Help-Stop-Smoking Site Rankings Drop Out Of Google - Non-Profit site - Please Help!: "Wait a second. visibility hidden? font-size is set to 1 pixel? But wouldn't that mean that all those great resource links are hidden to users? Hmm.
Weird. Last time I noticed, there were also lots of links to help-quit-smoking-stop-smoking-quitting-aids.com from pages like http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/refer.htm . Hmm. Looks like the same company doing this?
bobmutch, here's what I'd tell Blair: if you want to run a non-profit, don't link to sites that have hidden text via CSS, especially not on the *footer of practically every page on the site*. Who you link to can affect your ranking. This site seemed to have a lot of links to a lot of very aggressive sites for a non-profit. I'd recommend that he remove all links to these aggressive sites, and then send an email to us requesting reinclusion.
Hope that helps,
GoogleGuy"
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Suggested Google Alphabet
Patrick Gaskill
"After reading about the exposed Google Suggest URL over at InsideGoogle and seeing the ABCs of Google posted by Hatta on Slashdot, I decided to automate the process. Each time you load this page, it checks the most popular keyword for each letter of the alphabet given by Google Suggest, and displays them here for your viewing pleasure. "
"After reading about the exposed Google Suggest URL over at InsideGoogle and seeing the ABCs of Google posted by Hatta on Slashdot, I decided to automate the process. Each time you load this page, it checks the most popular keyword for each letter of the alphabet given by Google Suggest, and displays them here for your viewing pleasure. "
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Google Wins Trademark Ad Lawsuit
Forbes.com
"Google Inc. won a major legal victory Wednesday when a federal judge said the search engine could continue to sell ads triggered by searches using trademarked company names.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected a claim by auto insurance giant Geico Corp., which argued that Google should not be allowed to sell ads to rival insurance companies that appear whenever Geico's name is typed into the Google search box...
But Brinkema said the case would continue to move forward on one remaining issue, whether ads that pop up and actually use Geico in their text violate trademark law. Google contends that its policies expressly forbid advertisers from using trademark names in the text of their ads. The search engine says it does its best to prevent ads that violate the policy from sneaking in, and that the advertisers would liable for any trademark violation, not Google.
Brinkema said she would halt the trial at this point to put a decision in writing and she encouraged both parties to try and settle the remaining issues."
So it appears the trademark can be bought by anyone as "keyword" but not used in the text shown in the ad....
CBS Marketwatch
Add details to coverage of the case:
"Geico claimed that Google shouldn't let rival insurers buy the Geico name, because customers become confused when they type in 'Geico' into the keyword box and receive links to competing services and rivals. 'There is no evidence that that activity alone causes confusion,' said Brinkema, according to the Associated Press."
Commenting about a related case yet to be heard "David Rammelt, an attorney at Kelley Drye & Warren, which represents American Blind added:
"The judge recognized that the allegations Geico raised valid claims for trademark dilution and trademark infringement...the broader impact of this case is that it will vary on case by case as to whether or not individual companies can show confusion or the likelihood of confusion of those companies."
In the motion to dismiss the Geico case, Google wrote: "Imagine, for example, that Ford wants to target its advertising at Toyota customers. Ford goes to magazines such as Car and Driver and pays to have a full-page Ford ad face every Toyota review the magazine prints that year.
"Ford is aware that many of the readers of those ads go to those pages looking for information about Toyotas. After all, that is precisely the point: Ford wants to target its ads at its competitors' customers and prospective customers, and win those customers," the company argued. "
"Google Inc. won a major legal victory Wednesday when a federal judge said the search engine could continue to sell ads triggered by searches using trademarked company names.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected a claim by auto insurance giant Geico Corp., which argued that Google should not be allowed to sell ads to rival insurance companies that appear whenever Geico's name is typed into the Google search box...
But Brinkema said the case would continue to move forward on one remaining issue, whether ads that pop up and actually use Geico in their text violate trademark law. Google contends that its policies expressly forbid advertisers from using trademark names in the text of their ads. The search engine says it does its best to prevent ads that violate the policy from sneaking in, and that the advertisers would liable for any trademark violation, not Google.
