Google: Government Surveillance Increasing

You can read Google's official blog post summarizing the report, or go directly to the user data requests section of the full transparency report. You might also be interested in the government removal requests section of the report. Just how bad has it gotten? Requests for data from governments have shown a steady increase, from 12,539 when Google began reporting them in 2010 to 20,938 in this week's report. The number of requests doesn't quite tell the full story, though, since one request can ask for multiple pieces of information. Those 20,938 requests were for information from about ...
Source : internetwebsitedesign[dot]biz

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The SEO Professional’s Winning Edge

Do a Google search for SEO Firm. SEO Professional. Local SEO Firm. SEO service. Look at those search results. Crazy competition out there. The good news: there are about a zillion businesses that need SEO and there’s plenty of work to go around BUT you do need to rise above your competitors to close the [...]

The post The SEO Professional’s Winning Edge appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

Source : internetwebsitedesign[dot]biz

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Google Fiber Goes Live in Kansas City

We have tracked the Google Fiber story since the times that Google was accepting applications to the choice made for Kansas City, KS to be the first city to get Google Fiber to the addition of Kansas City, KS to the troubles of installation to now the final delivery.

Let’s just say it has been interesting to watch and it will likely make many jealous when they hear that the users of Google Fiber are getting an average of 600-700 mbps out of the gate which drops off to a mere 200 mbps through wireless. I want some, how about you?

The whole thing has created some interesting circumstances like the story from Ars Technica about someone who is investing in start-ups in the new Google Fiber Zone.

After months of fanfare and anticipation, gigabit home Internet service Google Fiber finally went live on Tuesday in Kansas City. The search giant is offering 1 Gbps speeds for just $70 per month—significantly faster and cheaper than what any traditional American ISPs are offering.

“We just got it today and I’ve been stuck in front of my laptop for the last few hours,” Mike Demarais, founder of Threedee, told Ars. “It’s unbelievable. I’m probably not going to leave the house.”

Demarais is simply getting the benefit of the fiber by living in a house that was purchased to help entrepreneurs in the Kansas City area.

The Homes For Hackers, founded by local Web developer Ben Barreth, had originally been conceived as a matchmaking scheme between entrepreneurs who wanted a free place to live and work, and local families who would open their homes to them.

But once Google announced its fiber rollout schedule, Barreth realized the families that had signed up were not going to get crazy speeds until Summer 2013. So he took matters into his own hands and, with his wife’s blessing, he liquidated his Roth IRA to put 20 percent down on a house they eventually bought for $48,000 in September 2012.

Pretty interesting what an investment by the likes of Google in an area can do. Most agree that while the fiber is not necessarily enough to help grow the start-up community in Kansas City it certainly can’t hurt.

Would you like Google Fiber in your town?

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Source : internetwebsitedesign[dot]biz

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I Was Hit by Google’s Panda Algorithm … Twice

You may have noticed that I haven’t published anything here during the past week. There are two reasons for that:

1. extreme busy-ness, and
2. testing my Google search traffic level

More specifically, I was testing to see if my Google traffic would continue to rise without any new posts. My logic: If it did, then I’d be more comfortable in thinking that I’m recovering from being hit by the Panda updates this year.

Actually, I think I was was hit twice. Have a look…

Google Panda Updates in Google Analytics

Here’s the graph showing Visits from Google / Organic search since early 2012. I’ve marked two noticeable drops in Google traffic.

(click for larger version)

You can see at the bottom that I make annotations for Google updates (recommend you do the same). There’s a drop-off in late February/early March, which is right after Panda Update 11. Google traffic steadied and was stable until a second noticeable drop in early June, right after Panda Update 15.

The numbers? Google traffic was down 14 percent in April (compared to March), and then down 21 percent in June (compared to May). Ouch.

Why Was This Blog Hit (Twice) by Panda?

I have no idea.

Panda is more content-related than link-related (and I don’t do any link building, anyway), so I’m not worried about anything link-related.

Content? You can browse through the article archives from February and May and let me know if you see anything unusual. They were pretty standard months in my mind. I don’t hit a home run with everything I publish … then again, I’m not trying to.

So, like I said, I have no idea why two Panda updates would impact this blog.

What I Did to Recover

Nothing.

I just kept blogging like I’ve been doing all year. And waited patiently to see what would happen. Luckily, things are starting to get better now.

As you can see below, my Google search traffic for October was up more than 21 percent and is almost back to where it was in June. I still have a ways to go to get back to the March levels.

(click for larger version)

Moral of the Story?

