Track The Olympic Torch Relay Via Google Maps
Trying to keep up with where the Olympic Torch is headed to next? Google's launched a nifty custom map showing you where it is, has been and is going to, along with information about each place. A custom add for Google Earth is also available, and you can embed the map into your blog or web page. Hat tip to Steve Rubel's twitter about it!
Apr. 5, 2008 at 8:37pm ET
By Danny Sullivan
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Google: Maps & Local
Microsoft To Yahoo Board: Agree Within Three Weeks Or Else
Microsoft has had enough, it seems. The company has fired off a written ultimatum to Yahoo's board. Either conclude an agreement to be acquired by Microsoft or Microsoft will engage in a proxy fight to oust the board with one favorable to the deal.
Microsoft says that despite what it calls its "generous" offer, Yahoo has failed to conclude what Microsoft thought should be a "speedy and ultimately friendly transaction." Below, the full letter, including how Microsoft feels it is offering the only "full and fair value" to Yahoo's shareholders.
Apr. 5, 2008 at 8:08pm ET
By Danny Sullivan
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Microsoft & Yahoo Merger, Microsoft: Business Issues, Yahoo: Business Issues
Report: Microsoft "Re-evaluating" Yahoo Bid
Reuters is reporting that Microsoft may be reconsidering its bid for Yahoo in light of changed market conditions and signs of potential weakness in Yahoo's "core business." The article cites as sources the familiar unnamed "people familiar with the matter." There are few details and nobody from either company comments.
Apr. 4, 2008 at 7:54pm ET
By Greg Sterling
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Microsoft & Yahoo Merger
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 4, 2008
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Apr. 4, 2008 at 5:50pm ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: SearchCap
Search Biz: Google Ups And Downs, Yahoo's Jekyll And Hyde Sides, The Revolving (Personnel) Door & More
Writing the Search Biz column is challenging because of the diverse group of stories that get collected every day. Today there's an unusually large number, however, there are basically three broad themes: Google and the company's legal challenges, Yahoo's Jekyll and Hyde positions on China and human rights, and the revolving personnel door at both companies.
Apr. 4, 2008 at 4:24pm ET
By Greg Sterling
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Search Biz
Search In Pictures: Yahoo Bubble Boy, Herbie Hancock Live, Google Hancock Building
In this week's Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.
Apr. 4, 2008 at 11:40am ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Search In Pictures
Microsoft, Yahoo Appear To Dig In Their Heels
Both the Wall Street Journal and CNET are reporting about an apparently unsuccessful meeting between Microsoft and Yahoo this week. According to the Journal, "The Microsoft executives showed no willingness to raise their cash-and-stock offer, and the Yahoo camp continued to refuse to enter formal negotiations without a sweetened bid, people familiar with the matter say."
Apr. 4, 2008 at 10:39am ET
By Greg Sterling
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Microsoft & Yahoo Merger
Google Tests Middle Of Page One Box Results
Google Blogoscoped reports that Google is testing the placement of one box results within the middle of the search results. We have seen Google test "search refinements" within the middle of the search results, but never really one box results, at least not in this separated form. Here is a screen shot, courtesy of Google Blogoscoped.
Apr. 4, 2008 at 8:54am ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Google: User Interface
Google To Allow Bidding On Keyword Trademarks In UK
The UK PPC Blog tipped me off to Google announcing that the UK AdWords trademark policy has been changed to work like the US AdWords trademark policy.
What this means is that UK advertisers can now bid on trademark terms, when earlier, those trademarked terms were blocked from bidding on within the AdWords network. The US policy allows advertisers to bid on many trademarked terms, but does not allow the advertiser to include that trademark within the ad content, in most cases.
Apr. 4, 2008 at 8:34am ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Google: AdWords, Google: Outside US, Legal: Trademarks
Human Hardware: Dunbar's Number
Few things about the internet generate as much buzz as social networking. Suddenly, it looks like the very fabric of our society might be rewoven online. The world becomes our community as we erase geographic boundaries to connect based on shared interests and ideals. Whether your community of choice is Facebook, MySpace, Second Life or LinkedIn, it seems that we are rewriting the rules of friendship and acquaintance.
