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Search Engine Roundtable

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Google Instant: Predictions Were Right'); document.write('
Who doesn\'t love saying, \"told you so\"? My predictions and examples of search as you type were dead on. Google announced the launch of Google Instant.

Here is a quick video I made:

Tons and tons of coverage on the announcement. Key things for webmasters, SEOs and advertisers?

(1) SEO is not dead despite what some people say. Google is still showing search results, SEOs will work with that.

(2) Paying for AdWords has changed a bit, make sure to monitor your search volume and ad spend this week. When someone searches using Google Instant, ad impressions are counted in these situations:
- The user begins to type a query on Google and clicks anywhere on the page (a search result, an ad, a spell correction, a related search).
- The user chooses a particular query by clicking the Search button, pressing Enter, or selecting one of the predicted queries.
- The user stops typing, and the results are displayed for a minimum of three seconds.
(3) Hate it? There are already dozens of threads out there in the Google Web Search Help forum with complaints. You can turn it off by clicking on \"Settings\" and then \"Search Settings.\" Then go to the bottom of that page and turn on \"Instant Search.\"

Also make sure to check out the commentary on this over at Search Engine Land over the next day or so. And @iVany has dozens of pictures from Google Search Event.

Personally, I like it.

Forum discussion at, um, everywhere.

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Programming Note: September 9 & 10'); document.write('
$\"???$ I wanted to give you a heads up that tomorrow, September 9th and 10th, I won\'t be providing normal coverage here. I have about five poll results scheduled to be posted each day, many with very interesting results that many of you have been waiting to see for a month or more now. So keep an eye out for those polls.

We may have some guests posts or may not. I am personally going offline so I will not be providing normal forum coverage over the next two days. For those of you celebrating the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah - have a healthy, happy and successful New Year!

Subscribe to Us:

If you have not yet subscribed to us via RSS, email, Twitter, Facebook or on YouTube and iTunes, please do. Here is how:

(1) Subscribe via email over here for a nice daily recap.

(2) Subscribe via RSS to our short feed or full feed in your favorite RSS reader.

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(4) Follow us on Twitter @seroundtable and also follow me at @rustybrick and Fan/Like us on Facebook.

Yes, again, follow me on Twitter at @rustybrick

Thanks so much for reading and hope you enjoy the polls!

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Daily Search Forum Recap: September 8, 2010'); document.write('
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

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Google Bypassing \"Search\" Button: More \"Streaming\" Search Results'); document.write('
Several people are reporting seeing Google automatically take them to the search results page from the Google home page, as they type a search query. Imagine you are on Google.com and you begin typing a search query. Then all of a sudden, as you type, Google flashes the page into a Google search results. Even before you press the enter key or hit the \"Google Search\" button, you are taken to the search results. Sometimes, even before you complete your full search query.

There are people reporting this at Google Blogoscoped Forums and WebmasterWorld. In fact, Websonic.nl posted a video of this in action:

Earlier we saw reports of Google updating the search results as you type but that was only once you were on the search results page. Now, Google seems to be dynamically showing you search results from the Google home page. Big difference here.

I suspect this will indeed be part of the big Google search announcement today.

Forum discussion at Google Blogoscoped Forums and WebmasterWorld.

Update: I was right, this is the big announcement, more details at the Google Blog.

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How To Get Matt Cutts To Answer Your Google Questions On Video?'); document.write('
Google\'s Matt Cutts has posted hundreds of videos on the Google Webmaster Help YouTube channel. The videos consistently get better, more details and useful.

Matt Cutts basically answers questions submitted by SEOs and Webmasters. But how do you get Matt to answer your question on video? It is a good question and it was asked at a Google Webmaster Help thread.

Every now and then, Matt will post on his blog that he is accepting questions. I believe the last time he announced it was in May 2010 and you basically had to submit your questions on a Google Moderator page. Typically the questions with the most votes were answered, plus some questions Matt found interesting.

Matt, how about a video on how you pick up the questions you will be answering?

