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    Resolve to get SEO done in 2023 – Here’s how

    Written on January 25, 2023 at 1:25 pm, by admin

    Millions of people make new year’s resolutions every year, and most fail within the first month. This is not unlike the SEO work we hoped to do last year, but didn’t get done. 

    Well-meaning businesses often find that there is more work than they expected when they set out on their SEO journey. So they fail for various reasons – lack of buy-in, effort, and so on.

    In 2023, resolve to get SEO implemented so that you actually have a chance to compete in the search results. Here are five resolutions to overcome common obstacles to SEO success.

    SEO resolution 1: Have a vision you can share

    Pointing to an SEO audit and saying, “we have to do this,” is not a strategy. You need to be able to discuss the high-level vision for your SEO program. 

    This may include things like:

    Why you want to make SEO a key initiative

    What trends are happening that show SEO as a key marketing activity today? Maybe the fact that there are 5.9 million searches on Google every minute? 

    The bottom line: It’s not really a question of if you should be on a platform used by almost the entire U.S. population, but do you want to beat the competitors and gain your fair share of organic search revenue?

    What goals and KPIs you will set

    Show that you’ve thought about the goals you intend to reach and the KPIs you will measure along the way.

    How you will you get there

    Exactly what are the steps needed to get the program up and running? And whom will you need support from?

    SEO resolution 2: Get real buy-in

    Do you really have buy-in for SEO? Like the type of buy-in where the CEO would say it’s a key initiative? Without this type of “all-in” attitude, it can be hard to move the needle past your department. 

    I remember some years ago when my company delivered more than 100 pages of an SEO audit to one of the largest research and review sites in the auto sector. 

    We proposed radical changes and told them that if they implemented every one of them, they’d see a massive influx of traffic.

    It was a big risk for the client. They knew they’d need everyone on board to make it happen, from marketing to IT. So the chairman of the board called a company meeting and said SEO would be a key strategic initiative from that point on.

    And guess what? They worked together to implement every recommendation and saw a 900% increase in traffic within the first week after launch. They remain competitive to this day.

    Getting this type of buy-in takes preparation. If you want to champion SEO at your place of business, there’s a bit of work to do. 

    Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.

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    SEO resolution 3: Build relationships

    At the end of the day, a company is not made up of departments or roles, it’s made up of people. Strong relationships can go a long way in business and getting things done.   

    Once you have identified the critical folks needed to get SEO done, you can start by meeting with them one-on-one or in teams to:

    SEO resolution 4: Educate about SEO 

    When you are trying to get everyone on board with SEO, you must remember that most people will have a limited view of what SEO is (outside of your immediate team). Keep it simple. 

    Wherever possible, you want to validate your SEO advice with Google’s recommendations (see help files from Google Search Central, Google Search Central videos, etc.). 

    This helps make the connection that SEO is a partnership with Google – not something you do to game the system.

    And SEO training can be key. Back when I started my agency, I quickly realized that the best way to get clients to implement SEO was to train them on SEO. That was a big catalyst for launching our SEO training course in 1999. 

    Since then, we put all of our clients into our SEO training so that we can have intelligent conversations that help move the needle. 

    Consider SEO training for all the people who will need to be involved (I’m talking about your web developers and IT folks, too). I find that when companies open up SEO training across teams, it creates a shared understanding and motivates people to get things done.

    SEO resolution 5: Make the effort

    Not everyone will see a 900% increase in traffic the first week, like the company I told you about earlier. In fact, it can take up to six months to start to see big results, depending on factors like the website’s health, the competitive landscape and more.

    Some companies may give up when they don’t see the results right away that they expected. This is obviously a mistake – and a result of not understanding how SEO works (see educate section above). 

    Companies must invest in SEO for the entire lifecycle of their site to stay competitive. Remember, though, once you invest in it, it’s yours (unlike PPC, where if you turn it off, you disappear from the search results – no offense to PPC, you need both!). 

    That said, there are ways to get quick wins and see results to get people excited about SEO. For example, consider a pilot project which might look like:

    With some smaller wins under your belt, you may be able to build momentum. Do remember, though, that sometimes a website’s biggest SEO issues are technical in nature. And resolving those can take some serious effort. 

    At the very least, you need IT folks, website developers – whoever is in charge of making changes to the website – on your side. 

    One piece of advice here: You can always submit technical changes to the site as a “bug fix.” Developers and IT professionals care about fixing bugs and want to stay on top.

    Don't be surprised by the traffic you did not get for the SEO work you didn't do.

    Make 2023 count

    It’s not always easy to get an SEO program off the ground.

    If it’s a challenge for you, start small, make the most impactful moves first and celebrate every win. You will see how these steps can build momentum over time.

    The post Resolve to get SEO done in 2023 – Here’s how appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Apple Business Connect: Your guide to getting started

    Written on January 25, 2023 at 1:25 pm, by admin

    Apple recently launched Business Connect to enable businesses to easily claim and optimize their Apple Maps locations. Getting started as a single or multi-location business only takes a few minutes. 

    Once you have set up and claimed your locations, you will have access to view and edit your Place Cards. This includes:

    Apple Business Connect offers three different workflows: 

    In this article, you’ll learn how to get started with Apple Business Connect.

    Getting started with Apple Business Connect

    First, create an Apple ID if you don’t already have one. 

    Next, go to the Apple Business Connect website, choose your business type (small, enterprise, or third-party partner), and sign in with your Apple ID. 

    If you are a brand leveraging a third party to submit and access data via API, you’ll still need to set up and claim your first location in Business Connect. You will then have the option to delegate your account to an agency that can add the remaining of your locations in bulk. 

    For single locations and small businesses under 25 locations, your first step will be searching or creating your location. 

    For enterprise businesses, you should click on the prompt at the bottom that says “Register as an Enterprise.” 

    Register as an Enterprise

    When you click here, this will take you directly to the Business Verification page where you need to enter your brand information including your D-U-N-S number. (Apple also has a helpful enterprise onboarding guide.)

    For small businesses (which Apple considers brands under 25 locations), you will need to search for your location on Apple Maps and either select the matching business displayed in the search results or choose the option to create a new location if your business is not listed.

    Start by adding one of your locations

    If you are creating a new location, you will need to add your address details and ensure the map pin is over the entrance of your location. You can add the exact coordinates if needed.

    Guide customers to your door

    In the next two steps, you will want to add your primary, holiday, and special hours. 

    Special hours are described as custom or a temporary set of hours, such as periods of time when you have extended or shortened availability.  

    Then you will need to add your primary and additional categories, website, and phone number. (This is a great resource to find the full list of Apple Business categories.)

    Apple states that additional categories help with search and can be unique by location. 

    Add your hours

    Throughout the setup, Apple begins building your place card preview. According to Apple: 

    “When you change information about a location in Business Connect, it’s shown in this preview. It can take up to three days for your changes to be published on a location’s place card on Maps after you send them to Apple for review.” 

