Google is rewriting its rules. Although they have not released what it entails, we may have a good idea of what is coming.
- Super Cookies: tracks how consumers browse and shop online. “By creating a new form of tracking, Google would basically be replacing the standard on which many ad placement and tracking codes are based,” says Steve King, director of product strategy marketing for marketing services provider Strategic Internet Marketing (SIM) Partners. “Google would control this functionality and could charge advertisers to get access to this information.” Jeff Chester, head of the Center for Digital Democracy, an online privacy group, says Google likely would use it to track consumer interactions across multiple devices and via the entire Google platform, and tie into the GPS technology on mobile devices that tell Google where a consumer is when that consumer does a search or shops online—or buys using the Google Wallet payment service.
- Encrypted Search: makes it more difficult for online marketers and retailers to track the effectiveness of keywords in organic search. “As search becomes an increasingly customized experience, we recognize the growing importance of protecting the personalized search results we deliver,” wrote Evelyn Kao, Google product manager, in a blog posting.
- Hummingbird: Updates the Caffeine engine. It was actually quietly rolled out a month ago. So if you haven’t seen any decrease in traffic, you’re good, for now…. One of its best enhancements will be taking in the full context and meaning of the user’s search. For example, a search on “cheap hotels” will return affordable hotels instead of perhaps hotels that are low quality.
