Google announced today via the YouTube : Creator Monthly newsletter that they have now added #hashtag functionality to YouTube. We gave it a quick test by search for Bernie as a keyword and as a hashtag. From the search results in the video you can see that yes, indeed, using a #hashtag in the search produced different results, and in this case, a video that was created about 5 hours ago moved to the top ten of YouTube search results. Cool. Now, marketers, have yet another simple tool to get into the top ten of, at least, YouTube search results. And, if combined with brand marketing and a unique search term #hashtag, should be able to maintain consistent top level ranking in both YouTube as well as Google proper.

Google Local Business Cards coming soon?

According to an article by Greg Sterling over at Search Engine Land, Google is experimenting with select local businesses to now show a Local Business Card directly in the search results related to the brand using the tool. The tool is, apparently, the same as the one used for the Candidate Card, which Google released back in January 2016. An example of how the "card" information displays can be seen by searching "Healthy Choice Massage". Ahealthychoicemassage, a small local business in Lincoln, NE not only shows up as the standard business listing to the right of the search results, but now also has a carousal of specific posts they made using the tool. Cool. Evidently, the tool will not only allow for static images, but animated gifs, video and text messages up to 14,400 characters. Currently, this tool is only available to select business and there is no clear why to get on a waiting list or any indication if the tool will become a permanent function. However, if it does become available to the public, this will be an excellent opportunity for small business owners to further control, to a degree, what is seen in the search results regarding their brand. Additionally, it may also help Google increase its social network market share. We'll see.

View on Youtube

Annapolis SEO - St Michaels - Success!

Yesterday, as I mentioned in a previous post, we created a web marketing video for our client CBOstyle.com. Because of the way we structured the clients social network of primary and secondary profiles, the video, in literally 10 minutes, made it's way to the top of Google for the search term "St Michaels sandals". Now, before we toot our horn to loud, lets be honest. "St Michaels Sandals" is a very, hyper-local search term. Being number one for that term is not going to help my client buy a yatch. However, it is a start. Over time, the as we build more web marketing videos for the client, combined with social media optimization and on-site technical seo of their site (CBOstyle.com), which we have not done yet, the video, the website and their related social profiles should have a steady increase of organic traffic for, at least, St Michaels MD related search terms.

Watch the Annapolis SEO - St Michaels video directly at YouTube here.

Update 3-7-2016.

Over the weekend, the actual YouTube video in question dropped out of the top ten, but the clients FB page, which also has the video on its wall, is number one for the search term. And, the clients Google Map page is also listed with a premium position. Interesting.

Yesterday we created and published a web marketing video for CBOstyle.com. Take a look.