Micrositez are a multi award winning digital marketing agency, with offices in the UK, UAE and the USA.
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in Social Media, Uncategorized
Searching the web can be an overwhelming process, and sifting out the wheat from the chaff an even lengthier process when you are not sure what to believe. Whilst more and more online users are flocking to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to get their daily dose of news, there is wisdom in using more than one source. So we’ve put together three alternative search tools to help you save time and get the best search result in return.
1.Addict-o-matic
Addict-o-matic is a great search tool that pulls real time search results from a number of high profiled sites, including Google, WordPress, Bing, Twitter, YouTube and number of other news websites. The great thing about this site is that you can search a topic or trend over multiple sites at one time and Addict-o-matic will lay out your results across a single three column page, making it much easier to skim for the relevant content. Whether you require a broad look at a specific topic, or a more refined result perhaps through a smaller number of sources, then addict-o-matic will do that for you.
2.Social Mention
Another real time social media search that also provides analytical data.
Like, Addict-o-matic you can select from a number of sources, although social media has a particular focus on social media sources and will feature a list of relative keywords, hash tags etc. amongst results page.
This site will also allow you to create free alerts on your brand, company, specific search terms, or breaking news story similar to Google Alerts, but for social media. Once you get going, you’ll find the interface easy to personalize, enabling you to tailor your search to any particular social media source too.
3.Search direct
Search direct is Yahoo’s latest answer to real time image and video search, for the UK. The site went live today, and aims to deliver results before the user completes a search. The new feature will display top trending images from around the web, allowing full size image display; and update each search every 10 minutes to ensure the latest search trends are displayed.
Users can also search the Yahoo! image bank, which gathers pictures from Yahoo news and Flickr, through their Facebook account providing the user has synced their Facebook with the Yahoo stream.
The US search engine giant has also announced a video search results page will also be available, with the ability to filter videos of interest to the user.
Micrositez: Search Engine Marketing
Google has taken to their blog once again to announce Google+ Pages – the place for companies and organisations to establish a presence on the social network. Until now, Google+ profiles had been limited to personal profiles assigned to an individual. Now, businesses and brands can create Google+ pages and open up the potential for interaction with the growing number of Google+ users.
By allowing businesses to create a presence on Google+ the new kid on the social network block has opened its doors to those looking to build brand awareness and generate business. The immediate popularity of the new feature is apparent to anyone with a Google+ or Twitter account, as feeds have immediately been littered with links to new Pages. It will be interesting in the coming weeks to see the statistics on new accounts, and the number of Google+ users who are adding organisations to their circles.
One notable feature is Direct Connect. Taking advantage of their search dominance, Google has enabled the feature, which allows a person to find a company’s Google+ name by simply searching for the company’s name with a + symbol in front. This simple search shortcut makes a Google+ Page a must for any company looking to expand their web presence. The open nature of the Pages platform (all feeds are automatically set as “public” meaning anyone can access them) makes companies’ presence immediately accessible, even to those without Google+ accounts. The search engine giant is hoping to merge search and social in a way that means a Google+ page is the essential internet presence for a business, just as websites have traditionally been, and Facebook and Twitter accounts have been more recently.
While immediately popular, there are some issues with the new types of account. A page can only be administered by one Google account, making it difficult for social media teams to maintain a company page as they would do on Facebook. And with little ability to customise their page, there is a limit (at present) to how creative businesses can be with their Google+ presence.
Micrositez is an award winning Digital Marketing Agency.
You can now add the Micrositez Google+ Page to your circles.
Direct Connect, Google, Micrositez Google+ Page, social media
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in link building, SEO, Social Media
Google has announced that changes have been made to search algorithms that could impact 35% of searches. The changes were announced yesterday on Google’s blog, and reflect one of the biggest tweaks they have made recently. By comparison, the recent Panda update was estimated to only affect 12% of search queries. The last major algorithm change in February was designed to distinguish between high and low quality websites, and award less authority to sites it deemed to be “content farms”.
