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Google’s Matt Cutts, as you may know, frequently appears in videos for Google’s Webmaster Central YouTube channel. In these videos he answers questions submitted by Google users. One of the latest ones features a different kind of (and perhaps more fun) question:

If you could improve one thing or add a feature to Google Search right now, what would it be? (Tell us what your answer would be.)

Every Google user probably has an answer for this question, and the differences among those answers are limitless. It is interesting to hear what Cutts himself has to say on the subject though, considering he has kind of become the unofficial posterboy for giving webmasters information about the inner-workings of the world’s most popular search engine.

Matt says there are actually a lot of things he would like to see added to Google Search, but one thing comes immediately to mind for him. When you do a search on Google (for example for "flowers"), the URL you get for the results is not just www.google.com/search?q=flowers. There are always other parameters such as "hl=en" and others.

Cutts finds this annoying because he emails search results a lot, and English is the only language he speaks. He says he has even considered writing a Greasemonkey script that would eliminate the extra parameters. He also says he’s tried to get some people at Google to consider changing it, but nobody is very exited about the idea because not that many people email search result URLs around.

"But who knows? Maybe some day I will prevail," Cutts proclaims with a smile on his face.

It’s interesting to look at the comments for Matt’s video. Other people have made suggestions for what they would change about Google search. Suggestions include more control over regular expressions, a date limiting factor on search results beside the search box, and Google Alerts recognizing hyphens in searches.

What would you change about Google Search? Is there a feature you would add? Is there one you would like to see removed? Comment here.

comScore released findings this week from a study of the online habits of Portuguese Internet users. Interestingly, they found that the Portuguese Internet audience grew to nearly 4 Million users in September.

Over 3.8 million people age 15 and older accessed the Internet from a home or work location in Portugal in September, viewing an average 1,843 pages and spending an average 1.9 hours online per person during the month.

"Portugal represents a dynamic and growing Internet market in Europe with users continuing to be more active and engaged online," said Mike Read, comScore managing director for Europe and Ibero America. "The average Internet user in Portugal is spending more time online engaging in different behaviors such as reading news and articles, search, conducting personal financial transactions and social networking. As these behaviors continue to take hold in the Portuguese market there will be an increasing number of opportunities to leverage the Internet for marketing and advertising purposes."

Google sites are the most popular in Portugal, according to comScore’s data. Here’s a look at the top 15 online properties for Portugal:

Naturally, social media plays a big role in Internet use in Portugal, but it is not Facebook that dominates there, according to comScore’s numbers. Here are the top ten social networking sites:

The figures for both charts exclude traffic from public computers, such as those from Internet cafes. They also exclude access from mobile phones and PDA’s. I’m willing to bet that social networks and Google sites are pretty popular among mobile users in Portugal though.

Related Articles:

> Study: Most People Go Online to Socialize

> Google, Bing Perform Well In Latest comScore Report

> "Time Spent Online" Report Puts Microsoft Way Ahead

Italian prosecutors have – sort of – tried to put several Google executives (and the company’s former CFO) in jail.  The prosecutors requested sentences ranging from six months to one year in connection with a case that involved a YouTube video and a disabled boy.

In September of 2006, a clip showing several teens making fun of a classmate with Down syndrome was uploaded to YouTube.  Employees took it down about two months later, but prosecutors have made the case that Google knew about the clip before then and violated defamation and privacy laws by leaving it up.

Arvind Desikan (who was Google’s head of videos in Europe), David Drummond (Google’s chief legal officer), Peter Fleischer (its global privacy counsel), and George Reyes (its old CFO) were charged as a result.

But here’s a catch that may address the outrage some people feel: Eric Sylvers wrote today, "If found guilty, the four defendants, none of whom were present in court, would not serve jail time because sentences of less than three years are commuted in Italy for those who do not have a criminal record."

So as long as YouTube isn’t (allegedly) slow to remove objectionable content again the future, the outcome of this trial might not matter much.

The next hearing is scheduled for December 16th, in any event.

Related Articles:

> Google Takes Us To Law School

> Google News Italia Probe Expands

> Italian Antitrust Regulators Investigate Google

Is there a better way to kick off the Holiday season then slowly dragging yourself out of your tryptophan induced coma to go shopping during the wee hours of the day after Thanksgiving a.k.a. Black Friday?

Sure, Black Friday seems utterly atrocious when thinking about it. I mean you got long lines, rabid shoppers, insane traffic, and bitterly cold weather. Mix that with sleep deprivation and you get a very lethal cocktail of insanity. So why do people put themselves through this monotony?

Well the answer to that is quite easy: It’s the deals.