Brinkema said she would halt the trial at this point to put a decision in writing and she encouraged both parties to try and settle the remaining issues."
So it appears the trademark can be bought by anyone as "keyword" but not used in the text shown in the ad....
CBS Marketwatch
Add details to coverage of the case:
"Geico claimed that Google shouldn't let rival insurers buy the Geico name, because customers become confused when they type in 'Geico' into the keyword box and receive links to competing services and rivals. 'There is no evidence that that activity alone causes confusion,' said Brinkema, according to the Associated Press."
Commenting about a related case yet to be heard "David Rammelt, an attorney at Kelley Drye & Warren, which represents American Blind added:
"The judge recognized that the allegations Geico raised valid claims for trademark dilution and trademark infringement...the broader impact of this case is that it will vary on case by case as to whether or not individual companies can show confusion or the likelihood of confusion of those companies."
In the motion to dismiss the Geico case, Google wrote: "Imagine, for example, that Ford wants to target its advertising at Toyota customers. Ford goes to magazines such as Car and Driver and pays to have a full-page Ford ad face every Toyota review the magazine prints that year.
"Ford is aware that many of the readers of those ads go to those pages looking for information about Toyotas. After all, that is precisely the point: Ford wants to target its ads at its competitors' customers and prospective customers, and win those customers," the company argued. "
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Google to Scan Books From Big Libraries
Forbes.com
"Google Inc. is trying to establish an online reading room for five major libraries by scanning stacks of hard-to-find books into its widely used Internet search engine.
The ambitious initiative announced late Monday gives Mountain View, Calif.-based Google the right to index material from the New York public library as well as libraries at four universities - Harvard, Stanford, Michigan and Oxford in England...
"This is the day the world changes," said John Wilkin, a University of Michigan librarian working with Google. "It will be disruptive because some people will worry that this is the beginning of the end of libraries. But this is something we have to do to revitalize the profession and make it more meaningful."
The books scanned from libraries will be included in the same Google index the spans the Web. By throwing everything into the same pot, Google risks burying the library book results far below the Web documents containing the same search terms term, reducing the usefulness of the feature, said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch."
"Google Inc. is trying to establish an online reading room for five major libraries by scanning stacks of hard-to-find books into its widely used Internet search engine.
The ambitious initiative announced late Monday gives Mountain View, Calif.-based Google the right to index material from the New York public library as well as libraries at four universities - Harvard, Stanford, Michigan and Oxford in England...
"This is the day the world changes," said John Wilkin, a University of Michigan librarian working with Google. "It will be disruptive because some people will worry that this is the beginning of the end of libraries. But this is something we have to do to revitalize the profession and make it more meaningful."
The books scanned from libraries will be included in the same Google index the spans the Web. By throwing everything into the same pot, Google risks burying the library book results far below the Web documents containing the same search terms term, reducing the usefulness of the feature, said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch."
Monday, December 13, 2004
Google Suggest FAQ
Google Labs
Completes words in a drop-down list of ten possible &/or likely ways to complete any word you begin to type in the search box AND how many times that option is searched at Google
Main features from FAQ
1) Works in real time
2) Algorithms use a wide range of information to predict the queries - give Google Zeitgeist as an example data source
3) Does not base its suggestions on your personal search history
4) Suggests more refined searches up front - less need to refine queries
5) Uses information about the relative popularity of common searches to rank its suggestions
Labs preferred example searches:
You type a few letters and Google Suggest might offer:
"bass" "bass guitar" "bass fishing"
"prog" "programming" "programming languages" "progesterone" "progressive"
"duke" "duke university" "dukes of hazzard" "duke nukem" "duke ellington" "duke power"
The implications for SEO are discussed at Webmaster World
where AaronL points out the differences between "did you mean" and the new suggest feature:
"The "did you mean" feature offers suggestions after you submit your query, thus allowing you to finish your thought. In addition, it is used most often to address spelling issues, rather than completely different search strings. Here G has the opportunity to shape the query and “herd” the user down G's preferred path."
