Check out this video for a glimpse at the new features.

In the future, if a user searches for a hotel, venue, or item on Bing, they’ll see the usual search results, but with the social integration, a user can ask for opinions or share search results with their social networks without leaving the search results page.  Additionally, the results can also display geo-tagged photo albums via Facebook from their social network based on their search query.

There will also be another column called “Snap Shot.” This area will feature common tasks that can be performed, especially for a specific venues or items, and will feature the ability to take actions like making a hotel reservation, OpenTable reservation, or reading product reviews.

Over the past few years, Bing has continued to gain market share, but that has mostly been at the expense of Yahoo, which is now powered by Bing.  Only time will tell if the New Bing will be able to chip away at Google’s market share and if this will be the final nail in the coffin for Google +.

So what do you think? Would you prefer to have your previously existing social networks incorporated into your search experience? Or do you think Google+ will eventually catch on?

To determine the need for optimization, website owners should compare their mobile conversion rates to that of their other traffic. If conversion rates are much lower for mobile users than traditional Internet users, a website’s lack of optimization might be costing the website money. People struggle to find the information they need on sites that are not optimized for their device.

Providing mobile users with content optimized for their devices means they are more likely to respond to your business. Optimizing content for mobile devices also helps to push your site up the rankings in mobile search engines.

The amount of time users spend on a website can also be very telling. If mobile users browse regular websites and leave quickly and never return, the website could probably benefit from mobile optimization. With so many Internet users accessing the web from a phone, tablet or other device, it simply does not make sense for website owners not to take full advantage of this growing market.

The Proof is in the Stats

• Mobile internet users will reach 113.9 million in 2012, up 17.1 percent from 97.3 million in 2011
• In 2012, 94 percent of smartphones users will be mobile Internet users
• Tablet users will reach 54.8 million in 2012, up 62.8 percent from 33.7 million in 2011

Find more stats about mobile Internet users in this HubSpot blog post.

Why develop an expensive app for a single platform when you can cater to a range of devices on the move with a mobile optimized website?

For any questions or inquiries on mobile optimization, email Standing Dog at info@standingdog.com.

See the KISSmetrics infographic below if you need even more reasons to hop on the mobile optimization bandwagon.

Should you acquire an Exact Match Domain Name as part of your Search Engine Optimization Strategy?

What is in a domain name? If you ask me, from a search engine optimization perspective, I would hope that a keyword is in your domain name. But maybe your domain name is the name of your company, or your main brand. That’s just fine. If that is the case–your domain name is your brand–you might consider purchasing an Exact Match Domain (EMD) as part of your overall search engine optimization strategy.

In this blog post, let’s consider why EMD domain names are generally good for your SEO strategy and when they might possibly be a bad move for SEO.

Exact Match Domain names are just that–domain names that contain an exact match of a keyword or keyword phrase. So, an example of an exact match domain name would be “books.com” or “travel.com” or even Keyword1Keyword2.com where “keyword1″ is one word and “keyword2″ is another keyword. It’s widely known in the SEO industry that having one of these keyword-rich Exact Match Domain names will astronomically increase the chances that the site will show up on the first page of the search results for a keyword search that contains those keywords or keyword phrase. Currently, this “additional ranking benefit” is only valid for .COM domain names that do NOT contain hyphens. The only other caveat is that the domain name must actually be a live website on the same topic as the keyword. Ideally, the home page should be about the topic of the keyword and it should be “optimized” for that keyword phrase. Just purchasing an Exact Match Domain name is not enough.

An Exact Match Domain name can be an asset for your search engine optimization efforts. It can truly give you the unique edge that you may need in order to increase your web site’s search engine rankings and bring targeted traffic to your web site. Certainly if you have a web site on that domain name, visitors will know what to expect when they get there. And it can give you an edge over your competitors. After all, there is only one Exact Match Domain name for every keyword phrase.

Value of Domain Names
When considering the value of a domain name, and purchasing a domain name, there are several factors to consider. Just like real estate, you’ll want to get a good idea of “comps,”what similar domain names have recently sold for in the past. You can search the domain name sales using DNSalePrice.com, which lists domain name prices when that data is available publicly. In some cases, you may even find the domain name you want if it was sold before.

The value of a domain name can be estimated, although really is ultimately determined on how much someone is willing to pay for it. There are a few online tools available to determine value, including Estibot.com and http://appraise.epik.com. Sites that do an automated valuation tend to use a combination of the amount of searches per month (if it contains a keyword) and the average CPC (cost per click) for that keyword. The higher the average CPC and the more people search for a keyword, the higher value an EMD will have.

