This morning Google revealed that the new, faster search engine it has been working on, codenamed ‘Caffeine’, is almost ready to roll out.

The message on the web page where the Caffeine test system was live until a few hours ago reads:

"We appreciate all the feedback from people who searched on our Caffeine sandbox.

Based on the success we've seen, we believe Caffeine is ready for a larger audience. Soon we will activate Caffeine more widely, beginning with one data center. This sandbox is no longer necessary and has been retired, but we appreciate the testing and positive input that webmasters and publishers have given."

If you didn’t have a chance to play around with the Caffeine system then here are the main things we found:

1. The system has been created to include more real-time results and search results pay more attention to social media sites than the existing Google system.

2. The look and feel hasn’t changed. Behind the scenes is where changes have been made, to speed up indexing and increase the relevance of search results.

3. The database which Google pulls on for search results is larger. Many more web pages have been indexed, so competition is greater for many keywords.

At Liberty, we have been testing the system quite extensively and can’t wait for it to be released. Many of the search results we monitor show a higher quality of website and pleasingly for a search engine marketing firm, many of our client’s websites are displayed a lot higher for many keywords than ever before.

Google has announced a big change to its web search, which it plans to launch very soon. Codenamed “Caffeine”, Google hopes the alterations will improve its search engine in every aspect, making it faster, provide more relevant results and index more sites. A test version has already been unveiled here; allowing webmasters to try it out and compare the differences with the current search, something Google has never done before.

Whilst the look and feel of it are very familiar, Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s anti-spam team, has given assurances that the updates are strictly “under the hood” and that the differences in the search results will be subtle, maybe even unnoticeable to some users. That said, with Google also claiming that this is a change to the search engine’s architecture and infrastructure, it’s a bit of a bigger deal than one of their regular algorithm changes.

They’re right about the subtlety. Many people who have tested it (ourselves included) have only noticed minor differences to the results. However what’s interesting to note is that social media websites such as FriendFeed, Facebook and Twitter have been given a big push, featuring much higher for results in the new version.

This could be a big sign for businesses to start considering social media in their future online marketing practices. Many companies have already taken advantage of this increasingly-popular online phenomenon, having created Facebook Pages or set up profiles on Twitter. Also known as mini-sites, they might not be as important as a company’s official website but social media marketing can certainly still be implemented to promote and raise awareness of a company.

After all, Search Engine Optimisation is not only about raising the profile of a business solely through its website, but rather through their entire online presence. In other words, social media platforms can be another means of finding a business, and given that their growing popularity is also being highlighted in Google’s latest evolutionary step, your company could be found more than once through the search engines: not just directly through the official site but also via the most popular social media websites.

According to a recent report by Advertising Age, an exciting new deal is in the pipeline between Yahoo! and Microsoft. If it goes ahead, Yahoo! will use Microsoft’s Bing as its search engine instead of its own, effectively joining forces to become a more serious competitor to Google.

The deal could have a huge impact on Search Engine Optimisation. comScore reported that Google commanded an impressive 65% share of the search engine market share in June, while Yahoo! and Bing held 19.6% and 8.4% respectively. If all of the current Yahoo! users were to continue using Yahoo! via Bing, their combined share would reach 28%, which could really begin to challenge Google in the future.

So what does this mean for your SEO? A number of possible things. If your website currently ranks well in Yahoo! but not in Bing or Google you could really be in trouble of not ranking at all. Alternatively, a website at the top of Bing and Google but not for Yahoo! could see a considerable increase in traffic, as Yahoo! users will now see their site via Bing’s engine instead.

Pay Per Click advertising could also see a major change. Either Yahoo! Search Marketing will be replaced by Microsoft adCenter, or the two will merge. This could affect the Cost Per Click and positioning for many of the Sponsored Links found when a search query is made.

In recent years, Google has been criticised for its strict rules and T&Cs as well as its somewhat monopolistic nature towards the World Wide Web. This is fairly understandable, given that two-thirds of all Internet searches are run through them. However the Ying/Bahoo! engine could encourage Google to relax or change some of its policies and prices, especially if the combined alternative becomes popular enough to claw away some of Google’s dominant market share. This could have a radical effect on AdWords, AdSense and other Google services in the way that they’re operated and managed - perhaps a potential sigh of relief to many search engine marketers.

Overall, the important thing to understand is that change could be on the way, with this new partnership being a possible indication of things to come. Anyone who believes that Google will remain the king of the search engines forever will be hugely unprepared if Bing and Yahoo! meet or even overtake its share of the search engine market. Of course this might not happen at all, but it’s best to be ready, just in case.

Google, the company behind the world’s most popular search engine, has today announced that it will be creating its own operating system to take on Microsoft Windows. The two technology companies have been at war for years, and with the recent release of Bing, Microsoft’s latest search engine, things have really started heating up.
 
Clearly challenging the software giant, Google said that it has been working on a lightweight operating system based on its Chrome web browser that it launched last year. The new system will be aimed at laptop and netbook users.
 
