One way to maximize your Web site’s visibility on Google is to understand what words people use to search for information. That’s just what the Google Trends tool does. It shows you the most popular searches on Google in any given hour, plus a list of related news articles and blog posts that support the rise and fall of the traffic surges. If any of them affects your business, you'll see it first here and will be able to react faster. You … [Read more...]
Showing Up On Google
Search Engine Optimization—getting your agency to show up on a Google search result—is more of an art than a science. While there are many complicated and time-consuming steps an agency can take to improve their search result placement, using Google’s Local Business Center is a simple step anyone can take. Doing so will help customers find you using Google Maps. If you already have a Google account, sign in with your e-mail and password. … [Read more...]
Hurricane Flood Threat Data Available to Public
The National Hurricane Center and Google are working together to create a map that homeowners can use to determine if their property is threatened by a dangerous hurricane storm surge. Storm surge is considered one of the most destructive elements of a hurricane and the greatest threat to the lives of people who ignore evacuation orders in vulnerable coastal areas. Google will use storm surge data that meteorologists have used for years to … [Read more...]
Grey Googlers
Grey Googlers is the title given to a recent article in USAToday describing the growing number of older people who are turning hobbies into a source of income thanks to Google. Jerry Alonzy is one example. He created a career as an independent handyman at the mercy of weather patterns near Hartford, Conn. He always made a decent income that rarely grew. Then he found Google, and his life changed. Alonzy, 57, now makes $120,000 a year from the … [Read more...]
Google With Your Voice
As part of Google’s ongoing effort to make the world's information universally accessible, they have created and are testing a free service called Google Voice Local Search. The service allows you to use any phone to search for a business listing. Simply call 800-GOOG-411 (800-466-4411) and speak your search phrase. You can search for a specific business name or for a category. For example, you could just say “pizza” — and you’ll get … [Read more...]
Google Docs
Most people only use Microsoft Word. There are some occasions, however, when you might need a simple word processor to create a quick letter or make quick notes. Google has created a new package of services called Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Anyone can sign up for this service by registering at http://docs.google.com. With this service, you can create documents or worksheets online without installing software on a local machine. You can then … [Read more...]
Google Custom Search
Google provides a quick and easy way to search for information on the Web. But that's also a problem. Searching the entire Web usually provides many more results than you want. Using a new service from Google, you can now customize what the Google search engine looks for. Google Custom Search allows you to specify specific Web sites to search. In order to use this free service, all you need is a Google account. Then, a wizard will step you … [Read more...]
