Customer reviews are an important research tool for online consumers, with 71 percent saying that consumer reviews make them more comfortable that they are buying the right product.

When reading customer feedback, 63 percent of online shoppers said it was important to have multiple reviews for each product; 14 percent looked for reviews from trusted a source; and just three percent wanted reviews by people they knew personally.

“Consumer reviews are a must-have for online retailers, especially during the holiday season when shoppers are buying for others in categories they’re less familiar with,” said Ken Cassar, vice president, industry insights, Nielsen Online.

“Perhaps more than any other time of year, consumers are looking for outside feedback for guidance.”

Close to a quarter (24%) of online shoppers have spent more than $500 so far this holiday season, with 22 percent spending between  $100-199 online. The majority (78%) of consumers said convenience was the main reason for shopping online.

The most popular reason to shop at a particular online retailer was having made a purchase their in the past, with 62 percent of respondents. Search engines were the second most popular way to find an online retailer, with 38 percent of respondents

Webmasters can use GData to access feeds from the Google Message Center without having to continually check your messages in Webmaster tools

The Message Center GData API allows webmasters to retrieve all messages, mark them as read or unread, and delete messages.

The Google Webmaster Central Blog provides more details.

Retrieve messages: The messages feed contains all the messages sent to your account. These messages have important information about your verified sites. Examples of messages include infinite spaces warnings and crawl rate change notifications.

Mark messages as read or unread: In order to keep track of new communications from Google, you can mark your messages as read or unread, the same way that you would manage your inbox. If you retrieve a single message, this message will be automatically marked as read.

Delete messages: It’s possible to delete messages using the GData API. However, be careful because if you delete a message through the API it will also be deleted in your Webmaster Tools account, as both interfaces share the same data.

For more information visit the GData website. The homepage of the Webmaster Tools GData API has a section on message feeds, and details about protocol.

Users will now be able to see tax and shipping cost displayed alongside the product listings for which merchants have submitted this information. Google says that by providing this information it is a good way to maximize the visibility of your products during the holiday shopping season. It also helps buyers when they are making purchasing decisions.

The Google Base Help page explains how to submit information.

You can submit this information in two ways:
1. Set account-level default values in your Google Base account: These preferences will serve as the default values for all of your items. This is the easiest way to set up tax and shipping for your account.
2. Include item-level override values in your data feeds or via the Google Base API: These values will override your account-level default settings for that item.
To submit tax information there are three options.
1. Opt to not charge tax.
2. Set a tax rate based on the state an item ships to.
3. Use an estimate based on the destination ZIP code. Note: To estimate the tax rate, we use data from Tax Data Systems based on the destination ZIP code.
For shipping there are also three options.
1. Specify a flat shipping rate (or free shipping).
2. Define custom tables if the shipping rate you charge varies by price, weight, or number of items. Note: If you define a table based on the number of items, for now, we’ll use the rate in the first row only.
3. Apply a carrier-calculated rate if the shipping rate you charge is based on rates from UPS, FedEx, or USPS. Note: We use daily rates for UPS, and standard (non-retail counter) rates for FedEx.

Google also has tips for Google Product Search merchants.

From the Google Base Blog: Include unique product identifiers: In addition to using our five required attributes, be sure to include the recommended attributes relevant to your products, such as product identifiers like MPN, UPC, or ISBN. By including these, you’re giving us more information to help us include your products on Google Product Search product pages (our merchant comparison pages) when multiple merchants are selling the same product.

Use effective titles: There’s nothing like an accurate title to tell shoppers at a glance exactly what you’re selling, so be sure to use detailed and descriptive titles for your products. Do keep in mind that Product Search truncates titles to under 70 characters, so avoid exceedingly lengthy titles.

Write accurate descriptions: Descriptions offer an overview of the product you’re selling, so make sure that your descriptions are accurate and more than a few words in length. But if your descriptions are over 150 characters, you may want to shorten them to only include the most crucial information, as Product Search truncates longer descriptions.

