Irvine, Calif.-based Local.com acquired location-based product search company Krillion for $3.5 million. Krillion aggregates products and services from more than 50,000 retail U.S. locations. Local.com plans to launch a daily deals Web site and offering, Spreebird, with the technology from the acquisition.

Analyzing several reports published in the past few months, eMarketer's analysis identifies a shift in how marketers use SEO to generate Web site traffic. The analysis points to SEMPO's report, which finds that among 87% of companies worldwide that use SEO, 42% primarily use it to increase Web site traffic, compared with 29% for lead generation. eMarketer also analyzes data from Covario and MarketingSherpa.

Here's a patent application for ranking video articles that Bill Slawski believes will provide insights into Google's future plans. Filed in 2005, the application describes a process to help find videos on the Web and on television. It also includes information on a fingerprinting technique that could help in ranking videos. The patent tells us about a "'similar image algorithm' to tag frames in those videos with relevant keywords." Slawski tells us how it applies to rankings.

Remember the proverbial bucket list -- things people want to do before they die? Well, Jessica Lee made a list for SEO strategies to try before a Web site "kicks the can." Lee serves up tips on ways to build a strong foundation, SEO-friendly design and architecture, and quality content and structure. She gives reasons for each, and steps throughout the process of implementing the task.

Social signals will continue to be entwined with search. Ann Smarty gives us four Twitter tracking tools to organize followers and those being followed. This will help marketers tap into the power of communication that social enables. The tools include TwitterKarma, FriendOrFollow, ReFollow, and Tweepler. Smarty describes each, providing insights into unwritten rules, user tips and benefits.

Give site visitors what they need, as well as things they want. Optimizing Web sites relies on a marketer's ability to analyze human behavior. They must know the common phrases that potential and existing customers might type into a search box to find products and services. Those words or phrases that connect the searcher with the company offering the goods come down to building relationships. Stoney deGeyter provides insight on how this is done.

Publishers need to understand search engine optimization and ranking for results. Eric Enge points to a new view for ranking signals when it comes to SEO. It takes into consideration Google's Panda algorithm update and the added notion of social signals and content quality. He also tells us why page content is not a ranking factor, but rather a means to help establish the relevance between a search query and a Web site page.