Apr. 4, 2008 at 7:15am ET
By Gord Hotchkiss
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Just Behave
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 3, 2008
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Apr. 3, 2008 at 6:09pm ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: SearchCap
HP Promoting T-Shirts Promoting YouTube Videos, Yahoo Nixes "The 9," Craigslist Reaching For $100 Million, Google Grants, & More
Given that we were unwittingly ensnared by Mike Blumenthal's authentic sounding April Fools post earlier this week, we're being a bit more careful and reading items more closely these days. However, one article from Bloomberg that almost reads like an April Fools item discusses a novel program on Google's YouTube in which computer and printer maker Hewlett Packard is encouraging people to make T-shirts to promote their YouTube videos (presumably as a way to get them to use more printer ink).
Apr. 3, 2008 at 5:04pm ET
By Greg Sterling
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Search Biz
SMX Advanced Keynotes: Microsoft's Kevin Johnson And Google's Matt Cutts
We're very pleased that Microsoft's Kevin Johnson and Google's Matt Cutts will be featured presenters at Search Marketing Expo -- SMX Advanced in Seattle June 3-4.
You can see the full SMX Advanced agenda here or click here to register. Or, keep reading to learn more about the keynotes.
Apr. 3, 2008 at 2:37pm ET
By Search Engine Land
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: SMX & SMN Alerts
Do You Need SEO Standards For Your Company?
The debate on the need for SEO standards continues, with no clear industry-wide consensus. Without a doubt, however, your company should have SEO standards and guidelines that convey your company's stance on SEO—namely, clearly spelling out acceptable practices and perhaps even more importantly, definitely drawing boundaries that cannot be breached regardless of whether they may increase traffic to your site.
Apr. 3, 2008 at 11:51am ET
By Jessica Bowman
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: In House
Video Search & Relevance: Important Bedfellows
As I wrote in last month’s column, video offers enormous opportunity for local SMBs to market online more effectively. Admittedly, some folks differ with that point of view. For example, one commenter wrote that “although the technology exists for businesses to deploy video online, SMBs can’t compete with big brands on creative work.” This person argued that it will take more than lowering the barrier-to-entry cost of video for SMBs to compete with bigger brands.
I beg to differ. Why? From what we have seen, successful online video advertising involves more than glitzy, expensively-produced commercials. Successful video ads offer relevant, informative, and authentic content about a brand, product, and service: In short, the type of content that search engines love. Also, SMBs have the mobility, which larger competitors may lack, to optimize and adjust their videos for greater relevance, ultimately making them even better for search engines.
Apr. 3, 2008 at 11:36am ET
By Glenn Pingul
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Small Is Beautiful
One Day You’re Optimized, The Next Day You're A Spammer
It is no secret that human review has been playing a bigger role at Google over the past couple years. And we are emotional beings... no matter how logical the guidelines may be, emotions cause human errors. But not all sites that get penalized are penalized in error. Many deserve it.
Sadly, Google's guidelines for its "remote quality raters," people who are paid by Google to help with quality control, are clearer than the public guidelines for webmasters. Why? Google is using these remote quality raters as an effective and efficient piece of the relevancy algorithm.
Apr. 3, 2008 at 11:27am ET
By Aaron Wall
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: 100% Organic, Google: SEO
Real Estate Search Engine Zillow Opens "Mortgage Marketplace"
Zillow doesn't see itself as a real estate "vertical." Instead, it regards itself as a media company that creates advertising opportunities around what is arguably the most significant "life events" purchase: buying a home.
In that spirit, the company is developing numerous interesting marketing vehicles aimed at consumers in all phases of home buying (and in the future home remodeling). One critical piece of that equation is getting a home loan or an equity line of credit. Enter the new Zillow Mortgage Marketplace.
