This means that when you query a term with multiple associations like “Alcatraz,” a window will appear on the right side of your results showing you the options of Alcatraz the island off the coast of San Francisco, or the now recently canceled TV show. Clicking either option will show you results only for that entity.

The Knowledge Graph will include summaries for some search terms on top of the page. For example, when you search for “Vincent Van Gough” a brief bio will appear on the results page, with photos, notable paintings and related search terms; other artists such as Picasso or Leonardo da Vinci.  These “related searches” are generated from what other people clicked when searching for your query. In this respect, the graph is more closely related to a web that will help you research topics in depth.

Information will come from a variety of knowledge databases such as Freebase, Wikipedia, Google Maps, Google Local and Google Shopping. Community sources like Wikipedia are well known to provide false information, so the Knowledge Graph will include an error reporting system.

Google had previously focused on social search, in part due to the popularity of social networks like Facebook, and its competitor Bing followed suit with its newest redesign, now currently available upon request.  With these new implementations, Google seems to be moving back to a search engine based on finding and discovering information rather than sharing it. The Knowledge Graph has the potential to process and answer specific questions directly, much like a human would, or iPhone’s Siri.

I am particularly interested to see how the Knowledge Graph will affect and interact with Google+, SEO and finally, Project Glass. What do you think? Is everything is just a stepping stone to an Android competitor to Apple’s Siri? Feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on Google’s Knowledge Graph in the comments below.

Because of Trippy’s integration with Facebook, it is only natural that its biggest new feature is a Facebook Timeline App. The app will allow your posts from Trippy to be displayed on Facebook. Another new feature is users can now “follow” other users’ boards. This can also be displayed in the Timeline App and is another way to entice your friends to join Trippy as well as encourage them to follow various users. Another new update to the site is an enhanced mapping feature that is really quite useful. The photos you post will have corresponding plots on your map so it will be easier to see if you have a strong desire to visit one specific place or if you enjoyed any one place more than another.

Trippy is well on its way to even more updates and its founders clearly have a larger vision for it as well. Ultimately, the website strives to be a space where users can actually book flights and make dinner reservations directly from the page.

One specific update I am hoping for soon is more integration with Twitter. As I deleted my personal Facebook account earlier this year and many others do not have Facebook accounts, Trippy makes it difficult for us to use the page, as you can only log in using Facebook. I hope the site adapts a login style similar to Pinterest’s, where you can log in using Facebook, Twitter, or a separate login just for the site. While the main focus of Trippy is getting recommendations from personal friends instead of strangers, I think people using the site without linking it to Facebook would still use it to browse and get to know people with similar interests and in time would trust their recommendations and ideas as they would their friends.

The redesign adds a right-hand column that includes “people” results from social networks Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Quora and LinkedIn. While you’re searching, you can even ask questions on your favorite social network without even leaving Bing. You can also add links from your Bing searches to these posts in order to further answer your questions.

For example, if you search for “drake hotel chicago” in the new Bing, pictures your friends posted on Facebook of their exploits in Chicago will show up in the results. Any hotel that your friends have “liked” on Faceook will be marked with the signature “thumbs-up.” Of course, this feature requires you to be logged into Facebook via the Bing app.

This new column is called “What Your Friends Know,” appropriately named to accompany the first column “What the Web Knows” and the second column “What Bing Knows.” The latter won’t fill up for every search, but will be most helpful when searching for restaurants, hotels, movies, events, and people. You’ll be able to make hotel and restaurant reservations from this second column, and search for the right person across multiple social networks.

Compared to Search plus Your World, Bing’s new search results could be seen as more cluttered as there are potentially three (or four with ads) different columns in each page of surfing. But there is also potential for better organization with three columns clearly dividing each section, instead of including social results within the search like Google does. Also, with clear integration with social network giants Facebook and Twitter, Bing may very well have a leg up, at least in relevant people results.

Bing needs an advantage. According to comScore, Google accounted for 66.4 percent of searches in the U.S this March. Mashable noted that Bing and Google appear to offer different search philosophies: one a blend of data and one with clear distinction from social results. Which do you prefer? Feel free to share your opinions below!

Hire outside
The best reason to outsource or hire an agency to run your social media channels is that you will have more time to take care of other important concerns. You’ll be hiring experts (presumably), so you also won’t have to spend time learning about and reading up on the latest and best digital strategies. If you are lucky enough to have a team of individuals working on your account, that’s even better – you’ll get double, triple, even quadruple, the brain power. With an agency, chances are you will get more ideas, more hands, more combined experience, and probably more savvy people than you would otherwise. A potential negative to hiring an outside marketing team is that there could be a disconnect between your property and the company. You need to be sure that the Point of Contact at the property is available and responsive to the social media team in case any specific questions arise. That person also should update the agency when there is something special going on at the property so the team can properly publicize it.