    The final steps for setup are focused on verification. You’ll next need to add your company details for verification so that Apple can determine whether you are the proper contact to manage this location on Apple Business Connect.

    Add your company details

    In order to complete the verification, you will need to provide an identifiable business document such as a business registration, utility bill, or lease agreement as well as a document description.

    The verification of your business can take up to five days to process. 

    Get verified

    Once the verification has been completed, you can begin adding additional information to your Place Card including: 

    Place card attributes and additional featuresThe types of attributes vary by business type.

    Note that Showcases are only available to businesses within the United States, but Apple is working to make these available globally in the coming months.

    Apple-Business-Connect-Ecosystem-Showcase-WalmartWalmart’s Showcase, Apple Business Connect

    If you manage or own more locations, just click the “Add” button in the top right of the dashboard to begin the process again. You can also invite additional users who need access to manage your locations.

    More ways to engage with Apple Maps users 

    Business Connect is an incredibly exciting and much-welcomed innovation from Apple.

    It provides a great opportunity for local businesses to engage with Apple Maps users and is designed in a way that makes it easy for businesses of all types and sizes to get started.

    You can find more information in the Apple Business Connect User Guide. 

    The post Apple Business Connect: Your guide to getting started appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    This day in search marketing history: January 25

    Written on January 25, 2023 at 1:25 pm, by admin

    Google defuses ‘miserable failure’ Google bomb

    In 2007, Google finally defused a “Google Bomb” that had returned U.S. President George W. Bush as its top organic result since December 2003 when searching for [miserable failure].

    Originally, Google was of the belief that “We just reflect the opinion on the Web, for better or worse.” Eventually, however, Google came up with an algorithm change to deal with this and other Google bombing “pranks”:

    “People have asked about how we feel about Googlebombs, and we have talked about them in the past. Because these pranks are normally for phrases that are well off the beaten path, they haven’t been a very high priority for us. But over time, we’ve seen more people assume that they are Google’s opinion, or that Google has hand-coded the results for these Googlebombed queries. That’s not true, and it seemed like it was worth trying to correct that misperception. So a few of us who work here got together and came up with an algorithm that minimizes the impact of many Googlebombs.”

    Ryan Moulton and Kendra Carattini, A quick word about Googlebombs

    How did this Google bomb happen? A campaign encouraged people to link to Bush’s bio using the anchor text “Miserable Failure”.

    And while Google defused this bomb, Bush remained in the top organic position for [miserable failure] on Yahoo and Microsoft Live and in second position at Ask.

    Read all about it in Google Kills Bush’s Miserable Failure Search & Other Google Bombs and Happy First Birthday, Google Bomb Fix!

    Here was the before and after at the time:

    Today, here’s what a search for [miserable failure] looks like on Google – with Wikipedia’s Google bombing page in the top spot.

    Also on this day 

    Google kills FLoC, introduces Topics API as its next-gen targeting tech

    2022: The Topics API would select topics of interest (based on the user’s browsing history), without involving external servers, and share those topics with participating sites.

    tCPA may not be going away (yet), but it should: Why it’s time to embrace value-based bidding

    2022: A Google Ads video “Expert Series: Welcome to 2022” had many confused as to the future of non-value bidding strategies with unflattering and cryptic mentions about the popular bid type.

    Google’s alternative to third-party cookies open for advertiser testing in Q2 2021

    2021: And FLoC would die a year later.

    Google adds price drop appearance rich results to search results

    2021: Google automatically calculated the price drop based on changes to structured data over time.

    Video: Dawn Beobide on the importance of training your developers on SEO

    2021: In this installment of Barry Schwartz’s vlog series, he chatted with Beobide about properly sharing the importance of SEO, and building a good relationship with, your developers.

    Mueller previews Google image search changes, old Search Console sunsetting at NYC meetup.

    2019: Plus, Google was working on switching remaining sites to mobile-first indexing.

    Pummeling users with Google remarketing ads they don’t want to see? Now they can mute those, too

    2018: Google announced more options for users to control the kinds of ads they see. 

    Google Search Console’s remove URL report might not work for a short period of time

    2018: Google wasupgrading the report.

    Marin: Search CPCs outpaced spend growth in Q4 2017

    2018: Mobile search click costs increased by 25% year over year.

    Virginia Woolf Google doodle honors iconic author of classics ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ & ‘A Room of One’s Own’

    2018: The doodle featured the author’s familiar profile.

    Google’s 2016 Bad Ads Report: 1.7 billion ads removed, including fake news ads

    2018: Efforts to crack down on payday loan ads, ads that look like system errors and “tabloid cloaking” ads were among those that led to an increase in removed ads in 2016.

    Google My Business revamps photo management for Google Maps listings

    2018: Google wanted to make it easier for business owners to manage their photos within Google My Business.

    A Year Later, Google’s Block Sites Feature Remains Blocked

    2013: Google said there was no time frame for when or if it would be restored.

    Search In Pics: Brin On NYC Subway, Google+ On Who Wants to Be a Millionaire & Android Train

    2013: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.

    Google Changes Definition Of Average Search Ranking Position

    2012: In the past, they would take all the positions of your rankings and average them together. That changed to averaging only the top positions.

    Google Revamps Submit Content Page

    2012: Google updated its URL submission tool page and redesigned its Submit Your Content page.

    WSJ: Federal Prisoner Helped U.S. Sting Against Google’s Pharmacy Ads

    2012: Google had to pay $500 million after acknowledging that it both allowed and helped Canadian pharmacies sell drugs in the U.S. in violation of federal law.

    Emergency In Your Area? “Public Alerts” On Google Maps Shows Warnings

    2012: Google would show emergency alerts in your area on the map, with more details on the alert.

    DuckDuckGo Sets New Traffic Record, But Stats Show How Dominant Google, Others Are

    2012: DuckDuckGo reached 700,000+ queries in a day for the first two times.

    Yahoo Beats Expectations with Weak $1.5B Revenues, But Display Up 17 Percent

    2011: CEO Carol Bartz called the revenues “encouraging.” 

    Google Buys Twitter Sentiment Analyzer fflick To Support “Contextual Discovery”

    2011: The fflick service analyzed and organized comments about movies.

    US Twitter Users Spending More Time Than Ever On Twitter.com, Report Says

    2011: But the report also cautioned that overall visits to Twitter were down.

    Browsers To Offer Official Behavioral Targeting Blocking

    2011: Google released a new Chrome extension named Keep My Opt-Outs. Firefox was working on a solution for a new version of Firefox.

    Google Acquires SayNow

    2011: SayNow was a platform that allowed voice messaging, one-on-one conversations, and group calls to be instantly integrated into Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Android, or iPhone applications.

    Google Promotes Boost To All Of U.S., Mobile Devices

    2011: Google’s simpler AdWords program, Boost, got its national roll-out, after a three-month test period.

