Ruben Sanchez explains the opportunity marketers gained after Google connected Google+ business pages to company Web sites, as well as AdWords campaigns. He explains how this can help marketers more accurately assess the aggregate return on investment social media generates across a company's online marketing efforts. The key resides in the ability to index all of the social recommendations a brand receives, he writes, as he guides us through the process.

Peter Meyers tells us how to turn off personalization features in Google's Search Plus Your World. Click on the globe on google.com. Searchers will find it below the Google search box and above the results. There are other ways to turn off personalized results --in fact, six of them. Meyers runs through all, providing insight into methods, metrics, and data for each.

Marketers using AdWords API to download Budget Lost Impression Share, Impression Share, Quality Lost Impression Share, and Exact Match Impression Share metrics in account and campaign performance reports should be aware of the changes to AdWords Impression Share Metrics. Google's Anash P. Oommen describes the changes and suggests that those wanting to backup data or change Impression Share controls in AdWords campaigns should do so before Jan. 30.

Google has created a new method to more accurately match how link position is reported. The engine had reported the average position of all URLs on Web sites for queries, but now will average the top position that a URL from your site appeared in. The change means the the average position metrics will remain the same or decrease because Google will no longer average in lower-ranking URLs, according to Chris Anderson and Susan Moskwa.

Google has made changes to the affiliate network sidebar help widget that displays information based on the Web site page. The tool makes it easier for advertisers to gain quick access to guides and links, while publishers can set up product feed subscriptions and watch step-by-step instructions on setting up links. 

Optimizing Web site content for search engines by language or country depends on the company's international strategy. Christian Arno gives us pros and cons for each. He tells us that when optimizing by language, marketers gain a "broad-brush way" of reaching potential new customers, and explains how marketers will need to focus on finding keywords that may not be the direct equivalents of those that perform well for you in English. Consider the confusion created by one word in the English language with two possible meanings. For example, "right" as in "correct," or "right" as in turn to the "right." …

Bing said Tuesday that it will retire on March 30 the Maps Token Service, and urges those using the tool to upgrade to Bing Maps Keys. The upgrade applies to Bing Maps AJAX Control v6.3, SOAP Services, and Silverlight Control. Microsoft tells us the upgrade will provide better performance management and reporting. Also, Bing Maps Keys do not expire. For those who are not sure whether their Bing Maps application calls or references a Bing Maps Platform, Microsoft provides a list of URLs that help to identify use.

On-demand indexing -- rather than manually entering URLs or keeping a Sitemap up to date -- can save time. So Webmaster Tools has verified that a site owner can now have a page that links to their site's latest content index more quickly by providing Google with the URL. Google will periodically visit the URL to discover new links to content and add it to the index. Liqian Luo explains the process, and tells us this feature only works to discover new content. it does not refresh content that has already been indexed.

Yahoo plans to build and roll out tools this year that make the transition for search across devices much smoother. CEO Scott Thompson emphasized the company's commitment to search on the Q4 2011 earnings call Tuesday, but projects were in the works even before the new company executive  stepped in. Shashi Seth tells us about some of the changes that searchers can expect this year -- identifying Yahoo's next chapter in search, where tools focus on "ubiquity" and "discovery." 

Google has introduced new targeting options for mobile campaigns in AdWords. The ad platform now gives marketers the ability to target WiFi users and by mobile operating system. These two targeting features add to options that are already available, such as separating mobile from desktop campaigns, targeting tablet devices or specific mobile phone carriers per country. Morgan Hallmon tells us how it works.