Lindsay Kolowich says, “Inbound marketers are constantly on alert for changes in Google’s ever-evolving algorithm … but that doesn’t mean we don’t miss one every now and then. The combination of frequent algorithm updates and a busy workload means that sometimes a critical update gets lost in the sauce. To make sure you’re fully up to date on the latest major changes in SEO, we’ve compiled a full list of the most important Google algorithm updates from 2014. This year, we saw changes from pirates and penguins and pandas and pigeons; the removal... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “Earlier this year, Google introduced app promotion ads on search, display and YouTube. In an AdWords livestream event today, the company announced the app engagement ads in search are now rolling out of beta. Engagement ads launched on display last month. App install ads are already available on search as well. A Google study with Ipsos CT found that 25 percent of smartphone app users use search to find new apps. The company said today that app-install ads have already generated hundreds of thousands of app downloads. That Ipss study also showed that, on average, users... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “Google’s newly responsive Lightbox ads units that the company introduced back in September as part of a larger mobile display ad push, are now available to all advertisers through AdWords. Google revamped the interactive ad format ads to run on mobile devices as well as desktop. The ads incorporate advertiser assets from an advertiser’s YouTube channel, uploaded images or Google Maps. When a user hovers over the banner unit, the assets dynamically fill the publisher site, mobile app, screen, or device — desktop and mobile — in full-screen. “By launching this... [...]

Karissa Bell says, “Google’s Hangouts app just got smarter. The search giant updated Hangouts on Wednesday with a new feature that allows you to share your location within conversations. It also added stickers, video filters, timestamps and better integration with your phone’s contacts. Typing “Where are you?” (or other variations) into Hangouts triggers a prompt to share your location with Google Maps. “Hangouts can now understand what you need and offer to help,” the company wrote in a post on Google+“. Google adds location sharing to Hangouts app Mashable  [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “Last week, Google released new research on factors that impact ad viewability, whichwe covered here. There was one particular data point that raised eyebrows: 56.1 percent of impressions served across Google’s display advertising platforms, including the DoubleClick, aren’t viewable. Wow, Google, the company that dominates the display advertising market, just admitted that over half the served through its platforms are never seen by the people advertisers are paying to reach. Zing! Right? There are several reasons why this isn’t the huge bomb it looks like at first... [...]

Matt Asay says, “It’s about time Google remembered its roots. For years Google has largely ignored the mobile Web, preferring to focus on native Android app experiences, even as Apple (yes, Apple) has invested heavily in improving HTML5 performance on iOS. So much so, in fact, that with Apple’s inclusion of WKWebView (a Web browser engine) in iOS 8, app developers will discover dramatic performance improvements in their mobile Web apps. So long as they’re running on Apple, not Android”. What Google Has In Store For The Mobile Web ReadWrite  [...]

MOZ team says, “Josh Bachynski takes you inside Panda 4.1 with a tour of some of the top dos and don’ts for your website. And it’s about so much more than the standard “good content” refrain. Watch the video to learn more“. Panda 4.1 Google Leaked Dos and Don’ts – Whiteboard Friday MOZ Blog  [...]

Karissa Bell  says, “Gmail just made it easier to edit Microsoft Office documents from within your inbox. Google updated Gmail with a new feature that allows users to automatically open and edit Office files with Google Drive. “We realize that as a Docs user, you still sometimes have to work with different file types, so we often launch updates to make it a little smoother for you,” the company wrote on Google+. “It’s now even easier for you to edit Office files where you often come across them — as attachments in your email.” When Office files are emailed as attachments,... [...]

Craig Bradford says, “Problems in Google Analytics are causing you to get bad data, misunderstand reports and draw wrong conclusions. Many of these are not your fault, they’re due to settings, bugs and the configuration of Google Analytics. There are also some that are just easy to misunderstand and that I’ve seen trip up even experienced consultants. Read on to learn what you need to look for. Beware of sampling bugs My team and I have recently seen some strange sampling issues/bugs in Google Analytics. We were looking at the landing page report with an advanced filter. All... [...]

Brendan Hill says, “This time of year, with all the online shopping, shipping, and marketing to be done, you might find yourself signing up for several web-based products or services (like VerticalResponse). While it’s tempting to rush through these sign up processes to place your order faster or start using the product more quickly, you want to use a strong password (or passwords) to keep your information and data secure. With seemingly monthly data breaches of big companies like Home Depot and Target, data security is top of mind for more people. Aside from having a good password, we suggest... [...]