Danny Sullivan's in-depth look at the rapidly vanishing line between social networking and search reminds readers that the big engines have always had access to Facebook profiles. He notes that the social networking site most likely needs traffic from Google to grow, and that it will start optimizing public profiles to make sure they show up in search results.

It's a given that marketers should do their due diligence when it comes to hiring a search pro -- researching the firm or individual's track record, credentials, and even checking with past clients. But for search professionals, quizzing a prospective client is just as important. Understanding how much the organization knows about search marketing, Web page optimization, and online advertising in general is key to building a functional business relationship -- and ensuring that there are no outrageous expectations. TopRank Online Marketing's CEO Lee Odden gives a thorough example of the questions search firms might want to ask …

As more publishers use RSS feeds to give readers constant access to new content, .xml and .rss links are increasingly showing up in organic search results. But do searchers really need Google or Yahoo to serve links to these feeds -- when they can typically access them from the site themselves? And what about searchers who don't even know what an RSS feed is? This post highlights a discussion going on at Webmasterworld, showing both the pros and cons of the inclusion of RSS feeds in search results -- with a screenshot and a direct link to the …

Using a competitor's brand name in your paid search headline or ad copy can be tricky -- after all, it's partly why companies like American Blinds & Wallpaper have gone after Google for copyright infringement. But when done well, the practice can draw traffic, increase sales and even score press attention. Case in point, Nokia -- who used the word iPhone in an ad aimed at early adopters who might be miffed that Apple recently dropped the price of its much-hyped phone.

2007 has seen two major upgrades to the way search engines work -- with Ask's busy, feature-rich, three-panel approach and Google's Universal Search -- as well as changes to the way search is perceived by media measurement firms like Nielsen//NetRatings. SEOmoz' CEO and co-founder Rand Fishkin serves up nine more ways that he thinks the search industry will evolve, from incorporating more user data and searching history, to more vertical fracturing, to a widespread inclusion of human-powered results.

Optimizing pages for search in Web 2.0 has its perils. Companies aim to maximize blended search engines by plugging their sites full of video, images, and other rich media, while maintaining cultural relevance with blogs, widgets and press clips. But as more consumers navigate the Web via mobile phone, PDA, and other devices with less than optimal bandwidth speeds, Webmasters face the challenge of maintaining the balance between shooting for the lowest common technology and remaining cutting edge. Using anecdotes from a holiday weekend in which he only had access to the Web via Blackberry, Jonathan Hochman details …

The input and verification process for Yahoo Local makes it easy for businesses to get listed in the database and rank fairly highly. This is a great way for local businesses without extensive SEO knowledge to increase exposure or build up a Web presence on the cheap. But according to search pro Mike Blumenthal, the system's simplicity makes it more susceptible to hacks that pump the listings with fake businesses, companies that are not really local, or other instances of "Mapspam." And while Yahoo Local's Mapspam problem is currently not as widespread as Google's was, Blumenthal says that …

Webmasters fresh out of ideas for increasing traffic and quality links may want to do a little research on Google News. 97th Floor's Mat Siltala explains how a keyword search on aggregators like Google News will yield examples of high-ranking PR sites and other buzz-inducing properties in your vertical. Submitting articles and press releases about new products, services or other news to these sites will often result in a boost in traffic to your page (from links) as well as prominent listings in the news search aggregators.

Yellow pages and local search giant R.H. Donnelly has launched a four-market beta test of voice-powered search called 1-800-CallDex. The company partnered with Call Genie to power free local directory assistance service for callers in Denver; Spokane,Wash.; Phoenix; and Tucson, Ariz. Voice-powered search is emerging as a contender in the local search market, as consumers may not always have Web access via mobile phone -- and calling for directory assistance (albeit ad-supported) is often the default option.

Buzz is growing amidst tech and financial insiders about Cuill (pronounced "cool"), the Menlo Park, Ca.-based search startup that claims its technology and algorithms index Web pages faster and cheaper than Google can. Cuill currently exists as a landing page only, one that offers bits of information about the founders -- Tom Costello, Anna Patterson, and Russell Power and a cheeky tagline: "Yup. We're working on it." But the team itself sparks major interest, as Patterson and Power are both former Google search alumni, while Costello was the founder of mobile Web firm Xift.