This day in search marketing history: February 29
Spreading Santorum drops on Google, plus: Bing artificially increases market share, local mobile search in apps, Susan Wojcicki and more.
Spreading Santorum drops on Google
In 2012, Spreading Santorum, the page defining “santorum” as a byproduct of anal sex, finally dropped from the top results on Google.
The related anti-Santorum blog, however, remained. And a page from Urban Dictionary kept the definition alive, more explicit than before.
Google told Search Engine Land this ranking change was related to its improved SafeSearch algorithm, which made irrelevant adult content less likely to show up for many queries.
Read all about it in “Spreading Santorum” Drops At Google; New Site Keeps Anal Sex Definition At Number One.
Also on this day
Bing’s “Search Wave” Showcases Search Volume For 2016 Presidential Candidates
2016: In preparation for Super Tuesday primaries, Bing rolled out a new tool that determines the top-searched candidates.
msnNOW Is Driving More Traffic To Bing, But Is It Artifically Inflating Searches?
2012: Experian Hitwise reported that downstream traffic from msnNOW to Bing jumped 21% between the first and second weeks since msnNOW’s launch.
New comScore Study Suggests 50 Percent Of Local-Mobile Search Happening In Apps
2012: 49% of smartphone and tablet owners were using apps to find local information.
Groupon Buys Travel Search Site Uptake Mostly For Headcount
2012: Uptake was an ambitious travel site that never quite broke through.
YouTube To Add Live Video This Year
2008: YouTube’s founder said they never had the resources to do it correctly.
Updated: IAC Ready To Drop Ask.com Search Technology & Partner With Google?
2008: Ask.com said the rumors were false and “our Teoma technology will continue to power search engine results on Ask.com.”
Search In Pictures: SMX Bowl, Google Jeans, Bart’s Chalk Board
2008: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have and more.
From Search Marketing Expo (SMX)
- Live Blogging the Google (Susan Wojcicki) SMX West Keynote
- Day Two: Search Marketing Expo West 2012 Live Blog Recap
Past contributions from Search Engine Land’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
These columns are a snapshot in time and have not been updated since publishing, unless noted. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.
- 2016: The Need For Speed: 7 Observations On The Impact Of Page Speed To The Future Of Local Mobile Search by Wesley Young
- 2016: SEO & The Zero Moment of Truth by Marcus Miller
- 2012: How To Creatively & Effectively Build Links Using Public Data by David de Souza
- 2012: The Conversion Chain In Paid Search: Beyond Traditional Key Performance Indicators by Benjamin Vigneron
- 2012: Optimizing Search Engine Marketing For Seasonal Opportunities by Kelly Gillease
< February 28 | Search Marketing History | March 1 >
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About the author
Goodwin has been editing and writing about the latest developments and trends in search and digital marketing since 2007. He previously was Executive Editor of Search Engine Journal (from 2017 to 2022), managing editor of Momentology (from 2014-2016) and editor of Search Engine Watch (from 2007 to 2014). He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.