Google Changes Review Interface – Puts Less Emphasis on Zagat

Last Updated On August 13th, 2014Organic SEO, , , , , ,

Google recently made changes to its review interface to put less of a focus on the Zagat review system. The new interface allows review authors to choose words or phrases like “Excellent,” “Very Good,” “Good,” and “Poor-Fair” rather than Zagat’s 0-3 number system.

Zagat’s 0-3 numbering system may have been too confusing to users because it is a unique, unusual system compared to what many people are used to. Many ratings are based on a 1-5 scale, with 3 being the rating for an “okay” or “so-so” experience. However, on Zagat’s rating scale, 3 is the highest score you can give. Google has done away with this Zagat scale. The reviews interface now looks like this:

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Google is still displaying the overall Zagat score on each business’s Google+ Local page. This score is a number between 0-30. However, the fact that Google has done away with the initial 0-3 Zagat scoring scale may show that it’s taking steps towards completely eliminating the Zagat scoring system. What do you think? Do you like Google’s Zagat scoring system or should Google do away with it?

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Time Watched is Now a Factor in YouTube Video Ranking

Last Updated On August 13th, 2014Local Video Ads, , , , , , ,

youtube time watchedAccording to the YouTube Blog, YouTube is now rewarding videos that keep users’ attention longer with higher search rankings. This means if your video is engaging and people watch the entire thing, (rather than watching only a few seconds then jumping to the next one); search rankings for that video will increase.

“This is a continuation of ongoing efforts to focus our video discovery features on watch time, and follows changes we made to Suggested Videos in March and recent improvements to YouTube Analytics,” says YouTube in the blog post.

During the experimental phase of this new algorithm change, YouTube noticed there was less clicking and more watching going on. The company expects the amount of time spent watching videos to increase. A new “Time Watched” reporting tool was added to YouTube Analytics so now you can check out how long your viewers are staying on your videos in order to better understand what your audience enjoys and is more likely to share.

Local Splash is #74 Fastest-Growing Company in Orange County

Last Updated On August 13th, 2014Local SEO, , , , , , , ,

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Local Splash was ranked #74 on the Orange County Business Journal’s list of 154 fastest-growing companies in Orange County, CA. This year’s list, the largest to date, ranks privately-owned companies by revenue growth. Companies had to show at least 15% growth in revenue from June 2011-June 2012 compared to the same period two years ago (June 2009-June 2010) to qualify for the list.

“The companies on this year’s list all had to come through the recent recession and post impressive gains during a slow and sometimes spotty recovery,” wrote Jerry Sullivan of the Orange County Business Journal in the October 1-7 issue.

Local Splash is honored to be included on the list, surrounded by many other excellent Orange County companies.

“It’s an honor to be recognized on a list like this in our local community,” said Local Splash CEO, Steve Yeich. “To be part of a fast-growing company is exciting for all of us because it means our hard work is paying off and we are providing a beneficial service to our clients.”

For more information, check out the official press release here.