SEO Web Tips blog » Miscellaneous

Bing Now The Fastest Growing Search Engine

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:15:34 +0000

While Google continues to dominate the U.S. search market, Microsoft’s Bing has become the fastest growing search engine among the top ten providers, according to a recent report from Nielsen.

August 2009 data found total searches on MSNWindows Live/Bing Search increased 22.1 percent month-over-month making it the fastest growing search engine. Share of searches for Bing increased from 9 percent in July to 10.7 percent in August.

Google continued as the top search engine, with 7 billion searches and 64.6 percent search share. Google’s search share grew 2.6 percent month-over-month.

Yahoo landed in the second spot with 16 percent of all searches in August, but its month-over-month dipped 4.2 percent.

AOL captured 3.1 percent of the search market with month-over-month growth of 1.8 percent.

Ask rounded out the top five with 1.7 percent of the search share and month-over-month growth of 2.9 percent.

Yahoo Rolls Out New Search, Mail Features

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:21:21 +0000

Yahoo has announced it is improving three of its most popular global products, including Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger and is testing a new Yahoo Search results page.

The test of the search results page is available randomly to users worldwide. The new features include a results filtering option that offers new tools for refining search results, such as exploring related concepts and narrowing results by different types of content such as people, videos and discussion forums.

Other features include intelligent search results that offer a more relevant experience based on prior searches. It is powered by search session science that detects intent by looking at search behavior over time.

Some of the highlights of Yahoo Mail include:

Streamlined Design – A new Application Box that people can personalize to fit their needs combines Calendar, Notepad and third-party apps, providing a cleaner, more streamlined inbox and making it easier to manage e-mail folders.

Enhanced Photo Sharing – New multi-select and drag-and-drop functionality makes it dramatically easier to attach more photos to e-mail, view thumbnail previews and rotate pictures.

Improvements to Yahoo Messenger include:

Video Calls – New high-quality video calling enables full-screen, face-to-face chats at no cost, using the familiar and easy-to-use Yahoo! Messenger environment.

Updates Tab – A new tab helps people easily discover Updates from friends and family, including status updates, recent Flickr uploads, Yahoo! Buzz stories, Twitter updates and more.

New Yahoo! Insider – Now customizable by zip code, this re-designed welcome window provides Messenger users with easy access to localized news and weather, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Buzz and Yahoo! Search.

Google Rolls Out Services For Websites

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:13:56 +0000

Google has launched Google Services for Websites, a new program that allows partners to offer Google services, including Custom Search, Site Search, Webmaster Tools and AdSense to their users.

The Google Custom Search Blog offers more details. “Partners, such as hosting providers and blogging platforms, can integrate these services into their own management consoles, making the services easily accessible to their users.”

“Google Services for Websites allows partners to create Google accounts, submit Sitemaps to Webmaster Tools, configure Custom Search, and provision new AdSense accounts on behalf of customers. Additionally, partners are eligible for referral fees for certain services.”

“Once Google Services for Websites has been integrated into the control panel, users can configure their Google services in minutes. These services can help increase website traffic, provide site search, and monetize website content. In fact, a number of web hosting providers have already integrated these services into their offerings.”

To learn more about Google Services for Websites you can read the program overview here.

List Your Business In Google Maps For Free

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:05:28 +0000

Google offers a free service in its Local Business Center that allows businesses to add their listing to Google Maps.

When potential customers search Maps for local information they will find your business with your address, hours of operation, and coupons to print out. Businesses don’t need a Web site to add their listing to Google Maps.

The Local Business Center allows businesses to edit the content of their existing listing, or add a brand new listing to Google’s local database.

Here’s how to add your business listing:

Visit the Local Business Center.

If you already have a Google Account, sign in with your email and password.
If you don’t have a Google Account, click Sign up for an account now.
Follow the instructions to create a listing.

Google says to remember these points:

The street address you enter will be shown in the Google Maps search results.

If you already have an AdWords login address and password, you can use it to log in to the Local Business Center.

Once you’ve submitted your business information, you’ll need to verify the listing before it goes live. You can verify using a touch-tone phone, SMS, or a PIN that will be sent via regular mail to your business address.

Once the listing is verified, your information will normally appear in our results shortly after it’s verified.

You must be able to receive regular mail at your business address if you are unable to verify by phone or SMS. A post office box can be used to register.

The address you enter in the Google Local Business Center will be the address to which your PIN mailer is sent, and it will also be the address displayed in Google Maps results.

Editing your business listing using the edit link won’t prevent others from changing your business information.

Once you verify your listing with a PIN, only you will be able to edit the information displayed about your business through your Local Business Center Account.

Yahoo Testing Search Pad Application

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:10:26 +0000

Yahoo has announced it is testing a new note taking application built into to Yahoo Search that automatically helps users save Web sites they visit along with other information while they search.

The new feature is called Search Pad but is not yet available to all users. Search Pad helps users collect, edit, organize, save, print and email notes for immediate or future use.

Yahoo says Search Pad benefits users by automatically creating note documents, saving visited search results without having to use other applications such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs as you search.

Users who want to view their notes can click on the Search Pad bar located in the upper right hand side of the Yahoo Search Results page near the Yahoo logo.

For users who are concerned about privacy Yahoo says the Search Pad function can be turned off temporarily or permanently disabled. To turn off Search Pad temporarily users can click on the drop down menu in the application. Users can turn it back on by clicking on the Search Pad bar.

To permanently turn off Search Pad users can go to the Enable/Disable control in the main Search Preferences in the Options drop down menu at the top of the Search Results page.

Yahoo says it plans on releasing Search Pad to the public in the next few months and in the meantime the company is receiving users feedback from a random percentage of people who have access to the tool in order to workout any bugs.

