Pew Study Points to Rise in Local Search

Michael Bazeley of the The Mercury News reports that, according to a report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and comScore Media Metrix, local search is on the rise:

"In August, Internet users conducted 448 million local searches. Google Web sites captured about 44 percent of those, while Yahoo sites took in about 28 percent. However, Yahoo had the top yellow pages site, followed by Verizon and Google.

Internet companies are furiously trying to build sites that can meet the demand for local information and tap into what many see as a potentially lucrative local advertising market.

``I think there's more technology being deployed dedicated to helping people make local searches,'' said James Lamberti, vice president at comScore."

Read the full Mercury News article

Google Analytics Crashes Amid Rush For Free Service

Not so long ago Urchin cost $695 to $5,000 but after Google bought the log analysis and tracking software, renaming it Google Analytics, the cut the price to zero...nada!

End result? SearchEngineWatch.com reported:

"Over on the ZDNet.com Blogs, Garrett Rogers reports in the article: Google Analytics stops at 234,725 accounts, that Google is temporarily limiting the number of new users who can sign-up for Google Analytics service that became free (for many users) last week.

Rogers writes:
According to the Google Analytics "sign up" page, they have temporarily disallowed people from signing up. They also removed the "Add new profile" link from inside analytics which previously allowed a single account to track up to 40 different Web sites. With 234,725 Analytics accounts created (and probably over 200,000 additional profiles), Google has went from tracking zero to almost half a million in about a week."

According ti Search Engine Watch, the sign-up on the Google Analytics site now notifies new users when they can register.

Google Base - Live

GoogleBase is live at http://base.google.com

John Battelle's SearchBlog offers two sources that indicate GoogleBase may soon turn its focus to feeds and syndicated information. See http://battellemedia.com/archives/002049.php
ZD Net suggests that GoogleBase may become the world's leading XML database.