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6 Reasons to Keep an Eye on Google in 2013

Steve Baik — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:33:38 +0000

For months, marketing pros have been warning us about the trends that could potentially shape the digital landscape in 2013. Now that a new year has finally arrived, it’s time to start finding out which predictions will actually pan out. A lot of the focus was shun directly on Google, so in this post, we will look at six reasons why the search giant deserves the spotlight over the next calendar year.

1. Search is Getting More Competitive (sort of)

According to data from comScore, Bing set a milestone for Microsoft by gaining 16% of the search market share in the U.S. in October, 2012. It should be noted that the same set of data reveals that Google reached 66.9, which was a record for the company. While Google appears to have things in order on the search front, it is clear to see that internet consumers are looking beyond its core product to discover content. StumbleUpon, Twitter, and YouTube, the second largest search engine, are among the tools competing for the attention of Google Search users.

2. Author Rank is Becoming a Factor

Author Rank was such a hot topic in 2012, that it’s relevance will no doubt carry over into the new year. It is speculated that Google will assign a rank that takes the reputation and authority of a specific author into consideration when determining search rankings. If Author Rank was to become a factor, it would make getting set up with Google’s authorship initiative and creating quality, original content more important than ever. No wonder the SEO community is in such a frenzy trying to get prepared.

3. Google+ is Turning Heads

Quite a few pundits refused to give Google+ a chance despite its fast start out of the gates. However, the social platform lives on, and Author Rank could be the reason it survives in 2013 and beyond. In order to get up and running with authorship, authors must connect their content to their Google+ profile. Combine that aspect with the belief that Google shows indexing and ranking favoritism to content published on its social platform, and it becomes clear to see why more brands are planning to dedicate their time to G+ in 2013.

4. Voice Search Technology Getting Sexier

Apple captivated a global audience when introducing Siri, the application that uses Nuance’s voice recognition technology to help iOS users organize their schedules and find information. Google has something similar in Voice Search, a service some say is even more efficient at what it does than Siri. The main advantage Google has in the voice tech department is a wealth of data, which gives it near limitless potential in terms of usage scenarios. 2013 could be the year we literally hear more from Voice Search, and less from the loveable Siri.

5. Chrome is Being Challenged

Thanks to the fast and efficient Chrome, Google’s entry into the web browser market has been a very successful one. Chrome has become a favorite of many users who have grown tired of the security and performance issues associated with other browsers. This favoritism has been reflected in statistics documenting its meteoric rise. But with the latest data from Net Applications showing that Chrome has lost users for three consecutive months, Google could be planning updates that enable its browser to boost the web surfing experience yet another notch.

6. Android is Growing in Dominance

2012 was a huge year for Android, the Google operating system that powers an array of phones, tablets, and other devices. A recent report by Gartner revealed that Android snagged an impressive 72% of smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2012. With an exciting lineup of phones and tablets already on tap, 2013 is looking even more promising for the versatile mobile platform. Competitors such as Apple and Microsoft may have a real problem on their hands.

Another Big Year for the G-Team

With phones, computers, and TV technology to tend to, 2013 is shaping up to be a pretty interesting year for the folks up in Mountain View, California. And let’s not forget about those futuristic sexy specs being cooked up in Project Glass. Google has become a very important figure in today’s world, especially for those dealing with the digital side of it. The moves it makes have the power to impact consumers and marketers alike, so following them can be viewed as a way of staying a step ahead.

Sources:

http://searchengineland.com/google-bing-hit-all-time-highs-as-desktop-search-activity-rebounds-139822
http://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/12/01/ie10-grabs-0-51-market-share-firefox-passes-20-again-chrome-loses-users-third-month-in-a-row/

About the author:
Francis Santos is a writer for Benchmark Events, a best practices event marketing company.

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Be More Productive with Gmail Notifier

Steve Baik — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:47:04 +0000

Let’s face it – Google has done a great job with Gmail. It’s simple, clean and fast. Checking email couldn’t be any easier… or, can it?

