Online Archives - Mindmingles

How To Drop A Pin In Google Maps 2023: Android, iOS & Desktop

Local Seo, Mobile Marketing, News, Online, Online Business

How To Drop A Pin In Google Maps 2024: Android, iOS & Desktop

Gurleen Kaur / October 21, 2024

Over the past few years, Google Maps has become an inseparable part of our daily lives, helping us find routes and navigate the world with ease. We rely on it for everything from discovering new places to getting directions on the go. Yet, there are some powerful features that don’t get the recognition they deserve—like dropping a pin. For instance, pinning location, hardly anyone bears thought to learn how to drop a pin in Google Maps, despite being an amazing option Pinning a location does more than just mark a spot; it gives you instant access to details like directions, addresses, ratings, and reviews—all in one place. Whether you’re saving your favorite restaurant or sharing a meeting spot with a friend, dropping a pin saves you time and hassle. And it’s not just helpful for individuals—businesses can benefit, too. Just ask your HR department how much easier things have gotten with this feature! So, if you’ve realized the worth of this handy tool, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to drop a pin in Google Maps step-by-step, so you can make the most of this feature and navigate like a pro! Learn More : How To Share Location On Google Maps 2024 on Android/iPhone? How To Drop A Pin In Google Maps On Android Mobile? It’s a pretty easy job to drop a pin on Google. Not kidding! See the steps and see it for yourself. Launch the Google Maps app on your Android mobile device. You need to be signed in with your Google ID to proceed further. Now tap in the Search bar on the top, and type the name of the place you want to pin. Now tap on Directions and then tap on Pin at the bottom. Alternatively, long press for a few seconds on the exact location that you wish to pin. Once you see a red colored pin pop up on the screen, be assured that the location is pinned. You’ll see the navigation option of Directions and Start, photos, About section, and reviews. If you tap on the Directory section, you will see the nearby blocks and other places that can be of assistance, for instance, you can locate a parking spot in proximity to your location. NOTE: You can also tap on the Go tab on Google Maps. Swipe up and you’ll see a list of Suggested Places. Next to the destinations that you’ve searched before, you’ll see the Pin icon, tap on it to pin the location. How To Drop A Pin In Google Maps On iOS? Launch the Google Maps app on your Android mobile device. You need to be signed in with your Google ID to proceed further. Now tap in the Search bar on the top, and type the name of the place you want to pin. Now tap on Directions and then tap on Pin at the bottom. Alternatively, long press for a few seconds on the exact location that you wish to pin. Once you see a red colored pin pop up on the screen, be assured that the location is pinned. You’ll see the navigation option of Directions and Start, photos, About section, and reviews. If you tap on the Directory section, you will see the nearby blocks and other places which can help a lot, for instance, if you want to locate a parking spot in proximity to your location. How To Drop A Pin In Google Maps On Desktop? Although using a mobile device is quite handy when it comes to accessing Google Maps, you might use your PC or Mac to drop a pin on it. Follow the steps stated below to learn how to pin a location on Google Maps: Open a new tab on Google. Ensuring that your Gmail ID is logged in, open the Maps by selecting it from the drop-down square box. Place the cursor in the search box and type the location that you wish to pin on Google Maps. You’ll see a red mark on the location which is enough to indicate that you’ve pinned the location. Furthermore, you can save the pinned location by clicking on the Save option. Once you click it, you’ll be asked to choose a list to which you want to add the location for future reference. You might also feel like creating a new list. To do so simply click on New List and provide a name for the list. That’s all and you’ll see the location not only pinned but also saved on the sidebar as well. Now that you’ve grasped how to drop a pin in Google Maps, you must know how to share the location on Google Maps. How To Share A Map Or Location? Here is the step-by-step process to drop a pin to send a location to someone: Android Device Launch the Google Maps app. Search the location that you want to share by entering it in the search box. Alternatively, you can click on the map to find the place and tap for a little longer than usual to pin the location. You’ll see the place’s name and other options at the bottom of your screen. Now hover through the options in blue tabs and tap on ‘Share .’ The next step is to select the app and share the location link. iOS Device Launch the Google Maps app. Search the location that you want to share by entering it in the search box. Alternatively, you can click on the map to find the place and tap for a little longer than usual to pin the location. You’ll see the place’s name and other options at the bottom of your screen. Tap on ‘Share.’ In case you can’t find the option, tap on the three dots to get More options and then tap on ‘Share.’ Select the app and share the location link. Desktop While logged into your Google Account, open Google Maps. Enter the location

News, Online, Online Business, Search Marketing

Google August 2024 Core Update Roll Out – Now Completed

Gurleen Kaur / September 5, 2024

Here we are with the big news on the Google August 2024 Core Update – which was announced just some time back. This core update finished its roll out entirely just yesterday. So what does this update have caused in the website ranking? This article explores the same….. Key Observations Search Engine Land reported that throughout the roll-out it noticed improvements in website rankings of certain domains that witnessed a hit due to the Helpful Content Update of September 2023. In contrast, most people didn’t notice any fluctuation at all. On August 17th, 2024, Gisele Navarro tweeted on X (previously Twitter), “We are receiving visitors to some of our former top traffic pages. Here you can see yesterday VS 28 days ago:” Search Engine Roundtable found some eye-opening responses in its poll results dated 30th August 2024: 44% of site owners reported a negative impact on their site rankings. 27% of site owners witnessed improvements in their ranking and traffic. 29% of site owners saw no change at all. This is surprising that quite a considerable percentage of people didn’t notice any change in their SERPs and website traffic. However, let’s not forget that until then the roll out wasn’t completed. But now that it is entirely completed, we must not forsake the intricacies of the content quality at any cost, and keep it informational for users. What Should You Do Next? The March 2024 Core Update was way too impactful for site owners as the majority of them saw a significant drift in their website rankings, this time too site owners must stay aware of the content quality and not compromise that. Changing the approach from purely SEO-intended optimization to content relevance, freshness, and quality can make a difference for good. Having a close look upon how site rankings and traffic fluctuate this time is the key to resolving this issue. Constant monitoring and continuous efforts in website content can show significantly positive results. Click here if you want to get a detailed explanation of this core update. Conclusion The Google August 2024 core update is now quite here after its roll out was completed a few days back. It would be interesting to see how this will impact the rankings and traffic of websites in the coming time. John Muller– Search Advocate at Google, emphasized uplifting rankings for “genuinely good and helpful content,” which means “small or independent sites” have a good chance of ranking in the top SERP positions with this core update. Google is sure to have a surprisingly positive impact on online discoverability of content that provides information relevant to users search intent.

