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Recent Blog Posts
Web Chatter Suggests a Google Algorithm Update in the Works
When you need information about a restaurant, business, or a current event, chances are you start your search using a device connected to Google. You are not alone—Google’s search engine processes 3.5 billion queries on an average day. In determining what results to show you, Google uses a complex algorithm to “guess” which websites are most likely to provide the answers you need. The exact formula of Google’s search algorithm has never been released to the public, but it uses a large number of factors both about the websites it displays as results and the user conducting the search.
Webmasters and digital marketers are constantly in a race to optimize their sites to rank higher in search results so as to increase traffic to their sites and those of their clients. Therefore, when Google updates its algorithm, the changes can create a domino effect across the internet. Sometimes, such updates are rolled out with a great deal of fanfare and media attention; other times, they are kept much quieter. According to various forums and webmaster outlets, an algorithm change may be on its way right now.
Marketing Your Firm: Four Words You Should Never Use and Two You Should Use Carefully
As with any business, your law firm must take proactive steps to inform the general public of its existence. If a prospective client has no idea that you even have a law practice, how will they ever consider hiring you? In the world of advertising and marketing, we are accustomed to pitchmen, billboards, and television ads making extraordinary claims about the quality of a particular product or the reliability of a certain brand—and we usually see such messages as full of exaggeration and hyperbole.
Rules of Professional Conduct
In the legal realm, however, attorneys must be very careful about how they market their firms. When a lawyer is admitted to the State Bar, he or she agrees to always abide by that state’s Rules of Professional Conduct. Every state except California has adopted a set of rules that is based on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct set forth by the American Bar Association. California still maintains Rules of Professional Conduct, but the format is rather different. These rules address concerns in lawyer advertising which include the possibility of misleading clients, misrepresenting a firm’s services, and creating unrealistic expectations. As such, wherever you practice, there are some specific words you should avoid when creating marketing materials and others you must be very careful when using.
Top Google Searches in 2016 Focus on Music, Money, and Disasters
When you have a question about something—a current event, an actor in a particular movie, or the artist who wrote the song you just heard—where do you turn? While some people may be perfectly willing to discuss the question with friends until a consensus is reached, most are much more likely to pull out a cell phone and conduct a quick web search. Based on current numbers, a vast majority of these searches will be done through Google.
Staggering Statistics
Did you know that, on average, Google’s search engine handles more than 40,000 queries every second? That equates to 3.5 billion searches every single day or about one search for every two people on the planet. Over the course of one year, users conduct an astounding 1.2 trillion searches, and Google’s servers keep track of each and every one. The data is very important in improving the search engine’s algorithms and providing better results for future searches. It also, however, provides a glimpse into what people worldwide wanted to learn about in a given period. The internet giant recently released its most popular search terms of 2016, and the results are interesting, to say the least.
New Leadership and Name for Yahoo as Verizon Deal Moves Forward
Over the last decade, Google has established itself as one of the most influential trendsetters in human history. Never before has a single company permeated the global cultural so completely—not even Facebook with its 1.8 billion monthly active users. Not all that long ago, however, the battle for internet dominance was not quite so one-sided. For many years, there was a very strong competition between Google and Yahoo as both looked to provide users with unprecedented access to the world’s information.
As time went on, Google’s search engine algorithms seemed to meet the needs of web users more accurately than the algorithms used by Yahoo. In addition, the subsidiaries acquired by Google—such as YouTube, Vevo, and even cell-phone manufacturer Motorola—further strengthened its portfolio as Yahoo struggled to keep pace. Now, an acquisition deal is imminent which would place Yahoo under the control of Verizon, as the once-proud internet pioneer looks to reestablish itself as a leader on the worldwide web.
Year-End Marketing Review and Looking Ahead
The world of online marketing and digital technology is constantly evolving. Any entrepreneur or company that fails to keep up with the changes will quickly be left behind. But, is it even possible to stay on top of such advancements? It may be a little ambitious to expect anyone to revamp their marketing strategies every time Google makes a minor adjustment to it search algorithm, for example, but it is vital to the long-term health of your business to stay abreast of search engine updates. At the very least, you must be aware of the direction of larger trends that are increasingly evident.
