Retailers gearing up for the holiday season likely have begun paying attention to products on the list of items to market. As new products arrive at warehouses and stores, Dave Ragals reminds marketers to tie keywords to inventory feeds so that when an item sells out, the keyword and bids in AdWords and adCenter are paused. Ragals provides tips on optimizing for revenue per click as well as how to monitor inventory changes to anticipate fluctuations on conversion rates and leverage price reductions in creative pieces.

Google gives us insight into the details of Google search and the method behind its algorithms. A short video provides a glimpse inside search and what goes into the changes and improvements made to the search engine, from creative ideas to scientific testing.

Ever wonder who drinks what at a cocktail party and why? Jeff MacGurn compares beverage preferences of social media folks to those of search engine marketers after attending the latest MediaPost Social Media Insiders Summit. In a humorous tone, MacGurn tells us he observed that nearly half -- or 45% -- of search marketers preferred beer, compared with 38% of social marketers who like to guzzle the brew. "These socialites also have a slightly higher preference for premium beers than search marketers," he writes. In the post, MacGurn also analyzes the drinking habits of those who enjoy cocktails and wine.

What should a marketer do if a competitor's paid-search ad publishes with your brand's trademark or serves up based on branded keywords? In several steps, Lisa Raehsler explains how to take back a brand after finding the trademark connected to another company's paid-search ad campaign. Among the suggestions: brand owners should always bid on their own trademarks so the company shows up in search queries to reinforce brand leadership.

The sometimes forgotten "About Us" page offers brands a way to connect with consumers on a humanizing level. If brands want consumers to like them or even "Like" they should fill the page with interesting tidbits about the company. Bryan Eisenberg explains that the worst crime is having no page at all -- or, better yet, a page that is totally blank. He points to the new Huffington Post "About Us" page, post-AOL acquisition, to provide an example. Then he outlines five traits for a successful page that can change consumer perception.

Google paid $500 million to the U.S. Department of Justice after unknowingly selling ads to Canadian pharmacies that illegally sent drugs into the U.S., according to Kate Kaye. She outlines the investigation, which has "scandalous roots" in Mexico, that dates back to 2009. It turns out that investigators also found that as early as 2003, Google assisted some involved pharmacy advertisers to place and optimize AdWords ads and landing pages.

Lisa Barone gives us a list of competitors that marketers should consider when planning campaigns to compete. Keeping an eye on marketers at other companies that bid on and rank for your brand's keywords is one of the more important things to watch. So, Barone outlines the five types of competitors, details why each are important to identify and understand, and suggests strategies to combat the competition.

Google has transferred a bunch of Web site domains into the company's name in preparation for the worldwide rollout of the "Get Your Business Online" free initiative. Mike Blumenthal tells us Google initially offered a similar program to small and mid-size businesses in the United Kingdom in February 2010, before rolling out the program in the United States. The goal is to give SMBs an easy way to create a Web presence.

Multiple tools provide more than one perspective. That's obvious. But Aaron Wall tells us why it's important to use at least two when optimizing Web sites and campaigns. For starters, he explains, most Web analytics tools either support real-time tracking or granular historical data, but few offer both for a reasonable cost. Wall provides a long list of options, with highlights on each.

Consumers thinking about buying a car increasingly use search engines to research information. But with brands dumping $2.75 billion during the first quarter of this year into ads, according to Nielsen data, advertisers may not be getting the biggest bang for their buck. A survey in the Yahoo!/Universal McCann "Long and Winding Road" research series offers a insight into how consumers approach automotive purchases and what type of advertising works best. The survey finds that when asked to recall the types of ads they saw before making a car purchase, consumers were 33% more likely to cite digital ads, compared …