Google’s Panda Does a Sniff Test
Google has once again altered its formula for deciding which web pages to show searchers, but the change is more of a sniff test than a complete overhaul. The data update, which has been called Panda 4.2, was announced June 18. For Online Image® customers, we’re expecting the results to be positive.
For any customers who were penalized for low quality sites when the search engine was last updated, this is a great chance to restore credibility and see a boost in the rankings. For customers with high-quality sites and strong, unique content, this is an opportunity to strut your stuff. Rankings will also likely increase for this group.
The update is expected to take several months to roll out, and not all keyword phrase searches will be affected. Current customers can keep an eye on how their sites are doing in their Online Image® customized reporting dashboards.
Google Introduces Services for Business
The developers at Google must be exhausted, and its accountants are probably pleased as punch. Google has recently announced several changes aimed directly at the business community, including updating its system for paid ads, offering new tools for online retailers, tracking foot traffic at stores and diving into the home services business.
Product-specific Data Reporting
Google is also trying to make online business easier with its new Manufacturer Center. With it, you can upload specifics about the products you sell such as descriptions, images, and details such as size and weight or operating system and storage capacity. This means you will have more control over the shopping results the search engine serves to users.
In addition, the new center will give you product-level insights. If you participate, you will be able to see how often your product appears in search results, click through rates for your product and click through rates for similar products offered by competitors.
See Whether Stores are Busy
Exciting changes are coming for mobile users too. Last week, Google started to roll out a feature in its maps apps that show how busy stores are at different times of day. For users of the Google Now On Tap system, line graphs will show up on a business’s information page under its contact information after users click on the listing in maps results. The data is gathered by crowdsourcing and businesses don’t have the choice to opt out.
Google Wants to Partner with Plumbers
Google is testing a program that would let people contact service providers directly from search results. The search engine pre-qualifies these home service providers, such as plumbers and locksmiths. Then, searchers can contact up to three providers with only one form. To qualify, the providers have to pass a background check. The test is on a very small scale for now, but we expect it to get much bigger because Google stands to gain so much in ad revenue.
Automation for Paid Ads
For paid ads, creating campaigns is now easier than ever. In fact, you don’t even have to choose keyword phrases or write ads if you don’t want to. With Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) from Google, you can just instruct the search engine to crawl your site for the best phrases and landing pages. The recent change means the crawlers can also create ad categories on your behalf. You can still choose to control your ad spending based on keywords and topics of your choice, but this option could save you time and stress.