Monday 24 March 2014

What Do Users Really Think Of The New Google Design?

When Google started testing the new look for its search results pages which ditches the shading behind the ads and replaces it with yellow “ad” icons, contradictory outcries of this sort began popping up,
“Ad click-through rates are going to plummet because the ads are too obvious with those bright icons.”
“The ads look like organic listings without the yellow background shading. Nobody will notice those tiny icons.”
Google made the transition to the new look official last week. The other changes that came with the update are the removal of underlines, larger title fonts (and shorter titles) and evenly spaced line height.
Google New v Old Design
Source: Usertesting.com
The team at Usertesting.com set up a usability study to find out whether users respond differently to the new design, which Google says was aimed at improving legibility and freshening up the page with a cleaner look
The sample size is small at just 50 participants, but the results are still interesting.
First, users were shown each design version separately and rated how easy or difficult it was to tell the paid links from the unpaid links. The scores were tied, yes absolutely tied. The icon-minus-shading made zero difference to the users that were polled.
Old Google Score: B (87.2 percent ), Avg. Score: 4.36 (out of 5)
New Google Score: B (87.2 percent), Avg. Score: 4.36 (out of 5)
The scores were also tied when users were asked to look at the two versions individually and rate how easy or hard it was to read the links.
It was actually the change in line spacing that generated a higher approval rating for the new version. The old version received a score of 87.6 percent while the new version managed a 90.8 percent.
When users were shown the two versions side-by-side, however, and asked which version helped them determine which links were paid and which were unpaid, the new version won out. Just over half of respondents (26) said the new version was more effective, while only 12 found the old format more effective. The other 12 had no preference.
Overall, the new version was preferred by 33 of the participants, who called it “clean”, “fresh” and “uncluttered”. So, from a users’ perspective, it would seem Google set out what it aimed to accomplish. However, advertisers and SEOs will continue to examine the business impact these changes make for quite some time.

Friday 14 March 2014

Rumours and expectations about Apple iPhone 6


Apple usually every year launches a new smartphone and this time many expects its upcoming device will be named as iPhone 6. The web world is already quite abuzz with news of the purported Apple iPhone 6.

We have here summarised all these rumours that you should know about the upcoming iPhone model.

First of all, Apple till 2010 used to launch its handsets in the June (iPhone 1st Gen in June 2007 while iPhone 3G in June 2008) or July ( iPhone 3GS in July 2009, and iPhone 4 July 2010). However, since 2011, it shifted the cycle to September-October - iPhone 4s (October 2011), iPhone 5 (September 2012), iPhone 5s (September 2013). So going by this product cycle of Apple, we can assume that the iPhone 6 may be announced this September. Since Apple iPhone 5s launched in India October last year, soon after its global launch in the previous month, we expect iPhone 6 to hit Indian shores immediately after its global launch as well.


    

Though the launch time is quite expected, it is the screen size of iPhone 6 that is keeping all on their toes. Apple has till now stuck to the 4 inch size in its iPhone models even when all other handset makers have moved to 5+ inch screen segment especially when it comes to flagship devices. Many analysts expect the iPhone 6 to come with a bigger screen - 4.5 to 6 inch.

Apple has taken utmost care about the resolution of its devices. In iPhone 5s, the 4 inch screen has 1136 x 640 Pixels resolution, which translates to 326 ppi pixel density. So if iPhone 6 at all comes with a 6 inch touchscreen, it might have full HD resolution and in case of a 4.5 or 5 inch screen, Apple might arm it with HD resolution.


Meanwhile, a website called Digitaltrends.com, claimed that there is a possibility of Apple using a sapphire screen on the new iPhone mode that would make its screen "nearly indestructible". The website also cited rumours of Apple and the sapphire screen company, GT Advanced having a $578m contract, with Apple looking to build its on facility in Arizona to make the screens. With LG and Samsung announcing their curved display bearing phones, few also are hoping for a flexible display in the iPhone 6.

According to reports, the iPhone 6 will come in three storage versions - 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. Many also expects Apple to break its tradition this time by arming its new flagship with an expandable storage slot; one report said that upto 128 GB internal or expandable storage is expect from iPhone 6.

The California (USA) based company always introduces a new version of its iOS operating system with its flaghship device every year. Last year, it showcased the iOS 7 and analysts expecting it to announce the so called iOS 8 version.


