Google Changes in 2015

As we close out 2015, I thought I'd mention a few of Google's changes that affected Local Search.
Note: the dates are when I noticed the change, not necessarily the exact date of the roll-out.    

Dec. 1   Google drops Change Location search filter from search results
http://searchengineland.com/google-drops-change-location-search-filter-from-search-results-237247

Nov. 19   G+ stripped out GMB local search.
No Reviews or About on new G+ verses Classic

Aug. 6   Google's Local Search roll out "local 7-pack" trimmed to "local 3-pack" view. More info on changed to Map pack
http://www.thesempost.com/google-local-shakeup-3-pack-only-7-pack-removed-addresses-phone-numbers-gone/

http://www.link-assistant.com/news/google-local-3-pack-update.html


Google Algorithm Change History
https://moz.com/google-algorithm-change

Hope you had a good 2015, and here's to an even better 2016!

Google Authorship

Here are some useful links regarding Google Authorship

Google Announces the End of Author Photos in Search: What You Should Know
http://moz.com/blog/bye-bye-author-pics

How Optimizing My Ugly Google+ Pic Increased Free Traffic 35%
http://moz.com/blog/google-author-photos

Should I use my company logo as my social media avatar?
http://www.internetmarketingninjas.com/blog/social-media/logo-as-google-plus-profile-picture

Google Hummingbird update

Check out this article on Google's update called Hummingbird. This algorithm change, which was officially announced on September 26th, addresses conversational queries largely driven by mobile devices using voice search. Read the full article here:   
http://www.link-assistant.com/news/google-hummingbird-update.html

YouTube - How to Create Custom Thumbnails + more

This video covers 4 New YouTube updates:
JamesWedmore.com

1. How to Create Custom Thumbnails
2. InVideo programming
3. Interactive Polls & Questions
4. New Analytics Feature: Estimated Minutes Watched

Google Boost > AdWords Express

When a Google rep contacted me back in November 2010 to introduce Boost, the product seemed positioned as AdWords for Google Places, or paid Places. Now they're re-positioning it as AdWords Express to simplify the AdWords process for small business owners. Read more...

ICANN going beyond existing 22 TLDs

LA Times article about ICANN going beyond existing 22 Top Level Domains (TLDs)
At $185,000, it’s pricey, but then all sorts of domains become possible.

Amazon S3 for hosting static websites

I hadn't considered Amazon for website hosting until a colleague mentioned they have redundant servers on both coasts and offer dedicated IPs. For more info, check out Press Release: Amazon S3 adds new features for hosting static websites.

Google changes Local Search Algorithm

Google changes its Local Search algorithm to favor Places, i.e. business listings.

This is a big shift, especially for local businesses looking to rank well in geo-targeted search results.

Full article at searchengineland.com. The adventure continues...

How to Create Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines

Read this article on Copyblogger, "How to Create Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines"

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing

Just finished reading Catherine Seda's book on SEO Marketing called "How to Win Sales & Influence Spiders." Very informative - I highly recommend it to anyone interested in online marketing.