Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- Twitter Offers Free Analytics For All Users
The information is basic, and is the same information that business users have had for some time. But for smaller businesses and marketers, having this information at a glance is helpful without having to resort to a third party tool.
- Jeffrey Hayzlett: Here’s How to Be an Agent for Change #SESTO
Best-selling author and marketer Jeffrey Hayzlett says Businesses need clock changers. People who are change agents. People who don’t mind making mistakes in order to offer solutions, instead of just complaining about problems.
- SEO Into 2014: The Irreversible Changes in Google’s Products
Google is straying from being solely a place to search – and evolving into an area you can explore. How do SEO professionals understand and dominate this new side of discovery to drive traffic, engagement, branding and customer loyalty?
- Google Makes It Even Harder to Estimate Missing iOS 6 Organic Search Data
Applying PPC data has been key in accurately estimating the impact of missing iOS 6 organic traffic data. Unfortunately, Google now is returning trackable referral information for PPC only, skewing the ability to accurately apply this information.
- Financial Services PPC Ad Copy Breakdown [Study]
A new Bing Ads analysis provides insights into sub-verticals like banking, auto insurance, credit cards and health insurance. Here are a few key takeaways for how to create engaging ad titles and descriptions that boost your click-through rate.
- Google Buys Navigation App Waze for $1 Billion
Google has reached an agreement to acquire navigation app maker Waze in a deal believed to be valued upwards of $1 billion, beating out rivals Facebook and Apple, which were also rumored to be mulling a bid for the startup.
- Google Targets Spammy Queries, Bad Mobile Sites With New Ranking Updates
Google’s Distinguished Engineer Matt Cutts has announced that a new ranking update, one that targets spammy queries is now live. Separately, Google is warning that if you have a bad mobile website, your search rankings will soon be hurting.
- Google AdWords Keyword Match Types and Negatives: The Ultimate Guide
Mastering keyword match types is critical to PPC advertising success. There are several different match types: broad match, broad match modifier, phrase match, exact match, and negative match. Here’s how each can work for or against you.
- Why Social Media Listening is Important for Brands
Listen up! The key to social media success for brands is … listening. Are you missing out on opportunities to increase revenue and sales? Here are some real cases that illustrate why you should be listening to your audience on social media.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- AdWords Image Extensions Bring Images to Google Search Ads
AdWords is expanding their reach with the search results ads by now allowing advertisers to use image extensions with their ads so that images may show up along with the AdWords ads. It’s beta, and is officially called the image extensions beta.
- How People Search For Movies on Google Predicts Box Office Revenues [Study]
A new study, “Quantifying Movie Magic with Google Search”, analyzed 99 films released in 2012 and has some surprising endings for movie marketers. Google has found a way to quantify movie search intent, but also predict box office performance.
- Pinterest Launches Search Feature by Keyword for Your Pins
Pinterest has introduced a ton of new functionality this year, beginning with its new look in March. Now Pinterest has a new search feature allowing users to find their own pins by keyword. Discover how it works and what could be better about it.
- Link Removal Request Tips for Webmasters & Business Owners
Are you the owner of a good quality site who has been asked to remove links? If so, you’re probably wondering why a site like yours would get such a request. Here’s why webmasters and business owners send link removal emails, and how to respond.
- 5 Ways Social Media Supports All Critical Areas of Any Company
Social media marketing affects and supports all critical areas of the organization – from sales and marketing to HR and client services. Here’s how you can show decision-makers that social is a key investment for the growth of their organization.
- Every SEO Silver Bullet Will Fail
No matter how nimble your organization may be, Penguin 2.0 is a perfect chance to re-evaluate your tactics. More organic and integrated strategies are slowly becoming the most effective, reliable ways to increase a brand’s long-term popularity.
- Retail Paid Search Competition Heats Up with New Entrants
Advertisers that focus their PPC efforts can gain in the rankings relative to other competitors, as was demonstrated in 2012 by new, smaller and lesser-known retail brands, as well as by many larger household name brands.
- Yahoo Search Results Get a Google-Inspired Redesign
Taking some inspiration from Google, Yahoo’s search results have gotten a makeover. Yahoo unveiled its brand new look today – one that includes a Google-like navigation bar, and search results that appear higher on the page and seem to load faster.
- How to Check the Status of Google Penguin Link Removals Using Screaming Frog or Deep Crawl
For websites hit by Penguin, some webmasters need to analyze thousands of links (or more). This step-by-step tutorial walks you through the process of using Screaming Frog and Deep Crawl to check a list of unnatural links to be removed.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- Disavowing Links? Google Says Use a Machete, Not a Scalpel
Rather than trying to take pick out individual bad links, Google says webmasters should disavow links from an entire domain. While the machete approach may seem extreme, the opposite approach means a longer time frame to clean up your link profile.