Last year, Apple put off many technology enthusiast by not arming its iPhone 5s with NFC but this time analysts are quite hopeful of the nifty file sharing tech in the new model.

Meanwhile, Sam Beckett - a noted designer - has come out with a concept model (see the image) of iPhone 6 which he is referring to as iPhone Air (on the lines of recently released iPad Air). As per his concept, iPhone Air will sport a 4.7-inch screen supporting a resolution of 1920x1080p. It is 7mm thin, about 0.6 mm thinner than its predecessor. Other features include the use of sapphire crystal as opposed to Corning Gorilla Glass, as well as a 10-megapixel camera and a faster A8 chip.




Thursday 13 March 2014

Google Confirms Giant Banner Ad Test Is Dead

sports authority google brand banner adBack in October, Google started experimenting with large banner ads at the top of branded search results on Google.com. If you haven’t noticed them lately, there’s a reason. In his SMX West keynote discussion with Danny Sullivan yesterday, Google’s Amit Singhal said the test failed and is over.
Presumably the click-through rates (CTR) on the graphic banner ads weren’t high enough to justify keeping around. Though CTR seems like an odd performance metric to place on a banner that functions more as a graphic introduction to the organic listings and has no call-to-action.
The test only ran in the U.S. and was small with about 30 advertisers participating and banners showing on about 5 percent of search queries.
We will post the video clip of Singhal’s discussion of the test when it’s available. If you’re interested in taking a stroll down memory lane, Marketing Land captured many of these banner ads during the test in the Slideshare below.

Google Reviewing “Not Provided,” Withholding Keywords From Organic But Not Paid Search Clicks

not-provided-featured
When Google moved to secure search in October 2011, it was a blow to publishers, who began losing data about the search terms used to reach their sites. It also opened Google up to claims of hypocrisy, in that advertisers continued to receive the terms. Now, Google says it’s reexamining the issue and seeking a better solution.
Will clicks on non-paid listings go back to passing along search term data again? Will ad clicks have that withheld? Google didn’t say either way, and there could be other possibilities, as well.

Google Looking For Solution

The news came out of a keynote conversation with Google search chief Amit Singhalyesterday at our SMX West conference. I raised the issue of “not provided,” as it’s known as a short-hand term search marketers and many publishers in general.
I wasn’t really expecting much of an answer — in fact, I’ve written so much about the topic, with relatively little response from Google about the perceived inequities and hypocrisy, that I’ve felt like a broken record. I certainly got surprised. Singhal said:
Over a period of time, we [Google's search and ad sides] have been looking at this issue…. we’re also hearing from our users that they would want their searches to be secure … it’s really important to the users. We really like the way things have gone on the organic side of search.
I have nothing to announce right now, but in the coming weeks and months as [we] find the right solution, expect something to come out.
Here’s the complete segment. Note that references to “Sridhar” are about Sridhar Ramaswamy, who oversees Google’s ads.
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Paid Clicks To Lose Terms? Organic Clicks To Get Them Back?

Google’s looking for a solution? 

Pondering The Possibilities

Which way will it go? Google won’t say, and it could even be that it might go another way. Let’s look at the possibilities, then do some educated guessing. I see it as perhaps up to five things:
  • Google decides to make no change
  • Clicks may pass only to sites that run secure servers
  • Google makes all organic click data available through Google Webmaster Tools
  • Organic clicks have terms restored
  • Paid clicks have terms withheld
The first is easiest — Google might do a review of everything and decide, in the end, it’s happy with how things are going. I think that’s unlikely, but it is possible.

Clicks For Secure Servers?

Another solution would be that Google could restore search term data to publishers who run secure sites. Before Google’s change, when someone clicked on a listing at Google, information about the search term they used to find that listing passed “in the clear” and across the web to the publisher. The publisher would know exactly how they were located.
After Google’s change, terms on unpaid or “organic” listings were withheld. The chief reason for this was that Google seemed to worry that sending a stream of terms in the clear could cause someone to “eavesdrop” on a string of searches someone was doing, which could build a revealing profile about them.
Google continued to send terms in the clear for ad click and never really gave a reasonable explanation why. It also continued to allow actual search terms to be obtained by publishers, for up to 90 days, through its Google Webmaster Tools area.
To me, all this indicated that Google didn’t view individual searches on their own being exposed as much of a privacy issue. So securing ad clicks wasn’t so pressing, since relatively few people click on ads. It’s hard to get a profile just off that data (though over time, even that could be revealing). The Questions Google Refuses To Answer About Search Privacy is my story from last year that explores all this more.
But if the goal really was to prevent eavesdropping, then providing search term data only to sites that run secure servers is a great solution. It would restore the data flow to publishers, yet a third-party couldn’t easily eavesdrop on the stream of searches from a particular person. It would also have the side benefit of making the entire web more secure.
Another story I wrote last year explains all this more: How Google could have made the Web secure and failed — again. Maybe that’s a solution Google will go to, as it’s doing this review.

