Apple will be launching the newest version of their market-leading tablet the IPAD on Friday 16^th March at approximately 8am in 12 countries (including the UK) around the world.

They will start accepting orders online and in store one hour earlier than their usual opening time. Like any Apple launch of late, they expect a plethora of interest and first day purchases/orders, which justify an extra hour of retail trading. The pre-order stock reportedly sold-out within just two days of the, perhaps, short-sightedly named “New iPad”.

So what should New iPad enthusiasts be expecting from the new tablet? Here is a breakdown of the new features and developments buyers can expect:

• Better Display – The New Ipad is set to have 4 times more pixels than its predecessor featuring a 2048-by-1536 resolution (3.1 million pixels)
• A5X Processor – Quad-core graphics processing means that the enhanced display does not slow down the performance of the tablet.
• iSight Camera – 5 megapixel camera which can film HD video in 1080p.
• 4G enabled – Although not yet available in the UK, the New iPad will be able to tap into 4G LTE for faster on-the-go web access and communication. In the meantime it will still have 3G capabilities and Wi-Fi.

Aside from being thinner and lighter and having “Siri” equivalent software, that makes up the significant developments from the iPad 2 which sold over 170 million units last year. Great things are expected, as well as a great price tag; ranging from £399 to £649 depending on memory and 4G/Wi-fi capabilities.

Minnie’s Verdict

The iPad will be the first tablet that will be 4G accessible, which is incredibly exciting considering we (UK) may have access to that by the end of 2012. With the extra speed and enhanced visual display, it is vital that mobile sites and displays be up to scratch, and take advantage of these capabilities.

The biggest question, like with any Apple product launch, is how to justify the price tag as many would still be licking the wounds on their bank accounts from the iPad 2s. However, the features on the “New iPad” should just nudge Apple ahead of its competitors, who should be following suit within the next few months.

Wi-Fi on the tube!

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced on Wednesday that tube users will have free WiFi internet access in 80 stations during this summer’s key events in the capital (Summer Olympics and Queen Elizabeth’s  Diamond Jubilee). The service is expected to be extended to up to 120 stations by the end of 2012, and will be provided by Virgin Media.

Customers can expect to have internet access in stations, on platforms and escalators, but not on trains.

During the initial period the service will be available for free to all users and customers, and then will be available as a pay-as-you-go service. If you are already a Virgin Media customer, you may well be entitled to the Wi-Fi as part of your subscription plan.

Minnie’s Verdict

Darts out the door! Heading for Angel station!!

This is definitely worth being excited about, and is a great win for Richard Branson and Virgin Media. People will be able to stay connected longer, which opens up a lot of avenues for commuter tailored services and tablet/phone applications (i.e. TfL travel information). It also means that the huge influx of customers expected during the Olympics will have access to event information on the go.

This along with the introduction of 4G in the UK by the end of the year, really shows how well the United Kingdom is moving forward in mobile technology.

Infographic of the Week

Fantastic Infographic on the importance and significance of inbound marketing vs traditional outbound marketing. If you thought blowing a big budget on an outdated marketing strategy, maybe this will make you think again!

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up on the New Ipad, Wi-Fi on the Tube and Inbound/Outbound Marketing is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

This week, Google was given the go ahead by US and European regulators to complete the take-over of Motorola for a reported $12.5 Billion.

You may remember that back in December we told you about Google wanting to purchase Motorola? Well, at the time Google received a 400 page document containing allegations of “abuse of dominance” by the European Commission. The report detailed that Google was unethical in its monopoly over the search engine market. There were talks of a hefty fine as well as the implications that any acquisition of Motorola would have to go on hold.

So what has changed? Well not much to tell the truth. Google is still under scrutiny, and have been warned that the acquired patents (17,000 and 7500 patent applications) would have to be licensed at fair prices.

This is by far the largest purchase in Google’s history, and is an obvious move to ensure that Google stand upfront with the competition like Apple through the explosion of the global mobile device market.

Minnie’s Verdict

It was on the cards since August 2011 that Google were going to acquire Motorola and its large portfolio of patents. It is essential that Google doesn’t abuse its patent rights as this could effectively wipe out the smart-phone competition in the new, developing markets.

Google already has one $6 Billion law-suit surrounding patent infringement on its hands with Oracle Corp, the last thing its reputation needs is another.

