Social Media Improve Life In the Future?
July 2, 2010, 11:22 amThe social benefits of Internet use will outweigh the negatives over the next decade, according to a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project and the Imagining the Internet Center at Elon University.
While most respondents reported the Internet has both positive and negative effects, 85 percent said...
2 Billion Add-Ons Downloaded by Firefox Users
July 2, 2010, 11:09 amMozilla has served its 2 billionth Firefox Add-on download. The download rate has been increasing each year, but Firefox also faces increasing competition in the open source browser market. This week Google actually took efforts to make Chrome more accessible , and introduced a new category of featured extensions. Mozilla's milestone is certainly...
Asia Is Fastest Growing Global Region for Twitter
July 2, 2010, 10:57 amA recent study by Semiocast has shown that more tweets now originate from Asia than any other region. 37% of Tweets are made in the region, an increase of 5.5% from March this year, while North America has seen a drop of 7% to just 31%. The USA is still the country producing the most Twitter posts, however Japan and Indonesia hold the second and...
DMOZ Planned System Outage Notification
July 2, 2010, 10:57 amOver the course of the next few days, we'll be conducting upgrades to DMOZ that will require us to take some parts of the directory offline. While the directory content will stay on view throughout the process, all directory submissions will be disabled from Sunday, July 4 - Wednesday, July 7, 2010. The following functionality will be impacted by...
Three Effective Tactics for Content Targeting
July 2, 2010, 10:28 amI admit it. Along with about 90 percent of AdWords advertisers, I was once a card-carrying member of the "Content Targeting is Scary, Kind of Like a Toyota, Club." At SES New York one year, using the best analogy any boy can come up with (a car analogy, in other words) to describe the quality of the semantic matching and feature set in content...
Google's Blogger and Zemanta Team Up on Gadget for Blogger
July 2, 2010, 10:04 amGoogle's Blogger has teamed up with Zemanta to create a Zemanta Gadget for Blogger.
Zemanta CEO Boštjan 'Bos' Špetič has posted about the gadget on the Blogger Buzz Blog, saying, "Previously, Blogger users could install a Zemanta browser plugin to recommend content while you blog, enabling you to read news to learn more about...
Surprise: Apple Allows Google AdMob Ads for iPhone 4, iPad
July 2, 2010, 10:00 amDespite new language in its developer terms to the contrary, Apple is allowing targeted ads from Google, its AdMob unit and others inside iPhone and iPad applications, according to the Wall Street Journal. Back in June Apple revised its developer terms of service for its iOS 4 operating system, which the iPhone 4 and iPad use, to prevent...
iAds Appear in the Wild
July 2, 2010, 9:58 am
Apple’s mobile ad platform iAds are beginning to appear in apps with the ad for the Nissan Leaf leading the way. This is the same ad that was showcased by Steve Jobs during the iAd demo during the Worldwide Developers Conference last month.
MacRumors.com reports
Last week, we noted that developers had begin incorporating support...
Where to Outsource Banner Designs for Your Marketing Campaigns
July 2, 2010, 9:43 amBanner advertising has a dual purpose: getting your brand out there, and boosting ROI. The main reason many advertising campaigns fail is related to design - poor design that is. DIY strategies for economy work only for those who are already designers, especially if they are experienced enough to make a market audit, to understand what their...
PayPal UK Online Retail Report
July 2, 2010, 9:43 amHello everyone, it's Carl Scheible here, managing director of PayPal in the UK. We've just released our latest forecasts for the future growth of Britain's online retail industry. The predictions are from PayPal's second annual UK Online Retail Report, undertaken for us by Experian and the Future Foundation. The big news is that we expect the UK's...
Only 19% Trust Your Sponsored Blog Posts!
July 2, 2010, 9:25 amWe all know it goes on. Sometimes it's disclosed, other times not. Sometimes it's black and white, other times it's more of a gray area. What am I talking about? Paid blog posts. According to Fleishman-Hillard's 2010 Digital Influence Index ( pdf ), consumers are wising up to paid/sponsored blogs posts-and they don't like them! If you're given a...
Facebook And Twitter Becoming More Important For Job Recruitment
July 2, 2010, 9:20 amSocial networks lead all other recruiting channels for planned investment by employers as the economy rebounds, according to a new survey by recruitment platform Jobvite. The survey found 83 percent of respondents use or plan to use social networks for recruiting this year. LinkedIn (78%), Facebook (55%) and Twitter (45%) are the most popular...
