Mark Ballard believes he got a glimpse of Bing's version of a paid product listing. He tells us it appears that adCenter is testing their version of Google's Product Listing Ads, and provides an example of one new ad he spotted on some Bing search engine results pages late last week. Ballard believes the move will not only give Microsoft and Yahoo a boost, but benefit advertisers as well.

Eugene Krall, who specializes in link-building search engine optimization, provides some tips on finding a variety of sites with problems. He takes us through notifications, common PHP error messages, and how to form certain queries that identify the problems and the sites. Through the process of being able to search for sites in "bulk" through PHP errors, Krall wants to help marketers find the problem before they need to contact the webmaster to help find the solution. 

Michael Boland talks with YP's David Kurtz about the company's new ads, and what they mean for national brands and local small-and-medium size businesses that want to focus on local, mobile campaigns. YP's new feature -- a store locator launched from display ads -- provides nearby locations and details displayed on customized landing pages, based on where the user stands.

Stoney deGeyter gives us an interesting comparison between the old testament and online marketing, contrasting the book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Joshua, and others with search engine optimization. Some might consider this a bit of a stretch, but take the book of Proverbs, for example. He writes: "Look for trusted sources of SEO wisdom and follow them regularly. Take what you learn to heart and apply their wisdom wherever you can." Or the book of Ezra. He writes: "If any search engine puts you in exile, there is a way out. It starts by going back to the basics, getting …

David Jaeger knows that it's important to understand what motivates people to click on a link or make a purchase. Continually split testing ad copy typically improves success, but he explains how to reduce risk, improve credibility, create calls to action, and build perceived value to go along with the actual benefits. It's also important to identify competitors and think about keywords that create action.

Black Duck Software updated its Ohloh.net search engine aimed at searching online directories for open-source projects, and code search engine called Ohloh Code. The updates are designed to speed the development and adoption of free and open-source software. The engine gives developers access to more than 10 billion lines of open-source code and adds filtering capabilities to speed up code search and selection, according to Darryl Taft.

Thinking about return on investments (ROI) might create images of online ads or products, but Jack Aaronson wants us to think about the ROI gained from employees. He tells us how more companies need to invest in their employees as well as products and services for clients. For those thinking about producing an ROI scale, Aaronson suggests they begin by calculating the frequency in which employees change jobs to determine their lifetime value.

Jeff Beard thinks he has four ways that developers can create a better local search experience. Similar to the way enterprise companies collect and filter data, he believes app developers need to build filters that sort through competing streams of data sources to distinguish the best information for local search results and mapping features. He provides a list of best practices to follow when creating a location-based solution or app.

Amanda Westbrook explains why marketers should know how to use Google's automated rules for search ad targeting. She takes us through scheduling ads for special promotions or events, pausing low-performing ads or keywords, changing keyword bids to control your average position, adjusting budgets or scheduling budgets for certain days each week, and raising keyword bids to ensure that ads show on the first page.

Google eliminated the maximum number of Google+ pages HootSuite could give out to clients as part of the Google+ Pages launch partner trial. HootSuite clients using the Free, the Pro, or the Enterprise package -- close to 5 million -- can search for and manage content on their Google+ Pages from the HootSuite dashboard. HootSuite in November was named one of six third-party launch partners for Google+ Pages, integrating Google+ functions with collaboration, measurement, engagement and security tools.