In a post on the company blog Google stated “Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code...and we'll soon be working with the open source community...”
 
“Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web”
 
In an apparent dig at Microsoft the announcement also said “It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be…completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.”
 
Can Google successfully take on Microsoft in a market that they have dominated for well over a decade, or will they struggle just as the Apple and Linux systems have?
 
Google’s new operating system is due to be released in the second half of next year.

OVER the past decade the battle between the main search engines has remained intense and, even though Google has long been the dominant player, it looks like the real fight is only just beginning.

Since Google launched, just 11 years ago, the company has become synonymous with the internet and how we find information. But rather than scare off competitors, it looks like the meteoric rise of the search giant has inspired many internet entrepreneurs to have a go themselves.

The problem these hopefuls face is differentiation. Without a new or improved way of presenting search results, why would anyone stop Googling and take up their service instead?

Existing engines are being re-inventing to try and grow market share (the new Microsoft Bing and recently re-branded Ask Jeeves are examples), and new entrants are coming up with big ideas they hope will drastically change the way we search.

While many have tried to develop world class search engines – and failed – developers now have the advantage of access to over 10 years’ worth of data on people’s search habits. Technology firms now know how we want information presented to us and are trying to find new ways to satisfy us.

The end goal of all search engines is to present us with the answer to our question as soon we ask it. Even though search engines of today offer results much more accurately than ever before, it is still sometimes a chore to find specific information. Many companies are investing a lot of R&D dollars in Latent Symantic Indexing. LSI focuses on the meaning of words and the relationships between different phrases, rather than just looking at a word as a collection of letters. Google has invested heavily in the technology and believes that it will allow them to present users with the most accurate results of any search engine.

While accurate Latent Symantic Indexing may still be some way off, several of the latest search engines feature new innovations that its creators believe will allow them to stand out from Google.

Bing, a search engine developed by Microsoft, is officially only a week old, although it is based on the company’s previous offering, Live.com. It is being touted as a “decision engine” as it offers more information to searchers, helping them make choices and leading them to their goal. This is clear with the preview button that appears next to searches, which when clicked offers a more in-depth look at the web page. Reviews so far are very positive, concentrating on a much improved quality of results. These changes have helped Bing receive more traffic than Live.com, but will they be enough to keep this growing after the initial buzz, and $100 million advertising campaign, die down?

Wolfram Alpha is the most important search engine you’ve probably never heard of. Its creators prefer not to have it known as a search engine – instead they call it a “computational knowledge engine”. Rather than presenting users with a list of search results to choose from, Wolfram Alpha tries to answer their question by displaying data from a knowledge base. Putting “Cardiff” in as the search term brings up a page showing the location, population and weather of the city, among other things. It’s this creative way of trying to get us straight to what we are looking for that is leading to this site becoming touted as a future competitor to Wikipedia as well as Google.

Recently there has been a whole host of new Google applications and features, almost too many to follow. It is easy to spot the keyword options that drop down below the search box, but less clear is the “Show options” link displayed at the top of the search results page. It offers more in-depth options so that a user can choose where they want to take the search. Choices include narrowing results by time, such as “Past 24 hours” or “Past week”, and having the option to mix image results with web pages. There is also the option to show the relationships between keywords in a graph, called the “Wonderwheel”.

Will these innovations change the way we search? It’s hard to see how they won’t. All search engines, new and old, are trying to get us to the information we seek far more swiftly. If it wants to continue its reign then Google will continue to develop its technology, either in-house or by acquiring smart sites such as Wolfram Alpha.

(This article was originally written last month for Welsh news website, Waleshome.org).

While the main goal of search engine optimisation is undoubtedly to generate visitors from within a target market, one of the often overlooked side effects is the positive impact that a high ranking website can have on your company branding.
 
According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a brand is “The set of physical attributes of a product or service, together with the beliefs and expectations surrounding it - a unique combination which the name or logo of the product or service should evoke in the mind of the audience”
 
Meaning that everything a business does contributes to the way a person views its brand and the connotations this has. Businesses are realising that being seen at the top of Google can have a very positive impact on the mindset of a surfer, and almost as if it is a vote of confidence, coming at the top of Google gives a company an instant authority.
 
If I search for “Nike running shoes” and Google, the biggest search engine (AND the search engine that I trust) thinks you are the best place to buy Nike running shoes then you must be doing something right. Even if I am already thinking of making a purchase elsewhere, seeing your site listed amongst the top results will leave an impression.
 
Not only are you more likely to take a share of the searches, but your brand will be seen by members of your target market and find itself placed into their memory. Just like traditional advertising often centring around advert repetition - trying to become memorable by presenting a message over and over again - search engine marketing can help in the same way. With constant appearances at the top of the search results for a whole range of keywords related to your industry, you should soon see a positive impact on not only your traffic, but also your perceived clout.
 