I’d like to think that my blog content didn’t deserve either Panda slap, so maybe the moral of the story is…

1.) Here’s some proof that Google’s algorithm changes aren’t perfect and sometimes have negative impacts on sites that don’t deserve to be hit negatively.

2.) Panicking or rushing to solve a problem that doesn’t exist isn’t necessarily the best idea.

Sometimes you have to trust that you’re doing things the right way and that Google screwed up, not you. And yes, I recognize it’s way easier for me to have an attitude like that than it is for a small business owner that depends heavily on Google traffic. Which leads me to the real moral of the story…

Don’t count on getting free traffic from Google for eternity.

Google can change things at any time and hurt any business, whether it’s deserved or not. Remember this old post?

You Can Diversify, or You Can Die

Still applies today. Always will.

This is a post from Matt McGee's blog, Small Business Search Marketing.

I Was Hit by Google’s Panda Algorithm … Twice

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Google simplifies but retains dead space

It is a commonly held view that the minimalist approach to design is what lifted Google, in the early days of the web, above the arguably better search results of engines such as Alta Vista.

The famous white page with the centered search box is iconic, but the subsequent pages, where Google delivers results have always been more problematic.

Of course, results pages retain the minimal Google corporate style, but the additional furniture; the log-in buttons; the search options; and most certainly the style variations required to distinguish paid links from natural search results, encroach on the minimalist aesthetic in a way that has never been entirely satisfactory.

Old-style Google search results

The biggest issue is the huge waste of screen real estate. Google’s search results are presented in a strict 1…2…3… listed hierarchy. For Google, position 1 is greater than position 2, 2 is greater than three and so on — although there is a school of thought that argues that many users skip the first result through an inherent distrust, and that consequently 2nd and 3rd spots are actually the most covetable.

This hierarchical approach means that Google employs a single column layout for its results. That works well for the mobile web, but for desktop users there is a huge wasteland of white space on the right-hand side of the screen and massive amounts of content below the fold.

This week Google introduced a subtle redesign to try and address some of these issues. Their aim, was to create consistency across devices; something most responsive design abandons with glee.

The vertical menu on the left has become a horizontal menu above the results. Superfluous data, such as location, has been removed. The search tools are still there, but you need to click to expand them. Most successfully the repetition of the ‘Search’ title has been removed — who needs to be told what they’re doing, let alone twice?

New-style Google search results, circa November 2012

Overall the update is a welcome change and it’s great to see a large corporation focusing so keenly on fine detail within design.

I do wonder however, why the menu was not moved to the top right, above the knowledge graph; that would have decreased wasted space and promoted at least one result above the fold.

A two column layout for results should have been possible too. A Formula 1 grid-style staggering of the results could have maintained the hierarchy.

The new design certainly feels fresher, that, if nothing else, is a win.

The .com site already displays the update with regional sites following soon.

What do you think of Google’s update? Will these revisions produce a positive return on investment? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Featured image/thumbnail, Minimalism with a twist image via Shutterstock

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Online Marketing News: The Google Economy, Google Moving Search Options, Facebook Promoted Posts, Twitter Hack, Google Penguin Update

24 Hours in the Google Economy

This recent infographic from WordStream takes a deep dive into just how much revenue is generated on Google in 24 hours.  The infographic covers the following industries:

• Finance
• Travel
• Shopping
• Jobs & Education
• Internet & Telecom
• Computers & Electronics
• Business & Industrial
• Home & Garden
• Autos & Vehicles
• Beauty & Fitness

Confirmed: Google Moving Search Options Above Results
The time for testing has passed.  Google  has just confirmed that searchers will soon be viewing the new interface which shows Google search options above results instead of on the left of the browser window.  This article also provides a preview of how these results will display in Google.  Via Search Engine Land.

Killing Rumors With Facts:  No, Facebook Didn’t Decrease Page Feed Reach To Sell More Promoted Posts
Business users have been up in arms about Facebook’s recent change which controls the number of audience members who are exposed to Page posts.  Many have believed that this was Facebook’s attempt to force companies into purchasing more promoted posts.  According to Facebook, this is not the case.  Via TechCrunch.

Instagram Had A Big Election Night Too, Photo Uploads Climbed To 2.1x Normal Rate
Within moments of the announcement that Obama would remain president for another term, Instagram photo uploads spike to 2.1 times the normal rate.  People within the U.S. tagged more than 100,000 photos with #IVoted, and 150,000 photos with #election2012.  Read on to find out more.  Via VentureBeat.

