Balancing Social Media, Ad Blocking and Google, Google and More Google!

This week we’re covering a little social media, a little paid advertising but it’s mostly a lot of analyzing Google from the business side to the ranking side. The Search Juggernaut is often under public scrutiny for what it’s doing and what it wants from Webmasters. This week our threads are full of different discussions about how they do business and how we use them to do our business. Pick your favorite, and share your thoughts!

How to Prevent Social Media from Being a Huge Time-Suck

The on-going conversation about time management and Social Media is back in the foreground as Kevan Lee shares some time saving tips on Search Engine Journal. As usual, it’s the little things that make all the difference. From scheduling to aggregation and plug-ins there are tons of great shortcuts here, and the discussion at Threadwatch lets you share your own favorite ways to be an efficient, but active participant in social media.

Google clarifies and expands on Reconsideration Request documentation

Google has updated their information on the steps required for reconsideration. This move is at the very least and acknowledgment of the difficulty and complexity involved in the reconsideration process. This new information provides additional insight into what it takes to get back into Google’s good graces after a penalty. The additional transparency and extra advice on best practices and avoiding pitfalls may be godsend to many Webmasters who are struggling to answer the question, “What does Google want from me?”

Adblock Plus whitelists Google; Google disables 500M ads

Companies rely on various forms of advertising to get in front of consumers. But consumers often find a constant onslaught of ads a frustration. With ads ranging form relevant and useful to deceptive, there is a final line where the needs of consumers and business can balance. In their own ways, Adblock Plus and Google are continually trying ot find that line. Adblock helps users avoid pop ups and Ads but that can cut SMB’s off at the knees. A whitelist feature though can give small business owners a bit more exposure. Of course with big names like Google and Amazon also on the Whitelist of Adblock Plus, the ultimate impact on user experience remains to be seen.

How is this possible?

The question of “why them and not me?” is one which has been around as long as Search Engines have been ranking sites. This poster poses that question with some specific details. The conversation is an interesting one that examines a number of potential ranking factors and trying to wrap our heads around what signals matter most to Google. Of ocurse, while competitive research and studying competitor tactics is always worth a few insights, it’s also important to member to “Run Your Own Race” and focus on making your site as good as it can possibly be for your users above all else.

My main competitor using hundreds of backlinking linked domains?

A question on the fundamental nature of back links and their influence has led to some interesting discussion on what is “legal and proper” in the course of link acquisition. The nuanced nature of relevance, quantity and quality all emerge as popular conversation points in figuring out the complex question of what Google really wants when it comes to back links.

Google Reports on AdWords Bad Advertising Practices 2014

A new infographic from Google looks at how they spent last year fighting bad Advertising practices. Some of the trends include Counterfeiters, malicious software and weight loss scams. For those who are active in AdWords this infographic serves as a lesson in “what Not to Do” in 2015.

Google Reports Q4 and Year End 2014 Results Up 66pct to $66 Billion

the financial reports on Google’s revenue for 2014 are out and things still look pretty good for the King of Search Engines. Although maybe not as good as they had hoped. The on-going discussion questions whether or not Google has managed to keep their ad distribution on par with the growing mobile rate of mobile consumption. This may tie in-with Google recent move to inform Webmasters when their websites fail to be mobile friendly.