Make All Organic Terms Available In Webmaster Tools?

As mentioned, Google does allow publishers to see how people have reached their sites though its Google Webmaster Tools system. The problem is, that system shows a limited amount of data. You only get the top 2,000 terms (which is a lot, actually) and back for 90 days (which is a real problem, because historic trend data is lost).
Last September, Google announced that it would extend query data in Google Webmaster Tools from 90 days to one year. Since then, we’ve been waiting. This could be another solution — that Google finally delivers on its promise and perhaps goes even better, and makes all search term data it has available for any site available with no limitations.

Organic Terms Passed Via Clicks Again?

Google could also go back to the old system, where a click on an unpaid link once again transmits the search term in the clear to publishers. Personally, I think this is unlikely.
Go back to what Singhal said — Google users find it important to have their searches secure, and that likes how things have gone with the withholding of organic clicks. That doesn’t seem to indicate going back to the old system is likely.

Paid Search Terms To Be Withheld

That leaves the last possibility — that clicks on paid links will have terms withheld, just like their unpaid counterparts.
That’s move that would help solve the hypocrisy problem, that Google’s fine with making searches secure except where it might impact its bottom line, something that’s been an issue since this all began. See also:
  • Google Puts A Price On Privacy
  • Google Puts A Price On Privacy — Again
  • Post-PRISM, Google Confirms Quietly Moving To Make All Searches Secure, Except For Ad Clicks
It also seems the most likely, again going off what Singhal said, that there are discussions with the ad side. There’s no reason to have discussions with the ad side unless you’re pondering a change that’s going to impact the ad clicks. Nor was that the only mention of talking with the ad side, as you can hear in the entire segment from the show.
Whether this indeed will happen remains to be seen. If it does happen, it’s super important to note that advertisers would continue to get search terms in the other way they always have, through the AdWords system itself. They wouldn’t go “blind,” though not receiving terms directly to their sites would pose challenges for them in other ways.
Google said to expect something in “weeks to months,” so stay tuned.

Tuesday 4 March 2014

How Google Determines What’s A Paid Link

Google head of search spam Matt Cutts released a pretty detailed video discussing the Google webspam team’s criteria for determining whether a link is considered a paid link or not.
There are five basic criteria Google uses in this determination. The first is the most obvious, is the link an explicit link for sale; then, the others are less obvious. The others include: how close is the value to money, is it a gift or a loan, what is the intent of the audience and is it a surprise or not.

Explicit Link Sales

Links that are explicitly sold for money are the most obvious. A webmaster sells a link to another webmaster in exchange for a certain dollar payment. That is clearly a paid link, and Matt Cutts said that is the most common paid link example, by far.

Close To The Value Of Money

The next determination Google uses is to see how close is the value to money. For example, a gift card is pretty close to money in that it can be often exchanged for a dollar value. But if you give someone a free pen that is valued at $1, the chances are that the value of that $1 pen won’t influence the user. However, a free beer or free trial to software is less value to users than a $600 gift card.

Gift Vs. Loan

If you give someone a laptop versus loaning them a laptop or gift someone a car versus loaning them a car, those are huge distinctions. Often, companies will loan a tech reviewer a device or car or something in order for them to properly review the item. But if you give them the item forever and not ask them to return it, that is closer to a paid link then a loan.

Intent Of Audience

When conferences give away stuff, the intent of the audience is often not to link to the conference as a thank you. For example, when you go to a SalesForce conference and get a free trial of the software, that is often not in exchange for a link. In addition, when Google gives away a free Nexus 7, the intent is not about links but about developers working on apps for the device. But if you give away laptops at events and expect bloggers to link to you in exchange, that is a bad intent.

Surprise Or Not

The final criteria is would the reporter or blogger be surprised? For example, if you are a movie blogger and you are given free access to a movie to review, that would not surprise the blogger. But if you are given a free car or laptop in exchange for writing about it, that would be a surprise.
Matt Cutts also recommends you review the FTC online ads guidelines.
Here is the video:

Google To Launch New Search Results Design With Larger Fonts & No Underlines Soon?