Social Media – Men Are the Early Adopters

For some time, it has been widely assumed (with fair justification) that there are more women using social networking sites than men and that they (specifically older/middle aged women) also spend more time using it. However new statistics have come to our attention that show more (young) men have utilized newer social networking sites Google+ and Pinterest.

The old perceptions are actually completely justified with the likes of Facebook (55% users are female) and Twitter (54% female). In fact, in 2011 LinkedIn was the only large Social Network Site with more men than women, mostly due to the fact that it has a professional focus with short usage times.

Over 60% of Google+ users are male, young and single, the complete opposite of the typical Tweeter. This is seen as an indication that Google+ is still mostly made up of marketing execs and the technically gifted.

E-Consultancy indicated that this demographic slant may cause serious issues for Google+ as by having too many men may actually put off potential female users from signing up. Research has proven that women are more “profitable” as well as spending more time on the sites.

Below is an Infographic on Pinterest users in the UK compared to the US.

Minnie’s Verdict

I don’t think Google has to worry too much about attracting women onto their Social Network. Google+ still has the fastest growing rate of new users and women are gradually getting on side. Making women “stick” with Google+ will likely be its biggest challenge.

An obvious conclusion is that Google+ and Pinterest (especially in the UK) are still going through their growing pains. It could have only been expected that the first users on the sites were men, due to the professions and industries of people who would want to get on there first.

Infographic of the Week

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, below we give you the battle of the sexes on Pinterest. Look at it as an insight into what most new Social Networks should experience within the first year of their launch.

Minnie’s Weekly Round-Up on Motorola, Social Media and Pinterest is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

In my first app review, I see it only fitting that I review a game, and not just any game, but one about my favourite subject, DOGS!

The geniuses at Big Pixel Studios (creators of Land a Panda), released Off the Leash at the start of February, and for nearly two weeks I haven’t been able to put down my iPod.

The Story

The new evil Chief of Police has decided to ban all dogs and has deployed his forces for our capture!

As a dog you must outrun the cop cars and elude captivity, whilst rescuing as many doomed pups as possible! To survive as long as you can you must evade protruding hedgerows, random ponds and puddles as well as oncoming vehicles, collecting food and coins as you go!

You start off as a Golden Retriever called Steve, but by collecting more coins you can use them to upgrade to faster stronger breeds and customise accessories. You can also unleash power-ups and to help your survival, and purchase whistles so you can call for “The Big Dog” in desperate times!

Key Features

• Simple one-handed tilt-based controls
• 7 different dogs to unlock and customise
• Unlock additional bonus levels, power-ups, and Big Dog attacks by completing missions
• 90 unique missions
• Stunning HD graphics
• Game Center + OpenFeint leaderboards and achievements to compete with your friends
• Easy to learn but difficult to master, you’ll be coming back again and again!

Minnie’s Verdict

8 Barks!

If you love dogs you’ll love this game. The simple controls and lasting gameplay makes it highly addictive. The graphics are tidy and the gameplay is faultless, and it’s FREE! I say give it a go if you have time to kill and feel like outrunning the law!

Off the Leash by Big Pixel Studios (App Review) is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

If you hadn’t heard already the Olympics are coming to London this year, bringing with it the eyes, ears and clicking fingers of the world! In fact, with the increase in physical visitors to the UK and increase in international (cyber) traffic to British sports streaming websites, the government are worried our internet may overload, slowing browser speeds and possibly causing a sort of breakdown.

Not to worry though, the British Government have announced this week that they are working on measures to tackle our somewhat sluggish internet (said to be one of the slowest in Europe!).

If they fail, Brits will be looking at a summer of disruption and slow service, and we’re not talking about National Rail. As a warning, an advisory document, “Preparing Your Business For The Games” [PDF] is available for download from the official London 2012 website.

The government is said to be working with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to find ways of avoiding being overwhelmed during the games which begin on the 27^th of July. One option they are considering is implementing data caps, meaning that the bandwidth can be distributed fairly amongst users.

Minnie’s Verdict

Slow internet is a killer and must be avoided. With so many businesses that market themselves online as speedy, efficient alternatives to heading out the house, sluggish speeds can be really damaging. The UK has always lagged slightly in terms of fast broadband, so the Olympics are a good excuse as any for fixing the problem, and getting us up to speed!

