SearchMe is a visual search engine that offers category refinements to help remove some of the opacity around broad queries. Users searching for "cornish hens," for example, can refine their search by looking within the "cooking," "Thanksgiving" and "diet and weight loss" categories, among others; or narrow down an "HDTV" search along the lines of "sales and bargains," "online forums" and "auctions." As Will Paoletto says, the startup has taken what seems like an obvious concept (i.e. that words take on different meanings depending on the context), and build a search engine around it. SearchMe also has a …

Yahoo announced major upgrades to its oneSearch mobile service this week, with the primary focus on voice-powered technology. OneSearch users can now speak their queries into the phone and get results that go beyond simple links. A search for "New York," for example, could return local subway schedules, while a search for "sushi restaurants" could turn up a list of geolocated eateries with open reservations. The new mobile search also takes advantage of Yahoo's Search Assist query suggestion tool. OneSearch 2.0 is currently only available for BlackBerry users in the U.S., but Yahoo plans to expand the platform …

Consistency is key to increasing paid click conversions. Say that three times fast. It's the mantra that Karon Thackston uses when crafting PPC ads for clients of her copywriting firm, Marketing Words. "Including the same keyphrases you target in the PPC copywriting throughout the rest of the steps in the conversion process can make or break your end results," Thackston says. It doesn't seem like rocket science, but you wouldn't believe how many marketers using search don't keep consistency in mind. Offline marketers have had a few decades worth of trial and error to learn that the messages …

Dave McAnally lists some link-building strategies that he's learned from observing his big brand clients. The first is that big brands utilize both their search and PR teams--and keep them clued in to upcoming product releases and announcements." Press release distribution schedules need to be in sync with optimization efforts as they are very much related," McAnally says. "The buzz analysis and general research an SEO performs can greatly improve the impact of a press release." Big brands also take stock of all their digital assets (from repackaged TV spots, to promotional images and even audio clips) and …

It seems that Google heard the rumblings and roars of the search community loud and clear--as the giant is looking to sell off Performics, the search marketing arm of DoubleClick. "It's clear to us that we do not want to be in the search engine marketing business," said Tom Phillips, Google's director of the DoubleClick Integration. "Maintaining objectivity in both search and advertising is paramount to Google's mission and core to the trust we ask from our users. For this reason, we plan to sell the Perfomics search marketing business to a third party." Actually, …

Podcasts are an excellent way to engage your target audience on their own terms--as they have to download the content willingly. At SES NY, Charlene Jaszweski attended an audio- and podcast-focused panel and learned some tips for optimizing this kind of content for search. Of course, it starts with snagging your target through general keywords like "mp3" and "free podcasts," as well as more niche terms like "free Punjabi music" or "dance tracks by Tiesto." Once they've found your site through paid or organic search, entice them further by offering the audio via an RSS feed or a …

So you snagged a top spot on Google for a particular keyword--only to slip down a few days later and see some random upstart in your place. Think something's gone wrong with your links, your content or your robots.txt file? Could be. But it could just be the Google Everflux--or the constant refreshing of the giant's index. "Lately I have been noticing a lot of jumping in the top listings. Links out of nowhere are appearing, links being dropped and my own links moving up and down much too quickly for my comfort," says Titus Hoskins. "Even six …

The ultimate conversion (be it a sale or a lead generated) should be the metric that Web site owners focus on, but Avinash Kaushik notes that forgetting about smaller, non-sales conversions is sort of like leaving money on the table--and a definite way to get a skewed view of a site's overall performance. "Focus on measuring your macro (overall) conversions," Kaushik says, "But for optimal awesomeness identify and measure your micro conversions as well." Not every person who visits a Web site is actually looking to buy a product or initiate a sales call--many unique visitors are researching …

Applying statistics from case studies and research by search firms, trade publications and organizations like SEMPO can lead to insights on where and how you should be spending your paid search dollars. For example, recent data from U.K.-based search firm Neutralize.com showed a sharp contrast between the click habits of searchers they tracked on Google and MSN. Some 72% of Google searchers preferred clicking on the natural search listings, and about 28% preferred paid links. On the other hand, just about 29% of MSN searchers chose to use the organic listings--the other 71% said they relied on paid …