News, Online

What Is Google Dorking? Know How To Be Safe Online

Gurleen Kaur / September 4, 2024

Hacking is a beyond the pale activity that has harmed the usability of search engines in many impolitic ways. But cybersecurity researchers and ethical hacking experts have been providing the ill-willed hackers the taste of their own medicine with smart strategies; take Google Dorking, for example. Security researchers and hackers equally utilize this technique to uncover sensitive information using certain commands on Google, but for different reasons. The technological advancements have been used maliciously since their inception, and Google dorks queries are no exception. The history of Dorking dates back to 2002 when Johnny Long began collecting Google search queries that reveal ‘vulnerable systems and/or sensitive information disclosures.’ He labeled these search queries as ‘googleDorks.’ This article discusses the evolution of Dorking, its legalities, potential threats, dork queries, and protective measures that one must be aware of to be safe online. What Is Google Dorking? Also known as Google Hacking, Google Dorking is a technique widely used to collect sensitive and secret information from computer systems, software, and hardware that are vulnerable and prone to security flaws with certain commands on Google. This method becomes a go-to option for stealing someone’s private information including: Social Security Numbers (SSNs) National Identification Number Webcams Passwords Email addresses Usernames Shell scripts User accounts Credit/Debit card credentials and other financial details, etc. that are hard to access normally. This technique is not limited to Google but can also be exercised on other search engines, including Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo. However, search results might vary for different search engines. How Google Dorking Evolved? A cybersecurity expert, Johnny Long, is famous for devising Google Dorking. He was a part of Computer Sciences Corporation’s vulnerability assessment team- Strike Force and discovered Google search queries that unveiled vulnerable servers. In addition, these queries also unleashed the servers that circulate personal and sensitive information in the public eye. This resulted in creating the Google Hacking Database(GHDB) in 2004. The database contains hundreds of search queries used for hacking/dorking. Over time, cybercrime has massively increased using these search queries called Google Dorks. Not only the world’s most used search engine, Google, but other search engines, including Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo, are also utilized for this purpose. Is Google Dorking Illegal? Google Dorking is technically legal and massively used by security experts. However, it is potentially used by hackers to gain unauthorized access to personal information. A Brooklyn Law School student and a published legal scholar, Star Kashman, often elaborately highlights this issue. She has studied and shared the ethical and criminal usage of search engine hacking and how it violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). In her paper published in the Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts dated 2 June 2023, she explains the legalities related to this technique. She mentioned that CFAA doesn’t regard Google Dorking as an illegal activity, stating that any information that is out in the public domain doesn’t require ‘unauthorized access.’ However, the FBI and many other legitimate organizations use ‘dorking’ and ‘hacking’ synonymously. She highlights that the existing definition of hacking as per CFAA and existing laws fails to highlight and address the problem of computer crime and don’t well limit the use of Google Dorking. What Is Google Dorks Query? Google Dorks Query are special terms or symbols called ‘operators’ which are used with keywords/strings to discover normally crawled yet undisclosed information. The two most prominent cases in the history of dorking are: (i) the compromise of the CIA’s worldwide secret communications network leading to failure of 70% of its operations and the cyber attack on 46 financial institutions in the US during 2011-2013, and (ii) Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York. Both the cases and many others took place using the dork’s query. How Google Dorking Works? Google Dorks queries are used with specific keywords to form search operators (advanced search operators, in some cases) to be on the make, stealing financial, personal, or other information that is hard to obtain otherwise. These search queries are employed to access web pages, file types, urls, etc. that are crawled by Google but usually not visible in search results with normal search queries. However, it has a potentially negative aspect wherein cybercriminals locate search operators with strings to find normally inaccessible information for illicit intents. On the other hand, security professionals and web technicians often put it to use to gain insights into their site’s security loopholes. Google Dorks Query List With Examples Security researchers use this technique to acquire knowledge of loopholes and report them for improvement, among many other legitimate purposes. For instance, the Google Mobile Vulnerability Reward Program and Apna Vulnerability Disclosure Policy are two examples where cybersecurity researchers use Dorking commands. Search Operators The table below shows the Google Dorks list that security researchers and hackers use to discover site vulnerabilities for contrasting purposes. These search terms are intertwined with a strategic approach to discover information that is inaccessible through normal search means. We already know that hackers use Google Dorking commands to fetch personal and private details with illicit intent, making it crucial to learn protective measures against it (more on that in later section). S. NO. DORKS/OPERATORS PURPOSE EXAMPLE/SYNTAX 1 filetype: Retrieve the specific file type you need filetype:keyword pdf The search results will fetch the pdf (or other format) format of the file. 2 site: Allows search for domains in a specific website site:example.com The search results will show the pages related to the site you entered (in this case- ‘example.com’ ). 3 inurl: Helps search for web pages containing the specified keywords in the domain URL inurl:keyword Putting the particular site url in place of ‘url’ in the aforementioned place will fetch the web domains containing specific keywords in the URL. 4 intext: Shows web pages containing the specified keywords in the content intext:keyword This command will return the online published content in search results with the specified search terms. 5 allintitle: Retrieve results with specific keywords in the web