- Google Analytics Streamlines Goals
The Google Analytics team announced a new, more streamlined way to measure your goals. From the visual layout of the interface, to setting up new goals and all the way through to reporting, working with your analytics goals has changed.
- Backlink Monitoring: Keeping Track of Your Existing Links
Monitoring which links are removed and which links are altered over time allows you to take action before Google does. Here’s how to effectively keep track of your existing links. Also: the pros and cons of couple backlink monitoring tools.
- Protecting Your Online Brand – Don’t Forget Your Nicknames
One big risk for businesses is the “hijacking” of their brand name in online searches. And domain name squatting isn’t going away as long as there is money to be made. Here are some strategies to protect your online nicknames and brand.
- Creating an Ad Optimization Roadmap
This optimization cycle offers a suggested timeline and recommended actions to take to ensure that the best possible ad is running on your behalf at any given point in time, and should be followed as religiously as regular reporting activities.
- Global Online Payment Methods
Want to increase your conversions exponentially? Learn more about the payment methods of the countries you target. It signals trust and authority to your targeted local audience as well as providing all the options available to get you paid.
- Bing Launches Sitemap Plugin, Ads Traffic Quality Center, News Carousels
Bing has been busy in recent days. The search engine has announced that the Bing Sitemap Plugin is out of beta. Bing Ads advertisers have a new resource with the launch of the Traffic Quality Center. And Bing News has rolled out news carousels.
- Use Google Search to Find Your Photos
Google+ users have received an update with how Google Search interacts with their photos, and the photos of friends, while signed into Google+. To see what images you have uploaded, simply search for [my photos] on Google.com.
- Blekko’s New Search Results Aim to Take the Guesswork Out of Intent
Blekko says the new search results empower users to get to the best content for any given query, rather than scanning through a list of blue links. The new results aim to give users choices, whether they are researching a topic or a product to buy.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- Google Penguin 2.0 Spam Report Form Now Available
It’s been less than 24 hours since Google Penguin 2.0 went live, but there are already several reports of big changes. There are also many reports that, despite Penguin, Google is still ranking spam sites. You can now report this directly to Google.
- Video Ad Views Reach Another All-Time High: 13.2 Billion in April
The comScore Video Metrix service has just released data that shows 181.9 million Americans watched 38.8 billion online content videos in April 2013, while the number of video ad views reached an all-time high of 13.2 billion.
- Google Doodle Salutes North West Mounted Police on 140 Years
While Google in the U.S. is celebrating today with one of its Doodle 4 Google competition winners, Canadian Google users are instead seeing a Google Doodle celebrating the 140th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
- The Myth of Content Marketing, the New SEO & Penguin 2.0
Content marketing isn’t the “new SEO” – or even new. Have you been drinking the Kool-Aid and not spending enough time on your search optimization? Here are 12 things you should check with the arrival of Google Penguin 2.0 and more changes coming.
- Using Multipliers Effectively in AdWords
The ability to start with a keyword bid and layer on increases or decreases in aggressiveness based on conversion rate of different user groups is a fantastic development for AdWords advertisers. Make sure your bidding strategies can cope.
- Google Penguin 2013: How to Evolve Link Building into Real SEO
SEO used to be about tuning a website for optimal consumption by spiders. Today’s SEO is about earning recognition, social spread, and backlinks. Here are practical activities that need to be done every month to achieve real SEO results.
- How Will Enhanced Campaigns Affect AdWords’ Conversion Optimizer?
The deadline to switch to enhanced campaigns is fast approaching. How will campaigns that utilize Conversion Optimizer be affected? Will this powerful tool continue to function when you combine device targeting and start applying bid multipliers?
- Doodle 4 Google 2013 Winner’s Best Day: When Her Dad Came Home From War
Today’s Google Doodle was created by a 12th grade Wisconsin student in honor of her best day: the day she was reunited with her father who returned home after 18 months of service in Iraq. It is the winner of this year’s Doodle 4 Google competition.
- Google Penguin 2.0 Update is Live
The much anticipated next generation of Google Penguin went live this evening. Google’s Matt Cutts announced the algorithmic update will affect 2.3 percent of English U.S. queries and significantly larger impact on spam than the original Penguin.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- What You Need to Know About Marketing Automation
For any successful organization that relies on the Internet for leads and sales, marketing automation stands to increase efficiencies and revenues. Here’s a look at marketing automation: the primary elements, core benefits, and opportunities.
