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Daily Search Forum Recap: July 27, 2010

Posted: July 27th, 2010, 11:00pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Search Forum Recap

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.

Google To Power Yahoo Japan: Here The FAQs

Posted: July 27th, 2010, 4:08pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Search Engine Industry News

Techmeme is buzzing about the news that Yahoo Japan has selected Google to power its search engine, as opposed to Bing, which is powering Yahoo here in the U.S.

I can honestly say, I am not surprised. Yahoo Japan had the option to go with Bing or someone else like Google and they picked Google. Back in the day, before Yahoo had their own search engine, Google powered Yahoo's search results (screen shot).

The Google Japan blog wrote about it and Yahoo Japan published a press release. Here is the translated text...

Google:

From 2004 to 2001, Yahoo Inc., Google was providing search engine. And, today announced that the technology was licensed to search again for Yahoo Inc. Based on this non-exclusive agreement, Yahoo Inc. (a subsidiary of Softbank, Yahoo has invested some) is, Google is the fastest in Japan, and confidence is the most advanced will be able to provide users with search technology. In addition, Yahoo Inc. auction, shopping and Answers and content to be added to the Google provides search results in Japanese. This is both more comprehensive services can increase the effect.
Yahoo Inc. Yahoo! JAPAN on the site, for users to fit their own, Google is able to provide customized search services Search service. This is the Yahoo! JAPAN which will look like on the site search service, including such things as how you can experience the user search. As a result, users Yahoo! JAPAN on the site, and Google will continue on the site is considered to be a different experience.

Google is also for Yahoo Inc. to provide search advertising delivery platform. In other words, Google's technology to provide search advertising for Yahoo Inc., will be the target and report back end support. Yahoo Inc. will perform the acquisition and development of advertising campaigns continue. The data for advertisers and advertising companies and are kept completely separate.

Both companies are independent operators as far as deploying search services and advertising services, without sharing information about customers and prices will continue to be actively competing in the Japanese market will continue. Through this transaction, also spurred innovation in advertising and search each other, but more restrictive conflict involving other companies, ultimately we hope to bring about better services for users and partners.

And the Yahoo release also has an image and a FAQs:

Q1: Google Does a partnership with a range where? A1: The deal is subject to the Web, images, video, mobile 4 in the area are limited to receiving the service delivery system search engine and search advertising.
Q2: Google rival and what happens?
A2: Google is Yahoo! JAPAN offers a search engine for. However, Yahoo! JAPAN is for users to fit, YST / YSM as Yahoo! JAPAN tweak your own with our customized Google search services. This is the Yahoo! Japan will look like on the site of the search service which includes such things as how you can experience the user search. As a result, users Yahoo! Japan on the site, and Google will continue on the site is considered to be a different experience.
　Google is also Yahoo! JAPAN to provide sponsored search results distribution system. In other words, Google's technology, Yahoo! JAPAN provide search advertising will be supported by the target and back-end reports. However, Yahoo! JAPAN will perform its own acquisition and development of advertising campaigns continue. The data of both advertisers and advertising, customer and price information will be retained search services available to completely separate.
　Through the deal, spurring further innovation in advertising and search each other, we will compete, including areas other than the more restrictive the search service but also involving other companies.

Q3: duration of the contract, the right to update what's going on?
A3: distribution system to provide search advertising search engine Yahoo! JAPAN term of the contract is received by the first two years after Yahoo! JAPAN will be automatically extended by two years but they refuse. If it is possible to update both sides agree about that later. In addition, Yahoo! JAPAN term contract offer from Google in the first two years the data will be updated in principle, then an additional two years. If both parties agree for a later, can be updated every two years.

Q4: Yahoo! JAPAN how to provide better data from what?
A4: Google will collect data by robots now (crawling), but to the future, Yahoo! JAPAN to be provided directly from, and is reflected in faster search results page is updated, the freshness of the search Better search and up will be better used for your convenience.

Q5: The Future Yahoo! Inc. What is the relationship between changes in there?
A5: This change is the only delivery system provides a search engine and search advertising, Yahoo! Inc. Is still in search services and other services Yahoo! JAPAN change is not a strategic partner. Capital will continue the current relationship.

Q6: What impact will a performance?
A6: In the short term will probably not have much effect. In the long term, Yahoo! JAPAN things better and sponsored search services and search services will maximize sales.

Q7: What is the timing of when did you move?
A7: as soon as possible, is now considering a more even distribution system to help move the search engine and search advertising.

Q8: Yahoo! Inc. Once you've completed the YST and switching YSM, Yahoo! JAPAN immediately stop what they can to support?
A8: No, the distribution system search engine and search advertising in Japan to switch to Google, Yahoo! JAPAN is supported by the popularity of the search service will continue to operate YST YSM and continued development.

