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Posts Tagged ‘Google’
How do Google Search results with ‘Hide’ option affect Reputation Management & SEO?
March 24, 2011 | 
Author Google introduced ‘hide’ option to personalized searches in March 2011 and this is what the Google blog had to say to explain…
You’ve probably had the experience where you’ve clicked a result and it wasn’t quite what you were looking for. Many times you’ll head right back to Google. Perhaps the result just wasn’t quite right, but sometimes you may dislike the site in general, whether it’s offensive, pornographic or of generally low quality. For times like these, you’ll start seeing a new option to block particular domains from your future search results. Now when you click a result and then return to Google, you’ll find a new link next to “Cached” that reads “Block all example.com results.”
At quick glance, you get the sense that Google’s giving up control to the user, so that one can manage blocked sites, control pornographic sites and spam from regular searches.
So far so good, but then, as with all personalized searches, it is all left to the discretion of the user; to his/her ability to discern what is good or bad, right or wrong, radical or moderate, revolutionary or extremist and so on. Herein lies the main problem with personalized searches and being prompted to read what you seem to be inclined to do based on several criteria in your online history logged in from an account. This being the case, having the option to block out everything from a site is quite akin to wearing blinkers online. Read the rest of this entry »
How to keep your company away from Google suggested ‘scams’, ‘reviews’ and ‘complaints’!
If your company is doing well in business, you can expect anything from scams to complaints being suggested by Google that will only do it harm. Today, Internet is a huge virtual market place and it is important for any business to maintain a positive feedback or image on the web in order to do well. It is certain that you’ll get some negative reviews or listings even in your Google suggestions when your company name is searched.
The number of companies coming under attack from unscrupulous competitors, ex employees and anyone with a grudge are increasing. These third parties have enough time on their hands to submit a false complaint or allegation against your company in the hope that it will be seen by potentially new and existing clients. This is done with the intention of creating enough doubt in the minds of your clients that they will continue to search for competing companies. Read the rest of this entry »
Paris Court Case Reveals Google Suggest Algorithm
A Paris court has fined Google to pay damages to a convicted sex offender as Google suggested ‘rapist’ when the plaintiff’s name was searched. The case against the plaintiff had not been decided when “Google Suggest” started suggesting the word ‘rapist’ alongside his name.
This is a crucial moment in a criminal case as the court needs to be impartial in how they go about conducting a case and this can be termed to media coverage and result in the conviction being quashed if the court decides that this has resulted in court members being influenced.
However, this could be even bigger when it comes to a company or a celebrity going through a criminal case. It could be huge for Public Relations and Reputation Management even if it is, for now, a ruling confined to France alone where anti-Google judgement are par for the course.
This is Google’s second conviction in France over suggested queries and the company continues to claim that -
“Google Suggest is an aggregate of the most popular searches based on past requests from users. Google does not suggest these terms.”
This is disingenuous to say the least, especially since they actually call it Google Suggest – suggest itself being a verb and not a noun. The French are clearly not buying Google’s defence and the court has ordered Google to pay 5,000 euros (6,700 dollars) towards the plaintiff’s costs. Being the second conviction in France this year for Google suggest, the company will have to consider how they are going to frame the fucntion within the law in France.
For Google watchers, these cases provide a brief and limited insight into how Google operates its search algorithm. A trade secret about which Google quite naturally likes to say very little if possible. It also shows how challenging it is going to be for Google as they balance being both a machine determined search engine and also being viewed as a media publisher. In effect, the court is saying that Google decides what they show and that the Suggest feature may be an aggregate but it is also a published piece of media.
Posted in Google, Google Drop Down, Personal Reputation | 
Tags: France, Google, Google fined, Google suggest, Google suggestions | 
No Comments »
Tiger’s divorce settlement and reputation management
It seems that Tiger woods has a short memory, or so it appears by the current turn of events. After the numerous flings of Tiger with many women stumbled out of this ace golfer’s cupboard, which was promptly followed by a much publicized rehab programme and a teary public apology- everything seems to be nothing short of a well managed stage show for the public now. Even though Tiger tried to be a loving dad on his daughter’s third birthday by bringing a charted jet load of toys to impress his family, his recent actions spoke otherwise. Even as Woods launched a final concerted attempt to win his family back, he’s been seen twice in recent days in the company of another blonde.