- 16 Secret Google Analytics Advanced Segments Worth Their Weight in Gold
We’ve tapped into some of the web’s finest web analytics professionals to share their tips for mining analytics gold. Here are 16 secret – until now – Google Analytics advanced segments that could make you insights rich, too.
- GeoFlow: An Eye-Popping Excel Feature to Showcase Big Data
GeoFlow helps you automatically map clicks, conversions, revenue and more within minutes; create amazing visualizations like heatmaps and 3D column charts; and has play button functionality to show trends over time. Here’s a step-by-step guide.
- What is Mobile App Attribution & Why is it Important?
Mobile app attribution is vital for measuring the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. While there isn’t a standard method of tracking iOS apps, two methodologies are most used: unique identifier matching and device fingerprinting.
- CEO Larry Page Takes the Stage in Surprise Google I/O Appearance
Page took the stage giving what almost could be described as an elevator pitch or Google infomercial followed by over a half hour of live question and answer with the audience. He spoke on technology, Google Now, opportunity, negativity, and more.
- Google Launches Paid Music Streaming Service
Google Play Music All Access allows users to browse tunes by genre, with options also available to look through popular and local tracks. It also boasts a feature similar to Apple’s Genius tool, designed to help users find new music.
- Google: Mobile Search Helps 82% of In-Store Shoppers Make Purchase Decisions [Study]
Mobile isn’t just for finding local merchants to start the shopping experience. Google data shows mobile is a companion while consumers are in stores looking to buy. 84% of smartphone shoppers use their devices to help shop while in the store.
- Google Takes Manual Action Against Thousands of Link Sellers
Google is continuing to take action on link networks that violate its guidelines as well. Google’s Distinguished Engineer Matt Cutts reported that Google has taken action against “several thousand” link sellers for passing PageRank.
- Germany Orders Google to Restrict Autocomplete Results
In a ruling this week, a German federal court said Google must restrict information in autocomplete when it violates personal rights. The suit, filed by an unnamed man, claimed defamatory autocomplete suggestions on Google.de linked him to fraud.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- AdWords Ad Group Mobile Bid Adjustments Are Here
Ad group level mobile adjustments are now available in many Google AdWords enhanced campaign accounts, with more accounts being added. Another change is that you can now set bulk bid adjustments for locations, dayparts and devices.
- 5 Ways You May Be Stuck In the "Good Ol’ Days" of SEO
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of those almost ancient SEO techniques, see what the current day equivalent might be, and see how Google has learned to adapt – and as we do, ask yourself the question, have we?
- Which Social Network is Best for B2B Marketing?
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube all need to be in the toolbox of any serious B2B online marketer, but investing wholly in one of these social network will greatly help any B2B marketer increase his or her bottom line.
- 3 Keys to Activating an Audience with Smarter Content
Effective content marketing should leverage tools and technologies that track and make actionable data relating to your audience (target vs. actual), content (forms and stories), and points of distribution (devices, sites, context).
- Understanding the Multi-Channel Shopper
Gathering data across devices, channels, and sessions is imperative to predicting the most relevant content to present to mobile shoppers. Here are five distinct profiles of multi-channel shoppers and methods to convert them to customers.
- Google Defeated in Russian YouTube Censorship Case
A video flagged as illegal on YouTube by Russian governing bodies and taken down by Google was appealed in court, citing the censorship was unjust. Google was defeated. A Moscow court has ruled that the video will remain censored under the law.
- Can This Data Analysis Predict Which Google Products Will Close Next?
Data analyzed by Gwern.net predicts the Google products that are safe for now – including Google search, AdWords, and News. Google Glass is only is given a 50-50 chance of survival. And find out which products are most likely to shut down.
- Yahoo Wants Out of Microsoft Search Deal
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has been trying to pull out of the agreement for almost a year. Mayer has already met with her previous employer Google and agreed to enter an alternative search partnership if the Microsoft agreement can be concluded.
- YouTube’s Expanded Home Page Feed Offers Brands More Visibility
YouTube hopes new personalized feeds will encourage a new way to use the homepage and, therefore, more time spent watching videos. It means more visibility for brands and a new opportunity for continued engagement with your most engaged audience.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- How to Build Links Like an Engineer
Developing a program that involves multiple channels can be complicated. When approaching your ultimate outcome of generating links, taking an engineer’s approach can help you create a link building campaign that will yield optimal results.