Do it yourself
Handling your hotel’s social media accounts in-house is the other option. If you need to update your fans and followers with information quickly, it’s probable that you will be able to disseminate that information faster since you might have to go through multiple people to get to the right person at an agency. However, it’s much easier for someone working at a hotel to not be as well-versed in the appropriate social media tactics. There’s also the opportunity cost to keep in mind – what is not getting done while that employee is updating Facebook or writing tweets? At some hotels, it might be possible to hire someone specifically to run the social media accounts. But is that really cost-effective? Hiring an agency in most cases is cheaper than hiring a full-time employee.

Whether hiring an agency or doing it yourself, it is clear that hotels need to implement a consistent social media plan in order to keep up with the industry. The possibilities and opportunities are endless on the Internet, and you’ll keep your guests happy too!

Miso

Miso is more content-based than its competitors. It offers plotlines, slideshows, polls and discussions on the television shows you’re watching. So basically it’s a gloried fan site with check-ins. Miso offers badges for activity like Foursquare, but I’m not sure I should be rewarded for spending so much time in front of the television. I like the set-up, but there are so many other places I can access this content, and in a more comprehensive manner (IMDB, Wikipedia…and fan sites!) so I doubt I’ll be using Miso much.

GetGlue

Arguably the most popular entertainment check-in service is GetGlue. It allows check-ins for books, wines, topics, celebrities, video games, movies and television. Instead of offering badges like Foursquare, GetGlue awards stickers for activity. The service satisfies one’s immediate need to comment on content by posting notes with a check-in, and building a conversation around a show or book. One of its best features is the recommendation engine that feeds users other books, movies, and films they may like based on their activity. But I can get better recommendations from friends (in-person, mind you) so I don’t see much of a draw with GetGlue.

Viggle

Get real rewards for something you already do: watching the shows you love! Sounds awesome, right? Except you have to check-in to shows live to get rewards. Who does that anymore? I can see how this would be useful for sporting events, but I certainly don’t know anyone who watches scripted shows live anymore. As I watch most of my television online, this application does nothing for me.

Shazam

You may be wondering why this one is on my list. Isn’t that the song identification service?  In case you didn’t know, Shazam has been working to integrate itself into live broadcasts, most notably the Super Bowl and the Grammys. When a viewer sees a circular “S” on the corner of the screen, they can grab extra content using the Shazam app. According to Mashable, this tactic was met with great success during the Super Bowl ads, leading to high engagement. During the Grammys, a popular feature was the chance to enter a contest to win tickets for next year’s awards using Shazam.

In conclusion, Shazam is probably the only entertainment service that is tempting me to subscribe to cable sometime in the near future.  The chance to enter contests to win real prizes and access extra content has great potential to provide an enriching entertainment experience, and that is exactly what I’m looking for in an entertainment application.

The bill was introduced Friday by Democratic congressmen Reps. Eliot Engel (NY) and Jan Schakowsky (Ill.). The bill would ban not only employers, but also schools and colleges, from putting requirements on anyone to turn over his or her login and password for any social networking website. It would also not let these establishments discipline, discriminate, or deny employment or acceptance to anyone who does not give access to their accounts. Anyone requesting this information under these circumstances would face a $10,000 fine.

Of course, the Social Networking Online Protection Act does not prohibit anyone from performing searches on candidates to see what information they have available publicly on their various profiles. This again reminds us to check our privacy settings, and not to post anything that might sneak up on you and backfire at a later point. Although nothing has been filed yet, Facebook has threatened to take action against companies that ask for access to its current or potential employees’ accounts, since this goes against its clearly stated Legal Terms.

Supporters are hoping that the bill will come to see the light of day. While the bill has no official Republican co-sponsor, some right-wing congressmen were working on a draft of the bill so this may very well mean that both sides will support it.

Bills don’t come without questions, and many are sure to arise. Does the act protect access to individuals’ email accounts? What defines a “social network”? Are the terms different for social media community managers? For now, we can only hope that the bill will pass and that this invasion of privacy will stop.

Hotels should particularly pay close attention to how they structure their lifestyle articles and blogs.  As we put more emphasis on semantic search, it is imperative that we become more selective in the keywords we incorporate in the metatags.  That being said, you will not only have to understand the meaning and context around your keywords but most importantly you will have to write relevant content around those keywords that will closely match the searcher’s intent.  Effective keyword research goes beyond just comparing keyword search volume and keyword effectiveness index.  It requires a comprehensive analysis of the searcher’s intent and purpose as well as the relevance of the keyword and search query results. This change will give hotels a great opportunity to review their website’s content and make sure that it is relevant and compelling.

Restructuring your content writing to coincide with Google’s new semantic search algorithm doesn’t have to be a challenge so as long as you follow these valuable tips:

• Emphasize Local Search in your Keywords

Local search is particularly important for hotel websites because many searches involve the city or/and state the hotel is located in.  Formulating a set of keywords typically starts off with the hotel’s location and from there the list continues to build with popular attractions nearby.  Combining the word’ hotel’ with cities and top destination spots nearby will improve the relevancy of your keywords and the user’s intent.

