August 2009
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Google News Incorporates Search Suggestion Feature
Google Suggest, a query suggestion tool, has been added to Google News. The algorithm for the feature has been tweaked to feature news-related suggestions. The feature has been added to Google News in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
Yahoo! Sets More SearchMonkey Features to Default
Yahoo! is expanding the number of SearchMonkey features set to default-on in their search results. The update is the result of the completion of testing microformat templates.
Now, sites that provide structured data according to Yahoo!’s specified formats will automatically get SearchMonkey default-on status, allowing an enhanced result to be displayed in the SERPs.
Enhancements can include:
- Video
- Documents
- Games
- Products
- Local Businesses
- Event
- Discussions
- News items
Yahoo! is also turning on SearchMonkey defaults for Entertainment and Social Networking sites. Look for enhanced results from sites such as Netflix, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Friendster and Britannica.
The new defaults join a list of previously set SearchMonkey defaults. Facebook, Wikipedia, Citysearch, Zagat, Yelp and LinkedIn SearchMonkey apps have already been set to default.
Google and SpotMixer Expand Partnership to Include In-Stream Video Ads
Google and SpotMixer are teaming up to provide do-it-yourself in-stream video advertising. The ads can be produced for viewing on YouTube or the Google Content Network.
The feature is free unless you want a professional voice-over. Those services begin at $50.
This isn’t the first time Google and SpotMixer have partnered up. This past January, they paired up to offer DIY TV ads.
Global Search Market Tops Over 100 Billion Searches a Month
comScore has just released a study of the global search market that shows more than 113 billion searches were conducted in July 2009. This represents a 41 percent increase compared to a year ago.
Google attracted significantly more searches than any other search engine with 76.7 billion searches conducted, giving it 67.5 percent market share. Yahoo! ranked second worldwide with 8.9 billion searches (7.8 percent share), followed closely by Chinese search engine Baidu with 8 billion searches (7.0 percent share). Most of the top search properties worldwide experienced significant growth in search query volume versus last year, with Russian search engine Yandex growing at the fastest rate (94 percent) among the top ten.
It is worth noting that Europe accounted for the highest share of searches at 32.1 percent, followed by Asia Pacific (30.8 percent) and North America (22.1 percent). Among the five global regions, Latin America exhibited the heaviest search behavior per person with an average of 13 search usage days in July and 130 searches per searcher. Europe had the second highest overall search volume per person (117 searches per searcher) while North America exhibited the second heaviest frequency (12.5 search usage days per searcher).
This makes it as important to attend SES Berlin November 24-25, 2009, as it does to attend SES Chicago December 7-10, 2009. Why?
As Mike Grehan, the newly-anointed VP and Global Content Director at SES, SEW, and ClickZ, told me earlier this month, search isn’t a static topic. The changes in the industry are accelerating. Can anyone afford to be behind the times in this new era?
Mike Grehan, the new VP and Global Content Director, ties social media to search, SES San Jose 2009
Global Searches Increase by 41% Compared to a Year Ago
comScore has released global search market data showing that search is still on the rise in a big way all across the world. Overall, more than 113 billion searches were conducted in July 2009, up 41% compared to the year prior. Google dominated the market with 76 billion searches. No other search engine came close to that number of searches.
All the major search engines saw increases except for AOL. Yahoo! and Baidu were the only search engines to see single digit growth, while Russian search engine Yandex grew a whopping 94%
Europe enjoys the highest share of searches, at 32.1%, while searchers in Latin American conduct more searches per person than the rest of the world.
What do you think of comScore’s global search data? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Microsoft Lobbyists Meet to Thwart Google; Politics as Usual Ensues
Daily Finance, an AOL site, is reporting that Microsoft’s lobbyists hold weekly meetings where the discussion revolves around taking on Google. In attendance are consultants and others who oppose Google. The meetings have become known as “screw Google” meetings by DC insiders.
I used to work in politics. I used to work in DC. These type of meetings happen all the time, in all sorts of industries and with all sorts of issues. It’s not a Microsoft or Google thing. It’s not a Democrat or Republican thing. It’s a politics thing.
Google lobbyists meet to discuss Microsoft, I would assume. If they don’t, then Google should fire them for being crappy at their job.
Move on, there’s nothing to see here. Just politics as usual in the nation’s capital.
Proposed Bill to Give White House Authority to Control Internet in Emergency
A proposed Bill in the U.S. Senate would give the White House control of the internet in the case of emergency. The bill, S.773 introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Sen. Olympia Snow (R-ME) is pretty vague, which is alarming to internet companies and civil rights groups alike.
According to CNET, the bill would allow the White House to declare cybersecurity emergencies. It also allows the government to choose which internet companies they deem “critical.” These companies would then be subject to regulations surrounding hiring employees, information that would need to be disclosed and when the government could take over their network.
What do you think of this bill? Let us know by leaving a comment.
Facebook to Update Privacy Practices in Response to Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Facebook has been working with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to come up with solutions to concerns that the office has. The updates will take up to 12 months to implement and involve three types of adjustments.
New Notifications
Facebook will work to encourage users to review their privacy settings. The goal is to help members make sure that they’re aware of the default settings and to change the settings to reflect their own preferences.
Additions to Facebook’s Privacy Policy
Facebook’s Privacy Policy will be updated to provide descriptions of a number of privacy practices. Included will be reasons for date of birth data collection, account memorialization for deceased users, the difference between deactivation and deletion and how Facebook’s advertising programs work.
These updates will be subject to a notice and comment period by Facebook members.
Technical changes for third-party data collection
A new permissions model will require third-party applications to inform users about which types of information they want to access. It will also require third parties to get consent before data is shared. Users will have to approve access to their friends’ information. However, friend data would still be protected by their individual privacy settings.
What do you think of Facebook’s plans for privacy updates? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Bing Offers Up Image Optimization Tips
Over on the Bing blog, Todd Schwartz is offering up some tips on optimizing your photos and graphics for image search. Schwartz says that Bing’s top image developer recommends the following:
- Name image files appropriately – For improved relevance, make sure that the file name describes the image appropriately.
- Alternative image text (alt text) matters – For increased optimization, make sure photos are properly described with alternative text tags, and ensure that test within any images is also
- Watch frame breaking – Sites that attempt to break frames make it more difficult for the image to display correctly within search. Make sure you’re testing your site against the search engines.
Wondering how important image search is? Schwartz addressed that very question as a panelist at the Image Search session at SES San Jose a few weeks back. He shared image search data from comScore for June 2009. Over 60 million searches produced more than 1 billion image searches. So yeah, I’d say that image search is pretty darn important.
What say you? Leave your thoughts on image search in the comments below.
What Was Really Burning On Google UK HQ Rooftop?
Apparently there was a fire on the rooftop of the Google UK headquarters, according to various reports.
Thanks to @jonswain for pic
With all that has happened from the UK office lately one has to wonder what was burning on that BBQ.
The secret agreement to use Google search in the BT/Yahoo portal?
The reasons for putting merchant search results in the UK listings and what exactly they are testing? The search results below suggest Google is going into the money lending business. What’s next? Ringtones?
No one was hurt in the fire and no major damage was done, according to the local fire brigade. They did not know what was being burnt.
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