Google Suggest, a query suggestion tool, has been added to Google News. The algorithm for the feature has been tweaked to feature news-related suggestions. The feature has been added to Google News in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Yahoo! is expanding the number of SearchMonkey features set to default-on in their search results. The update is the result of the completion of testing microformat templates.

Now, sites that provide structured data according to Yahoo!’s specified formats will automatically get SearchMonkey default-on status, allowing an enhanced result to be displayed in the SERPs.

Enhancements can include:

• Video
• Documents
• Games
• Products
• Local Businesses
• Event
• Discussions
• News items

Yahoo! is also turning on SearchMonkey defaults for Entertainment and Social Networking sites. Look for enhanced results from sites such as Netflix, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Friendster and Britannica.

The new defaults join a list of previously set SearchMonkey defaults. Facebook, Wikipedia, Citysearch, Zagat, Yelp and LinkedIn SearchMonkey apps have already been set to default.

For an e-commerce merchant, publishing a blog can present various opportunities such as building a community for your customers to publishing new product information. E-commerce merchants that do operate blogs, do so for many different reasons. However, while doing research for this article, it quickly became clear the large amount of e-commerce merchants that don't publish blogs, but do operate Facebook pages and Twitter profiles. It appears some have bypassed blogging altogether and moved to the social networking arena.

Despite those who have decided blogging wasn't for them, there are still some big names in the industry with active blogs. Website Magazine looked at five e-commerce merchants that do blog and what they are doing with their blogs.

Amazon
Amazon’s blog does a good job of addressing news and relating it to their products without hard selling the reader. For example, a recent post about DJ AM addresses his history and talent with links throughout the post to DJ AM products that Amazon sells. Amazon never misses an opportunity to link to a product they sell that relates to the content.

Walmart
Walmart approaches its blog slightly differently than Amazon. While the company pushes product as Amazon does, Walmart is very direct about its promotions, sales and discounts of certain products. For example, its most recent post talks all about a new deal for the Toshiba L355 17 in. screen size laptop for $348. In addition, Walmart uses its blog to promote corporate strategies and goals.

Dell
Dell addresses products in its blog, but spends a good amount of content on its philanthropy, community outreach and the company. It also takes every opportunity to use images and screen shots to make each post more aesthetically pleasing and interesting.

Sears
Sears focuses on the community of its customers with its blog. Found in the MySears section of its website, the blog talks about customer suggestions, community polls, club cards, promotions and deals. In addition, the blog includes images of coupons that customers can print out.

eBags
eBags blog addresses problems and solutions on its blog. For example, the football season just kicked off so you might be in need of a bag that has your favorite team on it. That’s exactly what the most recent post is about. Other posts help moms find diaper bags that aren’t boring, or those in need of a hydration pack. Every post includes product images and links to products.

If you’re an e-commerce merchant, comment below on how you operate your
blog. Or if you know of other e-commerce merchant blogs that operate
differently, please add your thoughts on those below.

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Google and SpotMixer are teaming up to provide do-it-yourself in-stream video advertising. The ads can be produced for viewing on YouTube or the Google Content Network.

The feature is free unless you want a professional voice-over. Those services begin at $50.

This isn’t the first time Google and SpotMixer have partnered up. This past January, they paired up to offer DIY TV ads.

Back in November 2007 we reviewed Sansa’s first generation Clip MP3 player. At the time we found the size and sound quality to be solid and named it as a great competitor to the shuffle. Since that time SanDisk has continued to innovate in its Sansa line with products including the slotMusic player and slotRadio. [...]