Q9: What would change in a user-friendly search service of the deal?
A9: We will continue to provide support to our views that the current user interface, change your experience in particular. Yahoo! JAPAN is for users to fit, YST / YSM as Yahoo! JAPAN tweak your own with our customized Google search services. This is the Yahoo! JAPAN which will look like on the site search service, including such things as how you can experience the user search. As a result, users Yahoo! JAPAN on the site, and Google will continue on the site is considered to be a different experience.

Q10: What's Fair Trade Commission has been consulted on this matter?
A10: The consultation and the Japanese Fair Trade Commission in advance, we have confirmed is unquestionable.

Q11: impact on competition in the Japanese search service?
A11: Google and Yahoo! JAPAN even with the same search engine, Yahoo! JAPAN is able to provide customized search services, and to provide our own user interface as conventional We will. Thus, Google will compete with the situation and other competitors is not different in any way.

Q12: Yahoo! JAPAN formerly Yahoo! Inc. I have received offers from other search engines?
A12: Yahoo! JAPAN transition to supplement the search engine directory search service, from March 2001 until May 1998 from the goo, then from May 2004 until April 2001 Google Orimashita by us.

Q13: Yahoo! JAPAN Softbank Mobile (SBM) that provides mobile search, the opportunity to change something in this case available?
A13: No, Yahoo! JAPAN mobile search service, with mobile advertising, as in the past will provide the SBM.

Q14: Do you have a financial impact?
A14: There is no profit impact significantly change the structure.

Q15: impact on advertising revenue?
A15: The experience has changed the search advertising delivery system in the past, the impact could be minimal. We aim to maximize revenue and better services now taking this opportunity as well.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld and Google Blogoscoped Forums.

If Links Age, What Are The Possibilities

Posted: July 27th, 2010, 3:58pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Link Building

Tedster started a thread at WebmasterWorld about aged links. He said that there is a debate about if search engines, such as Google, "age" links. If they do, is aging a link a good thing or a bad thing? He came up with four possibilities of what an aged link can mean and it includes:

(1) One is that as months go by and a backlink stays in place, then it potentially gets a bit of a boost - because it's more trusted as it proves that it's stable.
(2) Another possibility is that as a linking page ages and show no further life, no change, and gathering no further backlinks of its own, then the links it offers to target pages have less and less value.

(3) And yet another is that a new fresh backlink is at its most powerful when first found - part of the "freshness" obsession.

(4) And then there's still another point of view - that the patents don't mean very much and that a backlink's value will only change as the linking page's own value goes up or down, or the number of links on the page changes.

Do you agree that links age over time and if so, which route do they age in?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

Google Maps For Android Adds Google Places, aka Foursquare

Posted: July 27th, 2010, 3:40pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Other Google Topics

Google announced an update to Google Maps for Android. The big update is a new "Places" feature that allows you to find places near you via Google Maps.

Places is a separate "App" that can be found self installed after you update your current Google Maps app on your Android device.

You click on places and it asks you what places near you do you want to find. Such as restaurants, coffee, bars, hotels, attractions, ATMs, gas stations and more. When you click on a place, you can pretty much check into the place via Google Buzz or read about it, get driving directions and so on.

This reminds me a lot of Foursquare, which let's you check into places. The only main difference is that you don't get badges for checking in. You do however get tips.

Forum discussion at Google Mobile Help.

Google's One Language Per Page Rule

Posted: July 27th, 2010, 3:26pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Google Optimization

For those of you with multi-lingual web sites, you want to make sure to keep your languages set on each URL of your web site. Try not to have some English and some French on the same page, keep the different languages on different pages when possible.

A Google Webmaster Help thread has Google's JohnMu clearly saying you do not want two different languages on the same page. He said:

In general, we recommend sticking to a single language per page. If you have multi-lingual content on your website, I'd recommend using separate pages per language. Our language recognition tries to find the most relevant language from your content, so that we can send you users searching in that language. Having the language in the URL (as Robbo suggested) is a great way to make the language of the pages clear to users, so if you can do that, it might make sense (Google determines the language based on the content, so it's not necessary for us).

Of course, there are exceptions.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Google Gives Dictionary.com, Answers.com, Merriam-Webster & The Free Dictionary Top Real Estate

Posted: July 27th, 2010, 3:19pm CEST by rustybrick

Tags: Google Search Engine

If you do a search for [tenacious] or persistent] or other words and Google may show you a redesigned definitions box. Here is a picture:

As you can see, it is placed at the top of the results and has links to four online dictionaries. The dictionaries include Dictionary.com, Answers.com, Merriam-Webster & The Free Dictionary.

Google wrote about the change on Sunday. They didn't mention the new look of the result or the new links added, but did say they added "implicit triggering, which means you can simply search for [flummox] and find the definition, you don't have to search for [define flummox] or [what is flummox]." Google also said they "improved the definition result snippet to show more details such as parts of speech and pronunciation."