Industry News

We’ve seen a lot of articles about the negative effects of social networks this year. And yes, I’ve even written a few of those. So it was refreshing to read Roxane Gay’s What Twitter does — a reflection on the positive side of social networks:

Social networking does not offer a universal panacea, but it is something far more significant than “constant self-promotion.” The bonds of this community, at least the one I have found, are sprawled and unruly, but these bonds are not merely...

Guest Post by Dave Gowans of Conversion Factory.

Conversion Rate Optimization is all about understanding your target audience and what makes them tick. CRO tools are essential to gaining that insight, but you don’t necessarily have to invest in a new tool every time you want to dig a little deeper. In fact, often all you have to do is take advantage of the more advanced features of your current tools.

Here are 5 tricks for how to deeper visitor insight without investing in new tools. 1....

In 2009, Google News began reindexing and refreshing stories after they were initially indexed, to make sure to pick up on story corrections. This was a good thing.

But recently...

Is Hummingbird the key to understanding the expertise of an author for things like In-Depth articles, and a possible future Author Rank? With content from an author considered using a concept-based knowledge base, it’s quite possible.

The Google...

There are some murmurs of a possible Google update early this month, but nothing that substantial.

That being said...

A big change in Android 4.4 is that those using Google’s new mobile operating system, nicknamed “KitKat,” can search for businesses right from within the Phone app. How’s it work? For me, it’s awful.

Google+ Invades The Android 4.4 “KitKat” Phone App: What It Means For Businesses & People is our separate article that explores the integration in general. In this article, I’ll share some examples of how business search works — and fails — in Android 4.4. The Disappointing Local Results...

I have been seeing some chatter at WebmasterWorld and other sources of a possible update that is being pushed out slowly since late October 31st through today.

If you read the thread...

From Jared Sinclair’s excellent “Form Follows Function” Is More Complicated Than iOS 7 Thinks, in which he explains why some of the skeuomorphic elements of iOS 1-6 were actually useful:

On iOS, putting function before form is not as simple as paring down icons to a strict grid and color palette. There are functions beyond literal communication that iOS designers must balance. Making icons warm and inviting serves many deeper purposes. It builds your confidence in the device. It makes you...