The fine folks over at Search Guild have posted a snippet of javascript code that breaks the Autolink feature in Google’s new toolbar, preventing it from making on-page alterations. The links that would have appeared on the page are still available if the user chooses the drop-down on the toolbar however links will not appear on your page.

Full instructions included, some html assembly required.

To thwart Autolink with a smile on your face, please click here:
Google Autolink Killer

Several forums are tackling the Autolinks feature in Google’s new Toolbar v3(Beta). It’s getting ugly friends.

Accusations of spyware, adware and malware are springing up beside the obvious comparisons with Microsoft’s previous abuses of their powerful position.

Over at Jill Whalen’s HighRankings Forums, the discussion turns towards class action lawsuits.

Meanwhile, over at CNet, reporter Stephanie Olsen speculated on Google’s hiring of former MS product manager (and the original author of the failed MS Smart Tag auto-link software) and the fact that Microsoft continues to hold the patent on auto-linking.

Even in the quiet retirement community of Palm Springs the local daily, The Desert Sun raises questions about Google Maps (a main feature of Google autolink) and a person’s right to privacy. After writing such an angry article, one wonders what will happen if the author Cindy Uken starts to dig a little deeper.

Google is flirting with the event horizon of a massive PR nightmare.

The environment is changing rapidly. The core temperature of the search engine sector is continuously growing warmer as interest in search-advertising increases. Over a dozen consecutive quarters of this intensifying heat is melting the ice cap that formed a glass ceiling between search engine marketers and mainstream advertising consciousness. Long-term revenue streams are now flooding as the melting ice cap sends buckets of liquid capital flowing into all regions of the sector. Read more…

Has the Great Google Lost its Cool? Have they Become Evil?

This week, the world of search was somewhat shocked to learn that Google has included a feature on its newest toolbar, (Toolbar 3 Beta) that adds links to websites viewed when using the toolbar. Known as Auto-links, the tool will direct users to Google maps when a street address is noted and to Amazon.com when the ISBN number of a book is mentioned. It will also provide links to information on vehicle-history when their vehicle ID number is found on a site or forum (US only) and parcel delivery history when a tracking code is mentioned on a site. Read more…

An ethical SEO dust-up, which started in the South African media last Friday, has spilled over into the international SEO media. Cape Town ISP, Tiscali SA is defending itself after issuing a press release touting new, automated SEO services it offers clients under the name, E-Traffic.

In the press release(link no longer valid), Tiscali states it uses hidden text and doorway pages, with the goal of getting clients’ websites, “right in the face of active online consumers.” Read more…

The Times Company, owner of the New York Times has purchased About.com from Primedia for $410 million in cash.

About.com employs approximately 500 experts or guides who create content on thousands of topics ranging from the arts to zoology, attracting 22-million visitors per month.

“The global reach of About.com and opportunities for cross-promotion between its channels and our digital properties will be additive for both businesses,” Janet Robinson, president and chief executive of the Times Company, said in a statement posted to the New York Times website.

Along with their flagship newspaper, the Times owns the Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, 16 regional newspapers, 8 television stations and 2 NYC radio stations. It also publishes nearly 40 unique news related websites.

About.com, which was put on the block late last year, also attracted interest from Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and AOL.

Google is conducting a house cleaning stemming from what appears to be an algorithm update. Several SEOs have noted the typical precursors of change including a decrease in counted back-links and minor fluctuations in page-rank values. For the past few days, Google’s results have been bouncing, with placements moving up and down frequently. For a short period last Friday, Google was displaying site descriptions drawn from the Open Directory Project. Last week, just after we began to note these indicators several sites in the SEO sector started losing their placements. Read more…

When hunting for stronger sales, it is wise to go where the game is. When the game gets very much smarter, wise hunters learn to adapt. – quote found inscribed in obscure cave formation near Fernwood BC.

As the oft’ quoted phrase goes, “…the more things change, the more they stay the same.” This phrase can be applied to the search engine marketing sector time and time again. Though several events in the business world of search attracted major media attention last week, interest in organic search has re-emerged among webmasters and search marketing agencies. Two years after the popularization of pay-per-click programs, advertisers are starting to form sophisticated strategies combining managed PPC campaigns and consistent organic placements. Read more…

Google shares jumped over $10 yesterday to close at 192.99, increasing in value nearly 3% over the day. Prices were expected to drop slightly as the six-month lock down on 177-million held by Google employees and early investors expired at midnight last night.

Trading was almost four times the average volume with 38,563,336 shares in play. Heaviest volumes were seen in the early hours with small spikes happening throughout the day. At the time of this writing, shares are trading on off-hour markets in large blocks at 193.32.

The 177-million that became available on Monday nearly doubled the amount that have become available in the six months since Google’s August IPO. Hungry investors were prepared to snatch up shares as quickly as they became available, hence the 3% increase in asking price.

For many NASDAQ watchers, Monday was seen as a sort of a Groundhog Day offering a favorable forecast on the search-sector. Investor confidence in Google remains quite high and that confidence helped the tech-board weather an otherwise lackluster day.

At the time of this writing, Google is up again, trading at 195.93.

Search engine watch has printed December 2004 stats from comScore Media Metrix detailing the market share of the major search engines going into the new year.

Google continues to dominate, generating 48% of all search results either directly or by providing results to smaller search firms such as the Excite Network. Yahoo follows a distant second with 32%. The pre-proprietary MSN came in third with 16% with Ask following fourth at 2%. Read more…