Frustratingly, we have also found out that mobile networks will be equally affected, especially within London near and around any major sporting event.

The Mobile Super Bowl

One of the world’s largest single sporting events took place this week. The Super Bowl was viewed by more than 100 million viewers round the world, and lived up to its expectations as being an exciting, highly commercialised sporting event.

This particular event was predicted to be the first “mobile Super Bowl” whereby 39% of viewers supposedly were to react to the sport and advertising, on mobile devices (i.e. smartphones and tablets.) according to one mobile ad network.

Adverts surrounding the Super Bowl (specifically at half-time) have become as traditionally celebrated as a spectacle, as much as the sport itself. Google announced that during the game 41% of searches related to the Super Bowl ads came from users mobile devices.

According to Google, “Super Bowl ad related searches in the US rose 200% on desktop, 970% on tablets and a whopping 2700% on smartphones.”

Minnie’s Verdict

This story is another example of how important and relevant having mobile presence is becoming at merging offline with online. If you noticed, some of the Super Bowl advertising contained “call to actions” encouraging viewers to use their mobile devices. This is nothing new, but if, as an advertiser, you haven’t considered integrating mobile relevant content in your advertising, or do not have a mobile site/page to optimise for the increase in mobile traffic you should expect from using traditional media, it is about time you did!

Infographic of the Week!

In honour of the Super Bowl, and following the running theme of sport in this post, here is a great infographic we found from the Dachis Group.

It ranks the success of commercial messages and advertising around the Super Bowl in spreading awareness.

It’s a biggy but definitely worth a look!

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up on The Mobile Super Bowl and How London Olympics Could Crash the Internet is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

Google announced last week that, as of 1^st of March, there will be one single privacy policy that will apply to all Google products, rather than one for each (currently over 70 different policies).

As much as this may make sense to web users, there has been some drama as to the alterations in the policy, which some see as a direct infringement on our general privacy.

So what’s new?

Google have said that through the new policy, users information will be shared across their different products, combining the likes of Gmail, search and Youtube information so that a user will have one single profile. This way Google can understand users better, by what they search for combined with what they like to watch and share.

This means that Google will have more information on users so that they can provide the most relevant results and ads for users.

Have a look at this video which explains Google’s changes.

Minnie’s Verdict

The reaction has been quite mixed across the industry. A lot of users see this as Google going too far with privacy, and the holding of information shows a close resemblance with the Facebook privacy policies. However, here we are not really at all surprised at these changes. Google are well within their rights to incorporate all their products within one legal privacy policy. Hopefully this will actually mean more relevant results, and as long as Google is not sharing our information with external organisations, is there really anything for us to be worried about?

Facebook Rolls Out Timeline to All Users

Facebook announced that all users would be updated to their recent timeline platform. Over the next few weeks, all 800 million users will log in to find their profile will be replaced by the timeline. Users will then have 7 days to edit their timeline before it is displayed to other users. This will give people the chance to alter the presentation of their timeline.

As usual, this change has had mixed reviews.

On one hand, the timeline has been positively received as a way of displaying more information in a more personal way. It has allowed the integration of apps, meaning users can spend more time on Facebook enjoying pockets of programmes they like. User creativity is also encouraged through the display picture function and it is also now easier and faster to find stories and old updates.

On the other hand, it has come under criticism for simply showing off too much information. For new users it can be difficult to navigate, and many are sceptical of the idea that Facebook visually can now show all activities since birth. The largest criticism is that users do not have the choice as to whether they would like the old profile or not.

Minnie’s Mini Verdict

This is the umpteenth Facebook upgrade. Each time there has always been those who have predicted the demise of the world’s most used Social Media platform. Now with the allure of Google+ next door, will users make that leap of faith?

INFOGRAPHIC OF THE WEEK

How to Utilise Twitter

Twitter remains as one of the largest sharing sites on the internet. Despite fierce competition from Google+, Twitter is still the site of choice in terms of sharing and sending out information. Social Media Marketers use Twitter as a way of generating a high CTR and quality traffic. Below is an infographic provided by Dan Zarrella, The Social Media Scientist. Maybe it could help you when planning your next Social Media Strategy.

Public Alerts To be Part of Google Maps

Earlier this week, Google Maps announced the introduction of a new feature for users, whereby public alerts would now be displayed.