Just when you thought it couldn’t get easier to manage your Gmail account, there’s this software called Gmail Notifier. It makes managing your Gmail accounts, a breeze. I say “accounts” because it allows you to manage up to 5 Gmail accounts with a single log in. Many of us who work online, have multiple Gmail accounts, and it sometimes can be a pain to log in and out of each account.

Now, you can focus on your task at hand, instead of worrying about checking emails. Gmail Notifier automatically checks your email every 2 minutes to see if you have any new emails. If a new email comes in, it will alert you with a sound or tray icon. It’s non-intrusive on your desktop or tablet, and helps you to stay on top of your busy schedule.

Here are the key features of Gmail Notifier:

Counter of unread emails
Sound and tray icon alerts
Read email headers and body
Delete emails or mark as read
IMAP connectivity over SSL
Fast and easy Gmail login
Support for multiple accounts
Support for UTF-8 emails
Support for mailto links
Support for Google Apps
Attachment indicator
100% spy and spam free
Auto version updates
Make window topmost
Run at startup

Currently, it is compatible with 3 Google services: Gmail, googlemail and Google Apps.

Best of all, Gmail Notifier is a freeware. You can download it here.

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Google Alerts is a Great Online Marketing Tool

Brick Marketing — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:50:52 +0000

We all know that Google is a great resource. Ask anyone where they go to find important information and there’s a good chance that they will respond that they “Google it.” However, Google has so much more to offer beyond search capabilities. For website owners, Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools are necessary tools that provide vital information about the performance of the website. These tools provide an inside glimpse of how Google views the website and allows website owners to make changes as necessary. While these are arguably the most important tools for website owners to use, Google offers plenty more. One often underutilized tool is Google Alerts.

Like Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools, Google Alerts is also a free tool that can provide anyone (not just webmasters) with valuable web related information. All you need is a Google account and you can sign up to receive an email whenever a web page is crawled and indexed that includes any kind of content that is important to you. Google Alerts allows you to select the kind of results you’d like to receive, the frequency of communication (daily, weekly, etc.), and how many results are received (only the best, all, etc.).

Website owners/webmasters should use Google Alerts to monitor the following:

The business/brand name
Since people typically turn to the Internet for information before buying a product or deciding to hire a company for services, it’s very important that your business have a positive online reputation. The difficult thing about managing your reputation online is that in some ways, it can be out of your hands. Others outside of your company have the right to post about your business and that content can rank in the search engines too. Unfortunately, what is said might not always be positive. It’s important to monitor the brand name to be aware of what is being said and to mitigate an issue before it gets out of hand. Monitoring brand mentions can also provide the opportunity to reach out to website owners and get links when the brand name is mentioned. It’s also important to closely monitor the mentions of individuals that are closely related to the company such as the President, CEO, COO, etc.

Competitors
As part of an SEO strategy, and online marketing campaign overall, it’s important to pay attention to what your competitors are up to in the online space. What is their search presence like? Where do they advertise? What kind of inbound links do they have? By monitoring competitors with Google Alerts you will have a better idea of what their online marketing strategy is like and these alerts could potentially turn you on to new link building opportunities to take advantage of.

Keywords
Set up a Google alert for all of the main keywords that you are targeting on the site. Content that appears is obviously relevant to what you do. It may be a discussion in a forum or social media that you could join. Or local keywords may let you know what’s going on in your community so that you can take advantage of local advertising/sponsorship opportunities to gain exposure.

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What You Need To Know About Penguin & Panda Updates

John — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:44:26 +0000

It is natural for webmasters to want to have their sites set up for search engine optimization (SEO) to gain high placement in browser searches by potential customers. Along with performing adequate search engine submission and fine-tuning the landing page content, it is important to keep up to date on how the most popular search engines are changing their search methods.

