By Ryan Douglas

Recently I ran across a new feature called “Questions” within Google Base. It appears that Google Base is trying to actively learn about the products being submitted to Base with the help of its users. Our submitted data feed directed Google to ask me 30 questions about our products. The question displays a portion of highlighted text from a text string within the data feed and asks the merchant a question to help identify possible matches for filters like brand, color and material. Google notes that “a record of your answers will be retained by Google and used to improve the quality for your feed as well as our own products and services.”

In a leaked internal memo to Yahoo! Sales staff, President Susan Decker outlines a management team shake-up “that creates a new division responsible for generating the bulk of the company’s revenue”. [NYTimes]

Here’s a rundown of the full memo issued following Decker’s consultations with Jerry Yang – CEO and Chief Honcho Yahoo!:

• Greg Coleman, EVP of Global Sales, is out – and will pursue other opportunities by mutual agreement!
• Hilary Schneider, EVP of Local Markets & Commerce Division (LMC), will head a new “umbrella” division called, Global Partner Solutions (GPS) – encompassing Global Sales, the Online Channel, the Yahoo! Publisher Network, Corporate Partnerships and Hot Jobs
• Jeff Weiner, EVP Network Division, will take back Schneider’s LMC units having lost them in a previous reorg

Google and Yahoo have each announced major deals today. Both deals are continuations of previous business relationships.

Google & CNN
As we mentioned yesterday, Google has long provided advertising on CNN’s website. Although financial details were not disclosed, CNN renewed its partnership with Google for contextual advertising from AdSense. The press release states, “Under the terms of the deal, Google will serve as the exclusive provider of auction-based text advertisements throughout CNN.com.”

The deal does not include site search. As Search Engine Land points out, U.S. searches on CNN.com are “powered by Google,” while the international site’s searches are “powered by Yahoo.”