Google Releases Handwritten Searches – 1st August 2012 This week Google launched a Beta called ‘Handwrite’ for mobile and tablet devices that will allow users to write instead of type. As search goes more and more mobile, Google have identified typing as a stumbling block for some users, and have sought to make mobile search even more user friendly. Once activated, users will now be able to write instead of type the search query anywhere on the mobile or tablet screen.
What this means for search is that we may potentially see more misspells and grammatical errors than before as Google takes the time to adjust and learn users handwriting styles. It may, as Google hope, also increase uptake of mobile searching as users will no longer have to strain their eyes to what they are typing as the entire screen will now be available to write in. Let us know you thoughts by tweeting #SL53 @SearchLately. – Kevin Ting More details: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2195433/Google-LaunchesHandwrite-for-Mobile-Tablet-Search-Tips-Tricks
Link building for Local Search – 31th July 2012 Google are cracking down now more than ever on the use of unnatural links across websites with many sites receiving warnings in Google Webmaster Tools. One way to ensure you don't get hit is to have plenty of local links to your site. Alongside helping with your overall website backlinks profile, local links can also bring you relevant and converting traffic and is a great way to ensure you don't lose out on visibility from Google.
Any business with an online presence can benefit from having local links and it is a great way to give your customers what they need when looking for your website. Local links are useful for more than just SEO purposes and are a valid contribution to a diverse profile as well as helping to bring in new partnerships and relationships in your network. Some places from where you might be able to get local links include local charities, radio stations and city websites to name a few. There is a whole wide range of natural ways to get involved which will massively help your SEO as well as your website and you will get out of it as much as you invest. There has been a lot of confusion over the recent unnatural links messages and as long as a website is correctly optimised and follows best practise for links which includes a natural and diverse backlink profile it is unlikely these sites will get penalised from Google. Let us know you thoughts by tweeting #SL53 @SearchLately. – Jimisha Lakhani More Details: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2065673/Link-Building-for-LocalSearch
Improvement on Google Remarketing – 27th July 2012 Google is rolling out some improvements to Remarketing. It will make the process of getting started with remarketing easier and provide more flexibility in managing remarketing lists. Improvements include: - Upgrading AdWords remarketing tag. Now you can place a single remarketing tag once throughout your site, and no longer need to create a separate tag for each remarketing list you create. You can find the code in your "Shared library" in a list that Google has created for you called "Main List”. - Reaching similar audiences. Google will soon add a new option to enable you to show ads to audiences that are similar to those on your remarketing lists, but who may not have visited your site yet. - Ad customisation beta. This beta allows you to customize your search campaigns, based on your AdWords remarketing lists. Let us know you thoughts by tweeting #SL53 @SearchLately. – Blair Liu More details: http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=169773 5 https://support.google.com/adwords/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2476688 http://adwords.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/simpler-more-powerful-tools-to.html