From Novelty To Foundational Product: The Evolution Of Google Maps

Until Android came along Google’s most important product after search undoubtedly was Google Maps. I know it sounds heretical to say this but in some ways Maps is more strategic to Google than search today. That’s because Google Maps bridge the physical and digital worlds and because…

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Glimpses Of The Future: 10 Fringe SEO Predictions For 2015

It’s that wonderful time of year when blogs and social media are cluttered with predictions of what the new year will bring. Whether it’s Social Media Predictions for 2015, How SEO Will Change in 2015, or the catch-all Digital Marketing Trends in 2015, it’s all been done – many…

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Google Launches Mobile Friendly Test Tool

Wondering if your site will qualify for Google’s new mobile-friendly labels or be ready for a potential mobile-friendly ranking boost? Google has a new tool to help. The new tool is at google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly and it basically gives you a pass or fail grade. Either it tells…

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Google Is Experimenting With Special Ranking For Mobile-Friendly Sites

Google already penalizes sites that provide a bad experience to mobile searchers. Now the company has confirmed that it’s testing with what seems like a boost for those providing a great experience. Google said today that it is experimenting with giving sites that have earned its…

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AdWords Now Shows Up To 3 Business Locations In Google Mobile Search Ads

Google has made an update to AdWords location extensions that allows multiple locations to display in mobile search ads. When several business locations are nearby, users may see up to three locations in an ad. The extensions can display the street address and distance from the user’s current…

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Google Redesigns Maps, Adds OpenTable Reservations, Uber Estimates

Google continues to evolve its Maps for mobile. It has gone well beyond the rudimentary local search and navigation product it once was and become an increasingly sophisticated local discovery tool with and array of content types and improved functionality. Now Google has made Maps more…

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Google Mobile’s Flash Warnings Now Rolling Out To More Languages

In July, Google began labeling the mobile search results that had results from Flash enabled sites with mobile warnings. The warning cautioned mobile users from clicking to the site, by showing a notice that reads “Uses Flash. May not work on your device. Try anyway | Learn more.”…

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Google Testing A New Mobile Friendly Design Using Material Design Format

Google is testing a new mobile design interface, using the design principles from “material design,” that Google themselves has been heavily promoting. The new interface was first noticed by SEER Interactive and later by Android Police and Google Operating System shows how this is not a…

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Beat Google’s Mobile Experience Algo (And Help Mobile Searchers) With These Two Tools

Columnist Bryson Meunier notes that Google will soon consider mobile user experience as a ranking factor. Use these tools to prepare your site!

The post Beat Google’s Mobile Experience Algo (And Help Mobile Searchers) With These Two Tools appeared first on Search Engine Land.

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Teens Embrace Voice Search, Many Adults Feel “Like Geeks” Using It

According to a voice search study commissioned by Google, the most smartphone-obsessed teens are using voice search every day. However many adults feel self-conscious or embarrassed when they talk to their smartphones. The study found that 45 percent of US adults said they felt “like a…

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Google Continues Testing Mobile Friendly Notices In Search Results, This Time With Text Version

Two weeks ago, Google began testing mobile-friendly icons in the mobile search results, next to sites that were mobile-friendly. Maybe giving a carrot to sites that adopted good mobile-friendly web site practices? Yesterday, Google tried the opposite a…

Google Upgrades Conversational Search On Its Mobile Apps

Conversational search on Google’s mobile apps got an upgrade today, as the company announced a few new voice commands that are specific to travel planning. Basically, the app is smarter about knowing where you are (at a hotel, for example), letting you complete actions by voice (i.e., making…

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Nokia’s Here Maps Come To Android Phones (Sort Of)

Nokia’s Here Maps, which power maps on Windows Phones, has released a beta version for Samsung Galaxy Android phones. It’s not available through Google Play, though presumably it will be in time. Nokia’s hardware/handset division was sold to Microsoft but Nokia retained the Here…

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