Author Archives: Mark Traphagen

Mark TraphagenMark Traphagen
Mark is Director of Social Media Marketing for Virante. Adept at uses of all forms of social media for marketing effectiveness, Mark has gained a special reputation as an expert on Google+. He has worked directly in Internet marketing since 2005, but has been involved in social media and online community formation since the mid 1990s. When not helping Virante clients improve their online presence, Mark participates in competitive storytelling, plays with a Dixieland street band, and (surprise) spends more time on the web.
Mark’s Google Profile+ | Mark on Twitter

First Update to Google Search Plus Your World Increases Relevancy

January 31, 2012 – 5:16 pm

Google may have the world’s largest search engine, but they can turn it on a dime! Earlier today Google’s new Search Plus Your World (SPYW) disappeared from my Chrome browser for several hours. It was back to what looked like “Google Classic.” After a browser restart a few minutes ago SPYW was back…but something had changed. [...]

Posted in Google, Google+, SEO, Social Media, Twitter | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Getting Started with Your Google+ Business Page

January 24, 2012 – 8:23 am

I have a guest post on Neal Shaffer‘s Windmill Networking Blog, titled “The First 5 Things You Should Do with Your Google+ Business Page.” So you’ve followed the sage advice of savvy social media experts like Neal Schaffer, telling you why you need to have your business on Google+, and you’ve created a business page for your brand. [...]

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Our Guides to Google+ for Business and Personal Use

January 23, 2012 – 11:44 am

By popular request, here are all our “how to” guides for using Google+ effectively, whether for business or personal use, in one convenient listing. 1. How to Get Yourself Featured in New Google Search plus Your World Personalized Search 2. How to Show Your Google+ Profile Photo in Google Search Results 3. How to Add [...]

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How to Use the Google+ Post From Search Feature

January 18, 2012 – 10:01 pm

Google+ keeps rolling out the innovative (and often fun!) new features. Now you can start a conversation around any Google+ search stream. Here’s how it works on a breaking news item (about the Costa Concordia, a luxury liner that ran aground off Italy): Now at the top of any Google+ search for posts from Google+, [...]

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Google+ Search Boost Extends Beyond Google “Search Plus Your World”

January 13, 2012 – 5:52 pm

There’s a great deal of hooplah online right now about the new Google “Search plus Your World” implementation that adds personalized search (with Google+ content front-and-center) as the default view for most searcher’s SERPs. Almost all of the focus has (naturally) been on the heavy Google+ presence in the new personal search. But what many [...]

Posted in Google, Google+, SEO, Social Media | Tagged , , , | Comments (5)

How Does Google “Search plus Your World” Affect Adwords Management?

January 11, 2012 – 3:13 pm

On January 10, 2012, Google began to roll out its new “Search plus Your World,* which subdivides your search results into personalized results and non-personalized results. The personalized results side now shows a ramped-up “social search,” pulling in more material relevant to you as based on your social relationships (as defined by your Google+ profile). [...]

Posted in Google, Google+, Paid Search, SEO, Social Media | Tagged , | Comments (4)

Get Yourself Featured in New Google Search Plus Your World Personalized Search

January 11, 2012 – 9:49 am

The web has changed the world in so many ways, but few are more awesome than the fact that now anyone can be a “published” author. Search engines like Google made it possible that people might actually find your content. Then social media came along, opening up yet another way for even the “smallest” of [...]

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Google Personalized Search & Author Verification: Powerful Combo for Content Creators

January 10, 2012 – 5:05 pm

Today Google announced a change to the way it presents its search engine results that evoked breathless proclamations from the technorati like these: “Google+ could change the entire way we use the Web — and drive millions of Web sites who depend on Google to change how they attract customers.” – Business Insider “… a significant [...]

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How to Show Your Author Photo in Google Search Results

January 8, 2012 – 6:43 pm

Note: This tutorial will be WordPress-specific, but if you use other blogging platforms, you may be able to adapt the instructions. I received a very nice New Year’s gift from Google this past week. I was checking search rankings for some of my more popular posts when I saw this: Placing verified author profile photos [...]

Posted in Google, Google+, Social Media | Tagged , , , | Comments (8)

What Is Your Weird?

January 5, 2012 – 4:40 pm

In his book We Are All Weird, Seth Godin says we are moving from the culture of mass (think Mad Men marketing to Mrs. Average Housewife) to the culture of weird (people with enough means to be whoever they want to be). He sees four forces driving this: Amplified creation: Anything you create can be [...]

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