Although Black Friday got its start sometime during the 1960s, online deals didn’t come into play until around 2000. The reasoning for this was that most people had very slow dial-up connections at home, which made online purchases more of an annoyance, then a convenience. Most people would wait until the following Monday, when they returned to work, to do there online shopping. Utilizing the faster connection of the workplace, people would do their online shopping, thus creating Cyber Monday (often referred to as the busiest online shopping day of the year).

Have you found any good deals online this week? Let us know.

One thing some people might not realize is that you don’t have to brave the crowds to find great deals for your Holiday shopping. Did you know that numerous stores are currently offering Black Friday deals online? That’s right, you could do most of your shopping from the comfort of your own home. Unlike the traditional Black Friday sales, the online deals tend to be more of a "one deal per day" sort of thing. Black-Friday.net offers the following info about this…

"During the entire month of November, stores such as Amazon.com, Walmart, and even eBay will be offering a "Deal of the Day". These deals are just as good as their Black Friday deals, except they are only good for one day! Be sure to check out the stores below to find out what they are offering today."

The site also lists online deals for 16 total stores (with more being added daily it seems), they are: Amazon.com, eBay, Walmart, onSale, Target, Kohl’s, MacMall, Best Buy, HP, Dell, Meijer, Sears, NewEgg.com, Buy.com, Kmart and 6th Ave.

Online Holiday sales might be "old hat" to Amazon, but they’re becoming known for the deals they have during the week of Thanksgiving. The site offers the following description of the weeklong sale…

You shouldn’t have to stand in a long line to get a great deal. We’re searching for the best Black Friday deals everywhere–including deals other stores are planning–so we can meet or beat their prices and bring them to you even earlier. These limited-supply offers will go quickly but we’ll add new ones throughout the day, every day this week, so you can skip the long lines and still save a bundle.

One company that is getting in on the Black Friday goodness is Apple, as they’ve announced a  “one-day shopping event” which will surely make it a happy Friday for some shoppers. Apple posted the following teaser to get shoppers stirring…

"Come back to the Apple Online Store this Friday for a special one-day-only shopping event. You’ll find lots of great iPod, iPhone and Mac gift ideas – all with free shipping."

Like we said before, shoppers will go to great lengths to save some money, some more so than others. So, what are some of the best deals that will be taking place on Black Friday 2009 in stores? We’ve scoured through the Black Friday advertisements and have listed the best prices for what surely will be the best selling items.

Televisions
[Target] Westinghouse 32" Class 720p LCD HDTV – $246.00
[Walmart] Emerson 32" LCD 720p HDTV – $248.00
[Best Buy] Dynex 32" 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV – $299.99
[Sears] Vizio 32" Class 720p LCD HDTV – $349.99

Desktop Computers
[Best Buy] eMachines Desktop: 18.5" LCD, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD – $299.97
[Dell Home] Dell Inspiron 537s: 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD – $349.00
[Walmart] HP Pavilion Desktop: 20" LCD, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD – $398.00

Laptops / Netbooks
[Walmart] eMachines 15.6" Laptop: 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD – $198.00
[Best Buy] Compaq Netbook: 1GB RAM, 160GB HD – $179.99
[Kmart] Delstar 7" Wireless Netbook – $119.99
[Radio Shack] Acer Aspire One Netbook – 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD – $249.99

MP3 Players – 4GB and under
[Kmart] Sylvania 4GB MP3/Video Player – $19.99
[Kohl's] 2GB MP3 Player with Video – $24.99
[Walmart] Philips 4GB MP3/Video Player – $29.00
[Best Buy] SanDisk: Sansa Fuze 4GB – $44.99

MP3 Players – 4GB and up
[Costco] Apple 8GB iPod Nano – $129.99
[Target] Apple 5th Gen. 8GB iPod Nano 2/ $15 Target Gift Card – $145.00
[Walmart] Apple 8GB iPod Touch w/ $50 iTunes Gift Card – $195.00

Digital Cameras
[Toys R Us] Vivitar 8.1MP Digital Camera – $39.99
[Best Buy] Insignia Digital Camera – $49.99
[Walmart] Kodak CD82: 12MP, 3x Optical Zoom, 3" LCD – $69.00
[Sears] GE A1250 12MP Black Digital Camera – $69.99

Will you be doing any shopping on Black Friday? Online or In Store? Tell us

Other Black Friday Resources:

Black Friday Websites
Two of the more popular Black Friday sites are BFAds.net and BlackFriday.info. Both are relatively the same, as they both feature scans, lists by store, and the ability to save to a shopping/wish list.

Black Friday & Facebook
Black-Friday.net runs a Facebook page, which lists the various Black Friday deals. The great thing about the Facebook page is that users can see the likes and comments, which could aid in the Black Friday planning for Facebook users.