Google Introduces Real-Time Blogger Stats
July 2, 2010, 9:20 amTraffic mongers and general-purpose stats hounds now have another compelling reason to use Blogger: last night, a statistics tool called Blogger Stats was introduced, and believe it or not, it in some ways one-ups Google Analytics. The first advantage of Blogger Stats is that it's integrated, meaning Blogger users won't have to deal with separate...
Skype Expands Operations in Silicon Valley
July 2, 2010, 9:20 amSkype announced today that it is expanding its operations in Silicon Valley. The company has signed a lease with Stanford University for a 90,000 square foot office space in the Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto. "Silicon Valley will add to Skype's excellent engineering team in Estonia, Prague and Stockholm, and will also become the home of...
The Writer Runs This Show
July 2, 2010, 8:51 amWe have the technology. We have the business skills. We have virtual ink by the barrel . The writer runs this show. We're the ones who command the attention. We're the ones who create the engagement. We're the ones who influence what people think and do. The writer runs this show. We won't toil in obscurity waiting for a green-light . We won't...
Split FireFox into Several Frames for Better Productivity and More
July 2, 2010, 8:51 amAs an active Internet user, I browse hundreds of pages daily. Sometimes I have dozens of tabs open and I have to switch quickly between them. To enhance my productivity I am now playing with a couple of screen-splitting tools that are aimed to help me: Quickly compare search results (of various (local) search engine versions, of different search...
Apple: It's Just the Formula for Signal Strength That's Wrong with the iPhone 4
July 2, 2010, 8:45 amApple has released a public letter addressing the antenna issues with the iPhone 4, which have dominated the tech press since the device's release. The company says it has been very surprised to hear so many reports of reception problems and that it has been investigating them. Here's an excerpt from the letter: To start with, gripping almost any...
Blogger Gets Real-Time Stats, Google Analytics Next?
July 2, 2010, 8:33 amOK, this is just plain unfair! I stopped using Blogger back in 2005, because, well, it hadn't received any decent new features in a couple of years. Since then, Google has done a better job of keeping up with WordPress and today Blogger uses are getting something that really makes me jealous. Real-time web analytics! I mean, c'mon Google! Blogger...
30 Multivariate & A/B Split Testing Tools, Tutorials & Resources
July 2, 2010, 8:33 amCrossroads by Captain DJ . Getting targeted traffic for a website is just the first step in a thorough SEO process. What comes next? Landing page optimization or conversion (rate) optimization/CRO follows. After all you want the visitors you get to stay on your site and perform the desired action (like ordering or subscribing). One of the foremost...
Will Google Voice App Give Skype a Wake-up Call?
July 2, 2010, 8:18 am
I use Skype for all my incoming and outgoing business calls. I have ever since 2006.
While I love Skype, what I really love is my Google Voice number. In fact, when you call my office number, you are calling my Google Voice number, which is then routed to my Skype-In number. Why don’t I just dump Skype and exclusively use...
Facebook Testing Facial Recognition for Tagging in Photos
July 2, 2010, 8:10 amFacebook is testing some new features for photos. One such feature is a new way of tagging people. "People love tagging their friends and family in photos, but we've heard that it can be a tedious process. You now can add tags with just a couple of clicks directly from your home page and other sections of the site, using the same face detection...
Google Acquires Travel Search Firm ITA for $700 Million
July 2, 2010, 8:02 amYesterday, Google announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire ITA, a Boston-based software company specializing in organizing airline data, including flight times, availability and prices. The purchase price for the travel search firm was $700 million in cash, subject to adjustments.Click to read the rest of this post...
Facebook Testing Facial Detection for Tagging in Photos
July 2, 2010, 7:57 amFacebook is testing some new features for photos. One such feature is a new way of tagging people.
"People love tagging their friends and family in photos, but we've heard that it can be a tedious process. You now can add tags with just a couple of clicks directly from your home page and other sections of the site, using the same face...
Times Newspaper Begins To Charge Online Readers For Content
July 2, 2010, 6:12 am"My suspicion is that the main problem with this experiment is what I'd call friction. Web users have got used to clicking simply from one page to another without hindrance."
