Michael Gray runs down a list of 25 things he'd like to see Google fix and why. Among those on his list: Google apps for domains, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Reader, Feedburner, YouTube and Universal search. Yep, Gray's list goes on and on, pointing to specific issues in a good portion of every product Google offers. For example, he wants the company to figure out a way to get Google Voice on the iPhone.

Google is showing more detail on locations of Web sites by using regional information supplied by webmaster console settings. Piyush Prahladka explains the feature by describing a search for a boxing club in Canada. At first it's difficult to tell if you have found the correct results, but now the region tag on The URL will help identify the right boxing club quickly.

ASK -- no, not the search engine, but rather a restaurant in the United Kingdom. Kevin Gibbons explains he rarely writes about individual Web sites, but was surprise to see how a well-known U.K. brand has paid little or no attention to its search strategy. So, he provides ASK with some quick SEO tips. He points to flaws in branding and problems duplicate content. Plus the site is poorly optimized for local keywords. That's just the beginning of eight SEO problems he finds on the Web site.

Eric Enge points to four new search signals that aim to improve the quality of results for people searching on engines. The signals influence everything from page load times and clicks, to Web references and social media. The signals have a purpose, though he writes that the purpose isn't always clear to the SEO. Sometimes search engines use signals to evaluate the impact of spam on results.

After writing the blog post, "should social media be a college course," and receiving several "mixed" comments, Samir Balwani sets out to define course work in interactive marketing for marketing majors. He suggests teaching fundamentals instead of platforms, ways to collect data, and encouraging creativity rather than structure.

Jeremy Lamothe explains the difference between natural search results and paid search ads and where they appear on the search engine results pages (SERPs). He explains the listings are based on relevance to the search query. This means marketers cannot buy their way to the No. 1 position. That's when a SEO expert takes over to optimize the site in hopes of producing high rankings for relevant search queries.

Rand Fishkin provides insight into SEO data points from Web analytics, such as the number of unique URLs on the Web site that receive at least one referring business from each search engine. Fishkin says this is a great way to monitor referral traffic from the engines. It can also bring clarity to the abandonment rates and browse rates, track and identity link growth patterns, and test the viral nature of a campaign.

Arnold Zafra writes that a post on Google Webmaster Blog explains how abusing a site's comment field hurts the site's rankings, the poster of the comment and the person posting the blog. He defines "abuse" as spam, according to Google, and provides an example. Since Google penalizes sites for comments gone astray, Zafra explains what needs to be done to keep written comments in check. He reminds us original content and "search engine-friendly" optimization on your own site is the best way to gain a better site ranking on Google.

Weird URLs, such as those the size of a "small Latin American country," can have serious consequences on your Web site, writes Mike Moran. So he provides advice on condensing URLs to help search engine spiders read them more efficiently. While there are standard methods for this process, Moran serves up tips for those who don't have access to a dynamic commerce server, or a shared hosting plan that doesn't allow you to do redirect URL correctly.

Greg Meyers wonders whether PPC agencies will become extinct as companies look to move campaign management in-house. The most recent salary survey findings from the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization suggest that the majority of companies will pay more in cash or benefits to move the service under their roof. So, Meyers analyzes the benefits of hiring an agency versus bringing the project in-house.