The latest algorithm changes have been made in response to the increase of social media use in delivering the most recent and up to date news and events on the web. The search engine giant hopes to compete with Twitter and Facebook as the go-to page for updates on the latest news and events, and redirect some of that social media traffic back to search. In order to do this, Google recognised that it had to amend the algorithm to freshen up some stale searches. Google also need to maintain market dominance over Bing, who already include more Twitter feeds and Facebook updates in their search results.
Google Fellow Amit Singhal blogged: “Given the incredibly fast pace at which information moves in today’s world, the most recent information can be from the last week, day or even minute, and depending on the search terms, the algorithm needs to be able to figure out if a result from a week ago about a TV show is recent, or if a result from a week ago about breaking news is too old.”
In Google’s blog, Amit wrote that changes will affect searches relating to the following:
In order to ensure they are not compromised by “freshness spam” (websites re-posting stories to ensure they are the latest word on a topic to boost rankings) the freshness will be determined by the time the page is first crawled. The usual rules of quality and topicality will also apply, so making sure your content is relevant and well-written is key to maintaining rankings.
Micrositez: SEO and Link Building
facebook, Google, link building, search algorithm, SEO, twitter
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in Social Media, Uncategorized
What an exciting week Google fans. Not only has the revamped Gmail been revealed by user experience designer, Jason Cornwell.
There comes a second piece of important Google information that will have tech enthusiasts’ ears and eyes peeled…
The long awaited Gmail app which is finally finding its way onto the Apple launch pad, has been absent from Apple’s app store since the launch of iPhone 2007. Sources believe this was due to Apple’s restrictions use of other mail apps on their device.
Other reasons progressed to, ‘Google are just too busy focusing on the mobile web.’ Later followed by another more plausible reason, ‘due to a strained relationship between Google and Apple, which led to greater confusion as to why there were other Google apps available; except a Gmail one.
Reports have been released this week to suggest Google’s first native Gmail app is under review by the Apple team, and is expected to be released pretty soon.
Until now Gmail app has not been push-enabled. Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of this ‘new’ under review Gmail app will be its push notifications capability.
The new native Gmail app is expected to improve key functionality such as
With possible additions derived from the actual Gmail revamp, including;
There’s even talk of Google+ integration.
Micrositez: Social Media Agency
Head of Google’s web spam team, Matt Cutts recently clarified Google’s thoughts on SEO during one of his recent video blogs, (as featured below).
“SEO is not spam,” Matt said.
His statement was welcomed by many digital marketers who are already aware of this, but often spend a large majority of their time explaining the value of SEO to those led to believe differently. For anyone who doesn’t work in the SEO industry, SEO can often be linked directly with the term spam. As Matt explains in his video, this is not the case.
SEO, otherwise known as search engine optimisation is a great way to get your website performing across search engine platforms. Some of ways in which Micrositez operate, Matt outlines in this video. For example;
These are just some of the white hat tactics adopted by Micrositez. Although we are not denying back hats tactics used within the field of SEO, Micrositez are proud to not be one of them. The obvious differences are black hat swap search engine results pages, (SERPS) where white hats don’t.
Matt on goes on make some valid points, including the following statement, (one we are extremely passionate about) that is; “SEO can be enormously useful.”
Micrositez: Digital Marketing Agency and SEO.
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in SEO, Social Media, Uncategorized
It looked like Microsoft could have it in the bag… And then, search giant Google raised their hand of interest in the potential take-over, and auction of struggling search rival, Yahoo.
It’s no secret that media companyYahoo have been struggling for sometime, trying everything in their power to turn the company back around from its disappointing results.
Appointing Carol Bartz, back in 2009, was part of that recovery plan. However, it became clear those plans had failed, which then led to the firing of Carol Bartz from her position as CEO, on 6th of September this year.
Yahoo has around 700 million visitors to its website every month, and although Google primarily dominates search in the UK. Yahoo does have significant influence across America as one of the largest websites in the US.
Benefits of a Google or Microsoft take over are clearly circulated around the trio’s interest in internet advertising, and the combination of Yahoo’s existing network, which includes email services, and advertising partnerships are clear attractions.
It’s thought Google in particular will be particularly keen on any such acquisition of Yahoo, as a clear benefit for Google’s strengthening arm in display advertising.
