The week gone by in search, dear readers, brings a very Asia-focused issue of the bigmouthmedia newsletter, with some of our favourite web firms vying for popularity in this burgeoning web community.
Last week, for instance, YouTube launched its South Korean version. On the other hand, Chinese search engine Baidu affirmed its dominance of Chinese search and launched Baidu Japan in the space of a few days.
Baidu has a tough act to follow though, as a recent comScore report revealed Yahoo! as the search leader in Japan. However, recent speculation that Yahoo! could be reporting a profit decline has certainly overshadowed this positive news.
The week's most intriguing story, surely, comes from the Nielson Online research which imparts that books are the most popular online shopping item - a statistic that's sure to boggle those who believe that people don't read anymore!
What's more, YouTube has expanded its mobile offerings, in a move that's almost certain to get more people browsing the mobile web and watching mobile videos.
All in all, the search engine world appears to be in good health. Indeed, the IAB has just launched a Best Practice Search Guide that's sure to help search engine marketers the world over, while E-consultancy reports that affiliate marketing generated £3 billion in 2007.
And as Google announces that it is experimenting with new search views, it seems likely that the search giant is planning to make some fundamental changes in 2008.
How will these affect the wider search world and its compatriots? You can depend on your trusty friend, the bigmouthmedia newsletter, to help you find out every week. So, without further ado, get stuck into this week's stories...
Yahoo! forecast to report profit decline
Analysts are predicting that search engine Yahoo! will report an eighth straight quarter of declining profits today.
Google experiments with views of search results
Internet giant Google has created an experimental search page showcasing three alternatives to the traditional vertical list of web pages delivered as search results.
IAB Search Council releases Search Best Practice Resource
The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) Search Council has just released its newest handbook: the IAB Search Best Practice Resource.
Books 'most popular online shopping item'
More than half of internet users have purchased a book over the web in the last three months, making books the most popular item among online shoppers.
Yahoo! continues to lead Japanese online search market
Yahoo! continued to lead the search market in Japan in December, new research suggests.
Baidu 'dominates' Chinese search engine market
Chinese company Baidu.com dominated the country's search engine market in the last financial quarter of 2007, according to the results of a new study.
YouTube expands mobile offerings
Google-owned video sharing site YouTube has announced the expansion of its catalogue of videos accessible by mobile phone.
Ask.com announces Skins upgrade
Search engine provider Ask.com has announced an upgrade to the Skins feature it released last year.
Google retains title as 'best place to work'
For the second year in a row, internet giant Google has won the title of Best Company to Work For in America.
Affiliate marketing generates more than £3 billion in sales in 2007
Sales through the affiliate marketing channel grew by an estimated 45% in 2007, driving £3.13 billion of revenue for merchants, especially those in travel, retail and financial services.
Baidu.com launches Japanese search engine
Chinese search engine firm Baidu.com has announced the full launch of a Japanese version of its service.
YouTube launched in South Korea
Google-owned YouTube has today launched a South Korean version of the website.
