Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) tagging -- pieces of code that marketers attach to the end of a URL to provide richer information about where that traffic comes from -- are underused, according to Zac Martin. One tip is to include the tags on shortened links that appear on traditional media. Rather than a link to a brand's home page on a brochure, marketers might instead use a URL like www.brand.com/brochure, which would redirect site visitors to the home page with an UTM tag that identifies it as brochure traffic. For more sophisticated users, here are five tips to get the most out of your UTM tags. 

Google released its Year in Search list this week. The data shows that it's all about Me -- and there's a growing interest in the current year. The data shows that people worldwide were nearly twice as likely to search for "2014" in 2014 as they were to search for "2004" in 2004. Christopher Ingraham hypothesizes why.

Google and Verizon Communications have entered into a long-term patent cross-license agreement for a range of products and technologies, allowing each company to reduce the risk of future patent litigation. While details of the deal are sparse, the deal will allow both companies to focus on "delivering great products and services to consumers around the world," per Kirk Dailey, head of patent transactions at Google.

Google removed the official Amazon app from the Google PlayStore after Amazon let slip that the app features its own hidden app store, as reported by Business Insider. App stores don't allow apps to be distributed through them if they directly replicate a function of the app store, but this ban in this case the two companies involved are in direct competition for shopping search traffic. Amazon quickly replaced the app with one called Amazon Shopping that disabled the hidden app store.

Rand Fishkin explains how to set expectations in search engine optimization campaigns that will lead to excitement without the subsequent letdown if campaigns don't work as well as first expected. Fishkin encourages marketers to think differently about how the industry pitches work to others. 

Google, Bing and Yahoo say they are working to make search engine marketing easier. Google just released a new version of AdWords Editor to simplify creating paid-search campaigns. Larry Kim takes us through the new features including Account Tree, Type List, and Data View. Google will continue to offer support for previous AdWords Editor versions for four months through April 10, 2015, after which all accounts will migrate to version 11.0.

Jon Ball analyzes the future of Google's search algorithm. He believes that within the next five years search will become more responsible for the majority of the Google's revenue, which it’s unlikely to risk with major and significant changes. Many of the ideas he discusses are elementary, but it's worth reading based on his belief that Google will likely refine existing algorithms rather than build new signals from scratch.

Josh Bachynski looks inside Panda 4.1 to offer up some top dos and don'ts for Web sites. He compares Panda to Freddy Krueger, from the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series. He comprised a complete dos and don'ts list by scouring all the references from materials directly from Google of any reference they made to a quality algorithm, any specific, actionable thing they said to do based on that quality algorithm. Here's what he found.

AdWords Scripts -- those lines of code that tell AdWords accounts how to edit functions like creating or automating new campaigns -- can become very useful, per Rebeka Alverez-Heck. She explains how to bid by rules, bid by weather, input dynamic values in ad text, and more. And while the benefits are many, Alverez-Heck tells marketers which caveats to look for when using the tool.

Larry Kim points to about 15 predictions for paid-search marketing in 2015 from across the industry. He shares thoughts from marketers like David Szetela, Lisa Raehsler, and Marty Weintraub put together in an ebook from Acquisio. I'm sure we will hear many more predictions in the weeks to come as the industry rings in 2015.