It seems that in the coming weeks, Google AdWords search results will include a +1 button. Users will be able to click to ‘recommend’ your ads. Here’s an example from Google themselves:

Let’s say you own a hotel in Madrid. Brian had a lovely stay at your hotel last summer. When Brian starts researching accommodations for his next trip to Spain, he searches on Google while signed into his Google account, and sees your ad. He clicks the +1 button on the ad to recommend it to his contacts.

When Brian’s friend Ann plans her trip to Spain, she signs in to her Google account, searches, and also sees your ad – plus the personalized annotation that Brian +1’d it. Knowing that Brian recommends your hotel helps Ann decide where to stay during her travels.

In summary:

Think of the +1 button as a way for fans of your business to recommend what you offer, for all their friends and contacts to see. By helping searchers see more personal, relevant ads, Google believes you’ll see more qualified traffic.  We’ll see….

Google Dance… free lessons, coming to a studio near you

Have you ever opened up your homepage (Google, I presume?), typed in your keyword and have your
heart sink to your feet? If not, you’re one of the very few who’s never experienced this hot, new dance
craze called The Google Dance.

When you’re acquiring links from various sources, your rankings will jump around all over the place for
a few days. Depending on the quantity of link building you are doing, your rankings may even fluctuate
for a couple of weeks or even a month. And this, my fellow #1 SERP-seekers, is what we affectionately
call The Google Dance.

(What, did you really think those crazy teens created a dance to pay homage to the King Of The
Internet? )

Although the length of time varies for the dance, there is one thing that’s just about guaranteed: if
you’re doing any kind of link building, the Google Dance is inevitable. And, here’s why- when your site
has an influx of links coming in with your anchor word hyperlinked, Google has to figure out how to
rank you in your rightful place. I mean, after all, if 1,000 people (read: websites), say that your site is
the bomb for “green widgets”, obviously Google’s algorithm is going to be tripped to say, “hey wait a
minute. 1,000 people have said http://www.yoursite.com/ is great for ‘green widgets’. Let’s take a look
and see where we’ll put them in the SERP’s for ‘green widgets’ “. And then begins the dancing.

We’ve had clients email or call in a state of near-panic wondering why their site dropped off the face of the
earth. I always tell them, “it’s because of our recent link building. Be patient. I promise your rankings
will come back up and, better than before.” Initially, this may not set their mind at ease, however, when
what I’ve said bears out to be true, they’re most satisfied with the results of their patience.

So, the moral of the story is this: when it comes to Google and link building, the two of you will tango.
There’s no way to predict how long your dance will last. Just ride it out and you’ll be glad your dance
card was filled by the King of the Prom, The Google Algorithm.

Are you thinking of creating one of the new Facebook groups? Here are some tips on how to create a better group experience for everyone.

Planning

What sort of group are you looking to create? It’s important to pick a topic for the group that would create vibrant conversation that you can participate in and offer advice and opinion as well.

Are there similar groups out there?

Do your research and see if the group you would like to create already exists. If so, it might be better for you to participate and be an active member in that group.

Who should you invite to join this group?

Invite members to your group wisely. Make sure they are people who will make useful and constructive postings to enrich the group and strike up a good conversation. Avoid the sort of people that bring with them a negative attitude.

Benefits of becoming a member

Make sure you are clear what your members are going to get out of the group. Then when you add people to the group make sure it’s clear to them.

Adding Friends

Start off by inviting a few friends to get the conversation going. By starting small you create a better foundation to grow the group over time as each member adds value to the group. This ensures you’re not creating another group that’s just a list of people.

To learn more about Facebook Groups watch the official Facebook Groups video here: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150292664920484

In order to grow your Twitter following and provide value to your followers you need to be consistent with your “sharing”. However, time is a finite source and whilst we would like to keep up with all the activities of our followers on Twitter is it not always possible.

I’ve come up with a list of 10 useful things you could share on Twitter with your followers that provide value and at the same time doesn’t require a lot of time on your part.

1. Discovered a new app or tool that’s useful? Provide a brief description and share the direct link
2. Share a specific conversation or thread that might be going on – highlight it and link to it
3. A link to a poll taking place that might stimulate some thought and encourage interaction
4. A link featuring a special offer or product that might be of interest – create value for your followers
5. A link to a Twitter list you think is worth following and why
6. Share an event that’s coming up and possibly of interest to your community – link to the details
7. Share something light such as a link to a funny YouTube video
8. If you’re heading to an event, share the #hashtag and link to that event before, during, and after
9. Link directly to a relevant podcast
10. Link to a relevant free e-book

Hopefully the above tips are helpful to save you some time and still provide value and engagement for your Twitter followers. Share with us and our readers things you share to bring value to your followers!

Just wanted to update everyone on the recent happenings with Yahoo and Bing. Last year Yahoo and Bing formed an alliance which is now coming to fruition. Starting now until late September, Yahoo will be combining its paid search platform with Bing’s paid search platform, Microsoft AdCenter.  For those of you that we run PPC campaigns for, we’ve begun to migrate your Yahoo PPC accounts over to Bing where applicable and working with representatives from both Yahoo and Bing to ensure a seamless transition.

Another feature of this alliance, is the fact that Bing’s organic search results will now make up 30% of Yahoo’s organic search results. Given that this form of exposure is available to websites, for those clients we perform universal search engine optimization for, Ycwe have been optimizing your websites for the best possible organic results in Bing.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about this alliance, or our universal SEO services, simply contact us.