Category: Google

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Google+ Announces +Post Ads

Here’s another way that Google is monetizing the Web and the newest way that Google is boosting Google+ participation.

To help advertisers create visually rich and compelling experiences online, Google today announced that it’s testing a new type of monetization for Google+ called +Post ads. The new ad unit will let brands turn Google+ content into display ads that can run across the more than two million sites in the Google Display Network.” Read more online.

This is actually pretty big news. Let me help you to understand why.

1. Different than other social networking advertising, you don’t just reach your network, you reach Google’s network! If you advertise in the Google AdWords Display network, you’ll know that this means hundreds of thousands of impressions.

2. Google is anticipating that this new format will improve click through rate and user engagement. Make sure to watch the video of how Toyota is using +Post ads.

3. The key take away is the ability to connect with a large audience, allow immediate comments to the Google+ post, and one click sharability across platforms – Pretty revolutionary stuff!

4. If you want to try +Post ads, here is the beta sign up to get early involvement. Additionally here is more information from Google about +Post ads. Although I don’t have more information as to pricing, how the program is administered or who can and will be approved, based on what Google has done before I would imagine that there will be a separate ad interface as they used for Google Local ads called AdWords Express. AdWords Express is shown in the AdWords control panel but administered outside the AdWords control panel.

+Post ads just show another innovation from Google on how they are leading the way with mobile and social interaction and how your message can be relevant using Google advertising platforms to reach and engage a greater audience.

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The Shift in the Google SERPs to Value Legitimacy

Businesswoman Crossing the Finish Line Ahead of Businessmen
Win the SEO race with a unique authoritative voice in your content.

Legitimacy is what the new Google algorithm Hummingbird is all about. Legitimacy of who you are, the authority of your voice, and the legitimate value of your blog and website content. Your legitimacy is verified by Google through co-citation (mention on other website without even links), mention and links in social media, and activity and engagement with your content in Google+ and Google.com.

That’s the new world of SEO for Google in a quick synopsis. This legitimacy of voice and authority cannot be created by scheming, spamming, or spewing content. When you really evaluate what Google is valuing and placing highly in the organic search results with the new Hummingbird algorithm, it is all about relevancy to a user’s search query and providing an answer to a long tail question or implied request. Google understands what the user wants to see based on their own unique search history and history of time, place, and engagement activity.

So how can you leverage your own business/website in this new world of Google? I say it in one word – Content. If you have quality content, that provides value to readers, answers questions, helps a reader to further understand a topic in your niche, and that content is shared by others, you will be rewarded with a higher search position as you improve your own relevancy.

The beauty of this new Google algorithm is that anyone can do it. You don’t need to buy links, hire an SEO firm to spin content or list you at directories you’ve never heard of, you just need to focus on being unique, transparent, and provide information of value.

If you need help moving your website forward with this type of focus, we may be a good match for your need. I invite you to find out more by visiting our website for more information on what we do.

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What’s Google Got in Store for 2014? Part Three

Screen shot showing location specificity and map on the right.
Screen shot showing location specificity and map on the right.

This post is the last in the series of three this week. Here are some of the things Google is testing that appear to be in store for rollout in 2014 both on mobile and desktop. Make sure to read this excellent article by by Dr. Peter Myers for the Moz Blog in an article titled “Future SERP: a Glimpse at Google 2014“. This is a must read for all website owners.

6. Utilization of personalized search and information from your Google+ activity. We’ve been seeing this for almost a year now, but take a look at the image at the top of the page to see how far Google has come on personalized search results and the final layout. With maps and links as well as references to the number of followers from your Google+ page, Google is integrating Google+ Local and your Google+ personal information; delivering content that is truly customized to your past search history and is predictive based on what you have searched for previously based on a deeper understanding of your search query. The key here is relevancy.

This focus on relevancy is the keyword for 2014 in regards to all changes Google is testing and making. By making their search results and ad results more relevant, you will continue to preferentially search on your smartphone and other devices using Google properties.

One of the key takeaways on this is now to review your own website content. Are you addressing relevancy and helping customers to understand you and what you do? Is your entire internet focus on creating authority and relevancy for the customer plus feeding Google the information to classify you and your content appropriately? Are you monitoring your website bounce rate to help Google rate your customer engagement by striving for a low bounce rate as Google will evaluate this to determine your relevancy to search queries?

If you need a consultant to assist you with a strategic plan to review and then update your online presence, I invite you to visit our website to find out how we can help you position yourself for 2014.

 

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What’s Google Got In Store for 2014? Part Two

Screen shot showing new black review bar
Screen shot showing new black review bar

Continuing our post from Monday, here are some of the things Google is testing that appear to be in store for rollout in 2014 both on mobile and desktop. Make sure to read this excellent article by by Dr. Peter Myers for the Moz Blog in an article titled “Future SERP: a Glimpse at Google 2014“. This is a must read for all website owners.

4. Boxed design with expanded information for the top search result in the organic listings. Google is actively testing these results now.  See the image above, this was taken when I did a recent search for Sushi Bar Chicago. Although I did not see the box design as noted in the article, what I did see was a new black bar across the top with reviews from Google+ Local pages and Zagut (Google’s new review property) plus a large map on the right with points detailed in the search results. The black bar is an eye grabber. This is just another of the new layouts Google is testing that is not even mentioned in the article.

5. Google Now Cards. If you use search on your smartphone, you’ve already seen the Google cards. This is a button/boxed shaped section with personalized information that appears when you open Google mobile to do a search. You can customize these cards and Google also delivers location specific information in these spots based on your actual location. If you are using an Android phone, you’ve also seen that even if you turn WiFi off, Google is turning it back on to know your location at all times to deliver location related content.

Check back on Friday to see the last in this series of what to expect on Google in 2014.