Is it just us or do the weeks seem to be getting longer? While time seems to be moving at a snail’s pace over here, the big wigs around the internet have been rather busy.
It’s time to pop the bubbly everyone because we have finally hit the Google Trifecta! Google finally rolls out international targeting for webmaster tools, makes testing robots.txt easier, and even delivers some much needed information on delivering modern websites to users. We don’t know about you but we just cannot hold on to our seats with all the developments over at Google HQ. To the Batmobile!
NEWS
International Targeting Officially Rolled Out
This new feature which was in beta testing phase until now was finally rolled out for its users. The reports presented through this tool will present some much needed insight into the common issues that arise in terms of international targeting. Two of the most common problems regarding hreflang annotations on international sites include missing return links and incorrect values. This new markup will help improve these two aspects. Read more at Search Engine land.
Robots.txt Made Easier
Robots.txt is the echo of agony that often emanates from the offices of webmasters. This crawl bot by Google has been the bane of many a website and trying to understand it seems to be quite a fruitless endeavor. Have no fear just yet because Google just simplified this tool and updated it. Still in the testing phase, it is recommended to test new URLs on it to see whether disallows are working. Simply upload the new file to the server and you are good to go. Read more on Google Webmaster Central.
Modern Websites for Modern Devices
Google is finally addressing an issue which was causing problems on the user’s end and has directed webmasters towards the shining light to improve user experience in this regard. They claim that many users were faced with the problem of being redirected to a page that was not supported by their mobile. This results in the delivery of incomplete content which can be an annoyance for users. To correct the problem, Google will start delivering information in search results telling customers whether or not a website will run on their device before they open the link. Google stresses the need for an increased focus on creating websites that are compatible with mobile devices and desktops. This led to the announcement of two different resources; Web Fundamentals and Web Starter Kit to let webmasters know of best practices at the time of website design. Read more at Google Webmaster Central.
TIPS & TRICKS
Getting Twitter Statistics Using Topsy and Google Docs
These three stand alone tools come together beautifully to deliver some much needed statistics. No matter what statistics you’re looking for and the perimeters being used to find them, you can find the results that float around on the twitter sphere. This could include the number of times someone has been retweeted, mentioned, or liked. Read more about this handy tool at PushOn.
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Taking Control of Video Search Results
We haven’t talked about rich snippets in quite a while. As the frenzy around them grew at the time of their release, they seem to be neglected once again. The focus on rich snippets is especially important when it comes to video results. A typical rich snippet will include a rating, author information and a thumbnail. Consider these to be your weapons in the midst of a digital war. Your thumbnail however is going to be the most important factor to focus on along with the video title. Use keywords in a natural manner and choose an engaging thumbnail. Read more at Internet Marketing Ninjas.
Rich Snippets in Grave Peril
Google Authorship is gone and nothing is sacred anymore. Google has no remorse hacking away at any visual clutter in their sear results. In what seemed like the dawn of a new era, Google backtracked after some testing to determine that mobile users weren’t too happy with this decision. SEOs on the other hand also have quite a few tricks up their sleeve. Rich snippets now serve as Frankenstein’s Monster to deliver an Authorship-esque result. They however weren’t prepared for the wrath of Razvan Gavrilas, who is a man on a mission. He points out all the factors that make up a fake rich snippet and the fake star ratings. His final verdict is that Rich snippets receive the same treatment as authorship and be sent directly to the gallows. Read more at Cognitive SEO.
Creating Content with Analytics
Creating content is a two pronged sword and the creation process isn’t the only step you need to consider. Making your content popular is the rest of the uphill climb. This is where Analytics comes in. in a qualitative world, analytics can bring just the right numbers to help you decide what your users want to read, what they are looking for and how you can deliver it to them. The first thing to do is to go the audience panel in Analytics and taking a look at where your target demographic lies. Interests will then be your next stop followed by an in depth analysis. Read more at SEMRush.
Link Building Strategies That Have Nothing to Do With Content
Gasp! This is unheard of. Yet the experts seem to know a thing or two about building links the right without using content. Rohit Palit asked 20 experts on how to do just that and they delivered. Takeshi Young suggested making donations and supporting arts organizations. Neil Patel suggested Infographics and Rhea Drysdaqle suggest connecting with your audience in the real world. Read more suggestions at Ahrefs Blog.
