Marketing Pilgrim

It is starting to feel at times that we are sharing Google videos about updates more often than usual. Maybe there is some kind of year end quota that needs to be reached by engineering in Mountain View?

Now Google has rolled out some Google+ updates and, you guessed it, here’s the video

There are also improvements to the photo experience as well. And here, once again you guessed it, is the video.

You can read about the updates on the Google Blog as well.

The rate of acceleration is increasing with regard to Google+ and its integration into the overall Google ecosystem. I still think that this is in anticipation of Facebook’s IPO which will generate a lot of buzz for Facebook but also a quiet period which is when Google can hit their messaging very hard to show what the overall Google offering can do vs. Facebook’s.

A lawsuit against Facebook regarding their use of likenesses and more for advertising purposes is being allowed to continue despite Facebook’s attempts to stop it.

According to Bloomberg

Facebook Inc., the world’s most used social-networking service, can be sued by people who claim showing advertisements that their friends apparently like violates a California law regarding commercial endorsements.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose rejected Facebook’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit on Dec. 16, ruling the plaintiffs may pursue claims that the company’s sponsored ads violate state law and are fraudulent. Koh granted Facebook’s request to dismiss a claim that it unjustly enriched itself with the sponsored ads.

Google’s annual Zeitgeist report is out and, as usual, it is very comprehensive with searches broken down by countries and different categories. It is an interesting look at our world but it can also be disturbing based on what searches can take top billing like Rebecca Black (2011′s lowlight of what pop culture is these days) and how recent events in Egypt compare vs. the intended result of their uprisings from earlier this year.

Here is Google’s video recap for you to ease into your Monday with (note the promotion of all the Google products and services as well)

What was most important to you in 2011? What do you want out of your 2012?

I saw this ad for the first time today while I was doing something I NEVER do which is watch Face the Nation (I am usually at church but am under the weather in case you care).

All I could think about is how Google’s ecosystem is truly built to help businesses from soup to nuts. Even with Google+ being a question mark (and a big one at that), it’s hard to see a business thinking that Facebook can do more for their business than Google.

Is it an either/or or a both/and situation in the Google vs. Facebook business war? What’s your opinion?

The deal market is an odd duck. It burst on to the scene with a great deal of fanfare and excitement then quickly faded as dozens of look-alike sites popped up on the web.

There have been reports that say the deal site is on the decline, but couponing is up, to the point where people say deals give them a thrill. Paypal is betting that deals are still good business, if you can find a new way to spin it.

PayPal President Scott Thompson says the company will be moving into the deal space in early 2012, but with a twist.

“The experience is going to be completely different than anyone else’s, through and through. We’ll only give you something that we think fits the category of unique and relevant. Everyone else is going to bombard you.”

If you don’t have a Google+ Page for your business yet, it’s time to get started. A new article in AdAge states that Google is experimenting with adding the +1 button results into their search algorithm. To be expected, right? But Google may also use the size of a brands “circle” to determine where they rank on the content importance scale.

What that means is after a year of stats that show size doesn’t matter on Facebook, it could matter on Google+.

The one sure thing that matters is good content. Google has always rewarded fresh, clear, constantly updated content and Google+ is no exception. The trouble is, right now, most folks are still experimenting with Google+. Many are posting the same content they post to Facebook, while others are randomly updating with no thought to SEO.