Google My Business, Google Rank, Local Seo, Online, Online Reputation Management

Google Local Guide Program: Everything You Need To Know

Gurleen Kaur / April 30, 2024

We all have been using Google Maps but not everyone is aware of the Google Local Guides Program. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for people who wish to share their experiences and insights about the places they’ve been to. No matter whether you’re a travel enthusiast or a food blogger, the Local Guides program is a pretty cool way to earn incentives against reviews, photos, and updates on places. This program works like a game wherein you can provide feedback about a place, earn points, and get promoted to a higher level. It helps established businesses/outlets get a chance to come across as a worth trying/visiting place. If you also want to join this program, this article is for you as it covers all the necessary whats and hows. As a local guide for one of the most powerful global search engines, you get various chances to earn redeemable points for your reviews and feedback. So without any further ado, let’s talk about it in detail. What Is Google Local Guide Program? Google launched its Local Guides program to encourage people to provide feedback about the places they have visited. It is a community-driven program that crowdsources local data with the help of technology to improve location insights. The program allows people to contribute by submitting opinions, reviews, photos, and places anywhere in the world. Yes, you read that right! Since it is called the Local Guides program, it doesn’t mean you can only provide feedback for local or nearby places. You are free to submit reviews on national and international places as well. Who Is Eligible For the Google Local Guide Program? Like every other Google program, you’ll also need to follow the eligibility criteria for the Local Guides program as well: ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR LOCAL GUIDES PROGRAM 1. Anyone who has a Google Account. 2. If you fulfill minimum age requirements of your home country. 3. Lastly, you must sign up for Google Local Guides program. That’s it. If you fulfill these three conditions, you’re good to go for the Google Local Guides Program. However, you’re not allowed to participate in this program if: You use a Google Workspace Account. You use a Google Workspace for Education account and are under 18 years of age. NOTE: Refer to this link for age requirement conditions. For countries not listed in the list, the minimum age requirement of 13 years has to be met. Google also states, “If you offer services for hire (such as marketing yourself as a Street View trusted provider), you are not allowed to bundle such services with your Local Guide membership.” So ensure you don’t violate any Google Guide conditions. Google Local Guide Benefits Here are a few reasons why you must consider becoming a Local Guide for Google: Establish Yourself As A Trusted Reviewer: The Local Guides program is a great way to establish yourself as a trusted review provider or guide on Google. You can provide reviews, add photos, and missing information about any place you’ve visited. Earn Perks and Badges: One of the key benefits of signing up for the Local Guides program is that you’ll receive redeemable points that can be redeemed against gamification benefits and perks. These perks might include NY Times online game subscriptions. Furthermore, you get to add badges to your profile for every contribution that boosts your reputation as a local guide. Get Early Access To Google Products & Features: Another key feature of becoming a local guide for Google’s community lies in early access to Google products and features offered by the world’s #1 search engine. Receive Google Goodies: You can also receive goodies like a Local Guides t-shirt and much more when you sign up for this program. Attend & Host Meetups: As a part of the Google Guide community, you’ll get the chance to attend and host meetups. To receive notifications regarding meetups, you must enable your email preferences for the same in Local Guides Settings and save the changes. How To Sign Up For Google Local Guides Program? Step-by-step procedure: 1. Sign into your Google account. 2. Go to Google local guide program signup page or visit this link- https://www.google.com/localguides/signup. 3. Enter and select the name of your city based on your region. 4. Agree to program rules and check the box right next to it. Furthermore, you can decide whether or not you want to receive updates on your review impact (which you should definitely opt for). 5. Proceed by hitting the ‘Become a Local Guide’ option. Now you can begin contributing to the Local Guides Connect community with your place insights. Google Local Guides Points System Add Review Ensure reviews are descriptive and highlight the necessary information. Points: 1-10 points per review [additional 10 points for every review that is more than 200 characters]. Rating Rate places based on your experience and the services/facilities provided there. Points: 1 point per rating Update Photo Add quality images that clearly depict a place’ ambiance and nearby that place. Points: 5 points per photo upload Respond To Q&As Earn points for answering questions from the people around. Points: 3 points per answer Reported Incorrect Remember that you can’t report an incorrect review simply because you don’t like it. Google runs fact checks to verify the information based on other users’ reviews and company’s GBP. Points: 1 point per reported incorrect The below table shows points that one can earn by performing different tasks on Google Maps. S. NO. ACTIVITY POINTS 1. Photo Tag 3 points per photo 2. Video 7 points per video 3. Caption (in photo update) 10 points per caption 4. Answer 1 point per answer 5. Edit 5 points per edit 6. Place Added 15 points per place added 7. Road Added 15 points per place added 8. Fact Checked 1 point per fact checked Google Local Guide Levels & Badges The Local Guides program has 10 levels in total and the badge

