Spinfield: Web marketing trends today, tomorrow, and beyond…

The search world is always changing. Here are some of the latest updates around the industry:

• Google Maps Now Include Images and Explore Features. Google added new features to enhance the user experience with Google Maps. When a specific city is searched, images, videos, popular searches and user-created maps can be found for that area. The map even points out the location of the picture! Yet another way Google is continuing to impress us with its usefulness.

• Google Continues Charitable Efforts. Google raised awareness for the tragedy in Myanmar (Burma) by posting a link on the Google homepage last week for people to donate money. Google has used its checkout process as a way for people to donate to relief efforts for past events such as the fires in California last year. Thanks Google.

• Yahoo! Buys Inquisitor. Inquisitor is a browser plug-in for Apple Safari. The product helps refine searches to improve user experience, including search suggestions. The default search engine for Inquisitor will be changed to Yahoo!, however the user can change this at any time.
• Yahoo! Continues to Announce Updates. Yahoo! has teamed up with McAfee to warn Yahoo! Search users of sites that may be harmful to click. The new feature is called SearchScan and will provide a warning box next to sites that may download spyware, malware or spam after visiting the site.
• Take a Break and Vote in the Doodle for Google Contest! Google created a contest for students in grades K-12 to re-design the Google logo. This year’s theme for the Doodle for Google Contest is “What if…?” The students are divided into age groups and votes are cast in each group. The winners are narrowed down and eventually there is one overall winner and their design will be featured as the new Google logo on May 22 for 24 hours. Cast your vote now in the Doodle for Google contest!

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