Online Advertising in China â" Insight from Nokia and Procter and Gamble
July 2, 2010, 4:19 amOur trip to Cannes this year was fruitful, not only because of the awards and seminars, but because we were able to mix and mingle with advertisers and marketers from all over the world. In this video, we chatted to some big brands in China, and got some great ideas on how best to think about advertising in the region. We hear about mobile...
Apple and AT&T Sued Over iPhone 4
July 2, 2010, 3:03 am"The lawsuit focus on the antenna design problems, making several claims..."
The Beginner's Guide to Getting Links From Bloggers (Video)
July 2, 2010, 12:13 amPosted by Danny Dover This weeks Whiteboard Friday is a little bit different than normal but a lot more awesome. I took the lead this week and am sharing 5 tips that beginners can use to get links from bloggers. This educational video is full to the brim with helpful tips, odd tangents and one very poor impression of a news anchor.
Online Marketing Testing is Essential
July 2, 2010, 12:12 amWhen it comes to marketing any business online people very rarely ever sit around and wait for things to just happen. If you are, it might be wise to start testing different efforts and approaches to get things moving a bit. Often time you really need to make some changes and perform tweaks to fully understand what is really working and what...
Know the (Quality) Score
July 1, 2010, 10:12 pm4 ways to improve your quality index for lower cost and better placement Editor's Note: This is another in a series of posts we're calling "The Best of the YSM Blog." These are posts containing timeless advice and best practices that never go out of style. Even if you read it the first time, it's not a bad idea to review this information...
U.S. Supreme Court Does Not Kill Business Method Patents
July 1, 2010, 8:59 pm"The decision, however, closed off no options to patent seekers, though the justices unanimously declared that the process at issue in the case could not be patented."
We SEO textual content'why not video?!
July 1, 2010, 6:44 pmVideo optimization is crucial if you want your video to be found by your audience. Similar to how you would SEO your website copy to rank high, you can do the same with videos. What do you SEO with videos? Well, with video optimization you SEO the script. You might be scratching your head now so let me explain the benefits of video...
Movie Trailer Too Scary for Movie Theaters
July 1, 2010, 5:53 pmby Claudine Zap Remember " Paranormal Activity "? The fake-u-mentary horror flick filmed for no budget and no-name actors that scared the living daylights out of anyone who watched it? Well, now there's a sequel coming out. The trailer for " Paranormal Activity 2 " is playing before the 'tween favorite, " The Twilight Saga: Eclipse ." At least,
Health Care Gets a Website
July 1, 2010, 5:53 pmby Claudine Zap No matter where you fall on the health care reform debate, everyone can probably agree on this: Health care is confusing as all heck. Well, the government for once has already thought of that. The White House has launched a website called healthcare.gov â" just point, click, and shop for insurance. The point is to de-mystify...
Free Data
July 1, 2010, 4:32 pmThe other day a person contacted me about wanting to help me with ad retargeting on one of my sites, but in order to do so they would have had to have tracked my site. That would have given them tons of great information about how they could retarget all my site's visitors around the web. And they wanted me to give that up for free in an offer...
Bing Sweepstakes: Enter to Win Bing Bling for Your Office
July 1, 2010, 4:21 pmSome of you may have run across this on Twitter, either via the @adCenter or @MSAdvertising feeds, but I wanted to take a minute to mention it here on the blog as well. Bing is celebrating its 1st birthday by giving away some cool prize packages with mouse pads, computer skins, pens, stickers, cups and more. Winners will be chosen at random on...
As the world turns to FIFA, FIFA.com turns to Google
July 1, 2010, 4:21 pmWe're right in the middle of football fever worldwide and as the number of competing teams dwindles, the interest is only growing. Of course, many of these eyeballs around the world are turning to FIFA.com to get the latest scores, updates, and analysis. Given the traffic flowing through FIFA.com, FIFA understands the importance of search on their...
eBay Ends AdCommerce PPC Ads on eBay.com and eBay.ca
July 1, 2010, 4:15 pmStarting on August 4th, eBay will be retiring its AdCommerce placements on eBay.com and eBay.ca. It will continue to offer the service in Europe and Australia.
This is a program that allowed eBay sellers to purchase pay-per-click ads on search result pages linking to their eBay stores and listings.
"We understand that you may be...
