Local Search Connects Business with Consumers » Best home based businesses

You’re ambling around town when suddenly you crave Chinese dumplings. You whip out your phone and after a couple of local searches you’re well on your way to getting your fix.

A similar scenario plays out day after day as mobile users refer to their devices for local information – information that will help them navigate their immediate environment and solve their real-time needs and wants.

It’s not surprising, then, to read of recent data from Microsoft that shows over half (53%) of mobile searches on Bing have a local intent.
Hence the development of ads that, quite literally, guide consumers from “search to store”. Such ads, including Google’s Expandable Map ads, appear both on the mobile web and in apps and, when clicked, provide the user with directions to a store.

“Mobile user demand for information that can be acted on in the real world, in real-time is, well, very real,” writes Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling, who uncovered the data in a recent chat with Bing’s Director of Search, Stefan Weitz.

“That’s what this Microsoft stat reflects. If that’s not an argument for mobile advertising in general and mobile search in particular, I don’t know what is.”

Read the rest of the story…

Ask.com and you won’t receive

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:51:48 +0000

By Rob Pegoraro

It may be all up to Bing now: Ask.com, the only other search engine to provide measurable competition to Google in the U.S., announced today that it would end its Web-search efforts.

Read the rest of the story…

Should You Be Snuggling With Your Cellphone?

admin — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:42:57 +0000

By RANDALL STROSS

Published: November 13, 2010

WARNING: Holding a cellphone against your ear may be hazardous to your health. So may stuffing it in a pocket against your body.

I’m paraphrasing here. But the legal departments of cellphone manufacturers slip a warning about holding the phone against your head or body into the fine print of the little slip that you toss aside when unpacking your phone. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer than 5/8 of an inch; Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, is still more cautious: keep a distance of about an inch.

Read the rest of the story…

Google Adds Live Sports Results, Emergency Contacts and Instant Previews

admin — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 11:39:03 +0000

In another weekly installment, Google has provided an overview of updates and changes to the search engine in the past week. Since Google regularly makes several updates and launches new features, big and small, every week, it sometimes doesn’t do a full blog post announcement for all of them, hence the weekly round up.

“We’re always excited by the diversity of the search features and enhancements that we make in any given week. Each week we try to release a diverse set of search feature and enhancement to help you find what you’re looking for, faster,” Johanna Wright, Director of Search Product Management at Google, wrote.

Read the rest or the story…

Google and Facebook rivalry takes centerstage

admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:38:56 +0000

(Reuters) – The technology industry’s latest rivalry takes centerstage next week when Internet powers Google Inc and Facebook lay out their competing visions to create a new generation of Web services at a high-profile conference in San Francisco.

The relationship between the two Internet icons has become increasingly confrontational, and the battle will likely intensify on Monday when Facebook is expected to introduce a revamped version of its messaging technology that could pose a challenge to Google’s Gmail.

Chrome is up in the air, in the clouds, literally

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:26:58 +0000

By Paula Rooney | November 8, 2010, 7:59am PST

Google has teamed up with three major airlines to make Chrome and the Internet available free on flights through the holidays.

On Monday, the web services giant’s browser team said it has deals in place with AirTran, Delta and Virgin American to provide Gogo inflight Internet access at no cost to passengers from Nov. 20 through Jan 2, 2011.

The service — which will reportedly allow passengers to check e-mail and surf the web –n will be available on more than 700 planes.

I’d give this a 9.5 on the PR campaign scale. Business passengers have dreamed of in flight access for years and consumers are now just as hooked. Nearly every surfer knows about Internet Explorer and Firefox (the reincarnated Netscape Navigator) and Chrome has made a huge dent over the past year. This will only heighten awareness of the open source browser.

Read the rest of the story…

Google has teamed up with three major airlines to make Chrome and the Internet available free on flights through the holidays.
On Monday, the web services giant’s browser team said it has deals in place with AirTran, Delta and Virgin American to provide Gogo inflight Internet access at no cost to passengers from Nov. 20 through Jan 2, 2011.

The service — which will reportedly allow passengers to check e-mail and surf the web –n will be available on more than 700 planes.
I’d give this a 9.5 on the PR campaign scale. Business passengers have dreamed of in flight access for years and consumers are now just as hooked. Nearly every surfer knows about Internet Explorer and Firefox (the reincarnated Netscape Navigator) and Chrome has made a huge dent over the past year. This will only heighten awareness of the open source browser.

Read the rest of the story…

Obama’s India visit dominates Google search

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:55:52 +0000

Sunday, November 7, 2010, 14:50 [IST]

New Delhi, Nov 7: As the US President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama danced to celebrate Diwali with Indian students, his maiden visit to India became the most searched item on Google search engine.

