It has been reported that the government is unlikely to meet the deadline for new regulations regarding website cookies, highlighting the important need for all website owners to get on top of the issue immediately. From May 26th, new regulations will come into force requiring all websites to ask consumers if they can install cookies, rather than simply going ahead and using them anyway. However, the BBC has reported that the “majority” of official government sites will not be ready in time.</p> <p>Cookies are used by websites to track the personal data of consumers, and can be a great way of gaining traffic in addition to providing news feeds, good content and informative articles. Under the new regulations, consent for their use must be gained from consumers who visit the website.</p> <p>A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: “As in the private sector, where it is estimated that very few websites will be compliant by the 26th May, so it is true of the government estate. The majority of department websites will not be compliant with the legislation by that date.” However, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) revealed that no action would be taken over the missed deadline so long as government websites showed their ongoing commitment to ensure that regulations would be met in time.</p> <p>For other website owners, it is vital to ensure that investing into cookie authorising schemes is made, sooner than later. Whilst it is expected for the ICO to take little action on those who have not managed to meet the May 26th deadline, the regulations will still need to be met eventually to provide consumers with more protection over their personal data.<br />

The team at Google has revealed that it has changed its algorithms yet again. They state that the aim is to provide searchers with a more “human” response to search terms by the use of a new function they have termed a Knowledge Graph. </p> <p>Like Bing, the company is striving to generate more meaningful responses to keyword searches. This should reduce the amount of time internet users spend looking for the information they require. However, for the majority of internet users the change is unnecessary, with many people thinking that Google is making a fuss over nothing.</p> <p>Bing has previously made efforts to provide instant and accurate results for searchers, with Microsoft’s search engine launching a “snapshot” column only last week. Now, Google is responding to Bing’s changes by launching this function (only in the US initially) that will search for information based on context instead of simply matching keywords.</p> <p>Amit Singhal, the vice president of engineering at Google gave the example of the search term ‘Taj Mahal’; two words that can mean completely different things to individual searchers. Google now aims to search such terms on context rather than just returning details of the building. “You might think of one of the world's most beautiful monuments, a Grammy Award-winning musician, or possibly even a casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Alternatively, depending on when you last ate, the nearest Indian restaurant,” Singhal explained.</p> <p>Whilst Google might, think that the news is groundbreaking, many people will not notice any major change, and the report could be attempting to create something of a furore that it is really not worth. In addition, for those publishing good content and regular news feeds to increase traffic to their websites, Google’s latest announcement reinforces this need to provide compelling, unique and interesting content to attract and hold site visitors.</p> <p>

It has been revealed that the average broadband speed in Britain is 42 per cent slower than providers actually state in their advertising. For content writers and video production specialists this means that website media is not as easily or speedily accessed as first thought, with experts having to cater for the slower broadband speeds experienced by customers. </p> <p>In the latest report by the Guardian it was found that more than 3,000 customers that responded are paying for an average speed of 12 megabits per second (Mbps) but are actually only receiving speeds of around 7Mbps. This is just 42 per cent of the advertised speed - a much lower quality of service than many rightly expect. The publication also said that contributors to the poll complained of broadband black spots in city centres, of exposed copper lines that fail in bad weather and of having to move businesses out of homes because of poor connections.</p> <p>Two of the most criticised providers that were identified were TalkTalk and Sky. Their customers saw speeds up to 60 per cent lower than advertised. Meanwhile, Virgin customers that were promised speeds of 30Mbps were only seeing 17.7Mbps. Customers of BT were found to be receiving the best service, with promised levels of 8Mbps coming in at an average of 6Mbps. </p> <p>These new statistics are important for content providers who continually strive to create engaging media for website readers. However, with speeds not as expected it takes longer to load some media options. Content experts need to keep this in mind when developing new campaigns.<br />