Submit your feeds frequently: Lastly, remember to submit your data feeds regularly — up to once a day — to ensure that your product information is current for shoppers.

The TypePad profiles feature helps bloggers manage their profiles and keep them up to date.

The Six Apart Blog explains. “If you connect with your Twitter account we’ll automatically fill in your status. Leave a comment on a TypePad enabled site and we’ll pull that in too. Update your profile picture and it will automatically change on every comment you’ve already made across TypePad enabled sites.”

“TypePad profiles make it easy to connect with other commenters and conversations across blogs for readers and bloggers alike. And don’t worry; we didn’t forget the feeds, Microformats or OpenID either.”

TypePad’s new comment feature in beta integrates with the new profiles. The new comment service has an improved new interface and helpful features like threading, easy pagination, OpenID sign in, email notifications of replies and the ability to reply via email.

The new features are combined into the TypePad Connect beta. The new profiles and comments are available to any blogger or Web site outside of TypePad. Through TypePad Connect bloggers have the ability to track, moderate and respond to comments across multiple sites and blogs from a single dashboard.

Bloggers will be able to integrate comments and profiles from Movable Type, Blogger, WordPress and Tumblr.

The 22-page PDF file covers about a dozen common areas that Webmasters can use to optimize their sites.

Google says it chose which subjects to include by making the guide apply to Webmasters of all skill levels and sites and sizes of all types.

Some of the topics Google covers are best practices for page title tags, meta tags, URL structure, site navigation and content.

The comprehensive guide also contains a helpful list of free Webmaster tools from Google along with information about its Web analytics services

The guide has illustrations throughout, advice on what to avoid and links to other resources that expand on a particular topic.

Google says it will continue updating the guide at regular intervals with new optimization tips and technical advice.

It’s a resource that every Webmaster should check out no matter their skill level.

The most common threats to blogs are comment spam that may contain links to a Web site with malicious code and SQL injection attacks that exploits a vulnerability in the blogging platform that allows a hacker to inject malicious code in the blog, that can be used to put malware on a reader’s computer.

“From the blog user’s perspective, the usual rules apply: never click on a link in a blog if you don’t know or trust its source (in the same way you wouldn’t in an email); make sure your security is up to date (network protection should prevent company employees clicking on a blacklisted link but there is no alternative to keeping your system’s software up to date); and always keep your wits about you - common sense,” said Simon Heron, Internet Security Analyst, for Network Box.

Heron recommends using a Captcha, a free tool that checks to see if the person posting a comment is human and blocks automated comment spam.

He also recommends Aksimet another free tool that protects blogs from comment and trackback spam. It works by submitting all blog comments to a central service that analyses the comments and blocks or allows as appropriate.

Another free service is Spambam, a WordPress plug-in that blocks comment spam.

You can see more of the guide for secure blogging here.

Several globally active registrars have already implemented many of the best practices recommend by APWG including Go Daddy and Network Solutions.

“It has been great to see registrars take phishing prevention seriously,” said Rod Rasmussen, co-chair of the APWG’s Internet Policy Committee and President of InternetIdentity of Tacoma, WA. “Since phishing campaigns often start with a domain registration, the domain name registrars are in the perfect position to make phishing more difficult.”

The APWG recommendations focus on three key areas.

Proactive fraud screening: low user-burden processes that registrars can adopt to limit phishers’ ability to complete fraudulent domain registrations on a large scale

Phishing domain takedown: best practices registrars can use to process the takedown requests in the most optimized fashion and suspend fraudulent domain registrations used in a phishing campaign

Evidence Preservation for Investigative Purposes: Data retention practices to save key evidence that can be later used by law enforcement to identify and prosecute the phishers.

The APWG says it plans to continue to work with registrars to evolve anti-phishing best practices.

“We look forward to continuing to develop new and innovative ways to combat Phishing at the most basic level — at the time of domain registration,” said Mr. Rasmussen.

The HuffingtonPost.com led among a group of stand-alone political blogs and news sites with 4.5 million visitors in September, up 472 percent compared to a year ago, while Politico.com attracted 2.4 million visitors (up 344%) and DrudgeReport.com saw 2.1 million visitors (up70%).