Digital Marketing, News, Online, Online Business

20 Best Wayback Machine Alternatives To Use (2024)

Gurleen Kaur / April 15, 2024

With time, websites upgrade. This creates a need for such a place where one can store previous versions of their website or web pages. Fortunately, Wayback Machine has been there to assist users in submitting websites and accessing 800+ billion archived web pages. But that’s not the only go-to option available, there are several Wayback Machine alternatives you can try for this purpose. In this article, you’ll discover 20 alternatives to Wayback Machine that you can use to: Find lost content and information on your old website, and Compare your competitor’s website development strategy over time. Not only do these internet archive sites help users save and revisit the previous web pages in the future, but most of these can also treasure the past and important pages of social media sites. So ready to explore the best internet archive tools other than Wayback Machine? Then continue reading. Wayback Machine v/s Internet Archive Today, the Internet Archive is considered one of the best Wayback Machine alternatives. However, Wayback Machine was itself founded by the Internet Archive in the early 2000s. Moreover, the platform began saving archived copies of the World Wide Web after the launch of Wayback Machine, and was launched to provide “universal access to all knowledge.” That’s the only reason you’ll see an option of Wayback Machine on the top when you visit the Internet Archive site. Best Wayback Machine Alternatives No doubt Wayback Machine is the most popular and trusted tool when it comes to keeping a tab on previously hosted web pages or websites. However, it has certain limitations that make people willing to switch to other alternatives. Here are 20 tools that serve the same purpose as Wayback Machine: 1. Archive.today (aka Archive.is) This is one of the best alternatives to Wayback Machine and allows saving web pages and retrieving them later. In addition, it keeps the archived pages unalterable and safe from malware attacks. You can also download its Chrome extension or use it with an Android device. Features: Free to use. Facilitates snapshots of a website for future needs. Easy-to-use interface. Works with Google and Yandex. Saves both screenshots and snapshots from the host website. 2. iTools This is a programmable search engine that allows users to do more than just capture snapshots. It allows searching for various website SEO metrics including Alexa Rank, traffic, related sites, etc. It also allows performing internet searches with several search platforms. Features: Free to use. Works as a website analyzer. Acts as a digital repository for websites. Facilitates web searches on different search engines (including media search engines), dictionary searches, financial trends, etc. 3. Visualping Visualping is another cool alternative if you are in search of a digital archive library other than Wayback Machine. This not only provides an archive facility but also keeps track of changes in a web page. All you need to do is enter the website URL, select the type of content you want to monitor, and how frequently you want to evaluate for changes. Then you’ll get notified on the provided email address every time there will be a change in the selected area or part of the website. Features: Free to check 5 pages per day. Monitors changes in website visuals (design, layout, images), text (content, keywords, inventory updates), and elements (CTA widgets, codes, interactive features). Allows monitoring of password-protected pages. Customized page monitoring solutions are available. 4. PageFreezer PageFreezer is another archive alternative to ensure you don’t lose the grasp on your defunct web pages. It also allows the archiving of social media content and conversations with a proper automated collection and review system in place. Serving a wide range of industries, this tool makes web page comparison free of hefts and is optimum for online reputation management. Besides, it also facilitates digital signature, live browsing, recordkeeping for litigation purposes, and much more. Features: This is a paid tool. Supports eDiscovery for recordkeeping and review purposes. Facilitates Automated website archiving. Customized quotes are available. Facilitates collection, review, and presentation of data from web and social platforms for litigation purposes. 5. Time Travel- The Memento Project Memento is one of the key Wayback Machine alternatives that provides search results from several online archives including Wayback Machine. This implies that it offers a wide range of databases for locating a web page from the past. You can simply select the Time Travel option from the drop-down box on the home page (or simply visit the link) and look in the repository for the web page. It also comes with a Chrome extension that allows you to check the previous version of a web page by simply entering the date. Features: Free to utilize. Draws data from various web archives using the Wayback Machine. Allows taking snapshots and generating links to snapshots. Chrome extension available. 6. ChangeTower This one is an equally trusted and well-known alternative to Wayback Machine that provides archive snapshot storage. In addition, no software is required to use. Furthermore, it works on automated technical support for data collection. Features: Free plan available with limited uses. Monitor real-time website changes. Automated archive data collection system. Tracks hidden URL changes. Customized solutions can be availed. 7. Perma.cc Perma.cc is the optimum solution for researchers who need to maintain detailed citations for scholarly or legal content. The platform is developed and managed by Harvard Law School Library and offers free and paid plans. You can use it to generate a link for an existing URL and utilize it for citations forever. Even if the original source is modified, you’ll have access to the saved version with the Perma-generated link. Features: Organizations need to invest in plans based on link numbers. Paid plans start from $10 a month. Perma-generated links are free to be integrated into your content. Powerful assistance tool for journalists, scholars, legal attorneys, and others. Access to the website screenshot version is available. 8.

Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Google Rank, Online, Reverse image search

