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Posts Tagged ‘Google’

Google is set to release an updated version of its Keyword Tool which will combine features of the Keyword Tool (primarily for AdWords users) with features of the Search-based Keyword Tool (which is based on actual Google search queries) to create one of the most comprehensive and valuable keyword research tool on the Web today. It might just be the greatest keyword tool of all time.

The new Keyword Tool offers flexible search options, enabling users to search by any combination of keyword, website/URL, and category and receive a single set of results. Users will also be able to filter result by word or keyword match type, and even view statistics for mobile search and use data filter based on local search, as well as search and ad share. It might just be the greatest keyword tool of all time.

Google also added some new features based on user feedback including the ability to remove duplicate keywords (which appear with an “Already in Ad Group” message) and the ability to add negative keywords automatically to your account from your keyword idea list.

The depth and value the upcoming tool provides kind of makes me wonder about the viability of commercial keyword research services. If Google dominates the search and ad space, what do the others know that Google doesn’t? Do you even need to consider using alternative providers? Is Google’s upcoming keyword tool the greatest keyword tool of all time? Share your comments

Google have announced today that some major changes have been implemented in Google’s Image Search.

Google carries out more than a billion image searches each day on the site – That’s a lot of searching and the latest improvements are designed to make searching for images quicker and easier.

These changes include:

The upgrades to Image Search will kick in worldwide over the next few days. (Note at the time of writing, the changes weren’t visible from Ireland, hence the use of the official Google Blog image)

Read more on the Google Blog and on the BBC.

Microsoft rolled out its free Office Web Apps earlier this week, introducing a free, basic Office suite for the web. How does it compare to Google’s own Docs offering? Here’s a rundown of each webapp’s strengths and weaknesses.

Where Office Web Apps Excels

Yeah, yeah, that’s a pretty bad pun. But it’s actually the first descriptor that came to mind.

How Does Office Web Apps Compare to Google Docs?

Microsoft Office Compatibility

As you’d probably expect, when it comes to uploading a complex Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document to the web, and having it look the same there as it does on your desktop, Web Apps takes the cake. Until our little test, though, we didn’t realize by just how much.

We uploaded a few different Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files to both suites, and relied on our past experience with Docs. To show you the difference, here’s a heavily formatted corporate-style newsletter-pictures, sub-headings, margins, you name it. We opened it in TextEdit on a Mac, and placed it next to both Google Docs and Office Web Apps.

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With literally billions of searches conducted every month search engines have essentially become our gateway to the internet.

Unfortunately getting yourself simply listed is not enough as clicks on a search engine results page are not evenly distributed amongst the results. Research has shown the higher a website is ranked by a search engine the more clicks they will receive* with the top result receiving by far the largest proportion of all clicks, followed by the 2nd and so on.

How does SEO work?

Search Engine Optimisation is based around your use of “keywords” and your website’s link popularity. “Keywords” is an industry term to describe the queries we use when we conduct a search, for example “blue ipod nano”. The search engines then categorise websites based around their relevance to a particular keyword. The search engines analyse your keyword usage in the following elements of your website (not an exhaustive list):

• Domain name
• Page title
• Page URL
• H tags (h1, h2, h3 etc.)
• Page content
• Image alt text
• Internal links within your website
• External links to your website

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Improve your Site Speed for improved Google Search Rankings

Google has officially made site speed one of the factors for search rank (there are over 200 ranking factors). So now is a good time to read the WordPress site optimization tips posts and put some plan of action in place.

Now, you have no reason to go into a panic mode just yet. Optimizing your site for better performance is always a good thing from a usability point of view but Google has indicated that only about 1% of search queries and even fewer search results will be affected from this change at this stage.

There are several research statistics that show that decreasing your site load time on pages leads to an increase in sales which we all want. There are three things to take away from what Google is doing.

• Speeding up your website is a good general practice. Think about how many times you have waited for a site to load. When the site takes too long you usually end up closing the browser and moving on.
• This change will have a small impact on most sites, so don’t panic.
• Small constructive changes can have a direct impact on improving your site and user experience. Instead of wasting time where it is not needed you can focus on some easy, small steps that can improve how users view your site.