Over the past few months, Google has been testing many, many layouts that made the search results look a bit easier to read by increasing the font size and removing some of the underlines for the hyperlinked content.
It seems Google has increased those tests, as we are seeing more and more searchers post about seeing these updates on Twitter, Facebook and other areas. Both Danny Sullivan, Matt McGeee and myself are able to replicate the new design either using our native browsers or via incognito mode in Chrome.
Here is a side by side image of the old and new user interface for Google’s search results:
google-new-serp-design
You can click on it and notice the side by side comparison showing the larger font, more white space, no underlines for hyperlinked content and more.
Here is a zoomed in view of the old design:
google-old-serps-design
Here is a zoomed in view of the new design:
google-new-serps-design
Google has not responded to our questions about this design but if we had to guess, we’d see this new design launched in the near future.

Monday 3 March 2014

Hiding From That Google Penalty? It May Find You At Your New Home

Did you know that even if you try to run away from your Google penalty, it might end up finding you anyway? In a recent Google Webmaster Hangout, hosted by Google’s John Mueller, John said that even if you move your penalized site to a new domain name and don’t redirect the penalized site, Google may still find it and pass along the bad signals.
In the video, 23 minutes in, John answers my question about penalties following sites. He said that if the site is extremely similar and you simply move the site from domain A to domain B, that Google may pick up on the site move without you even giving them signals of the move. So even if you do not set up 301 redirects or use the change address tool in Google Webmaster Tools, Google may indeed know that you moved from domain A to domain B and pass along all the signals.
In that case, if a site is penalized, simply moving it to a new domain name might not be enough. You might have to go the extra mile and rebuild the site, content and user interfaces to convince Google it really is a new site.
Here is the video, again fast forward to about 23 minutes and 15 seconds in:
Yesterday Eric Ward wrote a piece for us named When The Best Move Is To Kill The Site, which covers what to do when your Google penalty is so severe that you can’t recover from it. Eric mentions that in about two-thirds of the cases he sees, he recommends you “kill” the site. Some may want to take shortcuts on “killing” a site by just migrating it to a new domain name, but that might not work.
Based on the feedback from this news, I’ve heard three responses from the SEO community:
  • Google is a liar and it does not pass either positive or negative signals when there are no redirects or change of address requests made.
  • Yes, Google does pass the penalties in these cases, Google is telling the truth.
  • Not only does the penalty pass but sometimes you will see the links from the old domain show in the new domain show up in the new verified section within Google Webmaster Tools.
What is your experience with site moves without changing the site design, content or structure and while not using redirects or other signals to communicate the penalized site has moved?

Now Official: Google Adds Restaurant Menus To Search Results

bonefish-grill-menu
That Google menus experiment we told you about a couple weeks ago?
It’s now official. But it’s only available in the U.S. at the moment.
Google announced that it’s now showing restaurant menus as a OneBox-style answer at the top of its search results. It seems to be primarily triggered by searches that involve both the restaurant name and the word “menu,” although Google’s example involves a query that starts with “show me the menu for….”
The menu OneBox shows multiple food options and is divided into different categories, depending on how the individual restuarants (or chains) organize their menu. You’ll typically see tabs such as lunch, dinner, entreés, sandwiches and the like.
There’s actually more that we don’t know about the menus than we do. For example:
  • Where is Google getting the menu details? It seems to be from sites like AllMenus.com and Gayot.com, but there’s no official list.
  • Has Google made a deal with its sources to show the menus, or is it just scrapingthat information?
  • What should a restaurant do if it wants its menu showing like this?
  • What if it doesn’t want its menu showing this way for some reason? (It’s outdated, for example.)
  • How often will Google be updating the menu information?

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Google Places Quality Guidelines Updated

Google quietly announced within the Google Help forums that they have made a clarification update to their Place quality guidelines to help business owners know what they can name their business within Google Local and what they can not.
In short, Google is allowing a single descriptor within the business name, if and only if that descriptor is location information or describes your business offers.
Here are the revised guidelines:
  • Your title should reflect your business’s real-world title.
  • In addition to your business’s real-world title, you may include a single descriptor that helps customers locate your business or understand what your business offers.
  • Marketing taglines, phone numbers, store codes, or URLs are not valid descriptors.
  • Examples of acceptable titles with descriptors (in italics for demonstration purposes) are “Starbucks Downtown” or “Joe’s Pizza Delivery”. Examples that would not be accepted would be “#1 Seattle Plumbing”, “Joe’s Pizza Best Delivery”, or “Joe’s Pizza Restaurant Dallas”.

