The latest Google algorithm update – Panda/Farmer – created lot of buzz among all webmasters. Many websites lost thousands of visitors, others won, but all folks seem to be quite obsessed about this algorithm change.

However, books about how to avoid Panda have been launched and they seem to be quite successful. There is nothing “magic” related to how not to be hit by this latest update, here are some obvious tips that anyone should take into consideration for dealing with this issue:

1.      No to autoblogs

Autoblogs are usually creating using different WordPress plugins or software specially created to use auto-generated (stolen) content on the websites they are used. Panda should definitely be translated as “death to autoblogs”. Although before this type of websites sometimes were ranking even higher than the original publisher, with this update things have been changed.

2.      No to cheap re-writes

Many webmasters are using for their blogs cheap writers that usually only re-write content found online – this is not quality content and obviously the websites using this type of content will have to suffer in terms of traffic/SERPS.

3.      No to spun articles/PLR articles

Although Google is only a “robot”, it seems that it can make the difference between quality content and spun, rubbish content. From grammar mistakes to even unusual usage of synonyms, Panda addresses to this issue as well.

4.      Yes to unique, quality content

Unique, interesting and quality content has been for ages the sure-way for getting natural backlinks, more targeted traffic, more loyal readers and more exposure in the online environment. Is not something new that you should definitely create top-notch content but it is new that obviously bad content can do more harm than good, now with the Panda/Farmer update.

Microsoft has recently unveiled new details about their newest edition of Windows that is scheduled to be officially launched in 2012. Basically, this new OS will come with a very modified interface in order to be used on tablets. The company says the new Windows 8, which borrows features from Windows Phone, will be much more optimised for touch screen gadgets.

Microsoft says the new Windows 8 will keep close with latest market changes and will be able to run on various terminals, from the tablets with under 10-inch screen, up to the latest desktop PCs. Microsoft unveiled Windows 8 at an event in Taipei (Taiwan) with live demonstrations on a tablet, a laptop and a classic desktop PC.

The new OS codenamed Windows 8 will come with features from Windows 7 Phone to be compatible with touch-screen devices. Icons are large and with a colourful style, following the ones from the current smartphones, for being easily accessed from sensitive touch screens.

A big change is that the future Windows will be able to run on both processors built on the ARM architecture (produced by companies such as Qualcomm and Texas Instruments, used especially on smartphones) and also on the x86 processors (Intel and AMD products used on PCs).

ARM processors are used for ultra-portable devices and this is a sign that Microsoft is reacting to new trends that favor small gadgets and devices coming with high-end processors.

According to a new released study by research firm StatCounter, Microsoft XP has 46% of the operating system market, Windows 7 owns 33%, and Vista is about 12%. We should wait and see what impact Windows 8 will have on the operating system market, however this not earlier than 2012.

As we suspected, Google launched its new “social media” response to Facebook’s Like quite fast. Google’s +1 button serves the exact same purpose as a “Like” does: people search for information online, they discover what they consider an interesting resource and click the +1 button for sharing it online.

To process for getting access to +1 button on your website is quite easy: just go to your Google account, sign in, install the necessary extension and there you go: you have instant access to this social media sharing button right from Google Chrome browser. Once you start visiting other pages you will see the +1 button next to the resources you are reading, up and running, waiting to be clicked for sharing interesting articles/content.

For now all is crystal clear, we are still considering +1 button a mirrored feature of Facebook’s Like, however, what will be the consequences in terms of search engine optimisation? Will it have any or it will be “yet another social sharing button”?

If users can now remove websites from their search engine results and this action is taken into consideration by Google folks, it means that +1 sharing can really make a difference in the SERPS. We all know that Google tries to “make the web a more user-friendly place” and they are considering the bounce rate as a ranking factor (not demonstrated though), however only time will tell whether this new feature will have an impact or not over websites’ positions in the search engine results.

The New York Times exposed earlier in February this year that JCPenney, one of the most popular online retailers from the US, has violated Google TOS and used black hat link building methods for higher rankings. Following that report they have suffered a manual penalty which seems to have been lifted.

The interesting fact is that although they have lost major ranks on Google, they have actually reported a 6.6% increase in online sales, when compared to last year’s sales, thus strengthening their statement that only about 7% of their visitors come from organic results.

But how was the penalty removed so quickly and did JCPenney gain anything after this story? First things first, the retailer had to quickly remove the shady links (thousands of paid links from different networks, acquired over time), clean up their link profile and obviously submit the re-consideration request. Normally, after cleaning up the shady links they should have been suffered a major decline in link numbers, however this is entirely false! Actually their link diversity, numbers and whole link profile has become stronger, this all due to the media coverage of this subject. Quality links from thousands of well established sites like TechCrunch or Search Engine Land will definitely make a difference on the long run and this is one of the best examples of what we call “a perfect link bait”.

This is not only about the links but it is also about brand awareness, brand promotion and brand exposure. Their massive media and offline media coverage actually increased their sales and brand awareness without them doing absolutely nothing! They might not have been gained all their top positions after the penalty was removed but some things are sure:

-          they have came back on top spots

-          they have increased their sales

-          they have a great link profile now

-          they gained thousands of authority links

-          they had the perfect brand awareness campaign, for free

Anyone in for a major penalty?

Yet another interesting study revealed from HitWise. After April’s graphs related to Bing gaining more market share in the UK, this month’s data relates to how social networking websites are gaining/losing market share within the UK Internet users and main focus is on the most popular video sharing website – YouTube.

If in April 2010 YouTube had about 16.92% share of visits on social networking sites, this year it has grown and passed the 20% mark – 20.03%. Easier said, if in April 2010 1 of 6 visits to social networking sites were on YouTube, now it counts for 1 in 5 visits – in the United Kingdom.
However, Facebook is still the most popular social networking site from UK with around 54.80% share in April 2011, a slow growth from April’s 2010 53.84%. Although Facebook is way ahead YouTube, since 2008 the video sharing website has been growing steadily in popularity, going from 8 to

number 3 in only 3 years.
What these facts tell us: Facebook and YouTube should be used in each and any social marketing campaign due to their popularity. Even though from an SEO perspective they might not be so “helpful”, in the end it is traffic/conversions what makes a business grow and earn money and by using these 2 channels in an appropriate manner things can definitely improve in terms of visitors/popularity

For the last few months, many voices claimed that two of the most popular social websites nowadays – Facebook and Skype – are to be “united”, of course, for an approximately $4 billion sum. Even if this transaction will not complete, Facebook and Skype already started sharing some “goodies”, each from each other – while Facebook created an application that allows users to call their friends through Skype service, Skype added a “News Feed” from Facebook.

Although this merge could literally mean a great threat for Google’s Gtalk (imagine Facebook extending its services from only text to text and voice, that would be huge for the social media environment), it seems that another huge bidder tries to get its claws on Skype. Microsoft,  as we mentioned, are set to buy Skype for an incredible amount of money – that’s $8.5 billion! We are talking here about over 3 times more money than eBay paid in 2005 and this could be a great step forward for both Skype and Microsoft.

Why this move, you might probably ask yourself? The answer is quite simple: guys at Microsoft want a larger piece of Internet searchers with their search engine – Bing – and what other way to start this other than acquiring the most popular online voice service available nowadays? With tens of millions of users worldwide, this could be a huge hit for the Internet industry and could shake some big players like Google.