- 7 Essential Skills for Managing PLA Campaigns
When thinking about how to manage PLA programs, retailers often have a tricky personnel decision to make. Should you hire someone with deep SEO know-how or an expert at managing SEM campaigns? Actually, you need both skill sets. Here’s why.
- Offering Journalists Products for Review: Proceed at Your Own Risk
Most journalists operate under a strict code of ethics that forbid them to participate in product reviews. As such, if you are a search marketer turning to reviews for mass media coverage, you may be looking in the wrong place.
- Facebook Marketplace vs. Exchange Ads: 3 Important Differences
Facebook ads aren’t all the same. Marketplace ads (Like Ads, Sponsored Stories, etc.) and Facebook Exchange ads (FBX) offer a different approach to buying, data, and intent. These are the three most important differences you need to understand.
- Twitter Ads Self-Serve Platform Opens to All U.S. Users
Twitter’s self-serve ad platform is now available to all U.S. users, rather than just on an invitation-only basis. The social media platform has also added enhancements designed to help advertisers better analyze and manage their ad campaigns.
- 46% of Searchers Now Use Mobile Exclusively to Research [Study]
New research also shows that one out of every three respondents use a mobile device throughout the entire purchase process. Sixty percent of smartphone users across the categories examined completed purchases related to their mobile activity.
- Patch.com, Huffington Post Dominate Google News Results [Study]
A Searchmetrics analysis of news sources in Google’s search results over several hundred thousand keywords in March 2013 shows that Patch.com had the most visibility, followed by Huffington Post, Disney’s Go.com, NYTimes.com and WashingtonPost.com.
- Awesome Frickin’ Content
Creating great content is integral to attracting more and better traffic. Awesome content isn’t ordinary and doesn’t fade into the background. It stands out from the crowd, and is worthy of discussing, writing about, talking about, and publishing.
- 4 Frustrations for In-House SEOs
Working as an in-house SEO can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be a very frustrating one. Here are four particularly frustrating scenarios that frequently leave in-house SEOs with a copy of their palm in red on their own forehead.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- Google Doodle Spotlights Ella Fitzgerald
The “Queen of Jazz” is on the spotlight today on Google’s homepage. A colorful Google Doodle pays tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, who was born on this date 96 years ago. The American jazz vocalist won 13 Grammy awards and sold 40 million albums.
- Rise of the New School SEO Professional
There’s a gold rush under way as brands allocate big budgets to build and optimize their presence in emerging search and discovery channels. How can SEOs stake their claim in this new mobile, local, social, and content marketing territory?
- 10 Vital Steps to Building Social Influence
Most seek to build influence; measure influence; and yes, some will even attempt to sell influence. Yet, few will achieve action-inspiring influence without planning and effort. Here are 10 lessons in how to influence and inspire others to action.
- International Expansion: Break Down Barriers With Google+ Hangouts
Expanding internationally is extremely challenging.you have to deal with different time zones, languages, and cultures. Google+ Hangouts can help break down the barriers separating you from your clients, customers, or your own staff.
- Video, Journalists & PR: 3 Keys to Local Small Business Marketing #Pubcon
Competing with the big names can be challenging for any SMB. Video can be one of the easiest ways to market your business to local, repeat customers. Also, make the media your friend. And why you should consider releasing press releases on weekends.
- Using HARO to Create Fresh, Compelling Content
Being a reporter on HelpAReporter.com can be a source of great well-crafted stories, quotes from company CEOs, and opinions from recognized experts that are right on topic. Here are some best practices to get the most from a fabulous content source.
- Yahoo Bing Network: New Details on Searchers Not Using Google
ComScore data shows that some 47 million U.S. searchers can be found exclusively on the Yahoo Bing Network, not on Google. Additionally, these searchers unique to the Yahoo Bing Network spend 30 percent more than the average Google searcher.
- Guy Kawasaki Talks Content Marketing, Social & Google+
With so many sources of original content, it’s getting increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. You have to create, curate, and share content, but you must also position yourself as an expert and genuinely interact with your communities.
- Location & Lifestyle Key Drivers for the Mobile Path to Purchase in UK, U.S.
Marketers must tailor their mobile ad strategies to reflect each country’s distinct mobile user populations. This includes considering varying search patterns, timing, and device usage – many of which are impacted by lifestyle differences.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- Google Site Speed Study Says the Web is Getting Faster
The average size of web pages has increased by 56 percent. Desktop page load times have decreased slightly. However, mobile page load speeds have decreased by 30 percent. Nearly every county is trending toward faster page load times on mobile.