So for instance if there is a public weather warning, Google will overlay it on the map highlighting the affected area and display information in a pop-box when you mouse over the area.

The data used for the alerts comes from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survery. So as well as weather in the US, users will also get alerts on techtonic movements and potential earthquake zones across the globe.

Google have said that: “We hope Google Public Alerts provides the public with information they need to make better decisions in times of crisis, and ultimately help save lives.”

Minnie’s Verdict

Google have made many moves over the last few months to enhance their image of being socially responsible in this is another move. Aside from that it also is yet another reason for Google Account holders to rely more on Google products and less on external sites. Now when planning a trip, a user can get travel news, route planner and any public announcements on Maps, making it more of a complete informational service. There is already the Google Weather add-on on iGoogle, however this may become a permanent feature on Google Maps.

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up – News on Google Privacy Policy, Facebook Timeline and Twitter is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

It has been rather a busy new year, setting the tone for what we all expect to be a land-shifting 2012. Here are the biggest stories of the week, and what you should expect over the next year.

Facebook Integrates Apps onto the Timeline

Social media giants, Facebook, have announced the integration of apps onto the timeline on Facebook user profiles. This announcement was made at a special press event in San Francisco California.

Now, if a user wants to, say search for an item on eBay, instead of leaving Facebook or opening up a different tab, they can access the eBay app. They can also let other people know what they are looking for.

Currently there are over 60 apps available ranging in categories from shopping and entertainment, to cooking and travel. Facebook have invited developers to create apps, all of which would increase the time users spend on Facebook.

Minnie’s Verdict

Like a lot of Facebook’s previous changes and updates (including implementation of the timeline itself), this seems to be a direct competitive move against Google+. Facebook are now giving users more reasons to stay on the domain and share more information.

Google+ has proven that people want to share more, including what they search for and read. By introducing these apps on the timeline, Google+ has one less perk to differentiate from Facebook.

ComScore findings – Apps up on Browsers

At the very end of last year, comScore released their mobile subscriber market share report for November. Despite being a report exclusive for the US market, which has proven to be different to trends in the UK and Europe, there are similarities this side of the Atlantic which usually follow suit weeks after.

The report shows that Android remains dominant in the US market, but more interestingly is shows that mobile users utilise apps more than they use browers (just!). Have a look at the table below.

Minnie’s verdict

It is safe to say that using your mobile for more than just phone-calls is not a new concept anymore, yet the usage of extra apps and utilities continues to increase. The number of apps available continues to increase, meaning that there are more practical services dedicated to smartphones. Once users find usage in an App they are more likely to reuse it then use a browser, so we should see this behaviour continue, however one cannot underestimate the importance of mobile pages; 44.4% is still a phenomenally high number.

What is likely to happen to 2012

It seems like everyone has made some form of prediction for what 2012 should hold for digital-marketing. Having scrolled through a lot, we found what we think to be the best and most accurate (not including the Earth catastrophically imploding!) Having searched around and asked about the office we have outlined the key points of what you should expect from the coming year.

Attribution

It was common in 2011 that online marketers with generous budgets experienced growing pains in adopting new social media platforms. It is a shame when you see the exact same messages posted out across several platforms, simply because they are an extra channel. By now, marketers should understand how social media sites differ and how they should be utilised into an overall marketing strategy.

More Advertising via Google

As the cost per click rates rise, and as Facebook and Google’s other main competitors become increasingly innovative with their advertising, Google will undoubtedly have to come up with new ways of drawing ad spend. We expect to see more options and products to advertise with as well as changing and experiments with their current search advertising. Seeing how advertising opens up on Google+ will also be worth watching.

Social Indications will become ever more relevant

This trend, born in 2011, will continue to become more of a pressing matter for SEOs and SEMs. The Google “+1”, Facebook “likes”, Tweets etc. will grow in relevance and advertisers should invest heavily in promoting these.

Mobile

There is no doubt about it, desktop traffic is to be overtaken by mobile traffic in 2012. Online marketers will be looking to spend more on developing mobile sites and indeed advertising on them.  We should expect to see the introduction of application design on mobiles as well, with the help of HTML5.

Minnies Verdict

2012 is set to be an exciting year, seeing fierce competition and ever-more innovative developments in Social Media and Search Engine Marketing. We should see the practices move closer together as each skills complements the other. In 2011 we witnessed the death of long-tail keywords as a clear indication that personalised search and social indicators are to be more prominent this year.