The last sentence sums up the general feeling about the effect "suggest" could have on searchers habits if it is integrated into the main search.
Alphabetical advantages become interesting again
strong adult filter is on
New opportunities to spam google: how do I get to the top of the suggestions list?
internetheaven believes that "This means that all traffic will be directed to a few specific terms, obviously the traffic for these sites will increase dramatically while the others disappear off the face of the earth. Now you don't have to work out which terms users want, you have to work out what Google is going to recommend they want .... "
While Tigrou feels that from a searchers point of view it "Seems to be a terrible example of engineers gone wild & somehow bypassing look/feel & usability people."
The Google employee who came up with the idea in their 20% time posts in the Google Blog This "Labs project that provides you with search suggestions, in real time, while you type. We've found that Google Suggest not only makes it easier to type in your favorite searches (let's face it -- we're all a little lazy), but also gives you a playground to explore what others are searching about, and learn about things you haven't dreamt of."
Completes words in a drop-down list of ten possible &/or likely ways to complete any word you begin to type in the search box AND how many times that option is searched at Google
Main features from FAQ
1) Works in real time
2) Algorithms use a wide range of information to predict the queries - give Google Zeitgeist as an example data source
3) Does not base its suggestions on your personal search history
4) Suggests more refined searches up front - less need to refine queries
5) Uses information about the relative popularity of common searches to rank its suggestions
Labs preferred example searches:
You type a few letters and Google Suggest might offer:
"bass" "bass guitar" "bass fishing"
"prog" "programming" "programming languages" "progesterone" "progressive"
"duke" "duke university" "dukes of hazzard" "duke nukem" "duke ellington" "duke power"
The implications for SEO are discussed at Webmaster World
where AaronL points out the differences between "did you mean" and the new suggest feature:
"The "did you mean" feature offers suggestions after you submit your query, thus allowing you to finish your thought. In addition, it is used most often to address spelling issues, rather than completely different search strings. Here G has the opportunity to shape the query and “herd” the user down G's preferred path."
The last sentence sums up the general feeling about the effect "suggest" could have on searchers habits if it is integrated into the main search.
Alphabetical advantages become interesting again
strong adult filter is on
New opportunities to spam google: how do I get to the top of the suggestions list?
internetheaven believes that "This means that all traffic will be directed to a few specific terms, obviously the traffic for these sites will increase dramatically while the others disappear off the face of the earth. Now you don't have to work out which terms users want, you have to work out what Google is going to recommend they want .... "
While Tigrou feels that from a searchers point of view it "Seems to be a terrible example of engineers gone wild & somehow bypassing look/feel & usability people."
The Google employee who came up with the idea in their 20% time posts in the Google Blog This "Labs project that provides you with search suggestions, in real time, while you type. We've found that Google Suggest not only makes it easier to type in your favorite searches (let's face it -- we're all a little lazy), but also gives you a playground to explore what others are searching about, and learn about things you haven't dreamt of."
Google Sued Over Scholar
John Battelle's Searchblog
"The American Chemical Society yesterday filed a complaint against Google, claiming the new Google Scholar infringes on its own product, called SciFinder Scholar. "
Battelle reckons that the case is not down to the American Chemical Society & Google being in the same business but due to ACS wanting to keep their product's revenue....
"Aha! Google Scholar is free. SciFinder is paid. If Google Scholar wins out, SciFinder loses. They can't sue Google for making information free, but they can sue for trademark."
The legal action doc has been posted at Resourceshelf
"The American Chemical Society yesterday filed a complaint against Google, claiming the new Google Scholar infringes on its own product, called SciFinder Scholar. "
Battelle reckons that the case is not down to the American Chemical Society & Google being in the same business but due to ACS wanting to keep their product's revenue....
"Aha! Google Scholar is free. SciFinder is paid. If Google Scholar wins out, SciFinder loses. They can't sue Google for making information free, but they can sue for trademark."
The legal action doc has been posted at Resourceshelf
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