- Twitter Launches Keyword Targeting in Timelines
Twitter’s keyword targeting in timelines means advertisers will be able to specify the keywords they wish to initiate a promoted tweet, as well as specifying the geographic location, gender, and client being used, to reach their audience.
- SERP Conditioning: How Google Maps & the Knowledge Graph are Stealing Organic Traffic
Users are being conditioned to check (and click) the area of Google’s SERP design that prominently displays information pulled via Knowledge Graph, Maps, and (conveniently for revenue) product listing ads, depending on the intent of a search query.
- SEO Tactics for App Stores, Mobile App Website Pages & Local Markets
Once an app is ready for download, the biggest challenge is getting users to find it, or even discover its existence. These traditional SEO tactics will help you when optimizing for app stores, mobile app pages on websites, and localization.
- Search Ad Revenues Hit Record $16.9 Billion in 2012 [Report]
Search ad revenues once again broke records in 2012. Search remained the revenue leader at $16.9 billion, accounting for 46 percent of all Internet advertising revenue, although this figure doesn’t even include mobile search ads in the IAB’s report.
- The Critically Important Role of Bing Ads in Search Marketing
In trying to be more like AdWords, Bing Ads has mostly reached parity with AdWords. Importing campaigns into Bing Ads can now be done in a matter of minutes, not days. And search campaigns running on the Yahoo Bing Network often yield better ROAS.
- Google Glass eBay Auction Hits $90,000 Before Being Removed
The augmented reality eyewear yesterday turned up on auction website eBay. The listing reached $90,100.00 after receiving 28 bids, but was canceled due to Google’s terms and conditions, which state that Google Glass can’t be resold once obtained.
- Google Shopping: Product Listing Ad & Feed Optimization Tips & Best Practices [Videos]
Need help getting started with Google Shopping? This series of six videos explains Google Shopping data feed best practices, reasons why you might not want to list on Google Shopping, and how to troubleshoot issues with your PLAs, and more.
- Google Fined $3,100 For Slanderous Search Suggestion in Japan
A Japanese court has fined Google $3,100 for an autocomplete suggestion that linked an innocent man to criminal acts. Google has been asked to change its autocomplete feature, but Google isn’t based in Japan, so the court can’t enforce a change.
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Today’s SearchEngineWatch.Com Links
- 9 Content Marketing Lessons From Tourism Australia
In this climate of economic uncertainty and risk-averse marketing, how did Tourism Australia manage to pull huge wins from their sun hats? The answer lies in their carefully constructed social media plan of attack and consistent execution.
- International SEO Core Considerations
When expanding into a new market, it’s critical to pick the right strategies to maximize your odds of success in the shortest period of time. Here are some core factors that have a significant impact on a site’s ability to rank internationally.
- Social Search Concerns for National Multi-Location Brands
Developing a successful localized social media strategy can seem overwhelming, but by implementing these tips and seeking out a social CRM tool from a trusted partner that fits a brand’s needs, the process can be vastly simplified.
- The Content Marketing Elephant & the Enterprise
When creating content at the enterprise-level, fostering collaboration among copywriters, creative, user experience, web dev, and marketing teams early in the content creation process is the key for building content marketing success stories.
- Google Fights Human Trafficking Using Big Data
Google has donated $3 million to three anti-trafficking advocacy groups. The project will bring together a variety of human trafficking hotlines to create a consolidated base of data to identify trafficking hotspots around the world.
- Keyword Planner, Flexible Bid Strategies Coming to AdWords Ahead of Enhanced Campaigns
Paul Feng from Google AdWords made a few key announcements during Hero Conf this week in Austin, Texas. In addition to Google’s news, leaders in pay-per-click marketing shared top tips on topics from retargeting, to product ads, to PPC abroad.
- Scroogled Rises: Microsoft Back on Attack as Google Faces New Antitrust Complaint
Microsoft is on the attack again, this time slamming Google Play for the information it shares when users buy apps. The attack ads coincide with another European antitrust complaint orchestrated by Microsoft relating to Google’s Android software.
- Racing Penguin: How to Attack Unnatural Links Before Penguin Hits [Case Study]
Most Penguin work is reactive, where companies work to recover from a massive drop in Google traffic. This case study explains how one business owner uncovered a serious unnatural links situation, and had to race Penguin to the update line.
- Putting a Spring in Your Marketing Step
Your brand is as organic as the seasons. With proper care and attention, it will bloom and grow to be larger and stronger than ever. But it may not do so well left to its own devices without proper care and maintenance. Don’t let that happen.
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