Why EMD Domain Names are Bad for SEO?
By using an Exact Match Domain name for your website, you’re ultimately putting a limit on possible future expansion of your business. As you promote your website on other sites, as you get links, send out press releases, or get mentioned, other websites are going to use the name of your website and will link to your site using your keyword. You will be “known” and your overall reputation will be around that keyword, the one you’re using in your Exact Match Domain Name. Although you can get a good lift in search engine rankings, it may be limiting. I do believe that it will potentially limit your web site’s potential expansion for additional keywords and additional content beyond your main topic.

For example, if you are using something like “books.com” as your domain name, it may be tough to start selling music on the website. Certainly you could do it, but there is not going to be a very good chance that you could rank well in the search engines for “music” being that the website would traditionally be about books.

Another reason may be the location factor. If you own a local business and you’re targeting certain keyword phrases, or one keyword phrase in particular such as “cityname keyword” then an Exact Match Domain name might be just what you need. However, if you open up another location in another city, then the original “cityname keyword” domain name might not be appropriate.

Is an Exact Match Domain Name Right for You?
Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you currently spending a significant amount of money on certain keywords in Google AdWords? If so, some of that budget could be diverted into acquiring an Exact Match Domain Name and building a website. Over the long-term, it may be cheaper to rank well for that keyword phrase in the natural search results–so you can spend less (or spend nothing) on that keyword phrase in the future.
2. Is your business primarily described by one major keyword or keyword phrase? Do you have a product or service (as a part of your business) that can be described by one major keyword or keyword phrase?
3. Is that one major keyword phrase available for registration in the .COM TLD? If so, you should register it immediately, even if you have no plans for using it. Owning it will stop your competitors from using it.
4. Can you acquire that keyword phrase in the .COM TLD? Is it available for sale at a reasonable price?

When it comes to search engine optimization, keep in mind that it’s only a EMD in the .COM TLD that’s going to make any difference and the domain name must contain a website. Weigh the cost of acquiring an EMD and the potential SEO benefit (better natural search engine rankings) with what you’re currently spending on Pay Per Click. And, if you just want to rank well for that keyword phrase–go ahead and purchase that EMD.

We think Paul Ford said it best when he tweeted:

It’s true. If Monday were a Facebook page, we doubt it would have many ‘likes.’ I, myself, am not a fan of Mondays. But sometimes a little bit of humor is all you need to cure your Case of the Mondays and take the Redbull by the horns, so to speak. Here, we bring you our favorite Monday Morning Misery tweets to get you through the day:

We’ll soon find out what this means for the future of Instagram, and when we do, we’ll share that news with you. Until then, the Standing Dog social media team would like to share our favorite Instagram photos with you, because we’re sure you’d rather look at a handful of pictures than read thousands of words.

Instagrammer: Lauren Parajon

Taken outside the Hare Krishna Temple in Dallas after a delicious lunch at Kalachandji's

My best friend Shannon and me sporting 'staches

My roommate's puppy, Tank, cuddling with my teddy bear

My makeshift headboard. A practical use for my decorative keys.

Instagrammer: Litany Brown

My four-legged companion, Bebers

Bonfires On The Levy in New Orleans each Christmas Eve to light the way for papa noel

Instagrammer: AJ Roberts

Creepy or awesome? A little of both.

Nothing like a 100-pound male mutt with a manicure!

Office culture

#winning

Instagrammer: Jen Eaton

Go Rangers!

@ the World Series!

Never to be forgotten

Party on, Wayne

In Australia, nothing goes better with a trip to the cinema than a refreshing Frozen Coke. Coca Cola decided to let their fans select the next flavor of the frozen treat, which would be featured at Event Cinema locations. Event Cinemas and Coca Cola turned to Standing Dog to develop a social media platform that would enable users to create their own custom Frozen Coke flavors and promote the brands at the same time.

Instead of just creating a simple poll, we developed an interactive Facebook app on the Event Cinemas Facebook page. Fans chose their own color combination and name for their unique Frozen Coke flavor. As they clicked on the various flavors and colors, their customized Frozen Coke would appear on-screen within the Facebook app. This visual approach made the contest much more engaging than a text-based poll, and fans loved coming up with creative names for their unique beverages.

