The Possible Impact That Google+ Has On Search Engine Optimization(SEO)

The Possible Impact That Google+ Has On Search Engine Optimization(SEO)
by Takara Alexis

Although you can only join by invitation at this point, you've probably heard of Google+, Google's latest attempt to join Facebook and Twitter as a must have social networking tool. In the months before Google+ was launched, Google also began implementing the +1 button as a usable option for users to signify that they enjoy a specific site or page in an attempt to collect as much raw data as possible about the popularity and social value of sites and content before Google+ was rolled out for the masses. Preceding the Google+ and +1 button was the introduction of real time search, which was able to incorporate search results from Twitter, blogs and Facebook. Google, it would appear, is realizing the immense value of social media and the impact of social media on web search.

Search will continue to have a social element infused into it as the addition of the +1 button will change search results, as will live feeds from Google+ pages, much like Facebook "likes" and Twitter "tweets" are currently affecting search results by influencing user decisions due to their value as endorsements of certain sites and content.

Google definitely wants websites to implement the +1 button in their pages so that they could track and measure changes in click through rates. The +1 button will also be included on all SERPs as well as all Google+ feeds. What this means is business owners and marketers must ensure that a positive customer experience is, perhaps more than ever before, their primary focus in the hope that as many users as possible will +1 their site, and in doing so, endorse their business.

But perhaps the most interesting concept presented by Google+, and one that could potentially have a significant impact on SEO, is the "Google Circles" feature.

The "Circles" feature is interesting because it grants users the ability to share whatever they choose with specific groups, or Circles, of individuals. As Google+ users build their Circles, they will subsequently be able to see the sites that users in their circles have +1d in Google's SERPs. This has enormous potential - users will be far more likely to make a choice or purchase based on the recommendation of people they have invited to their Circles - people who they know and whose opinions they trust. Most users are going to be a lot more likely to trust the recommendation of someone they know rather than the recommendation or review from a stranger. Over time, Circles will become a lot more defined as more available user data is integrated into them - using that data to effectively market could be a powerful SEO strategy.

Basically, Google has taken the ideas behind many of their social media competitors more influential and successful features in an attempt to make search more about real people. Google+ and the +1 button are allowing users to influence online activity, and, as such, they'll have an effect on search results. How this will fully impact SEO remains to be seen, but the enormous potential of these features and their long term impact is fairly clear - site ranking methods are changing thanks to the +1 button and this will likely end up creating an altogether new method of SEO in the future.

Social Media And Music

Social Media And Music
by Takara Alexis

The internet has negatively affected the music industry through the growth in piracy using programs such as BitTorrent. While this has lead to a drop in album sales the rise of social media on the internet has had a positive impact on the music industry.

Social media lets users to communicate about their favorite bands and have more access to bands than they ever had in the past. Social media had lead to the rise of several bands in recent years which is a sure sign that social media has an effect of how bands are being discovered. The Arctic Monkeys, a UK band, rose to fame because of the popularity of their MySpace page. As more and more people went to the band's website their songs became more and more popular and word of the band spread. This type of success story is not a lone case. Social media and music work together in a special way.

Last.fm is a popular music site that encourages users to find new music. You can type in the name of your favorite band and find other bands with a similar style of music. Last.fm also keeps track of what you have been listening to and makes recommendations based on that information. The groups feature on Last.fm allows users to get together and talk about a certain band or musical style that interests them. This fosters a sense of community and people with similar musical tastes are able to communicate with each other and make recommendations to each other.

A recent music-focused social media program that is becoming more and more popular is Spotify. Spotify permits users to stream music and create playlists that can then be shared with other users. The service is free and in between every few songs there is a short commercial. The playlist share feature allows users to discover new music as well as share their favorite "hidden gems" with the rest of the world. Spotify recently integrated itself with Facebook and users can now share their favorite playlists on their Facebook profiles. Included on Spotify is a "buy" link so if you happen to like a certain track on a playlist you can be the proud owner of it within seconds. Spotify is gaining steam and will become more and more prominent as time goes on.

Social media and music are becoming more and more intertwined. People are typically very passionate about their favorite bands or artists and love the chance to express their feelings about a certain song or album with others. Social media is the perfect outlet for music fans and will keep evolving and helping the music industry create new stars.