Archive for the 'Google' Category

Watch out Google – Here come’s Facebook Search

Published on June 25, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Facebook GoogleYesterday we were searching on Facebook for the phrase “phoenix restaurant” to see what Facebook pages would show up for that phrase.  We noticed a new search result showing up in Facebook search (as shown below) that could spell trouble (or at least create a new headache) for Google.

Few would argue how powerful Google.com search is so the concept of Facebook search killing Google is a stretch. But instead start learning how this Facebook search change can be leveraged by your business as an additional opportunity for increasing awareness.

When Facebook launched the OpenGraph API at the annual f8 conference about 2 months ago, Facebook created a platform that allows sites and apps to share information about users in order to tailor offers, features and services to each one’s interests and tastes — even if that individual has never visited the site before.

Facebook Search ResultWhen you’re signed on to Facebook, participating websites like CNN.com will display information, goods and services tailored specifically to your interests — without requiring you to sign in at that website or provide it with any information.

For websites to leverage the new Facebook OpenGraph API it requires just a few lines of code added to your website.  When we 1st heard about this we immediately thought this could create new opportunities for search engine optimization.

By placing the OpenGraph code on your site, Facebook can crawl for specific information and our prediction (which is now proved to be true) off Facebook results would start to show on Facebook search.  There is a cool feature on Facebook called URl Linter and based on the example above with Yellow Pages you can see what Facebook is crawling.

This is all very exciting; however, Facebook will need to quickly improve the relevancy of results if they want people to start using Facebook search instead of Google.com. With the Yellow Pages example above if you clicked on the link it would send you to the Canada Yellow Pages showing a Phoenix Restaurant.

Facebook know’s my information (clearly from Phoenix, Arizona) so the results should only show sources that will send me to a website talking about restaurants in Phoenix Arizona.  Facebook has not officially announced this change so it is quite possible we stumbled across Facebook testing so let’s not start bashing this.

We encourage you to watch this closely to see what Facebook has in store with web search.  In addition, take the time to learn about Facebook’s OpenGraph API and how you should consider adding the Facebook meta code to your website so when (not IF) Facebook fully launches web search features your site will start showing up.  What are your thoughts around this?  Are you seeing results showing up in Facebook for non on Facebook.com results?

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Best Internet Marketing News Of The Week May 31 2010

Published on June 6, 2010 by Jay Feitlinger. View Comments

Best Internet MarketingThe iClick Solutions internet marketing team dedicates countless hours (probably too many) reading internet marketing news, updates and using all this knowledge to create innovative ideas for our clients each and every day.

Each week we are going to highlight the best internet marketing news that we have seen you may have missed and should read. Makes sure to subscribe to iClick Solutions RSS, via email on the right sidebar and / or connect with us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on these weekly internet marketing updates and learn how to leverage internet marketing and social media to connect with your customer online.

For the week of Monday, May 31, 2010 here are iClick Solutions Best Internet Marketing winners that you want to make sure you read:

  • Mobile Shopping Doubles in 2010 by eMarketer – Mobile commerce has been slow to catch on. According to Multichannel Merchant, four in five multichannel retailers have no m-commerce presence. But while consumer usage of mobile shopping is still relatively low, it is increasing, prompting firms such as Coda Research Consultancy to predict a doubling of m-commerce revenues in the US this year, to $2.4 billion. There has also been a doubling in usage of mobile shopping, according to PriceGrabber.com’s “Smartphone Shopping Behavior” survey.
  • Online Reputation Management is Easier by Joe Hall – Well it’s not as easy as writing silly poems. But it’s probably easier than capping underwater oil spills. And, apparently it’s easier than umpiring a baseball game. But one thing it is most definitely easier than it is: off-line reputation management. Yup that’s right there’s a difference between online reputation management and reputation management done off the Internet. While many of the same tactics and underlying strategies are used, the situation is oftentimes approached and handled in a completely different format.
  • Top 5 Trends in Banner Marketing for 2010 by Majon International – Internet marketers may not be espousing the untold riches that banner advertising can bring any more – the era when a cost-per-click model was a revolution in advertising is actually pretty far gone! However, smart Internet marketers have definitely not left banner marketing  behind! There are still plenty of people making plenty of sales, and building positive brand recognition through banner marketing. Today we check out the top 5 trends to watch in designing banners for 2010.
  • Google Now Comes In Your Favorite Flavors by SEO and Tech Daily – Over the past few months, some subtle changes have been main to the main Google Search page, most notably a flattening of the Google logo and font size changes. The page remained plain, simple and easy-to-use. Assuming you’re not using a personalized version (ala Firefox, private branded portals, or numerous Linux builds), you’re greeted with a simple logo and search bar.  Google’s ‘universal search’ fades in at the top.
  • Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART] by Matt Silverman – Korean boy band Super Junior takes the top spot on this week’s list, demonstrating once again that Twitter is truly an international affair. And in classic Twitter form, international diplomatic crises rank right up there with pro sports upsets as the most talked about topics on the network. And if you’re concerned about Justin Bieber (as we all certainly are), rest assured, he jumps back into the trend party at number seven.
  • How to Build a Successful Business With a Small Audience by Jonathan Mead – More subscribers. More traffic. More followers. It’s easy to get caught up in the race for more. More is better, right? We all want our businesses and blogs to grow. But not all growth is ideal or even beneficial. Sometimes blind growth can be harmful. More contacts and more eyeballs doesn’t always mean better eyeballs. Would you rather have 1,000 people’s eyes completely glued to everything you do, or 100,000 with an attention span rivaling a fruit fly on amphetamines?

