Our weekly wrap-up of compelling stories from the world of internet marketing spotlights news from Google; including the search giant’s latest push into social media with their “+1” website endorsement feature – similar to a “like” on Facebook, the unintended removal of Google Places listings due to the content farming filter in their recent algorithm changes, as well as further legal action due to the unauthorized enrolment of all Gmail users in the “Buzz” social network.
We also look at what determines the quality and value of a backlink for boosting search engine rankings, as well as the growing importance businesses are placing on the usability of their websites for improving conversion rates and enhancing user experience and engagement.
Internet Marketing News 2011 04 04
Google “+1” and the Rise of Social SEO
On March 30th, Google announced the launch of its new social search feature, “+1.” Similar in principle to Facebook’s well-established “like” button, +1 will allow Google users to cast their vote for websites and URLs that they think merit their endorsement. What will Google’s latest push into the social web mean for search and for SEO?
Businesses Learning the Importance of Website Usability
Enhancing the experience of their website’s users has become increasingly important for online enterprises, especially in highly competitive markets. This fascinating article describes the growing focus on website usability, user engagement and conversion rate optimization as being a type of “digital architecture.”
Google Inadvertently Classifies Google Places as a “Content Farm”
Resulting from what could be described as an extraordinary inter-department conflict of interest between its Webspam team and its Places team, Google’s recent algorithm changes temporarily filtered out Places listings from its search index, classifying them as a “content farm.”
Link Anatomy - Understanding the Value of a Link
Assessing the quality of a backlink is not as simple as it might seem. This article describes what factors make a backlink more effective; including the linked anchor text as well as the relevance and trust/authority of the website.
Google “Buzz” Social Network Sued by Privacy Group
Following one privacy group’s class action lawsuit against Google for their automatic and unauthorized enrolment of all Gmail users in the Buzz social network, another group is now lobbying for $1.75 million dollars in compensation from the $8.5 million dollar fund set up by Google.
