Google recently announced a new feature called Search plus Your World, a significant change to the Google Search experience. The new feature, now available to all Google users searching in English, integrates personalized results into Web search results using Google+.
Over the last several months, we’ve seen Google make minor changes in an effort to create a social search experience, but nothing quite this drastic. In Google’s announcement yesterday, they explained that Search plus Your World is effort to try to understand people and relationships, and provide people with the content they care about. But how can a search engine do that?
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We recently wrote a post about Google’s new Verbatim Search, a substitute for Google’s phased out “+” operator. In the past, the “+” operator was utilized in Google Search to apply a mandated inclusion of specific word, in a specific form. Many speculated that these changes would allow the plus sign to perform a function related to Google+.
It was only a matter of time. Google has started testing a feature called Google+ Direct Connect which helps users access their favorite brands’ Google+ pages from within Google Search. With this new feature, users will be able to type “+,” followed by a brand name into Google Search in order to be taken directly to that brand’s Google+ Page.
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Earlier this week, Google launched Google+ Pages for businesses and brands worldwide. While some people were disappointed by the lack of exciting new features and customization options of the Google+ Pages, the impact of +1s in AdWords gives businesses a good reason to get their Google+ Page up and running.
Google announced: “This week we introduced Google+ Pages, a new way to get closer to your customers online. At that time we announced that you’d be able to link your Page to your AdWords campaigns, so that all your +1s — from your Page, your website, ads and search results get tallied together and appear as a single total. We’re happy to announce that starting today, and rolling out to all advertisers globally over the rest of the week, we’re making this functionality available with a new AdWords feature called Social Extensions.
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As with most features, Google continues to make changes and improvements to sitelinks. Most recently, Google added instant previews to organic sitelinks. Previously, sitelinks were simply quick links to important pages within a site, with a very minimal description of the page. With the new update, users can now see a visual preview of up to 12 pages within the site before clicking on a page.
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We are pleased to announce that Prominent Placement has been named one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work by Atlanta Business Chronicle! Winners of this coveted award were recognized at the seventh-annual Best Places to Work Awards ceremony held this morning. Prominent Placement was among the top small employers recognized at the event.
Earlier this year, Atlanta Business Chronicle asked readers to nominate metro Atlanta companies deserving of the award. Employees at nearly 500 nominated companies were surveyed by Quantum Workplace and the companies were then ranked based on work environment, people practices and other conditions.
We are honored to be named one of Atlanta’s best places to work!
AiMA & SEMPO Atlanta event
Mixing & Mingling
Here’s part 2 of our notes from the AiMA/SEMPO Social Impact on Search event. To view part 1, click here.
Check out what the representatives from Google and Bing had to say about social search:
Walton Norris, Google
The evolution of the internet looks like this:
Phase 1: Links rule the ranking algorithm
Phase 2: Applications rule – such as ecommerce, virtual tours, gaming
Phase 3: Now, social rules – connecting people and facilitating interactions
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Are you trying to figure out if you or your business will “fit in” across various social media platforms?
I recently came across the blog post “10 tips for social media introverts,” in which Heidi Cohen describes how social media is like high school. The post provides useful guidelines to help you become the one of the cool kids in social media. By comparing social media to a social situation we’ve all previously experienced, it suddenly becomes a lot less intimidating.
Social media, like high school, can be overwhelming at first. It’s easy to just sit back and observe how others are communicating and interacting. It is this mentality that encourages the majority of users to shy away and become part of the “social media silent majority”.
As social media continues to transform how we socialize, it is more important than ever for you or your business to become actively involved. Social media is a powerful outlet to broadcast your message or thoughts to all of your friends and fan base.
I think Heidi’s playground analogy is a great place to get started. Sometimes the hardest part of embracing social media is deciding how you want to position yourself. Who do you want to interact with? As with any new marketing decision, in social media, you need to determine how and where you or your business will benefit most.
The social media prism below illustrates which social media avenues are the most effective for various objectives and goals.
So, don’t just sit back and watch the other kids have all the fun. Whether you are adding ‘likes’ or actively voicing opinions, start working towards establishing your voice in social media.