Just type in Tiger Woods in Google and the first thing that pops up is ‘divorce’, which clearly shows that things are far from rosy in his domestic front. His wife is reportedly moving ahead with her divorce plans as she was said to be “violently angry” with him for having exploited his dead father for commercial gain in his television advert for his sponsors Nike. The ad featured the beyond-the-grave voice of Tiger’s father Earl, who had a big role in shaping his career before his death in 2006.
As Woods was trying a desperate attempt to put his golfing career on the course, gossips about the impending divorce settlement with his wife is doing the rounds. His wife is said to be demanding the ownership of the brand new £35-million home the couple have been building on the exclusive Jupiter Island, Florida.
Tiger is caught in a tight spot as his wife is also pushing ahead with the full custody of their two children. The couple had signed a prenup agreement for a pay-off to £13-million, however it is interesting to note that Woods is said to be willing to give Elin more than half of his £663 million fortune in return for a lifetime confidentiality clause. Tiger will have to be wary of more wagging tongues that could spill out more spicy and untold stories of this talented golfer, who once grabbed the headlines for his stupendous personal achievements.
Tiger is playing a dangerous game and he may not have a second chance if he chooses to ignore his shattered image any further. The reputation rating of Tiger Woods, done by us at Reputation managementFor.Com, at the onset of his problems, still holds true as he has not succeeded or infact tried to regain his lost public image.
Posted in Bad Press, Reputation Management, Reputation News | Tags: Google, Nike, Reputation Management, reputation rating, Tiger Woods | 1 Comment »
Google suggests- Gordon Brown Bigoted Woman
When I began my Gordon Brown post yesterday and typed ‘Gordon Brown’, Google, the ever helpful imp that it is, suggested “Gordon Brown bigoted woman”!!! The news had just broke and there it was picked up and urged by Google for all to see. In a matter of hours the Labour campaign is shaking under the onslaught of this gaffe. Questions are being raised about the character of the PM who is a week-away from election.
This is a great example of how biased Google can be when it comes to negative news. To illustrate the damning effect, here are two screen shots of both Google.com and Google.uk when you type ‘Gordon Brown’.
This is the kind of damage a negative news can do to your carefully built reputation. Still grabbing headlines and soaring on social networking sites, Gordon Brown will have to face Google’s suggestion horror for quite a few days and with elections a week away this can be a total disaster.
Now, this brings us to what it can do to affect companies that face serious negative issues. There is Google suggesting your worst nightmare to millions of people around the globe. In short, news in any form directly has an effect on Google’s suggested queries.
This is another reason why negative press always seem to have an effect on Google. It’s a vicious cycle and for now Gordon Brown will have to hope for something really big and positive probably in the debates today to stop this negative effect.
Greenpeace, iPad and Global Warming
Greenpeace, in its effort to “ensure the earth’s ability to nurture life in all its diversity” is now pinning on its efforts for some very important issues. By gunning for Nestle’s palm oil source and naming their popular product as Killer (Kitkat), Greenpeace has raised its voice for literally anything it feels is just non-earth-friendly.
Greenpeace is now aiming to highlight Apple’s ipad mobile devices which according to them rely on cloud computing and may contribute to global warming. It has also taken on other IT giants like Google, Facebook, MSN to be contributing their share towards critical climate-change. As of now it seems that Greenpeace has drawn a dotted line between the Apple’s ipad and global warming.
Greenpeace acknowledges the fact that if both the data centers and the telecommunication networks that are the two key components of the cloud continue to grow at current alarming rates, then by 2020 the electricity consumption would be half the current in the United States or more than France, Germany, Canada and Brazil combined. So with the growing cloud-computing needs in preparation for the iPad and with Apple purchasing a data center in South Carolina which is much larger than its existing facilities, Greenpeace feels that it needs to ask some important questions.
“Apple is the master of promotion, and while we marvel at the sleek unpolluted design of the iPad, we need to think about where this is all leading and how like all good surfers we can make sure our environment stays clean and green.”