Yet, despite having the interest, and the cash to buy, we suspect the regulation factors will shout the loudest and impact any decisions to be made. The conglomerate, are already under the watchful eye of the US Federal Trade Commission, who are reviewing Google’s business practices.
Analyst Greg Sterling, at Opus Research in San Francisco told Bloomberg; “If competition dissipates or diminishes, then the hand of regulators is strengthened. If competition is diminished or marginalised, then all the arguments about Google being a monopoly ring more true.”
Yahoo may be America’s largest website, but Google currently hold 65% of the market share in the search sector, with Microsoft just under Yahoo’s 15.5%, at 14.7%.
If Google were to get its hands on Yahoo, it’s certain Microsoft would be completely shut out of any existing relationship with Yahoo, and potential close of any meaningful position in the desktop search market for good.
Micrositez: Display Advertising, Search Engine Optimisation.
Bing, display advertising, Google, microsoft, search engine optimisation, Yahoo
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Comments off · Posted by admin in SEO, Social Media, Uncategorized
Speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit this week,in San Francisco, Vic Gundotra, senior vice president of Google Engineering stated that Google+ will be integrated with Google Apps, the company’s cloud-based office suite. Google has not only focused on social media, but has also has set its sights squarely on the enterprise. The combination of Google+ and Google Apps will pull company’s two main focuses together.
The Integration of Google+ with Google Apps will allow the Google Apps users whose identity is linked to domain of their business or other organization to Sign up and start using Google+. Currently you can sign up for Google+ using your personal Gmail ID only. The Google+ ability to setup selective different circles will allow the corporate users to set up circles for different customers, colleagues and businesses associates.
The industry analysts and experts are waiting to see some enterprise related updates being made to Google+ to get it ready for corporate use.
Micrositez Digital: SEO Agency and Social Media
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in SEO, Social Media
At an eagerly anticipated event this morning, Google unveiled the latest addition to the Android smartphone OS family: Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0).The joint Samsung Google Event in Hong Kong was also an opportunity to show off Samsung Nexus – the smartphone which has been designed specifically to run Ice Cream Sandwich.
Android 4.0 is Google’s latest attempt to dominate the smartphone market. The OS is already hotly anticipated, and surrounded by genuine industry buzz. The aim of this version of Android was to create a mobile OS that works well on both smartphones and tablet, with a more intuitive interface. A new font, Roboto, has been created to compliment HD displays, and improvements have been made to the keyboard, browser and calendar. E-mail integration has also improved, with a complete redesign of the Gmail experience. Notifications have been streamlined and are now completely customisable.
On top of these improvements, Ice Cream Sandwich boasts a host of new features:
Even without Ice Cream Sandwich, the Samsung Nexus hardware is an impressive piece of kit, sporting:
While the API will be immediately available to developers, the launch to consumers is likely to happen in November according to Google and Samsung. Google’s OS is already popular, with more than 550,000 new devices activated daily, just three years after the launch of the first Android phone. Can they attract disillusioned BlackBerry customers or iPhone upgrade stallers to the Nexus?
Micrositez: Search Engine Marketing
Android 4.0, Google, Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung, Smartphones
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in Social Media, Uncategorized
In today’s news, Google, has come together in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau to help ensure internet users stay safe online.
Largely funded by the search engine, this will be the first time the conglomerate has endorsed something that’s not a Google product.
Working closely with the CAB, the campaign will run a serious of adverts through print, online, and have its very own website page in conjunction with Google’s UK search page. The campaign named, ‘Good to know’, will outline a list of dos and don’ts to help prevent user information being exposed, or falling into the wrong hands.
Chief Executive for the Citizens Advice Bureau, Gillian Guy told the telegraph that “information is a powerful tool for preventing problems from arising in the first safety; personal data and identity theft are among the top concerns of people of using internet.”
Some of the top tips being dished out by the search engine include;
For more information users can long onto www.google.co.uk/goodtoknow.
Micrositez Digital is a leading web design, and social media agency.
citezens advice bureau, Google, internet security, social media
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in Social Media, Uncategorized
Reports made earlier this week have raised questionable concern on whether Google’s brand new social network has failed in a matter of days of its public release.