How To Use Google Advanced Image Search Tool 2024

Gurleen Kaur / April 9, 2024

The world’s most used search engine, Google, has a vast library of image results whatever anyone searches for. It’s also quite easy to use this search engine for image searches. However, the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary company always strives to provide its users with the best. This resulted in the creation of the Google Advanced Image Search tool. You can not only run more advanced image searches using this tool but also use it for competitor analysis. It comes with latest features that allow filtering search results per your specifications so that you can find the exact match of your requirement. Google image search when turned advanced made penetrating image search results easier. In this article, we’ll discuss how to use advanced image search by Google and how it can help uplift your graphic marketing strategy. What Is Google Advanced Image Search? Google Advanced Image Search is a specialized tool that facilitates next-level image search and analysis without having to scroll through hundreds and thousands of images. It comes with several distinct filters that provide image results suiting your needs. How To Use Google Advanced Image Search? Using Google Advanced Image Search is not a biting a bullet kind of task. Just follow the below-listed steps: (i) Open a new tab in Google. (ii) Then enter any search term of your choice for which you want to discover images. Let’s say, “handbags.” Press enter to run the search query and click on the Images tab. (iii) Once you see the image results window, click on Tools on the right-hand side after More. (iv) Then select Advanced Search. You’ll see the new dashboard for advanced image search. Now you can utilize the features of this tool to find the image with the specifications you’re looking for. Let’s see how: 1) Find Images With This is the very first feature of the advanced Google image search tool which allows running image searches based on: All These Words: You’ll see the search query you entered while performing the Google search initially. You can change it and use other relevant search terms here. This Exact Word Or Phrase: Enter the description of the image you’re looking for. For example: “handbags for college students.” Any Of These Words: This is ideal to use when you want to search images using a broad search term. It is mandatory to use “OR” between all the search terms in this box. For example: “handbags OR for OR college OR students.” None Of These Words: This field requires you to specify what you don’t want in your search results. You must use a “minus sign -” before the word, for instance, “-backpack” 2) Then Narrow Your Results In the next section, you’ll be allowed to narrow down your search results for: Image Size: From the drop-down box, select the image pixel size that you need. You have the option to select a medium, large, or icon-sized image. In addition, if you have a specific size in mind, you can find that here. Aspect Ratio: You can select the image aspect ratio (which is the ratio of image width to its height) as: Tall, Square, Wide, or Panoramic. Colors In The Image: From here, select the color you want the images in. The options Google Advanced Image Search provides are: (i) any color (ii) full color (iii) black & white (iv) transparent and (v) this color [select from any of the given 12 color choices in the box]. Type Of Image: This lets you decide whether you want the image results in: (i) face (ii) photo (iii) clip art (iv) line drawing and (v) animated. Region: If you want to target a specific country in your search results, select that country from the drop-down box. Site Or Domain: Here you can enter the URL of a competitor website (or any website) to see their image search results. File Type: You have 8 different image formats to select from including: (i) PNG (ii) JPG (iii) SVG, etc. Usage Rights: This filter can help separate image search results that are free to use from the ones that are licensed and chargeable. You can select All, Creative Commons Licenses, or Commercial and other licenses. After punching in the image requirements, click on Advanced Search to run the search. This was all about the Google Advanced Image Search tool and its features. But how exactly can this help you in competitor analysis? Read further to discover. Google Advanced Image Search Android To use this advanced search tool on your Android device, follow the below-stated simple procedure: On a new tab in Google Chrome, run a search query by typing- “google advanced image search.” Now tap on the link at the top. Or, you can tap on Images, swipe right on the top menu bar, and tap on Search Tools. Now tap on Advanced Search. Either of the ways you follow, will redirect you to the search dashboard with advanced search filters. You can also add its shortcut to your home screen. Simply tap on the three vertical dots on the top-right corner and select Add To Home Screen. Then follow the on-screen instructions. Use advanced search filters for images as discussed in the aforementioned section above. You can also perform an advanced video search and book search . Using Google Advanced Image Search For Competitor Analysis Using this advanced Google tool for image search for competitor analysis will improve your graphic marketing strategy beyond your imagination. Whether you’re a newbie in online marketing or an established digital marketing agency, this tool will benefit you in competitor research: You can use this tool from Google to understand your competitor’s graphic marketing techniques. For example, by using the site or domain filter altogether with the region filter you can see how your competitor has promoted their products/services within a specific country. If you run an e-commerce store, you can

News, Online

Want To Use Google Voice? This Is What You Need To Know!

Gurleen Kaur / April 4, 2024

There can arise many circumstances in which you don’t want to use your phone number. For instance, if you’re providing a contact number on your business website or need to share it with someone you don’t want to or have to make professional calls. You can use Google Voice (aka Voice) number for such purposes because it allows cross-border communication with data or Wi-Fi connection . Voice works over a VoIP system that provides an alternate contact number to users that they can use for multiple devices. This multipurpose usage is the key reason why Voice is among one of the best VoIP services. An alternate number can be quite handy when you feel like going on vacation without any disturbances. Or if you don’t want to get into the chaos of mixing personal calls with others. This is a detailed guide that will give you a walkthrough of Voice and its uses. So make sure to read it till the end. What Is Google Voice? Launched in 2009, Google Voice is a free service for Google Account/Google Workspace Account users using which they can call and chat without having to exchange their personal phone numbers. Service Name: Google Voice Also Known As: Voice Launched In: 2009 Purpose: To provide VoIP services for Google Account/Google Workspace Account users Device Compatibility: Android, iOS, and Web Browser Compatibility: Chrome, Microsoft Office, Firefox and Safari Services Offered: Voice call services, Text message services and Voicemail services over the internet Before coming under Google’s holdings, Voice was renowned as GrandCentral and was launched to provide a free secondary contact number to users which serves all the expected functions of an actual number. It is noteworthy to know what you need to set up your Voice number: First, you need a Google Account/Google Workspace Account. Another thing that you’ll need is a US-based phone number. At present, Voice is only available in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) regions. With a Google Account/Google Workspace Account (that almost everyone happens to have today), you can get a Voice number to facilitate calling over the internet. With Voice, you need not fret about carrying multiple phones and switching sims to make calls now and then. Read further to get detailed insights on Voice and how to set it up for personal and professional use. Key Features Of Google Voice Here are five key features of Voice that make it the right choice for businesses: Call Forwarding: Voice allows call forwarding which enables you to transfer incoming calls to a different device. In addition, it allows creating your own set of rules regarding when and to which device a call should be forwarded. However, you must check the carrier rates applicable when linking the device for this feature. Multi-Device Compatibility: Voice is a great way to connect a single number across multiple devices (laptop, desk phone, tablet, phones) and facilitates easy communication. Spam Filtration: With Voice, users get a separate spam folder which includes messages and calls from known spam numbers and blocked numbers. Multi-Level Auto Attendant: Businesses can choose this feature with Voice’s upgraded paid plans. This enables forwarding calls to the right extension to eliminate any misrouted communication. Furthermore, it also allows customizing greetings for the same. Ring Groups: With Ring Groups, business owners can enable call ringing for the same Voice number at different extensions (or phones) simultaneously, thus distributing the workflow seamlessly. The above-listed features of Voice are available as per the plan you’ve picked (more on that later). How To Use Google Voice For Business Use? Here is the detailed procedure for getting your Voice business number: (i) Visit Voice Homepage On the homepage of Google Voice, select For Business and you’ll be redirected to a new page. (ii) Select A Plan Then you’ll need to select a plan. Voice provides three distinct plans starting from 10 USD per user per month. Scroll down a little on your screen or simply click on Get Started to view pricing plans. Bear in mind that your Google Workspace Account needs to be logged in for this purpose. When you click on Select to proceed with a plan, you’ll see a notification like this: So, hit the Sign In option to log into your Google Workspace Account. In case you don’t have a Workspace account, you will have to create one and agree to the terms of use. Once you’re logged in, read the plan features thoroughly and then click on the Get Started option. (iii) Continue & Give Area Code After reading the terms and conditions of use, click on Continue. Afterward, enter your country code in the box. (iv) Select A Number Then Voice will show you a list of numbers available based on your location. Once you select a number, you’ll get a message displayed on your screen that reads- “You’ve selected (selected phone number).” Click on Verify to proceed. (v) Verify Your Existing Number Next, Google will send you the confirmation code which you can receive either via text or call. For this, you need to click on Verify, enter your existing phone number that you want to link and proceed to verify. (vi) Claim Number & Finish The Set Up When you’ll be assigned as a User of Google Voice after completion of the above steps, claim your Voice number. Click on Claim and proceed to finish your set up. You can add more users to the extent of users allowed as per the plan you selected earlier in Step 2. (vii) Download The Voice App On Your Mobile Lastly, you need to download the Voice app on your mobile and link it with the same Google Account. Now you’ll be able to receive and make calls, and send text messages to people from multiple devices that are connected to your Google Workspace account. How To Use Google Voice For Personal Use? In a new tab in Chrome or any

