Neat Tricks with Google Maps

I use Google Maps a lot - both the desktop version and the mobile version (on Android phones/tables).  Although most people only use it to get from point A to point B, it can do so much more.  It's really a pretty amazing application.

I might even call myself a 'Maps power user.'  But I found this list of 26 Google Maps tricks on the Entrepreneur magazine website that made me feel like just a novice.  While I know about and use many of these tricks, at lease half were new to me.  And some of them are just down-right cool!

Checkout the whole list here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/294190

If there are any Google Maps tricks you use that are not listed here, please tell me about them in the comments.  I'm always interested in find new ways to use Google's awesome array of applications.

Google Starts Warnings for Non-Secure Info Collection

If you have a website or manage a website, take note!  If your users are using Google Chrome when visiting your site, and they land on a page that asks for a password, social security number, credit card or other sensitive data, they will begin receive a warning message.

These warnings are the first steps in Google’s plan to make all pages that collect sensitive information use a secure protocol (HTTPS).  Along with this, Google will begin ranking pages with SSL Certificates higher then pages without (even if those pages do not collect information through forms).

How do you make sure your visitors don’t see these messages?  You can purchase an SSL Certificate for your domain.  Install the certificate to protect the whole site, or just the sections / forms that collect the information.  If you are going through a third party for login or to process payments, make sure those sites use SSL.

For more information about SSL Certificates, visit our "SSL/TLS Explained" page.  Comment below with questions.

Google Will Penalize Sites with Popup Ads in 2017

In mid-August Google announced that they would begin penalizing sites that used popup ads (what they call “intrusive interstitials”) beginning in January, 2017.

If you own or manage a WordPress site that uses one of the 1000s of plugins that creates automatic popups, you MUST be aware of this. Your site’s ranking will be effected by these new rules/algorithms. (Non-WordPress sites will also be effected).

Google has identified three kinds of popups they will begin penalizing sites for using/displaying.

• First are popups that cover the main content of the page when a user arrives at that page by clicking on a link from a search result. This includes popups that are immediate, show up as the user scrolls down the page, or popups that show up as you try to navigate away from the page.
• Popups that are ‘stand-alone’ and must be dismissed before the content can be viewed. You know, those annoying popups that cover the whole page and have a countdown timer forcing you to view the ad.
• And finally, popup ads that act/look like they are the above-the-fold content of the page. These are the ads that take up the entire viewable area of the window and slide away quickly as you begin to scroll.

Examples of these popups will include promotions, membership offers, newsletter signups, coupons, and advertisements.

Exceptions to these rules will be popups that cover legal information – like those messages on sites originating in Europe that warn you that cookies are in use, login popups, and verification popups – think age verification on alcohol websites.

Why is Google doing this? Well, Google has been pushing for more mobile friendly sites for a while now. Last year they updated their search algorithms to favor sites that were mobile friendly – basically ranking mobile friendly sites above their ‘peers’ that were not responsive/mobile friendly. Popups that cover content are (annoying, yes) not considered mobile friendly.

  

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Have You Heard of Google Spaces?

Today Google announced their new social app, “Spaces.” I'm usually not one to jump right out there and download the latest, 'greatest' app. But, this one seems to me to be very useful.

The idea behind this new app is to give you a place to communicate with your groups. You can share links, videos, photos, and messages. I've already created groups (or Spaces as Google calls them) for my softball team, biking team, and employee-client groups.

I have to say, so far I like it.

TheNextWeb has a post with info on how to get started with Spaces. Aside from the poor editing, the article is pretty good.  The author doesn't seem as sold on Spaces as I am though.

How do you see yourself using this kind of social app?