It’s no secret this has been one of the most important departments inside the Google machine this year, since co-founder, and CEO Larry Page took centre stage once again, in January 2011.
According to reports by Chitika Insight, Google+1 have lost 60 per cent of its users since it peaked its performance between 20th-23rd September.
Critics suggest the sharp increase of users the site had seen was down to curiosity, and after much build up there was nothing for users to do, to encourage them to hang around.
Reports suggest traffic levels have resorted to its original invite only days.
Could this be the dip before the rise? Or could this be a case of users have tried, tested, and decided Google+1 is not for them?
Prior to its public release, the website sparked massive interest, and raised the question of Facebook? Many debated whether Facebook would even have a place once Google’s secret weapon was revealed.
Facebook took no chances. The social giant got busy making their list of significant changes to the current profile, to stay on top of the social fight, by creating a frictionless online experience.
Micrositez: Digital Marketing Agency, and Social Media.
It’s been a big week for Yahoo. Media, investors and tech bloggers are keeping a close eye on what’s happening to at the internet corporation, while at the same time struggling to remember the last time it was this relevant.
Since former CEO Carol Bartz was ousted in September, the company has moved quickly, trying to establish a clear direction and satisfy investors. The former search engine behemoth had floundered in recent years, and has become a shadow of its former self. Despite 2010 revenue exceeding $6billion (most of which stemmed from search engine marketing), Yahoo is not the company that it was. Google’s place as king of search is firmly established for now, and their revenue of over $29billion in 2010 proves their dominance over search rivals.
This week, Yahoo announced that they are withdrawing their interest in video streaming service Hulu. This could be a move to streamline their operations, or a reaction to their falling share price and reluctance to get involved in further acquisitions. The lowered share price has also prompted a hostile takeover bid from Microsoft. Those familiar with Yahoo’s history will be aware that this is not the first such instance of Microsoft attempting a buyout. And it’s certainly not the first time Yahoo has resisted.
Microsoft clearly sees a future for Yahoo, and founder and former CEO Jerry Yang seems to as well. Silicon Valley is buzzing with rumours that he has sought private equity finance to fund a bid for 40% of Yahoo, to take it off the stock market completely and return it to private control. Yang has been a familiar face at Yahoo’s First Avenue headquarters of late, and his renewed interest in the firm could be the key to a real comeback.
Micrositez: Search Engine Marketing
Google, microsoft, Private Equity, search engine marketing, Yahoo
When the first Panda update was launched, its aim was apparently to reduce the rankings for low quality website. Although Google claimed only 11.8% of US queries were affected, there were losses of up to 80% in organic traffic reported.
The second Panda update hit the UK quite severely with rankings dropping all over the place. That was in April and, just as the top UK SEO firms were getting to grips with it, Google launched the 2.4 update in May
As is synoptic with Google, it was and still is (and probably will be in future with algorithmic changes) all very cloak and dagger regarding the Panda updates. We are offered very little information on these algorithmic changes which to many, just seems like Google flexing its corporate muscle to shake things up. At Micrositez, we noted, that making your traffic more diverse, fixing usability issues, and writing high-quality content (which is what Google says the Panda update aims to reward), helped revive a lot of rankings. We have always believed “content is king” and all you have to do is look at the search results for most things to prove this. Wikipedia for example is either first or thereabouts in most queries – and how content rich is Wikipedia?
Search Engine Watch reported “Top Google Result Gets 36.4% of Clicks”, and Optify’s data showed that, on average, a site sitting in fourth position gets nearly 8 percent of clicks. Once you fall off Page 1, you’re looking at an average of 2.6 percent click-through rate at the top of Page 2, but any results beyond that quickly fall into irrelevance.
Google has rolled out more than a dozen additional tweaks since Panda was first rolled out. They left only one month between the Panda update last time, and now the whole SEO and Digital Marketing arena waits with bated breath for the introduction of the next Panda update.
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in SEO, Social Media
Plans to create a global technology hub in the east end of London were boosted last night by the news that Google are planning to open a multimillion pound “technology community centre” in the development. This will no doubt help to dispel the disappointing news earlier this week that twitter had chosen to open a major international office in Dublin instead of the new development, which the Government hopes will be as synonymous with tech in the UK as Silicon Valley is in the USA.
