Here is a collection of links to pieces that are using Huffington Post's 2011 "What time does the Super Bowl start" search engine optimization (SEO) pageview trick.Continue reading...

It was a move many saw coming, eventually. Turns out, eventually was Tuesday. That's the day Google amended its user privacy policy to begin sharing data collected from users across all of its services, including Gmail, Google+, YouTube and even Android.

The changes start March 1. There is no opt-out for users. There is also no opt-out of the PR nightmare Google's brand is about to weather.Continue reading...

Google is making its search engine results even more personal and social, with three new features that integrate Google+ results into search revealed today.

As Google's blog post explains, "Search is still limited to a universe of webpages created publicly, mostly by people you’ve never met. Today, we’re changing that by bringing your world, rich with people and information, into search. We’re transforming Google into a search engine that understands not only content, but also people and relationships. We began this transformation with Social Search, and today we’re taking another big step in this direction by introducing three new features."

Update: Twitter objected to the move, which steps on its role as a breaking news platform by favoring Google+, although Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt commented that Twitter and Facebook are welcome to integrate their users' content, too. Find out more on how Google's getting more social below.Continue reading...

From zumba (exerdance) to wallpapering to nephrops, (a.k.a. a Dublin Bay prawn or Norwegian lobster), the Google Zeitgeist list of the year's top search terms offers a peek inside the planet's collective obsessions, passions, curiosity and downright nosiness. And that's just in the United Kingdom.

Google’s list is evidence that “the entire country has turned into one huge version of the Daily Mail,” quips Gizmodo U.K. about the celeb focus of Britain's top searches (and the world's most-trafficked online news hub, the salacious Daily Mail's website.

Beyond revealing the spirit of the times, it's also a fascinating local snapshot. In the U.S., Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga were top searches, while in the U.K., the the Royal Wedding was the “fastest rising search query” and the British commoner formerly known as Kate Middleton among the top ten fastest rising people.

"From local celebrities in Finland to Singaporeans looking for news on the revolutions in Egypt and Libya half a world away, people turned to Google to learn more about what was happening on the world stage," Google's Amit Singhal wrote on the company's official blog.Continue reading...

In a move that was bound to happen, Google is taking Google Maps indoors — at least for those with Android phones.

As its blog post today describes, "Take Google Maps on your Android phone to select airports, malls, and retail stores to get floor layouts and accurate location readings. Figure out how to get to departments, airport gates, and even restrooms all from the palm of your hand. To learn more, Start here."

Check out its airport mapping abilities below.Continue reading...

Google today released a follow-up to its August video on how it's improving search with a new six-minute video called "The Evolution of Search." Google Fellow Ben Gomes explains in a blog post and video that "we wanted to share with you a short history of the evolution of search, highlighting some of the most important milestones from the past decade—and a taste of what's coming next."

So what is next? "Our goal is to get you to the answer you're looking for faster and faster, creating a nearly seamless connection between your questions and the information you seek. For those of you looking to deepen your understanding of how search has evolved, this video highlights some important trends like universal results, quick answers and the future of search. For more information, go to Google.com/insidesearch."

Google has refreshed its search app for the iPad. It may not be as fun as searching with Google Voice, but Google promises, "With rich interactions and a new, more visual look, it's now simpler to find exactly what you need."

Google Music is now live to the public, with Google+ integration and a library of 8 million songs (soon to be 13 million) via the Android market. Google's cloud-based online music store, which was announced as a beta service in May, will compete for digital downloads with Apple's iTunes and Amazon's growing library of online music. It also challenges Apple's music dominance by serving the 200 million estimated Android phone users just in the U.S.

Google commented in a blog post, "Google Music is about discovering, purchasing, sharing and enjoying digital music in new, innovative and personalized ways." It's launching with music from Universal Music Group, EMI Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Merlin Network — but no deal has been reached (so far) with Warner Music Group, whose catalog represents about 20% of the world's music inventory.Continue reading...