Jon Legler
POV
On November 9th Google announced a new search feature known as Instant Previews. This is the latest in a long line of features they have developed to make searching easier and results more relevant, which improves the user experience. When this feature is enabled, all a searcher has to do is hover over the organic link and a visual overview will pop up. This allows the user to quickly preview the results so they can find the site that is most relevant to their query.
According to Google, people who use Instant Previews are 5% more likely to be satisfied with the results they click. They go on to comment on some of the things you can do to get the most out of Instant Previews. You can quickly compare results, pinpoint relevant content and interact with the results page amongst other things. The feature however does not go as far as to allow you to interact with the site as you are previewing it.
I found the feature to be very simple and easy to use. In conjunction with Google Instant, the results started to populate as I typed, and I was immediately able to preview the results until I found what I was looking for.
Instant Previews are currently only available for organic listing and not paid search. It also should be noted that the preview does cover up the Ads on the right side of the screen. It will be interesting to see the impacts this may have on paid search moving forward. Look for this feature to be rolled out over the next few days, but in the meantime you can preview it using the link below.
Try Instant Previews for Yourself
11Nov
Andrea Loar
POV
If you have wanted a low-cost way of accepting credit cards without having to deal with the hassle of a larger-scale point of sale (POS) system, Square could be a viable solution for you according to a Mashable Article.
Square, a mobile payment device, was created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. The idea was sparked by a gentleman who could not sell a piece of art because he was unable to take credit card as a painting as noted on the company website.
Read the full article…
22Oct
Sherri Albus
POV
If you are a JC Penney customer that looks forward to flipping through catalogs, you will be disappointed to learn that the retailer is doing away with its traditional large catalog. In lieu of the traditional giant catalog will be “look books” and Findmore interactive fixtures. Read the full article…
15Oct
Joanna J. Cheney
POV, Social Networking, facebook
Since early this year, you’ve been hearing about “The Social Network,” aka the Facebook movie. Like me, you may have even seen the final product upon its nationwide release this past weekend, along with an estimated $23 million worth of movie-goers.
The commercials for the film say it all with the tag line “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies,” implying there may be a substantial reason to not “Like” Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. Let’s just say I now know why he made a $100 million dollar donation to the Newark, NJ public school system the week before the film’s release. Read the full article…
04Oct
Cory Grassell
15miles, POV, PR, White Paper, tmp directional marketing, tmpdm
With the buzz surrounding Google Instant lately, marketers and business owners are beginning to question this new feature’s impact on search results and their brands’ visibility within them. As the search landscape continues to push further into local markets, Google Instant definitely plays a role within the consumer’s quest for local-business information. From the use of long-tail keywords to continuously changing search results as you type, businesses must be aware of the benefits and risks associated with Google Instant.
Read the full article…
04Oct
Natalie Carlson
POV, Yellow Pages
It’s no secret that patch-work legislation continues to surface in certain states, as well as communities trying to limit publisher distribution of phone books to consumers and businesses. By now, most of us know the following:
- Phone books are in fact made from wood chips and recycled paper, not virgin trees.
- Soy based inks are used to print the directories and very few phone books end up in landfills, thanks to recycling efforts.
- Publishers have created websites giving consumers the option to opt-out from receiving a phone book at their address. In many areas, White Pages residential directories no longer being distributed to the masses. Instead, many publishers offer White Pages phone books as opt-in, only being distributed to consumers who contact the publisher to request a copy.
However, none of this seems to be enough to stop the legislation since “green” has become the Kool-Aid of choice.
Read the full article…
20Sep
Rebekah Thomas
Google, POV, SEM, Search News
Yesterday Google unveiled their newest innovation. It has certainly sent a wave of excitement through the world of search. It’s called Google Instant, and the word on the Web is that it is just what Google needed to maintain their competitive edge over Bing/Yahoo! in the search space. Read the full article…
09Sep