Google’s new office acquisition will not mean a move for their operations, as the UK headquarters will remain at their current Victoria location. The new “Silicon Roundabout” property on Bonhill street will undergo refurbishment before opening in 2012. While Google will have a presence in the office, they hope to use the space for workshops (including programming “hackathons”) and training for new tech companies in the area. The space will also be available for other organisations to use, allowing them to work with Google to provide a launchpad for start-ups and developers in London.
As one of the original backers of the Tech City development, a four-mile stretch from London to Stratford, it’s not surprising that Google have further invested in the project. What’s encouraging to the Government and start-ups alike, is their enthusiasm to engage with up-and-coming tech companies in the UK. Support from the search giant could lead to real innovation and growth in the industry, which could be very exciting indeed for tech companies across the country.
Micrositez: SEO, Social Media
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in SEO, Social Media
In a modest celebration, at what could be anyone’s home, six characters sit ready to blow out the candles out on a 13th birthday cake. It’s easy to see why this isn’t your average celebration, because Google really isn’t your average 13-year-old.
Unconcerned with kissing boys and watching Hollyoaks, Google has far loftier things to think about this year. Google wants to dominate social media when it grows up, and could be on their way with the Google+ rollout gaining pace. A Hitwise report showed a massive influx of traffic, over 15 million visitors in the USA alone, in the week ending 24 September. In that one week, Google+ surged from the 54th most visited social networking and forum site to the 8th.
Now that a fuller picture of Google+ functionality is developing, even more users could be drawn to the site. The popular social gaming giant Zynga announced the addition of their most popular title, CityVille, to coincide with Google+ hitting the 50 million user watermark.
Things have changed considerably since Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed their search engine following a PhD research project. Did they consider how prominent their search algorithms would become in those infant years, when the project was still nicknamed “Backrub” (because of their use of backlinks to determine a site’s importance)? It’s highly doubtful they could have known that their misspelling of the word googol would become so universal that it would enter common vocabulary as a verb. Back in those tender years, social media hadn’t even entered the public consciousness, but now it could be the key to Google’s success over the next few years.
Can we expect fireworks, grand entrances and all the pomp and circumstance of a “super sweet sixteen” type party when Google’s teenage temperament really starts kick in? Or will they continue to celebrate their anniversaries modestly, letting their success speak for itself?
Micrositez: Social Media Agency, SEO Company.
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in pay per click, SEO
New Google site preview and +1 button location in SERPs
Today new tests on Google search result pages have emerged with a few differences present. The instant preview blue magnifying glass has been replaced with grey arrows which open a half page vertical split showing the landing page with highlighted areas identified by Google as being important. You can now preview additional pages listed in the search results as well, the example below shows the preview arrows next to the “contact us” page under the main listing where previously only the homepage would have had a magnifying glass next to it.
The actual preview itself isn’t much different from before, white text on grey background instead of black text on white, the highlight colour is red instead of orange and the serrated page break is a bit neater.
Another notable difference is the location of the +1 button which has shifted from the side of the page title/headline down to beside the url.
The preview also shows the same way for adwords adverts covering the right hand side ad slots. Presumably the testing phase will look at the impact on clicks for adverts which are covered by the preview when it expands, this could also have an effect on click through rate and therefore quality scores as well.
Here’s a look at the old/current preview method for comparison.
Micrositez: Pay Per Click Digital Marketing Agency
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in Social Media, Uncategorized
Google’s chairman, Eric Schmidt will appear before America officials this week to defend the search engine giant against claims it is overpowering local businesses.
The search engine will face claims of placing favour on their own products rankings, pushing rivals out.
Google prides itself on putting users’ interest first, and is expected to defend itself through the rise in alternative information sources, such as Facebook, Twitter using their success as its claim, to offer fair opportunities for all.