Some of this information is publicly disclosed; a website like Search Engine Watch maintains regular updates, and so do many site submission companies like AddMe.com.

Website promotion begins with the initial selection of a domain name and website submission. To gain high placement with popular search websites like Google and Yahoo, the small company owner or webmaster should always research information about Penguin and Panda updates as they occur. These are the most well-known Internet “characters” that present a constantly changing challenge to those who seek successful site promotion.

What Is Panda?

In the days before the first Google algorithm change commonly known as “Panda,” promotion relied heavily on optimization of website text to include keywords that might be used in searches. Website owners went to extremes, called keyword stuffing, in their efforts to rank highly with search engine robots. The Panda adjustment devastated many companies who counted on keywords and text manipulation to do the job of promotion.

The algorithm is a complex and detailed set of calculations incorporated into the method used to determine priority listings of websites in search results. In the long run, however, the algorithm changes drove website owners to rethink their websites in an effort to become more relevant, authoritative and concise. Along came more changes for search engine operation with Panda II, and now Penguin.

What Is Important to Know About Penguin and Panda Updates?

Panda is trying to eliminate keyword stuffing and spammy content
Penguin is looking mostly at links, and it targets poor quality, spammy links and backlinks

How Can I Improve My Website to Avoid Conflict with Panda and Penguin?

Don’t keyword stuff and don’t link stuff
Become an expert; remember now that quality content is king, not keywords
Fine-tune your website so every element is high-quality content
Learn all you can about the search engines
Update your website with relevant content weekly or more often
Use blog posts, videos, podcasts, and webinars
Become a pillar of your social networking websites; offer high-quality information as an expert resource to others
Make any link you set a good one as defined by the search engines

Website success depends on obtaining high ranking in searches of relevant keywords by potential customers. Before you attempt submission of your website to search engines in bulk or individual site submit actions, and before you eagerly post your website using add URL or URL Submit, research the facts about what the ongoing Penguin and Panda updates demand.

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10 Essential Free Blogging Tools – Thanks Google!

Addme — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:18:08 +0000

As most companies and individuals have realised, blogging is not just a great way to get your information out there, done properly it is a big part of any search engine optimisation strategy. Google created a whole industry and to get the most out of your blogging, and develop your content (articles), they loaded it with a range of tools that can be used to assist your blogging – not really too surprising is it? Here is a list of the essential 10 great not only for SEO, but for developing and working your content and blog.

Gmail. If you are not using it then you should. The spam filter really does work. Say goodbye to computer file clutter and store it all in your account.

Google Docs. This is kind of part of your Gmail and many people don’t even know it exists. It is like having a global intra-net with anyone you choose. With added features such as online file sharing and much online software available, and loads upon loads of space, if you are not taking advantage of it, you really do not know what you are missing. Kiss goodbye Microsoft’s expensive and bug-prone Office and other common tools you used to use. Save everything online and never have to worry about keeping your folders and files in order again – they wont even be on your computer. This is the safest form of storage for anyone on the go, and is even easier to share.

Search – Additional Features. Sure we all use Google search, but with a range of other search functions it can be seriously beneficial to any blogger. Real-time search is great because it searches Twitter and other blogs (among other things) and is a great way to keep track of what is going on, on any particular day. Selecting the super cool tool of Wonder Wheel, after conducting a search is great for article ideas that relate to your searched phrase, and to help you improve search keywords good for your website. This works like one of those visual thesaurus sites, but importantly in terms of searches and content on the web.

YouTube. You tube is a great way to give you a whole new traffic source and because Google owns YouTube it interfaces well with all of your optimisation strategies. YouTube will do wonders for how much Google likes your site, and the chances you are going to come up higher on searches is extremely high. Add video spice to your site and forget about hosting.

Google Chrome. There is nothing better than a great web browser to handle your web design as smoothly as you made it. Chrome is incredibly fast and there is just not another browser that can compete with it.