SEW Toolbar, Search Marketing Toolkit Launches Today
July 1, 2010, 3:51 pmThe nice people at Wibiya have been working with us to create our toolbar, which you will see, now pops up at the bottom of the page. Wibiya offer a free web toolbar, which is essentially an app engine that can be fitted to your website. We decided to heavily customize the toolbar for readers of SEW to offer apps that fit in with routine search...
Google Announces $700 Million Acquisition of ITA Software
July 1, 2010, 3:47 pmGoogle announced that it has signed an acquisition agreement with ITA Software. Reports of talks surrounding such an acquisition were revealed in April, but talk heated up again this week , mostly regarding issues of concern expressed by many in the travel industry. Marissa Mayer, Google's VP, Search Products & User Experience, has now posted to...
comScore Acquires Products Division of Nexius, Inc.
July 1, 2010, 3:35 pmcomScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced that it has acquired the products division of Nexius, Inc., a leading provider of mobile carrier-grade solutions that deliver network analysis focused on the experience of wireless subscribers, as well as network intelligence with respect to performance,...
Google Buys Travel Software Company ITA & Enters the Travel Business
July 1, 2010, 3:32 pm"...today we have signed an agreement to acquire ITA, a Boston-based software company specializing in organizing airline data, including flight times, availability and prices."
Google Wants Your Grandma to Use Video Chat in Gmail
July 1, 2010, 3:29 pmGoogle has posted a video and an accompanying, printable guide for grandmothers to understand how to use Gmail's video chat feature. Google wants you to be able to easily show your grandparents how to use Gmail video chat, because let's face it: a lot of grandparents aren't hip to all of the latest web trends (if you are a grandparent that is hip...
Wordpress Introduces Post By Voice
July 1, 2010, 3:29 pmWordpress has just introduced a new feature that lets you update your blog by calling a phone number speaking. Wordpress users can go to the My Blogs tab, enable "Post by Voice" and get a special phone number to call for their blogs. Calling the number and recording a message will post an audio file to the blog, which can then be published to...
MySpace Partners With Orange In France
July 1, 2010, 3:29 pmIn Europe, Orange is an almost omnipresent organization - the third-biggest mobile operator and the second-biggest broadband Internet provider, according to its own stats. And so it seems MySpace has made an interesting compromise by entering into an advertising and content partnership with Orange in France today. MySpace appears to be both...
Digg4 is Alpha. Really Alpha. Don't worry, we got this.
July 1, 2010, 3:23 pmLast night we invited in our biggest batch of V4 alpha users at around 6pm. 20,000 in total. Within 20 minutes, Digg V4 was unusable.
SEW Toolbar, A Search Marketing Toolkit Launches Today
July 1, 2010, 3:07 pmThe nice people at Wibiya have been working with us to create our toolbar, which you will see pops up at the bottom of the page. Wibiya offer a free web toolbar , which is essentially an app engine that can be fitted to your website. We decided to heavily customize the toolbar for readers of SEW to offer apps that fit in with routine search...
Microsoft: Ad Rank on Yahoo and Bing Will Be the Same
July 1, 2010, 2:55 pmMicrosoft has posted some FAQ's and their respective answers in an update on its Search Alliance with Yahoo. There's not a ton of new information, but, there are no doubt plenty of questions surrounding the transition, scheduled to get underway in time for the holidays. One question Microsoft took on was that of ad positioning between the two...
Disney Reportedly Acquires Tapulous, Makers of Tap Tap Revenge
July 1, 2010, 2:20 pmTechCrunch is reporting that Disney has acquired Tapulous , the makers of popular iPhone game Tap Tap Revenge . Very few details are given around this news or its source, but the publication says Tapulous founder Bart Decrem, who will join Disney as a VP. "We have over 30 million users and have been #1 on the App Store 5 times over, with Tap Tap...
Baby-step your way into a SEO content development campaign
July 1, 2010, 2:20 pmAre you doing nothing with your SEO content development campaign because you can't do everything , right now? I received a question that I thought was excellent - and illustrates a common fear around launching a SEO copywriting campaign. "Hi Heather, I was just reading your latest edition of SEO Copywriting Buzz , and noticed the section titled...
Microsoft Content Ads Now Available for Canadian adCenter Advertisers
July 1, 2010, 2:02 pmHappy Canada Day! Were pleased to announce that Microsoft content ads have come to Canada. Content ads are text ads that display next to relevant content on major Microsoft web sites and participating partner web sites. Content ads are a great opportunity to extend your reach across high quality MSN Canada sites like MSN Money and MSN...
