This Week’s Industry News
Compiled By Rocket Clicks Staff
Bing’s Ad Preview Tool Adds Diagnostic Feature
Bing will soon meld its Ad Preview Tool with a newly minted Ad Diagnostics Tool, which tells advertisers why their ads are not displayed on Page One for specific keywords. This includes information on low quality score/campaign quality, and whether or not campaign settings are inhibiting impressions. Source: Search Engine Land
Google Removes Link To Expanded Local Listings
The Google 7-Pak “More Results Near…” link has been conspicuously absent from Google’s local search results this week, and it appears the new limitation is permanent. A Google employee confirmed the change in a Google forum discussion, and explained it as a move to “improve” the local search experience. Source: Search Engine Land
YouTube Adds Paid Subscriptions To Premium Channels
In a long anticipated move, YouTube has announced it will offer monthly subscriptions to its top 50 premium channels. Starting at a $1.99 price point, the fees go up from there, although YouTube may offer an a la carte option at a later point in time. Source: Search Engine Journal
Google Maps Is Poised For An Incredible Makeover
Google is currently testing a major redesign of its Google Maps tool. Click through the link to look at a few screen shots, which include local filters that cater to your Google+ circles and a host of various aesthetic alterations. Source: Search Engine Land
INFOGRAPHIC: Facebook’s Edgerank Algorithm, Visualized
Edgerank is the algorithm that Facebook uses to decide who is going to be all in your face on any given occasion. Turns out interactions and comments make things appear in your newsfeed more often. So next time you really hate those pictures that a girl you used to go to high school with posted from the Kentucky Derby, don’t comment on them asking why there are so many pictures of the same hat, but with different angles. Because then her hats and face will only continue to haunt you. Source: Mashable
The NSA Handbook Teaching Spies How To Google
Internet marketers could probably be better cyberspies than they give themselves credit for. At least according to the legal practices laid out in Untangling the Web: A Guide to Internet Research, which is the National Security Agency’s Google handbook, basically. The guide helps spies filter out Google search results looking for information that may be inadvertently posted on the web somewhere. None of the tactics are illegal, and most involve searching for words such as “login” or using filters such as “site:”. If anything, it’s interesting to see how the government uses the Internet to find publically available information that could be useful for intelligence. Source: Wired
Google Analytics Adds Real-Time Conversion Report
Google Analytics has added goal conversions to its real-time reports. The real-time Conversion report shows the most recent goals, displaying them by number of conversions from highest to lowest. Source: Search Engine Watch
Google Shopping Feed Specification Gets Some Changes
Goggle Shopping Feed Specification got a few changes this week. The biggest change is the added ‘identifier exists’ attribute for merchants selling custom goods that don’t have unique identifiers like brand names or MPN codes. Additional changes include a new multipack attribuite for merchants selling custom bundles of goods, higher resolution images and revised description and color attributes guidelines. Source: Search Engine Land
New Q&A Site Integrates Directly With Bing
Klout, a new addition to the long list of Q&A format sites, is at least approaching it from a somwhat unique angle. Klout integrates with Bing- outside of the social search bar and instead with a big listing within the main search pane. The product, called ‘Klout Experts’, features short 300 word answers from influential Klout users on specific subjects. Source: Search Engine Land
Yahoo Has Requested A Trade From Microsoft
Even before Googler Marissa Mayer ascended the CEO throne at Yahoo, the former search giant had reportedly been trying to flip its search allegiances from Bing to Google. Considering Microsoft pretty much holds the exclusive rights to break the 10 year contract at the halfway mark in 2015 (by closing, selling Bing, or watching Yahoo’s search revenue fall 40% below Google’s), that’s not happening anytime soon. Source: Search Engine Watch
Google Unveils ‘Inactive Account Manager’ Feature
