SearchCap: Bing Halloween, Amazon Echo, AdWords Cross-Device, and RankBrain

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.

From Search Engine Land:

• FAQ: All About The New Google RankBrain Algorithm
  
  Oct 27, 2015 by Danny Sullivan

  Google’s using a machine learning technology called RankBrain to help deliver its search results. Here’s what we know about it so far.

• Jet.com Dominating Halloween Costume Advertisers In Google Shopping
  
  Oct 27, 2015 by Ginny Marvin

  The e-commerce start-up is making a significant push with Product Listing Ads this Halloween season.

• AdWords Cross-Device Conversions Now Rolled Into Conversions Column, Available For Bid Strategies
  
  Oct 27, 2015 by Ginny Marvin

  AdWords brings cross-device conversions into the fold, no longer separating it from single-device and single-browser conversion counts for reporting and bid automation.

• Bing Brings On Halloween With a Spooky Map, Cortana Costume Suggestions & A Horror Movie Game
  
  Oct 27, 2015 by Amy Gesenhues

  Ask Cortana “What should I wear for Halloween?” or “Guess the horror movie” to play Bing’s Halloween-themed game.

• Supporting New Marketing Initiatives With Link Building
  
  Oct 27, 2015 by Andrew Dennis

  One of the biggest reasons Fortune 500 companies need links is to support new marketing. Columnist Andrew Dennis explains how this works, using two big brands as examples.

• Amazon Echo Now Offers Local Search With Help From Yelp
  
  Oct 27, 2015 by Matt McGee

  Voice assistant offers basic business information via audio, additional details in its mobile app.

• Travel’s New Digital Funnel — How Consumer Buying Continues to Evolve
  
  Oct 27, 2015 by Search Engine Land

  How travelers are changing the way they search, shop and buy.

Recent Headlines From MarTech, Our Sister Site Dedicated To Internet Marketing:

• Content: It’s Not Another Channel
• Mobile Vs. Desktop: Mobile Won, But You Might Still Be Losing
• RankBrain: How Google Is Using Artificial Intelligence To Rank Web Pages
• Hootsuite Offers Free Version Of Hootsuite Campaigns For Lead Generation
• TV Producers, Advertisers Need To Leverage The Web’s Largest Focus Group: Social Data
• UGC Platform Chute Can Now See
• MarTech Today: Twitter’s TrueVoice, Google’s RankBrain & Next Wave Of Voice Search
• Amazon Echo Gets Smarter With Local Business Listings From Yelp
• Predictive Marketing Platform AgilOne Tunes Up Its Predictions Of Customer Lifetime Value
• First Look: Twitter’s Promoted Moment For The Creed Movie

Search News From Around The Web:

Industry

• Google grants wish to a 97-year-old woman, Business Insider
• The 2016 Guide to Business & Digital Marketing Conferences

Local & Maps

• Apple activates ‘Nearby’ Maps search results in 4 countries, expands Flyover support, Apple Insider

Link Building

• Google Picks Up Unlinked Links But Doesn’t Pass Ranking Signals, Search Engine Roundtable

Searching

• Siri refuses to answer questions from people not subscribed to Apple Music, Business Insider

SEO

• Apps Really Are Transforming The Future of Search
• Google Revamping Google Search Console App Data
• Google’s RankBrain: 9 Industry Experts Weigh In
• Investigating Google RankBrain and Query Term Substitutions
• Using 301, 404 and 410 Redirects to Maintain Search Rankings

SEM / Paid Search

• PPC Account Audit Survival Guide: Part 2