Digital Marketing Industry Highlights

According to Xanthos

30 April 2012 – 4 May 2012

WEEK 1

Monday 30 April 2012

13% of Google UK searches now include author images

“The use of the rel=author markup to create enhanced listings in Google's SERPs is growing, with 13% of searches now showing author images in the top 100 results. ”

Example:

All you need is a Google + profile and then...your CTR should rocket as you stand out

http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/9727-13-of-google-uk-searches-now-include-author-images

New Gmail Image Feature makes email marketing more social

“Last week, Gmail made it even easier to share email content with an outside network. If you have rich formatting enabled and receive an email with an inline image in it, you can hover around the visual and click on the “Share” link.

What’s it for?

• Spreading the word!• Getting email marketers to create more compelling, shareable content• Easier sharing to Google+• Lead generationIt’s just another of Google’s steps to integrate Google+ and Gmail

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32599/New-Gmail-Image-Feature-Makes-Email-Marketing-More-Social.aspx

Responsive Design - harnessing the power of media queries

“Our commitment to accessibility means we strive to provide a good browsing experience for all our users. 

1.Our pages should render legibly at any screen resolution2.We mark up one set of content, making it viewable on any device3.We should never show a horizontal scrollbar, whatever the window size

So:Use simple semantic markup. Enable a liquid layout. Enable media Queries but don’t rely on them. Render your page readable by using the viewport meta element.

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/responsive-design-harnessing-power-of.html

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Is Google abusing its position with credit card comparison?

“Google has announced that it is launching a price comparison service offering information on credit cards and bank accounts ahead of the natural search listings.”

So what?

Well, although the price comparison comes BELOW the paid advertising,Because it uses images, it’s more eye-catching. Is Google going up againstIts advertisers?

http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/9751-is-google-abusing-its-position-with-credit-card-comparison

Facebook: the social (engineering) network?

“In an effort to encourage more people to become organ donors, Facebook is launching an initiative that will ask users in certain countries to share their organ donor status on their Facebook profiles under a Health and Wellness section.”

BUT...

Zuckerberg: “Facebook is really about communicating and telling stories”

This is not just a new story. FB is suggesting its users take an action and encourage their friends/contacts to do so too. What will Facebook suggest next?

http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/9764-facebook-the-social-engineering-network

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Yahoo launches dashboard for small businesses

“The Yahoo Marketing Dashboard allows small business owners to view their sites' traffic, keep track of their search rankings and monitor buzz on 8,000 sites, including Twitter and Facebook. Yahoo bills it as the ‘one place" to "get a clear picture of your marketing results and reputation.’ ”

How valuable is Yahoo’s offer, really?

Because there are so many options available to small business owners, having A tool where everything can be managed in one place is not a half-bad idea.

However, Yahoo also stated that they submit a company’s website to over 100 search engines and directories. Is this their way of getting back into search?

http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/9771-yahoo-launches-dashboard-for-small-businesses

Twitter update makes it easier for users to discover your marketing content

“The Twitter Discover tab was originally created to make it easier for users to discover meaningful information without needing to follow other accounts. With Twitter's new update, the tab will now take into consideration additional personalization signals to surface stories and tweets that are popular among the people you follow -- and the people they follow.”

What’s it all in aid of?

Twitter says: it’s part of an ongoing effort to bring users closer to the content and tweets they care about.

What does this mean for you as a twitter user? : there’s now another way forothers to discover your content!

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32676/Twitter-Update-Makes-it-Easier-for-Users-to-Discover-Your-Marketing-Content.aspx

# Discover Lab’s been updated!

Microsoft advertising is becoming “Bing” for SMBs

“The company has already rolled out a new branded landing page for small and medium-sized businesses, building on other efforts it’s making to simplify everything to attract these marketers. 

Why did they change the branding?

Microsoft felt there was a big disconnect between the consumer Bing brand and SMB’s.

As such, they’ve simplified their advertising process, rebranded their SMB landing page and are building on other efforts to simplify and attract marketers

http://searchengineland.com/microsoft-advertising-is-becoming-bing-for-smbs-120102

Thursday 3 May 2012

Linkedin acquires professional content sharing platform SlideShare for $119M

“Presentations are one of the main ways in which professionals capture and share their experiences and knowledge, which in turn helps shape their professional identity,” said LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner. “These presentations also enable professionals to discover new connections and gain the insights they need to become more productive and successful in their careers, aligning perfectly with LinkedIn’s mission and helping us deliver even more value for our members.

Now let’s see what happens...

http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/03/linkedin-acquires-professional-content-sharing-platform-slideshare-for-119m/

Friday 4 May 2012