With three months behind us since Google introduced major changes to Google Grants, the philanthropic arm of AdWords, the long-term effects on account performance are now becoming apparent. Sadly, they’re not to nonprofits’ benefit.

First, some background: Google Grants is part of the Google for Nonprofits program, which allows registered 501(c)(3) organizations to take advantage of a handful of Google products at reduced rates or no cost. While the Grants program provides nonprofits with in-kind pay-per-click (PPC) advertising through AdWords, it comes with a few limitations.

Major changes to Google Grants and its effects on nonprofit search marketing programs

The revitalized look of Facebook's News Feed (Image courtesy of Flickr user Thomas Hawk)

In March, Facebook announced its new mobile-inspired news feed which has again sparked conversations surrounding the vital importance of visual elements in social media marketing. “Visual Marketing” was coined as a breakout trend of 2012 with the growing popularity of social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram. With pictures being shared and liked more than text, links and videos it’s clear that more images equals more engagement. This is not surprising considering the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text alone, 83% of all learning is visual, and 93% of communication is non-verbal.

The Golden Circle creator, Simon Sinek. (Image courtesy of Flickr user Cea.)

Rarely will a company prioritize “gaining prospect and customer trust” as a top goal for its marketing campaign. However, trust is one of the most crucial aspects of any relationship: romantic, platonic, familial or professional. If little or no trust exists in a professional relationship, projects will likely not meet goals and will waste time, effort and money. On the other hand, a trusting professional relationship enables both parties to communicate openly so that work is accomplished efficiently and effectively. At 90octane we believe trust is a differentiator. In fact, it’s our why.

Image courtesy of SEOPal

The search engine marketing community has been abuzz over the last week analyzing signs that a potentially game-changing update to Google’s algorithm is about to take place. No one knows exactly when the new version of Penguin will be implemented, or how it will affect SEM efforts, but Google has made it clear that this isn’t just another minor change – it’s the next step for Google in search engine marketing.

90octane has made BtoB Magazine's "Top Agencies Special Report" for the sixth year in a row!

We’re thrilled that BtoB Magazine has included 90octane in its “Top Agencies Special Report” for the sixth year in a row. The list is compiled based on annual revenue, percentage of business-to-business revenue, innovation, and top clients for small, midsize, large and interactive agencies. We’ve been listed in the Interactive category since our first inclusion in 2008. To learn more about BtoB Magazine and the Top Agencies Special Report, visit www.btobonline.com. And to learn more about 90octane, visit www.90octane.com or email info@90octane.com.

According to Marketing Sherpa, ninety-five percent of mobile users search for local information on their phones. Mobile usage continues to grow rapidly, and businesses who invest in mobile search optimization see the benefits.

Just as important as creating a mobile site is testing and optimizing it to bring in traffic from mobile searches. Because SEO is analyzed differently for mobile than it is for desktop sites, it’s important to differentiate your strategy for both platforms. Here are some things to consider when optimizing your mobile site.