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Google’s Mobile Payment App – Google Wallet
Google is involved in a lot of areas of Internet marketing. As a search engine, they’re perfectly positioned to handle just about everything; many website owners believe that using Google’s services will provide them with more exposure, although there is no solid evidence supporting this view.
Google also, of course, has a hand in mobile technology—and not just in search—as an online payment service. This is Google Wallet.
What is Google Wallet?
Originally launched in September of 2011, Google Wallet is an online service that you access through your smartphone. It stores your credit cards on your phone, which allows you to pay for things by simply tapping or scanning your phone at their kiosks. Google’s main problem is that this application isn’t available at many locations right now—or on many phones.
The only way you can use this application in-store right now is if you own one of Sprint’s Nexus S 4G phones. In addition to that, you can only use it at select locations that feature the MasterCard PayPass. In Central Oregon, that’s a total of 26 places—most of which are 7 Elevens. You can search the Google Wallet website to see where you would be able to use the mobile Google Wallet in your area.
What is the Point of the Google Wallet?
Because of the limited number of people able to use this feature, a lot of people have wondered what the point is—why would Google choose to release a product that so few people would be able to use? The answer is this: money is becoming digital. The technology isn’t advancing very quickly right now, but it is coming—and Google wants to be at the forefront, labeled as an innovator.
Google Wallet is also taking over Google’s old online checkout system—so the wallet is becoming very integrated into Google’s ecommerce work. Any retailers who are currently using Google Checkout will now be moved into Google Wallet—although it will work in the same way.
So what are your thoughts on the integration of Google Wallet and Google Checkout? Can you see yourself using Google Wallet on your phone?
Google+ Business Pages – What You Need to Know
In early September, Google+ opened up to the general public, inviting an influx of millions of users—eager to try out the newest feature from Google. However, many users noticed a distinct problem with the site right off the bat—where were the Google+ business pages?
Two months later, the pages have finally opened to the public, and social media managers are flooding the site, adding their businesses and trying to figure out how to use Google+ to their advantage. At this point it is difficult for small business to gain a following, because even though the numbers are large, it is still nowhere near Facebook in terms of active users.
Despite the lower amount of users though, Google+ has a lot of advantages. First of all—it’s a Google product. Therefore, Google+ business pages are going to be integrated into Google’s search engine results pages very quickly. As a matter of fact, many of the larger Google+ business pages have already been indexed and are showing up on SERPs.
Using a Google+ Business Page
If you still haven’t set up your Google+ business page, here are your goals this week:
- Set one up! Remember to do it from a company account that someone else has access to, as well. www.google.com/+/business will give you all the directions you need.
- Put together your scrapbook photos. This is the most noticeable part of your Google+ business profile, so make sure it represents your business well—and looks nice!
- Promote, promote, promote!
The third is the most important goal—because of the few active users on Google+, your small business isn’t going to get added to a lot of circles for a while… unless you promote it. Put a Google+ logo on your blog or website, tweet about it and share it on your own Google+ profile.
After your Google+ business page is up and running, post often on subjects your circlers will want to hear about! Let your circlers know that you’re there and provide them with content that’s worth sharing. Remember to track your traffic to see how you’re doing!
And while you’re at it—add Smart Solutions to your circles! See you on Google+.
Bing and Google Get Social
Both Bing and Google have taken their search capabilities to a new level—with social search. Social search takes advantage of the growing importance and reliance on social media by bringing the opinions of one’s social circle into their search experience.
For example, search results now can link relevant pages that friends and colleagues have created or track down their tweets shared on Twitter and photos shared on Flickr. Information can include anything…how to purchase best video camera for work-related footage or learn about the best Yosemite hikes for those less in shape.
It started with Bing…then Google followed
Bing first announced integration with social media giant, Facebook in October 2010, when it launched a new feature called “Liked Results,” allowing one to see websites “liked by your friends” within the actual search engine results page (SERP).
Google then followed suit and announced it would also include the opinions of people one cares about by linking to friends on Google Profile. Both companies say that the opinions of family and friends can play a big role in one’s decision-making process. And that both services provide a more personalized search experience. See for yourself:
Quick Bing Social Search video
Quick Google Social Search video
What about Privacy?
- Google says the information that your family and friends can see is already publicly available data. What Google Social Search does is make it easier to find it. More here.
- With Bing, your Facebook settings are key to how results will be shown. For example, if you shared a link where only Friends can see, your Friends of Friends will not be able to see the shared link. Learn more.
Google Instant FAQs
1. What Is Google Instant? It’s a new feature that predicts what an online user is searching for and shows results as the user types.
2. What are the benefits? Instant results allow searchers to find what they’re looking for without clicking ‘enter’ or ‘search’. According to Google this provides faster and smarter searches.
3. What has changed, and what has not? The ‘basics’ remain the same. Google has been predicting and suggesting search terms for at least a year based on a user’s search history and location. Google Instant takes this a step further by displaying a full page of results before the user has finished typing. With every character typed the organic, paid, maps and news results change in real time. It’s important to note that Google Instant does not affect all Google search results. It can be turned off by users who don’t like it. Plus, Google Instant is only available at Google.com, so for now things will stay the same for users who search exclusively in their browser toolbar.
4. Does Google Instant impact or rankings? According to Google the answer is ‘no’. A well-rounded approach to solid content development and optimization should actually benefit from Google Instant. Now it’s simply faster, and the results will change as the query changes. However, Google Instant undoubtedly creates a major traffic bias towards top ranked search results for short-tail keywords.
5. Does Google Instant impact my PPC ads? No. Targeted pay-per-click ads continue to show as they normally would – just faster, and will change as the query changes. Click here to view how Google Instant will affect Impressions and Click-Through rates.
For more information, see this article on Search Engine Land.
Should Google Practice What They Preach?
The comparison chart at the bottom of this post was sent to me last week. I thought it was quite funny… and true. In the world of SEO, we really have a love/hate kind of relationship with Google.
The fact is that Google is the best search engine out there. They drive the most traffic and, for most of our clients, bring the highest level of conversion. Unfortunately Google is the most expensive to advertise with through Pay-per-Click, and often the most difficult to rank well with through organic SEO.
Then again, they provide tons of free tools, and a high-level of advice and assistance in all forms of online advertising. As analytics go, Google offers the most comprehensive full-featured analytic tool available (free).
I say, take the good with the bad. With a company like Google, there’s always room for comedy, sarcasm, and a bit of satire. So fellow SEO’s, blackhats, whitehats, whatever you call yourself… enjoy this little comparison of blackhat (some say evil) tactics – to those of the do-no-evil, all whitehat (clean and saintly) search engine…
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