Posted: 09 Aug 2011 06:59 AM PDT

While I sincerely doubt that Google can do anything to eradicate spam it is certainly trying to make it easier for people to report it.

The Google Webmaster Central blog tells of improvements in their spam report form and some other areas of consideration when it comes to the Google search experience as a whole. When you take a look at some of these improvements you can't help but think that maybe, and I mean JUST maybe, Google is realizing that speaking 'engineering' 24/7 isn't as effective as they once thought.

Here are the improvements as listed on their post:

Option to report various search issues
There are many search results, such as sites with malware and phishing, that are not necessarily webspam but still degrade the search experience. We've noticed that our users sometimes report these other issues using our webspam report form, causing a delay between when a user reports the issue and when the appropriate team at Google handles it. The new form's interstitial page allows you to report these other search issues directly to the correct teams so that they can address your concerns in a timely manner.

Google's "a-ha" moment on this one has taken a while. Most people put as much information through any avenue that Google allows to give information becasue they aren't sure if anyone is listening or will ever respond but at least they can say they tried.

Simplified form with informative links
To improve the readability of the form, we've made the text more concise, and we've integrated helpful links into the form's instructions. Now, the ability to look up our Webmaster Guidelines, get advice on writing actionable form comments, and block sites from your personalized search results is just one click away.

Another revelation. I personally like the one about writing actionable form comments. Google provides a link back to a post from November of 2010 which serves as a Rosetta Stone of sorts helping turn English words into Engineering speak so Googlers can interface with the commmoners.

Thank you page with personalization options
Some of our most valuable information comes from our users, and we appreciate the webspam reports you submit to us. The thank you page explains what happens once we've received your webspam report. If you want to report more webspam, there's a link back to the form page and instructions on how to report webspam more efficiently with the Chrome Webspam Report Extension. We also provide information on how you can immediately block the site you've reported from your personalized search results, for example, by managing blocked sites in your Google Account.

When you have to announce that you finally figured out that a thank you page and some direction as to what's next is being rolled out in 2011 need we say more?

Google is definitely a rare bird. Wildly successful because of the many things it does really well despite its own best efforts to keep its distance from the people who pay its bills. It's really more of a statement of the power they wield since people have put up with so little information being tossed down to them in a "let'em eat cake" style for so long simply because they need Google for their own success. Talk about a better mousetrap!

Are SMB's Just Confused About WOM and Social?

Posted: 08 Aug 2011 09:06 PM PDT

Small and medium sized businesses rely heavily on word of mouth and referral advertising. We all know that and the point has been made ad nauseum.

Even with that in mind it seems quite interesting to see the findings of a study conducted by SMB insurance provider Hiscox. Essentially it says that many small businesses don't find social media important yet half of them say that they couldn't live without referrals from word of mouth (WOM) sources.

eMarketer shared the Hiscox findings

Note that only 12% say they have to do it while only 24% said they get involved in social media when they have the time. The rest?Well, 64% of the respondents said they either don't use it for their business, don't know enough about or don't give a rip at all!

The next chart shows that in the US 50% of the businesses feel that personal recommendations are something they couldn't live without while social media rated just 4% saying the same thing.

I have worked with enough SMB's to actually understand this kind of finding. It seems almost counterintuitive to those who are immersed in the world of social media. Isn't social media the new word of mouth after all?

The answer is not necessarily. This answer is most dependent on a few factors.

Where the SMB is in its life cycle – The older the company the more success they have had with traditional marketing options. Some hold on to everything despite evidence that it all doesn't work like it used to (i.e. Yellow Pages) while others have jettisoned the less useful tactics while keeping the ones that still work. Because they are pressed for time and resources they just haven't felt the urgency to "get social".

The age of the SMB's top management – Let's face it, the younger you are the more social media savvy you are likely to be as a general rule. Long time business owners and managers in the 45 plus range just don't have the time or desire to learn the social media game in many cases. Not to say that this course of non-action is a good one. It just is what it is.

