Tag Archives | Google News

New Formatting in Google Places Search Results

Posted: February 15, 2012 in Google Maps, Google Places

Over the past several weeks in Google Place results there has been numerous changes. The changes have continually been modifying the map results overall layout, number of results generating and the content displaying for each listing. The first changes that we started to notice was  the number of local search results generating on the first page changing. Please reference our post from last week about the New Ranking Formats on Google’s Local Search Results.

Also mentioned in SCSD’s recent blog post “Images not displaying on Google Listing?” which talks about how there has been issues occurring within the Google Place backend for business owners.  Over the past several weeks we have noticed a significant rise in the number of bugs and glitches being reports by listing business owners in Google’s support forum for Google Places. In our experience with Google Places, when a spike in the number of issues and bugs starts to occur in Google Places it is a pretty reliable sign that Google is in the process of initiating a fairly substantially update to the Google Place algorithm.

Several of the changes that we have seen so far in Google’s local search formatting:

  1. Local results no longer display a short descriptions summarizing the business’s services.
  2. Some Local results have links to internal pages of the business’s website.
  3. When logged into a Google account the local results pull information from Google+.
  4. Google reviews have been given more real estate in the results and are easier to find under each business.
  5. The number of results that generate for local results is no longer a standard 1, 3 or 7-pack.

Below is an example of the new layout of Google’s local search results.

Local Search Update

 

We will continue to monitor the Google’s local search results to see more effects the change to the algorithm will have on Google Places.

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Google’s New Privacy Polices and Terms of Service Announcement

Posted: January 30, 2012 in Google

If you did not see the notification for Google’s new privacy policy on Friday or over the weekend I am sure you will see them in the near future. The new changes to the privacy policy will not take place until the first of March but Google wants to be sure to spread the word beforehand.

Aside from rewriting many of the policies to be structured in a more simplified and have less repetition. Google has also said that they plan on getting rid of 60 different privacy policies. The replacement policies will span across multiple Google products and are designed to be a more straightforward and readable for the users.

In regards to the changes in polices and terms of services themselves. Google’s quick summary of the changes reflect that they are trying to tailor the best search results generated for you on what you have looked and expressed interest in past search and browsing activity. These tailored results will only display when logged to your Google account. Users will still have some control in their account setting to control which results display and there will be a feature available to turn off the custom tailored results. The simple fact in the manor is that if you don’t want to see tailored results then you should probably conduct your searches while not signed into your Google account however incontinent that maybe.
Google Privacy Policy

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New Google Maps Feature: Public Alerts

Posted: January 25, 2012 in Google Maps

Today, Google announced it is launching a new feature on Google maps. Google labeled the feature as Google Public Alerts. This new system is meant to allow users to search and find emergency alerts on Google quickly and see the current location of the issue at hand. The Internet if becoming one of the first sources people turn to when looking for information on a current crisis. Google Public Alerts is an effort evolve a tool many people use on a daily basis into a resource that users could also us to find relevant information on an emergency quickly and efficiently.

By pulling alerts from major weather and emergency services like the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Nation Weather Service and other major weather and information sources. Public Alerts will give real time public safety alerts on everything from tornado warnings, flash floods and earthquakes to high wind alerts.

Not only will Public Alerts show where the area encompassed in the alert but also provide a “Message” feed providing the latest information and updates on the mater as well as the official source the alert is coming from (i.e. weather.gov).

Google Maps Feature

To see Public Alerts live you can visit www.google.org/publicalerts

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Gmail’s new look!

Posted: November 15, 2011 in Google

 

Gmail will be switching to a new look soon, and here’s the scoop:

-Elasticity: You can now transition from any desktop to mobile screen sizes and your inbox will always display the same way.
-Improved Search:  Customize your search easier and even have the ability to create a filter with the “Advanced search options”.
-Improved Conversation View:  The content of your messages display upfront and profile images that your contacts have selected to show (or images that you’ve selected to show for them) make it easier for you to see who you are talking to.
-New Look: You can choose how many messages are displayed,  change the size of your chat window, choose from several new themes to personalize your inbox, how you use labels and gadgets, and how the calendar displays…to name a few!

Check out the tutorial to learn more about each new feature of Gmail by clicking here.

 

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Google + Pages for Businesses Has Gone Live!

Posted: November 9, 2011 in Google, Social Media Optimization

Now you can create your own page in Google+ for your business, whether it is a large institution, a small business, or if you are in the entertainment industry! Start talking to your customers now and share pertinent information about your product, service, or industry!

Check out the inside of Google+ for businesses:

 

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