Finally, some closure to a really long three weeks. I can finally relax (though the work doesn't stop). SES NY wrapped up yesterday and we're ready to get back to some normalcy around here. With that said, what happened this week?
Today is Purim
Before we get into search events, Happy Purim to everyone! We have a nice theme on Search Engine Roundtable today.
Earlier this week was St. Patty's Day
Happy belated St. Patrick's Day everyone. The search industry celebrated St. Patty's Day with you. What did you do?
Google Doesn't Allow Malicious Websites
Trying to be naughty? Don't even think about getting indexed on Google with phishing sites or other malicious websites. Google has updated the guidelines to connote that it will not tolerate this kind of content, and that's great. Who needs that crap on the Internet anyway?
Two New Google AdWordsPro Guides!
Welcome aboard, Google AdWordsPro guides! It looks like the work there is getting busy, so more and more Googlers are staffing up to tackle forum discussion. I think it's great community engagement.
Yahoo Microformats Make it Easier for Scrapers?
Last week, Yahoo announced microformat support for open search. This week, webmasters have expressed concern because microformats will make it easier for scraperrs to steal content. I understand that this is a needed direction, but the spam and content theft issues will need to be addressed too.
Consider Your Linking Strategies: Order is Important
...or so some say. Rand Fishkin performed a study that showed that the first anchor text is more important than subsequent anchor texts. It's possible, and it's still a debated topic, but the findings are interesting. Go test it and see for yourself.
Microsoft adCenter's 0.0% Conversion Rate
It appears that Microsoft adCenter's conversion traffic is worsening. From a recent campaign, a forum member notices that Microsoft had no conversions from 200 clicks. Is anyone else able to reproduce this issue? I
Google Beacon Coming Soon
Don't be surprised when you see Google Beacon in the near future, which will be especially useful for Google AdSense and monetization. It's a promising metric for some, but privacy pundits may disagree. Either way, as the web grows more social, this is a likely direction that Google shall take.
Google Universal Search: Filter Out the Porn, Please!
I hope parents are watching what their kids are searching for because some very pornographic images are making their way into the universal search results. I feel sad for Barry that he had to saw it. My boss is so pure. Not anymore, I guess.
Yahoo Site Explorer Links Decrease... and Fixed
In case you were wondering, the Yahoo Site Explorer links dropped off earlier this week, but one of our commenters report that it's been fixed. Thanks for the blog discussion, Rebecca. :)
Google Suggest?
Have you seen the new Google Suggest feature? This is Google's attempt -- or so people suppose -- to propagate the drop down from search results. What do you think? I like.
Check out Google Analytics Benchmarking
Earlier this week, Avinash Kaushik suggested that Google Analytics Benchmarking was going to go live. Well, say hello to Google Analytics Benchmarking. Barry explains how it works and shows some statistics. Cool stuff.
Google vs. Yahoo Radio
Since radio is relatively new (and not embraced by the masses--yet), one wonders if Yahoo Radio can give a the company a competitive edge over Google. What say you?
Google AdWords Site Exclusion up to 5,000 Sites!
This should be pretty useful for Google AdWords advertisers: Google AdWords has now put its site exclusion to 5,000, giving you more control over your campaigns and preventing low quality traffic. Will it need to be unlimited in the future? Maybe, but this is a good extension for now!
A Lot of You Want to Work at Google
66% of you would like to work at Google, according to a poll we did earlier this week. Why? I guess the free car washes, laundry, and day care is attractive. Pool tables, foosball, and free food aren't bad perks either.
Don't you think that's cool?
SES NY 2008: It's Over. Now Read Our Coverage
We covered 34 sessions at SES NY 2008. Thanks to all of our helpers: Avi and Sheara Wilensky, Jeff Quipp, Chris Boggs, Bill Hartzer, Debra Mastaler, and Marshall Sponder.