Greenpeace seems to be going for a double-dip by either picking the largest brands when they are getting an exposure in the market and thereby earning another green money or is it that as an original green company it is focusing on the world issues like global warming that raises environmental issues to public knowledge? From a reputation management point of view, we feel that Greenpeace need to come out clearly on social platform that it’s not after “Apple” or “iPad,” but want to debate something very important; Global Warming.
Apple in patent row with HTC
Apple iPhone, which was originally launched in 2007 is still grappling with many issues – legal and otherwise. If it were the connectivity issues and deficient functions and features in its earlier days; now it is the patents and copy right issues that are plaguing the Apple smart phone.
Apple is grappling with copy right issues with HTC and has taken legal action against the Taiwan based phone maker HTC, alleging that it has infringed as many as 20 patents owned by Apple that are used in the iPhone.
HTC is famous for its many sleek handsets including Nexus One, the first handset to be branded by Google apart from many other handsets that employ Google’s Android operating system. With Google defending its mobile handset partner of HTC, it is going to be a tussle between the giants. Though Google is not a party to the law suit, it has decided to throw its weight behind HTC, its partner in developing the Android technology. Google chief Eric Schmidt had resigned last year from the Apple board of directors alleging conflict of interest in the wake of increasing competition between Google and Apple in Android Vs iPhone competition to wrestle the market share.
At least some industry watchers are rather skeptical of the timing of the law suit of Apple, which surprisingly coincided with the launch of the Android phones and many feel that it could be a delaying tactic of Apple to slow down the Android market before Google edges them out in the race. By targetting HTC, which manufactures a range of Android and Windows Mobile devices, Apple may be trying to put the entire industry on notice and to ensure its monopoly in this technology. With speculations gathering momentum, the need of the hour for Apple is to clear the apprehensions of atleast some consumers who have started thinking that Apple has gone overboard by clipping others in the fray in marketing its product.
We at Reputation Management For.com feel that a sound PR policy will not just protect the domain and the technology of Apple but also can clear the air before the customers start wondering who has stolen whose technology? The need of the hour for Apple is to safeguard the trust and the goodwill reposed in this world famous brand by the millions of apple fans all over the world.
Posted in Company Reputation, Damage Limitation, Product Reviews | Tags: Android phone, Apple iPhone, Google, HTC, Nexus One, Patent row | No Comments »
Google’s Customer Service Issues
Last week, I was considering whether to move the company’s email services from our own server to Google professional applications; was, until I considered whether I would trust Google’s customer service to support me effectively. Instead I am moving to Rackspace that offers 24 hour phone support. I bring this up as a preface to a review of Google’s problems with customer service for the Nexus One handset.
Two weeks after launch and online forums are filled with complaints about technical issues with the Nexus One such as spotty 3G connectivity and the lack of support from Google. (see Google’s own customer support forums) The Nexus One like the iPhone is already attracting “fanboy” status with owners decrying vehemently any critics, but with sales of 20,000 (supposedly) and the forums containing 1000s of questions, it does look like there are some problems.
There are two tactical issues for Google to address:
- what the change in business model means for the business as a whole
- how they will address their new requirement for consumer customer service support.
and one wider strategic question:
- what impact this will have on their brand and reputation.
There seem to be two divergent views on the impact of the challenges on Google:
“Google tends to have a bit of a Teflon coating,” says Golvin. [Forrester Research] “People tend to cut them a lot more slack — as they do with Apple — than they do with their mobile operator.”
“It may be unfair to predict doom for a handset that came to market just two weeks ago, but it’s becoming clear that taking on the role of mobile retailer was a mistake for Google. It’s too early to predict that Google will kill the Nexus One, but it’s not too early to wonder whether it should.” [GigaOm website]
Although Google has been a consumer brand for a long time, they don’t strictly speaking have consumers as their paying customers. It has had a business to business model based around advertising, like many media companies. As such it has had modest customer service issues to manage and has developed sophisticated tools to support those businesses via Adwords accounts. Now with the Nexus One they are selling directly to consumers but they do not seem to have developed the same sophisticated tools to identify or support those handset users.