If you have any thoughts regarding above articles please share below. Also, if you have a suggestion for topics you want us to focus on with next week’s best internet marketing tips please Contact Us and let us know. We would love to hear from you.

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Best Internet Marketing News Of The Week May 24 2010

Published on May 29, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Best Internet MarketingThe iClick Solutions internet marketing team dedicates countless hours (probably too many) reading internet marketing news, updates and using all this knowledge to create innovative ideas for our clients each and every day.

Each week we are going to highlight the best internet marketing news that we have seen you may have missed and should read.  Makes sure to subscribe to iClick Solutions RSS, via email on the right sidebar and / or connect with us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on these weekly internet marketing updates and learn how to leverage internet marketing and social media to connect with your customer online.

For the week of Monday, May 24, 2010 here are iClick Solutions Best Internet Marketing winners that you want to make sure you read:

  • Google Completes $750 Million AdMob Acquisition by Jack Marshall – Google has completed its $750 million acquisition of mobile ad network AdMob, following approval from the FTC last week after a six-month anti-trust investigation into the merger. Writing on the company blog, Susan Wojcicki, Google’s VP of Product Management wrote, “Today, we closed our acquisition of AdMob… We’ll now begin the process of bringing our products and teams together in the best way, and building new products and features together. We’re working to make this integration happen as fast and as seamlessly as possible. We’ll actively keep our clients up-to-date as we bring our businesses together.”
  • 44% of US Adults Research SMBs Online by Matt McGee – Does small business reputation management matter? I think so. It’s right near the top of my SEO Success Pyramid as one of the last “steps” to earning trust in your business. The Pew Research Project has put the value of small business reputation management into numbers: 44% of online adults say they have searched online for information about someone whose services or advice they seek in a professional capacity, like a doctor, lawyer or plumber.
  • 10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Killer Social Media Strategy by Beth Hrusch – Why do businesses need social media? It’s a good question, and one that everyone should ask before they get started. After all, spending time, money, and other precious resources on social media marketing before you have an understanding of what it can do for you is kind of like putting the cart before the horse (not advisable).
  • Only You Can Prevent Blog Trolls & Comment Jerks by Lisa Barone – As a SMB owner, I think it provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to create thought leadership and to use storytelling to create an interesting point of difference. I also think one reason small business owners are hesitant to get involved with blogging is because they’re afraid to open up their community and site to people who may drop by and say mean things. Everyone’s afraid of the dreaded comment troll.
  • 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Landing Page by Hubspot – Does your online marketing strategy include things like “conversion,” “ROI” and “new customers?” If the answer is yes, then landing pages are something you’ve thought long and hard about.  Landing pages broker the exchange of information between you and the interested party. Combining an eye-catching offer button with an effective landing page can turn what was once just web traffic into a steady stream of leads for your sales team.
  • Small Business Owners Adopting Social Media in 2010 by Matt McGee – A new survey of U.S. small business owners confirms what I’ve thought to be true: Social media is growing as a marketing tool. The “FedEx Office Signs of the Times Small Business Survey” polled 500 small biz owners across the country in early April. When asked how they plan to grow their businesses in 2010, social media was one of the few methods that gained when compared to the 2009 survey.

If you have any thoughts regarding above articles please share below. Also, if you have a suggestion for topics you want us to focus on with next week’s best internet marketing tips please Contact Us and let us know.  We would love to hear from you.

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Best Internet Marketing News Of The Week May 17 2010

Published on May 23, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Best Internet MarketingThe iClick Solutions internet marketing team dedicates countless hours reading internet marketing news, updates and using all this knowledge to create innovative ideas for our clients each and every day.

Each week we are going to highlight the best internet marketing news that we have seen you may have missed and should read.  Makes sure to subscribe to iClick Solutions RSS, via email on the right sidebar and / or connect with us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on these weekly internet marketing updates and learn how to leverage internet marketing and social media to connect with your customer online.

