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Is Google Just A Tired Search Engine?

posted on April 11, 2012

I read something this morning that surprised me a bit. Of course, reading something that surprises you is the impetus to tell someone about what surprises you so maybe this is just a time where I am taking the bait. Oh well.

AdAge has come out with their 2012 Spring Edition Pop Thermometer. It’s an interesting look at several areas including sports celebrations, creative director’s glasses, political props and more. AdAge then ranks which things are trending, trailing or tired. It’s fun to consider. The last category, however, really jumped out. It was “Search Engines” and the results were


Google tired? Certainly made me think a bit because on some levels it makes sense. As a way to see why Google may be viewed as tired there was this description of DuckDuckGo and why it’s trending.

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Getting More Out of Pinterest [Infographic]

posted on April 11, 2012

Pinterest is the social media darling of the moment. Personally, I have been slow on the uptake but it would be pretty foolish to ignore the buzz around the site.

There is so much buzz but there is precious little data with which to work to see just how effective Pinterest actually is and what are some of the techniques that can be used to get the most mileage for your marketing on Pinterest investment.

HubSpot’s social media scientist Dan Zarrella, has gathered up data the best he could (pre Pinterest API) to present some findings regarding ways to use Pinterest for the greatest impact. He even put them in a true infographic (in other words it presents data very cleanly rather than giving up to a design over function mentality, thankfully). Enjoy.

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Introducing Marketing Pilgrim’s Internet Marketing Insights Service

posted on April 10, 2012

In case you haven’t noticed the pace of Internet and social media marketing news has quickened significantly over the recent past.

That signifies growth in the industry which is a very good thing. The downside, however, is that the sheer volume of news can be overwhelming even to those who are part of the industry. We hear from readers and Internet marketers in general all the time that it often feels that they are missing something in the process.

Even worse, they get plenty of news but no real insights into the potential application of the news in a way that can lead to bottom line impact.

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Maryland Passes Bill To Keep Social Media Private from Employers

posted on April 10, 2012

There has been quite a tiff as of late regarding the desire for employers to require job prospects to hand over social media passwords.

Honestly, it’s somewhat hard for me to believe that anyone actually had the stones to think this kind of practice was a good idea in the first place. I mean, I get the intent, but that doesn’t make the idea any more palatable.

Fortunately the powers that be in the state of Maryland have seen the light so to speak, and have passed a bill prohibiting the practice in the future. Mashable reports

If you’re a resident of Maryland, you no longer have to fear a potential employer asking you to hand over the keys to your Facebook or Twitter profiles before giving you a job.

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Facebook Buys Instagram

posted on April 9, 2012

Well, this is certainly an interesting development. Facebook has acquired Instagram for the rumored price in the neighborhood of $1 billion. With the Facebook IPO looking to happen next month maybe Mark Zuckerberg felt it was best to make this purchase without having to answer to those pesky shareholders.

Zuckerberg shared the news on Facebook (of course!)

I’m excited to share the news that we’ve agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook.

For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.

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Despite Competitors’ Efforts, Google’s Popularity Soars

posted on April 9, 2012

If you were to only read about the actions of the European Commission (that are driven by the likes of FairSearch.org) or that of the latest headline hungry DC politico regarding what Google represents, you would most certainly think that Google is truly trying to do evil.

Well, let’s take a look at the people that actually use technology to help them live their lives rather than as a political wedge for personal gain. Guess what a recent study by the Washington Post and ABC News found. People, that’s right, actual people and not politicians or slimy business opportunists, find Google to be almost beyond reproach. I’m not saying that is good but it sure is contrary to how politicians position the company. Here’s the results

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Facebook US Visits in March More Than 100 Times That of Google+

posted on April 9, 2012

Google continues to talk up Google+ and its march forward to become whatever it is that it is supposed to become (Leading social network? Connecting hub for Google services? Both? Neither?). Experian has released some data about the number of US visits to the search giant’s social play. This data, combined with information provided last week by Google CEO Larry Page is interesting as well as confusing.

CNET reports on Page’s claims

Google CEO Larry Page, by the way, claimed yesterday that Google+ has well over 100 million “active” users, though he didn’t define what “active” is supposed to mean in this context. ComScore recently reported that Google+ users spent just 3.3 minutes a month on the site in January.

and Experian’s numbers