Bing: Poor Grammar & Typos May Result In Lower Search Rankings

Duane Forrester from Bing wrote a blog poston the Bing Webmaster Blog suggesting that Bing’s search ranking algorithms do in fact consider poor grammar, typos and poor language to be part of their ranking factors.
Duane said, “just as you’re judging others’ writing, so the engines judge yours.” Meaning, Bing does look at how a page of content is written. If the page has typos, grammar issues and so forth, to the extent that it might stop a reader from reading on – then it might also negatively hurt your rankings in Bing. Duane wrote:
If you [as a human] struggle to get past typos, why would an engine show a page of content with errors higher in the rankings when other pages of error free content exist to serve the searcher?
Duane added that the search engines “over time we begin to see patterns.” If those patterns show poor grammar page after page, day after day, then it might have a stronger negative impact on rankings.

Google On Grammar & Rankings

This is contrast to Google is a different story, at least from what we’ve covered. Yes, Google’s Panda algorithm is about having quality content. But is quality the same thing as not having typos? It is unclear with Google at least.
In October 2011, Matt Cutts said while there is a correlation between spelling and PageRank, the core algorithm currently (back in 2011) does not use grammar as a “direct signal.” Google’s Matt Cutts added earlier this month that poor grammar in comments also does not negatively hurt your rankings in Google.
It seems Bing is taking a stronger stance on grammar and typos compared to Google’s stance.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Samsung debuts wearables and Galaxy S5

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics<005930.KS> unveiled a new smartwatch and fitness band along with the latest version of its Galaxy smartphone on Monday, demonstrating how the battleground for innovation is shifting from the hand to the wrist.


The world's biggest smartphone maker set a trend less than six months ago for wearable devices that link to mobile handsets with its Galaxy Gear watch, which has seen rivals like Sony <6758.T> and Huawei follow in its wake.
The switch in focus also underlines the challenges the South Korean firm is facing. Low-price Chinese rivals are churning out products that look increasingly similar at a time when smartphone sales have started to ease, taking a toll on Samsung's earnings.
To fight back, Samsung is taking a less glitzy marketing approach to control costs. It has also performed a U-turn, abandoning its previous heavy focus on sweeping hardware improvements to highlight more subtle features in its devices and accessories in a bid to appeal to a wider audience.
"With the Galaxy S5, Samsung is going back to basics," JK Shin, co-chief executive and president of Samsung's mobile business, told an audience of Samsung employees, partners and media at the annual Mobile World Congress technology trade show in Barcelona. Samsung will roll out the S5 globally on April 11, with pricing details yet to be disclosed.


"Our consumers do not want eye-popping technology or the most complex technology," he said. Instead, the want beautiful design, a better camera, faster connectivity and technology that would help them keep fit, Shin said.
Market expectations for the new S5, one of Samsung's marquee product launches this year, remain subdued given its comparative lack of innovation.
"The Galaxy S5 has great features and will probably sell well due to massive marketing support," Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said. "But is the total product experience it offers differentiated enough to continue the sales success story? Is it enough to bet on fitness and fingerprint sensors to beat Apple - rooting the experience in people's daily lives? I don't think so."
The Galaxy S5, which will be available in April, has a slightly bigger screen than its predecessor, at 5.1 inches compared with 5 inches, improved camera technology and better protection against water and dust, Samsung said.
It also has a fingerprint scanner on the home button, which rival Apple introduced in the iPhone 5S last year. The function can be used to protect data and provide security credentials in a swipe.
"It's very unlikely for the S5 sales to top its predecessor S4's performance during the key initial sales period," said Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at IBK Securities in Seoul. "I think sales would come in fewer than 20 million units in the first three months of the launch."
At a relatively low-key launch event in Barcelona, Samsung also unveiled the Gear 2 smartwatch, which runs on the Tizen operating system rather than Google's Android software, and a stripped-down version called Gear 2 Neo, which doesn't have a camera.