Mobile-First Priorities
As 2016 draws to a close, we can now look back on the year that was with a measure of big-picture perspective. Over the last 12 months, Google and other internet leaders have made one thing abundantly clear: mobile-friendliness is no longer an option, is it a necessity. The trend of rewarding mobile-friendly websites began several years ago, but search engines were still largely designed to facilitate desktop searches. Throughout 2016, Google made several mobile-related updates to its search engine algorithms and continued a serious push of the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project to improve site performance on smartphones and tablets.
British Lawmaker Urges Regulation of Facebook and Google Algorithms
Although you may not realize it, every time you conduct a Google search or open your Facebook news feed, you place yourself at the mercy of unseen, secretive weighting systems that “know” what results and items that you want to see. They are called algorithms, and those in the online marketing world spend countless hours analyzing them and responding to frequent updates. In recent months, however, many have begun questioning our trust in these systems, and some have even suggested that government regulation of Google and Facebook algorithms should be considered. Is such regulation a good idea? Could it even be possible?
Are the Secrets Necessary?
Google’s search engine algorithm is a series of rules intended to analyze hundreds of aspects of a website to determine where it should rank in specific web searches. When the algorithm is updated periodically, Google announces the major changes—such as an emphasis on mobile-friendliness or secured servers—but keeps the minor tweaks a secret. To a point, such discretion is understandable. If for-profit companies knew the exact weighting system of the algorithm, their sites would be designed to take advantage of the knowledge and, as the theory goes, the algorithm would no longer be effective.
Report: Google Struggling to Control Ads for Fake News Sites
When you need information about a local business or a current events story, chances are that you turn to an internet search engine. If global statistics are any indication, you probably use Google to run your search. You may have noticed, however, that finding what you need can be rather confusing at times, especially when your search results include links to unreliable sources of information. The issue has gained a great deal of media attention in recent months, as internet technology leaders have pledged to fight back against deceptive and embellished content being promoted on search engines and social media. According to a new report from a media watchdog group, the junk news sites still appear to be winning.
The Problem of False News
Last month, we published a post on this blog about efforts by Google and Facebook to clamp down on sources of misleading, sensationalized, and often fake news stories. Both companies acknowledged the problem of false news and propaganda, particularly in the wake of this year’s controversial presidential election. As a result, the media giants announced plans to stop selling advertising to sites that were determined to be peddlers of fake news.
Taking the First Steps in Your Legal Career
If you have recently finished law school and have passed the bar exam, congratulations! You should be proud of your accomplishments. You probably realize, however, that your journey is just beginning. Your entire career as an attorney lies ahead. As you start to move forward, you will have a number of decisions to make, many of which may depend on the opportunities that are available to you. No matter how you choose to proceed, a lawyer needs clients in order to be successful, so increasing your visibility among potential clients must be one of your top priorities.
Choosing to Start Your Own Firm
The first decision you will need to make once you have been admitted to the bar is whether you should join an existing firm—most likely as an associate—or to start your own. In making this decision, you must be objective about your talent and ability to manage an independent practice. Your legal knowledge and skills may be unmatched, but running a firm requires organizational and managerial strengths as well. You must also be willing to do the work necessary to build your business from the ground up by attracting new clients and providing top quality service.
Google Algorithms May Save Patients’ Eyesight
In 2002, a character in the teen adventure-drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer used the word “Google” as a verb for the first time on television, at least according to Charles Arthur, writer of the book Digital Wars. Google.com had only been registered as a domain for five years when Alyson Hannigan’s Willow asked “Have you Googled her yet?” making reference to the search engine that would soon become the most popular and powerful in the world.
A few years later, as “Google it” entered the American lexicon as a common direction given to someone looking for information on the internet, Google released a statement expressing concern over the use of the word as a generic trademark for a web search. Fast forward another decade and, while we still use “Google” as a common verb, most of us actually mean using one of Google’s many platforms to find the answers we need.
Negative, Misleading Content Troublesome for Google and Facebook
More than ever before, individuals around the world are turning to the internet as a source of news and information, particularly related to current events. In previous generations, interested people were forced to wait until the evening news broadcast or until the next morning’s newspaper was published to find out what was happening in the world. The rise of 24-hour news channels like CNN was helpful but still pales in comparison to the information currently available on the world wide web.
The problem, however, is that internet services like Facebook and Google often have trouble distinguishing between what is actually news and what is not. It is becoming increasingly common for false, misleading, and intentionally negative stories to spread just as quickly—and often more so—than fact-based news items.
A Changing Approach