Feedburner. This is the most popular service used by most bloggers to manage their RSS feed. Switch to Feedburner and you will manage your Feed with ease – perform other tasks like track click through rates and add AdSense to Feedburner Feeds.

Google Alerts. Every blogger should be using this. It is the single most effective way to be monitoring yourself or your brand online. You enter certain terms and get emailed whenever blogs or websites use those terms. Enter your name, or your brand, and you will be notified if they are used in other websites. Another way to use it is to set it for terms that you are interested in — a great way to find sources of information relative to you, and a form of update.

Google Analytics. Yes everyone is using it. It is extremely powerful and tracks and records all sorts of information in relation to your blog and site. Go there and check it out for yourself, because if you are doing SEO then you just have to be using it. Set it up for your blog easily after a signing up for a Google Analytics account.

Google Adwords Keyword Tool. This tool allows you to see how often certain words and phrases are searched for in Google. There are a number of ways we can use this information, from choosing new keyword rich domain names, getting an idea of PPC (pay per click) advertising, and a relative indication of what you might be earning from one of your AdSense adverts that is targeting that keyword. A great way to better understand which keywords to focus on.

AdSense. A simple way to get some income from your site, and all it takes is for you to sign up for an account and add a little amount of code to your site and you will have adverts. The best and easiest way to earn money if someone clicks on them, although the amount will depend on the content of your blog and the value of the keywords to the advertisers.

Creatively apply the use of tools to help you develop your content, decide where to put it and get a better understanding of how your site and your content works with the way people are searching for information.

About the Author- Marcela Dias

With over a 10 years experience in website concept design and marketing, Marcela’s skills have flourished through her work in Brazil and Australia. In her marketing roles she has worked with Tourism Australia, Berocca, Sunglass Hut, Lurpak and NRMA to name but a few. She has been a key element in driving strategies involving product and clients management, social media, and online marketing projects (SEO and PPC).

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Google CEO Changing of the Guard

Addme — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:45:13 +0000

Latest news from Google apart from it’s massive earnings is, the current CEO Eric Schmidt is standing down as of April 4th 2011.

Co founder Larry Page will be stepping in as the headman of the company after the 4th.

Schmidt will still remain within the company his new role, as Executive Chairman will give him more time to focus on further developing the business via partnerships, and other business relationship initiatives.

Schmidt started out with Google in 2001 – 10 years, what a ride!

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Google Tags Hacked Sites

Addme — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 10:37:34 +0000

Google’s looking out for us even more these days with the recent announcement that the search giant will be labeling sites that they think have been compromised / hacked.

Google will be labeling any site in their search results that appears hacked with “this site may be compromised”. This text would also link to a page on Google that informs the Webmaster how they can resolve the issue.

The Google blog talks more about this new feature and how it will work.

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Google Analytics URL Builder

Addme — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:10:08 +0000

If you’re like me and constantly having to track what traffic is coming from where and why then you would already be familiar with the Google analytics URL builder (provided you use Google Analytics on your website).

If on the other hand you are currently managing display, email and other traffic driving activates to a website that is using Google analytics and not using the free Analytics URL builder then you really should check this out!

This free URL builder from Google takes the pain out of creating tracking URLs for your promotional campaigns. Simply enter in the URL and follow the steps.

Ensure that you use a descriptive title in each mandatory field as these are used later on in your analytics account to identify the traffic.

See below for an example of what the tool looks like:

Once you’ve entered in all the fields simply click on the Generate URL button and it will produce a tracking URL with all the above entered parameters, the URL should look a little something like this:

“http://www.yoursite.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=small-banner”

You can now use this URL as the click through link for a banner ad in a newsletter.

Checking the results of this is simple, log into your Google Analytics account; choose “Traffic Sources” then “Campaigns”. Within here you will be able to see each campaign and the traffic it has delivered, thus making it simple to see what works and what does not work for traffic generation.

And there you have it, a quick and simple way to build a tracking URL for Google Analytics.