    Google To Hire 6,000 Plus, While Yahoo Cuts Additional 1%

    2011: Google was primed for its biggest hiring year in company history.

    And The Academy Awards Oscar Nomination Goes To … Google & Bing!

    2011: Both search engines listed news about the awards at the top of the page. 

    Google Voice Number Porting Now Available

    2011: It took 24 hours and cost $20.

    My Life With Google Voice Number Porting, Six Months In

    2011: The experience was largely good. Plus, some thoughts on how this gave Android an added boost ahead of Verizon’s iPhone launch. 

    December 2010: Search Engine Land’s Most Popular Stories

    Some SEO Advice For Bill Gates

    2010: What could you give to the richest person in the world? Some free SEO advice for his new blog.

    Like Ballmer, Bill Gates Dings Google On China

    2010: “They’ve done nothing and gotten a lot of credit for it.”

    Twitter Testing Local Trends

    2010: The local trends version showed you what tweet topics were hot and trending on Twitter by region, country and city

    Dress Up Ask Jeeves In The UK

    2010: Ask UK had a new game where you could dress up the lovable Jeeves character.

    Factery Labs’ New Fact Engine: Just What Real-Time Search Needs

    2010: Factery Labs surfaced the facts behind the day’s trending news.

    No Feed, No Problem – Google Reader Now Tracks (Mostly) Any Website Change

    2010: Google Reader would periodically visit a page and publish any significant changes it found as items in a custom feed created just for that page.

    Science Fiction Writer Le Guin Launches Petition Against Google Book Settlement As Opt-Out Deadline Looms

    2010: Exempting the US would essentially have rendered the settlement meaningless. 

    Confirmed: Google Domain Park To Cease Ads On Domain Kiting Sites

    2008: Google began preventing “domain tasting” (the practice of trying out a domain name for a 5 day-period) from participating in the AdSense for Domains (aka Domain Park) program.

    Survey Says: Search Right Behind Email Marketing In Best-Performing Category

    2008: 80% said email marketing performs strongly for their company, with search right behind at 70.6%.

    Google AdWords Won’t Allow Personal Attacks On Politicians

    2008: Political ads could neither include accusations or attacks relating to an individual’s personal life, nor advocate against a protected group.

    Will Google Suffer In A Recession?

    2008: The answer appeared to be “no.”

    New: Real-Time Google Maps Edits In New Edits Viewer

    2008: You could watch the edits made to Google Maps in a live viewer.

    Microsoft Earnings Soar, Gates Calls For More Help To Poor

    2008: However, in the “online services” division, which housed search and adCenter, there was a loss of $245 million on increased revenues of $863 million.

    Doerr And Moritz: A Tale Of Two (Very Wealthy) Google Investors

    2008: Both of these men got fabulously rich off their Google shares – likely north of $800 million apiece.

    Search in Pictures: Google Cake, Banana Room, Kate Nash @ Yahoo

    2008: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.

    Google Video Search Now Includes YouTube Results

    2007: Searches returned many results from YouTube.

    Google To Share Bugs & Bombs At Google Testing Blog

    2007: Google would be sharing their debugging and testing experiences with the public.

    Fox Subpoenas Google’s YouTube For Identity Of User Who Uploaded “24” Video

    2007: The premiere was reportedly posted prior to the live airing of the show.

    Google AdSense Tests New Features: My Publishers, Ad Placement & Message Inbox

    2007: My Publishers tab, ad placement and a message inbox.

    Speculation: The Google Search Results Page With Google Video Ads

    2007: A funny mock up of what it would look like if Google added their Google Video ads to the Google search results page.

    From Search Marketing Expo (SMX)

    Past contributions from Search Engine Land’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

    These columns are a snapshot in time and have not been updated since publishing, unless noted. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

    < January 24 | Search Marketing History | January 26 >

    The post This day in search marketing history: January 25 appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Microsoft is improving its ad platform. Here’s why brands should give it a shot in 2023

    Written on January 24, 2023 at 9:18 am, by admin

    ICYMI, Microsoft has ambitious plans: to double the size of its ad business to $20 billion.

    So why is this big news? Google and Meta are showing signs of fading, making more room for emerging platforms like TikTok, Amazon and Instacart.

    Wait, what about Microsoft Ads?

    Microsoft’s search and news advertising revenues have consistently grown over the last four quarters (Q2: 32%; Q3: 18%; Q4: 15%; Q1: 16%).

    One advantage of Microsoft Ads is its cost-effectiveness. It’s typically cheaper than Google Ads and offers more opportunities to target specific audiences with relevant ads at a lower cost per click.

    Additionally, Microsoft Ads provides detailed analytics that are easy to interpret, making it easier to track ROI and refine campaigns over time.

    On the other hand, Microsoft still falls miles behind Google in terms of users. Google typically sits around 83.84% share of the global search market (fallen from 89.95% in the past three years); during the same timeframe, Bing’s share has risen from 3.99% to 8.88%.

    But what do other advertisers think?

    I asked Christine Askew of Workshop Digital (and 2022 winner of Best B2B Search Marketing Initiative) and Timothy Jensen of M&T Bank (and SMX Next panelist on 2023 PPC trends to get ahead of), their thoughts on why more brands should be giving Microsoft Ads a fair shot. 

    Why is having competition for Google search a good thing? Why should search marketers root for competitors like Microsoft Ads?

    Having competition for Google search encourages companies to innovate, invest in better search technologies, and create better user experiences.

    Competition also keeps prices down and helps to ensure that no one search engine has too much market share or power.

    By creating a more competitive market, search marketers can benefit from better search options and more competitive pricing.

    Additionally, competition helps to ensure that search results remain unbiased and free from manipulation.

    Ultimately, competition is a healthy thing for the search industry and helps to ensure a better experience for users.

    How has Microsoft improved their Ads dashboard, features, and product offerings?

    Microsoft has introduced a unified interface that allows for better cross-platform optimization and insights. They have also included more detailed reporting, data visualization, and new automated campaign management tools.

    Additionally, Microsoft has launched new features such as audience insights and automated bidding strategies to help users better target their campaigns.

    Finally, Microsoft has improved its product offerings to include more comprehensive features, such as the ability to manage multiple campaigns from a single dashboard and the ability to optimize campaigns for different devices.

    Here are just a few of the latest products and features released by Microsoft:

    When will Microsoft Ads get respect? 

    Microsoft has been playing the long game – for a long, long time now. And Microsoft has an equally long history of mistakes and missed opportunities going back over a decade.

    Microsoft Ads has been slow to gain respect from search marketers. But Microsoft has continued to improve its platform (e.g., the introduction of a unified interface, more detailed reporting).

    Additionally, search marketers are starting to recognize the value of Microsoft Ads, such as its ability to target campaigns across multiple platforms and its automated bidding strategies.

    As more search marketers become aware of Microsoft Ads and its benefits, it is likely that it will gain more respect in the industry.

