Google is testing out a feature in their search results pages which replaces the URL in a result’s snippet with the name of the website on which it appears. So; for instance; a SEO Global Expert article titled “Google +1 button: Few things you must know,” which has a URL that looks like this: www.seoglobalexpert.com/blog/2011/06/google-1-button-few-things-you-must-know/; would only display SEO Global Expert instead of the URL.

This was reported first by Alex Chitu at Google operating system; working off a tip from David from Making Money with Android. It appears that even within the test; users are not seeing this happen for every result.

According to Chitu, “David, who noticed this change, says that he searched for [madvertise] and ‘most of the results looked normal, with the website title, snippet and URL. However; two search results displayed the website name instead of the URL.’”

Image credit: Google Operating System

We are yet waiting to hear back from Google on plans for this feature and/or the extent of the testing.

As a user; I am not certain this change would be an improvement. If you can view the domain name, you can tell what the website is and at times the structure of the URL itself can give you an idea of what type of page you are actually going to be landing on; particularly if the result comes from a website which you are familiar with.

I will be amazed if Google turns this into the norm for all search results but it will be interesting to view if they roll it out on a wider basis.

It is undoubtedly clear that as a general rule, people will complain when websites are redesigned. Some redesigns draw more criticism as compared to others and this would be just a minor adjustment to Google’s current design. Yet; I cannot exclaim that I have ever seen anybody complaining that Google shows URLs in search results and I would bet that certain will complain if they are removed.

Stay tuned with SEO Global Expert for more updates.

Last week; a report came out that Google had acquired Admeld for about $400 million. While the price has not been confirmed yet; Google did officially proclaim the acquisition today.

Google’s VP of display advertising; Neal Mohan; wrote on the Official Google Blog:

To help major publishers get the most out of the rapidly changing and growing display ad landscape, we’ve signed an agreement to acquire Admeld, a New York-based yield optimization firm.

There are lots of different ways that they can sell their display ad space. Often, they’ll sell space directly to advertisers or agencies, using an ad server to actually deliver and measure the ads (like Microsoft’s Atlas, AOL’s AdTech, DoubleClick’s DFP, Yahoo’s APT, OpenX, Zedo, 24/7 Real Media and others). Alternatively, they’ll make their ad space available indirectly—to hundreds of ad networks (like Advertising.com, Specific Media, Collective, 24/7, ValueClick, Vibrant, AdSense, Undertone and others), each with thousands of advertisers, or to various advertising exchanges or technology platforms (like Yahoo’s Right Media, OpenX, DoubleClick Ad Exchange, ContextWeb, AdBrite, AppNexus and others) that match them with ad buyers (like ad networks and demand side platforms) who represent advertisers, in real-time marketplaces.

Some publishers also work with a “yield optimization” provider (such as Rubicon Project, Pubmatic and others) that supplies technology to select ads from across these many indirect options, while providing personalized service and support. In a very complex and rapidly growing display ad landscape, that’s what Admeld does.

By combining Admeld’s services, expertise and technology with Google’s offerings, we’re investing in what we hope will be an improved era of flexible ad management tools for major publishers. Together with Admeld, we hope to make display advertising simpler, more efficient and more valuable, provide improved support and services, and enable publishers to make more informed decisions across all their ad space. These are all things our publisher partners have been asking us to further invest in. Of course, Admeld will continue to support other ad networks, demand side platforms, exchanges and ad servers, to yield the best possible results for publishers.

CEO of Admeld; Michael Barrett led global sales at fox interactive media;

Co-Founders Brian Adams and Ben Barokas held senior positions at AOL and as well as Chief Media Officer Jason Kelly was VP of strategy and revenue for Time Inc. Digital. It is this veteran leadership which the company plays up in its pitch.

“When I joined Admeld as CEO about 13 months later, the company had dozens of clients, most of whom reported at least a 100% increase in their revenues from ad networks,” exclaims Barrett on the AdMeld Blog. “What’s more, the team had learned that technology, while the foundation of Admeld, wasn’t the full solution. In truth, publishers didn’t want just another platform. They wanted a partner who understood their business and could help them use technology to navigate this increasingly complex space. This mix of expertise and technology still resonates with publishers today, and it will always be the cornerstone of Admeld’s approach.”

“Over the last two years in particular, display advertising has undergone more innovation than in the previous ten years combined,” he adds. “RTB, data management, private exchanges: the space has come a long way, but despite all the progress, it still has a long way to go. Our goal, together with Google, is to continue to move display advertising forward and ensure that publishers stay on the cutting edge.”

The deal must yet go through regulatory review. During this time; the two companies will remain independent from one another.

Stay tuned with SEO Global Expert for more updates.

As you may know; the Google +1 button has become available for webmasters, website owners and as well as publishers to include on their content and many rushed right in to do just that. Why not? After all it impacts your website’s visibility in search and with the continuously changing Google algorithm anything to help out in this department is welcome to most websites.

