Tag: Google

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Google Positions Itself as a Venue Unto Itself

Need help getting your site visible on the Web?
Need help getting your site visible on the Web?

Here’s just another release from Google that points out again that the Big G’s plans for the future include boosting their own brand and creating stickiness of their own site; all at the expense of organic listings.

Here’s a short detail, “Google Posts are a new element to the search engine that is currently in the experimental phase. The feature allows businesses and people alike to develop content to be posted directly on Google. The content then appears highly ranked in the SERPs in a carousel format. ” Full article is found at SiteProNews.

The key takeaway on this announcement is that by providing the information that you want and need, you will soon have no reason to ever even leave the Google search page or a Google owned property. All the better for Google, as this allows them to serve you ads while you are digesting quality content and finding the relevant information you need without even leaving their site.

Think about your shopping experience on Amazon, do you need to shop elsewhere for anything at this point? Amazon sells it all. Both Facebook and Google are now in a race to become “Amazons” in their own way. This strategy is making it difficult for small businesses to only count on being found in the organic results as a way to grow their business exposure as both platforms work to greedily keep readers all to themselves.

If you need a boost in visibility and are concerned about the shrinking landscape of organic results, it’s time to get on Google AdWords. Find out about our Quick Start services.

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Get Google Calendar’s Goals to Organize Your Life

Get active and let Google Calendar book the time in your schedule for you.
Get active and let Google Calendar book the time in your schedule for you.

Do you use Google Calendar? Want to squeeze more out of each day? Google will now schedule time for you to squeeze more out of each day when you set up a Google Calendar Goal.

This is a new enhancement to the Google Calendar app. If you already have Google Calendar installed, use these quick steps to check it out for yourself.

If not, go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.calendar and download the app to get started.

Get Started!

  1. Open the app and then click the big red circle with a + at the bottom right.  Choose the blue “goal”.
  2. Let Google know what you want to have as your goal – exercise time, building a skill, time for family and friends, me time,  or simply stay organized.
  3. Based on the activity, you will see different questions. I selected stay organized and my menu is plan the day, clean, do chores, custom. Each step has different questions to fine tune what Google will do and how frequently it will add a note on your calendar.
  4. When you are done click the checkmark at the top right of the last page. Google will then flag time in your calendar based on your criteria. And, Google will remind you to stay on task to accomplish your own goal.

If you are having trouble finding time to do something regularly, it’s a good idea to allow Google to scan your calendar, add the item, and then remind you that you need to do it. You can mark the goal done or defer it as needed when your reminder pops up.

Using goals in Google Calendar is just another great way that Google Calendar can make your life easier and for you to live smarter.

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Get on Google+ Guide

Google Partner Badge
McCord Web Services is a Google Partner.

I consider activity on Google+ important for business owners. The real SEO and search benefits are however not achieved by updating your Google+ Business page, but rather your Google+ personal page.

So, how can you connect with others to start building your Google+ empire and improved rankings for your company website in the organic listings?

Start by making sure the content you write is on target, on topic, and engaging. I use my Google+ page for business and not personal use. Consider doing the same for now.

Work to actively add users to circles and respond when someone adds you to one of their circles. Click +1 and leave comments on posts you find interesting. You’ve simply got to spend some time.

Consider starting a hangout. Well I am still thinking about that one, but have participated in several others and they can be fun. I have just not initiated one.

I personally find that for placement Google+ will be very important. As Google does not allow any automated or scheduled updates to be passed to your Google+ page, you will find the community of business people, legitimate, real and engaging.

Personally, I use Facebook for personal interaction on my locked down private page and Google+ as my face on social networks for business.

If you are using Google+ for your business outreach efforts, make sure to check out our Google+ writing services. They are very cost effective.

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Not Making Videos? Now’s the Time to Reconsider

It's easy to get started with videos.
It’s easy to get started with videos.

With organic results being pushed down below the fold, with the shrinking space on mobile screens leaving nearly no room after ads, how can you get your website to show for organic or unpaid searches?

It is simple, use videos posted on YouTube which Google will preferentially index and show over videos posted with Flash or other video applications embedded back on your website.

The key take away on this is that YouTube is a Google property. Google loves to promote and link to content in its own network as ads can be shown and therefore it pads its own pockets. Plus Google likes and understands that users want video and so shows them mixed in with the organic results very frequently. We are a visual world!

Your YouTube video that you do to explain, illustrate, or showcase a product may be the way that new customers will find your business and enter your website.

Videos you post to YouTube do not need to be works of art, but solve a problem, talk to a need, and do not even need to be long. Just grab your smartphone and start recording. You can receive value from 20 to 30 second videos or how to videos.

I like to post these types of videos to YouTube plus archive them via the embed code back on my own website, getting double duty of new fresh content and ways for clients to view – on my site or full screen over at YouTube.

I think that for businesses struggling to get organic placement in the new no-ad-sidebar Google world that video will play a strong part in getting future traffic.