Ecommerce
Search Engine Land is your source for commerce news and content. You’ll find a variety of up-to-date and authoritative resources, including the latest news, tactic-rich tutorials, and the latest data to help you work smarter and make better decisions.
What you read here is written by our experienced in-house team, and subject matter experts from leading brands and agencies.
Don’t miss out! Get the Search Engine Land newsletter delivered daily to your inbox. Subscribe for free!
“Let’s Go Caroling” Google Easter Egg Gives Mobile Users Their Very Own Christmas Carol Karaoke Machine
Phandroid.com, a website devoted to Android news and updates, has discovered Google’s latest holiday-themed Easter Egg. When performing a Google search for “Let’s go caroling” on an Android or iOS device, the first result includes the question “Which carol would you like to sing?” along with a list of the following five carols: “Jingle Bells” […]
Google’s Christmas & Kwanzaa Decorations Are Live For 2013
A few weeks ago, Google added their Hanukkah decorations but now that Christmas and Kwanzaa are just around the corner, Google has now outfitted their top bar for the special holidays. The Christmas theme can be seen on Google by searching [christmas] and the Kwanzaa theme can be seen on Google by searching [kwanzaa]. The […]
Bing’s Knowledge Repository, Satori, Adds More Interactive Content
Dr. Richard Qian from the Microsoft Bing Index & Knowledge Team announced some major updates to Satori, Bing’s version of Google’s knowledge graph. The updates are vast and incredibly smart, making the Bing knowledge repository a lot more useful and interactive. The new features include: Links to TED Talks when people searches return the talks […]
The Test Continues: Which Shopping Search Engine Finds The Best Price For A Blu-Ray?
It’s time for our second test of how well Google Shopping and other shopping search engines find the best prices on products. For this installment, what’s the lowest price from a major retailer for a copy of “Red 2” in the Blu-ray, DVD and digital download combo pack? Is The Featured Price The Lowest Price? […]
This Holiday Shopping Season, Searching Google For “Pearl Necklace” Leads To NSFW Surprise
Those using Google to find the perfect pearl necklace for their significant other this holiday season may be in for a rude surprise. If you search for “pearl necklace,” one of the top results is a definition from Urban Dictionary, which is completely not safe for work. A reader sent us an email about the shock […]
Grace Hopper Honored With Google Logo To Mark The Computer Scientist’s 107th Birthday
Not only a pioneer in the field of computer programming, Grace Hopper was the oldest active-duty commissioned officer in the US Navy at the time of her retirement. While serving in the Navy Reserves, Hopper was one of the original programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and is credited with developing the first compiler […]
Google News Reader Is Updated For Android & iOS, With Customized Settings & Added Desktop Features
Google is updating the look and feel of its News reader on Android and iOS devices, as well as adding a few new features. According to the announcement, the new Google News reader for Android and iOS offers three new customized settings: the option to change the theme from light to dark, reduce or increase […]
Google Officially Testing Images In Web Search Results Snippets
Google has confirmed they are running a user interface in the search results to show images within the web search snippets. Reader, Samuel Edwards from Tenthwave Digital sent us a screen shot of this unusual Google search results test. A Google spokesperson confirmed this is indeed one of Google’s many tests. Here is a picture […]
Google Expands In-Depth Articles
Google had updated the in-depth articles feature they launched back in August 2013. The new additions, as they announced on Google+, adds more ways to see more in-depth articles within the search results. Google added a link under the main block of in-depth articles to “More in-depth articles.” Clicking on that link will show an […]
The Test Begins: Do Google Shopping & Other Shopping Search Engines Give You The Best Deals?
