| Finally number four!
It has been a while since we have sent out a newsletter. This was caused by a full agenda and the fact that we are still running into some issues when it comes to the format of this newsletter. It seems like not every mail client shows the beautiful lay out we are seeing. But we hope that will be fixed soon. If you still have trouble seeing the proper lay out, please look at the online version.
Meanwhile State of Search is doing fantastic. We have seen a huge increase in visitors in the past months and we can without a doubt say that we are getting a lot of attention for our work around the web. Which off course we like. Also our blogging team has grown again and we have made some changes to both site and Facebook pages (see below).
In this newsletter we'll tell you about these changes but you can also find an article by Peter Young called "The futures bright, The futures Bing". Also we give you an overview of some of the best posts coming from different events we attended: A4U Expo, ProSEO, ISS and the Conversion Conference. Enjoy!
News from State of Search: bloggers and new features
First a little bit of news about State of Search:
Blogging team
The blogging team keeps on growing. We are very proud to introduce you to two more excellent bloggers: Annabel Hodges and Sam Crocker. Annabel is doing large multinational search and social projects at Manning Gottlieb OMD and Sam is online marketer specialising in SEO at Distilled.
Changes to the website:
The State of Search website is constantly changing. We have some big plans for the (hopefully near) future, but we already made some changes which benefit our readers a lot:
Our news page and category: yes, we are now also providing you with the latest news from around the web! You can find the news in our special news category. The news items may not always show up on the homepage, so be sure to really take a look on the special pages.
The latest from the different categories: want to find out what were the latest articles on a specific category? We've made that really easy for you! Just head over to our categories page and you will have an overview on one page right there!
The special event pages: as you know we cover events extensively. On our special event pages you can find everything about the events we are at, from tweets to posts, to photos, videos and even presentations. Take a look at the A4U page for example. A must read for everybody interested in the content of an event!
Our totally renewed Facebook page!
Yes, we are also on Facebook! Our Facebook page has been completely renewed. You can now find information on our bloggers, the latest radioshows, special videos, discussions and a lot more. Go check it out and be sure to LIKE our page and become a fan! Remember: Facebook friends sometimes see different content than whats on the website!
Article: The futures bright, The futures Bing
By Peter Young
A few weeks ago I published a post on Holistic about whether Bing could be a viable alternative to Google – something which came up with some interesting results. Having watched the HTML5 enhanced version, I have to say I am genuinely impressed with some of the usability features they are integrating into the Google search engine. Unlike Google’s rushed and barely thought out implementation of Google Instants, some of the usability features of the HTML 5 enhanced version of Bing appear genuinely well thought out and well implemented.
Technologies within HTML5 have allowed them to integrate some very slick functionality – particularly with the new IE9 technologies – such as the video tag which can be used to change the new homepage. Whilst some people hate the background in Bing, I think both Google and Bing are trying to make their search engines ‘portal-like’ in their own right and social hubs to the rest of the internet. To this effect I think the new Bing framework does hold some significant promise for the future.
Increasing use of new technologies within the search real estate would also suggest this is an area which increasingly is getting greater focus from Bing. Increased take up from advertisers and users, can only really be good – and I have often said that what Google really need is some increased competition as I do think there is a certain case of no competition being a dangerous thing. Competition inspires creativity – and at present it would appear that no matter what Google do their brand equity is significantly high enough to keep them ahead of the curve.
Bing therefore cannot be discounted, the increased focus on driving a solid search proposition, the Yahoo Search Alliance, and what would appear to be a solid creative framework in place, I honestly increasingly believe the future could be one where Bing can play an increasingly large part in. In the end for most small- to medium-sized websites it doesn't matter whether it's a nurse treating your SEO woes or a doctor, the end result is likely to be the same. But for the really complex and challenging SEO issues, you'll want a proper doctor at your bedside.
Our coverage of events: A4U, ProSEO, ISS & Conversion Conference
State of Search is famous for its coverage of events. That is why many events ask us to be their media partner. And if we can say so ourselves, we think we also 'rock' at this! In the past few months we have been covering several events again and have published some great content on it. See below some of the content we published!
A4U Expo London
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Go see our brand new Facebook page!