Ask BP Oil Spill Questions Via YouTube at 3:30 Eastern
July 1, 2010, 1:46 pmYouTube has partnered with PBS NewsHour on an interview with Bob Dudley, President and CEO of BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization. This is a chance for people and organizations to ask questions related to the oil spill and get responses from BP. "If your organization is interested in being part of the discussion, we welcome questions from you...
Apple's iAds Now Appearing for Users
July 1, 2010, 1:28 pmApple's iAds are making their way into the wild after weeks of hype. MacRumors.com says , "their presence appears to be very spotty on iAd-compatible applications at the moment with banners appearing only occasionally while at other times the apps simply show blank space in the banner location." Engadget has an interesting piece on "What Killed...
In Search of the Perfect SEO Product Page (Oh, and a hello!)
July 1, 2010, 1:27 pmHi, there! My name is Mike Pantoliano and I’m the newest SEO consultant working for Distilled in the US. I’m terribly excited to be joining the ridiculously talented team both in the UK and the US, and I’ve already learned a great deal from the bright minds with which I’ve surrounded myself. I hope to provide this blog with...
Snoop Dog Wants to Rent a Country, Jenna Bush Is Roasted, Roger Federer Fails: What's the Buzz
July 1, 2010, 1:10 pmby Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Jenna Bush (Searches increased by 25,517%). Comic Chelsea Handler went after the former president's daughter as a disastrous correspondent for the "Today" show. Paranormal Activity 2 (+1,574%). The trailer is apparently too scary for some moviegoers in Texas. See for yourself . Roger...
HP's Acquisition of Palm is Complete
July 1, 2010, 12:50 pmUpdate: The acquisition is now complete. See releases from HP and Palm.
Original Article (04/28): Hewlett-Packard just announced its intent to buy Palm for $1.2 Billion at $5.70 per share. The transaction has already been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors.
The move was made to give HP a better shot at winning some...
Tracking the Impact of an App
July 1, 2010, 12:24 pmWe live in an app crazy world. Whether it is something developed for the most popular iPhone or the up and coming Android market, apps are the talk of the marketing town. While there is plenty of talk about apps, there is actually precious little hard evidence of their impact for brands. Why is that? There are plenty of possible reasons. 1....
Boy Do I Love Linkbuilding - And You Should Too
July 1, 2010, 11:55 amPosted by Seoteric This post was originally in YOUmoz , and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc. Link building is always a hot topic because it is really what makes an SEO campaign work. Content is...
PandaLabs Warns Of Tabnabbing Phishing Scams
July 1, 2010, 11:37 amIn the second quarter of 2010 Trojans accounted for nearly 52 percent of malware, according to a new quarterly report from PandaLabs. Traditional viruses have their comeback since the start of 2010, now accounting for nearly 25 percent of all malware compared to 15 percent in Q1. PandaLabs says the increase is due in part to a small handful of...
PayPal X Platform Toolkit Available for Google App Engine
July 1, 2010, 11:37 amPayPal is offering a new open source toolkit for Google App Engine that lets you integrate Java apps running on App Engine with the new PayPal Adaptive Payments API. The Adaptive Payments API lets developers embed payments into their apps, services, and platforms. PayPal's Praveen Alavilli says, "The Adaptive Payments APIs offer several new...
PayPal Mobile Express Checkout Makes it Easier for Consumers to Shop from their Phones
July 1, 2010, 11:26 amBill Zielke here, senior director on the merchant services team. For years, retailers have been talking about the importance of a multichannel strategy. But there's never been a better time to get this up and running than today â" because consumers are shopping not only offline and online but now through their phones. Mobile payments are poised...
Google Celebrates Gay Pride Around the World
July 1, 2010, 11:15 amGoogle is highlighting its Gay pride efforts in a post to the official company blog today. Google says about 300 of its employees marched in the 40th annual Pride parade in San Francisco, and more participated in various events in Boston, New York, Chicago, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. Googlers will also take part in EuroPride in Poland, parades in Tokyo...
Google Chrome Creeps to 7.2% Worldwide Browser Share
July 1, 2010, 11:14 amNet Applications' June Web browser share market data is out and Google Chrome grew to 7.24 percent, up from 7.04 percent in May when Chrome cracked the 7 percent mark. Check out the data: While Chrome is still growing, Microsoft Internet Explorer rose back above 60 percent to 60.32 percent after falling to 59.95 percent in April and 59.75 percent...