If you’re anything like me (or someone else that makes this anecdote personally relevant to you), you probably have more than one Google Account. Now, once you stop using an account, it is possible to disable it thanks to Inactive Account Manager. The new feature is available in the Google Account settings, and includes an option to completely delete the account, inform contacts of the accounts impending demise, and a timeout period that lets Google know when to turn the account off. Source: Search Engine Journal
Google Will Not Be Adding Publishership Anytime Soon
Although Google has been testing a few company logo additions next to URLs in its rich snippets testing tool, the search engine confirmed it would not be making those “publisher” displays a permanent fixture. Source: Search Engine Land
Notable Commentary
Ready For Warmer Weather
A Comprehensive Guide To The New Google Keyword Planner
Google recently, and quietly, added a new keyword tool to its AdWords interface. Called the AdWords Keyword Planner, the helpful tool combines features from the traditional Google Keyword Tool and AdWords Traffic Estimator, giving advertisers a much easier way to plan and build out their campaigns. Larry Kim serves as your guide in this journey to understanding its functionality. Analysis By: Larry Kim, Search Engine Land
‘SEO’ Is Dead…As A Strict Marketing Practice
Rand Fishkin has an excellent Whiteboard Friday video that covers a topic that is gaining a lot of traction: We are not just SEOs anymore, and it’s time to start treating SEO as a bigger part of the traditional marketing strategy. Analysis By: Rand Fishkin, SEOmoz
A Five-Minute Analysis Of The Biggest SEO Factors To Watch In 2013
Scott Clark has an excellent elevator pitch on five things you absolutely need to know about the SEO world in 2013. Most importantly, it’s a great illustration of just how complex and challenging Internet marketing is becoming, which is good news for the white hatters out there. Analysis By: Scott Clark, BuzzMaven
Optimizing Internal Link Structure
Most of our concentration on link building involves connecting external websites to various pages on our own site. However, your internal links can have a profound impact on how Google views your site and how people interact with it. Optimize them accordingly. Analysis By: Erin Everhart, Search Engine Land
Why Vertical Search Could Put A Dent In Google’s Search Share
James Green has a compelling post on Search Engine Land discussing vertical search, which is defined as a search conducted on a website such as Amazon, as a rising player in the search market. He also explains why the practice could start eating into Google’s search share, especially since traditional search volume declined 3% last year while vertical search increased 8%. Analysis By: James Green, Search Engine Land
A Strategic SEO Plan For Facebook Graph Search
As Facebook’s Graph Search assimilates itself across the entire social network, it’s important to start planning how your business’ social strategy will align with these new user expectations. Analysis By: Jim Yu, Search Engine Land
Here Are A Few Ranking Factors Used By Facebook’s Graph Search
Although limited to just one million users so far, some of the most important factors that influence Facebook’s Graph Search ranks have already exposed themselves. Glenn Gabe takes an in-depth look at some of the more obvious influences, and explains how businesses can prepare themselves to meet each of these qualifications. Analysis By: Glenn Gabe, Search Engine Watch
Five Advanced Search Features That Are Must-Have Across All Industries
Paid search strategies, bidding, and targeting vary greatly depending on the industry in which you operate. However, Jason Young has five advanced bidding solutions that can be applied universally across all business types. Analysis By: Jason Young, Search Engine Land
Here’s How The Onion Got Hacked By The Syrian Electronic Army
Earlier this week, The Onion fell victim to a cyber attack from the Syrian Electronic Army. While little damage was done, The Onion’s tech team revealed the play-by-play of how the SEA found their way into the satirical website’s database through an uncomplicated phishing method, and how they are protecting themselves from future attacks. Analysis By: The Onion Tech Team
Prepping For The Approaching Popularity Of Google Now
With Google Now making its way to Apple devices after a year of exclusive availability on Android phones, it’s more important than ever for SEOs to consider the way users are searching on mobile devices. This article is a great primer for how Google Now will impact your mobile SEO strategies, and how to prepare for it. Analysis By: Guillaume Bouchard, Search Engine Watch
