Google’s social search: Future for businesses?

Google search just came out with a new feature this week when they integrated Google+ updates into relevant Google searches. They are calling the feature “social search” and it has been getting quite a bit of press. (You can learn more about the service from Google’s promotional video.)

As for myself – having tried it for a week – I have to say, I am impressed with the functionality but more so the strategy it suggests Google+ will take and how it will help businesses profit from social media.

Facebook vs. Google+

Part of how I am forecasting social searches and Google+’s future success is in how I see where Google+ and Facebook differ, which is in the philosophy upon which they were built.

Facebook’s Comments Box Now Indexed by Google

Posts made via Facebook’s Comments Box are now being read and indexed by Google’s search bots. This is highly significant, as this added data will affect search engine optimization (SEO), therefore adding value to every discussion, both inside and outside of Facebook.

What is Comments Box?

A common discussion thread on Facebook using Comments Box

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Inside Facebook: At its core, Comments Box is what allows for discussion threads on Facebook itself. The ability to comment on Wall Posts, Status Updates, and so forth is made possible by Comments Box.

Video on Website Improves Brand

Why do you need video on your website?

As a video production and web design hybrid company, we are asked this question a lot. And while the answer may seem straightforward to us, many businesses are still miffed about what they can gain from online media.

Social Media and SEO

Many of our clients are confused about social media. Is it just a fad? Doesn’t it represent a casual or unprofessional environment? How will this help our business?

Many social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, flickr, MySpace, Last.FM, blogs, SlideShare, digg, and more exist in the corporate world.

Allow me to tackle just one facet of the many benefits of corporate social media pages: Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Measuring your social media’s ROI

A common question between businesses and marketers alike is “How do I measure the ROI of my social media campaign?” Well, folks, I have the answer:

You don’t.

A common myth about social media is that it can be the end-all solution for advertising. Plus, it’s free — perfect, right? Wrong. While social media can be part of your marketing campaign, it cannot carry the ship.

Let Your SEO Blossom Through Creative Writing

Creative writing serves a dual purpose as it applies to the web.  It is imperative that your web copy communicates a clear, concise message to the reader, and at the same time the search engines must identify it as relevant content in order to drive the correct audience to you.

Tips for Tagging

Let’s say your company has just decided to make a marketing video. 

First of all: Awesome! You’re already ahead of the curve. (Virtual high-fives all around.)

Second of all: What are you going to do with it?

As our customers know, the best thing about online video is that you can deliver it in multiple platforms, such as:

Look for us on Vimeo!

The team at Prizm is doubling our efforts to share online video by now using both YouTube and Vimeo. We love YouTube for its populartiy and reach, but we love Vimeo for these reasons:

• Compatibility: The growing number of web browsers, tablets, and mobile phones are making the compatibilities and optimizations for online video more complex than ever before. YouTube and Vimeo are thankfully taking a lot of the work off our hands by managing all the different formats and resolutions by themselves.