Buzz up!

According to data on Google Trends, which provides insights into broad search patterns, US President’s visit to the country was the most searched item on Google India website on Saturday, Nov 6. The search history shows that Indians have searched with key words like ‘Obama visit to India’, ‘Obama in Mumbai’, ‘Obama Biography’, ‘Air Force One’ and other related topics.

Read the rest of the story…

Google To Facebook: You Can’t Import Our User Data Without Reciprocity

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:20:43 +0000

First Posted: 11- 5-10 01:33 PM | Updated: 11- 5-10 01:33 PM

TechCrunch:

When you initially sign up for Facebook, you’re run through a series of prompts asking you to enter your Google account information so that Facebook can import the email addresses of your contacts. This is a very powerful feature because it helps new users instantly connect with dozens of their friends. And Google is turning it off, because it thinks Facebook isn’t playing fair.

Read the rest of the story…

Google’s growth online reflected by expansion in Mountain View

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:31:23 +0000

By Mike Swift

mswift@mercurynews.com

Posted: 11/07/2010 01:01:00 AM PDT

Updated: 11/07/2010 01:27:34 AM PDT

Google’s aggressive online growth increasingly has a counterpart in bricks and mortar, with the company’s Mountain View headquarters mushrooming over the past four years to occupy more than 4 million square feet, or the equivalent of about 40 Home Depot stores.

But that’s just a start. On Silicon Valley’s NASA base, Google is preparing to build a new corporate campus with fitness and day care facilities and — in a first in the valley — employee housing, adding 1.2 million square feet of space to Google’s real estate holdings.

While other valley giants also occupy vast amounts of real estate, Google is growing in a way that is distinct, remaking its surroundings according to its own values. In addition to buying buildings and squeezing out some of its neighbors, it is prodding the city of Mountain View to transform the area around its headquarters, adding housing and retail to create an environment more like a town center.

The company’s goals are to build a headquarters that would be “nurturing and regenerative to the environment, provide a vibrant community and work/life balance for all,” Google real estate chief David Radcliffe wrote in a letter to city officials earlier this year.

Read the rest of the story…

Google Instant – Practically made for mobile

admin — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 09:08:57 +0000

Christopher Dawson Nov 04 21:07:26 PDT 2010

Google Instant is useful on the desktop, but I often just search from my address bar instead of going to Google.com. Useful is probably a pretty big understatement, but a decent broadband connection yields snappy searches on Google regardless. Fire up Instant Search on a mobile browser, though, and you have something so fast that [...]

Read the rest of the story…

Top 3 tips for going global

admin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 16:55:53 +0000

BizReport : Ecommerce : November 05, 2010

by Kristina Knight

Finding local customers is increasingly important for brands, but looking a bit farther afield may be the key to continued growth. Why? Because markets outside a brand’s primary residence – like expanding to Japan from America or into Australia from Germany – creates buzz around the world. And, as consumers connect with people in other countries, it makes sense for brands to make those connections as well.

AskNet is one hub which helps brands make a global transition but Mark Begin, President of AskNet says that as with expanding to another city or state, expanding between countries should be a cautionary tale.

“Everyone wants to tout the efficiencies of the Internet, but at the same time that you’re exposing yourself to more consumers you are exposing yourself to competitors,” said Begin. “First, people have to know who you are or your brand won’t have any value at all.”

To begin the process…

Read the rest of the story…

The Fascinating Things Web Crawlers Can Tell You

admin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 11:48:26 +0000

By Ronni Zehavi

TechNewsWorld

11/04/10 5:00 AM PT

Internet retailers that tap into the power of Web crawler activity can improve site performance, achieve greater returns on SEO investments, and gain advantage over competitors that remain in the dark. The greatest beneficiaries may be smaller retailers. An informed SEO strategy with the right tools and analytics can level the playing field with deep-pocketed rivals.

By Ronni ZehaviTechNewsWorld11/04/10 5:00 AM PT
Internet retailers that tap into the power of Web crawler activity can improve site performance, achieve greater returns on SEO investments, and gain advantage over competitors that remain in the dark. The greatest beneficiaries may be smaller retailers. An informed SEO strategy with the right tools and analytics can level the playing field with deep-pocketed rivals.

Read the rest of the story…

Google Instant has positive impact on CTRs, ad impressions

admin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 11:27:52 +0000

BizReport : Search Marketing : November 05, 2010

by Helen Leggatt

Google Instant is serving up more relevant ads, according to Marin Software. This is reflected in a rise of 5.6% in click-through rates.