The social media industry looks slimy – At some point having everyone and their brother hanging out a shingle proclaiming their mastery of the social media dark arts is going to hurt the advancement of the cause. Thanks to the path blazed by shady search marketers, social media has gotten to that point even quicker. And no one in their right mind is going to be throwing their trust into an industry that thinks the descriptors of guru, ninja, maven etc are a good thing.

Limited SMB resources – Look, just because a company has even 100 employees it doesn't mean that even one of them has a true social media aptitude. At this point, most business owners have the realization that may need to hire someone to do something they themselves are not comfortable with. Now you are in the head of the SMB decision maker where FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) exist but are not on display in most cases for fear of looking weak. Pulling that trigger to hire even a consultant gets bigger than it should in their mind and the likelihood of it happening fades pretty quickly.

The social media industry (again!) is doing a poor job of defining social media and its business value – That one is pretty self-explanatory don't you think? We package social media as some magic potion, elixir or spell that everyone is using to the utmost and you, Mr. SMB, must be kinda stupid if you aren't getting it. Shame on us.

So there seems to be a disconnect here that, if not addressed, can turn into a larger issue than it needs to.

Now, in fine blogger fashion I have outlined some issues without giving you any solutions. Why do I do that? So I can have our readers show that they are experts rather than just claiming it. Any thoughts to help SMB's cross the chasm and understand that word of mouth and social are not from other planets but rather they are very close relatives?

And if you would like to see another take on this same data from our Inbound Marketing Channel sponsor, HubSPot, check it out here.

Laptops, Cell Phones: This Baby Got Tech!

Posted: 08 Aug 2011 11:33 AM PDT

Do you remember your first laptop computer? Your first smartphone? Are you still waiting to experience the joy of the tablet? Most of us have been around long enough to see this massive change in portable technology but there's a new generation that has never known anything else. They're the iGeneration and they were born, almost literally, with a mobile phone in their hands.

According to a new survey by BlogHer and Parenting, one in four moms said that they've let their two-year-old use their mobile phone. You'll be comforted to know that the average age to have their own mobile phone is 13, with smartphone scaling slightly older at 15.

Not surprisingly, the younger Generation Y parents, are allowing their kids to use technology even earlier than they were allowed as kids. Of course, some of these numbers are skewed by the fact that the devices are more commonly available and less expensive than they were a generation earlier. When I was as kid, the most radical piece of technology we owned was a CB radio. Back then, chatting with random truckers was the 70′s equivalent of IMing on Facebook. Breaker, breaker 1-9. . .

While I reminisce, you look at the numbers.

With all of this tech in the hands of our children, you might worry that they're lacking for human contact. Not true, says the study. Though texting has replaced a written note for communicating with kids, 89% of parents said they talk to their child in person on a daily basis.

For more information, check out the E-Moms; Engaged, Enabled and Entertained slide presentation at BlogHer.

Quixey: There's a Search App for That

Posted: 08 Aug 2011 10:33 AM PDT

When Apple created the slogan, "there's an app for that," they weren't kidding. When you look at all the mobile phone options then add in apps for Twitter and Facebook and browsers like Firefox and Chrome, you're talking millions of options. The downside of that many options is that it can be hard to find what you're looking for if you don't know the name of the app. Enter Quixey, the all app search engine backed by Eric Schmidt's Innovations Endeavors.

The wonder of Quixey is that it searches based on the way people think. If I want an app to help me with my grocery list, I can type in groceries. Stressed? I can type in "help me relax." Here's an example of a search page:

The far left lets you customize the type of app you're searching for. The center column is the app with description and that last column is the snippet which comes from a variety of sources. The snippets are the secret to Quixey, as many app developers don't include good descriptions on the app itself. By picking up data from secondary sources, Quixey does a better job of categorizing apps so you get relevant results when you search.

There are two lessons here for marketers. One, apps are becoming more mainstream, so if you're still thinking about developing one, stop thinking and do it. Second, if you have an app, spend the time to get the description right. Use keywords and define the functionality so it has a better chance of rising to the top of a search.

And while you're at it, take some time to scout out the competition. Quixey makes it easy to see if there's already an app for that.