    What should Microsoft do to compete more aggressively in the ad space?

    One idea, via Jensen, is more comprehensive integration with LinkedIn:

    Why should advertisers and brands try Microsoft ads?

    Microsoft offers more detailed reporting and data visualization, as well as automated bidding strategies and audience insights in addition to a wide selection of ad formats, including text, image, and video ads.

    Microsoft Ads are also competitively priced, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious advertisers and brands.

    And the introduction of Multimedia Ads has given the platform a unique feature that advertisers likely won’t find with other ad solutions.

    Why are brands hesitant to try running Microsoft Ads?

    There’s a perception that most everyone uses Google as their search engine of choice, Askew said, when in reality 724 million monthly unique desktop searchers globally on the Microsoft Search Network in December 2021 (according to comscore Search):

    Besides the obvious point that volume is significantly lower than Google, performance can often be unpredictable as well, Jensen said:

    The advantage of using Microsoft ads over Google Ads

    Microsoft offers some advantages over Google Ads, including a unified interface for cross-platform optimization, more detailed reporting and data visualization.

    Additionally, Microsoft offers a variety of pricing options with different ad formats that are likely a cheaper option than Google. Finally, Microsoft provides access to a larger global market, which can be beneficial for advertisers and brands looking to expand their reach. Said Askew:

    Despite its limitations, the LinkedIn integration is a big advantage for Microsoft with a level of B2B data that the other platforms just don’t have, Jensen said:

    So are Microsoft ads better for B2B?

    It depends. (I know, I know. Sorry.)

    Microsoft has a wide selection of ad formats, including text, image, and video ads, as well as audience insights and automated bidding strategies.

    Additionally, Microsoft Ads allow for cross-platform optimization and detailed reporting, making it easier to track and measure campaign performance.

    Finally, Microsoft is competitively priced and offers a variety of pricing options, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious B2B campaigns.

    But as Askew pointed out, volume would likely be lower than that of its competitor, Google. For that reason alone, brands could be hesitant.

    How about the Audience Network?

    The Microsoft Ads Audience Network is beneficial for brands as it allows them to reach users on a variety of platforms, such as mobile apps and websites. This can be especially helpful for brands looking to target a wide range of audiences – especially B2B.

    Additionally, the Audience Network provides access to more detailed data and insights, allowing brands to better tailor their campaigns to their target audiences.

    Finally, the Audience Network is integrated into the Ads platform, allowing brands to manage campaigns across multiple platforms from a single dashboard.

    Microsoft Ads has come a long way in recent years

    Microsoft continues to improve with the help of AI technology. The company is investing heavily in machine learning and artificial intelligence, which will greatly enhance its advertising capabilities in the future.

    The bottom line is that Microsoft shouldn’t be overlooked by search marketers who want better results without breaking the bank. With the right targeting and optimization strategy in place, Microsoft Ads can be just as effective as Google Ads at a fraction of the cost.

    The post Microsoft is improving its ad platform. Here’s why brands should give it a shot in 2023 appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Top video marketing trends for 2023 and beyond

    Written on January 24, 2023 at 9:18 am, by admin

    In today’s world, video ads are the most effective way for businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products or services. 

    During my SMX Next presentation, we reviewed three innovative trends for video, which helped create a deeper conversation around the role that data and analytics play, along with targeting and optimization.

    Let’s revisit some key strategies, questions and thoughts from the presentation.

    The rise of vertical video

    Each year, I try to think of the most valuable impression in our ad space. For many years, I’ve always sourced the answer to YouTube TrueView Skippable Ads. Rightfully so, since you don’t pay for a user until they watch 30 seconds of an ad (or, if the video is shorter in length, they complete or engage). 

    However, I’ve changed my opinion recently. I am convinced that vertical video is the most valuable impression on the web today.

    Vertical video is a must for any advertiser in 2023 due to the following three ad types: 

    From a creative standpoint, you can run the same, if not similar, ads across all three platforms. Each carries its own unique set of targeting, which separates them in their ability to drive quality user volume.

    Comparison by platformVertical video: Comparison by platform

    TikTok for B2B

    Using TikTok for B2B is a common concern for marketers. Can it really be effective, specifically when targeting executives?

    The short answer is, “yes.” The long answer, however, includes some nuance. 

    When targeting executives, we can assume these busy individuals are not necessarily on TikTok, but those who relay key messages to these executives (partners, assistants, managers) would be the ones to relay this type of messaging to the decision-maker. 

    Thus, I don’t think TikTok needs to hit the target to be effective. Rather, the creative, messaging, and product need to attract the target audience to take action – to learn more and deepen the impact to take the next step of passing it up the ladder to the executive.

    The rise of the video triopoly

    While TikTok can be very effective for brands, we find that it is more effective for some vs. others. However, the platform is building tools to help B2B advertisers, including the following:

    Jumping on a video trend vs. creating a compelling ad

    Another key question from the audience during the presentation was, “Is it better to jump on a video trend or create a compelling ad” from a video perspective. 

    If you have the budget, you should strive to test both so you understand the impact. There is no right or wrong answer here I would just use my best judgment. 

    Here are a few points to consider:

    The future of video is vertical

    The future of advertising

    The future of advertising in the near term is vertical video. Thus, taking a deeper look into the platform opportunities for these placements is extremely important. 

    Since the presentation, the Variable.Media team and I have been able to generate a few more case studies and gather data specific to these vertical placements.

    YouTube Shorts

    This is a must for anyone currently running YouTube ads. We see strong engagement, average rates (CPM/CPV), but longer watch times. 

    The longer time spent could be due to the user and state of mind within a story, having watched all the other content from the subscription or search tab, thus in a short from the home tab.

    TikTok

    Hashtag targeting works, but we’re finding limited scalability, especially with B2B brands. 

    A great audience target, however, we will need to see growth to perform at scale.

    Instagram Reels

    A much more engaging placement than stories or the newsfeed at a fraction of the cost. 

    For most brands, we run reels as we find the audience is likelier to share, comment, or save than click through, a new behavior that has shifted from newsfeed to stories and now reels.

    Maximize vertical video in your advertising strategy

    Video creates a unique opportunity to reach a wide range of audiences on platforms while increasing engagement and conversion rates. 

    Vertical video ads offer a powerful way for businesses to promote their products and services. 

    However, it is important to remember that the most effective approach will depend on a business’s specific goals and target audience, which can play a critical role in maximizing the impact of vertical video. 

    Watch: 3 innovative video marketing trends for 2023 and beyond

    Below is the complete video of my SMX Next presentation.

    The post Top video marketing trends for 2023 and beyond appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Google updates image SEO best practices and Google Discover docs

    Written on January 24, 2023 at 9:18 am, by admin

    Google has made a couple of tweaks to two of its SEO-related help documents. The changes include specifying that the title and link elements are most important for the RSS feed follow in Google Discover and that Google parses img elements even within other elements, such as the picture element.

