Blog - Local Splash

Goodbye Google Reader

Google Reader, available to the public since 2005, is one of the more popular, free RSS readers. Even so, there was still talk that Google Reader might be going away due to lack of usage and payoff. Google Reader was taken off the Google drop down menu for Google Services from March 19-20. With Google Reader’s complete departure on July 1, 2013, many are wondering if Google plans to launch a new option to take its place. In the meantime, web users have to seek other alternatives.

RSS Reader Alternatives

There are several RSS reader alternatives. Some familiar ones include: MySyndicaat, Superfeedr, Netvibes, Collected, Skimr, Sharpreader, The Old Reader, and NewsBlur.

The above list represents some of the “most used” readers, which may help users filter through the many choices. There are many RSS readers with similar features, but my top five recommendations are:

MyAlltop

Allows user to bookmark sites/blogs as found on the web
Can view a few updates at a time from each site/blog added on a personalized page

Bloglines

Simple to import/export subscriptions
Easy to create a blog roll
Integrates with your Yahoo account and new Google desktop
Many sites/blogs have it listed as an option to subscribe to without having to go to the reader directly

Feedly

Pulls from both Google Reader and Twitter feeds
Magazine-style layout
Option for a “cards view” if like more visual design
Can “star” items or save them for later
Integration with Buffer and Bit.ly

Fever

Extremely customizable, able to organize folders and list by how “hot” an item is
$30 one-time fee
Must run on own server or hosting account

Reeder

Syncs with Google Calendar
Integration with services like Read It Later and Instapaper
Can “star” items or save them for later
Can save items to social bookmarking services like Pinboard and Evernote

Stand-Alone or Web-Based

There are two types of feed readers to choose from:

1. Stand-alone clients allow access to feeds even when offline.

2. Web-based services require access to feeds only when online, but have features like feed search and feed integration with other sources.

Third Party Apps

With the termination of Google Reader, many third party apps will have to decide whether they can survive without Google’s content.

Some of these third party apps include:

Additionally, web users seem excited about Digg coming out with their own reader. This is a smart idea for expanding their services, considering Digg is a social bookmarking site.

News Consumption Alternatives

RSS readers allow users to choose what specific sites/blogs from which to receive feeds. A casual news reader or one interested in new sites/blogs to follow, may want to use other non-traditional news aggregators that feed trending topics (rather than topics of choice) or a wider variety of news to browse. The alternatives here may be preferred:

Pulse
NewsIsFree
Flipboard
Paper.li
Instapaper
Pocket
Lockerz

Moving Forward

Some may argue that with social network sites like Twitter, one can see a live news trends easily without having to sign up for feed subscriptions. With the elimination of Google Reader, many wonder if RSS may disappear completely.

For those who still want to use an RSS reader, export your feed subscriptions using Google’s Takeout service. One can upload the subscriptions in the OPML export file to a new reader without having to start from scratch adding subscriptions.

According to Amit Singhal, head of Google’s search efforts, the secret (or not-so-secret) way to rank on Google is good content and in his words: “you don’t need to worry about anything else.” These words of wisdom came from Singhal’s presentation at SXSW a few days ago as he covered the topics of mobile search and his love for Star Trek. (Both of which are equally epic in scope).

Using good content to rank well for SEO is a no-brainer, but not worrying about “anything else” is a bit disconcerting. A multidimensional approach always trumps a singular one. Strength in numbers, right? Would you ignore your sites’ architecture to create one page of brilliant content? Probably not. As valuable as good, unique content is for improving SEO results we must keep these details in perspective.

Be mindful of the power and value of community building, both for readership value and link building. In other words, show some TLC to your content and work on maximizing quality links to support your body of work. Creating a community in which your content exists helps readers and Google validate the legitimacy of what you are saying. For readers, your presence in a community of thought leaders indicates that you are a respected source of reputable knowledge (depending on the quality of your links) within a larger community. For Google bots, associating your content within a network of interrelated information ultimately provides a higher value of data for indexing SERP results. When you have both readers and Google validating your work, you cannot be wrong. This can be further complemented by the use of social media like Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus. Social media provides venues in which to engage a wider audience that might not otherwise be searching for your content, but might be friends/colleagues/acquaintances of your readers. Opening, inviting, and cultivating relationships with a broader group of people can only bring more and more visibility to your insights.

Google announced a policy change to no longer allow advertisers to publish their phone number in ads. It’s a surprising move that may have significant repercussions.

RIP: Example Ad unit of phone number in ads

Google has quietly published this in their Advertising Policies change log as well as notifying partners and customers through webinars. Advertisers wanting to engage users with a direct phone number by using call extension.

According to the policy log, Google is making the change to: “foster a safer, more consistent user experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices” in an effort to make ads more relevant, accurate & clear to users.

At first my reaction was a bit of shock and sadness for local businesses. For years advertisers have taken advantage of the ad unit space by inserting their phone number in the ad text. One idea being that you can get a direct phone call, instead of being charged for a click. A second being the importance of a phone lead to a local business. Driving a visitor to a conversion optimized landing page is great for lead generation or direct conversions, but most small business still live and die by the phone. Without the ability to get a phone call directly form an add demanding any extra clicks, they will be the ones most impacted. Particularly since PPC advertising has been a good way to get yourself noticed if you have a business in a particularly competitive vertical.

Call Extensions: Phone number linked to Google Places listing.

This also creates a barrier for non-local advertisers (i.e. a nation wide ad), since businesses with a Google Places listing will still be able to display their phone number directly in a SERP. It may also present a challenge for marketers that publish a call tracking phone number in their ad to measure return. With call extensions however, it is still possible (with a little work) to use your own call tracking phone number. Google provides its own call tracking (aka forwarding) number for an extra cost of $1 for legacy campaigns. Nevertheless, this hurdle will probably result in many more local phone numbers and less toll-free numbers shown in Google Ads.

So it is reasonable to consider that this change is a win for local businesses and users alike. For now, we will be busy changing ad copy for thousands of local business ads. According to the Google, starting April, Ads will be disapproved if they contain a phone number.

Google Reader Alternatives

SEO Community: Strength in Numbers

Phone Numbers No Longer Allowed in Google Ads