Minnies Weekly Round-Up: Facebook Timeline Apps, ComScore and SEO Predictions for 2012 is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

Below is a list of what we think are the most significant stories and changes in search engine marketing, social media and digital marketing as a whole, in 2011.

Google

The search giants have undoubtedly solidified their dominance out of the search engines. Globally, Google accounts for an astounding 85% of all searches, which has remained relatively unchanged over the year. They have had uncountable updates and changes to their search engine, from the altered SERPs interfaces to crawlers, and recently their analytics data.

Most Google products have seen multiple improvements and updates over the year, from simple street-finder improvements to the introduction of facial/ picture recognition on image search!

Panda

The notorious Panda updates (8 in all) have been somewhat of a touchy subject of 2011, having caused distress and turmoil with webmasters across all industries. At the times when Google announce the Panda updates, whole groups of sites seemingly drop off the rankings, undoing months of SEO strategy. Google have insisted that all the updates (including panda) are to improve the users search results.

It has been the introduction of new products and services from Google that has really caught our attention in 2011.

Google have launched new initiatives and sites including the hotel finder, upsetting many who see Google as monopolising the internet.

Android

Arguably its biggest success story of 2011 has been the Android, its mobile operating system, which now holds 52.5% of the global market share.

Google+

This summer saw the gradual roll-out of the fastest ever growing social media site Google+. It was reported as having up to 10 million users within the first 24 hours or launch.  Since then we have kept an eye on the developments of the social network that was set to “kill Facebook”.

It is arguably difficult to see where the platform is positioned against its competition, although there seems to a lot of interest surrounding its future and the significance of the +1 feature.

In the latter part of the year, Google also retired a list of products in a clean-up operation.

Social Media

Other than the launch of Google+ we have also seen key developments in other aspects of social media in 2011.

More and more brands have adopted social media marketing into their online and campaign strategies. Advertisers have utilised this relatively new interactive medium, and some of the results have been spectacular.

Twitter

In January, Twitter announced it was taking a “hands off” approach, lifting all censorship on political and controversial content. The site has since become almost a primary source of breaking news and celebrity gossip.

In June, Twitter reached 200 million registered users, and continues to grow despite fierce competition.

Facebook

The nets largest social media site and second most visited domain has been in a continuous spotlight over the year. From being partially blamed for acting as a platform for planned rioting in London, to being acclaimed as being the communication tool for uprisings and revolutions in North Africa, Facebook has evolved from being a social network into a global hub of opinion and influence.

In September, precisely one month before the world population reached 7 billion, Facebook reached 800 million users.

Mobile

2011 has undeniably been the year of mobile smartphones. Through developing countries and improving technologies, the smart-phone industry has exploded over the year with sales of the devices up nearly 50% on 2010.

In a time where convenience, speed and flexibility are key, mobile online users have enjoyed more optimised services specific to their devices.  This has led to the increased importance of mobile marketing and reaching users on the go.

As the market has grown, the competition within it has intensified. Users have benefited from some of the most incredible advances in mobile technology.

Have a look at the infographic below to see just far smartphone usage has come:

Smartphone Mobile App Usage by[x]cubeLABS

Keeping abreast of the news and using it to optimise our own performance has been educational as well as an enjoyable challenge, ensuring our clients get the best possible service available.

If you feel there have been any other significant stories, please feel free to comment below!

2011: The Round Up is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

This week Google launched new graphing results on their search engine. By simply typing in a mathematic function into search, Google will provide the graph as an image in the first result.

Mathematicians are now able to zoom in and out on the image and pan across the plane to explore the detail of the function. The tool allows users to draw multiple functions, which is done by simply separating them with commas. This feature is available globally and in all modern browsers.

Minnie’s Verdict

Surprised grunt/ puff

It is another impressive feature to add to Google’s collection, always looking forward to seeing what they’re going to come up with next. This way they guarantee loyal visits from A-Level maths students.

Google in the EU’s Firing Line

Within the next few weeks Google should be receiving a 400 page document containing allegations of “abuse of dominance” from the European Commission.

This document will be a result of an investigation into Google that the EU started a month ago. The investigation into the search giant stems from a complaint made by search engines Foundem, eJustice and Ciao!.