What should you do?
 
Often there may be nothing to do, as this is a by-product of having a well optimised, high ranking site. If however you want to make sure you get the maximum brand value that you can from the search engines there are a few things you could consider.
 
The first is your keywords. While you should already be targeting the terms that generate good enquiries/sales, what about the terms that will help improve your brand image? If a lot of people searched for “best shoe shop” or “environmentally friendly building supplier” then wouldn’t you want your shoe shop or DIY store to show here?
 
You could also address the call to action that people see in the search results. Your page title, meta description and URL should all contain your keywords but how about putting a message in there that meets your brand objectives? If you want to differentiate your company in a certain way then this may be how you reach those searchers that would be swayed by this characteristic.
 
Of course, the most important thing is to have the skills of experienced search engine optimisation professionals. All the branding benefit in the world will casually pass you by if your website fails to show at the top of Google, Yahoo! and Bing. If SEO isn’t your strong point then that’s where we step in…

Gift House International, an importer and supplier of wholesale giftware and gadgets, asked Liberty Marketing to help increase the traffic to its site.

The company already had a very well optimised website, but it wasn’t showing within the first 20 pages of Google for any of its main keywords.

After looking at competitor websites and the keywords used in the market it was decided that they needed more in-bound links to strengthen their placement within the search results.

The process involved a lot of off-site work, including:

Inbound link building – An intensive link building campaign was started and back links were sought from all relevant sites from within the gift and gadget industry.

Social media marketing – Activity included placing product videos on video hosting sites and commenting on industry forums and blogs with links pointing back to the site.

How has this helped the business?

Within six months the website had risen from page 20+ in the Google results to page one for all of its main keywords, including “wholesale gadgets” and “wholesale giftware”. These changes could also be seen in the Yahoo! and Bing search engines.

“Liberty Marketing helped us with keyword research and advised us on an online marketing strategy. They then built in-bound links for us over a 6 month period. Before the work started you couldn’t find our site in the top 100 results but now we are coming up on the first page of all the search engines for all of our chosen keywords. Our website is now receiving its highest ever level of traffic” - Marc Mitchell, Gift House International Ltd

Maybe we’re just seeing things but it looks like the colour blue Google uses to list search results has been replaces with a lighter shade.

Before:

After:

Not exactly the most news worthy post we’ve put on this blog but it is one Google change that we don’t like. Bring back the royal blue we are used to, and could easily read.

Google has just launched a new product called Web Elements. See here for details. The product aims to make it simple for webmasters and bloggers to place Google applications on their pages.

Whilst many of these applications have been available to developers for a while, they have never been in a single, easy-to-use package like this. On a single page you can now pick to show Google favourites such as Calendar, Maps, Custom Search, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and receive fresh news content from Google News and YouTube News.

Google has certainly put some thought and effort into the applications. For example, the YouTube news widget lets you choose content from over a dozen news agencies. So far there are a total of eight separate apps, but more are thought to be in the pipeline.

One of the widgets already gathering a bit of buzz (even though it isn’t yet 24 hours old) is the Conversation feature. It allows you to turn your site into a social community where users can comment on any topic you choose to start. Expect to start seeing this on quite a few sites.

Implementation for the most part is simply embedding a bit of JavaScript code, much in the same way as Google Analytics, allowing even novice developers to take full advantage of these widgets.

Google has recently filed for a patent where part of the ranking calculation is made up by the click through rate of web pages that have previously been listed for that search. See here for in-depth details.

This means that if your site appears on the first page for "cheap MP3 players" below Amazon.co.uk but receives a higher rate of clicks for that keyword then there is a chance your site could start showing above theirs.

Search engine optimisation and in-bound link building could now only the first half of the battle when it comes to winning the search engine war. If people aren't clicking your listing then you may start slipping back down the results.

How do you combat this? Strong calls to action.

The search results show three things that you have control over: your page title, your meta description and your URL. Make them really work for you.

Page title - Along with making sure your main keywords are in here try adding a sales message that will help people click through, e.g. "Cheap MP3 Players. Huge selection of low price MP3 players."

Meta Description – This is where you should see a big difference. In the meta description you have up to 160 displayed characters, so can create a couple of really strong sentences that will entice searchers towards your site. Make sure you include the keywords a couple of times too. e.g. "Cheap MP3 players. Full range of MP3 players from iPods to Zens. Cheapest price guarantee plus FREE shipping."

URL - If you have search engine friendly URLs then make sure the keywords show, as this increases click through rates. e.g. www.example.com/cheap-mp3-players

This just goes to show that you never know what's next in the world of search engine marketing. Many search engine optimisation companies and webmasters have ignored meta desciptions for years, writing them off as 'old-hat' and of no real value. With this update though, spending time on your meta data will once again be a fundamental part of online marketing.

Some search engine marketers are already reporting changes in the ranking of their sites since the recent Google update, with many suspecting historic click through rates already playing a part.