“Google Instant was seen as a big gamble for Google when the company announced it, but it’s proved to be a positive change for the industry,” said Matt Lawson, vice-president of marketing, Marin Software.

“Google has pulled off the elusive win-win-win with the release of Instant, driving increased usability for consumers and increased volume for advertisers, while managing to increase their slice of the overall search pie in the process.”

When Marin Software, who manage search ad spending, compared ad impressions in the two weeks after the introduction of Google Instant with those in the two weeks prior, they found these, too, had risen – by 9.3%.

But is this rise due to…

Read the rest of the story…

BizReport : Search Marketing : November 05, 2010

Google Instant has had a positive impact on click-through rates and ad impressions, according to recent research by Marin Software, despite earlier concerns the fast page displays would decrease traffic.by Helen LeggattGoogle Instant is serving up more relevant ads, according to Marin Software. This is reflected in a rise of 5.6% in click-through rates.”Google Instant was seen as a big gamble for Google when the company announced it, but it’s proved to be a positive change for the industry,” said Matt Lawson, vice-president of marketing, Marin Software.
“Google has pulled off the elusive win-win-win with the release of Instant, driving increased usability for consumers and increased volume for advertisers, while managing to increase their slice of the overall search pie in the process.”When Marin Software, who manage search ad spending, compared ad impressions in the two weeks after the introduction of Google Instant with those in the two weeks prior, they found these, too, had risen – by 9.3%.But is this rise due to

How one company games Google News

admin — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:30:58 +0000

November 4, 2010 1:23 PM PDT

by Tom Krazit

Red Label News is not exactly a household name. But yesterday afternoon, it was one of the top news sources on Google News for stories about Apple’s iTunes song previews.

How’d that happen? Red Label News, it appears, is a cleverly designed collection of links and headlines meant to game Google News rankings.

CNET stumbled upon Red Label News after doing one of the most basic Google searches: the vanity search. In this case, we were attempting to figure out how many news outlets were writing about

by Tom Krazit

Red Label News is not exactly a household name. But yesterday afternoon, it was one of the top news sources on Google News for stories about Apple’s iTunes song previews.
How’d that happen? Red Label News, it appears, is a cleverly designed collection of links and headlines meant to game Google News rankings.
CNET stumbled upon Red Label News after doing one of the most basic Google searches: the vanity search. In this case, we were attempting to figure out how many news outlets were writing about

Google gives marketers Christmas insights via new website

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:11:58 +0000

BizReport : Ecommerce : November 02, 2010

Marketers who want to keep their finger on the pulse of what consumers are searching for, what they are buying and what they plan to buy for the 2010 holiday season should check out Google’s new website – ThinkHoliday.

by Helen Leggatt

The website is full of information and insights into what consumers are searching for, trends in interest for key dates such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday as well as counting down the days until Christmas. If you think it’s too soon to be thinking about tinsel and snow, think again. According to ThinkHoliday, almost three-quarters of consumers have already begun researching gifts and even more, 89%, have started shopping online.

Read the rest of the story…

Social media midterm election coverage plays big

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:05:53 +0000

November 2, 2010 | 11:11 am

Twitter, Facebook, Google and Foursquare all did their bit for democracy Tuesday with election-themed widgets and services appearing on their pages.

Facebook featured an online vote counter, which appears at the top of a user’s feed and allows users to click to say they voted, which earns them an “I voted” badge they can use a profile picture.

As of 11 a.m. PDT, the counter had been clicked more than 4 million times. It also includes a link to a Google-driven polling-center locator service. Facebook’s U.S. politics page featured the widget prominently alongside updates from politicians’ feeds.

Read the rest of the story…

Google Unveils Helpful Voting Tools

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 04:12:59 +0000

November 1, 2010

If you live in the U.S. you’re undoubtedly aware that tomorrow, November 2nd is midterm elections day. In order to help you get out and vote, Google is providing an array of tools and services in hopes to make finding what you need easier.

Read the rest of the story…

Man bites dog? Google sues the government

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:12:37 +0000

November 1, 2010 11:23 AM PDT

by Tom Krazit

Google and the U.S. government are headed for a legal showdown, but on different sides of the courtroom than one might expect. Eric Goldman, a law professor with Santa Clara University who closely follows the tech industry, spotted a lawsuit filed by Google against the federal government claiming that the U.S. Department of the Interior did not properly evaluate Google Apps when choosing a new Web-based document system.

Google alleges that because the Interior Department specified that the system needed to be part of Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite, Google Apps never had a chance despite repeated attempts by Google to explain the product.

Read the rest of the story…