“With each new election cycle, the Internet is playing a more significant role in shaping the stories of the day that are so crucial in formulating public opinion on issues and candidates,” said Andrew Lipsman, senior analyst at comScore.

“That most mainstream news outlets now have their own political blogs is a testament to their increasing reach and influence. However, several independent blogs unaffiliated with larger media outlets paved the way in this space and are really beginning to enter the mainstream public consciousness with this current election cycle.”

September was the single biggest month on record for both the HuffingtonPost.com and Politico.com since their launches.

A number of sites focused on political polling also did well. RealClearPoltics.com, which tracks composites of polls by state, attracted 1.1 million visitors in September, up 489 percent over a year a go. Two other polling sites, Pollster.com with 194,000 visitors and FiveThirtyEight.com with 169,000 visitors, also saw notable traffic in September.

The leading conservative blog, FreeRepublic.com, saw marginal declines compared to a year ago, though it sill attracted nearly 1 million visitors in September. Other conservative blogs, such as Newsbusters.org (up 547% to 732,000 visitors), WorldNetDaily.com (up 55% to 636,000 visitors) and MichelleMalkin.com (up 140% to 247,000 visitors) saw solid gains.

Looking at the demographic profiles of the top three sites, HuffingtonPost.com, Politico.com and DrudgeReport.com, revealed that visitors to these sites tended to be older, wealthier, and more likely to be male than the average U.S. Internet user.

Of the three sites, Politico.com skewed the oldest with 23 percent of its visitors age 55 and older, while DrudgeReport.com skewed wealthiest, with 40 percent of its visitors earning at least $100,000 a year, and the highest concentration of males at 57 percent. HuffingtonPost.com, the site with the largest audience, was the most similar of the three when compared to the overall Internet audience.

The main feature of the updated version of iGoogle is canvas view gadgets, which allows users to expand a gadget to access more content.

Users can now read news, play games and watch videos in full-page view, without leaving their homepage.

Some examples of the gadgets include news from the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post that allow users to view full-page txt and videos.

There is a TV Guide gadget that provides full-screen TV listings that can be localized by zip code, celebrity news, and photos. For movie fans there is a Flixter’s movies gadgets that give users access to trailers, ratings, theater information and more.

Music fans have not been left out either, there is an iLike gadget that gives users access to news, concerts, and MP3. Users can also access videos from YouTube and Current News in full screen.

The Gmail gadget allows users to perform simple actions on Gmail without leaving their iGoogle page, like send or reply to emails.

Google has also changed the iGoogle interface by replacing the tabs with left navigation. This allows users to move from one canvas view to another with one click.

Google says that, “To ensure a great user experience, we’ve been busy testing these new iGoogle features on small groups of users. This is just the beginning and we will continue to add more features to iGoogle and gadgets to make them more useful and interactive. For developers and content owners, canvas view gadgets allow more possibilities for building rich, compelling gadgets.”

“In addition, developers will now have an opportunity to earn revenue from their gadgets on iGoogle by placing ads in the canvas view mode of their gadgets.”

AdSense for Games is in beta and allows you to display video ads, image ads, or text ads within your online games to earn revenue.

On the Google AdSense Blog it reads,” You’ll be able to show these ads in placements you define, such as interstitial frames before a game, after a level change, or when a game is over.”

“Members of our AdWords team will sell your in-game ad placements directly to top brand advertisers, and you’ll also see contextually targeted text and image ads based on content and demographic information. In addition, you’ll be able to control the ads you see on your pages using our filtering options.”

Some of the publishers In Google’s network include Konami, mochimedia, Zynga, ArcadeTown, HeaveyGames and playfish.

Marketers include Sprint, Sony Pictures, and esurance.

Google says eligible publishers must have a minimum of 500,000 game plays per day and have 80 percent of their traffic from the U.S. or the U.K.

More than 25 percent of Internet users or about 200 million people play online games and the number grows 17 percent annually according to comScore.