They came down against “the wrong type” of app interstitials, saying that some can get you penalized.
Their San Francisco Bay test of Google Home Service Ads was also expanded to include new services, and Glenn Gabe has a fascinating study about what happens when you lose your spot in a featured snippet (also known as a “direct answer.”)
But first, let’s talk about that logo! The users of WebmasterWorld were mostly unimpressed. “Ummm…Yuck,” says user ronin. But some users, who have seen many logos come and go, are more reflective.
“Looking at the evolution of the logo over the years I can remember being a bit shocked by some of the changes, but there is a level of consistency when you see them all,” says bill.
Users Robert Charlton and pageoneresults have great posts about the history of Google’s logo, too. “There really is a LOT more to the new logo than most of us are ‘consciously’ seeing :)” says pageoneresults.
Google Says The Wrong Type of App Interstitials Will Get You Penalised
Like WebmasterWorld user ogletree, maybe you’ve never heard the word “interstitial” until now. Ogletree says,
“For those who don’t want to go look it up it means ‘a space between structures and objects.’ I think they are talking about those pop ups like CNN money that try to get you to install their app instead of going to that page.”
Many other users say that this kind of harsh stance is a long time coming. “What I really hope this translates into is not having my leg humped on every damn page I go to for my email address,” says one user. But it remains to be seen whether Google will clamp down on more annoying ads or yield to pressure from shareholders.
Facebook Testing a Virtual Assistant, “M”
Yes, that’s right, like James Bond’s boss and the head of MI6. Though Q might have been more appropriate. This update is moving relatively fast, and Facebook promises that it will be unlike any other personal assistant because “M is powered by actual people.”
According to an article in Wired, M is supposed to be a hybrid between the entirely AI driven Cortana or Siri and the human-powered TaskRabbit type assistants. What do you think? Would you give it a try?
Ethics and Protocol: When UX Creates the Human Error
Kim Krause Berg of Cre8asiteforums asks,
“Should building all software applications with humans be an ethical requirement?”
In cases where a person is using a piece of software to do their job, what happens when the software is not up to date or responsive enough for that job to be done? User iamlost says,
“So called agile development and Google style forever beta means that testing is done by end users. That so far the consequences have been minor mean that it will continue and usability let alone UX will be a rare bird.”
What do you think?
UX Tips: Avoid Video Autoplay! And More
Videos are more popular than ever, but there are some screwy ideas out there about how to use them. Perhaps the technology has, for the time being, outpaced our understanding. On Cre8asiteforums, users are suggesting what NOT to do with your videos on landing pages. Among those tips are to limit your videos to 30 seconds and use animation instead of live action.
“19.4 percent of users stop watching video after the first 10 seconds, and 44 percent stop watching after 60 seconds,”according to an article from unbounce.
“To me, the worst thing about autoplay is that it’s creating a subconscious paradox that is really hard to track,” says user Grumpus. “[Clicks] indicate engagement, give us a clue as to what a person is actually looking for, and show us how people are thinking… With autoplay turned on, it turns clicks into a purely negative thing.”
What does the future of video look like?
Keep Your Eyes Peeled and Your Ears Open – Google Home Service Ads Expand
Google is testing a special “Home Service Ads,” 3 pack, which appears right at the top of SERPs and is 100% paid advertising.
For now, the test has been limited to San Francisco. But the news here is that they’ve added new services and are expanding the scope of the test. When do you think that these Home Service Ads will make their way over to the east coast and beyond?
Glenn Gabe’s Case Study on Snippets
A Threadwatch reporter has put a spotlight on Glenn Gabe’s fascinating case study of featured snippets. These snippets, also called “direct answers,” appear at the top of SERPs in response to questions.
The results of Gabe’s study indicate that losing a featured snippet can cost you a great deal of traffic, among other things. Take a look and share your thoughts with us!
Keeping Facebook Pages Hidden From Friends
If you’re working out the bugs in a new project, you might want to keep it a secret from the people around you… for now. Just until you’re sure that you have something to be proud of. But is there such an option on Facebook, or are pages always public no matter what?
A user on SEO Chat wonders if a new business page will be linked back to their personal profile somehow. Check in on this thread for updates! We get this question a lot on SEO Chat, so it will be interesting to hear the results.
The Difference Between Do-Follow and No-Follow Links
This may sound like SEO 101, but it’s an important distinction to make! There are many facets of each type of link. On SEO Chat, user jurcc has a great basic definition of each.
Fathom also makes an important observation:
“Unlike the name claims, bots actually follow all links it just doesn’t pass PageRank down a nofollow path.”
Mod ThomasHarvey also explains the code required to create a nofollow link. A great thread for beginners!
The post Google’s Got More Than Just a New Logo This Week – Weekly Forum Roundup appeared first on Internet Marketing Ninjas Blog.
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