For the week of Monday, May 17, 2010 here are iClick Solutions Best Internet Marketing winners that you want to make sure you read:

  1. Google Demos New Mobile Ads and TV Product – At its developer conference in San Francisco today, Google unveiled its new Android 2.2 mobile operating system, dubbed FroYo, and its T.V.-meets-web set top box, Google TV. Though the new technologies and features were being pitched to an audience of developers, advertiser interests were frequently referenced, and new mobile ad formats were showcased.
  2. The Myth of Perfect Content – Many websites try to create perfect brochure content for their markets and prospects. Then they optimize those pages for SEO. After all, you want people to land on the perfect page when they arrive from a search engine query result, right? If only life were so Type-A. Except in this case the A stands for atypical. Search results are rarely neat and tidy. Many times people click on results that look hopeful, not ones that look correct. If yours is the best result, even if it’s not perfect, people will click. Search engine programmers know this too. At night they dream of getting funded for creating the mythical database of intentions.
  3. Facebook Shared Usernames With Advertisers – Last night the Wall Street Journal published about a new Facebook “privacy loophole” that resulted in user information being shared with advertisers. The information that was often shared by Facebook was the username of the person who clicked on the ad as detailed by Ben Edelman. While Facebook has become the subject of security attacks in recent weeks and has come under fire for legitimate concerns, your username has always been for sale, and not by Facebook.
  4. AT&T hiking smartphone ETF to $325 – AT&T Mobility plans to raise its early termination fee for smartphones and netbooks from $175 to $325, effective June 1. The change comes just ahead of Apple’s expected launch of the next iPhone, and amid continuing speculation over when AT&T might lose its exclusive hold on the popular smartphone.
  5. 1 Million iPads Sold in First Month – Apple has been releasing iPad sales stats numerous times since its launch. Today, it was revealed that the iPad has hit 1 million units sold, a whooping 12 million iPad apps and 1.5 million ibooks downloaded. As noted in the press release, the iPad took just 28 days to reach the 1 million milestone, whereas the 1st gen iPhone sold as much in 74 days.

If you have any thoughts regarding above articles please share below.  Also, if you have a suggestion for topics you want us to focus on with next week’s best internet marketing tips please Contact Us and let us know.  We would love to hear from you.

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Best Internet Marketing News Of The Week May 10 2010

Published on May 15, 2010 by iClick Solutions. View Comments

Best Internet MarketingThe iClick Solutions internet marketing team dedicates countless hours reading internet marketing news, updates and using all this knowledge to create innovative ideas for our clients each and every day.

Each week we are going to highlight the best internet marketing news that we have seen you may have missed and should read.  Makes sure to subscribe to iClick Solutions RSS, via email on the right sidebar and / or connect with us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on these weekly internet marketing updates and learn how to leverage internet marketing and social media to connect with your customer online.

For the week of Monday, May 10, 2010 here are iClick Solutions Best Internet Marketing winners that you want to make sure you read:

  1. Facebook Privacy Settings: How To Fix Your Profile In 2 Minutes (VIDEO) – In light of recent changes, Facebook privacy settings these days can be a hassle. To exert full control over your privacy on Facebook, you have to navigate through 50 settings with more than 170 options. All of the settings can be mind-boggling, unless you know where to go for the most important fixes.
  2. HOW TO: Get Notified When Someone Hacks Your Facebook – Facebook just announced a tool that notifies you by e-mail or SMS text message when someone logs into your Facebook profile from an unknown computer. The idea is to help you recognize when a hacker has broken into your account so you can respond quickly by either changing your password (if that’s still possible) or contacting Facebook.
  3. 7 Tips to Boost Your Blog’s Credibility – How can you improve blog credibility? In a world full of scams and false promises, there’s an increasing need to be more credible in today’s online atmosphere. This article will go over 7 quick tips to help you build and maintain a good credibility standing among your readers.
  4. 6 Steps That Get Big Shots to Answer Your Email – You need to get the attention of a powerful internet marketer, A-list blogger, or busy CEO. Maybe you’ve got a brilliant idea for a joint venture that would make you both scads of money. Or maybe you just wrote a brilliant guest post that a certain top blogger’s audience will love.
  5. Does Social Media Success Only Come with Deals? – Patricio Robles of eConsultancy takes a look at the success of some recent social media campaigns—and the results aren’t exactly as inspiring as they might seem at first glance. For example, he looks at a recent JetBlue campaign on Facebook, where they saw a “massive” response (in ClickZ’s words). But the biggest challenge facing that campaign wasn’t getting people to fork out the bucks for discount plane tickets—it was getting them to believe the $10 fares were for real.

If you have any thoughts regarding above articles please share below.  Also, if you have a suggestion for topics you want us to focus on with next week’s best internet marketing tips please Contact Us and let us know.  We would love to hear from you.

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