Black Friday & Twitter
CheapTweet.com, a site that lists various deals, runs a very popular Twitter account, which tweets out Black Friday deals.

iPhone Apps
Black Friday? Yeah, there’s an app for that. With TGI Black Friday (iTunes link) you’re never without the latest Black Friday deal news. The best part about the app… it’s Free.

What are you going after this year on Black Friday? Have any good Black Friday stories? Tell us.

Just in time for the shopping craziness that is Black Friday, Google’s made it easier for companies to get coupons to consumers who are on the move.  Google Local Business Center users can now make their coupons accessible to people through mobile devices.

Yes, assuming that shoppers don’t lose the use of their fingers due to standing outside in the cold since 3 AM – or having them crushed during a stampede – getting discounts through their cell phones will be a relatively simple matter.

A post on the Google Mobile Blog explained, "If a business adds a mobile coupon to its Google Local Business Center listing, you’ll be able to access it from your mobile device.  Just go to google.com on your phone and search for a local business.  When you land on its Place Page, you’ll see any coupons or discounts that might be available.  Then simply show the participating business the coupon, right from your phone, to redeem the offer."

Or, if you feel like putting in a little prep time and carrying around some pieces of paper, Google’s refined the process of printing out the coupons from a computer as part of this update.

And of course, this way of accessing coupons will remain in place long after retailers close their doors today, so even people who aren’t able to take advantage of it soon may benefit at some other point in time.

Related Articles:

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Do you want to tell the world what you’re thankful for? Will the Twitterverse suffice? How about you followers and the few people that go to TurkeyTwitter?

What is TurkeyTwitter you ask? It is a site that was launched yesterday to give those celebrating Thanksgiving a place to see the collective thanks of Twitter users. Sure, you could simply use Twitter Search, and search "thanksgiving," but TurkeyTwitter provides updates and stats about the things people are thankful for. It gathers tweets based on the #turkeytwitter and #thanksgiving hashtag.

In actuality, it’s going to give you a lot more than just what people are thankful for. If anyone tweets anything remotely related to the holiday and includes a simple #thanksgiving hashtag, it will appear, but it is what it is. It’s Thanksgiving, and someone took the time to make a Twitter-based Thanksgiving site, so we’re talking about it. Case closed.

If you follow @turkeystats on Twitter, you can see the top ten thankful items tweeted out. The creators note that the site is just a quick experiment. They even offer advanced apologies if there’s something that doesn’t go well. Don’t worry guys, I think we’ll all sleep tonight if we experience some TurkeyTwitter hiccups.

If you have some time to kill, if you don’t like football, or you just want to know what strangers are thankful for, check out TurkeyTweets.

Related Articles:

> Black Friday 2009: The Best Deals On The Items You Want

> Google Highlights Searches For Black Friday Deals

> Social Media Thanksgiving List

Bing has managed to turn retailers’ heads in a big way.  After looking at statistics from part of 2008, SearchIgnite reported that retailers spent almost 50 percent more with Microsoft’s search engine this time around, which puts Google and Yahoo partly to shame.

Or, to be more precise, "Retailers have spent 47% more on search ads on Bing in Q4 this year than during this same time period in 2008," according to SearchIgnite.  "Compared with Google and Yahoo!, Bing also saw better YoY click volume growth."

Additionally, "[a]verage order values on Bing are 21% higher than across all engines, which could account for the spend growth."

Impressive, right?  It’s only when you sort of step back for a moment that Bing’s achievements look less stunning.  That’s because, despite the progress Microsoft has made, exactly 75 percent of advertisers’ dollars went to Google during the first part of this quarter, and 16 percent headed to Yahoo.  Bing grabbed just 8 percent.

Still, some headway is better than none, and retailers are demonstrating a lot of confidence in Bing by giving it a try during the all-important holiday season.

Related Articles:

> Microsoft Takes Users Behind Bing

> Bing Gets A Bunch Of New Search Features

> Some Bing Users Seeing Latest Posts On Publisher Searches

In this day and age, you pretty much can’t ignore mobile users. The rate at which consumers are accessing the web via mobile devices is growing rapidly, largely thanks to the increasing popularity and production of smartphones.

Just having a mobile site isn’t even enough. Sure, it’s a great start, but you have to start thinking about a mobile site just as you would a regular site. Can people find it? Just because you have a good ranking in Google does not mean that your mobile site has a good ranking in Google’s mobile search engine, or is even indexed at all.

Google recently shared a few important tips for making sure your mobile site is being indexed in Google’s Mobile Search.

1. Create a mobile sitemap and submit it to Google so Google knows it exists. This can be done using Google Webmaster Tools, just like with a regular sitemap.

