expertSEM

1. Facebook Makes Changes to Privacy and Networks

After hitting 350 million user, Facebook decided it was time to initiate some long-ruminated changes to their privacy controls. Over the years, networks began to sprout and grow to obscene sizes, which had the potential to be unsecure at worst, and super annoying at best. Facebook has thus decided to removed regional networks and create new settings, which will allow you to better control your privacy. Read the entire letter from Mark Zuckerberg.

2. Bing Maps Gaining on Google Maps

With the introduction of “Street Side,” their version of Google Street View, Bing is set to break some major ground in the online/mobile mapping and local search space. In addition to the exploration capabilities in Street View, Street Side incorporates augmented reality features, an apps gallery and inclusion of local tweets. The catch: you must install Silverlight for Bing Maps to work. Read a full review on Search Engine Land.

3. Yahoo! to Integrate Facebook

Yahoo! has announced that they will incorporate Facebook into their site in early 2010, allowing users to seamlessly share Yahoo! content with their Facebook friends and view Facebook streams from their Yahoo! account. Learn more on Search Engine Journal.

4. Google Integrates Twitter

You didn’t really think Google would let Yahoo! get away as the only engine to integrate social media, did you?! Or let them do it first?! Google announced yesterday that users can now integrate Twitter with sites that use Google Friend Connect. Read more at Search Engine Journal.

5. Top Searches of 2009

All of the major engines released their “Top Searches of 2009” report this week. Sadly enough, the numerous celebrity deaths made for a lot of search activity—MJ, Swayze, Billy Mays and Farrah were popular searches on all engines. Other terms topping the lists were Lady Gaga-related terms and social media phrases. Check out more from the Top Searches of 2009 for Google, Bing, Yahoo! and Ask.

6. Germany Calls Google Analytics Illegal

Federal and state government officials in Germany are claiming that Google Analytics is illegal, and are threatening to fine any business that uses it to gather info on visitors. Germany feels that this info only benefits Google and may be using it to create user profile. Read more here (or here if you speak German).

7. What are the 200+ Variables to Google’s Ranking

After Matt Cutts announced at PubCon that Google’s ranking algorithm takes into account more than 200 variables, someone decided to list those variables, or at least some of them. Here’s the ongoing conversation about that list.

8. Google “First Click Free” Policy

“First Click Free” is a program that allows users to access content on a site that typically charges a subscription or viewing fee. The first click into the content is free; however, if the user clicks anywhere, they are prompted with a payment/subscription request. Ultimately, this allowed crawlers to index the site content without running into a paywall and allowed users to get a taste of the content before deciding to pay. Yet, concerns over First Click Free abuse (leaving the site after the first click then coming back to view another page, over and over again) grew large enough to warrant changes. On December 1, Google announced that publishers set a limit of up to five pages per user per day. Read more on the Google News blog.

9. Biggest Search Geek Contest

Think you’re the biggest search geek ever? Prove it! Test your SEM knowledge in the Biggest Search Geek contest and win a trip to SMX West 2010. All you have to do is answer 20 questions in the least amount of time. Feeling super smart? Or maybe just super lucky? Enter today.

10. Google Suspends Local Listings Ads

On December 3, just two months after announcing tests of local listings ads, Google has suspended the small business-focused service. No new businesses are being accepted and current ads will be removed in mid-December. Google said they will release an enhanced version in the “near future.” Learn more.