Movement Toward Fully Secured Search Results

As the search engine with the continued dominance of queries in the U.S.; Google has been hinting through data analysis and algorithm changes that a fully secured set of results is their goal.

Will that reach 100%? Probably not for some of the fringe queries (what are fringe queries nowadays anyway?). However, for highly competitive queries, I believe we can expect the majority of page 1-3 results to be dominated by secure sites by the end of 2015 and see movement toward that 100% by the end of 2016.

As reported by Search Engine Land, Google recently mentioned their analysis on Google+ on sites that were eligible for HTTPs but were not showing as secured due to a "webmaster configuration". I can see a case being made that this move by Google is an added method to gain additional trust from queries and further alleviate spammy results from their pages.

What does this mean for the little guy?

The question for those small businesses and startups who aren't up-to-date on the latest demands from Google; "How can we compete against big business who can keep up with these changes?" Those of us in the industry know that it is not just this ONE change that can magically make a site rank but instead it is the culmination of many of these factors that lead to success. Small businesses and startups can seemingly be at a disadvantage but they can also be fairly nimble where many large businesses cannot. The availability of knowledge bases such as blog posts like this one and the millions of others can be quick glimpses into the small changes that can make a difference. Add to that the personal interactions that can happen on a one-to-one scale with their customers. Feedback and refinements to their offering can potentially be easier to handle or address whereas large corporations would potentially have to dive through many layers of approval.

In the end, securing your site (and securing it correctly) helps your customers regardless of what the search engines have in store. However, this is not the only change that will magically make you competitive in the search space. Smartly integrating the pieces that make up the puzzle and implementing them well is what will lead to success.

Google's Making Me Fat

As I am getting older I am noticing that I don't metabolize like I used to. Personally, I am going to blame this all on Google. I know, I know, you are saying "Oh sure blame Google, everyone else is blaming Google for their problems, like them sharing the information that they freely share online," but wait I have some good excuses how Google is driving me to add on the pounds.

1) Their Search Algorithm: From when I was a kid, shoot even when I was in college, I had to literally search for the information I needed to put into my report or do my job. Sure Yahoo was around but let's be honest those results were skewed(emphasis on were) and not the most reliable. So I ended up walking to the library and doing my research or, heaven forbid, do my own research study with hand taken surveys. Now I can just type in the data that I want to know and get a plethora of data that I can scrutinize. So I don't have to make that walking trip to the library to get what I need. - Fat Burned= -2

2) Google Maps: My family takes a lot of car trips (mainly because it is too expensive to fly 4 people now) but how do I (or my wife) plan these car trips? Get out the big paper map if I have one or go down to the store and buy the map? No! I go on my computer and plot my trip by typing in my location and where the hell I'm going and bada-boom bada-bing I have my whole route planned out. Even if I have to spend a night because the trip is too long I can find the hotel right there in that same map. I don't have to drive down to the AAA office to get a book for the area and look up what hotels are there. By not standing over the map and plotting the course or even in the car struggling with re-folding that big map. No calories burned with holding the turn-by-turn directions, forget getting out and asking for directions if I get lost I pull up the map on my smart-phone. - Fat Burned= -1

3) Google Reader: With this fabulous product I not only do not have to go to the library to pick up the latest newspaper or news-magazine to read the stories I am interested in, I don't even have to search the web! The stories are delivered to one spot that I can just go and start reading. Do you know what would help me burn less calories if I enabled the voice webpage reader. I have all the stories that I could possibly be interested in at one location, I don't have to walk from store to store in the mall to get everything I am interested in; food, video games, business journals, etc. - Fat Burned= -3

4) YouTube: I have saved the worst Google product that is leading to my forthcoming obesity problem for last. YouTube has an endless supply of stupidity, wondrous oddities, and crazy shit that you cannot find anywhere else, let alone one location. So with this myriad of entertainment options (Thank you Hockey Fights) I don't need to go and rent movies as often (I still get out of the house some, but I do have kids) or go bowling or golf or __________ Name your favorite activity that is truly active. I can sit around for hours on end and still not find everything YouTube has to offer. Thanks a lot YouTube. Here is a big F*ckYou for - Fat Burned= -10

So Google be expecting to get a bill for my diet supplements, gym membership (as long as I can watch YouTube while doing the elliptical), and the cardiac surgeon's bill. I love you Google but you are going to freakin' kill me!!!

My how time flies when you are busy as hell

Wow a lot has happened since my last post.
The most recent time consuming change I have been dealing with is Google and Yahoo!, no not merging like all my other posts have ranted about, no now they can view Flash text and links. This is a major deal for some of my company's clients. Some are built completely in Flash. So now as a person who knows a little about code I now need to try and figure out what exactly Google and Yahoo will see in that code and what will lead to better ranking. (I still find it interesting that MSN/Live is not in on the Flash party but that is going to be a different post.) So HiHoHiHo it's off to coding I go.

What will happen to the little local guy GooHoo?

So as I am managing my various local SEM campaigns I started to think. (I know heaven forbid I do that while working) What 3% of ads will Google be sharing with Yahoo!? I have budgets set on each separately for a reason. If Yahoo! serves local AdWords ads which account will they be credited to/against? Just thoughts from a local SEM guy.