Google is getting smarter and scarier all the time.  Now inserted at the top of regular search results you can find the “latest search results”.  Tweets, news, and Elvis sightings that someone might have posted even seconds ago.

To see it in action put in a Google search for: Coke, or Ford, or even Elvis Presley Lives. Then click “show options”, a new series of “options” will populate the left rail. Scroll down to “Any Time”, and click “Latest”.  A new page will load of all the latest stuff. And if it’s hot it you will start to see the news scroll by. And when aren’t Elvis sightings hot news!?

From an SEO perspective it’s a way to watch the conversation on Google and participate in real time. Twitter is probably the fastest way to get into the stream and make some noise if you choose.

Google put together a video on the new search feature. If you want more click the start button on the embedded video below.

Happy Birthday Elvis!

 This post was featured in ePiphany, Astek’s Monthly Newsletter |  Other ePiphany Articles 

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Tom Lynch Categories: ePiphany Featured Story, google, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web

Before we start, a quick note about WordPress.COM verses WordPress.ORG – there is a big difference:

WordPress.com benefits:

• Free, hosted service
• Easiest, fastest, cheapest way to set up a blog
• Ideal for an individual wanting to try out non-monetized blogging

WordPress.com drawbacks:

• Very limited customization options – You must upgrade to a paid subscription even to change the font colors
• Even with paid subscription, customization is limited
• URL will always display as http://yourblog.wordpress.com
• Limited Widgets and no plugins

To get branded, custom templates and to take advantage of all the amazing, free WordPress plugins out there, you need to set up a WordPress.org blog – this requires some programing skills and access to FTP. For anyone wanting to start a blog for their business, we suggest contacting a professional web company (like Astek!) who can make sure your blog set up is done right.

Ok, now that that is cleared up, here are Katie’s 8 easy tips for a strong start to a personal blog on WordPress.com:

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Katie Hawkey Categories: Fun, How To, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web

As a follow up to the Boston training session, Astek Consulting’s President, Andy Swindler, and CMO, Tom Lynch were interviewed by The Specialized Information Publishers Association, (SIPA) for their expert opinions on Social Media and Search Engine Optimization. You can read the off-the-cuff and informative interviews here:  

Social Media     SEO

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Tom Lynch Categories: Search Engine Optimization, Social Media

Astek is proud to announce the first session of classes for our new Green Star Academy! Wednesday, October 21, 2009, get out of the office and make some real progress on Web Marketing for your company as you learn tips, tricks and shortcuts used by the experts!

In the morning Tom Lynch teaches a crash course in Search Engine Optimization:

SEO: Smaller Ponds, Bigger Fish
Targeting Behavior to Lure Customers

Turn your online presence into online performance. Find your customers by behavior and reel them in as they search. Master the SEO strategies, tools and shortcuts used by the experts to find “smaller ponds” filled with new customers.
REGISTER

In the afternoon, Katie Hawkey gets you set up to reach new customers through Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter:

Zero to 60 Social Media
Rev Up Your B2C Marketing with Facebook & Twitter

Now is the time to implement your social media strategy. Get the concepts and tools you need to drive social media marketing while you set up optimized Facebook and Twitter accounts for your company.
REGISTER

We hope you’ll join us! If you know anyone who might benefit from this class please pass it on! And if there is a class you would be interested in seeing us offer, by all means, let us know!

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Katie Hawkey Categories: Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Technology, Web

Bing recently released Bing Visual Search Galleries Beta.

A way to start with pictures and end with search. I have to admit I was pretty excited to hear that there may be a better way to find stuff on the web…

The premise – people process images and text faster than text alone.

Quoting their Blog, “A study conducted by Microsoft Research shows that consumers can process results with images 20% faster than text only results.”

Seems pretty logical. And who doesn’t want it to be easier to find what you are looking for on the Web? Go Visual! So I tested it out…

To summarize – Not what I had hoped for but my hopes were high.

I realize this is a Beta but there are only five top-level categories that support 39 “Galleries” to start search. So if you have a search that fits into one of the galleries they have – great.

“Start with pictures to find results faster!” They say.

I say – This Beta version works well if you have a picture in your mind say for a movie trailer you saw and can’t remember the name of the movie. Or you were at a party and saw a cool digital camera but can’t remember the name. Or you saw a dog, want it, but don’t know the name of the breed. Or saw a news item about a politician, remembered their face and can’t remember their name. That Bla-something guy – new book, big hair, lot’s of swear.

BINGO!

So what are the pros and cons?

Pros:

1. It’s cool the way the pictures are organized and animate
2. Good consumer product shopping engine – lots of ways to narrow search.
3. Easy to use – very intuitive.

Cons:

1. You have to install a plug-in to make it work on anything but Internet Explorer.
2. There are only 39 categories to choose from.
3. Seems to be set up for mostly “non-work” types of search.
4. Ultimately, the last picture you click takes you to regular old search results page to sort through…

Gallery Review – “MOVIES IN THEATERS”
Just talking non-sponsored links now. I clicked the movie’s picture and with some movies, it took me to a search results page with theater listings that were playing in Chicago. I was not logged in so pretty cool or scary your call.

Sometimes the results pages just appeared random. Could be the “MOVIES IN THEATERS” are not “all” in Chicago yet. I just wanted to learn the UI and have some expectations of what the results would be but they must still be working on that.

I think we all get the concept of filtering search and I think for what they present for the most part is good.

So what will I have to change on my website?

• Do a thorough job of categorizing, naming, and labeling your images.
• Logically categorize your images into like-minded directories if you have a lot of similar images.
• This will make it easy for the search engines to identify your images – IE:

/property-name/
/type-of-digital-camera/
/award-show-name/

Instead of something like: /file1/

• Name your images what is most important for you to be found by – IE:

/john-hancock-skywalk.jpg
/canon-powershot-A630.jpg
/britney-spears-smoking-with-baby.jpg

Not: /image12345aeiou.jpg

• Use descriptive text captions near the image.
• Do not embedded captions in the images.
• Use alt tags to say a little more about the image.

Mouse over any of the images in this post and you will see what the alt text looks like.

These all make it easier for the search engine to see what the image is about and you to be found for that search with your content.

You should be doing this now too because it will benefit your site’s natural search results and traffic with the state of search engines as is.

Though Google is using pattern recognition technology to serve up “similar images” you will do better if they are labeled by what they are rather then what they are not.

This looks like Bing’s answer to Google similar images but it falls short of having full utility for me…

I only look for a digital camera every couple years, I’m not buying Rod Blagojevich’s book (though pretty funny interview on the John Stewart show), and our Belgian Sheppard Heidi wouldn’t take kindly to even the thought of searching for another dog.

So I’m looking forward to the next Bing release and hoping for a more comprehensive solution.

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Tom Lynch Categories: Search Engine Optimization, Technology, Web

Googling your own name on a regular basis may seem egotistical, but it’s as essential as an annual physical to the health of your online reputation. Like a cancer, misinformation and harmful information, once posted to the Internet can spread uncontrollably. We’ve got 4 steps you can take to lay a groundwork for desirable SEO of your name, detect negative content early and address misinformation aggressively.

Step 1: Google your name, your name and city, your name and company, common misspellings of your name

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Katie Hawkey Categories: ePiphany Featured Story, How To, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web

What is SEO?

According to Wikipedia.org: Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a Web site from search engines via “natural” (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results.

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Tom Lynch Categories: ePiphany Featured Story, How To, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Technology, Web