Check out this video for a preview of Search Pad.

Yahoo! Search Pad Preview @ Yahoo! Video

Internet, Cell Phones Keeping Families Connected

Mike Sachoff — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:23:34 +0000

The Internet and cell phones have become a central part of modern family life. Among all household types, the traditional nuclear family has the highest rate of technology usage and ownership according to a new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

The majority (89%) of married-with children households own multiple cell phones, and close to half own three or more mobile devices.

Over half (66%) of married-with-children households have a high-speed broadband Internet connection at home, well above the national average for all households of 52 percent.

Both spouses and at least one child go online in 65 percent of married-with-children households. Fifty-eight percent of married-with-children households have tow or more desktop or laptop computers.

The survey indicates that these high rates of technology ownership affect family life. Specifically, cell phones allow family members to stay in touch regularly when they are not physically together. Also many members of married-with- children households view content online together.

“Some analysts have worried that new technologies hurt family togetherness, but we see that technology allows for new kinds of connectedness built around cell phones and the internet,” noted Tracy Kennedy, author of the new report about the survey called “Networked Families.”

“Family members touch base with each other frequently with their cell phones, and they use those phones to coordinate family life on the fly during their busy lives.”

Less than half (42%) of parents contact their child/children on a daily basis using a cell phone, making cell phones the most popular communications tool between parents and children.

Kennedy added: “A lot of families treat the internet as a place for shared experiences. They don’t just withdraw from the family to their own computer for private screen time. They often say, ‘Hey – look at this!’ to others in the household.”

Over half (52%) of Internet users who live with a spouse and one or more children go online with another person at least a few times a week. Another 34 percent of such families have shared screen moments at least occasionally.

Google Still Dominating U.S. Searches

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:59:13 +0000

Google accounted for 71.16 percent of all U.S. searches in the four weeks ending September 27, 2008, according to Hitwise.

Google increased its percentage of the search market 7.61 percent over its September percentage of 63.55 percent and was up slightly over August 2008 by 0.15 percent.

Yahoo! Search, MSN Search and Ask.com each received 18.06 percent, 5.63 percent and 3.63 percent respectively.

The remaining 45 search engines in the Hitwise Search Engine Analysis Tool accounted for 1.80 percent of U.S. searches.

Search engines continue to be the primary way Internet users navigate to key industry categories. Comparing September 2008 with September 2007, business and finance, sports, online video and social networking categories showed double-digit increases in their share of traffic coming directly from search engines.

Google Launches Site On Yahoo Ad Deal

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:20:07 +0000

Google has launched a Web site that explains in detail the terms of its advertising deal with Yahoo.

The site is filled with information surrounding the advertising relationship between Google and Yahoo. It is organized into five categories, which includes subcategories on specific aspects of the partnership.

Under the “Facts about the deal” Google has a link to its voluntary delay for regulators and a link about its agreement to provide ad technology to Yahoo.

There is a section titled “What people are saying” with the subjects such as advertisers, publishers and ad agencies, Microsoft’s criticism of the deal, and why the deal should not be feared.

In the section “What the deal means for advertisers” Google addresses what it means for advertisers, the impact on ad prices and how auctions set ad prices.

Under “Why the deal is good for competition” the company explains the impact on competition along with two videos of testimony before congress and Senate testimony on the deal in a pdf file.

The information on the site is comprehensive and should be able to answer any questions someone may have about the Google/Yahoo ad deal.

SES Chicago Offers $600 Discount

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:50:45 +0000

Search Engine Strategies, marketing conference and expo, celebrates it 10th year in the Windy City later this year.

Returning to Chicago on December 8-11, 2008, at the Chicago Hilton, SES Chicago will feature an interesting lineup of sessions and new content. A “recession special” of $600 off is in place for all those who register by September 26,2008.

This year’s conference will cover topics such as search around the world, search advertising, universal and blended search, viral campaigns, social media optimization, geo-targeting and other search tips.

Organized and hosted by search expert Kevin Ryan, SES Chicago offers the most current information that marketers can use to begin growing their business through search.

“Whether you’re looking to get organic traffic, explore the best free and paid placements, calculate the ROI of your search efforts, or be the first to hear about what’s coming next in the ever-changing world of search, SES Chicago is the place to be,” said Kevin Ryan, Vice President of Global Content for Search Engine Strategies, an Incisive Media property.

“This year’s conference will be no exception, with an impressive array of renowned speakers and a stimulating educational environment.”

Google Rolls Out Suggest Feature

Mike Sachoff — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:51:12 +0000

Google has recently introduced its Suggest feature onto its main homepage. Google says the feature is designed to make searching faster and easier for users.

On the Official Google Blog it says,” Whether you are typing into the search box on Google Toolbar or Google.com, or the Omnibox in Google Chrome, Google Suggest guesses what you’re typing and offers suggestions in real time. So for example, if you type ‘bass,’ Google Suggest might offer a list of refinements that include ‘bass fishing’ or “bass guitar.”

Google says its Suggest feature needs to know what a user types in order to provide recommendations and the partial queries are sent to Google. The company says that for 98 percent of queries it does not log any data. The other 2 percent is selected randomly and data like IP addresses are logged to monitor and improve service.

Addressing privacy concerns Google says,”Given the concerns that have been raised about Google storing this information — and its limited potential use — we decided that we will anonymize it within about 24 hours (basically, as soon as we practically can) in the 2% of Google Suggest requests we use.”

Google says it expects to have the privacy feature implemented by the end of the month.

“In the case of Google Suggest we decided it’s possible to provide a great service while anonymizing data almost immediately. But in other cases – such as our core web search – storing data like IP addresses for a time is crucial to make improvements to search quality, improve security, fight fraud and reduce spam.”