I Listened to Google and I Failed
July 1, 2010, 11:11 amGoogle's mantra "creating compelling content that attracts natural links by itself is all you need to do to rank" debunked by Graywolf's SEO blog.
New Research Shows Entertainment Banners Impact Box Office Revenues
July 1, 2010, 10:51 amMediaMind, the leading independent provider of digital solutions and comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released "Dwelling on Entertainment," a joint study that examines how online marketing influences modern consumer behavior in the entertainment vertical.
Experience the music with Bing
July 1, 2010, 10:45 amAs we mentioned last week you are now able to discover, experience and buy music right within Bing Entertainment . You can find the latest songs as well as sample the songs right there inline with the Zune Player. We have even taken it a step further letting you purchase those songs right from the results page through Amazon.com, iTunes or Zune....
PayPal To Launch 'Mobile Express Checkout' For Smartphones And Mobile
July 1, 2010, 10:30 am"Paypal will begin to roll out the service over the next few weeks, starting with iPhone and Android devices as well as a few retailers such as Nike and Buy.com."
iPhone 4 Antenna Issues Draw Legal Trouble
July 1, 2010, 10:23 amApple's iPhone 4 antennas have been the subject of much criticism and grief throughout the tech community since the device's recent release. Reception was certainly not the only complaint, but it has definitely been the most frequent one. Now it looks like users are ganging up on Apple and going after the company on the legal front. AppleInsider...
Groupon and McClatchy Team Up on Deals at Newspaper Sites
July 1, 2010, 10:21 amGroupon has signed a national agreement with The McClatchy Company to distribute exclusive content to McClatchy's sites in 28 U.S. markets.
Visitors to McClatchy sites will get deals from Groupon that aren't even available at Groupon.com. These will initially launch in Sacramento and Kansas City, with other regions following over the coming...
LeBron James Will Break Twitter
July 1, 2010, 10:17 amSometime over the next few days, July 5th if you believe certain reports, LeBron James will break Twitter. No, I don’t mean physically break it, but his name alone will bring the microblogging site to its knees.
In case you’re wondering what I’m getting at, LeBron James officially became a free agent last night at 12:01 AM;...
Google CEO Schmidt On Social Network ". I won't say,"
July 1, 2010, 10:13 am"Google chief executive wouldn't publicly deny that the company is set to hatch a rival social network to Facebook during a speech today in London, adding fuel to rumors that the search giant may launch a social service called Google Me later this year."
Landing Page Makeover Clinic #27: HiddenSoy.com
July 1, 2010, 9:42 amThis is another addition to our ongoing series of tutorials and case studies on landing pages that work. Most days I just don't know what's safe to eat or drink, but I've always thought that soy was a better, more nutritious choice for my protein needs " didn't you? More vegan and all that. Well, that's not the way Dianne Gregg sees it. In fact,...
Moving from Fragmented to Segmented Online Marketing
July 1, 2010, 9:36 amCompanies today have a virtual smörgåsbord of options when it comes to marketing their products and services online. Lack of expertise, numerous tactical options, pressure for sales in a down economy and the tendency to chase shiny objects cause many online marketing efforts to be fragmented. I really doubt that a significant waste of effort...
Google News Redesign Offers "News for You"
July 1, 2010, 9:32 amThis morning when I checked out Google News it didn't look the way it did yesterday morning. That's because the Google News homepage has been revamped with several changes designed to highlight interesting stories I didn't know existed and to make it easier for me to share stories through social networks.Click to read the rest of this post...
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Building a Global Brand on the Cheap
July 1, 2010, 9:30 amIf asked to name a few of the world's top brands, you might include names such as Coca Cola, Disney, Microsoft, Intel, or perhaps Mercedes Benz, Toyota, and BMW. These companies have been around for many years (35 in Microsoft's case and 122 in Coca Cola's) and have spent hundreds of millions of dollars establishing global brand recognition. The...
Google Explains Cloud Computing Benefits to Washington
July 1, 2010, 9:24 amMike Bradshaw, Director of Google Federal, is delivering a testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today. This will take place during a hearing on federal IT and cloud computing.
On the Google Public Policy Blog, Google has listed the three main points that Bradshaw will make:
First, cloud computing can...
