It takes time and money to build a company's division to profitability. Some are even characterized as a "money pit." So goes the story about Microsoft Bing. The company's CFO for its applications and services division now says it's time to put its "foot on the gas," rather than sell it off. In a call with investors, he describes a time when the division will soon break even and excel now that the foundation is in place.

Google began moving more toward a data-driven search model based on semantics a few years ago, driven by Knowledge Graph, an algorithm assisting to link language to persons, places or things that connect to related information. Those relationships continue to support the evolution of search and the way people find information. Andrew Isidoro provides an example. He searches on his name and the word "age." Not only does he find his age, but also his date of birth. He delves into data sources and search behavior, and tells us why these connections will become important to brand marketers. Read the …

Kelsey Halloran tells us how some non-profits can advertise on Google AdWords for free. The program gives qualified organizations $10,000 per month to spend in AdWords to promote their missions and initiatives on Google.com. There's an application process to qualify. Some non-profits are not eligible, such as governmental entities and organizations; hospitals and medical groups; and schools, childcare centers, academic institutions and universities. Read the article here.

Google's focus on combining text-based ads with images in search engine query results continues to give Amazon grief. Recent data from companies like AdGooroo, Marin and others shows that these ads attract advertisers and generate more clicks and conversions. It's likely to be the way of the future, where text-based ads slowly fade out and image-based ads take their place. A Wall Street Journal article doesn't provide that analysis, but rather the fodder for this type of thinking. Google and Bing call image-based ads product listing ads or PLAs.

Google received 3,846 government requests to remove 24,737 pieces of content between January and June 2013. The number of government requests to remove content from Google's services rose 68% compared with the first half of 2012. Turkey and Russia had the most requests. The post points to the notes section for those who want an in-depth look.

Video clips on a voice assistant app from Yahoo surfaced Thursday. The app, accessible from a mobile home screen on Android phones, would compete with Google Now and Siri. It integrates predictive data and supports voice recognition input and the ability to send messages. Yahoo recently acquired natural language processing startup SkyPhrase.

More than 40 million credit and debit card account numbers and names may have been stolen from Target's databases during the holiday shopping season. Brian Krebs points to a statement on the retailer's Web site confirming the breach. The breach pertains to consumers paying for purchases with a debit or credit card between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013.

A virtual tour can't take the place of reality, but Best Western International Thursday will announce the launch of Google Business Photos for all 2,200 of its North American hotels. Google Business Photos are 360-degree tours powered by Google Street technology; the photos are taken by trained Google photographers. USA Today reporter Nancy Trejos points to market research firm PhocusWright, which suggests that 44% of travelers look at professional photos when choosing a hotel. The service follows a move by Microsoft to provide an inside view of restaurants.

Marketing Sherpa has published a series of articles that highlights trends and tactics from case studies and how-to's that ran in 2013. The collection shows how marketers justified changes and integrated tactics into existing or new campaigns. The article fits into three buckets: Social media, content, and SEO. Read the article here.

Erik Ford did a good job recapping the winter MediaPost Search Insider Summit in Park City, Utah. For those of you who missed the event, Ford highlights a few key themes that marketers will focus on in 2014. Search and data emerged as one of the major themes. Search and mobile, or search and social -- whatever the combination, data plays a key role. Read the article here.