Digital Marketing, Online, Online Business, SMO, Social Media Marketing

Unleash The Power Of Facebook Ad Library To Compete Online

Gurleen Kaur / March 22, 2024

Are you willing to revamp your Facebook ads strategy? Then you must know about Facebook Ad Library (aka Meta Ad Library), a transparency tool from Meta that allows people to get insights on ads strategies for any industry and geographical location. The best part? It is free! Facebook generated around 114 Billion USD in advertising revenue in 2022, and this figure is estimated to escalate to 127 Billion USD in the coming three years, Statista reported. This is enough to highlight why advertisers must look up to Facebook for advertising and the Meta ad library can serve as a great help in this regard. The ad library provides an abundance of opportunities for marketers and creative agencies to discover ideas on making their ad campaigns a success. You can explore a plethora of ideas for a particular ad concept by just entering a search term in the ad library. But that’s not the end. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the uses of Meta Ad Library and discover how it can fetch you the desired results. What Is Facebook Ad Library? Launched in 2018, Facebook Ad Library (or Meta Ad Library) is a free tool that allows users to search and see active and inactive advertisements from advertisers. The Ad library shows ads and relevant information like who ran it, at what date and time it was published and for how long, etc. This tool serves the motto of transparent advertising. These are the key details that the Facebook Ad Library shows: Ads active on Meta Technologies from any advertiser. Ads that have run in the past. Ads data for the past 7 years is stored in the library whether ads are active for the time being or not. Details of issues related to social, elections, and political ad campaigns. The Ad library from Meta which was originally released to maintain transparency in the social, political and election-related issues, was later made open for users to help them boost their ad campaign performance. Learning how to use the Facebook Ad library can assist you in many ways. For instance, if you are starting with Facebook ads for the first time or to get some ideas on how the strategy you’re willing to execute has worked for any advertisers before. Experienced creative companies can also utilize this app to revamp their ad strategies. How To Use Facebook Ad Library? Facebook Ad Library was opened for app users across the world to provide ad transparency allowing businesses and creative directors to discover what’s going on in the online market and create ads like the best-performing ones. (i) To start with, visit this link: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library. (ii) In the search bar, select a country, select All Ads, and then provide your competitor’s business name (or industry name for which you want to search ads). (iii) Press Enter and you’ll see ad results for reference with their status (active or not) when the ad started, the time period for which the ad was active, and the Meta platforms where the ad is/was active. On an ad of your interest, click on See Details. On the right-hand side, click on the drop-down button next to European Union Transparency. It’ll show you the data related to the ad reach, by location, age, and gender. In addition, you’ll find two more options (i) About the advertiser (ii) Beneficiary and Payer. However, you may not necessarily get all these details for all the ads due to certain campaign specifications. Filter Your Results Meta Ad library provides a comprehensive list of filters using which you can manage to see ad data based on specific language, region, media type, impressions by date, etc. Let’s discuss them in detail below. Language: Facebook allows you to fetch data in English and other languages. Advertisers: You can choose a particular advertiser in this field to get their ads as a result. Platforms: This feature of the Ad library allows filtering of ad results for a particular Meta-owned platform (Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network and Messenger). Media Type: You can sort ad results by media type (images, memes, videos, images and memes, not image or video) to get the one you need. Active Status: This helps see ad results separately for Active Ads, Inactive Ads and both Active and Inactive Ads. Impressions By Date: Facebook allows users to discover how well an ad has performed and how many impressions it got in a specified time. With all these specifications, you can have an idea of how to set out a strategy for your ad campaign so that you can launch it when it is most likely to fetch the reach and desired results. How To Do Competitor Analysis Using Facebook Ad Library? Facebook ad library provides transparency on ad strategies of your competitors. With access to ad details like what kind of ad formats your competitors are using, in which country they are running ads and how they are approaching their target audience, etc. you can analyze how they are ahead of you. Let’s have a look at the ad campaigns of Tata 1mg in which they have promoted their services. You can go through all the active ads they are running. In addition, you can filter the results to see how they are targeting a specific country, which platforms they utilize, which media type they use the most, etc. Furthermore, it also provides ad data for the past 7 years which can be analyzed to assess the difference in their present-day strategy. This is a great possibility that you get to know which strategies deliver their message effectively and resulted in their growth. Ways To Use Facebook Ad Library Here is how you can leverage this vast ad library from Facebook: 1. Geo-specific Targeting Ad library provides ad ideas based on different locations. This means you can search for the best and most creative ideas based on your requirements and strategies for expansion in a particular country. Although the Meta ad library presents