DMA Sues Colorado Over Internet Sales Tax Law
July 1, 2010, 9:13 amThe Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Colorado challenging the constitutionality of a new law that requires online retailers outside the state to collect sales tax information from customers and turn it over to the state's Department of Revenue. The DMA says the law constitutes an "unprecedented...
Yahoo Prepares For $3 Billion Stock Buyback
July 1, 2010, 9:13 amYesterday, Yahoo's stock hit a new 52-week low, touching $13.79 before closing at $13.84. Things are looking rather brighter this morning, though, as the stock is up to $14.09 following a declaration that Yahoo may buy back $3 billion in common stock. This announcement, which came via an SEC filing , provides an interesting window into the...
Optimizing Your "Thank-You-for-Comment" Page
July 1, 2010, 9:13 amJordan already did once an awesome post on optimizing your "Thank-you" pages ; this article is going to be more specific: it looks at various ways to get your blog commenters even more enrolled . People who have found your article worth commenting are more likely to get even more enrolled; People who comment are your most targeted audience; you...
Optimizing Local Search
July 1, 2010, 9:13 amHave you tried Googling for pizza in your town recently? If you frequent the organic rankings like yours truly, you've noticed that between paid advertisements and the local business results, the 'true' organic rankings are appearing beneath the fold (Which means they don't exist right?). So, it looks like unless you're Bazbeaux's, (which I might...
Mind Control and Local Search?
July 1, 2010, 9:13 amOkay, first things first, this post isn't really about hypnotism or mind control, but if you're interested to learn something with a similar effect so that you can leverage on local search, I highly suggest that you continue reading. Also, please be reminded that I will keep my case as thorough and open as possible to allow sparks to ignite on...
Do You Experience Facebook Fatigue?
July 1, 2010, 9:03 amFacebook may be in big trouble. Mashable is pointing to a study from Roiworld that surveyed 600 teenagers, and found that while 80% of them are spending two hours per day online (on average), they are also showing signs of Facebook fatigue. According to this survey, one in five who have a Facebook account are either using it less or no longer...
Spending on Rich Media and Social Ads for Mobile on the Rise
July 1, 2010, 9:01 amMillennial Media has released its latest S.M.A.R.T. (U.S. Scorecard for Mobile Advertising Reach and Targeting) report on how the mobile web is increasing. This includes more users, longer sessions, advertisers targeting more campaigns, etc.
The report also indicates a significant increase in advertisers' spend on rich media, and an increase in...
Local.com Pays $5m for Local Ad Solution Provider Octane360
July 1, 2010, 8:55 amLocal search site Local.com has acquired Octane360 , a provider of domain-based local ad solutions for small businesses, domain portfolio owners, agencies and channel partners. Local.com is paying $5 million in cash and stock, with an earnout of up to $5.9 million if certain performance criteria are met in the two-year period following the...
Motorola & Verizon Capitalize on iPhone's Flaws
July 1, 2010, 8:49 amThere are many great reasons why you should set up some kind of social media monitoring dashboard . One such reason is to listen to the complaints received by your competitors and adapt your marketing messaging to capitalize on their weaknesses. Well, score one to Motorola and Verizon. Their latest print ad for the Droid X includes the following...
Motorola & Verizon Capitalize on iPhone’s Flaws
July 1, 2010, 8:31 am
There are many great reasons why you should set up some kind of social media monitoring dashboard. One such reason is to listen to the complaints received by your competitors and adapt your marketing messaging to capitalize on their weaknesses.
Well, score one to Motorola and Verizon. Their latest print ad for the Droid X includes...
Analysis of Five Top Blogs and What You Can Learn from Them
July 1, 2010, 8:02 amInspired by my recent post on How Young is Too Young? , I've was contacted by 16-year-old blogger Onibalusi Bamidele who has guest-written this post. There is a trend among many new (and even old) bloggers. I discovered many of them tend to quit, lose hope, or even become less dedicated to their blogs when it seems they are not seeing any result...
Yahoo Mail for iPhone Gets an Upgrade
July 1, 2010, 8:02 amYahoo has upgraded its HTML5 mobile web mail experience for the iPhone and iPod Touch, with a faster and more feature-rich version. It's available as an opt-in trial, and has many of the same features as the desktop version. Yahoo lists these properties of the offering: Faster and more reliable: If youre offline, Yahoo! Mail uses local caching...