    Google Discover RSS Feed follow

    Google added a new line to the Get On Discover documentation under the feed guidelines for the Follow feature in Google Discover. Google wrote:

    “The most important content for the Follow feature is your feed <title> element and your per item <link> elements. Make sure your feed includes these elements.”

    Clearly, if you care about performing well in the follow feature on Chrome, you should include the  <title> element and <link> elements in your RSS feed.

    Google Image SEO best practices update

    Google also updated the image SEO best practices document to clarify that Google parses <img> elements even when they’re enclosed in other elements (such as <picture> elements) when indexing images.

    The document used to say “Google parses the HTML of your pages to index images, but doesn’t index CSS images.” It now reads:

    “Using semantic HTML markup helps crawlers find and process images. Google parses the HTML <img> elements (even when they’re enclosed in other elements such as <picture> elements) in your pages to index images, but doesn’t index CSS images.”

    Why we care

    If you are looking to leverage more when it comes to either the Follow feature in Google Chrome powered by Google Discover, or you are looking to perform better with your image SEO, make sure to read the updated documentation that Google has provided. More importantly, if you make any changes to your site, make sure to test to see if there is a positive or negative impact to your search performance.

    The post Google updates image SEO best practices and Google Discover docs appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Understanding quiet quitting in SEO – the silent exodus

    Written on January 24, 2023 at 9:18 am, by admin

    “I’m just gonna come in and do my job. Still doing all my deliverables, but not a day early, not doing anyone else’s job on top of mine, not coming in a minute before 9 a.m. and not staying a minute later than 5 p.m. I don’t care anymore.”

    This is quiet quitting.

    Quiet quitting illustration

    40% of the global workforce is looking to leave their jobs in the next 3 to 6 months, according to “To quit or not to quit” by Mckinsey and Company. The difference will be in how they will choose to leave, which will also have significant effects on businesses.

    While the term “quiet quitting” has been trending recently, there is a misunderstanding that must be addressed regarding the concept. 

    Setting boundaries, such as declining to work excessive hours, weekends, or being on call for non-urgent requests outside of regular business hours, is not a form of quiet quitting. Rather, it is a matter of self-respect and taking care of one’s own well-being. 

    True quiet quitting occurs when an employee, unhappy with a situation at work and unable to find a satisfactory resolution, chooses to depart without causing a fuss.

    This is not an act of cowardice, but a decision made in the interest of preserving one’s own peace of mind.

    Ryan Jones on quiet quitting

    It is a common occurrence that when an employee is quietly quitting, they will focus solely on meeting the minimum requirements of their job, and no more. This is often done for fear of being terminated before securing a new position. 

    However, the employee will likely go to great lengths to conceal their job search and intent to leave, and their behavior and demeanor at work will not change. None will notice a thing.

    It is only when they formally tender their resignation or depart that the full extent of their quiet quitting becomes apparent.

    The costs of quiet quitting

    An employee who has decided to quietly leave will only stay in a job until the role looks decent in their CV (one year tops if they are new) or only a few months more until they secure the next job.

    Other costs associated with quiet quitting are:

    Lost productivity

    When an employee quits, the company may have to scramble to find a replacement, which can lead to lost productivity as the new hire gets up to speed.

    Increased workload

    In the meantime, remaining employees may have to take on additional responsibilities to cover the workload of the departed employee, leading to increased stress and burnout.

    Training costs

    The company may have to invest time and resources into training a new employee to replace the one who quit, which can be costly.

    Negative impact on morale

    Quiet quitting can also have a negative impact on morale among remaining employees, as it may create a sense of uncertainty and insecurity about the stability of the company.

    Reputation damage

    If quiet quitting becomes a common occurrence at a company, it may damage its reputation and make it difficult to attract top talent in the future. 

    Especially if the reason a valuable employee quietly leaves is a manager, once that employee leaves, he or she will start talking among those very close to them.

    Let’s not forget the financial costs of recruitment and new equipment, too.

    The root cause

    Poor management is frequently the root cause of quiet quitting. In particular, a lack of effective communication and excessive micromanagement can contribute to this phenomenon. 

    The reasons

    When an employee’s attempts at communication with their manager are met with confrontation, misunderstanding or friction, they may feel disheartened and choose to silently depart rather than risk further conflict. 

    Similarly, a manager who constantly checks on the work of their employees, scrutinizes every detail and micromanages every aspect of their work is likely to drive even the most talented and dedicated staff to consider quietly quitting. 

    Such behavior fosters a toxic and oppressive work environment that ultimately proves unsustainable for those who value their own well-being and professional satisfaction.

    Julian Goldie on quiet quitting

    At some point in our lives, we all have quietly quit a job, other reasons include:

    Fear of retribution

    Some employees may be afraid to speak up or voice their concerns to their manager for fear of retribution or negative consequences.

    Lack of trust

    Some might feel that their concerns will not be taken seriously, leading them to quit quietly rather than trying to address the issue through communication.

    Feeling overwhelmed

    Some employees may feel overwhelmed or stressed and may not know how to effectively communicate their concerns to their manager. They may therefore choose to quit quietly rather than to navigate a potentially difficult conversation.

    Lack of confidence

    Some employees may lack the confidence to speak up or communicate their concerns to their manager, leading them to quit instead quietly.

    There’s also fear of damaging relationships in the workplace.

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    See terms.

    Quiet quitting in SEO: 4 common reasons

    In a recent Twitter poll, I asked SEOs what they think is the most important reason to push people to “quiet quit” and these were the results:

    Quiet quitting in SEO - Twitter poll

    Burnout

    In the fast-paced and high-stress world of agency work, burnout is all too common. 

    The constant pressure to be alert and responsive, the feeling of being chased by an ever-present deadline, and the constant demand to deliver can take a toll on one’s mental health. 

    Burnout

    It is a sad reality that burnout is often glamorized in some SEO agencies, particularly those that prioritize acquiring new clients and taking on unrealistic deliverables instead of investing in their teams and considering their capacity. 

    The result is an environment where new challenges are thrown at already overburdened teams, expected to be delivered, as vulgarly said, “by yesterday.”

    The SEO sweatshop: The quiet quitting central 

    Characterized by large open offices where employees are expected to be onsite from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., five days a week, with no hybrid or remote work options, these places churn out jargon-laden SEO reports with no value at all, unhelpful content, “land” useless links on the media but all done at a rapid pace, sticking up to the philosophy of done “by yesterday.”

    In the SEO sweatshop, the “perks” offered to employees are often little more than sweets, trinkets, and fast food, and the culture is one of unhealthy imbalanced lifestyles. 

    In such agencies, burnout, quiet quitting, and high staff turnover are all too common, as employees are subjected to long hours, low salaries, and immature, uneducated managers who prioritize profits over the well-being of their teams.