The devices can monitor the wearer's heart rate, a function used in increasingly popular health and fitness apps, or individual programmes.
The Samsung Gear Fit, also targeting the fitness sector, has a heart rate monitor, too, as does the Samsung Galaxy S5 itself, a first for a smartphone, Samsung said.
The Gear Fit has a curved touch-sensitive screen and its features include a pedometer, Samsung said.
Shares in Samsung, Asia's most valuable technology company with a market value of $204 billion, rose 0.6 percent, versus a 0.7 percent gain in the wider market.


Nokia announces 3 Android smartphones

Nokia has introduced three Android smartphones under the Nokia X series at the ongoing Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Spain. The smartphones Nokia X, X+ and XL run on the Nokia X software platform that is based on Android. The Nokia X, X+, and XL are priced at € 89 (Rs 7,500 approx), € 99 (Rs 8,500), and € 109 (Rs 9,300), respectively.


Nokia X is the entry-level model that comes with 4-inch IPS LCD display, 512 MB RAM and 4GB memory expandable up to 32 GB. It has a 3MP fixed focus camera. Nokia X gives 13.3 hours of talk time on 2G and 10.5 hours talk time on 3G network. Standby time is up to 28.5 days.

Nokia X+ also has 4-inch IPS LCD display but it packs 768 MB RAM and has 4GB memory expandable up to 32 GB. There is 3MP fixed focus camera. It gives 13.3 hours of talk time on 2G and 10.5 hours talk time on 3G network. Standby time is up to 28.5 days.

Nokia XL sports 5-inch IPS LCD display, 768 MB RAM, 4GB memory expandable up to 32 GB. It features a 5MP autofocus camera with flash and 2MP front camera. It gives 16 hours of talk time on 2G and 13 hours talk time on 3G network. Standby time is up to 41 days.


The Nokia X software is a forked variant of Android and it has added elements from Nokia's Asha and Windows phone software to offer a different user experience. The drawback here is that you can install Android apps through Nokia store but not through Google Play store.

These phones are dual-SIM devices and are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor. They come with pre-installed apps such as BBM, Plants vs Zombies 2, Viber, Vine and Twitter. Nokia’s Here Maps and offline maps come pre-installed. There is also a 7GB of free cloud storage from Microsoft OneDrive.

Nokia X+ and Nokia XL would be available in early Q2 2014. However, Nokia did not give the time frame for India launch.

AdWords Top Movers Report Update: Now With Conversion Stats, Device-Level Segmentation

The Top Movers report debuted in AdWords last June to help advertisers quickly see performance changes in their accounts. It was helpful, but somewhat rudimentary with reporting on just clicks and cost changes. Today, Google announced that conversion data will begin appearing in the Top Movers report as well as device-specific insights.
Note that the report shown on the Home screen still includes just Cost and Clicks data, you’ll need to click on the “see full report” link or navigate to the Dimensions tab on the Campaigns screen to see the conversion data.
Google AdWrods Top Movers Report With Conversion Data
The Top Mover detail below is now sorted by Top Increases for Conversions and Top Decreases for Conversions. This performance data is segmented by device/network level, including by Search Partners, as shown in the example above. However, unlike the example below, the live examples I’ve looked at so far have included only one device-level segment per ad group, which is much more helpful. This type of segmentation will help advertisers quickly see if there are troubled areas at the device-level even if conversion stats overall look stable.
The conversion data will be a big help for managing performance campaigns. However, the ability to see changes in conversion rate and cost per conversion data would be especially helpful for understanding the impact on ROI.
The change has rolled out globally, so if you’re tracking conversions you should see this update in your account now.

Google Says (Some) Missing Features Will Be Added To New Google Maps

Google took its new Maps site out of beta this week, but many users noticed that some of their favorite features from Classic Maps were missing.
Not to worry, Google says. It’s aware of that and plans to bring at least some of those missing over to the new Maps site in the near future.
The team will continue to work to improve the new Google Maps, so look out for better performance and additional features, like send to car, in the coming weeks.
That mention of the Send To Car feature is as specific as Google would get in its replies to our questions about the missing features we’ve noticed. That list includes:
1.) Send To Email and/or Car. When looking at a place or address in Classic Maps, there’s a “Send” option under the “More” tab that lets users email the place/address or send it to certain vehicle navigation systems.
send-to-car-google-maps
2.) Default location. There seems to be no easy way in new Maps for a user to set his/her default location.
3.) More Info link on business listings. In Classic Maps, every business listing popup includes a “More Info” link that gives searchers quick access to the business’ Google+ Local page. On the new Google Maps, the only way to get from the business listing to its Google+ Local page is to click the link that says how many reviews the business has.
more-info-link-google-maps
4.) Terrain maps disappear when looking at directions. You can see terrain maps in the new Google Maps, but the option goes away when looking at directions between two (or more) places.
5.) 3D Directions. In Classic Maps, there’s a 3D/2D toggle when looking at directions. The 3D version autoplays a moving drive-through of the route between your start and destination.
These are a sample of the features that we’ve found to either be missing altogether, or perhaps just very difficult to find in the new Google Maps. Google’s statement that at least some of these will be brought over from Classic Maps “in the coming weeks” is good to hear. Some more specifics on which ones would be even better.

