What has Google been up to in 2012? Take a quick look through the slideshow to view some of the latest changes to Google Plus, Google Search and Google Places. There's a lot going on that you should probably stay on top of if you're invested in an online venture.

1. Updates, News and Latest Information August 2012
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2. Copyright Infringement Update included in Google Algorithm
• Google will begin penalizing websites that
receive too many valid copyright removal notices
• The Google ranking algorithm has been adjusted
to reflect these changes
• Websites with a high number of removal notices
will begin appearing lower in the search results
• This adjustment begins mid August 2012
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3. Google returns Random Search Results
• It’s not all in your head, Google really is returning random search results in the name of
a patent called ‘Ranking Documents’.
• Why? It’s another effort to try and combat rank-modifying spammers!
• Who is it going to hit? Anyone whose SEO begins to suddenly work, who is doing
linkbuilding, making ongoing keyword adjustments, etc.
• If you do any of the above you will be put into a ‘rank transition’ category and for a
while, your site’s ranking in the SERPs will be randomised.
• When enough time has passed, your ‘true rank’ will surface.
• You may be placed in the rank transition category for any of
the following reasons: keyword stuffing, page redirects,
link-based manipulation, or invisible or tiny text.
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4. Google+ begins rolling out Vanity URLs
• If you’ve got a Google+ account, you’ve probably noticed how horrible your URL looks.
It’s a long, indecipherable string of numbers:
• You’ll therefore be happy to know that Google has begun rolling out Vanity URLs.
• Hang on! Before you get too excited, they haven’t yet begun rolling them out to the
public, just a few celebrities.
• So, who has got a unique Plus URL? Britney Spears, Toyota, David Beckham, Hugo Boss
and other such big names.
• It’s not really an exciting change but it certainly is about time – both Facebook and
Twitter already offer this feature!
www.plus.google.com/vanityurl
Questions? Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/XanthosDM

5. Google is about to put your Email in the SERPs
• On August 8, google began trialling a new feature – offering users the chance to sign
up to have their emails included in the SERPs.
• Naturally this will only happen when a user is logged in
to their Google account.
• Your emails will NOT be made available to the public!
• Emails that match a certain keyword typed into the
search box will appear in the sidebar.
• For those worried about privacy, this will likely be a
feature that can be disabled just as easily as Google
personalised results can.
Questions? Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/XanthosDM

6. Google+ Business Page merges with Google+ Local
• Google Places/Google Local has officially merged with Google+.
• This is not yet the case for service area businesses or businesses
with multiple locations and, it’s only available
for businesses that already have
Place Pages created in the Local
Business or Place category of Google+.
• To verify your Local Page and associate
it with your Google+ Page, simply log in
to your google plus account and click the
‘verify now’ button on the right side of
the page.
• A postcard with a pin on it will be sent to
you so that you can complete the verification
process.
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7. Knowledge Graph goes Global
• Knowledge Graph is already being used in the US. Take a look at the picture below.
It’s the supplementary information you will immediately be presented with when you
perform a keyword search in Google.
• Outside of the US it has begun to appear on
tablets and smartphones though only in the
following categories: weather forecasts,
flights, measurements.
• These changes have not yet been rolled
out to desktops.
• If you’re interested in finding out more
about Knowledge Graph, take a look at
the following link:
http://www.google.com/insidesearch/features/search/knowledge.html
Questions? Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/XanthosDM

8. Google Shopping continues to prepare for paid inclusion
• A short while back, Google announced that the
previously free Google Products would become
Google Shopping.
• Google Shopping requires merchants to pay to list
products.
• Products will be ranked in a similar manner to
Google Ads – based on a combination of relevance
and bid price.
• Google is pushing current users to take a look at
their video channel on YouTube so that they can
better transition to the ‘paid inclusion’ model.
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