May 2015 News You Can Use

Breaking Stories and Top Articles for May, 2015

Summer 2015 is right in front of us. Welcome to the “Get your beach body on” edition of Stukent’s News You Can Use.

When you work online, EVERY DAY is game day. Perhaps no other profession is moving and changing as quickly as internet marketing.

Let’s take a look at some of the stories and developments we noticed this May. If you see something we missed – hey, share a link in the comments!

1. FACEBOOK TIGHTENS UP THE NEWS FEED

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight]

Key Point: Facebook implemented new updates aimed at helping users keep a cleaner News Feed. Facebook is famous for making changes. And every time they do, wailing arises from the camp and a wave of impossibility thinking rolls through the internet marketing sector. Is Facebook really trying to push businesses into needing to pay for advertising before they can get the necessary reach to make their efforts pay off? You be the judge. Here’s what we do know: The rules of engagement have changed again, and Smart marketers will look for ways to turn those changes into opportunities.

Read all about it here: The newest Facebook updates.

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2. GOOGLE+ INTRODUCES “COLLECTIONS”

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media – Google+[/highlight]

Key Point: With some online marketers saying Google+ is on the decline, the giant launched a new Pinterest-style feature this month. Putting a hitch in the rumors that Google+ is heading the way of Google Buzz, Google announced a new feature for G+. See if the setup sounds familiar: You create boards of visual content and share it with others. Will Google+ Collections revitalize the platform and put a hurt on Pinterest?

Read Dmitry Shapiro’s announcement and take Collections for a spin. It may be the next big thing. (And it may not.)

google_plus_collections

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3. ARE BUY BUTTONS COMING TO THE SERP?

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Search Engine Marketing[/highlight]

Key Point: Rumor has it that Google plans to make it easier to buy online. We’ve not seen an official announcement from Google, but the online magazines and news sources are hopping with speculation that Google will soon be placing “buy” buttons in search results. From Time and Fortune to USA Today, major publishers are citing a Wall Street Journal article leaking Google’s (alleged) plan to let mobile searchers buy straight from the SERP (search engine results page). Is it true? We should know soon.

Meanwhile, here’s what we do know – courtesy of Entrepreneur: Mobile gets Google buy buttons first.

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4. FACEBOOK TAKES ON GOOGLE!

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Search Engine Marketing[/highlight]

Key Point: Facebook is testing a feature that will allow you to bypass Google search to find links and posts you want to share from your Page or profile. It’s available only to select accounts in the USA, right now, but Facebook (says TechCrunch) is hoping their new “Add a Link” feature will keep us on Facebook longer. Add a Link will make it possible for mobile users to search, find, and post a link to Facebook – all from within Facebook.

Get the lowdown here: Facebook Add a Link.

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5. ADWORDS UPS THE GAME ON TARGETING FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

Topics: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising – Google[/highlight]

target iconKey Point: Google is responding to consumer demand for “What’s near me?” searches with an enhanced ad presentation on mobile. When you’re downtown looking for a pizza parlor, you want to find a good one AND a close one. Google says their enhanced search results will help you do both. For searchers wanting to know what’s nearby, businesses using enhanced location extensions will be highlighted — along with the distance from your present location. Find out how to make the magic happen right here:

Find out how to make the magic happen right here: Inside AdWords.

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6. BING EMBRACES MOBILE-FRIENDLY SEARCH

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising – Bing[/highlight]

Key Point: Bing announced their plans for making mobile search easier and faster. Google put the hammer down on mobile last month; now Bing is trumpeting their own mobile-friendly strategy. In this (May 14) update, Bing shared what they’ve been doing and where they’re headed. All told, there’s no earth-shattering news here – but it’s an excellent overview of how mobile is impacting search and businesses that depend on search.

Here’s that link: Bing Mobile-Friendly Strategy.

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7. TWITTER GETS FRONT-ROW TREATMENT ON GOOGLE SEARCH

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Search Engine Optimization[/highlight]

Key Point: Local search specialist, Linda Buquet, kicked off a round of loud moans and SEO doomsday prophecies with her observation that Google searches on the words “Dentist” and “Chiropractor” returned ads filling the top and side, with the map and local info moved to the lower right – below the fold. While it may SEEM that Google is making a radical change in the way search results are shown, there has been no official word from Mountain View – and chances are much greater that Google is only conducting tests to gauge the effect on click-throughs when the Knowledge Graph components are not shown in a prime location. What do you think about this development? Back in 2010, dental SEO folks were jumping up and down about prominent positioning on the SERP (search engine results page). Looks like some of that ground may be lost – at least temporarily.

The test may be completed by the time you read this, but to take a look for yourself, run a search on “physician” and note the location of the map and local results listings. Then search for “chiropractor” and see if the layout changes. I’ll bet Googlers have fun messing with things like that and watching people run around in a frenzy, certain that SEO is coming to an end.

The real lesson here is that things DO change. SEO practitioners must be constantly vigilant and ready to make adjustments to whatever comes down the pike.

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8. MOBILE EMAIL POSES A SPECIAL CHALLENGE

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Email Marketing[/highlight]

Key Point: Mail not optimized for mobile is more likely to be deleted unread. Unbounce writer, Mark John Hiemstra, rolled out the stats to make a case for mobile-optimized email, saying 75% of mobile users habitually delete un-optimized mail. Hiemstra goes on to cite four simple solutions to the threat. To find out more about getting through to email recipients via mobile, go here: Why No One Reads Your Emails.

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9. LINKEDIN BEGINS ROLLING OUT ANALYTICS FOR PUBLISHERS

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing[/highlight]

Key Point: LinkedIn Pulse now has full analytics. If you’re publishing articles on LinkedIn Pulse, you may have already seen a special surprise: LinkedIn is rolling out an analytics feature to users. A fairly robust package of stats and demographics will let you tell at a glance how well your posts are performing. Geo-data breaks down your audience by industry, job title and location. Here’s that announcement (including a link to find out whether or not your LinkedIn presence is yet eligible for analytics: Pulse Gets Analytics!

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10. SNAPCHAT IS GOING MAINSTREAM

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing[/highlight]

snapchat logoKey Point: Snapchat’s CEO says he has the answer for young people – and he knows how to monetize it. In this BloomBerg Business interview with Snapchat CEO, Evan Spiegel, readers get an inside look at the 24-year-old behind one of the fastest growing social channels anywhere. The plan is to begin accepting advertising aimed at the teenage and young adult audience. With video views now at 2 billion per DAY, the idea seems unstoppable.

Find out more about Snapchat, Evan Spiegel, and how a quickly-growing company can convert views into dollars. Here’s that interview: Spiegel on Snapchat.

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Congratulations! You’re all caught up on your digital marketing news and updates for the month! Tweet your excitement!

Tweet: Thanks to @stukentapp's News You Can Use, I'm all caught up on my #digitalmarketing updates http://bit.ly/1MGbaBc

Wrapping it up…

That’s it for May News You Can Use. If we missed something you think should have made the cut, do let us know in the comments below.

Remember: When you stop learning, you stagnate… and when you stagnate as an internet marketer, you get run over. Don’t get run over!

The team at Stukent wishes you the best summer ever!

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