French Say Google's Size Merits Ruling Against Them
July 1, 2010, 7:38 amWhile the headline may not entirely tell the story it does tell most of it. In a world that wants everything right now it sure is interesting how some people like to slap the hands of those that provide that kind of service and do it better than anyone else. The French competition authority is claiming that Google is being discriminatory in how...
Amazon Releases New KindleDX with Lower Price, Better Contrast
July 1, 2010, 7:27 amAmazon has introduced a new version of the Kindle DX with a lower price of $379 (down from $489) and 50% better display contrast. "There's no turning back once you read on our beautiful new Kindle DX screen," said Steve Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle. "With 50 percent better contrast and darker fonts, you'll find it easier than ever...
Yahoo Releases First Ever Android Apps
July 1, 2010, 7:23 amYahoo has launched Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Messenger apps for Android. These are the first Android apps Yahoo has ever offered.
"Yahoo! Mail and Messenger are available as separate streamlined apps, however they offer common features that will give you a better mobile communications experience that’s easy to use and immediately...
French Say Google’s Size Merits Ruling Against Them
July 1, 2010, 7:19 am
While the headline may not entirely tell the story it does tell most of it. In a world that wants everything right now it sure is interesting how some people like to slap the hands of those that provide that kind of service and do it better than anyone else.
The French competition authority is claiming that Google is being...
College Admissions Adopt Social Media More and More
July 1, 2010, 7:04 amAt first look this kind of an announcement should followed by a sarcastic comment of "Really? I would have never guessed." It only makes sense that colleges would be using social media since there is little question as to how involved their target market it. What is interesting is how their adoption outpaces that of the business world, especially...
Insights from the developers of a social networking site
July 1, 2010, 6:58 amHow do you engage the visitors on your site? How do you work to develop new interactivity? A lot of insight can be gleaned from the experiences of the people who are out there getting their feet wet, building online communities from scratch. Here is an interview with Roberto Sarrecchia, owner of qmpeople , a social network with some original...
China's Baidu To Hire 30 Software Engineers On 'Google Territory'
July 1, 2010, 6:46 amWhile Google awaits to find out whether the Chinese government is giving it the green light for the renewal of its Internet content provider (ICP) licence, its local competitor, China's largest search engine Baidu is touting its intention to hire up to 30 engineers in July, directly from 'Google territory,' i.e. the Silicon Valley, to help it...
Google AdWords' Discriminatory Behavior Needs Tweaking, French Regulator Says
July 1, 2010, 5:49 amGoogle AdWords was found to abuse its dominant position on the French market and ordered to clarify both its rules and processes for advertisers, after a complaint by location data company Navx was filed with the French Competition Body, Autorité de la Concurrence. Albeit an interim decision, the ruling is the first such in Europe against the...
Google AdWords' Discriminatory Behavior Needs Tweaking, French Regulator Says
July 1, 2010, 5:22 amGoogle AdWords was found to abuse its dominant position on the French market and ordered to clarify both its rules and processes for advertisers, after a complaint by location data company Navx was filed with the French Competition Body, Autorité de la Concurrence. Albeit an interim decision, the ruling is the first such in Europe against the...
Standing Room Only: The Rise of Rich TV at Cannes Lions 2010
July 1, 2010, 4:18 am Last week, Mark Kroese, who heads up advertising in our Entertainment & Devices Division, kicked off the Microsoft workshop at Cannes Lions 2010 - delivering an interesting session on the transformation of advertising in TV and how it will become more personalized through unique experiences that are largely driven by you. Really'you and your...
Hackers Go For Systems With Unpatched XP Bug
July 1, 2010, 3:36 am"To avoid falling victim, Microsoft advised users to turn off the part of the Help and Support system that is vulnerable."
More updates on orkut
July 1, 2010, 1:26 amHave you noticed how the top of your orkut page is nicer now? Yes, that small bar with links to other Google products (such as Gmail , Maps and Books ) just got new features! The main change is a link to the new orkut settings window that you can open at any time: Now all your orkut settings will be there in one easy place. Simply open the four...
What Good Quality Content Means
July 1, 2010, 12:11 amI have seen a few blog posts lately on other blogs of people saying that good content doesn't really matter. The argument they share is how can a search engine determine what good quality content is or isn't? It's not like the search engine has a personality and reads the content and laughs or finds it interesting does it? I think what it comes...