After users created their Frozen Coke flavor, they uploaded their creation to the Event Cinemas page, where other users could vote for their favorite. The winner received free Frozen Coke and movie tickets from Event Cinemas for a year.

Founded in 1997, the Web Marketing Association helps to set a high standard for Internet marketing and corporate web development on the World Wide Web. The organization is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals. In 1999, the WMA decided to create a new award program to recognize outstanding online advertising in all of its various forms. Which became known as the Internet Advertising Competition.

Congratulations to our Standing Dog team and partner client Event Cinemas for this exciting achievement.

1. To Serif or Not to Serif?
Consider the following characters. The first is set in Georgia, a lovely serif font. The second is set in Helvetica, an easy- to-read sans-serif font.

Notice the small, decorative flourishes at the ends of the strokes in the left character. These are called serif. The right character does not have these strokes and is said to be in a sans-serif font. (Sans is the French word for without.)

Times New Roman is a commonly used serif font. Arial is a commonly used sans-serif font.

Deciding which to use depends on what type of design you’re doing. If you’re designing a print piece, it’s best to use a serif font in the body of the work because they make the individual letters more distinctive and easier for our brains to recognize quickly. Then choose a sans-serif font for headings and captions.

Web projects, on the other hand, lend themselves to a sans-serif font. Printed works generally have a resolution of at least 1,000 dots per inch; whereas, computer monitors are less than 100 dots per inch. This lesser resolution can make very small serif characters harder to read than the equivalent sans-serif characters because of their more complex shapes. It follows that small on-screen text is better in a sans-serif font like Verdana or Arial.

2. What is your Goal?
Choosing the right font should be driven by the purpose it will serve in your project.  Are you designing a presentation,  a website, or a book report?  What is the mood you want to convey?  A serious look, a casual look or a decorative look? Type is emotional on a subliminal level because of the connotations it conveys.

Picking a typeface is not unlike choosing an outfit to wear for the day. Just as with clothing, there’s a distinction between typefaces that are expressive and stylish versus those that are useful and appropriate to many situations. You’d dress your best if you were going to an important meeting, and your documents need to be well-dressed, too. Type can reinforce your image as a company or an individual. Below is an example of how the same typeface can convey different emotions.

A large type family like Helvetica Neue can be used to express a range of voices and emotions. Versatile and comfortable to work with, these faces are like a favorite pair of jeans for designers.

3. What are you designing?
Are you designing a book? Invitation? Logo? Newspaper? Infographic? Different projects lend themselves to different fonts. We recommend this flowchart by graphic designer Julian Hansen to help you identify the perfect font for your design.

Start from the center of the flowchart, pick the type of your design project, answer a couple of (sometimes funny) questions and you will quickly discover the most appropriate font family for your project.

Julian has considered only the top 100 fonts for her typeface selection chart and you may therefore not find every single font here. And if you came here looking to pick a font for your website text, this chart again won’t offer any help.

Click to zoom.

It is an audience.

You have to build an audience to cultivate an online community of brand supporters. You have to focus on your existing fans to gain new fans. The more often your fans interact with your brand, the better chance you have at their friends seeing it in their newsfeed and deciding to become a fan as well. Every time someone interacts with your page, it’s free advertising for your brand. That’s right: Free. You don’t have to drop thousands of dollars into Facebook PPC to grow your online community. Just use the 7 ‘A’s of Fan and Follower Acquisition:

1. Announce to your existing customers that you’re on Facebook and Twitter. Send out an announcement email with a fun graphic that says “Are you a fan/follower? If not, here’s what you’re missing out on!” Illustrate the benefits of being a fan. Have you given away any prizes on Facebook? Fan-only coupons? Exclusive content? Show your customers what they’re missing and encourage them to join.
2. Add social media icons to your website and include icons and links to your email signature and e-newsletters. Add a call-out in any recorded messages (voicemail greeting, automated messages) that says “Remember, you can also reach us on Facebook at facebook.com/[your page ID] and Twitter @[your twitter handle].” This might help ease any frustration a customer might have if they can’t get ahold of someone to answer a question they might have.
3. Alert your customers of any coupons or contests you’re running on Facebook through an e-blast with direct links to the page.
4. Assess your fan demographics to make sure you’re posting content that caters to them. If your fans are mostly women between the ages of 18-24, they’re going to have different interests than males who are 45+. Make sure your Facebook posts speak to them.
5. Analyze your Facebook insights to see what types of posts have been most engaging with your current fans. Sort your Page Post analytics by number of Engaged Users and look at the 10 most engaging posts and the 10 least engaging posts. If the majority of most engaging posts were photos, post more photos. If they were questions, ask more questions. Analyze your least engaging posts to find out what type if content your fans are least interested in.
6. Ask questions. Instead of just posting a link to a useful article, ask your fans what they think about it. Use Facebook Questions (poll) to ask your fans anything from what kind of breakfast starts their day off right to what they like most about your brand/product. The more engaged fans you have, the more impressions your posts will have.
7. Appreciate your current fans with deals and specials. The more someone feels appreciated, the more likely they are to communicate with the brand, post positive comments and recommend your page to their friends. This will also show non-fans the perks of becoming a fan.