    Monika Schmidt on quiet quitting

    Signs of burnout include:

    At the same time, managers should keep a close eye on the following employee traits that lead to burnout:

    The most significant issue with the SEO sweatshop model is that it is a problem that is evident to everyone in the company, with the exception of the manager. 

    In these places, there is a culture of disregard for the well-being and professional satisfaction of employees, leading to a cycle of burnout and turnover that ultimately harms the company as a whole.

    Quiet quitting central

    Culture in the workplace

    When the culture within a company is toxic or negative, employees may feel that they have no other option but to leave. 

    David Ramos on quiet quitting

    This can be particularly true in cases where the culture is characterized by excessive micromanagement, harassment, discrimination, and poor career progression. 

    When employees do not feel safe or supported in their work environment, they may opt to resign quietly rather than confront the issue or raise a complaint.

    Additionally, if the culture of the company does not align with an employee’s values or goals, they may choose to depart in favor of a more harmonious and fulfilling work environment that aligns with their personal beliefs and aspirations.

    Challenging manager

    A challenging manager is someone who does not provide clear direction or support to their team, making it difficult for employees to do their job effectively. This can lead to feelings of frustration and insecurity and may cause employees to question their ability to succeed in their roles.

    When an employee feels like their manager is not supportive of their career development or growth, they may choose to leave the company in search of a more supportive and nurturing work environment. This can be especially true if the employee has a long-term career goal in mind and feels like their current manager is not helping them to achieve it.

    Salary

    In a company where workload and responsibilities increase over time but salaries do not, it is not uncommon for employees to turn to quiet quitting as a means of seeking better opportunities elsewhere. 

    When career progression is hindered by a lack of pay increases and employees feel undervalued and unappreciated.

    The post-COVID-19 landscape has further exacerbated this trend, as employees increasingly prioritize their well-being and seek work environments that align with their values and goals.

    To prevent costly and damaging instances of quiet quitting, it is essential for managers to clearly communicate policies on pay and career progression from the outset. 

    By doing so, they can avoid losing valuable employees and ensure that the talent they have invested in is able to thrive and grow within the company.

    Prioritizing well-being in SEO

    When speaking up, it is important for a manager and an employee to be factual and avoid reacting at all costs.

    David Iwanow on quiet quitting

    To prioritize well-being in your SEO team, consider the following.

    Remember, it is all about taking notes, listening and following up by email with a plan. 

    Additionally, offering support resources such as counseling and health and wellness programs can help employees to manage stress and prevent burnout.

    By prioritizing the needs and well-being of your team, you can create a work environment that is conducive to success and retention.

    Anime art created by my 12-year-old son in his project Dekiru Art.Anime art created by my 12-year-old son in his project Dekiru Art.

    The post Understanding quiet quitting in SEO – the silent exodus appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    This day in search marketing history: January 23

    Written on January 23, 2023 at 5:13 am, by admin

    Expedia buys Travelocity

    In 2015, Expedia bought rival Travelocity for $280 million amid sluggish travel industry growth and pressure from insurgent travel providers.

    Expedia had actually been powering Travelocity.com since 2013. So the acquisition seemed quite logical from both perspectives.

    At the time, Expedia also owned several online travel brands: Hotels.com, Hotwire, eLong and Trivago.

    Read all about it in Travel Search Consolidation: Expedia Buys Rival Travelocity For $280M

    Also on this day

    Neeva seeks to expand user base with free subscriptions

    2022: The free basic subscription was an alternative to its full-featured subscription, which cost $4.95 per month.

    Google removes ‘ads’ and ‘sponsored’ labels from flight search results

    2020: There would be no more referral fees from partners in flight search, as Google sought to emphasize price and convenience in rankings.

    Google Dataset Search is out of beta and adds new features

    2020: Google added new features to Google Dataset Search with this rollout.

    Video: Search pioneer Mike Grehan on everything from the early days of SEO to AI’s role in paid and organic search

    2020: In this installment of Barry Schwartz’s vlog series, he chatted with Grehan about the early days of search, how technology like AI and machine learning are impacting search and who originally came up with term “search engine optimization.”

    Amazon adds customer acquisition metrics for Sponsored Brands campaigns

    2019: The “new-to-brand” set of metrics were also available for Amazon sellers’ display and video ad campaigns.

    Searchmetrics wins important victory in patent infringement lawsuit

    2018: A federal judge invalidated five patents SEO platform provider BrightEdge claimed in lawsuit against competitor Searchmetrics.

    Bing Hotel Ads moving out of beta to general release with Koddi

    2018: After running its Hotel Ads offering in beta in 2017, Bing Ads rolled them out widely.

    Google mobile search adds book previews

    2017: You could now read book previews directly on your smartphone from Google search.

    Ed Roberts activist Google Doodle honors leader of the disability rights movement

    2017: The Google Doodle paid tribute to Ed Roberts, co-founder of the World Institute on Disability.

    Automatic AdWords Currency Conversion Now Enabled In Google Analytics

    2015: Advertisers using a different currency in AdWords and Analytics would now be able to easily compare cost data in Analytics.

    PLAs Drove 56% Of Non-Brand Google AdWords Clicks In Q4 [RKG]

    2015: Click share also rose on Bing’s product ads, doubling from Q3.

    Pinterest Search Is Now Customized By Gender

    2015: Pinterest adjusted its Guided Search system to serve results that differed depending on whether the user was female or male.

    News Aggregator SmartNews Shows Rapid Growth, Adds Local Channels

    2015: Local news became available for 12 US cities, including San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Seattle and Boston.

    Search In Pics: Google Glass Mug, Google Pool Table & Gmail Paper

    2015: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.

    An Easy Way To Check What Referrer Data Google, Bing Or Yahoo Pass To Your Secure Site

    2014: There was no way to search for an HTTPS version of a “what is my referrer” site. So Barry Schwartz made one.

    Google To Replace Smartphone User-Agent To Improve Smart Phone Indexing

    2014: The new smartphone user-agent crawler would follow robots.txt, robots meta tag, and HTTP header directives for Googlebot instead of Googlebot-Mobile

    MapQuest Transfers Local Listings Management To Yext

    2014: MapQuest notified business users that its local business center and basic local listings product would be formally shutting down.

    Google Loses Again In AdWords Patent Infringement Case

    2014: A judge determined patent-holding company Vringo was entitled to additional royalties from Google in a patent infringement case involving Google AdWords.

    Google Launches Streamlined Image Search

    2013: With the new system made it easier to quickly skim through multiple images, rather than the old system that requires a lot of clicking, then closing windows to go back and select a new image.

    New Tumblr Blog Raises Privacy Concerns Over Facebook Graph Search

    2013: Examples of searches that were a mix of comedy and creepiness.

    “Don’t Be Evil” Tool — Backed By Facebook & Twitter — Shows Google’s “Search Plus Your World” Can Go Beyond Google+

    2012: The companies behind the tool felt Google hadn’t focused on what was best for its users with Search Plus Your World.

