Changes to Google's paid-search ads may leave many guessing. Bill Slawski admits to not using paid-search tools, but the strategy Google announced recently has him wondering about the influence on broader matches in Google Adwords. Will it continue to serve up only exact-match volumes for keywords entered, or will it start reporting matches for keywords that are broader? he writes. He wonders because Google recently was granted a couple of patents around search ads, including one explaining ways the search engine might modify or expand the range of terms and phrases to which advertisements may match.

Google has said it will change the paid-search ad rotation. Beginning next week, the setting for ad rotation will change to 30 days, rather than an indefinite period of time. Then the setting will optimize to show the ads expected to generate the most clicks. Every time a creative is enabled or edited, the ads in that ad group will rotate more evenly for a new period of 30 days. Evidently, this has got paid-search marketing experts in a tizzy. Greg Habermann tells us why.

DuckDuckGo has introduced a new feature called DuckDuckHack -- a developer platform that allows anyone to add new features to the search engine. The tool creates plugins. Scott Gilbertson tells us there already are several "cool plugins," including the XKCD comic search, as well as lyrics search and a Twitter username search.

Think about the device consumers might view the paid-search ad or content on, and then decide how to present the information to them in the most concise way. George Michie tells us that segmentation breeds success in most marketing activities and recognizes that how traffic arrives at the site provides insight into its value. Look at the data. It reveals what he calls "big opportunities" when it comes to device segmentation. Michie takes us through a series of tips to help marketers get started.

Yes -- Penguin, Google's latest update to rid the search world of spammy Web sites, got search engine optimization professionals hopping to inform marketers on best practices. Lisa Buyer tells us that while Google believes Pengiun will help the overall search experience, "innocent bystanders report they are taking a hit." She provides tips from five SEO experts on how to protect business interests, including optimizing content on other engines and sites, such as social, video and blogs.

Pay attention to consumer behavior to determine how Web site visitors find branded content. It may turn out that mobile becomes the easy and quick access for visitors. If that's the case, consider short and snappy "sound bites" related to mission statements, action buttons, and bulletted points. It's easier to digest bits and bytes of content on smaller screens. Through descriptions and screen shots, Duffy-Marie Arnoult gives us examples and advice of how mobile optimization can change the experience.

Marshall Sponder dives deep into Google Analytics for social to explain what the tool can and can't offer search marketers after realizing that what's written by Google doesn't exactly match his experience of what the platform actually provides. He explains that it should be easier to take the data Google provides and turn it into an entire story. It's not. Sponder provides interesting tips on social referrers, pages that get traffic from social sites, and the Social Visitors flow chart and the insights it offers.

Josh Wolford introduces us to Million Short, an experimental Web site that provides searchers with a view of content on the Web after removing the most returns based on keyword searches. The thinking behind the site aims to give searchers a view of less mainstream results and help to discover new content that would otherwise go unnoticed. Initial reviews, of course, are mixed.

Google introduced authorship markup in June 2011, allowing Web sites to connect individual authors to their respective content through code by adding the rel=author tag. Crispin Sheridan explains how Google will use the information to help people find content in search results. He tells us that pages using authorship markup include rich snippets in search results, and explains four ways that authorship connects with search engine optimization.

Nearly a year ago, Fortune Senior Editor Alex Taylor wrote "Is Google Motors the new GM?" Now we find the Mountain View, Calif. company looking to Detroit for guidance and support on its self-driving car. Anthony Levandowski told an audience at the Society of Automotive Engineers conference that the company is looking for partners to help it get autonomous cars on the road within the next decade. Since the auto industry continues work on similar projects, it's not clear how interested they are in Google’s approach, Joseph White writes.