Google should attempt to settle the dispute as the fine imposed by the EC could be as much as 10% of Google’s annual turnover. That and Google are in the process of a take-over of Motorola, which could possibly be hindered by such legal proceedings.

Minnie’s Verdict

Grrrrrrrrr…

If Google are hit with a fine (a considerable one at that) it could be incredibly damaging for the brand and business. Executive Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt has flown to Europe on a so-called “courtesy visit”. We can only imagine this is as a move to calm the situation as well as ensure the take-over of Motorola runs smoothly.

This story adds to the ever growing pressure on Google, that have been coming under increasing scrutiny surrounding their growing dominance over the internet. We will watch developments closely.

How Social Media Has Changed the Advertising Industry [Infographic]

There is no denying it, Social Media has become one of the most significant areas in marketing, specifically in online strategies. Campaigns have developed to become more creative and innovative, meaning advertisers are now working harder than ever to maximise their affectivity in this area.

Results show that users are spending more of their time (and money) on social media sites. Below is an infographic created by MDG Advertising, which shows how and why marketers have had to adopt social media strategy to survive.

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up on Google and Social Media is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

The world’s most wide-spread, open sourced, content management system, WordPress, have announced brand new advertising programme WordAds, as a way for bloggers to monetize their blog.

The new programme has been launched as an alternative to Google AdSense, which has long gone out of fashion for bloggers.

As a way of ensuring that WordAds remains a viable advertising tool and preventing spam, only quality bloggers will be able to utilise the programme. Bloggers will be vetted based on quality of content, traffic, engagement and the requirement that they have a custom domain.

If you have a blog you can now register with WordAds, which is the result of the recently announced partnership between Federated Media and Automattic.

Minnie Verdict

Jumping up, barking, excited, and nowhere near time for walkies!

This is great news. Bloggers and marketers can now segment and target their content more specifically. Users will benefit because it means that bloggers will have to ensure their content is better written and topic specific.

It’s also provides competition to Google, which is healthy for the online market and means that maybe, just maybe, they’ll make some sort of improvement to AdSense, which has long fallen out of fashion.

We cannot wait to have a play, and will keep you informed of our findings.

The New Google Bar

Google has updated its user and profile services… again! This time they have announced the change in the Google bar (runs across the top of the screen when using any Google product).

There are some notable changes you should be able to see (as and when the update is rolled out in your region):

• The new grey bar has replaced the (recently added) black bar
• The Google logo on the left acts as a drop down box to other Google products.
• The search box in the centre of the bar will act as a search engine for the product you are using.
• The right side of the bar is where you can administer your Google+ account, i.e. sign in/out or switch accounts and check for account updates.

You will also have the ability to share whatever you are looking at with different circles using the new Google+ area.

Minnie’s Verdict

Grunt, tail-wagging, long groan.

This is quite a predictable update by Google, but is a smart one none-the-less. It is obvious that one benefit of Google+ is that it encourages users to stay on Google products. Now it should be easier for a user to navigate between products without even looking at the address bar.

The Google+ share feature also acts like a social plug in for any site you go on, and increases the likeliness of users to share through Google+ rather than its competitors.

This feature has yet to be rolled out in the UK, but if there is anything worth reporting on we will keep you updated!

Bing – Top Searches 2011

This week, Bing released their users top searches throughout this last year. The results provide an insight into interests of users and search habits.

The post on the Bing blog shows how popular search terms have changed from last year’s results. Aside from the whimsical celebrity search results, Bing also pointed out a few behavioural changes that highlight the mood of users; searches for “bankruptcy” and “selling your home” were among the highest financially related search terms.

However most of it does focus on popular figures and TV shows.

The search engine (when coupled with Yahoo) holds about 10% of the global market share for conducted searches, so these show a fair representation of user search behaviour.

Minnie’s Verdict

Sat up,  ears pricked.

It is always important to monitor and understand user behaviour. Researches can use this data (even the celebrity related searches) in analysing how public opinion and broadcast media affect search.

It also is a good way of gaging public opinion and finding out whether your product or campaign is affective. For example, here are the top ten most searched consumer electronics:

1. Xbox
2. Kindle
3. Playstation
4. iPhone 5
5. iPad
6. Wii
7. iPad 2
8. Nook
9. Windows Phone 7
10. Macbook Pro

This is great news for Microsoft as the Xbox is more widely searched than its closest competitor Sony Playstation. However, Apple products make up 4 of the top 10 results (including a product which hasn’t even been released yet, the iPhone 5).