It sounds pretty damning. Two recent surveys suggest that Google Shopping isn’t leading searchers to the best prices on products. But the surveys weren’t well documented, nor did they include competitors like Bing, Shopzilla, PriceGrabber and Nextag, which have similar issues. So, Search Engine Land will be running its own fully documented tests. Every few […]
WhitePages Report Highlights Sad Side Of Season With Spike In Dating & Pet Searches During Holidays
Using search data from 2012, today’s WhitePages report shows just how depressing the holiday season can be. According to the site, last year witnessed a 265 percent increase in searches for dating services, and more than double the average number of searches for pet stores during the days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. “The […]
How Online Retailers Can Leverage Unique Identifiers & Structured Data
Ever since the Hummingbird update, there has been a ton of Internet buzz about entity search. What is entity search? How does it work? And what exactly is an “entity”? However, the topic of entity search as it relates to e-commerce and Google Shopping has been neglected. Everything you have learned to date about entity […]
NORAD & Google Launches Rival Santa Trackers; Still No Comment From Santa’s Camp On Which Site Mrs. Claus Will Use
After NORAD announced last week it would be joining forces once again with Bing to track Santa’s whereabouts during the holiday season, NORAD Tracks Santa went live on Dec. 1. Google followed suit today by announcing the return of its own Google Santa Tracker. There’s still no comment from Santa’s camp on which site Mrs. Claus will be […]
Google Shopping Outpaces Amazon Same-Seller Sales On Cyber Monday, Black Friday
Over the extended holiday shopping weekend, Google Shopping same seller sales have been growing faster than Amazon among large retailers. According to the most recent data from online retail commerce platform Mercent, Google Shopping contributed 54 percent year-over-year same-seller growth on Cyber Monday, while Amazon achieved 23 percent same-seller growth compared to Cyber Monday 2012. […]
Paid Search Spend Surges 27%, Mobile Grabs 40% Thanksgiving, Black Friday Spend
Amid reports that brick and mortar sales were lackluster over the Thanksgiving weekend, ecommerce is looking like a bright spot this holiday season, with mobile devices playing an increasingly important role. Mercent, which powers major retailer campaigns online for brands including Brookstone, Office Depot and HSN reports same seller online sales increased 40 percent on […]
Maria Callas Gets A Google Logo To Celebrate The Opera Singer’s 90th Birthday
Today’s Google logo honors opera great Maria Callas on what would have been the singer’s 90th birthday. Born Sophia Cecelia Kalos in New York City on this date in 1923, Maria Callas was a Greek soprano who would become one of the most celebrated opera singers of her time. Along with her mother and sister, Callas […]
Google’s Festivus Pole Goes Live In The Search Results
It is that time of the year again, if you search for [Festivus] in Google, you will see a Festivus pole show up on the left hand side rail. Here is a picture: Google adds the Festivus pole every year but it seems this year it went live a bit early. That being said, you […]
The Searcher’s Guide To Black Friday, Cyber Monday & Holiday Shopping
This year, U.S. shoppers now have more opportunities than ever to join the throngs scrambling to secure holiday bargains, thanks to many brick and mortar stores opening ever earlier and staying open ever longer. Black Friday, the traditional post-Thanksgiving sales lollapalooza, has become a 24-hour slog for many retailers. And some retailers, impatient to lure […]
A Round Up Of Today’s Thanksgiving Themed Search Engine Homepages & Logos
While’s Google’s Thanksgiving Day logo may have the best music, it’s not the only site to celebrate the holiday. Here’s a quick round up of Thanksgiving themed homepages and logos from a few popular search engines: Bing’s Homepage: Yahoo Thanksgiving Logo: Ask.com: Dogpile: Google’s Homepage and Video of Its Thanksgiving Day Song: [youtube width=”560″ height=”315″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGspoOoK69s#t=40[/youtube]
“NORAD Tracks Santa” Is Back With Bing For 2013 & Will Santa Tracking Match At Google?
It’s official. NORAD Tracks Santa, the annual Santa tracking effort run by the joint US-Canadian air defense organization, will be using Microsoft’s Bing for the second year to map Santa’s route. But will Google be mapping Santa on a different route, as happened when it ran its own breakaway tracking service last year? There’s hope […]
Thanksgiving 2013 Google Logo Wishes Everyone A Happy Holiday With Banjo Music & Dancing Animals
To celebrate the holiday, today’s Google homepage includes a Thanksgiving themed logo complete with a banjo-playing fox, a dancing turkey and slew of forest animals building their very own vegetarian holiday meal. Clicking the play button in the middle of the logo starts a brief interactive image of forest creatures scrambling through the woods, each […]
Google’s Dreidels Decorations Live The Night Before Hanukkah
If you search on Google for [hanukkah], [dreidel] or similar Hanukkah themed searches, you will see the holiday bar at the top of the search results. This year, Google uses a bluish bar with dreidels, a four-sided spinning top used by Jewish children during the holiday. Last year, Google had Jewish stars for the holiday, […]
Google Trusted Stores Now Integrates With AdWords, Shows StellaService Ratings In US
Today, Google formally announced several updates for Google Trusted Stores, the free ratings service Google launched in 2011, just ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. AdWords Seller Ratings Integration Google Trusted Stores is now among the services that help to power seller ratings, which show on AdWords text ads as well as Product Listing Ads. Here […]
White Ribbon On Google’s Homepage Helps Raise Awareness For UN’s Campaign To End Violence Against Women
Today’s white ribbon on Google’s homepage is in support of the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The ribbon image links to the UNWomen.org End Violence Against Women webpage, offering visitors a brief overview of the internationally recognized campaign, along with links to news features and events to observe the […]
Google Shopping Adds New Consumer Features Ahead Of The Holidays
Google is continuing to tweak the Google Shopping experience ahead of the holidays. With its sights set on Amazon, this week, the search engine announced a new set of features for consumers. Whether searching on a desktop, tablet or smartphone, the product previews stay within the main screen for quick access to detail information. After […]
Doctor Who Gets A Google Logo & Video Game For Its 50th Birthday
Google is celebrating the 50th birthday of the BBC’s Doctor Who series early, with a global release of a Doctor Who-themed Google logo and game on its homepage today. The actual anniversary of the show is tomorrow, November 23, but Google has already started rolling out the tribute logo and video game on a number […]
Will Big Retail Rule Paid Search On Black Friday, Cyber Monday Again This Year?
Here we go, just over a week until Black Friday and Cyber Monday. All hands are on deck, budgets are ready to be unleashed. The big box retailers appear poised to yet again dominate paid search results for queries related to these all-important retail days. Over the last two years, the big box retailers have […]
Bing Officially Shuts Down Bing Shopping
In August, Microsoft announced they will close Bing shopping. Bing replaced it with Product Search, which simply integrates product results within Bing search results rather than in a separate destination. Today, if you try to go to the Bing Shopping destination, i.e., bing.com/shopping — you are redirected to Bing’s home page. Bing is using a […]
Google Scholar Library: Add Scholar Search Results To Your Library
Google announced a new feature within Google Scholar named “My Library.” This new section lets you save articles right from the search page, organize them by topic, and search full-text within your library to find what you are looking for. To enable this feature, you need to click on the “My Library” link on the […]
Bing Previews Its Role In Providing Natural Language Voice Search On Xbox One
When Microsoft’s next-generation gaming console, the Xbox One, comes out on Friday, it will arrive with Bing built-in to power a range of searches from games to music to television programs — and searches you can do just by speaking to the Xbox. Today, Bing shared a preview of how this will work. On the […]
After Two Years Of Broken Promises, Does Google Need To Explain More To Maintain Trust In Search?
For two years running, Google’s broken major promises about search. It began doing paid inclusion in 2012, which it once called “evil.” This year, it’s experimenting with banner ads it said would never be allowed. Both represent major philosophical shifts for the company about search, but shifts it has largely avoided explaining. Does that erode […]
Report: Search Trends Hint At A Holiday Season Filled With Tech Gadget Gifts
Analyzing search data for the four weeks leading up to November 9, Experian Marketing Services claims online product searches have been dominated by fitness gadgets, mobile devices and game consoles, giving evidence to a holiday season overrun with tech gifts. Based on search and click trends for the weeks of October 12 through November 9, […]
Google Claims Government Requests For User Information Have Increased Over 100% Since 2010
Google released an updated Transparency Report today, claiming government requests for user information have increased more than 100 percent since it began posting transparency reports in 2010. According to Google, this is the eighth update to its transparency report in the last three years. Google said the climb in requests is in part a result […]
Yahoo’s Most Recent Homepage Updates Roll Out In Select European Countries & South Africa
Launched last February in the US, Yahoo has rolled out its new homepage in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Ireland and South Africa. According to the announcement posted on Yahoo’s UK blog, the new homepage will display consistently across desktop, mobile and tablet devices. Yahoo says the new homepage is both “functional and intuitive” […]
Yahoo Search Tests Images On Right Side Of Search Results
Yahoo is testing a new user interface for the Yahoo Search results. Rubén reports Yahoo is showing large images on the right hand side panel of the search results for some queries. For example, here is a screen shot of a search for [windows 8] on Yahoo, showing images on the right side of the […]
Bing Homepage Showcases Art Installment Of 2,000 American Flags To Celebrate Veterans Day
Bing is celebrating Veterans Day today by featuring an image on its homepage from the Covina Rotary’s Club Field of Valor, an art installment of 2,000 American flags constructed on the grounds of a Covina, California school. The homepage includes links to: More images of the Covina art installment Bing search results page for Veterans […]
Bing’s New Music Video Search Results Page Showcases Popular Videos With Related Artists & Albums Lists
Bing has rolled out a new music video search results page today. From now on, when searching for a music video by song title, artist or album, users will see the following box at the top of their search results, showcasing the “most popular” music video related to the search, along with details and a […]
Veterans Day Google Logo Commemorates Holiday With A Portrait Of A Veterans Day Parade & Float
Today’s Google Logo commemorates Veterans Day with a portrait-styled image featuring soldiers atop a red, white and blue parade float. In the painting, parade onlookers watch a Veterans Day float with a prominently displayed American flag and a collection of men in uniform. Google’s letters have been painted in red, white and blue stripes as […]
Hermann Rorschach Inkblot Inspired Google Logo Lets Users Share What They See
Today’s Google logo is inspired by Hermann Rorschach’s famous inkblot test on the anniversary of the Freudian psychologist’s 129th birthday. The Rorschach Inkblot test is a psychoanalysis process where patients are shown ten different inkblot paintings and report what they see in the images. The goal of the test is to gain insight into unconscious portions […]
Google Testing Site Name & URL In Search Result Snippets
Last month we saw Google testing displaying the site name in place of the URL in the snippets of the search results. Now, Rubén reports Google testing a nicer approach, showing both the site name and the URL in the snippet. So when you search for this site, it will show “Search Engine Land – […]