Posts on State of Search about ‘News’

New Options To Monetize Embedded Google Maps

google_maps_link_units_logo

If you use the Google Maps API on your website you can easily connect Google AdSense via the Maps Ad Unit so you can monetize your map. The Maps Ad Unit was introduced within the Maps Javascript API V3 four years ago. Google now added two new extensions to the Maps Ad Unit which means more choices to monetize your map.

The fist addition is the possibility to use a link unit instead of direct ads. As you might know a link unit consists of links / topics related to the content of the page. After clicking a link Google will show a separate page with relevant ads. Note that as a publisher you will get paid for clicks on the ads on the separate page, you will not get money for clicks on the topics itself. (more…)

A Next (Small) Step of Google+ Integration in SERPS

Google-happy-birthday-Aleyda

When Google+ rolled out first we all knew it was about more than just a social network. Sooner or later it would be about integration of that social element into the search engine result pages (SERPS). Step by step we have seen that happening and we now know for sure Google+ is more than ‘just’ a social network.

The latest addition to this integration is one which shows how ‘social’ Google has gotten in the past few years. We all are familiar with the birthday reminders you get on Facebook, showing you which of your friends has a birthday. It does help me sometimes to remind me of birthdays I forgot. Now Google is integrating that same functionality. But not ‘just’ into Google+, into Google.com. (more…)

German Privacy Fighters Now After Facebook

facebook_privacy

Germany has always been a country in which privacy matters are very important. Some say it’s the result of the countries history, others say it’s just how the Germans are. We’ve seen the Germans ‘fight’ Google over privacy matters the past few years, from Streetview issues up to the point where they almost banned Google Analytics, something which is recently been followed by Norway.

With Google things seem to have calmed down a little after the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information struck a deal with Google, but now another Internet giant seems to be the target: Facebook. (more…)

Facebook Rolls out Sponsored Results Search Ads

Facebook-search-ads

Facebook Search is not the best search engine out there. Still for many it is a starting point when looking for people, pages or apps. That’s why it is an interesting area for advertisers to be in. After some initial tests Facebook is now rolling out sponsored results in the search results.

On the developer blog Facebook has announced the new feature as one of several updates they made this week amongst which an SDK for iOS Update and changes to profile pictures, but this one is the most interesting one. The feature will make that when you start searching for a name you might not see a person first, but a sponsored result. (more…)

Majestic SEO Announces Link Tracking Over Time

majestic-seo-logo-1

Launched this week, a new Majestic Link Tracking report brings back tailored reporting and allows you to track link characteristics such as Citation Flow and Trust flow over time for any URL or website.

The new link report is updated daily, which means that you will be able to see a change in the metrics over a period of time, and as always you can export the data into a CSV file. The Majestic SEO blog also suggests that the data is also more accurate when it comes to back links and referring domain counts.

Powerful Stuff and another great addition to the Majestic Toolbox!

(more…)

Google Analytics About to be Banned in Norway?

ban

The Data Protection Bureau in Norway seems to have concluded that the use of Google Analytics on a website in Norway could very well be illegal. It says it is ‘not in accordance with Norwegian law’.

The ruling is based on the fact that it is unclear how IP addresses are being treated within Google Analytics. The Norwegian authorities believe that when a business starts using Google Analytics and accepts the terms of agreement they are at that point giving Google access to personal data of website visitors. (more…)

I’m feeling Lucky Easter Egg on homepage Google

feeling_playful

Google placed a new small Easter Egg on the homepage of the search engine which can only be seen on the American homepage (Google.com). It’s about the well-known, historic I’m feeling Lucky button. When you place your mouse on the button the text will change to something else, for example, I’m Feeling Puzzled or I’m Feeling Hungry. There are eight different kind of buttons this way and every button has his own destination.

The I’m Feeling Trendy links to Google Trends and the I’m feeling puzzled links to Google’s own game A Google a Day, several buttons are linking to random Google Doodles. (more…)

Matt Cutts: “You shouldn’t put a lot of weight on +1s just yet”

Cutts-Sullivan-Grehan-Tabke

SES San Francisco is on its way for day 2 already and the organizers had a big surprise for the attendees yesterday: Matt Cutts would make a surprise visit to SES San Francisco to talk on stage and answer questions. Something Cutts doesn’t do that often outside of some SMX appearances in the past few years. On top of that Danny Sullivan and Brett Tabke were pulled on stage to participate in the talk. It also had been a while since Sullivan had been on a SES stage as well.

I live blogged the session and ‘cleaned up’ the notes below so it’s a bit more readable. The biggest things that came out of the conversation

(more…)

Google+ Starts Rolling out Vanity Urls (Finally)

Google+-vanity-urls

It was one of the biggest annoyances when Google+ rolled out: the urls. A url with a big number after all is very hard to recognise and to promote. As a brand you want to point to http://plus.google.com/stateofsearch not https://plus.google.com/b/101475377013754652573/101475377013754652573. But Google didn’t support that.

There are services who cleverly make use of that by providing redirect urls. For example you can reach the State of Search Google+ account through this url: gplus.to/stateofsearch. But now finally Google is rolling out vanity urls for Google+. It might take a while, but in the end you might have the nice looking url you always wanted.

Google+ employee Saurabh Sharma (Plus number 109179785755319022525) announced on hi G+ page that Google is rolling out the vanity urls for specific brands now and for general usernames in the future. (more…)

Google Continues to Personalize and Change Search

arrow-personal

Want to get your results as personal as possible? Google is going to get you there. They’ve already personalized results in a big way without you having to do anything. In a ‘field trial’ they are now giving you even more personalization: find your e-mail in Google search.

This is just one test which Google is performing, but they are doing a lot more. In a blog post yesterday they announced this trial, but also a new addition to “Knowledge Graph” and enhanced voice search on Android, which will make sure Google understands even a bit more about you. (more…)

Google Must Reveal Which Bloggers They Pay

bribe-envelope

Well this is going to be interesting. Google and Oracle have been ordered by a US judge to reveal which bloggers they have paid. They have to open up which bloggers are ‘on the payroll’ before August 17.

The ruling comes out of a hearing about intellectual property in court. The judge is concerned that any payments done to bloggers or journalists might have influenced analysis about the companies.

Google has already told the BBC it will comply with the order, which means they will be telling the judge, and with that the rest of the world, who they have paid. (more…)

Page 10 of 42« First...78910111213...203040...Last »