I feel disappointed to Google search today when I try to find out the news about the Norway shooting. I went to query "Oslo" on Google, all above the fold of results are nothing about news and then I go to check at Bing, it gives me better result, it shows "breaking news" on the first position of SERPs. You can see the screenshot as attached here. Norway attack news is breaking to all major news publication : CNN, BBC, WSJ, etc. This should trigger to Google result. I am quite surprise on this result, Google always does a good job on return the result based on user intent. Something leak on user intent algorithms?
I've found one creative on universal search optimization. Art.com optimized their web application on flash and feed as Video. It shows on the first page of Google search result with keyword "Painting". Why I know this result is Video? I also checked Video search result as well. It quite interesting! This might influence Google to add new filter "Search for Application" soon.
I am quite shocked on this when I discovered Google suggest "Thailand Breast Slap" as top query in Google Autocomplete. Thinking there is someone use SEO for optimizing this term and influence the Google Autocomplete, you can see some spam in Youtube and Wikipedia and other tons of links.
Update from my post yesterday about Social Search and Social Connection on Google, I have found interesting cases as following.
1. Google gives the link weight value (associated to social search) to the link which post in Facebook in accessible profile. You can see the information as example of this snapshot. My connection is connected Mashable but I got content feed from Facebook & his website (Bigbang7.com). This is interesting to debate on how much value Google assign to this.
2. I seen lot of my secondary connection came from indirect Twitter connection which I am not follow her yet (@ womendeliver) For this case, I connected to @Mashable and then @Mashable has ton of connections to feed to me. One of must be @womendeliver. One of big reason is social authority, @Mashable is very strong on this case.
This is interesting to see how Google identify relevant. It is based on a combination of the following: - Direct connections from your Google chat buddies and contacts - Direct connections from links that appear on your Google profile - Secondary connections that are publicly associated with your direct connection
This is my snapshot social circle for example. In addition to web pages from your social circle, posts from your Google Reader subscriptions may also appear in your social search results. That you can see from above example of my Google Account, I have small number of contacts on my Gmail account and very less number of links on my profile, but I have strong secondary connection, mostly from Twitter. In this case, In my opinion, Google will give more weight to Direct Connections rather than Secondary connection. You can find more details on Social connections here : http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=1067707 It would be interested to experiment on this in different account and geographic. Will share to you guys soon.
I have found this ads when I am doing research for my client. This is interesting that Google shows the images ads next to Text ads. See the screenshots here. This Home Depot ad linked directly to branded-site. This will be impacted on CTR, current image ads now mostly place at Content Network, but once this happens on Search Network, I just wonder how much of this CTR, Any thought?
Update : This ads feature is part of Product Ads Extension (New Product from Google Adwords which now available only US Advertisers.
"Only 30% of online Europeans trust information on TV". This is interesting research from Forrester’s Technographics® Benchmark Survey on Q2, 2010. E-mail from people you know is the most trusted source of information. Search engines and portals are ranked second of most trusted source of information. Surprisingly, Wikis gains only 32% of trusted information! Another interesting is "Price Comparison website" gains more trust compared against manufacturer websites.
Google starts showing the Google Place result in web search result, I try this with Google.com.sg with signed-in with my Google account and search for broad key term like Insurance , Travel. Google shows some screenshot as shown below which are difference result with not signed-in Google account.
This new result will be impacted of SEO strategy, that you need to emphasize more on Local SEO strategy. Again, I would confirm that "SEO is NOT dead", there are many link-baiting articles about "SEO is dead" which are show up over and over again.
Today I discovered new improvement of Google search result from Google.com, It highlights each listing with soft-blue color when you do mouse-over. The highlight will appear only when you are using mouse. If you use keyboard, it still look the same as usual.
You may also notice in this screenshot, Google also displays the "Zoom" icon, this icon will use as Full Preview of the listing, it will be partially launching and testing for some particular markets at this moment..
Google keep testing on new user interface, introduced this year more than 150 User Interface changes. User feedback and interactive from users will be used as ranking signal in the future.
Google's patent of "System and Method for Modulating Search Relevancy Using Pointer Activity Monitoring", was filed on February 16 2005, as Google currently used click-through rates (CTR) as ranking signal. The new patent takes the idea a step further, looking to reorder search results by monitoring when users show interest in web content without actually clicking on it.
On October 19, 2010, I have found another search result differently from usual search result. It shows only 4 listings. Let check it out.
Google recently launched the new service to change the Search Experience, called "Google Instant", this new service becomes talk of the town to all news and media including CNN as well. This new service, SEO community started talking about a month ago and discuss in different perspective from SEO and Users.
The one that I have discovered from last couple days, check it out these findings.
- Search evaluation process will be more competitive (for example : Searching for Kindle , you will see Google suggests "Kindle VS Nook".
We can use the data visualization tool (ie., Whatdoyousuggest.net) to retrieve the Google Suggest data for expanding your idea when you develop keyword strategy. This below figure is example of Kindle suggestion.
- Trend is inspiring the searcher who looking for new product and alternative. For each market, the trend is different. You may see the example for Samsung (US market VS UK market), the product interests and keywords are significant different.
- Search Listing is more significant important (SEO is playing important role on this). As users will have spend less time to scan on each AJAX refreshing the result and will keep searching until they found what they are looking for. Title and Description will be key role to attract their eyes.
- Online Reputation Management will be more important as Google suggestion might create some suggestion which devalue the brand to users and make them notice and continue searching on in-depth information. This search query is good example for Thailand Travel, Google suggests "Thailand Travel Warnings", that you will see the different result when you search for other destination.
- Search Analytic , this is interesting that we need to start tracking the partial search query apart from usual full keyword tracking. After this launch for a week, you will start seeing people sharing the discover and findings from the new tracking methods. Love to see other analytic reports. Please do share if you have started implementing.
You may try this set up method and share what you found. I've already implemented for my own blog.
For people who wanna see full launch of Google Instant, you can check it out this video. It's a bit long video but really worth for watching.
Will keep you post more on findings for Google Instant.