Google often attempts to tweak its algorithms so that its search engine offers the best possible resource for customers. However, the latest update, named the Penguin, has caused some chaos for those specialising in SEO.</p> <p>A previous update, named the Panda, was created by Google to look carefully at the content that was being showcased, and downgrade articles that were found to be robotically generated. The idea by Google was to increase the exposure of good content and push poorly written pieces down. Whilst this worked in some regards, many of the top sites suddenly plummeted through the rankings, causing many problems for people who had worked hard to rise past the competition. </p> <p>Google’s newest Penguin update has now been launched, in an attempt to stop webspam from manipulating rankings. Again, this has caused some genuine websites to be down-ranked, causing outcry from those in the SEO industry who have worked tirelessly to build up their websites and surpass much of the poorer competition on the internet.</p> <p>For genuine websites, one key to success is to produce great content writing continually that will be popular with rankings and viewers alike. Whilst websites may rise and fall through rankings as Google continues to change the goalposts, good content prevails, encouraging Googlebot crawls, and readers to revisit sites repeatedly. With Penguin unlikely to be the last update from Google in an effort to perfect its search engine system, it remains to be seen just what long lasting effects Penguin will have on webspam creators.<br />

Facebook is the world’s largest social media success story, and it has seen phenomenal success and growth since it first debuted at the beginning of 2004. Now, with concerns over mobile use leading to falling revenue, the company has launched its own application store, allowing users to download software that is compatible with the social networking site.</p> <p>Facebook changed the face of social media, and it continues to have a huge affect on how content is spread across the internet. Its new App Center will be the “new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something”, the company said, with developers also being able to make money by charging a fee for downloading software.</p> <p>The social network’s Aaron Brady said that roll out of the centre would be swift, with people being able to access the App Center around the world in just a few weeks time. However, Mr Brady was quick to say that the store was not created to compete with the likes of Apple’s App Store, but to offer a way for developers of Facebook applications to offer their products directly to customers. </p> <p>Frost & Sullivan’s industry analyst, Saverio Romeo, said that the latest news suggested that Facebook was going to pursue the mobile app market aggressively, saying: “I think the store is an important element, a community of developers is a fundamental element in the growth we have seen with Apple and Android.” In addition, for those creating content for the web, the latest news by Facebook may be important for the future of content sharing via mobiles.</p> <p>

Etsy, the firm that provides an online marketplace for handmade items, has revealed that it has raised $40m to aid its international expansion. Whilst the internet has allowed a vast number of web-based companies to undercut high street prices and sell items for less, there has also been a rise in the way in which individual consumers can easily start their own small businesses. In addition, as Etsy prepares to expand across the world, the important platform could indicate how consumers are becoming more involved in creating their own content, products and businesses.</p> <p>Led by Index Ventures, the new funding round is to offer a range of benefits. Chad Dickerson, chief executive officer at Etsy, said: “We plan to grow Etsy into an economic force all around the world and we want to provide more products and services to help sellers succeed and build their businesses on the Etsy platform.” He added that international exploits had already begun with operations starting in France and Germany, whilst it was also indicated that Etsy would also offer increased wholesaling opportunities. </p> <p>Etsy has grown considerably from its humble beginnings, with around $525m in transactions being noted in 2011. Last month saw its community sell goods worth approximately $65m, with the site receiving 40 million monthly visitors. The growth of this platform indicates that people increasingly want to create as well as consume. This trend could have important consequences on how content writing providers share and disperse information and media on the web in the future.<br />

It is well known that the smartphone market has created an entirely new way for a generation of people to access online content. Whilst Apple’s iPhone has stayed ahead of the competition, recent positive reports about Nokia’s Lumia have bolstered the interest in this device. Now Nokia has revealed that it is to increase its app market greatly.</p> <p>Currently, Windows Phone only has around 80,000 apps compared with iOSs’ and Android’s half a million. With Windows unable to catch up, it makes sense for the platform to instead cherry pick the best of the bunch so that it can offer its users the best browsing and phone experience possible. Nokia has now said it is adding a range of new apps, such as Rovio, ESPN, Groupon and Box, to Lumia’s line-up, making it even more attractive to users.</p> <p>Senior Vice President of Nokia Developer Experience, Marco Argenti, said: “We are focused on delivering great, locally relevant apps, and importantly, those which offer unique, exclusive and original experiences.”</p> <p>The news is important for content providers who look to enable their digital resources on the mobile platform. Whilst Apple holds a huge stake in the smartphone market, a number of other providers are increasingly making better products for users. In addition, with more consumers utilising internet services and applications on the move, the way in which companies create and share content will have to adapt to this changing social trend.</p> <p>