Indoor Maps from Google

Google have announced the ability for Android users to see indoor mapping in selected shopping centres, stores and airports. This addition to the “My Location” feature on Google Maps was rolled out in the US and Japan this week!

Users can now use the app to help find what they’re looking for and locate exactly where they are by the familiar Google Maps blue dot. Users will have access to detailed floor plans which is provided and will be updated by the stores themselves.

Have a look at this demonstration of someone making their way through popular furniture store, IKEA.

Minnie’s Verdict

Jumped up on the chair, ran around for a bit, now lying down… it’s been a good week!

This is a really good initiative by Google. It means shoppers can locate to exactly what they are looking for without getting lost in large department stores, as well as find their way easily to the toilet!

Bing has a similar product, “Venue Maps” but simply acts as a fixed map. With this new feature you can affectively us SatNav in a store.

Google are yet to announce whether there will be an Apple app developed, but we have a feeling they may hold onto this as a competitive advantage for Androids.

We can’t wait for it to be rolled out in the UK!

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up (1/12/11) is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

As of Monday the 21^st November, Yahoo! Site Explorer has been merged into Bing Webmaster Tools. It is an obvious result as Bing has been powering Yahoo! search since July 2009.

Many users of the Site Explorer have expressed their disappointment online. The Site Explorer was launched in 2005, and was useful specifically for understanding back-link quality.

Minnie’s Verdict

Fast asleep… feet twitching… probably dreaming.

Tools like SEOmoz’s Open Site Explorer have proven to be more useful anyway, and it makes sense that Bing want to bolster the tools they’re providing to Webmasters, to rival Google’s offerings.

Google Cleans Up

Speaking of retirement, in an effort to build a “more intuitive, truly beautiful Google experience”, Google have announced the scrapping of 7 more of their products this week:

• Google Bookmark Lists – this was an test interface launched in March 2010 as a way for users to share content online in the form of lists. Bookmarks will continue to work as normal, but without the lists feature.
• Google Friends Connect – This was the rich snippets that Google provided so you could have members and add social plug-ins to your site. It was a useful tool that allowed you to gather “members”. With the growing significance of Google+, this tool is now rendered useless.
• Google Gears – This was a tool that enabled the creation of offline web applications. It hasn’t been available for any new browsers before now. Gmail and Google Calendars were mostly used with this tool, but they can now be used offline via Chrome.
• Google Timeline – As a way of cleaning up, you can now access all the same data via refinement tools in search or google.com/trends.
• Google Wave – The online communication platform was never really much of a success, despite its clever tools and easy usability. Again, with Google+’s hang out, chat and sparks features, Waves usefulness has expired.
• Google Knol – The collaborative scholar article wiki tool has been retired to make way for Annotum, hosted on WordPress.
• Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal – This was an initiative by Google that’s aim was to drive down the costs of renewable energy. Google have said that this has been retired because “other institutions are better positioned than Google to take research to the next level”.

Minnie’s Verdict

LOUD BARK, surprised us a little bit…

As Google cast their net wider over more industries in cyberspace, they have to clean up what doesn’t work. It is obvious that, via Google+, they are trying to create a hub of products and features meaning users can always stay logged into Google.

My favourite video of the month – Address is Approximate

Check out this special heart-warming video by The Theory. It is a tribute to Google maps, specifically the Google Streetview feature.

Here at Mediarun, we have been quick to analyse and criticise Google’s products and features, Google Maps being no exception. However, it is the most widely used mapping application in the world and is arguably one of the most useful tools that Google offer. Google utilizes the technology in many of its other features ranging from the obvious route finders to the obscure, i.e. the flu-shot finder.

Since its launch (nearly 7 years ago now!), Google maps has become one of the most significant tools in Google’s portfolio. Localised search results nearly always display a map in the right hand column. It is then vital for your business to be mapped and pin-pointed by Google. With data, maps, and images being updates and captured daily, it is becoming ever more possible to travel the world from your desktop. For more information on how to utilize Google maps, contact us on +44 (0)8081 497 034!

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up (23/11/11) is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun