Google to stop indexing Flash content
By the end of this year, Google will stop indexing Adobe Flash.
Topic: Adobe Flash
The third-party browser tracking cookie is dead. What’s next?
Why cookies are going away and how marketers can acquire more new customers without them using first-party data.
Online Advertising Glossary
Welcome to our Online Advertising Glossary. Use it to cut through the jargon (and keep ahead of the competition).
Latest AdWords Editor Update Supports Callout Extensions, Video Campaigns, HTML5 Ads
The new version is now available.
See All Of The New Google AdWords Updates On One Web Page
Google creates a new page that acts as a release notes document for showing advertisers the latest updates and feature releases to Google AdWords.
Google Officially Launches “Mobile-Friendly” Labels In Mobile Search Results
After months and months of testing, Google has just officially launched the mobile-friendly label in the mobile search results. In an effort to help mobile searchers know which sites they may click on are mobile-friendly versus which ones are not, Google has added a text label under the URL in the snippet that reads “Mobile-friendly” […]
SearchCap: Google Mobile Usability Reporting, Flash Warnings Expand & Groupon Pages
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Groupon Pages Part Of Company Evolution Into Local Search Site Depending on your viewpoint, Groupon’s new Pages offering is either a helpful new tool for local business owners or a bid […]
Google Mobile’s Flash Warnings Now Rolling Out To More Languages
In July, Google began labeling the mobile search results that had results from Flash enabled sites with mobile warnings. The warning cautioned mobile users from clicking to the site, by showing a notice that reads: “Uses Flash. May not work on your device. Try anyway | Learn more.” That warning is rolling out to more […]
Mobile Usability Reports Come To Google Webmaster Tools
Google announced a new feature available in Google Webmaster Tools this morning for tracking your mobile usability issues. The new report is named the Mobile Usability report and it is available at google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-usability within Google Webmaster Tools. The tool will show you common usability issues with your mobile site, so that you can fix them […]
SearchCap: Google In The News, Bing Movie Carousel & Google PageRank Dead
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Bing Shows What’s Playing At The Movies, In Remake Of Google’s Own Film Carousel Bing has a new way of showing you what’s playing in your local theater, a “carousel” format […]
Google Mobile Warnings For Adobe Flash Sites Expand Worldwide
Google’s Pierre Far announced this morning that Google is expanding the mobile Flash warnings searchers get when searching Google and finding a search result that leads to a site made mostly in Adobe Flash. The warning was first introduced back in July, and today has started to roll out globally, in multiple languages and geo-graphic versions […]
Google’s Still Lagging On Mobile Search Warnings
No one applauded louder than I did when Google introduced their warning in search results for faulty redirects in June of this year, and then, warnings for Flash earlier this month. It’s definitely a step in the right direction for Google — and for searchers, who have had to endure less than usable mobile search results in Google […]
SearchCap: Google Flash Mobile Warnings, Bing Webmaster Communication & Cortana Gets Academic
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Bing Admits They Need To Do Better With Webmaster Communication In a blog post today on the Bing Webmaster Blog, Bing’s Igor Rondel, Principal Development Manager of the Index Quality team, […]
Using Adobe Flash For Your Web Site? Google Mobile Results Will Issue Searchers A Warning.
Flash, Adobe’s multimedia based website technology, is not a friend of mobile devices or search spiders and now Google has decided to step up their campaign against such sites using the technology. Google announced that starting today, they will be issuing warnings to searchers when their algorithms detect that the website is not supported on […]
Google Showing Restaurant Menus In Card-Style Search Result
Google has started showing complete restaurant menus in its search results when a query specifically looks for menu information. We think Allie Brown was the first to spot this when she shared the results of a search for “jones brunch menu” on Twitter. For that query, Google begins the search results with a card-style answer […]
Do Tablet Trends Support Google’s Shift To Combine Desktop & Tablet Targeting?
In the last three years, on the heels of Apple’s debut iPad in 2010, the rapid proliferation of tablet devices has changed the way consumers and advertisers interact across the paid search landscape. Consumers now rely on their tablets more than ever before to gain instant access to local business information, product details and reviews, […]
Google Tests Smooth Animated Instant Previews Effect
Mark Reynolds documented new instant previews functionality implemented, as a test, by Google. Google Instant Previews launched in November 2009 and since then has undergone many updates and changes. This new change seems to give a more animated, transition feel to when you activate the instant preview. It is a smooth and slower pop out […]
Does This Website Usability Fairy Tale Have A Happy Ending?
Whenever I’m asked what usability is, I get tongue tied. “It’s about humans and computers,” I may say, but they’ll picture robots and talking cars. “I help make web sites that work,” is closer, but vague because technically, if it’s on the Internet, it’s working. Then I’ll hear myself try to make it clearer by […]
New Google Tool Lets You Preview Instant Previews In Webmaster Tools
There’s a new toy available now in Google’s Webmaster Tools: It’s an Instant Previews preview tool that lets you see what any page on your website will look like in Google’s Instant Previews. The tool actually pulls double-duty, also showing a preview of what the page will look like in the Chrome web browser, too. […]
Flash Support For Google Instant Previews
Google announced they are now adding Flash support to their instant previews. Google Instant Previews launched in November, giving Google searchers a way to preview the landing page of the search results prior to visiting the page. When it first launched it did not support Flash web sites and the previews were not fully visible […]
Behind The Scenes With Google’s Logo Doodlers At SXSW
Search Engine Land has long been chronicling Google Doodles, the special logos the company produces to celebrate a wide variety of occasions. So, of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear the stories behind the Doodles, when Doodle team creative lead Ryan Germick, along with user experience designer Marcin Wichary, took the stage […]
Google Intros AdSense Mobile Interface
In a nod to the legions of smartphone users running AdSense on their sites or apps, Google has announced a mobile-friendly web interface to AdSense accounts. The site represents Google’s response to apps such as DuoSense for iPhone, which third-parties have developed to serve mobile users of AdSense. Folks who go to the usual AdSense […]
It’s Alive: The Google Chrome OS Notebook Launch Event
Google has announced that Chrome OS laptops are now available to consumers through a pilot program for early adopters who prove themselves to be “right” in various ways. A Chrome Web Store has also launched to allow an easier way to run web apps within the Chrome browser itself.
Google Can Index “Almost Any Text” In A Flash (SWF) File
The Google Webmaster Central Blog posted an update on their Flash indexing capabilities. Google said, as of today, they are able to index and understand “almost any text a user can see as they interact with a SWF file on your site.” Typically, Flash has been one of those big No-Nos in the SEO space. […]
Yahoo Offers Handwritten Searching In Taiwan, Hong Kong
If you thought instant search suggestions and results was fun, get a load of this: At Yahoo Taiwan and Yahoo Hong Kong, searchers can handwrite their search queries and Yahoo will try to match the handwriting to letters, and then show suggested searches. It’s all described in this Yahoo blog post, complete with screenshots showing […]
SEO Has Killed The My Internet
Hi. My name is Tom and I have a problem. Actually I have a lot of problems, but none are more pressing or more relevant to you than how SEO has affected my perception of the internet. More specifically, SEO has ruined how I use the internet so I hope that sharing my story will […]
The Anti-Apple: Google Is The New Microsoft
Microsoft is apparently no longer the target for Google. Apple is now the symbol of all that’s wrong with the world. I was struck at yesterday’s Google I/O Android keynote by how directly and repeatedly Google’s Vic Gundotra slammed erstwhile partner Apple about its philosophy and its devices. Again and again the message was “we’re […]
Takeaways From Google’s 2010 Stockholder Meeting
Google executives reflect on year at annual meeting from CNet News reports on yesterday’s shareholder meeting at Google. At the meeting was Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt, co-founder Larry Page, VP of products Susan Wojcicki, VP of user experience Marissa Mayer, general counsel Kent Walker and others. I wanted to sum up the key takeaways as […]
Deadly Sins Against SEO: Part 2
More egregious mistakes that website owners, web designers/developers, landing page experts, and others make to prevent qualified search engine traffic and conversions.
Deadly Sins Against SEO: Part 1
Are you getting bad or conflicting SEO advice from landing page and conversion specialists? Keep your ears open for these deadly SEO sins.
Social Engagement: Making Content Interactive
Last year, I wrote an article, Using Infographics in Social Media to Promote Content and Visualize Data; it discussed taking data and visualizing it in an aesthetic manner to attract more votes, bookmarks, and links from the social media sphere. This year, I want to discuss taking it a step further. “Engagement objects“, as defined by […]
Liveblog: Steve Ballmer Keynote At SMX West
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer makes his first address to the search marketing community today at SMX West in Santa Clara. Danny Sullivan will sit down with Ballmer for a “fireside chat” that will also include time for Q&A from members of the audience. NOTE: Microsoft has now posted a video and a transcript of the […]
Scoring Super Bowl 2010 Commercials: How’s the Search Visibility?
After the 2009 Super Bowl, I monitored how the commercials drove searches and reported back on how well the brands did at ensuring visibility in organic search results. It didn’t go so well. The primary problems were: Microsites – Microsites aren’t inherently a bad idea, but too many of them can cause brand confusion, external […]
Apple CEO: Google Wants To “Kill The iPhone”
According to a hearsay report in Wired, Apple CEO Steve Jobs allegedly said the following at an internal town hall meeting for Apple employees coinciding with the launch of the iPad: We did not enter the search business, Jobs said. They entered the phone business. Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We […]
Dress Up Ask Jeeves In The UK
Ask UK (uk.ask.com) has a new game where you can dress up the lovable Jeeves character. Just search for [want to dress up jeeves] at Ask UK and you will be presented the opportunity to place khakis on the famous butler. You can dress up Jeeves at uk.ask.com/dressupjeeves. UTalkMarketing.com reported “Gieves and Hawkes together with […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, September 10, 2009
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google: Bigger Is Better When It Comes To Search Boxes Fresh off of patenting its home page design, Google is throwing caution to the wind and messing with success: It’s making […]
Link Diagnosis Launches New Tool: A Review
Link Diagnosis, one of the most well-known link analysis tools around, has new owners, a new look, and some fairly substantial changes under the hood. But are all the changes an improvement? Well, after testing a beta version for a few days, and now using the new site that launched today, my answer is … […]
Google Buys Video Compression Company On2
Earlier today Google announced that it had acquired On2 Technologies in a stock deal worth approximately $106 million. There’s little true information about how Google intends to use On2 in the release. Here’s the Google quote: “Today video is an essential part of the web experience, and we believe high-quality video compression technology should be […]
Google Now Indexing Flash From External Files
The Google Webmaster Central blog finally blogged Google is now indexing the content of files that some SWF files load externally, technically from “external resource loading”. Flash often loads external files to generate what you see in the SWF, so if the SWF is calling an external HTML, XML, another SWF, etc files, Google will […]