    Google Search Showing Results For Punctuation Marks

    2012: In the past, Google ignored most punctuation marks and didn’t show any useful results for them.

    Projecting 2012 Google Mobile Revenues: $4 or $6 Billion?

    2012: The Google 2012 mobile revenue “run rate” range was projected to be between $4 billion and $6 billion (globally). In the US the figure would probably be just over half the number.

    A Proposal For Social Network Détente

    2012: Some suggestions for how a social-nuclear war between Google, Twitter and Facebook could be averted.

    Searching For Old Versions of Web Sites? The Wayback Machine Is New and Improved

    2011: The Wayback Machine was redesigned and relaunched with a nicer user interface and migrated to a new platform as a foundation for further improvements. 

    Google To Push Semantic Search In 2009?

    2009: “Wouldn’t it be nice if Google understood the meaning of your phrase rather than just the words that are in that phrase? We have a lot of discoveries in that area that are going to roll out in the next little while,” said Google CEO Eric Schmidt

    No Surprise: Google Is No. 1 Internet Property Worldwide

    2009: Google’s sites reached 77% of the online population, age 15 and up, in December 2008.

    Google Maps: From “OneBox” To Ten Local Links

    2008: Google appeared to be serious about showing as many as 10 local listings beside the map and phasing this into results around the world. 

    Google’s Mysterious Position Six Penalty

    2008: Google’s Matt Cutts shrugged off discussion about a pattern of websites ranking in Position 1 or 2 falling to Position 6 in Google.

    Google Best Place To Work, According To Fortune Magazine

    2008: For the second year in a row.

    Search Stocks & The Stock Crash: GOOG, YHOO, & MSFT

    2008: Google had the greatest decline, down 19.5%. Yahoo was just behind at 18.5%, with Microsoft at about 12.5%. The NASDAQ overall was at 15.5%.

    Google Health Close To Launching?

    2008: The login page for Google Health was live, although the service itself was not.

    Baidu Relaunches In Japan

    2008: As part of this launch, Baidu revamped the Japanese home page and added blog search.

    South Korea To Google: Return Our Cities From North Korea

    2008: Google had labeled some of the regions in South Korea as being part of North Korea.

    FTC Complaint Filed Over AskEraser: “Unfair & Deceptive”

    2008: Multiple groups asked the US Federal Trade Commission to rule on whether Ask was using unfair and deceptive trade practices in marketing its tool.

    Will The European Union Decide IP Addresses Are Personal?

    2008: The head of an EU group looking into search privacy issues said that Internet Protocol addresses assigned to computers should be treated as personal information.

    Anything Else? Vivisimo’s Remix Clustering Surfaces Subtler Results

    2008: Remix clustering let you click a link to quickly answer the question, “What other, subtler topics are there?”

    Google Adds RSS Snippets To Personalized Home Page

    2007: Google added plus signs next to each RSS title that, if clicked, would open to show a snippet of the summary from the post.

    Google’s Site Exclusion Tool Enables Unlimited Site Exclusions

    2007: Google removed the cap on the number of sites you could exclude in the Site Exclusion Tool.

    Google Takes Action To ‘Strip’ Confidential Information From Google Blacklist

    2007: Google: “procedures have been put in place to strip login information from future submissions.”

    Google To Test New Video Ads From BMG and Warner Music Group Over AdSense Network

    2007: The ads were to be tested for four weeks.

    Use Microsoft Live Search & Microsoft With Donate To Charity

    2007: Microsoft said it would donate $1 per search to Team Seattle’s Seattle’s Children’s Hospital fund.

    Google To Invest In Indian Companies Via Seedfund

    2007: Google was reportedly giving an undisclosed amount to Seedfund, to indirectly invest in technology in India. 

    Yahoo’s Panama Migration: Mixed Reviews

    2007: The reviews and opinions presented were generally positive but some smaller businesses had problems and frustrations.

    TellMe To Launch New Mobile Local Search Product

    2007: It was free, direct-to-consumer, voice-enabled directory assistance.

    SEMPO Institute: Online School For SEMs Announced

    2007: The fundamentals course went live and provide 15+ tracks.

    Past contributions from Search Engine Land’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

    These columns are a snapshot in time and have not been updated since publishing, unless noted. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

    < January 22 | Search Marketing History | January 24 >

    The post This day in search marketing history: January 23 appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    This day in search marketing history: January 23

    Written on January 23, 2023 at 5:13 am, by admin

    Expedia buys Travelocity

    In 2015, Expedia bought rival Travelocity for $280 million amid sluggish travel industry growth and pressure from insurgent travel providers.

    Expedia had actually been powering Travelocity.com since 2013. So the acquisition seemed quite logical from both perspectives.

    At the time, Expedia also owned several online travel brands: Hotels.com, Hotwire, eLong and Trivago.

    Read all about it in Travel Search Consolidation: Expedia Buys Rival Travelocity For $280M

    Also on this day

    Neeva seeks to expand user base with free subscriptions

    2022: The free basic subscription was an alternative to its full-featured subscription, which cost $4.95 per month.

    Google removes ‘ads’ and ‘sponsored’ labels from flight search results

    2020: There would be no more referral fees from partners in flight search, as Google sought to emphasize price and convenience in rankings.

    Google Dataset Search is out of beta and adds new features

    2020: Google added new features to Google Dataset Search with this rollout.

    Video: Search pioneer Mike Grehan on everything from the early days of SEO to AI’s role in paid and organic search

    2020: In this installment of Barry Schwartz’s vlog series, he chatted with Grehan about the early days of search, how technology like AI and machine learning are impacting search and who originally came up with term “search engine optimization.”

    Amazon adds customer acquisition metrics for Sponsored Brands campaigns

    2019: The “new-to-brand” set of metrics were also available for Amazon sellers’ display and video ad campaigns.

    Searchmetrics wins important victory in patent infringement lawsuit

    2018: A federal judge invalidated five patents SEO platform provider BrightEdge claimed in lawsuit against competitor Searchmetrics.

    Bing Hotel Ads moving out of beta to general release with Koddi

    2018: After running its Hotel Ads offering in beta in 2017, Bing Ads rolled them out widely.

    Google mobile search adds book previews

    2017: You could now read book previews directly on your smartphone from Google search.

    Ed Roberts activist Google Doodle honors leader of the disability rights movement

    2017: The Google Doodle paid tribute to Ed Roberts, co-founder of the World Institute on Disability.

    Automatic AdWords Currency Conversion Now Enabled In Google Analytics

    2015: Advertisers using a different currency in AdWords and Analytics would now be able to easily compare cost data in Analytics.

    PLAs Drove 56% Of Non-Brand Google AdWords Clicks In Q4 [RKG]

    2015: Click share also rose on Bing’s product ads, doubling from Q3.

    Pinterest Search Is Now Customized By Gender

    2015: Pinterest adjusted its Guided Search system to serve results that differed depending on whether the user was female or male.