Google Targets Two Polish Link Networks While Continuing To Target German Link Networks

Google lead of search spam Matt Cutts posted on Twitter that Google has taken action on two link networks operated in Poland this week. Matt wrote that Google is “not done with Germany yet, but we just took action on two Polish link networks.”
The Google Poland Webmaster Blog posted a reminder today about unnatural links and how to submit a reconsideration request.
Matt Cutts didn’t drop a hint on which Polish link networks were specifically targeted, like he has done in the past. But he did specifically say Google did take action on two link networks within Poland.

Earlier this month, Google’s Matt Cutts announced they took action on a large German SEO agency and their clients for link schemes. This came after a warning from Cutts that Google would target German link violations.

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Aviate Is Yahoo’s Answer To Google Now (And More)

Yahoo has bought nearly 30 companies since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO. A large number of those were talent acquisitions — though not all of them. Among the product or technology acquisitions, Aviate could turn out to be one of the most strategic and important.
Emphasis on the word “could.”
Aviate presents itself as an “intelligent homescreen.” It’s an Android launcher that organizes and customizes the presentation of your apps. Though not fully mature, Aviate offers a number of different, intriguing opportunities for Yahoo.
Aviate can potentially help Yahoo come back in mobile and local search — although the company needs a multi-pronged approach. It’s also the Yahoo’s best potential answer to Google Now.
Aviate app
Aviate is in private beta right now so most Android users haven’t had an opportunity to try it. I installed it last year, didn’t immediately see the benefits and so uninstalled within about 48 hours. 
Since the rumored $80 million Yahoo acquisition I’ve reinstalled it on my Nexus 7 tablet and have been using it daily. Now that I’ve been more patient with Aviate I’m starting to see its value. However there are a number of missing features and capabilities. It’s not yet “robust” enough to fulfill its strategic potential.

Needs a Search Box

Putting aside any technical capabilities on the back end, which I can’t directly speak to, the most obvious thing missing from Aviate is a search box. I’m not just saying this because Yahoo is pushing to get back into search. It would provide genuine utility to the app.
I’m sure that Marissa Mayer clearly understands how helpful to users and to Yahoo an Aviate search box would be. I initially found myself poking around for a way to search from the homescreen rather than using the Google app.
Any Yahoo search functionality should also incorporate the ability to find and launch Android apps on the device (and perhaps in Google Play). Even though a “bookshelf” of apps is just a swipe away (see image above), users will want the ability to find and launch apps via search — as you can on Android (via Google Search) and the iPhone.

Allow Homescreen Image Personalization

The hot-air balloon image you see above currently cannot be changed (it becomes darker or lighter depending on the time of day). That must change.
The ability to personalize that space is critical to the ultimate success of the app. Similar to the way Bing uses beautiful imagery on its site, Yahoo could also do something really elegant and clever with changing Flickr images in that spot. But users must also be able to upload their own images.
Someone may come back and say, “It can be changed.” Indeed my hunch is that it can be customized. Yet after several attempts I haven’t figured out a way to do so, which means the option isn’t intuitive enough. Speaking of which, the entire app needs to be at once simpler and offer more functionality.

Make the App More Intuitive

The impressive thing about Google Now is that it works without much active customization. Currently in the settings area of Aviate is a long list of “collections.” These categories help organize apps by type; they can be thought of as an alternative to folders on conventional Android or iOS.
There are both a default set collections and an alphabetical list of apps. Collections can be turned on or off. Aviate will offer you different collections based on time of day (such as “morning” or “work” in the am) or other variables.
Aviate
There should be fewer collections. There should also be a customization option that allows users to create their own collections categories. In addition, the collections list isn’t obviously accessible. It takes a bit of time to find how to access it.
That’s a metaphor for the fact that the app overall is not quite as intuitive as it needs to be. (Some of this could be addressed with a new user tour on the app.)