Apr. 3, 2008 at 9:27am ET
By Greg Sterling
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Search Engines: Real Estate
Google News: Fact & Fiction Edition
The Google News blog has an excellent post on the truths and myths of how Google News works. Here is the short version:
Apr. 3, 2008 at 8:34am ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Google: News
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 2, 2008
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Apr. 2, 2008 at 5:52pm ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: SearchCap
Google's First Layoffs: 300 To Go From DoubleClick
Google to Lay Off About 300 at DoubleClick from the New York Times reports that Google will be firing about 300 employees at DoubleClick. The layoffs will cut down the American division of the company by 25 percent (DoubleClick currently employs about 1,200 people).
Google has not yet confirmed these layoffs. In very related news, Danny just posted Google is selling off Performics, which is a division of DoubleClick. The 300 additional layoffs seem to be in addition to the Performics announcement.
Apr. 2, 2008 at 5:38pm ET
By Barry Schwartz
Jump To Story & Comments
See Related Stories In: Google: DoubleClick
Other Recent Articles
- Google Selling Performics -- Thanks, Google!
- Megachart & Analysis: Google Management Changes, 2000-2008
- Yahoo Introduces Wide Range Of Mobile Search Improvements
- April Fool's: Google Lets Business Owners Take Control Of Plus Box
- Verizon Enters The 'Voice Search' Fray With 1-800-THE-INFO
- Google Update Dewey - Google Confirms Algorithm Change
- Microsoft To Upgrade Mobile IE Browser, Live Search For Mobile With New Mapping Features And Voice Search For Blackberries
- Google Loses Another Exec: CIO Douglas Merrill Goes To EMI
- SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 1, 2008
- How to Make Your Content ‘Submit Worthy’
- Google Maps Now With "Send To Garmin"
- Defining Link Building Best Practices
- Search Engine ChaCha Expands Mobile Service To Include Voice Input
- SMX West Interviews: Now In Video
- SPONSOR MESSAGE: Capitalizing On Local Search - Free White Paper
- April Fools 2008 : The Search Industry's Recap
- Microsoft's $1 Million Guarantee Program To Win Searchers
- SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 31, 2008
- Search Biz: Diller Keeps IAC Control; Googlers To Facebook; Google Earnings Downgraded & More
- Will You Be Sued Over Your Ad Copy Usage?
- Yahoo Takes A "Shine" To Women 25 To 54
- SEO Company, Fathom Online, Acquired By Geary Interactive
- Google Dance Is Back? Plus Google's First Live Chat Recap & Hyperactive Yahoo Slurp
- Local Store And Inventory Data Poised To Transform "Online Shopping"
- SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 28, 2008
- Search In Pictures: Google Shooting Range, Yahoo Asia Schwag, Google Pizza
- In The Trenches, March 28, 2008
- In The Trenches: New Column From Search Engine Land
- Google Adds 13 Metro Areas To Street Views, Plus New API Support
- SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 27, 2008
- Drilling Into Google's Decline In Paid Clicks
- Google Offers Robots.txt Generator
- Privacy Policies And Search Engines
- Details Posted On Google Webmaster Central's Live Chat Session
- Earth Hour: Google Shuts Out The Lights In Israel
- YouTube Insight: View Your YouTube Video Statistics
- We Don't Need SEO Standards!
- SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 26, 2008
- Report: Microsoft To Up Bid For Yahoo To $34 Per Share
- Google Founders Take $1 Salaries Again; Tell Investors To Say No On Anti-Censorship Proposal
- Google AdWords Video Ads Now Live & In the Wild
- Is Hiding Content With "Display: None" Legitimate SEO?
- B2B Marketing Priorities 2008
- SMX Advanced Agenda Up! 2 Days, 3 Tracks Of High-Level SEM In Seattle
- Public Relations: The Other Important PR In Link Development
- SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 25, 2008
- OpenSocial Becomes More Open, Facebook Says No; AOL Flamed By Mag; Court Rules Against Clicking Minors
- Social Media Optimization: Submit it, But Don't Forget It
- Is Yahoo Hoping For Justice Department Intervention To Stop MicroHoo Merger?
- Google Webmaster Central To Host Live Chat Event On Friday
