GoogleDoogle: Happy Birthday, Cézanne!
Google Posts
Christmas Eve-Eve Google Doodle
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010Instead of Google’s usual stylized version of their logo for holiday doodles, this GoogleDoodle for December 23 is much more elaborate and features 17 illustrations depicting various holiday scenes and traditions. Happy Holidays to all!
December 23rd Google Doodle
Google Doodle: Rosa Parks Anniversary
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
55th Anniversary: Rosa Parks refuses to move
Google Instant Website Previews
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
In a previous blog we discussed the benefits, and even some of the arguments against, Google Instant. Another feature of the updated site is the preview aspect.
If you are searching for any term, with Google Instant turned on, you will see the results of your search term immediately. However, it can be time consuming to visit those pages in an effort to see which one has the exact information you are looking for. Because Google is interested in saving you time, they have added the preview feature to allow you to look at the page without navigating to it.
By clicking the magnifying glass icon next to the page you are interested in, you can see a quick look at what the site has to offer.
This icon will allow anyone utilizing the feature to avoid navigating back and forth between pages until they find the one most useful to them. For those ho work online as well as students and other professionals this addition will save hours over even a short period of time.
When popular websites like Google, that are already so user friendly and relevant, decide to update and add features in an effort to make the world wide web less tangled, it’s truly exciting.
Stay tuned here for future looks into what is new, different, and useful online.
Instant Search Results With Google Instant
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010In a world of instant everything we find it hard to wait even a minute for anything online. If we can’t get a web page to appear within a couple of seconds, most figure it’s probably not worth visiting.
The folks at Google are catering to that very need in our lives with ‘Google Instant’.
Now when you visit the Google home page and begin typing your search terms, Google begins searching and showing you the results. This omits the need to type in your complete sentence or search term if the correct site appears while showing you in milliseconds if your terms aren’t going to yield the results you are looking for.
They have also improved the predictions feature in the search box. So now if are typing and you see the correct finished term you can click it and see your results immediately. Google estimates that between the predictions feature and the instant search results they can save any surfer two to five second per search. For someone who works online and searches different sites, blogs, and articles all day long it can save hours over time and frustrations instantly.
There are those who would serve to question some of the prediction details. Google has created a list of words for which it will not predict or offer instant results. These words are meant to prevent promoting sexual or inappropriate websites, however the list is ‘imperfect’ admits a Google spokesperson to the media.
In the list the words “lesbian, cocaine and domination” are taboo while “gay, heroin and crack” are okay.
“It’s important to note that removing queries from auto-complete is a hard problem, and not as simple as blacklisting particular terms and phrases,” Says that same spokesperson. Presumably Google will continue to refine the search terms and results the best that they can.
For those who don’t appreciate change, or are offended by the blacklisted terms, Google has provided a ‘turn off’ option in your preferences area that allows you to search the way you always have.
Google’s US Economic Impact…Exaggerated Warm-Fuzzy PR?
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010Google recently released a report that indicates their total contribution to the US and individual state economies in 2009. What’s not surprising are the truly massive numbers, but what caught my attention are the “conservative assumptions” they rely on to get these numbers:
Businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on AdWords. (source) Now, Google has included the methodology behind this assumption but that sounds like a pretty bold statement to me. Are they implying that on average businesses receive a 100% ROI from AdWords?! It would seem so, as the entire report is on “Google’s US Economic Impact”. I’ve spoken with plenty of clients that have wasted hundreds or even thousands of dollars on AdWords with out a substantial return. This isn’t to say that AdWords doesn’t work, but generating a positive return from Adwords can be very challenging for the average small business owner.
Businesses receive an average of 5 clicks on their search results for every 1 click on their ads. (source) No complaints here! Many studies have shown that natural search engine results get many times more clicks than paid search results. The problem with this second “assumption” is the assumption they make afterward, stating this: “…clicks through search results may not be as commercially valuable as ad clicks, so we want to be conservative: we estimate that search clicks are about 70% as valuable as ad clicks.” Where does this estimation come from?! I’ve consistently seen comparable (if not better) conversion rates from natural search engine result clicks compared to PPC ad clicks.
Is Google just trying to create some feel-good, public relations during a time of otherwise economic downtime? I might be a little less skeptical if the report weren’t also accompanied by success stories from small business owners who have benefited from AdWords campaigns. Not to mention the video was published on YouTube on the “googlepublicpolicy” channel.
Here’s their presentation and summary of the report. You tell me…?
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