Using Hashtags Wisely
With great power comes great responsibility and those that wield hashtags have been a little too frivolous with the tool. It’s time to make use of hashtags wisely and harness their entire potential. The first way to do that is through using hashtags to join Twitter chats. TagDef; a free tool helps you understand the context of the hashtag before you make any hasty posts and the Tag Board will help you find hashtags throughout the internet landscape and not just Twitter. Read more at Search Engine Journal.
The Link Building Survey Results Are In!
Skyrocket just unveiled the result of an incredible survey where they observed how link building has been evolving over time. The survey which included about 315 people revealed that about 37% of the respondents spent more than $50,000 per year on link building whereas about 23% spend about $5,000 to $10,000. As link building budgets increase, there is also more time being allocated to the activity. 40% revealed that they dedicate 50% to 75% of their time to link building efforts whereas 54% revealed that they spent less than 50% of their time. Read more at Moz.
The Importance of Creating Engaging Dashboards
Dashboards are a great tool for delivering a boatload of information in one fell swoop and while there are tools to make them look more appealing there is a gaping hole in the delivery of dashboards that not only makes them aesthetically appealing but also help increase their understanding. Digital dashboards created by analysts rarely cater to the individuals that will be consuming the information contained within. Avinash Kaushik, who calls them Data Pukes, suggests delivering customized dashboards which contain graphic elements and effectively placed data elements that highlight the important factors and reveal the relationship between various factors. Read more at Kaushik.net.
The New, Prettier Face of GPS
Up until now, all GPS devices have kept in mind is finding the fastest route between Point A and Point B. one thing to keep in mind however is that not all travelers have the same motive in mind, especially if they’re on vacation. Some of the people over at Yahoo! were thinking the same thing as they have started developing a maps application that will find the most scenic route on your journey. This however doesn’t mean that it will let go of efficiency in lieu of scenic routes. The app will present alternatives so the user and decide when they want to bask in some of the world’ beauty or whether they want to speed towards an important location. Read more at Wired.
Everybody’s Blogging on the Internet
While we all have a habit of sharing a little too much on our social networking profiles, there are others that are doing it to an interested audience that visits their blogs. Statistics reveal that about 36% of internet users have personal blogs. Most of these blogs focus on hobbyists and the interests of the blogger. This is good news for marketers who can harness this information to help facilitate word of mouth. Blogger outreach isn’t a new strategy to achieve internet popularity but these statistics reveal just how people are sharing their interests and preferences online. Some of the most popular topics include movies, music, technology, personal life events, travel, food, work, and environmental issues. Read more at WeAreSocial.
INFOGRAPHICS
The Social Media Manager’s Schedule
Procrastination is something that all Social media marketers suffer from. This is followed by a mad dash towards the deadline as we try to finish tasks at the very brink. We like to live on the edge but that cannot be good for our long term health. This is where we can make use of some amazing marketing tools that will help ease the burden. This is especially great if you already have a lot on your plate. As Social media marketers, our jobs start in the very morning as statistics reveal that about 80% of users check their Smartphones the moment they wake up. One great tool to make use of is Evernote where you can store all of your ideas to be used later. Downcast can be used to keep track of important podcasts and dlvr.it can be used to automate posts on social networks. WordPress and Hubspot can be sued for blogging purposes while mention can be used to track keywords. Read the amazing Infographic at Razor Social.
Conferences to Blow Your Budget On
Marketers already have a lot to tackle throughout the year on limited budgets. Stefanie Grieser however tells us to throw both these things out the window and join her on the adventure through marketing conferences scheduled to bedazzle us. We can’t say we disagree as the first stop on this journey is MozCon in Seattle. Other conferences include the content marketing world conference and the Call to action conference in Vancouver. View more scheduled conferences at Unbounce.
Google in Real Time
This tool by Buddy Loans is an amazing way to keep things in perspective. We assure you that you will be mesmerized the moment you enter the page and will be confounded by the numbers as they keep rising very millisecond. Watch Google statistics in real time and keep an eye on the Google searches taking place, visits to YouTube, videos being views and the Chromebooks shipped. This Google bible delivers information the moment it takes place. Go take a look at it at Buddy Loans.
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