Search engine optimization software provider BrightEdge announced it had been awarded an official patent late yesterday, which is a first for not just the company, but for the whole SEO niche, according to BrightEdge execs (meanwhile, it’s the 8-millionth-and-change for the U.S.). It’s called “Operationalizing Search Engine Optimization,” and it reflects the company’s capacity in measuring “share of voice” in organic search engine rankings. (Spell check, by failing to recognize the word “operationalizing,” seems at least to support the concept’s uniqueness.)

Patents have become bargaining chips for tech companies. Microsoft paid $1.1 billion for 800 from AOL, and Google's move to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion was driven, in part, by a patent portfolio.

Now, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued BrightEdge Technologies, an enterprise SEO platform provider, its first patent that measures share of voice in search engine rankings.

A new BrightEdge report details a 47% increase in engine rankings when aligning Twitter and organic search. Tiny Prints achieved the uptick, improving online conversions and ROIs.

With the trends that we are seeing in the search engines as they become more and more social, I think it is fair to assume that social sharing will be a major part (or at the very least, be a piece) of consideration in any future updates. This is exactly why it’s more important than ever for marketers to understand what aspects of Social Media and which social signals actually help us and our clients get maximum visibility in the search engines.

Marriott International has selected BrightEdge enterprise-grade S3 SEO platform to manage and improve its footprint for organic search. Marriott joins BrightEdge’s rapidly growing hospitality and travel client base which includes leading travel and hospitality agencies HeBS Digital and Vizergy, car rental giant Alamo, Travelocity, and the White Lodging Group.

BrightEdge, the global leader in enterprise SEO, today announced that Marriott International has selected BrightEdge’s enterprise-grade S3 SEO platform to manage and improve its footprint for organic search.

BrightEdge is introducing a service dubbed Local Search Management that lets marketers optimize search rankings for location-specific searches. The tool identifies variations in search performance, based on geographic location of the query. It also takes into consideration the growing importance of local results. Among them, the most common search terms "coffee," "ATM" or "hotel."

Worthless links drag down a Web site's ranking. Strong link profiles help a site build authority. Having a tool to find the links requires marketers to walk a fine line between black and white search engine optimization (SCO).

A report from BrightEdge found that Google+ is attracting more top brands to its network, with 75 of the top 100 U.S. businesses maintaining presences on the site. However, only 15 million Google+ users have placed one of these companies in a Circle, compared with 481 million Facebook users who have Liked at least one brand.

The slow but unstoppable rise of Google+ continues but while G+ is acquiring a large number of users it’s so far struggling to encourage them to engage, according to data released by the research firm BrightEdge today.