• 2 Legit 2 Quit
    I'm on a Hammer roll. Last week I wrote about the new search engine promoted by MC Hammer at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco. Believe it or not, there's more Hammer news, and it includes search and social royalty.
  • What Would Google Be Without SEOs?
    Last week wasn't Google's finest hour -- at least not in the eyes of the SEO community. It was then that Google announced it was "making search more secure" by encrypting searches that originate from users who are logged in to Google Accounts. In practical terms, this means that Google will no longer pass organic search keyword query details on to website analytics tools when users are still logged in to Gmail, Google Docs, Google+, or any other Google service. For SEOs, it means we're now flying blind for a portion of our search-referred traffic.
  • Why Google Has To 'Get' Platforms: It's The Future Of Search
    Last week, I shared portions of Steve Yegge's post (from inside Google) about how Google doesn't "get" platforms. But why, you may ask, does Google have to get better at platforms? Certainly, open platforms open greater levels of innovation, one reason why Facebook gained the critical mass needed to dominate social networking. That is certainly applicable given Google's forays into the social space. But there's another reason, one very germane to Google's core business. Becoming a platform provider is likely the only way Google can compete in a new search ecosystem.
  • It's An Exciting Time To Be In Search
    Here we are about a month out from the winter Search Insider Summit, and I find myself thinking about what we will discuss at the event. If you have not been to an SIS event, I highly encourage you to attend. It's an intimate group that gets together twice a year with a mix of about 50/50 between regulars and newcomers that lends a fun tone to the presentations and conversations. As I think about the topics that will get covered, I'm reminded of the big changes and trends in the space that keep us up at night and also …
  • Can't Touch This
    Last week was the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, and MediaPost had the best headline to come out of the event's coverage: "MC Hammer Launches Search Engine."
  • Amazon = Evolution, Google = Intelligent Design?
    Ironically, the hottest thing on Google+is a rant from a Google Insider about how Google+ is hopelessly limited because Google doesn't get the importance of platforms. Steve Yegge goes on at some length (over 4,000 words) contrasting his first six years at Amazon and his last six years at Google.
  • Mobile Matters: 15 Mobile Search Stats That Ring True
    As the iPhone 4S announcement crashed popular websites and we learned that Google's mobile revenue is now on a $2.5 billion annual run rate, one thing became clear these past few weeks: mobile is H-O-T. So what does this mean for search geeks around the world? Quite a L-O-T. Here are 15 mobile search stats worth phoning home about:
  • Resources To Help Your Conversion Rates
    Conversion Conference, chaired by conversion guru Tim Ash, starts tomorrow in New York. It reminded me of all of the conversion optimization training I've had over the years, so I thought I'd take today's post to share some of the many resources I've used and value when it comes to improving conversion rate.
  • SEO, Content Marketing and Google+
    I love the debate around Google+: "It's dead!" "It's a force to be reckoned with!" "Google's reading my mind!!" There's something about simple, declarative statements that the punditocracy just can't resist. The truth is, Google+ is a slow-moving train that's gaining steam and will become increasingly important to search marketing folks and audiences everywhere.
  • Four Hidden Gems Within Google Analytics
    I am an admitted data nerd. I get excited about funnel visualization. I hang on Avinash Kaushik's every word. My most recent outlet for geeking out has been Google Analytics. It shouldn't be necessary for me to discuss how popular Google Analytics is, or why it's important for any digital marketer to become fluent with its interface and feature set. That should be obvious.But for the advanced user, Google Analytics can wield some deep reporting prowess. I've uncovered four gems in my investigation of Google Analytics' current feature set.
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