news to share

Google is now surfacing podcast episodes that can be played directly in search results. Playable podcast episodes will be displayed in addition to regular search results when users are specifically searching for podcasts. “Starting today, when you’re searching for a podcast about a topic on Google, such as “podcasts about Awkwafina” or “Instant Pot recipe…

Google is automatically adding a large “Request a Quote” button to eligible business listings in search results. Joy Hawkins was first to spot this feature and she shared a screenshot on Twitter: The button also appears in mobile search results when the business name is searched for. I, along with others, can replicate this feature…

Influencer marketing is growing significantly. It is definitely an area of marketing you want to start thinking about. When it comes to influencer marketing, it is not just about paying anyone with a lot of followers to blast out your marketing message. Influence is earned. On July 10, I presented an SEJ ThinkTank webinar to…

As a business owner, one of the most important steps to success is showing what makes your business special and why local customers should work with you. We are now making this easier than ever by introducing new business page upgrades that will help consumers learn more about your business, beyond the photos and reviews…

Google has published official guidance on Core Updates that goes beyond anything published before. The guidance covers four areas of content and recommends becoming acquainted with Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines to learn how to judge your own content. The guidance additionally mentioned that updates could affect Google Discover. Google’s Guidance on Core Algorithm Updates Google’s…

There’s no doubt Twitter has changed the world we live in. From its launch in July 2006 to its current state 13 years later, the microblogging website has become the ultimate news source, outreach platform, meme supplier, political soapbox, and so, so much more to so many people. One of the many results of Twitter…

Snapchat is introducing a new tool, called Instant Create, that offers a simple way to create Snapchat-optimized ads. Ads can be created in three steps: Select an objective – you can either increase web visits, app installs, or app visits. Enter your business website. Select your targeting. Then the ad is ready to publish. Snapchat…

The rising popularity of video content is causing marketers across the board to flock to the bandwagon. Unlike many “shiny new objects” in the marketing world, it’s abundantly clear that video is here to stay. In fact, research from HubSpot indicates that more than half of consumers want to see more video content from the…

In the SEO industry, when you hear the term “link building,” you probably assume the person is talking about external links or backlinks. This makes sense. After all, backlinks from other websites are a strong signal to search engines and a driving force behind organic search rankings. But there is another type of link building…

Facebook Ad objectives are the backbone of any Facebook campaign: the objective controls your bidding options, your ad unit options, and, the way your campaigns are optimized. There are 13 campaign objectives to choose from but not much supporting content to help make that selection. Because of this, getting started with Facebook can be a…