I got lucky and Matt answered one of my questions:

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

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Texas Attorney General Investigating Google Over Anti-Competitive Search Results'); document.write('
Texas opens inquiry into Google search rankings via the Associated Press reports Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has opened an investigation to see if Google is manipulating the search results.

Specifically, if Google is controlling the search results to keep competition out.

The review appears to be focused on whether Google is manipulating its search results to stifle competition.

Several lawsuits filed in the U.S. also have alleged Google\'s search formula is biased. Google believes Abbott is the first state attorney general to open an antitrust review into the issue.
\"We look forward to answering (Abbott\'s) questions because we\'re confident that Google operates in the best interests of our users,\" Don Harrison, Google\'s deputy general counsel, wrote in a Friday blog post.

These accusations are nothing new and I personally think they will drop the investigation in short order.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

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Google Scribe: SEO Keyword Suggestion Tool?'); document.write('
Google Scribe is a new Google Labs project that offers keyword suggestions in an open text box, as you type. It is not the Google search box, it is a standalone text entry box for auto word completion suggestions.

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You can click on the suggestion or type the number referenced to auto-complete it.

Google Operating System blog goes much deeper into all the features. It seems to only work in the English language.

Obviously, this may come in handy for SEOs who are looking to write better content and even expand their keyword list.

Forum discussion at Google Blogoscoped Forums.

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Google Logo Colors Letters As You Type'); document.write('
Yesterday we had the fun and whacky Google Balls logo and today we have a logo that fills in the Google White Logo into a full colored logo, as you type. Note, typically the white logo represents a mourning state but this one is being used to hint at what changes are coming to Google later today.

First, here is a video of the logo:

Here are static pictures:

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Google dropped a hint around midnight last night on this new logo:

Our doodle is dressing up in its brightest colors for something exciting coming very soon...less than a minute ago via Tap11A Googler
google

Why as you type? As my prediction states, it seems Google may release a new version that updates the search results as you type. But it may be a lot more than that. I\'ll update this post a bit later to share those details.

Update: Here is the new Google Bypassing \"Search\" Button: More \"Streaming\" Search Results.

Forum discussion at Google Blogoscoped Forums, Google Webmaster Help and WebmasterWorld.

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Daily Search Forum Recap: September 7, 2010'); document.write('
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

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Google Changes Coming Tomorrow: AJAX Results, 30 Results Per Page, Streaming Results & More?'); document.write('
$\"Google$ We know Google is having a big search event tomorrow and we suspect that is why Google is showing the Google Balls logo today. Google told me \"today\'s doodle is not related to a birthday but is fast, fun and interactive, just the way we think search should be.\"

So what will Google be announcing tomorrow? Well, based on that comment and what I have been seeing some people report, let me venture some guesses.

(1) AJAX powered search results. Yes, I believe Google will go forward with the AJAX powered search results tomorrow. Yesterday, I and others began noticing 30 results per page, but when I look deeper, it is driven by the AJAX like results. I can search, the URL doesn\'t really change, it just adds on parameters, which makes me believe that it is done for analytics software. Why? This is something Google tested in February 2009 and stopped when complaints about referrer data not being sent using these AJAX results. Is it time for Google to go full force now with the AJAX results? It is \"faster\" for the user, which is a clue from the line above.

(2) 30 results per page is something I personally see myself and so do others. People are reporting it at WebmasterWorldand Google Web Search Help. It does make the results a bit more in your face, giving you more room to scroll. I am not sure if that makes things all that faster, but I guess it does. Is it more \"fun,\" I don\'t know.

(3) Streaming Results As You Type. We know Google has been testing updating results as you type for the past few weeks. Many more are now seeing it, which is even more of a sign that this is coming soon. We have new reports of it at Google Blogoscoped Forums and WebmasterWorld. It does make the search results more \"interactive\" and a bit \"faster.\" More useful, I am not sure.

Update: Now people are reporting Google is showing you search results as you type the search query on the Google home page. I have more details about that over here. This is amazing.

Bottom line, I really think tomorrow we will see Google\'s AJAX power search results be launched fully to the public. It will mean AJAX results, showing more results on a single page as opposed to just 10, and it will mean the results updating as you type a query. I am sure I am missing some changes, but we will find out tomorrow.