    News Aggregator SmartNews Shows Rapid Growth, Adds Local Channels

    2015: Local news became available for 12 US cities, including San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Seattle and Boston.

    Search In Pics: Google Glass Mug, Google Pool Table & Gmail Paper

    2015: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.

    An Easy Way To Check What Referrer Data Google, Bing Or Yahoo Pass To Your Secure Site

    2014: There was no way to search for an HTTPS version of a “what is my referrer” site. So Barry Schwartz made one.

    Google To Replace Smartphone User-Agent To Improve Smart Phone Indexing

    2014: The new smartphone user-agent crawler would follow robots.txt, robots meta tag, and HTTP header directives for Googlebot instead of Googlebot-Mobile

    MapQuest Transfers Local Listings Management To Yext

    2014: MapQuest notified business users that its local business center and basic local listings product would be formally shutting down.

    Google Loses Again In AdWords Patent Infringement Case

    2014: A judge determined patent-holding company Vringo was entitled to additional royalties from Google in a patent infringement case involving Google AdWords.

    Google Launches Streamlined Image Search

    2013: With the new system made it easier to quickly skim through multiple images, rather than the old system that requires a lot of clicking, then closing windows to go back and select a new image.

    New Tumblr Blog Raises Privacy Concerns Over Facebook Graph Search

    2013: Examples of searches that were a mix of comedy and creepiness.

    “Don’t Be Evil” Tool — Backed By Facebook & Twitter — Shows Google’s “Search Plus Your World” Can Go Beyond Google+

    2012: The companies behind the tool felt Google hadn’t focused on what was best for its users with Search Plus Your World.

    Google Search Showing Results For Punctuation Marks

    2012: In the past, Google ignored most punctuation marks and didn’t show any useful results for them.

    Projecting 2012 Google Mobile Revenues: $4 or $6 Billion?

    2012: The Google 2012 mobile revenue “run rate” range was projected to be between $4 billion and $6 billion (globally). In the US the figure would probably be just over half the number.

    A Proposal For Social Network Détente

    2012: Some suggestions for how a social-nuclear war between Google, Twitter and Facebook could be averted.

    Searching For Old Versions of Web Sites? The Wayback Machine Is New and Improved

    2011: The Wayback Machine was redesigned and relaunched with a nicer user interface and migrated to a new platform as a foundation for further improvements. 

    Google To Push Semantic Search In 2009?

    2009: “Wouldn’t it be nice if Google understood the meaning of your phrase rather than just the words that are in that phrase? We have a lot of discoveries in that area that are going to roll out in the next little while,” said Google CEO Eric Schmidt

    No Surprise: Google Is No. 1 Internet Property Worldwide

    2009: Google’s sites reached 77% of the online population, age 15 and up, in December 2008.

    Google Maps: From “OneBox” To Ten Local Links

    2008: Google appeared to be serious about showing as many as 10 local listings beside the map and phasing this into results around the world. 

    Google’s Mysterious Position Six Penalty

    2008: Google’s Matt Cutts shrugged off discussion about a pattern of websites ranking in Position 1 or 2 falling to Position 6 in Google.

    Google Best Place To Work, According To Fortune Magazine

    2008: For the second year in a row.

    Search Stocks & The Stock Crash: GOOG, YHOO, & MSFT

    2008: Google had the greatest decline, down 19.5%. Yahoo was just behind at 18.5%, with Microsoft at about 12.5%. The NASDAQ overall was at 15.5%.

    Google Health Close To Launching?

    2008: The login page for Google Health was live, although the service itself was not.

    Baidu Relaunches In Japan

    2008: As part of this launch, Baidu revamped the Japanese home page and added blog search.

    South Korea To Google: Return Our Cities From North Korea

    2008: Google had labeled some of the regions in South Korea as being part of North Korea.

    FTC Complaint Filed Over AskEraser: “Unfair & Deceptive”

    2008: Multiple groups asked the US Federal Trade Commission to rule on whether Ask was using unfair and deceptive trade practices in marketing its tool.

    Will The European Union Decide IP Addresses Are Personal?

    2008: The head of an EU group looking into search privacy issues said that Internet Protocol addresses assigned to computers should be treated as personal information.

    Anything Else? Vivisimo’s Remix Clustering Surfaces Subtler Results

    2008: Remix clustering let you click a link to quickly answer the question, “What other, subtler topics are there?”

    Google Adds RSS Snippets To Personalized Home Page

    2007: Google added plus signs next to each RSS title that, if clicked, would open to show a snippet of the summary from the post.

    Google’s Site Exclusion Tool Enables Unlimited Site Exclusions

    2007: Google removed the cap on the number of sites you could exclude in the Site Exclusion Tool.

    Google Takes Action To ‘Strip’ Confidential Information From Google Blacklist

    2007: Google: “procedures have been put in place to strip login information from future submissions.”

    Google To Test New Video Ads From BMG and Warner Music Group Over AdSense Network

    2007: The ads were to be tested for four weeks.

    Use Microsoft Live Search & Microsoft With Donate To Charity

    2007: Microsoft said it would donate $1 per search to Team Seattle’s Seattle’s Children’s Hospital fund.

    Google To Invest In Indian Companies Via Seedfund

    2007: Google was reportedly giving an undisclosed amount to Seedfund, to indirectly invest in technology in India. 

    Yahoo’s Panama Migration: Mixed Reviews

    2007: The reviews and opinions presented were generally positive but some smaller businesses had problems and frustrations.

    TellMe To Launch New Mobile Local Search Product

    2007: It was free, direct-to-consumer, voice-enabled directory assistance.

    SEMPO Institute: Online School For SEMs Announced

    2007: The fundamentals course went live and provide 15+ tracks.

    Past contributions from Search Engine Land’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

    These columns are a snapshot in time and have not been updated since publishing, unless noted. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

    < January 22 | Search Marketing History | January 24 >

    The post This day in search marketing history: January 23 appeared first on Search Engine Land.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    SMX Master Class Early Bird rates expire this Saturday!

    Written on January 23, 2023 at 5:13 am, by admin

    Make 2023 the year you become a master of search marketing: Attend your choice of SMX Master Class online March 1-2, to learn actionable tactics that will help you drive more awareness, conversions, and sales.

    Early Bird rates expire this Saturday, January 28… book now to save 20% off your Master Class!

    Choose from six essential search marketing topics:

    SMX Master Classes pack a ton of value:

    There’s only one catch: This $249 Early Bird rate expires on Saturday, January 28… and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Why pay more next week? Select your Master Class and secure your spot today!

    Psst… Teams that train together, thrive together. Attend with your crew to score an additional 20% off with group discounts, depending on your party size. Email reg@thirddoormedia.atlassian.net for more details!

    The post SMX Master Class Early Bird rates expire this Saturday! appeared first on Search Engine Land.

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