A Way to Avoid the Google + Local Review Spam Filter?

There has been a lot of talk lately about the issue that businesses are facing on Google + Local with reviews.  Business owners are enraged and are threatening lawsuits against Google and are starting to compare their platform to the…
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New Display for Microformats on Google?

Update: It appears that the code doesn’t have to contain microformatting exactly.  Mike Blumenthal has indicated “I have determined that it is an upgraded Plus Box display which doesn’t require rich snippets but any reliable web-based address info that Google trusts.”…
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Google’s New Privacy Policy Goes into Effect Today

As many of you may be aware, there has been a lot of discussion about Google’s new privacy policy that goes into effect starting March 1, 2012. It would be a bit of an understatement to say that the news…
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Google to Start Penalizing Pages With too Many Advertisements “Above the Fold”

Are you tired of doing a Google search only to land on a page that has an entire army worth of ads occupying the top part of the page? Does this make you feel deceived and taken advantage of? Well…
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Top 20 Paid Search Advertisers on Google in the U.S. for 2011

In 2010 Google brought in $29 billion. Of this, 97% was revenue from paid search advertising. So who exactly is spending all this money on Google? Kantar Media has been trying to answer this question. According to Search Engine Watch,…
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40% of Mobile Searches are Local

According to Google’s official blog, “More than 20 percent of desktop searches on Google are related to location. On mobile, this climbs to 40 percent. Location-aware search ads can help you find what you’re looking for more easily by putting…
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Google+ Opens Its Doors to the Public

For those of you who don’t know, Google+ is Google’s equivalent of the all and mighty social network called Facebook. Until recently, Google+ was only available to a limited number of “invitees” who could only join in on the fun…
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Google’s Acquisition of Zagat Drives Home the Importance of Customer Reviews

Last week Google acquired Zagat, the review provider powerhouse that has been in business for over 30 years. According to Greg Sterling of Search Engine Land, “This is huge news for Google (capital “H”) and for local. Google is a…
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Google Places Showing More Photos for Branded Searches

Google Places recently made a change which shows more photos if you do a search for a particular local business.  In this example, there are three photos displayed on Google for this business instead of the typical 1.

Is Google Plus the New Facebook?

Google recently launched their social media site that might become Facebook’s biggest competitor: Google Plus.  Right now it’s invitation-only, so getting a profile there is not easy. The Features: 1. Circles – you can organize your friends in circles.  You…
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