Susarla.com

Pubcon Sketchnotes

This year pubcon’s center of discussion was Google’s Hummingbird algorithm, a new search engine algorithm that was launched few months back.  With the launch of this algorithm google is redefining the search space and taking it to a new level. In broad stokes these are the areas that google is focusing:

• Knowledge Graph: Things not strings. Knowing what’s really behind a query.
• Voice Search: Getting better and better
• Conversational Search: Think pronouns, dereference the pronouns by maintaining an episodic memory during a conversational session
• Google Now: looking steps ahead where people may not even be querying
• Deep learning: Thousands of computers being used to learn neural networks

More about hummingbird – Core quality changes:

• Hummingbird: If you’re doing a query, it might be a natural language query, and it might include words you don’t need. “What is the capital of everlovin’ Texas?” Hummingbird is a step in the direction to figure out the words that matter more and give those words more intelligent scoring. There’s a lot being written about Hummingbird and the fact is it doesn’t affect SEO. It makes the results of long-tail and specific queries much better.
• Panda softening: There are always those grey-zone sites in Panda’s targets and some new signals they’ve added are meant to ease up on those sites.
• Detecting/boosting authorities: If you’re a topical authority, keep deepening that content.
• Smartphone ranking: If a searcher has a phone that doesn’t do Flash, Google is less likely to deliver results with Flash

Future trends of search include:

• Machine learning: Google will keep trying to figure out how to add more value to searchers
• Mobile: In 2011, YouTube had 6% of traffic from mobile phones. In 2012 it was 25% and in 2014 mobile is expected to be 40% of YouTube’s traffic. If you haven’t figured out your strategy for mobile, you better be thinking about it.
• Social/identity/authorship: Knowing who you are and identity can make a big difference. It’s a long-term signal that you’re a person people listen to.

Treat search engine as another person if you show authority and ownership of content people will listen and so will search engine. –

Content optimization trends for future

• Social Content: This plays front and center of search engine indexing. Increase in crowd sourced content publication and generation. Be Consistent, Be Interesting and Be Authentic.
• Social Sharing: Organically grown social sharing is a huge indicator of authentication indicator.
• Visual web: Web content media type will continue to increase from a text based to a more picture and video content.

It was a huge success at SocialCamp Memphis on 7th March 2009. There were great line up sessions during the day. Like in many conferences the best part of participating in a conference/meeting are the hallway conversations and this is no different. There are lot of blogs out there that have summarized the experience here is one that summarizes all.

Here is a summary of my readings, research and my take on what Social Media means to a business. The best way to learn was to experiment. Participate in a network to get a feel of it.

1. Create remarkable content. Links are the currency of the Internet. Think NYC. Links are like lots of train stations, airports, bus terminals, subways, and a zillion other means of getting to your destination from the world outside.
2. Build content-based communities. Transform your Website from a brochure to a vibrant community.
3. Hit a thousand points of light. Publish your content everywhere that matters — Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or wherever your target audience hangs.
4. Optimize. Make your content search engine- and social media-friendly with easy “scanability” of titles and URLs.
5. Publicize. Give your community ways to help you market. Make your community a hub with spokes to different “watering holes” (e.g., have a Twitter button, Digg button, Facebook Connect link, etc.).
6. Measure. New measurements are required. For example, measure not just site visitors but the sum of email lists, RSS subscribers, Twitter followers, LinkedIn Group members, Youtube followers, etc.
7. Mind your Twitter do’s and don’ts. Don’t use Twitter just to reproduce RSS feeds, and don’t talk at followers. Do offer something different, do cultivate a unique voice, and do follow others (don’t just be followed).
8. Bring value to the community. If you’re an advertiser, give people something to do (e.g., brain games, contests, or projects), listen, be authentic and transparent, respond, and listen some more.
9. Become a community influencer. Cultivate your status in the community and become a trusted source. Don’t just be a “peer” — become a “super-peer.”
10. Know your goals and pick your spots. Understand where you are going and the audience you’re trying to reach. Social media is not appropriate for every application, and the ROI won’t always be there.

There are several source to quote here. I wish i could list them all.

I first joined Twitter, http://twitter.com on Mar 18th, 2008. As always it was my curiousity to use new tools made me jump on this. But honestly i haven’t been really using until late 2008 when i realised the potential of this simple tool.

What is Twitter?
This is nothing but a simple way of updating what you are doing, where you are and anything that you want to say in a short message (140 char). It started off as an alternate to SMS.

Ever since its launch it picked up as a wild fire and was soon in the top 10 web apps in 2008. Today twitter is so popular that it is not limited to individuals but corporations have found a use for it. Beauty of this system is how it is becoming available where ever you are. Twitter on your phone, twitter apps on your computer, smart phone, on Social Media site you name it. There is always a way to use this nifty little tool. Recently twitter got more funds to continue their excellent work. Kudos to the twitter team and for all you twiple have a great twirrific day.

Follow my twitter @ssusarla. Send me a DM if you need more info.

Some useful tips on Twitter:
Top 10 Twitter Tips for beginners, http://tinyurl.com/ddo3wn
Six ways to use Twitter, http://tinyurl.com/cowjc9

t-17 days for the SocialCamp Memphis, http://socialcampmemphis.com. Thanks MPACT for your sponship. Registration is now open for SocialCamp go and get yourself a ticket. Stay tuned for more updates from me on this event.

It was shocking(wasn’t this expected??) to read the eMarketers article about the social network would start selling user data to market researchers this spring. Although Facebook’s spokesman quickly called it rumor and kept a good public face but seriously wasnt this unevitable? Just look at the growth of the network ~500k user per day? this is insane. I have to agree Facebook is great for target marketing especially pulling real time demographics to make sure your ad/marketing campaing gets the bang for the buck.
I really hope FB keeps the good faith and stay away from the evil acts of “Marketing” for a easy buck. If you want to share your comment feel free to share it here or in my blog entry on Internet Evolution.

A recent report from eMarketer says that even though plenty of users rush to social networks but marketers yet dont take them to bank. There is all sorts of data and trends showing a strong growth of the user base in Social Networks. Not only the users are growing they are actually posting public content and/or have a real public profile. According to eMarketer 79.7 million people, 40% of US Internet users, will create content on social networks at least once a month in 2009, either by updating a profile or communicating publicly.

An excerpt of the article can be found here