Possible Twitter Hack Prompts Big Password Reset Call
Many users have received messages from Twitter prompting that they reset their password.  Even accounts like @TechCrunch were hacked and began sending out spammy messages to followers.  Twitter is taking strides to rectify the situation and may require that you provide one of three pieces of information such as your phone number, email address or Twitter handle.   Via Mashable.

TopRank Team News

Jolina Pettice – Candy Finds a Sweet Home with Facebook
Facebook is the social media platform of choice for many candy companies.  Who’s getting the most engagement? M&M’s with Reese’s as a close second.  Via Clickz.

Mike Odden – How to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Do you ever feel like the random YouTube thumbnail shown does not represent your video in the way that you would like?  YouTube has rolled out an option that allows user to select the image that they would like to use for their video thumbnail.  YouTube measures the CTR of your videos, so chances are if people click on your thumbnail because it is enticing, you will see a bump in ratings.  Via Social Media Examiner.

Rob Bayne – Autodesk Scores a Home Run with Gamification
By combining a trial software download and a competition against peers, Autodesk provides an engaging experience to their future customers.  After downloading a trial version of 3DS Max, the software that was used in Hugo and Transformers, users are challenged with several ‘missions’ where they learn to use the software more proficiently.  Not only do they earn badges and points, but the individual with the high score wins an Autodesk 3DS Max entertainment creation suite.  Posting some impressive statistics such as a 15% increase in buy clicks from within the software and a 54% increase in trial usage, Autodesk proves the validity and value of gamification in high end software promotions.  Via Social Media Explorer.

Evan Prokop – Google Penguin, What Lurks Beneath the Surface?
Most webmasters know that Google Penguin caused quite a stir when it rolled out, but what are the lasting effects now that the dust has settled?  In many ways, the real target was not spam, but spammers themselves and the outdated and dangerous shortcust that are too often passed off as SEO.  Via Search Engine Watch.

Alexis Hall – National Brands Find Local Affiliates Lacking in Search Mobile Marketing
According to a new report from Balihoo, national brands are spending more on local digital marketing. The  most important tactics brands are planning for the upcoming year –local blogs, online customer reviews and mobile marketing. Many brands feel their local affiliates are lacking in local search tactics, particularly mobile marketing. Via eMarketer.

Brian Larson – Are Your Web Properties Working Together?
Many SMB marketers are discovering what LEs have known for a while: it’s one thing to develop and maintain multiple domains…and a completely other thing to track and measure their cumulative effectiveness. Benjamin Vigneron of Search Engine Land shares some helpful tips and best practices for those looking to better understand how multiple web properties are contributing to common objectives.  Via Search Engine Land.

In Other TopRank News

TopRank’s Thom Craver and Miranda Miller are now hosting a weekly show on WebmasterRadio.fm called SEW Weekly.  This podcast  includes tips, tricks, news and interviews on everything from search, social and content marketing.  The show airs live on Thursdays from 1:00-1:30pm (eastern) and is available for download on iTunes.

SES Chicago is just around the corner and 5 of TopRank’s team members will be out in full force live blogging, speaking, moderating sessions, tweeting, and getting to know other attendees.  We hope you’ll join us for an exciting 3 days filled with education and how to’s from some of the industry’s top professionals.  For more information check out this post from Alexis Hall: TopRank Heads to the Windy City for SES Chicago – #SESCHI

Time to Weigh In: Were you one of the unlucky Twitter users that got hacked?  What do you think of Google’s choice to re-arrange search results?  How much of an impact do you think YouTube’s new thumbnail feature will have on your video strategy?

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© Online Marketing Blog, 2012. | Online Marketing News: The Google Economy, Google Moving Search Options, Facebook Promoted Posts, Twitter Hack, Google Penguin Update | http://www.toprankblog.com

Source : internetwebsitedesign[dot]biz

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Reach Out And Talk

Looks like the boy at Google have another idea for their Google Chrome browser. They have improved Chrome version 23 to allow us to use the W3C devised P2P communications protocols. See here for some install instructions: http://blog.bistri.com/post/35207253773/be-the-first-to-make-webrtc-video-calls  and the Bistri home page is here.

So this is a tool that lets us chat, text, video conference and/or talk to other contacts we known on our favorite social media. Sign up for me was quick as i already had both google mail and facebook accounts (though not required).

I also wanted to explore the possibilities to inter-connect with all my Skype contacts. Dunno if this will do away with my growing Skype phone bill – perhaps so – stay tuned.

The only limit for some of us older Apple iMac users is that our aging PPC processors cannot run the newer versions of Google Chrome, hence, to use Bistri, we will need a piece of kit that runs Google Chrome version 23 or later – sigh :{

Source : jnorthr[dot]wordpress[dot]com

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