Microsoft’s bid to buy Yahoo, Day 4 In 2008, there were some big developments following the news of Microsoft’s bid to purchase Yahoo.  Google wasn’t happy about the news. The company objected, suggesting that the move would hurt what it called the underlying principles of the internet: “openness...

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How Google uses AI in search In 2022, we learned more about how Google was using AI in search – for understanding language for query, content and ranking purposes. The overview covered in what ways AI and machine learning helped Google Search perform its daily tasks. Specifically with: RankBrain Neural...

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Revamped Google Partners program finally launches In 2022, the changes to Partners program requirements, originally announced in 2020, finally took effect. Those changes were supposed to happen in June 2020 but were first postponed until 2021 and then delayed a second time due to the upheaval caused by the...

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Google accuses Bing of copying its search results In 2011, the headline Google: Bing Is Cheating, Copying Our Search Results appeared first on Search Engine Land. As Danny Sullivan reported: “Google has run a sting operation that it says proves Bing has been watching what people search...

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Google releases URL Inspection Tool API In 2022, Google released a new API under the Search Console APIs for the URL Inspection Tool. The new URL Inspection API let you programmatically access the data and reporting you’d get from the URL Inspection Tool but through software. Google’s URL Inspection...

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Analytics firm Jumpshot shuts down In 2020, following critical articles about its data collection and sales practices, analytics firm Jumpshot was shut down by its parent company Avast. Jumpshot was made famous within the SEO industry by SparkToro founder Rand Fishkin’s (heavily criticized and widely circulated) zero-click analysis and presentations. Articles...

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Google penalizes French link network In 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts tweeted, “Today we’re taking action on a French link network that violates our quality guidelines (Buzzea).” Buzzea was less than thrilled about being called a link network, saying they “oppose this assertion since we never stopped wanting...

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Google AdWords API launches In 2005, Google launched the Google AdWords API. Google said API usage would be free, though activity was capped via a quota system. Those with larger accounts or spending more with Google would be allowed to have higher activity. Google described the AdWords API as...

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LinkedIn Ads launches In 2011, LinkedIn Ads officially launched. Advertisers could now target by exact job title, company name or LinkedIn Group. LinkedIn’s self-service PPC ad offering launched in beta in July 2008 under the name LinkedIn DirectAds. Originally, advertisers could only target by geography, job function, industry, company...

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