Google Introduces Place Search; Microsoft & Yahoo Search Transition Complete in US & Canada

November 1, 2010 | by | Category:

This week in the blogosphere we’ll look at four blog posts that examine Google’s move toward a more discovery-based, social search; Yahoo’s redesigned, more social email service; and, next steps in the Bing & Yahoo search deal. Below are some of the highlights from these articles:

It’s A Location Turf War As Google Rolls Out Place Search

TechCrunch | MG Siegler | 10-27-10

Google introduced a new local search feature last week to their main search site: Google Place Search. Now when a user conducts a search that Google believes to be a search for local information, the searcher will automatically receive Place Search results. Additionally, users can specifically filter their searches by “Places,” which appears in the toolbar on the left-hand side of the page, alongside Images, Videos, News and Shopping. Just as with Google Instant, the search giant claims Place Search will save users time with each search: “In our new layout you’ll find many more relevant links on a single results page—often 30 or 40. Instead of doing eight or 10 searches, often you’ll get to the sites you’re looking for with just one search. In our testing Place Search saves people an average of two seconds on searches for local information.” Additionally, Google Place Search prioritizes links to local search sites like Yelp and Citysearch and excerpts from user reviews in Place Search results. The new feature is still being rolled out to users, but Google has provided this link to preview the new feature.

Main Takeaways:

  • Last week Google announced a new local search option, Google Place Search, which will serve as the default search filter when the search engine predicts a user’s searching for local information.
  • In keeping with their ongoing efforts to speed up search, Google claims Place Search will save users about two seconds on average per local search.

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Yahoo Mail Gets a Speed Boost with Redesign

ReadWriteWeb | Mike Melanson | 10-27-10

Five years since it’s last major remodel, Yahoo Mail rolled out a new UI and features last week. With this new version of Yahoo Mail, users can access their social networks, like Twitter and Facebook, view photos on sites such as Flickr, watch video, and chat and send SMS–all without having to leave their email. In addition to promoting their spam-free initiative with this new roll-out, much of Yahoo’s focus is on giving users the ability to navigate their email faster. Now, users can just scroll through their entire inbox instead of having to click through to the next page. The company also claims the new Yahoo Mail Beta is “more than two-times faster” than before.

Main Takeaways:

  • Last week Yahoo introduced a new version of Yahoo Mail, which they claim to be a “faster, safer and more social email experience.”
  • Users can now access their favorite social networks, view photos and video and send SMS directly from their email, without having to click on links and navigate away from their email account.

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Microsoft, Yahoo Complete Search Transition in the U.S. and Canada

WebProNews | Chris Crum | 10-27-10

Last week Microsoft and Yahoo announced the completion of the Search Alliance’s transition in the U.S. and Canada. This announcement follows the latest phase in the Bing & Yahoo Search Alliance: the paid search transition. Microsoft’s adCenter now serves as the sole ad platform for all Bing and Yahoo advertisers. The two companies plan to transition Yahoo Mobile search ads to adCenter by the end of this month, and will then begin their international transition of all global partners and customers, with a tentative deadline set for early 2012.

Main Takeaways:

  • Last week marks the completion of the Microsoft & Yahoo Search Alliance’s transition in the U.S. and Canada.
  • The Search Alliance intends to begin their global transition next, with a plan to complete this effort by early 2012.

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Google Sites Account for 6.4% of All Global Internet Traffic

Search Engine Watch | Danny Goodwin | 10-25-10

As of this month, Google now accounts for nearly 6.4% of all global Web traffic, according to findings from Arbor Networks Security. Arbor points out in their report: “If Google were an ISP, as of this month it would rank as the second largest carrier on the planet.” Google’s expanding much more quickly than overall Internet volumes, which is currently seeing gains between 40 and 45% per year, says Arbor. Goodwin also highlights Google’s Internet traffic share has increased more than 1% just since January, which he suggests is largely due to YouTube’s increasing user base.

Main Takeaways:

  • Google now accounts for about 6.4% of all global Internet traffic, according to a new report from Arbor Networks Security.
  • Arbor points out: If Google were an ISP, they would be the second biggest carrier of Internet traffic in the world.

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What impact could Google Place Search have on your business?

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this week’s summary and that you’ll share your feedback and questions with us. To get the weekly summary, or any other Optify updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or subscribe to our RSS feed. Here’s one question we’d like your feedback on:

So far, we know Place Search gives prominence to results from sites like Yelp and Citysearch and excerpts from user reviews high on the SERP, pushing regular search results below the fold and lower down on the page. While this appears to be more geared toward local searches for retail and restaurants, it’s evident that Google’s showing preference to review/rating sites and word-of-mouth referrals with this new feature.

What are some ways companies in the B2B and B2C space could leverage this more social and discovery-based search to improve search engine optimization rankings? Share your thoughts.