October 6th, 2009 -- Posted in Other, What |
Google introduced a new option for mobile search: Tip Search Suggest a mobile phone can be synchronized with the hint of a stationary computer. Thus, the user can move search history from the main computer to your mobile phone. Function is available for devices running Android, iPhone and Palm OS.
To use this feature, you must log in to your Google-account before executing the search would then be history query system. After logging in to Google from a mobile phone, the story will be automatically transferred to a portable device after selecting the option “to save your search history. At the moment function is available in test mode users to the U.S.
Referring to Search Engine Journal
September 29th, 2009 -- Posted in Why |
Businesses spend a tremendous amount of time, resources, and capital on website development and online marketing initiatives. Getting people to a site is a challenge in itself, but another key aspect is retaining those visitors and converting them into buyers or subscribers.
Google search has set a high bar for relevance, speed, and ease of use. Unfortunately most site searches don’t meet these high expectations: 85 percent don’t return what the user sought, and 80 percent of visitors will abandon a site if search functionality is poor (Jupiter Research).
Search is the starting point to the world’s information. The major search engines have provided a great user experience and consumers have become accustomed to achieving high quality search results.
Why should this be different when a visitor comes to your site? You should be delivering that same experience users are accustomed to with Google and the other engines on your own website.
A good site search or internal search is imperative for a positive user experience. Whether your website is information or commerce-rich, people need to find what they are looking for. Two key points to providing a great user experience:
* Search is one of the most vital features of any content-rich or product-rich web site
* Support is the second most vital aspect – people need to be assisted on their way
Site search tips
Capture data points of searches which get zero search results: use that data to create content which will fill the void. Give people exactly what they are looking for.
How easy is it to find the site-search? Must be simple – don’t hide the search box. Instead of having a button that says search, where you have to click through to another page to actually conduct a search, have a search box above the fold in plain sight.
Are all your pages getting indexed in search? Make sure this is happening not just in Google, but in internal site searches.
Are synonyms triggering related pages? IE – if you have a site selling computers, is your search engine looking at pages about laptops too if someone does a query for the term netbook?
Date biasing – influencing search rankings by the age of content. Administrators should specify the influence of age in site search from low, medium, high to maximum, depending on strategy.
Top results biasing – ability to control biasing of Top N search results. This is important to highlight items you are interested in putting in the spotlight.
Give higher importance to specific section of web site – for example first 3 results can be from product or catalog pages, to help increase conversions.
Good content and products are vital – without that, it doesn’t matter if people are searching.
Study the use of your site search. Site search metrics can provide deep insights into what your customers want.
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