The Importance of Google+, Mobile Search during the Super Bowl, Social Media for Marketing, the Lifespan of SERPs

Posted by Optify Team on February 13th, 2012

In our blogosphere recap we examine four blog posts from last week that discussed the importance of Google+, mobile search during the Super Bowl, social media use by businesses, and the lifespan of SERPs. Below are some of the highlights from these articles:

It’s Starting To Look Like Google + Is Essential For Your Business

Business Insider | Amy Porterfield | 2-6-12

When Google Plus first launched, millions of users flocked to the new service. But since then, the hype has started to wane—and has even soured in some circles. Mat Honan argued recently that Google “broke itself” with the new personalized search features tied to the social network. What hasn’t changed is the enormous business potential for users of Google Plus. Both Google Plus profiles and business pages provide robust platforms for companies that want to grow their web presence and foster real conversations with prospects. Let’s take a look at the four ways Google Plus is different and maybe better for business.

Four Differences:

  1. Powerful “personal” search has major traffic implications. For businesses and consultants who produce a lot of content, the new author information in search results feature is another way Google Plus can be leveraged to skyrocket your reach.
  2. Hangouts build relationships in real time. Hangouts are one way Google Plus could become indispensable; they provide a level of connection and support Facebook just doesn’t offer, setting your business and team up as a go-to source of information and value.
  3. Circles are still Google Plus’ best idea. Use circles to drill down on micro-segments and get laser-focused on different client and prospect groups.
  4. Conversation and content-sharing opportunities are everywhere. On Google Plus, you don’t have to just talk business; in fact, brands and people seem to do better when they keep it more personable.

41% of Super Bowl ad Searches During Game Made via Mobile: Infographic

Econsultancy | David Moth | 2-6-12

Google has released data from Sunday evening which reveals that 41% of searches relating to Super Bowl made during the game came from mobile devices. A post on the company’s blog states that this is up from 25% for the same time period on the day before. However, none of the ads made it into the list of the top five trending searches: 1. Madonna 2. Halftime show 3. Patriots 4. Tom Brady 5. Giants. This was also the first year that the Super Bowl was live streamed online and Google said there was a significant spike in searches related to Super Bowl live streaming at kickoff, with searches made predominantly on desktop, followed by mobile and then tablet.

Key Takeaways:

  • During the week leading up to the Super Bowl people searched for “seven layer dip” 10.4 times more than any other week during the year.
  • During the game 41% of Super Bowl related searches occurred on a mobile device.
  • There was 96 hours worth of video uploaded to YouTube that mentioned this year’s Super Bowl in the title!

Social Media Investment Lagging Among Businesses

eWeek | Nathan Eddy | 2-9-12 socialmedia

A gap exists between attitudes toward social media and investment in social media, a study by the Software & Information Industry Association found. The report, “Marketing in Today’s Economy,” the first SIIA publication to gather business-to-business sales and marketing tactics from industry executives, focused on their companies’ use of email, mobile marketing and social media to build their brands, gain leads and improve customer support. “Social media has clearly become a widely used tool among B2B marketers and few doubt that it is helping their business,” said Rhianna Collier, vice president of SIIA’s software division. “But our survey also shows that marketers may not be dedicating the resources necessary to get the results they want from social media marketing.”

Key Takeaways:

  • About 90 percent of marketing executives surveyed use social media marketing, and three quarters believe it has a positive impact on their business.
  • Privacy is the top ethical concern in today’s marketing world, according to survey results, and most marketers predict that the biggest trend in 2012 will be greater communication and quantification of value to customers.
  • The survey was based on interviews with 106 marketing executives, of which 88 percent were business-to-business marketers.

Most searchers don’t last longer than three pages

Brafton News | Staff | 2-10-12

While more than half of consumers access search every day, many do not look at results beyond the third page, according to a survey. The poll further cements the value of a comprehensive SEO strategy aimed at boosting a business’ search visibility – and the need to support search engine optimization with quality content marketing that will meet users’ demand. In terms of search engine use, 55 percent said they access search engines multiple times each day. Thirty percent said they use them at least once per day, and 11 percent turn to search at least once per week. Just one of the 400 respondents reported that he or she does not use search at all. The searchscape has been dominated by Google for years, but other engines are becoming more popular and valuable traffic sources for businesses. Brafton recently reported that 16 percent of traffic to the top 30 websites came from Google in January, with Yahoo driving 11 percent and Bing generating 6 percent.

Key Takeaways:

  • Seventy-four percent of consumers said they usually abandon search results if they can’t find desired information within the first three pages of SERPs.
  • Just 15 percent of respondents said they scan five pages of results, with 61 saying if they don’t find what they’re looking for they try a new keyword search.
  • Forty-four percent have a very specific idea of the content they are looking for when they search.