If your WordPress account is defaulted to the wrong timezone, your fresh content might lose its crispness. For example, if you publish a blog at 10 a.m. CST but your account is set to PST, Google will see it has being published “2 hours ago.” Even worse, if your account is set to an obscure timezone like UTC-12, Google will think the blog was published “one day ago.” Google uses the date you set on your WordPress blog, not the date and time it actually went live, to determine when exactly a blog post was published. And Google uses that date in the actual search result listing for your blog post–as well as part of the “freshness” part of the search engine algorithm.

Here is an example of the date being used in the search results:

If you look at the screen capture to the left, you’ll notice that Google shows “6 days ago,” “5 days ago” and “Mar 1, 2012″ in the search results. Those dates reflect the WordPress setting on the blog post(s) or pages themselves, not the date and time Google discovered the URL.

If you have your time zone set incorrectly, your blog post won’t show up toward the top of the search results if someone searches for a keyword phrase and sorts the search results by the “past hour” or sorted “by date.”

But, what may be more important, is that your new blog post may not receive as much of an “SEO boost” from any of the additional links, social bookmarks or social “sharing” that occur quickly after a blog post is published. It has been my observation that if a blog post is posted and it receives new links, social bookmarks, and social “shares” within a certain period of time, the blog post URL starts to gain traction and will ultimately rank better than if it is not promoted. Blog posts, even if they are promoted right after being published, will not benefit from the extra promotion if the Time Zone setting is not correct in WordPress because Google will think it’s old content.

This realization definitely make us curious about Google’s ranking methods. Why is Google relying on the date that we set on our own blog? Shouldn’t Google be relying on the date of when they crawl our new blog post?

Until we figure that one out, we advice you to double check your timezone settings. To do so:

1. Log into WordPress (i.e., domain.com/wp-admin/)
2. On the left side, select “settings”
3. In the middle of the page, look for “Timezone”
4. Select the correct Timezone

Currently, AdWords combines the performance metrics for each set of sitelinks at the campaign level. Therefore, I can’t drill down to each individual sitelink to see which one had more clicks, which one converted or which one just needed to be replaced. This is a dilemma all PPC managers have struggled with. Turns out, we were looking for answers in the wrong place. When Google AdWords didn’t deliver the data we needed it to, we had to look elsewhere. We found the answers with Google Analytics.

Before you can start tracking in Google Analytics, the tracking parameter ?sitelink=[name] needs to be added at the end of each sitelink destination URL in Google Adwords. You’ll need to replace the [name] value with an identifier to distinguish between each sitelink. For example:

http://www.standingdog.com/interactive-services/?sitelink=services

http://www.standingdog.com/blog/?sitelink=blog

Once the sitelinks are tagged in Google AdWords, the data will start to show up in the Content section of Google Analytics. You’ll need to create a filter to Include Landing Page data Containing Sitelinks.

For more in-depth performance data on individual sitelinks, create a custom report. You can choose whatever metrics and dimensions you find valuable. In the optional section, create a filter to Include Landing Page data for Sitelinks and change Exact to Regex. This process is similar to the filter created under the Content section.

With the metrics and dimensions I’ve chosen, I’ll be able to attribute each sitelink conversion down to the keyword level. Data this in-depth wouldn’t be possible to see in Google AdWords.

Sitelinks are great enhancements for adding additional lines of text to your ads that link to other pages within your website that wouldn’t be seen otherwise. Google states that ads with “sitelinks increase click-through rates (CTR) by more than 30%” when compared to ads without sitelinks. With statistical data like this and the ability to individually track sitelinks, there should be no excuse for why sitelinks aren’t implemented within your account.