Google has added the ability to upload advertising IDs to AdWords, helping marketers improve engagement rates for those who have downloaded their mobile app. Developers can upload a list of IDs for existing app users with the bulk IDFA/advertising ID capability. The ID allows apps to track and target ads without relying on an identifier uniquely tied to a specific device.

Matt Morgan thinks a well-crafted blog post can still take a page to the top of search engine query results. He provides five quick tips for beginners and just as many reminders for seasoned experts. Think quality, innovative thinking and long-term commitment.

Miriam Ellis put together a checklist to help marketers at local businesses double-check their search engine optimization steps, as to not not miss opportunities for consumers to see listings in searches on desktop or mobile. She suggests customizing local SEO to specific businesses types, such as determining the business model and matching the model to Google's guidelines.

Security firm Palo Alto Networks says Apple Macs have been hit with ransomware, a type of malicious software that steals files and data, encrypts it, and then asks the owner to pay money to get it back. "The ransomware was able to bypass Apple's security checks as it was signed with a valid Mac app development system, tricking the OS X operating system into thinking it was a legitimate piece of software," according to CNBC.

Why do AdSense earnings sometimes decline? Google walks through how to troubleshoot the problems as they happen. A variety of tools and reports can help marketers get a glimpse into what might cause the decline and how marketers should respond to optimize earnings.

Donald Trump was by far the most searched-for Republican candidate during the Thursday night primaries. Google Trends data reveals the most-searched questions about each candidate who participated in the debate. The questions about Ted Cruz include what states he won, how many delegates, what does he have to offer, is he dropping out of the race, and why vote for him. The questions asked about Marco Rubio were similar. Searches for Donald Trump differ. People wanted to know what he said about the KKK, how he did on Super Tuesday, and what his real name is. Interestingly, the most searched-on …

Discovering sites customer visit and using that knowledge to reach them more effectively becomes key in the best practices that Rand Fishkin describes. Fishkin lays out five steps to reach and market to specific target consumers. He begins with identifying the audience, collecting the search results to ultimately identify the sites with the most opportunities.

Yahoo paid $1.1 billion for Tumblr in 2013, which may result in one of the company's largest write-down of goodwill come reporting time. Venture Beat put together a list of some of the worst Internet acquisition deals to date. Standing tall with Tumblr are Overture and Right Media, among others.

"Some ad-blockers are tracking you, shaking down publishers, and showing you ads," according to Boing Boing. That's the headline on a piece providing the download on a variety of ad blockers. it also describes how the advertising world will disappear into content within a decade, writes Cory Doctorow, citing Wired. Search engine marketing isn't affected as much as display advertising, but reportedly Google and Bing pay a hefty price for consumers to see their ads.

How do marketers find the right person at the right moment? Google has been trying to answer that question for years. Jon Krafcik and Max Maxwell walk marketers through finding the correct audiences with display and video ads in AdWords through demographics, as well as affinity and in-market audiences.