But as the Google Balls logo represents, it is about an HTML 5 revolution.

Later today, Google tweeted yet another hint:

Boisterous doodle today. Maybe it\'s excited about the week ahead...less than a minute ago via Tap11A Googler
google

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September 2010 Google Webmaster Report'); document.write('
This is our ongoing monthly summary of the changes that took place at Google from a webmaster/SEO perspective. You can read the August 2010 report from last month.

The comments from SEOs and Webmasters in the WebmasterWorld include:
- Fresh pages of content getting a ranking boost,
- Sites impacted by MayDay seeing a little reversal
- Google liking academic results more
- Site operator failing for past 24 hours
- and much more.
Here are the most important Google related topics we covered from the past month:
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

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Today Is Not Google\'s Birthday, September 27th Is Google 12th Birthday'); document.write('
There are many rumors about today\'s Google Balls logo, but we know it is not birthday related. Google in the past have celebrated their birthday on September 7th but not anymore. Danny has good history on Google\'s Birthday over here.

Google celebrated their 11th birthday on the 27th, the 10th also, 9th, 8th but the 7th and 6th birthday logos were on the 7th.

This year, you can expect the 12th birthday logo to be live on the 27th at google.com/logos/12th_birthday.gif. In fact, when it goes live, you will see the logo below:

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So you have 20 more days to wait for it. Until then, enjoy the Google Balls logo.

Forum discussion at Google Blogoscoped Forums.

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eBay Not Spending $26 Million Monthly With Google AdWords'); document.write('
A very revealing leaked Google document was published, in part, at adAge yesterday. The report uncovers Google AdWords customer spending for the first half of 2010. Google seemed to collect or bill $574 million in the first half of 2010. The document reveals Google\'s top advertisers and distribution of ad spend for customers spending over $10,000 per month with Google.

The data is very interesting, but one thing I find historically interesting is eBay\'s number. eBay reportedly spent only $4.25 million in June 2010. Only? Yes, well, if you see reports back in 2007, 3 years ago, some estimated eBay\'s AdWords spend was closer to $26 million. I highly doubt eBay is spending that much less than it did 3 years ago! But maybe I am wrong. We suspect that over the years CPC prices have increased and eBay is advertising more than in the past, but who knows - maybe they are more efficient now?

So who are Google\'s top advertisers in June 2010?

AT&T, Phoenix University ads, Expedia, Amazon, eBay, BP, Hotels.com, and so on. Here is a chart from adAge:

$\"Google$

Apple, compared to AT&T, spent just under $1 million on search during the month.

How about the distribution of advertisers, how much do they spend per month? Here is the breakdown:

$\"Google$

Note, the top advertisers individually accounted for \"less than 1% of Google\'s U.S. revenue in June.\" The top 10 advertisers in the document collectively accounted for just 5% of Google\'s U.S. revenue during the month. That might be the most revealing information right there.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and DigitalPoint Forums.

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Google Balls Logo'); document.write('
Today if you visit Google you will see a Google logo made up of crazy balls. The logo moves around based on your mouse cursor, similar to the buckyballs doodle from a few days ago. But this one is really all over the place.

Here is a video I made of the logo:

Here is a static picture of the balls forming the Google logo:

$\"Google$

I personally find this logo very nice. I asked Google why? I asked was it birthday related, as some suspect. They said no. Google told me, \"Today?s doodle is not related to a birthday but is fast, fun and interactive, just the way we think search should be.\" Maybe this is a prelude to the big Google Search Event that takes place tomorrow? I don\'t know. I suspect they will clue us in at that event.

Many searchers are upset. There is thread after thread with complaints in the Google Web Search Help forum. And most people in the US aren\'t up and on their computers yet.

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help, Google Blogoscoped Forums & Google Webmaster Help.

Update: Here are my thoughts on why Google is so secretive of this logo and what we can expect Google to announce in conjunction with the explanation of this logo tomorrow.

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Daily Search Forum Recap: September 6, 2010'); document.write('
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

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