SEO Daily links: Google Boost opens, Lab + Directory closes, Book Search Settles, backlinks

Complex learning of the day: Using Google Event tracking I can tack now track with Google Analytics when somebody clicks a link, downloads a forms or calls a phone number (by clicking the number on the webpage in the smartphone’s browser.)
Simpe learning of the day: CSS text-shadow. I knew that it was possible to crate dropshadow effect for text in CSS, but didn’t find the option for it in my Dreamweaver CS3. A quick search revealed its simple syntax , I tested it and found it working.
Service I signed up for today: Branchout on Facebook. Its tagline: “Tap into your friend network for an inside connection to opportunities at top companies!” I don’t even kow why I signed up as I am not looking for ajob. But it is popular and several people whose network savvy I respect signed up, so did I. Exactly, to the day, a year after it launched. Better later then never.

• Mike Blumenthal pointed us today to Google Boost, which just went nationwide. It allows businesses to “place a locally highlighted ad onto the front page of Google.”
  His thoughtful analysis shows some aspects that seriously need to be changed for widespread adoption. I wonder how relevant it is for the dental market, where I work currently. After all you rarely walk around looking for dentist on your smartphone. (That’s the kind of scenario, where Boost could be the most useful.)
• Barry Schwartz noticed that directory.google.com went dead today. Matt McGee shared the announcement that Google Labs is closing too.
  I regret the latter more because I had access to many products there, even if from Google’s perspective they were in perpetual beta and not ready for deployment. Some examples, that started at the (public) Labs and I use every day: Docs, Alerts, Reader, Scholar, iGoogle, Maps, and Video.
  
• James Grimmelmann at the The Laboratorium reported that the parties of the Google Books Search legal case are working on an “opt-in settlement.” (via search engine land)
  The librarian in me cherishes the end of a lawsuit that might end with more access to books and placating the publishers too.
  
• Kelly Gillease examined the relations between Google’s +1s and AdWords. Key learning include, “not a direct correlation between +1 counts and quality score”, “there is an option to opt out”, “No fees are charged for +1ing”.
  As she noted “hopefully more answers to come.” Google never shared the algorithm for ranking and I doubt they would revel exactly how +1s influence it. But they sure will, so it is important start tracking and learning about it now.
  
• This SEOMoz blog post cleared and muddied what constitutes a (back)link.
  It’s a good inventory of various issues about links. Nevertheless as I read more and more SEO articles I start to have the feeling that a lot of them are only written so the author would get more references, followers, authority. A lot of the articles covering such basics issues at such length, that I feel brilliant, that everything in it seems obvious. It i not true for this article but reading it triggered this reflection.