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Search Marketing Help: Google Labs Related Links

Addme — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:25:45 +0000

Ok people here it is, another ripper little tool from the powers that be AKA Google Labs, “Related Links“.

For those of you who are not familiar with Google labs, it’s a “place” where the team at Google flex their creative muscle to create interesting apps, plugins and tools that can be used to enhance your site, optimize your pages and give you and your visitors a better overall web experience both on and off Google.

“Relate links” is designed to help webmasters like yourself increase page views on your websites; this is done by embedding the tool in your webpage’s.

Based on the content of the page, the tool will then suggest other related content and pages on your site.

The major benefit of this tool is it provides your readers with extra content once they’ve finished reading an article thus keeping them on your site and providing a better user experience.

Does this also help improve your SEO for that page? Internal linking to like pages improves user experience, Google is all about user experience SO, adding this app tool to your page will increase your sites performance in Google? In theory it should!

Check the tool out for yourself here: http://relatedlinks.googlelabs.com/config/demo.

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The Google Gadget that Makes Selling Online a “Snap”

Addme — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:16:32 +0000

If one or all of the following applies to you, please raise your hand – “I want to sell something on the Net”, “I have no technical or coding skills”, or “I don’t want to be bothered with a merchant account”.

Do I have your attention now? How about if I told you that there’s a quick and easy solution to your online selling problems? Well, thanks to Google, your prayers have been answered. Google Labs is a testing ground for new services thought up by the geniuses who work there. One of their latest concoctions is called “Google Checkout Store Gadget“. Its basic function allows you to copy and paste some code onto any webpage or blog, and become an instant merchant selling your own products.

Let’s take a look at the “man behind the curtain” to see how it all works. The very first step is to open a Google Checkout Merchant account, which is easy to do by going to http://checkout.google.com/signup Fill out all of the required information, and you’ll also need to input a bank account here your hard earned sales funds will be sent to. Google Checkout will process all incoming orders for you. The orders will appear under the orders tab”. On another note, make sure to uncheck the box that says, “my company will only post digitally signed carts”, then hit the save button. Also, make sure to write down your “Merchant ID” number as you’ll need it later on.

The next step is done using a Google Docs Spreadsheet which will track all your inventory. Google provides a template that can be copied which can be found here, http://tinyurl.com/yhebl4y . Take out the “dummy” product information and replace it with your own. There are separate columns for each item, even for shipping information. Each product can have its own separate shipping charge if need be. Keep in mind when filling it out that it can be viewed by the general public, so don’t include any private information in it.

After you’ve entered all your items, hit “share” in the upper right hand corner, and publish as a “web page”. Also, check the box that says Automatically Re-Publish when changes are made.”

Google makes it easy to set up your online store by using http://storegadget.googlelabs.com . It takes you through the process step-by-step, and when finished you click on “start publishing” and select where you’d like to embed the code, for example your website, Blogger, etc. Copy the code and paste it where you want the gadget to appear. There are no coding skills necessary, and anyone can do it. Really, it’s that simple.

If adding to a Blogger Blog, go under “edit layout”, add a “gadget”, then click “add your own”, and paste the gadget code. Now you’re selling items from your Blog that quickly.

So what’s all of this going to cost? There is a small transaction fee charged by Google Checkout for any monthly sales as follows:

Under 3,000.00 2.9% plus .30 per transaction

3,000.00 to 9,999.99 2.5% plus .30 per transaction

10,000 to 99,999.99 2.2% plus .30 per transaction

If you’ve been putting off getting up a store front because you thought it was too difficult or technically complicated, Google really has simplified the process. With “store gadgets” even a child can sell online.

For more information see these resources:

Google Checkout Blog

Google Docs blog

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Merle’s Mission Blog – a passion for net marketing, affiliate marketing, social networking. An avid Blogger and writer with several niche sites to her credit. Find out more at http://merlesworld.blogspot.com

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