Google Introduces Google My Business | TechCrunch

Jun 17, 2014 | SEO

Google Introduces “Google My Business,” A New One-Stop Shop To Help Business Get Found Online | TechCrunch.

Google’s new suite of tools for business owners, offers a one-stop shop to for sharing business information. Called “Google My Business,” is an easy way to “get on Google”.

A bit worrying is somewhat hidden fact that this is now the default experience for anyone who is already using Google’s business-focused services, including “Places” and the Google+ dashboard. These users will now be upgraded to Google My Business, the company notes.

The new service however is a step up in ease of use and will automatically add the business information to Google Search, Google Maps and Google+. In theory this will help customers to find the business. But that we need to wait to see.

I don’t see this changing the way Google currently favours authority sites like the OTA’s in the hospitality business. Perhaps it might give small local hotels a nudge in the right direction but its along way to go to catch up, and unless the search algorithm changes small hotels will still be deposited from the top results in search.

Don’t Get ‘Scroogled’ By Google’s Keyword Changes

Oct 10, 2013 | Marketing

Lodging Interactive Blog: Don’t Get ‘Scroogled’ By Google’s Latest Keyword Changes.

Google is planning to make  “keyword marketing” redundant!

Hotel, Hospitality  & Tourism  marketer, are  wondering what to do to make sure they don’t get “Scroogled.”  Its not new and G has been  moving to this since 2011. But many hotel websites are built around keyword SEO models and they are going to be effected when this new algorithm rolls out.

Its time to change from words to meaning

G is saying start  to be more engaging with content/page centric approach and concentrate on meaning rather that words.

The new algorithm hasn’t yet rolled out to 100% of the web, and it may take several months to fully deploy. But it is time to put your “house in order”.

This article covers what you need to do and how. Read More

Click Here for the full story

Covered in the Book – Marketing Hotels & Tourism Online

I am covering this in some depth in my  Book which i expect will be published in November. Get the details about the book and the buyers bonus at Book-Preview on this site

Keyword Data Switch Off with Latest Update

Sep 24, 2013 | Marketing, search marketing, SEO

Goodbye Keyword Data: Google Moves Entirely to Secure Search – Search Engine Watch (#SEW).

As Google moves to encrypted search we ask the questions why, what  and how will it effect tourism marketing!

Encrypted searches are those with the https:// urls, they do not pass any details of what the user is searching for (keyword data) through to websites. This means that website owners will not be able to to track users by their keyword searches. They will not know how their keyword marketing is doing. This keyword data has allowed website owners know what is going on in search using web analytics software.

Search engine Watch is keeping an eye on this for us. See SEW Article Here!

RELATED >>>

Its another move in the direction of Gs vertical integrated empire. The aim is to move more users to advertising and dilute the ability to rank in organic search. See our notes on the Carousel and  on Why Hotels need to Be Worried about Search

Also see the replay of the how Penguins Authority Bias is causing independent hotels to fall of search. See this below