10 Big Brands That Were Penalized By Google, From Rap Genius To The BBC

It’s been a busy year already with big brands getting hit by Google penalties. First came Rap Genius, slammed so hard that you couldn’t find it for its own name. Then came Expedia’s suspected penalty that may have hurt its traffic. But these are also a familiar tune. Big brand violates Google’s rules, gets in trouble but ultimately returns to Google’s good graces with what may seem a virtual wrist-slap.

5 Times Google Penalized Itself For Breaking Its Own SEO Rules

Make no mistake. Plenty of sites — big brands included — willingly do things in an attempt to rank better on Google that go past SEO tactics that Google itself considers acceptable. However, there’s also no better poster child for how complicated and confusing Google’s rules can be than the fact that Google has had to punish itself with penalties over and over again.

Five Hidden Gems in Google Webmaster Tools

Within Google Webmaster Tools, hidden gems abound. But, there are five very special hidden gems that will help make your life as an SEO easier. Most webmasters are familiar with Google Webmaster tools. It is a toolbox created by Google to help uncover technical issues. In fact, if you are considering buying another analytic tool, I highly recommended you explore GWT first. You may not need another tool at all if the issues on your site are restricted to those found in GWT.

Must-Have Social Meta Tags for Twitter, Google+, Facebook and More

we strive to include social media metadata in all new pieces of content that we publish. This allows us to optimize for sharing Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinerest by defining exactly how titles, descriptions, images and more appear in social streams. Think of it as conversion rate optimization for social exposure.

Google+: The Complete Guide

Google+: It's the hot social network on the block. In just a few months, Google's competitor to Facebook and Twitter has amassed more than 40 million users, and its growth hasn't stopped. It's become a hotbed for early adopters, tech luminaries, marketers and businesses around the world. Google+, however, isn't the easiest thing to understand.

The Beginner's Guide to Google+

When Google+ entered the social space in 2011, it was met largely with skepticism. Joining a crowded field with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, many users questioned the need for another social network. But roughly two years later, Google+ has established itself as the second-largest social media site in the world and boasts a monthly active user base of 235 million.

Nest And Google’s Top 10 Biggest Acquisitions

Google’s announcement that it is snapping up home automation firm Nest for a cool $3.2 billion in cash had us looking back at Google’s other big acquisitions. The internet giant has purchased nearly 150 companies — some for people, some for parts or both. Here’s the countdown of Google’s 10 biggest acquisition deals so far, and a look at how the acquired companies

Google Announces Open Auto Alliance To Bring Android Into The “Connected Car”

Echoing its early “Open Handset Alliance” to promote Android development and adoption, Google and a number of car makers this morning announced the “Open Automotive Alliance” (OAA). The objective is to build Android into the “connected car.” Members of the OAA currently include Audi, GM, Hyundai and NVIDIA.

53 Ways to Market Your Google Plus Hangout on Air

You are running your first Google+ Hangout on Air. Now some of you are going to ask, what is the difference between a Google+ “Hangout” and a “Hangout on Air”? Both Hangouts and Hangouts on Air are video conferencing calls. The major difference is that Hangouts are private and only the people that have been invited know about them.

Yahoo Search Goes Secure, Taking Referrer Data , An Indicator Of Yahoo’s Popularity

By default, searches on Yahoo.com are now done through a secure server. That means more protection for searchers but less data for search marketers about how they are receiving traffic. Most visits from Yahoo done via search will appear as if someone came to a site directly. As a result, Yahoo’s apparent popularity as a traffic driving source will appear to plunge.

Google Releases Official Google Publisher Plugin For WordPress

Announced this morning on their Webmaster Central blog, Google has released an official Google Publisher Plugin for WordPress. While still in the beta stage, this new plugin offers an easier way for WordPress site owners to integrate Google products within their sites.

An Easy Way To Check What Referrer Data Google, Bing Or Yahoo Pass To Your Secure Site

Three major search engines migrating their default searches to secure search, over SSL/HTTPS, marketers and webmasters want to know what referrer and analytics data will be passed to them and what won’t. The majority of  Google is Secure search, Yahoo yesterday defaulted all searches to be conducted over SSL, and Bing is currently testing SSL search for those who opt in. As you see, the tool is on an HTTPS page, so referrer data can securely pass from a secure Google, Bing or Yahoo URL but do they?