As Google prepares to face the judiciary antitrust subcommittee, one of its members Senator Richard Blumenthal has been speaking to press praising Google as a success story, but made the following stories;
“Concerns have been raised by both regulators and competitors over whether Google has used its dominance of the online and smartphone search markets to impose extra costs on consumers, unfairly preference its own products, or disadvantage competitors through a variety of means, including its search and advertising systems.”
British search company Foundem, alongside such as Yelp and Nextag are expected to give evidence against the conglomerate on Wednesday.
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in pay per click, SEO
Newzbin 2 tackle attempts to block access to their site
It’s certainly a day in which search engine and internet service provider censorship is taking center stage with a couple of stories relating to site visibility.
Brian Souter, often referred to as a transport tycoon due to his success in creating and developing the stagecoach brand, has been reported as being unimpressed with the disappearance of his personal website from Google’s SERPS when his name is searched for. It’s alleged that his sites visibility was first noticed to have decreased near the start of August and has only recently been found on Google’s search results pages.
Another big story making the rounds today concerns the newsgroup file indexing search site Newzbin 2. They are reportedly preparing to launch software which will prevent access to their site from being blocked by BT. It’s worth noting that the BT have been forced to take this action using their own technology, cleanfeed, which they developed to block users access to sites which contained child sex abuse images.
BT are not keen to comment on the issue indicating they do not feel it is a matter they should be expected to monitor or control. There is also significant scope for lost custom of users for whom newzbin provide legal file sharing services. The court order resulting from the MPA (Motion Picture Association) is undoubtedly a landmark case which threatens the free speech nature on which the internet operates.
Micrositez: PPC Agency
BT, Google, MPA, Newzbin, Stagecoach
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in SEO, Web Design
Google opens their doors to help 15,000 UK businesses, build and maximise their website potential. The search giant has agreed to play their part in a testing sample of a new scheme, which could be rolled out across the rest of the country if deemed successful.
Google’s managing director; Matt Brittin had this to say about Google’s involvement, “What we’re trying to do now is go a bit deeper, to try to understand what businesses are doing and how best to aid their growth. We’re coming to spend a significant amount of time working with people in a community and helping people make the most of the internet.”
He told the telegraph, businesses with an online presence are growing four times faster than those without a website, and that the main reason for businesses not having a website was down to lack of understanding, or knowledge on how to go about it.
This new scheme will work to combat those challenges, giving them the chance to sit down on a one-to-one basis and glean advice from the one of the most successful web companies in the world.
This is the first time the conglomerate has done anything like this, and some say it is a flirtatious move by the company to fend off monopoly claims.
Micrositez: SEO Companies, Web Design
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in pay per click, SEO, Social Media
Another international investigation on antitrust with Google has seen its Seoul offices raided by South Korean regulators.
The investigation follows complaints by South Korean based search engines, NHN and Baum and is believed to be concerned with alleged attempts by Google to block access to alternative search engines through android.
The news about the latest antitrust case against Google is likely to be more damaging than the potential financial penalties if any wrong doing is adjudged to have occurred. Foreign antitrust cases in South Korea rarely result in anything other than a minor relative fine.
With the ever increasing controversy attached to Google’s adventures into the OS world, there’s a feeling of de ja vu, especially in this particular case which focuses on Google’s search engine being set as default, requiring users to make a conscious decision to switch instead of providing options. There was a landmark case against Microsoft in Europe in which large fines where issued for providing operating systems with a default internet browser made by Microsoft, internet explorer, instead of having competitor browsers available.
Micrositez: Digital Marketing Agency
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Comments off · Posted by micrositez in pay per click, Uncategorized
The search conglomerate announced the birthday of its open source web browser through its blog channel earlier this morning.
A trial version of the browser was released on Windows back in September 2008 across 100 countries, which later lead to a worldwide release by December of that year.
Google have made HTML 5 based interactive info graph illustrating the evolution of the web and various web browsers including Netscape, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Chrome itself.
The Chrome team are the only ones on the graph that have maintained their appearance in those three years, enabling them to focus more on improving the efficiency and speed of the browser.
Since the beginning of Google Chrome, various additions such as Chrome Instant, Instant Pages, Sandbox PDF Viewer, Print Preview, and 3D CSS have been developed.
Micrositez: PPC Management, PPC Company