Here is a list of few things that we think any website interested in utilizing the Google +1 button must know:

• The +1 button will undoubtedly influence search rankings. Here is the exact quote from Google’s David Byttow; from when the feature was first announced: “We’ll also start to look at +1’s as one of the many signals we use to determine a page’s relevance and ranking, including social signals from other services. For +1′s, as with any new ranking signal, we’ll be starting carefully and learning how those signals affect search quality over time.”

• Google exclaims that publishers could see “more, and better qualified traffic coming from Google” as potential visitors view recommendations from friends and as well as contacts beneath their search results.

• Once a user clicks the button; a link to the content appears under the +1′s tab on user’s Google Profile.

• Google recommends clicking the button when you “like, agree with, or want to recommend” something to your loved ones.

• +1′s are public by default. Google might show them to any signed-in user who has a social connection to one. Users can choose not to have them exhibited publicly on their Google Profile; however.

• There are different sizes and styles of the button which you can utilize on your website.

• The button is even more customizable if you want to get more technical.

• While Google recommends that you utilize the button where you think they will be most effective in terms of placement around your content; the company recommends above the fold, near the title of the page, and close to sharing links. Google also exclaims it can be effective if you put it at the end of an article as well as the beginning.

• If you try to +1 a private URL; it will not work; according to Google.

• While everyone can view aggregate annotations, signed in users can also view personalized annotations from people in their Gmail/Google Talk Chat list, My Contacts group in Google Contacts, and people they are following in Google Reader and as well as Google Buzz.

• Google has austere policies for publishers which they exclaim they will utilize to govern use of the +1 button. Below noted are these policies in their entirety:

Publishers may not sell or transmit to others any data about a user related to the user’s use of the +1 Button. For the avoidance of doubt, this prohibition includes, but is not limited to, any use of pixels, cookies, or other methods to recognize users’ clicks on the +1 Button, the data of which is then disclosed, sold, or otherwise shared with other parties.

Publishers may not attempt to discover the identity of a +1 Button user unless the user consents to share his or her identity with the Publisher via a Google-approved authorization procedure. This prohibition includes identifying users by correlating +1 Button reporting data from Google with Publisher data.

Publishers may not alter or obfuscate the +1 Button, and Publishers may not associate the +1 Button with advertising content, such as putting the +1 Button on or adjacent to an ad, unless authorized to do so by Google.

Publishers may not direct users to click the +1 Button for purposes of misleading users. Publishers should not promote prizes, monies, or monetary equivalents in exchange for +1 Button clicks. For the avoidance of doubt, Publishers can direct users to the +1 Button to enable content and functionality for users and their social connections. When Publishers direct users to the +1 Button, the +1 action must be related to the Publishers’ content and the content or functionality must be available for both the visitor and their social connections.

Google may analyze Publishers’ use of the +1 Button, including to ensure Publishers’ compliance with these policies and to facilitate Google’s development of the +1 Button. By using the +1 Button, Publishers give Google permission to utilize an automated software program (often called a “web crawler”) to retrieve and analyze websites associated with the +1 Button.

• According to Search Engine Land; while they may yet be a while away; Google will bring in analytics for the button, to exhibit webmasters info on geography, demographics, content and as well as search impact. Apparently Google is working with launch partners to make certain that reporting is accurate before they offer it on a wider scale.

Stay tuned with SEO Global Expert for more updates.

When we Google brought in the +1 button in March; Google search undoubtedly took a small step in a vital direction. Search results can be more helpful and as well as more personal; when recommendations from the people you completely trust are there to guide your way.

The +1 button can help out publishers as well. As potential visitors view recommendations from their friends and  as well as contacts beneath Google search results; you could witness more and better qualified, traffic coming from Google.

From the time when they announced +1; Google has got many requests from Google search users and as well as webmasters alike for +1 buttons in more places than just search results. This is why today Google is making the +1 button available to websites across the internet. At times you want to recommend a webpage after you have visited it. After all; how do you know you want to recommend that great article on Spanish tapas if you have not read it yet?

You will also start to notice +1 buttons on other Google properties like  Android Market, Blogger,Product Search and as well as YouTube.

Adding +1 buttons to your webpages is an exemplary way to help your content stand out in Google search. By giving your visitors more chances to +1 your pages, your search results and search ads might show up with +1 annotation more often; helping out users see when your pages are most likely to be helpful.

To begin; visit the +1 button tool on Google Webmaster Central. You will be able to configure a tiny snippet of JavaScript and add it to the webpages where you want +1 buttons to appear. You can pick out from a few different button sizes and styles; so choose the +1 button which best matches your website’s layout.

In the common case; a press of the button +1’s the URL of the page it is on. Google recommends few easy ways to make certain that this maps as often as possible to the webpages appearing in Google search results.

If your website primarily caters to users who are outside of US and Canada then you can install the +1 button code now; the +1 button is already backed in 44 languages. However; remember that +1 annotations currently only appear for English search results on Google.com. Google is working on releasing +1 to searchers worldwide in the future.

If you have users who love your content then encourage them to spread the word. Add the +1 button if you want your website to be prominent with a personal recommendation right at the moment of decision; on Google search.

Stay tuned with SEO Global Expert for more updates.