Yahoo Now: More Personal Assistant Functionality

Yahoo also needs to use the homescreen real estate to push and show more dynamic content: upcoming meetings, weather, traffic, sports scores, top news, etc. Enabling this would make it much more of a direct challenger to Google now.
Some of this information is available if you pull down the homescreen image (calendar items, weather). But Yahoo needs to find an elegant way to push more contextually relevant content to users. There are probably several ways to use the homescreen real estate more effectively and make Aviate more powerful and useful in the process.
There’s a great deal more I could say and suggest, regarding local search and maps for example. I’ll leave those items for a later post.
My view is that Aviate holds enormous potential for Yahoo. However the company needs to push Aviate even further in the direction of an “intelligent assistant.” It needs to add more passive personalization and functionality, while simultaneously simplifying and making the app more intuitive overall. That’s no small task with lots of heavy lifting to be done on the back end. 
The addition of a search box wouldn’t hurt either.


Google Testing More Ads On Knowledge Graph Panels: Google Play Gets The Spotlight

In December, we reported that Google is testing ads on Knowledge Graph panels. The example then was an ad for local car dealership appearing on the car knowledge graph. We’re now seeing ads on the knowledge graph for movie streaming rentals that give Google Play the VIP treatment.
Below is a screenshot showing the ads that appear on the knowledge panel for the movie “Megamind”. In all the examples we’ve seen so far, Google Play is featured first with a sort of enhanced listing that includes the brand icon and “Watch” call-to-action. An “Also available from” ad listing appears below the featured ad spot on several results.
Ads Google Knowledge Graph Movie StreamingAmazon is the only streaming services included in the “Also available from” that we’ve spotted at this point. [See Update at the end of this post.]
It also seems that Amazon is included only when the rental prices on both services are the same. For example, on the knowledge graph panel for Despicable Me 2, shown below, only an ad for Google Play shows with a rental price of $4.99. It turns out Amazon rents that movie for $5.99.
Ads in Google Knowledge Graph Despicable Me 2This is the case for “All is Lost” as well, which rents for $3.99 on Google Play and $4.99 on Amazon.
Ads Knowlege Graph Google All Is LostIt’s unclear why Amazon is the only streaming service other than Google’s own Google Play included in the ads. Google isn’t commenting other than to say, “We’re constantly testing new ways for users to find useful, clearly-labeled commercial information via Google search.” A spokesperson did add that the company has been testing various search ad formats and features like these for more than a year, though it’s not clear what those earlier experiments looked like.
The knowledge graph ads are appearing on both desktop and mobile SERPs.
Update: Hulu Plus is showing on some results. Examples include “Lost In Translation” (shown here) and “Exit Through The Gift Shop”. In the example of “Glengarry Glen Ross” shown below, Google Play is not noted, and Amazon is the only vendor listed.
Google ads Knowledge Graph Hulu Plus Amazon
Google Knowledge Graph Ads amazon only

Friday 7 February 2014

Google Requiring Some Business To Reverify Their Listings Or Be Removed From Google Maps

Some business owners are receiving emails from Google requiring them to reverify their listings within three-weeks or their listings will be removed from Google Maps and Google+ Local.
The emails contain the subject, “Action Required: You have 3 weeks to save your Google Places Listing.”
It is unclear how many businesses have received this notification and how many businesses this may have impacted.
Google’s Jade Wang said in a help thread that these emails are indeed from Google and should be taken seriously. The email reads:
Due to changes in Google Maps, we’d like to inform you that unless you review and confirm the information in your Google Places account, we will no longer be able to keep and show it to Google users after February 21, 2014.
As a result, on this date your listing “LISTING GOES HERE” may be deleted.
If you wish to keep your listing active, follow these three easy steps:
1. Log in to your Google Places account
2. Review and update your information
3. Click the “Submit” button
Sincerely,
The Google Places Team
If you are nervous the email went into your spam bucket and it might apply to you, then you can manually take these steps to be safe. Jade said:
If you did receive this email, don’t worry. Please log into Places for Business, take a look at your business information, update it if necessary, and click “Submit.” You’ll need to do this for all listings in your account by February 21, 2014, so they can stay on Google Maps. Otherwise, you’ll need to add your business information and undergo PIN verification using Google Places again.