Consumers are tough cookies when it comes to demanding support for their idiocy and expect a voice at the end of the line, something Google does not do and something Google seems to have an antipathy for. So, if Google does not want to customer service, maybe they should not do retail at all. For the first time they can directly damage their relationship with vocal consumers who will begin to see Google as a whole in a different light. It is somewhat similar issue to Virgin: if your trains don’t run on time, what does it say about your bank or your airline?
Google does have a great opportunity by going direct as a retailer, but it will need to use its formidable brainpower to develop a customer service algorithm every bit as sophisticated as its search engine if it is to make a success of it!
Posted in Company Reputation, Reputation Management, RM Commentary | Tags: Customer Service, Google, Nexus One | 5 Comments »
Microsoft’s IE – the weakest link in the China Google hack
While Google and China battle it out with threats and innuendos after the great Google hack in China, we now have the weakest link of ‘em all in this murky affair unveiled – Microsoft and its browser IE!
Microsoft has now admitted this and has even come out with a warning about the critical unpatched vulnerability in the IE. Mike Reavey, director of Microsoft’s Security Response Center (MSRC) had this to say:
“We have determined that Internet Explorer was one of the vectors used in targeted and sophisticated attacks against Google and possibly other corporate networks”
For Microsoft, admitting this is the first step in damage control and they have gone on record with a security warning which Computer World reported as shown below:
The security advisory said that the only version of IE not containing the critical flaw was IE 5.01 running on Windows 2000. All other versions, including IE6, IE7 and IE8 on Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 are vulnerable to attack.
A patch for the vulnerability may miraculously arrive any minute now as part of crisis mangement from Microsoft. After all Google’s threat is keenly watched the world over and for an Internet giant like Microsoft there’s nothing as big as a security flaw in terms of reputation mangement.
In other Microsoft news today, Steve Ballmer has announced that Microsoft intends to continue to stay in China and obey the country’s rules. (yawn)
The interesting question now is -Will Google really pull out of China after China has scoffed at Google’s threat saying that they are going to continue filtering Google content come what may?
Google and China - the tussle continues and further developments on this front may just take the heat off of Microsoft for now.
Posted in Company Reputation, Damage Limitation, Reputation Management, Reputation News | Tags: China, Google, hack, IE, Microsoft, Vulnerability | 4 Comments »
What can reputation management do for you?
Reputation Management services has become a key aspect for almost all companies. This dynamic service is coming to be regarded as a major boon for all businesses, brands, individuals and products who were victims of this so called reputation crisis. Your company’s reputation might be immaculate at present, but one can’t predict when the situation turns around.
Reputation management services might be something new, but in such a short span of time it has proven its mettle and has got recognition globally. From politician, sports personalities, celebrities, companies to doctors have all embraced it as yet another aspect or PR. It can’t be denied that many companies and brands are benefited with the effective tools of reputation management. No matter its a small business or a Fortune 500 company, reputation management service is meant for all.
It is debated that, the results of these reputation management services comes gradually and not in a haste. Well, to bring your reputation up is a systematic process needs patience, as this is a sensitive area. To promote a brand or key phrase and to optimize it correctly asks for time, and to further push down the negative results and at the same time bringing up positive contents needs a concrete strategy and proper allocation. Meanwhile the use of a pro-active SEO campaign is a smart way to bring up your brand image and reputation in search engines.
Many companies argue that, its really pain staking to sit and watch all negatives about the business, even after resorting to these reputation management services, but they have to understand the sensitivity of the issue. Reputation management campaign works as a process and it slowly weaves a positive image for your brand, making sure the credibility of your brand or company is never lost.
How it works :
After analysing the position of the company online, with the help of the articles, web pages, blogs and pictures, the reputation management plan is designed. After judging your present status online and by knowing how people perceive you, the repair works of your online reputation starts off.
As we all know ‘Google’ does an index of new pages fast, so by publishing blogs, web pages and articles about your company we can bring the positive side of your business. As your page gets cached by Google, you can work more stringently to rank those pages on the top searches. It can take a minimum of six months to get the results, but at the end of the day you are satisfied with what Google is coming up with about your company or brand . You have more control of your reputation and that makes all the difference!