2. To make sure Googlebot-Mobile can access your site, allow any User-agent to access it.

"You should also be aware that Google may change its User-agent information at any time without notice, so it is not recommended that you check if the User-agent exactly matches ‘Googlebot-Mobile’ (which is the string used at present)," says Jun Mukai, a software engineer on Google’s mobile search team. "Instead, check whether the User-agent header contains the string ‘Googlebot-Mobile’. You can also use DNS Lookups to verify Googlebot."

3. Check that your mobile-friendly URLs’ DTD (Doc Type Definition) declaration is in an appropriate mobile format such as XHTML Mobile or Compact HTML.

If you run both a regular site and a mobile version of it, there is a possibility that the wrong version will show up in the wrong search results. There are ways you can prevent this.

"When a mobile user or crawler (like Googlebot-Mobile) accesses the desktop version of a URL, you can redirect them to the corresponding mobile version of the same page," explains Mukai. "Google notices the relationship between the two versions of the URL and displays the standard version for searches from desktops and the mobile version for mobile searches."

If you do use a redirect, you should make sure content on the corresponding URL matches as closely as possible, because Google finds sites that abuse the practice in order to try and boost their rankings. Google says this should be avoided at all costs, so you can probably expect to be penalized for such an action.

Another way you can make sure a user is pointed to the right version of your site is simply to provide a link. In fact, that is what Google itself does. If you access the mobile version of Google, you will find a link to the desktop version.

Another way still, is to switch content based on the User-agent, so mobile users automatically see the mobile version and desktop users see the desktop version, even though both are accessing the same URL.

Google warns, however, that if you use this method, there is a chance that if you fail to configure your site correctly, it could be mistaken for cloaking, which you can be penalized for.

"To remain within our guidelines, you should serve the same content to Googlebot as a typical desktop user would see, and the same content to Googlebot-Mobile as you would to the browser on a typical mobile device," says Mukai. "It’s fine if the contents for Googlebot are different from the one for Googlebot-Mobile."

Have you taken the necessary steps to ensure you are being indexed in Google’s mobile search engine? Have you been left out due to cloaking-related confusion? Discuss here.

Related Articles:

> Google Launches Custom Search For Smartphones

> Google Gives Mobile Searchers More Options

> Google Revamps Mobile Local Search Experience

Update: Google has now announced that it is expanding availability of Google Maps Navigation to devices running Android 1.6 (Donut) and higher, such as the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and the G1.

Original Article: Google has launched Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 devices in beta. This acts as a GPS navigation system with 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance, and automatic rerouting.

"But unlike most navigation systems, Google Maps Navigation was built from the ground up to take advantage of your phone’s Internet connection," says Google Software Engineer Keith Ito.

Because of that Internet connection, Google provides seven features that are available:

1. The most recent map and business data
2. Ability to search in plain English
3. Ability to search by voice
4. Traffic View
5. Ability to search along a route
6. Satellite View
7. Street View

The following video demonstrates how Google Maps Navigation functions:

GPS users may find the "search along route" feature to be particularly helpful. It is designed to let you search along your route to give you results that will keep you near your path. You can search for specific businesses by name or type and turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants or parking. Since Google will provide the most recent map and business data, this is likely to be a more efficient tool than similar options from other GPS systems.

Verizon’s Droid is the first phone to have the Google Maps Navigation and Android 2.0. Google Maps Navigation is only available in the U.S. currently. More information on the feature can be found here.

Related Articles

> Google Makes Biggest Design Changes to Maps Yet

> Google Updates Maps with New Dataset

> Google Revamps Mobile Local Search Experience

LinkedIn has opened up its platform to developers. It can be accessed at developer.linkedin.com.

"Over fifty million users entrust their professional identities and relationships with LinkedIn, helping build LinkedIn into the largest global professional network today," says LinkedIn’ Adam Nash. "However, professionals around the world use a wide variety of applications and Web sites to get their work done, and they have spoken loud and clear that they want the ability to leverage their professional networks wherever they work."

Now developers can integrate LinkedIn into their business applications. LinkedIn’s developer site has APIs and widgets.

"Over the past months, LinkedIn has supported integrations with some of the most prominent and critical software applications in the enterprise," says Nash. "Partnerships with companies like IBM, Blackberry (Research in Motion), and most recently Microsoft, have given us time to invest in both functionality and scalability of the platform."

Developers interested in using LinkedIn in their apps need only fill out a form at the site. The LinkedIn platform leverages the open OAuth standard, so integrations should be that much more simple.

On a related note, Twitter client TweetDeck is already utilzing the LinkedIn platform. They just announced that you can view or take action on your LinkedIn network updates from within the TweetDeck application.

It should be interesting to see the kinds of apps that start taking advantage of LinkedIn’s APIs. This could turn out to be a very significant event for increasing business networking, and even matching prospective job candidates with jobs.

Related Articles:

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