Social Media Laws, Google Gmail Search Results and Avoid Search Results Blacklisting
A Marketing article written by Elle Meech
The subject this week is focused on Google search results and how social media might not be the best choice for some companies. Facebook is in the news again this week, not for its poor financial reviews, but regarding strict new laws brought in by the Advertising Standards Board. Google's search engine features heavily after sharing the news of Gmail accounts appearing in search engine results in new tests being released. Google has also answered some more questions, this time regarding how not to blacklist your website from search engine results.
Tough Social Media Laws for Companies
The recent rulings by the Advertising Standards Board may have companies reevaluating their investment in social media sites. The changes implemented means that companies must follow the community protection laws and industry codes relating to advertising. Brands will now have to carefully monitor comments posted on their social media sites that may infringe on laws such as misleading advertisements, racial abuse, obscene language and discrimination. Instead of a slap on the hand, under the new rulings, brands face potential court appearances and fines. Now is the time companies must ask the question "Can I afford the cost of the freedom of social media?"
Google Search 'Knowledge Graph' Extended to Include Gmail Messages
Google is always looking for new and innovative ways to improve their users' search results and they have now evolved their search results to include users' Gmail accounts. Google believes that users shouldn't have to repeat searches in different places such as your email account; the information should just appear in the one search engine. This comes after Google upgraded all of their search engines in English speaking countries to include the 'Knowledge Graph'. The 'Knowledge Graph' is set to change how SEO works as the technology allows users to ask specific questions such as where to find a place by the sea that sells hot dogs near a movie theatre. These changes will improve a user's experience greatly however it's unknown how these changes will affect the future of SEO optimisation.
When testing a site or indeed putting a site live there are many questions that need to be answered. Recently Google has made an effort to answer such questions. In a recent official blog post, Google addressed what to do and what not to when it comes to testing a site that may affect searches. The main points brought up included no cloaking; this is because it is against Webmaster guidelines and it can result in your site being demoted or removed from the search engine results. The other key points were use rel="canonical", use 302's not 301's and only run test as long as necessary. These rules apply to both test sites and live sites. For further information refer to the official post here.