For anyone that has ever looked into ways of promoting his or her website and attracting traffic, providing the right content has always been of great importance. Get it right, and firms can enjoy a plethora of viewers who will also buy products and services. If they get it wrong, companies could see their websites quickly becoming dead in the water. Google has now suggested that video content is king, with major firms around the world getting set to use video to create branded content this year.</p> <p>It is important to note that quality content is a key feature for attracting web surfers to websites. Now, with video production companies offering an easy way to create branded content, there can be much more interactivity with viewers than ever before. Whilst readers may often shut off halfway through an article and skip to another page or website, becoming engrossed in video content can really hold their attention. This makes it a hugely worthwhile resource to utilise, and the web is set to see increased use of video content in the days to come. </p> <p>Is it really worth it? The answer is yes. Several varieties of video content can be added to websites. These include customer testimonials; product media and even quirky and innovative advertisements that draw viewers back repeatedly. This can greatly increase traffic, resulting in better sales figures and creating more of a brand presence for companies. In addition, with the internet increasingly becoming interactive, video content will be vital for future viewer engagement.<br />

It is widely known that if you utilise SEO techniques, link to other popular sites and publish high-quality content, Google will place your site higher on the search rankings. This high placement will draw more visitors to websites. However, many businesses continue to fall behind in keeping track of their data, allowing problems to creep in and thus miss important opportunities. </p> <p>Bryan Eisenberg, SEO expert, said that the only real way of actually using Google to heighten conversion rates was to use it. According to the expert, around half of businesses do not even log into their Adwords accounts monthly. Meanwhile, fewer than 50 per cent have conversion tracking data in place, whilst another 50 per cent have produced articles and content containing negative keywords. </p> <p>Once companies have begun to use Google habitually, it is important to fully understand what searchers want. This is vital when creating content; using the right tone and language is of great importance. Meanwhile, thought also needs to be given to what searchers do not like or want. For example, for searches on kickboxing, providing content on learning to kick box rather than how to lose fat will work better, even if the searcher’s ultimate aim is to lose weight. </p> <p>Utilising Google’s search links and providing the correct content is essential for those wanting to drive traffic to sales conversions. A good landing page is also crucial in ensuring that visitors are not immediately turned off by a website, despite it having good content. In addition, by continuing to test content and search criteria, businesses can work their way towards better conversion results and higher sales.<br />

An increasing number of firms are turning to the internet to drive sales and attract interest to their brand. It is a fact of modern life that high street retailers are suffering hugely because of the changing shopping trend to buying more than ever online. This means that having a web presence and building a blog are two vital steps to take. </p> <p>Building a blog can offer a great number of advantages to an online business. Not only will it help promote a website to higher search rankings, but it can help to attract a loyal fan base of readers who come back repeatedly for updates. However, writing a blog is not easy, and though many people start well with the daily blogging requirements, it can quickly become tiresome. Readers hate nothing more than to find an interesting blog and then see it fade away as the publisher becomes bored. </p> <p>Article and content writing services are the ideal companies to turn to in these circumstances. Writers can provide content on a range of subjects, allowing business leaders to focus their efforts on growing their company instead of worrying about what they are going to write about next. Daily posting is a habit that can take a long time to get into, but by utilising web copywriting firms, businesses can ensure that their blogs create fans and improve search rankings, whilst not diverting staff members from their important duties in running a successful business. </p> <p>