With more users clicking that little “+1″ icon to signal their approval for a website or post, Google is reportedly exploring the idea of using +1s to influence search rank. The idea has appeal: +1s add an element of crowdsourcing to search results that can make them more accurate and give Google a competitive weapon against Bing, which accesses Facebook “likes” as part of its rankings. READ MORE
While many of us have been focused on Google+ and its challenge to Facebook, little attention has been given to what this means in terms of SEO, says PowerReviews SVP of sales and marketing, Cathy Halligan. She notes that Google+ isn’t just a challenge to Facebook in the social networking space, but is a reflection of how Google views—and uses—user-generated content (UGC). READ MORE
In his witty blog titled “Information Highwayman,” D Bnonn Tennant gives interesting advice on choosing a Web designer and it’s not what you’d think. Instead of contemplating your budget and analyzing a designer’s skillset, he says you should pay close attention to the words he uses on his Web site. READ MORE
As consumers move more of their lives and activities to the mobile space, advertisers and marketers are seeing huge growth numbers. Riding the wave is Nexage, a mobile ad firm and real-time bidding exchange that has had a 50 percent growth in ad impressions over a three-month period. READ MORE
Six weeks after serving Google with broad subpoenas, Federal Trade Commission lawyers and several state attorneys general are focusing their investigation of Google, reports The Wall Street Journal. For one thing, they have been asking whether Google prevents smartphone manufacturers that use its Android operating system from using competitors’ services. READ MORE
Back in Web 1.0, content was king. With Web 2.0, traffic drivers run the road. According to a study released by Outbrain, news aggregator Drudge Report is one of the largest traffic drivers to online content, responsible for roughly 6.85 percent of traffic. READ MORE
In case you’re not convinced that social networking is something to bring to your business, consider these stats. Since launching about three weeks ago, 18 million people are already using Google+ and it’s mobile version is now the top free app downloaded from the Apple App Store. An average of 10,000 new Web sites integrate with Facebook every day. More than 2,200 new Tweets are generated on Twitter every second. And LinkedIn boasts about 100 million users. READ MORE
Is owning the right domain name is as important as it was when the world was driven by dot-coms and browsers rather than iPhones and Android devices? It’s a good question, and one asked by FastCompany’s Austin Carr. “If you launch an app today–say, Foursquare, for example–is it necessary to purchase Foursquare.com if the primary use of the service is through the mobile app, which does not require a web address?” he wonders. READ MORE
Google is now dangling an interesting carrot in front of select U.S. AdWords users: a new low-interest credit card with no annual fee. The only catch is you can’t use it to buy office supplies or airline tickets but only Google advertising. According to Alexei Oreskovic reporting for Reuters, the AdWords Business credit card is Google’s first inroad into vendor financing. READ MORE
Contests should be part of every social media marketer’s toolkit, writes Ben Pickering for Mashable who gives four reasons to back up that opinion. READ MORE