Content, Digital Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Online, Online Business, SEO, SMO, Social Media Marketing, VIdeo Marketing, Voice Search marketing

What Is Digital Marketing? – A Beginner’s Guide 2024

Gurleen Kaur / February 16, 2024

MDigital marketing is not a bandwagon, but the essence of establishing your business in the overcrowded online competition. With people using the internet more than ever, this industry has amplified its horizons to every sect/industry. Today we’ll discuss what is digital marketing, how it works, and what its advantages are. Shopping, booking tickets, bill payments, ordering food, phone recharges, etc. all have become accessible online. This integration and inclination towards internet usage has given birth to digital marketing. Digitalization evolved into a huge revolution globally that not only connected people but also opened a hub of avenues for businesses. Online marketing has become an inevitable part of the world, especially after the pandemic. Consequently, this sector is expected to reach $786.2 billion in the coming two years, GlobeNewswire reports. That’s why marketers are going the whole nine yards to ace their digital marketing approach. What Is Digital Marketing? Digital marketing is the branch of marketing that utilizes online channels (websites, social media sites, email marketing, programmatic marketing, etc.) to promote business offerings. In short, it is advertising through online means to reach out to prospective buyers over the internet. Although print media advertising is still in use, digital advertising has caught a wide share of marketing. As per Statista, the count of Internet of Things (IoT) has spiked by 6.54 billion from 2019 to 2023. This is to say that there is an enormous increase in the usage of internet-friendly mobile devices. For this simple reason, marketers have shifted to digital marketing for optimum exposure. Importance Of Digital Marketing Now knowing what the need for digital marketing is as important as discovering what is digital marketing: In this era, where technology has overpowered almost every sector, internet marketing has seen a drastic upward shift. And its graph has been going upward ever since, especially after the Covid outbreak. Digital marketing has saved plenty of time, now rather than physically visiting the store to grab stuff, we can order whatever we want in a few clicks/taps. Online marketing has made it possible for people to discover various color/design options or features of a particular product. Similarly, one can avail customization in services from the comfort of their home. This all was so much time-consuming before digital marketing. Strategies Used In Digital Marketing Here are key tactics utilized in digital marketing, which are also referred to as its various types: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) SEO is the process of optimizing a website with the intent to make it rank among the top spots in search results. For this purpose, three key SEO aspects need to be worked on: on-page, off-page, and technical. These factors are regulated to make the website SEO-friendly. To improve page ranks, businesses typically focus on: Improving content quality Increasing user engagement Enhancing user experience (desktop and mobile) These three components together yield improvement in ranking because people hardly go beyond the 2nd page of the search engine results page (SERP). On-page search optimization techniques are focused on tweaking on-site aspects that the audience generally interacts with. For instance, keyword research and natural integration are focused on improving content discoverability. Off-page search engine optimization aims to improve your website visibility off-site. That’s why it mainly includes generating backlinks and company profile listing on third-party sites. Google and search engines other than Google are highly inclined towards the quality backlink profile of a website. Technical SEO is to deal with backend improvements that determine how search engines will crawl your website. Your site’s architecture, coding, page load speed, metadata, etc. are thus major nucleus parts that are worked on to obtain improved SERP ranks. This is how SEO aims to improve a website’s organic ranking to attract organic traffic. Social Media Marketing (SMM) SMM is an integral part of digital marketing which incorporates promoting business offerings on social media platforms. Today, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Pinterest, etc. are heavily used for business promotions. Social media ad spend has increased to $226 billion in recent years, DATAREPORTALS confirms. This evidently says that social media sites have become a go-to option for marketers for advertising purposes. Social Media Optimization (SMO) Social Media Optimization is the process of optimizing your social media presence to direct the audience from social channels to your website. It is a way to engage and interest audiences more profoundly. This in turn gives a strong boost in lead generation and conversions. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing Pay-per-click marketing involves running paid ad campaigns that only charge advertisers when their audience/prospective buyers take a desired action after seeing their ads on third-party websites, search engines, or social media platforms. It is one of the most economical digital marketing campaigns that charges only if you get the desired result. Banner ads, shopping ads, and native ads are a few examples of PPC marketing. Online Reputation Management (ORM) Online reputation management is the branch of digital marketing that deals with the social image of a business. It utilizes social listening tools to assess what your audience is looking for and how they perceive your brand/products/services. This includes assessing public reviews and complaints about your business. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) SEM is the branch of digital marketing that involves making websites and e-commerce stores visible on search engines. It includes paid ad campaigns that drive traffic and uplift ranking. This further helps in making business more discoverable in local searches or searches with geographical locations, for a certain price range, for a specific brand of a product, for a particular color, or any other attribute of the product, etc. Content Creation & Marketing Digital marketing revolves around creating optimized content and marketing to grab opportunities. Content writers prepare SEO-optimized content with the help of keywords that have higher search volume. Blogs, articles, white papers, social media copies, videos, infographics, presentations, podcasts, newsletters, etc. are a few examples of content. Link Building SEO is highly dependent on link-building tactics. White hat link building techniques fetch high-quality and authoritative links from trusted and relevant

News, Online, Search Marketing

80+ Search Engines Other Than Google (Best in 2024)

Gurleen Kaur / January 25, 2024

For the past two decades, Google has been ruling the search industry. However, there are several search engines other than Google that can serve similar functions. Although Google is leading the charts of top search engines, many other search engines are also used. In this article, we’ll discuss a list of search engines apart from Google that you can use. There can be various reasons for discovering other search engines including data sharing preferences, differences in results ranking, and marketer’s one of the favorite- making search engine submissions. Not only that, marketers need social search engines to learn about the latest trends and social listening as well. In addition, image search engines also play a key role in taking cues for visual content. So let’s start with the most prominent search engines around the globe. 5 Most Used Search Engines Other Than Google S. NO. Search Engines URL 1 Bing https://www.bing.com/# 2 DuckDuckGo https://duckduckgo.com/ 3 Yandex https://yandex.com/ 4 Yahoo! https://in.search.yahoo.com/ 5 Baidu https://www.baidu.com/ (i) Bing Launched On: June 3, 2009 Owned By: Microsoft Bing is the second most used search engine after Google and holds more than 3% of the market share. It offers a splendid visual and search experience with customization options similar to that of Google. With Bing, you can perform reverse image searches, look for neutralized video results, use its AI-powered program called Chat GPT, etc. Not only that, Bing also provides redeemable points when users search or shop using the platform. Features S.NO. FEATURE DETAILS 1 Rewards Program Bing offers reward points for performing searches on it. These points can be redeemed for gift cards, games, sweepstakes entries, subscriptions, nonprofit donations, etc. 2 Content Generation You can use the Bing AI feature to generate content for professional copy, email, essays, etc. 3 Image Generation Bing can also generate images as per your specific needs. 4 Knowledge Cards Bing provides Knowledge Cards 2.0 which suggests related queries for the performed search helping users to know about related key topics. (ii) DuckDuckGo Launched On: September 25, 2008 Owned By: DuckDuckGo (Independently-held) If you’re concerned about your privacy while performing online searches, then DuckDuckGo is one of the best alternatives to Google. DuckDuckGo doesn’t keep track of users’ data and doesn’t have any search history storage. It also stops ad interruptions and provides impersonalized search results. In addition, the privately-held search engine offers bonus features like Bangs. Features S.NO FEATURE DETAILS 1 Bangs DuckDuckGo offers bonus features like Bangs. This allows users to perform searches on a particular website in an instant using shortcuts. For instance, ‘!w’ takes you to Wikipedia. 2 Tracker Radar DuckDuckGo launched its own open-source Tracker Radar that comes in handy for individuals, researchers and developers in creating tracker block lists and gathering information about it, which is still getting improvements. 3 No Search Filter Bubble The search filter bubble is used by various search engines like Google which shows results based on our personal preferences hinted at by shopping history, search history, location, etc. DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect users’ information and search history thus fostering private search criteria. 4 Encrypted Searches DuckDuckGo not only provides a safe search experience but also stops third-party apps and websites from tracking user information. (iii) Yahoo! Launched On: September 1, 2021 (previously known as Oath- 2017 & Verizon Media- 2019) Owned By: 90% by Apollo Global Management & 10% by Verizon Communications Yahoo! is among the most widely used search engines other than Google introduced at the beginning of the internet era. It proffers features that help users personalize their search experience. It was primarily used for news, weather, sports, and trending searches or for sending and receiving emails. With time it has expanded its horizons and now offers information on several types of content including sports as a basic topic. Yahoo acquired Flickr in 2005 and grew its community, although it has many competitors like Instagram, Snapchat, SmugMug, etc. Features S.NO. FEATURE DETAILS 1 Yahoo Mail Yahoo has evolved its own set of algorithms and crawlers for the filtration of search results called Yahoo Slurp. 2 Yahoo Slurp Yahoo has evolved its own set of algorithms and crawlers for filtration of search results called Yahoo Slurp. 3 Diversified Coverage Yahoo is designed in this way to provide information about specific fields. For instance, searching ‘Yahoo Finance’ will return the latest indexed results on finance. 4 Linked With Microsoft Bing Yahoo’s search algorithm works in line with Microsoft Bing, so you can expect similarities in the search results. However, the result presentation is different from that of Bing and Google. (iv) Baidu Launched On: January 18, 2000 Owned By: Robin Li and Eric Xu Baidu is also a popular search engine used in place of Google. It was introduced in China because the govt. there has restricted the use of Google. Baidu holds 70% of the market share in China and offers all the features that one can expect in a search engine. Features S.NO. FEATURE DETAILS 1 Baidu Tieba Baidu Tieba is a forum discussion app that Baidu introduced in China to connect people with open discussions. 2 Baidu Baike Also called Baidu Wiki, Baidu Baike is an online encyclopedia from Baidu. It is simply a storage of information on a vast number of topics that are often ranked at the top in search results on Baidu. 3 Baidu Wangpan Baidu introduced its cloud storage service called Baidu Wangpan for file management and resource sharing. It also allows third-party integration. 4 Pay4Placement (P4P) P4P is a part of Baidu’s advertisement plan that allows users to display their text-based ads in front of an interested online audience. It works on the keyword bidding mechanism. (v) Yandex Launched On: September 23, 1997 Owned By: Yandex LLC Yandex is a search engine other than Google and a go-to option for performing online searches for many. It shares native roots with Russia where it was developed. While Yandex is first in Russia, it is the 5th most-used search engine in the

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