• Insightful Research

When thinking about what people are searching for when it comes to hotels, it is important to consider what local events are going on and what attractions are nearby.  For example, when searching for “hotels in Anaheim” majority of users will narrow down their search by choosing an attraction they might be visiting during their vacation;  most notably Disneyland and California Adventure.  Optimizing your keywords effectively entails a lot of in-depth research.  A few reliable sources to finding out what is relevant to a hotel’s location includes Tripadvisor, Google Places, Yelp, Google +, Twitter, and Facebook.  By using these resources, you will be able to get a better idea of what former or potential guests are most interested in and what people are talking about in their Twitter feeds and Facebook walls.

• Write Fresh and Relevant Content

Once you figure out which keywords will convert and which will help produce the highest ROI, then you a ready to provide compelling content on your site and in your blog.  Incorporating long-tailed keywords in your content is highly suggested as it will expand your search query results on search engines.  The more informative and resourceful your content is, the more readers will appreciate your blog and increase customer retention.

In conclusion, Google favors websites that provide readers with valuable and relevant information. After all, to get quality results you must update your SEO strategies to coincide with Google’s algorithm changes.

What is more controversial is how powerful that number is proving to be. According to Wired.com, clerks at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas looked up guests’ Klout scores before they checked-in. High-scorers received instant room upgrades, which led to quite the buzz around the hotel. Also, a low Klout score supposedly prevented a man with 15 years of marketing experience from obtaining a vice president position at a Toronto marketing firm. Now, some are worried about their own (low) Klout scores.

Personally, I think that’s ridiculous. Although I am a self-admitted social media junkie, I must admit I was late to join Klout—I did so last fall when I heard my co-workers talking about it. It’s fun to check people’s scores, maybe joke about some of their topics, but it’s silly to make a decision to hire someone based on something so arbitrary.

Klout scores purport to measure influence, but when big tech moguls like Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg have pretty much the same score as little old me (52 vs. 51) you start to realize something is fishy. It’s also important to know that the same man I mentioned earlier was able to increase his Klout score from 34 to 72 in only six months. Is six months on Klout really equivalent to 15 years of marketing experience? I think not.

What’s even more disturbing is what it takes to raise your Klout score: a lot of tweeting and re-tweeting. This is what allows spambots to have decent Klout scores despite the fact that they rarely post original content. To be perfectly honest, most people have never even heard of Klout, so how can it really be valuable?

Take any Klout score with a grain of salt. I’d say it is only good so far as playful office banter and getting free perks. If an employer is concerned about your score vs. your actual experience, you probably don’t want to work for them in the first place.

Content marketing is clearly an essential tactic in your marketing plan but only if executed correctly. Make sure the person writing the content is experienced and well-versed in all things writing. Don’t let anyone publish anything official until it is proofread or until you trust his or her writing. Errors in your writing can be the “make or break” moment when a potential client decides to hire you (or not). One small typo even in the Title Tag might completely turn off a customer. While many people might not be so concerned about typos like I am, you can’t ignore the few people who might care!

If you are going to outsource your content, do some research first. Check out the company’s or person’s website and blog to see how he or she writes. Are there any obvious grammar issues or typos? If he writes his own content so carelessly, how will he treat yours?

I’m not saying if you have a typo on your website, blog, Facebook page, etc. that you’ve signed your death wish. It’s just something that is so easy to control and fix. I catch typos on websites all the time and that site then loses at least some credibility in my book. Proofread all your work and if you ever see an error, fix it immediately. Remember, you can only make one first impression!

Blogger

Blogger is a very commonly used blogging platform as it is 100% free. It is also very easy to set-up and manage. You don’t need to know anything about HTML or CSS or web hosting to get your blog up and running in no time at all. You can easily include widgets, videos, polls and much more in the sidebar of your blog. It is also incredibly easy to rearrange the look and feel of your blog. You can also easily display Amazon, Google AdSense ads, and much more to make some money off your blog. Plus, did we mention that Blogger is owned by Google, so all of your posts will automatically be indexed by the world’s most popular search engine. Overall, Blogger is a great choice for personal accounts or those new to blogging.

WordPress

WordPress is the most popular content management system in use today. There are two options with WordPress: a self-hosted, paid version at your own domain and a free shared-hosting version at wordpress.com. With the paid version, you own your content, so you have complete control over it. WordPress’ interface is more complicated than Blogger, and you may need to know some code in order to add pictures, video, and other media to your blog. You don’t have the freedom that Blogger provides in terms of widgets and ads for affiliate marketing. Despite these limitations, WordPress is extremely popular because of its 100+ customizable themes and superior SEO capability.  Despite the fact that Google owns Blogger, WordPress blogs can see significant traffic from Google searches in a small amount of time.

Tumblr

Tumblr, although quite popular, is a bit of a wild card when it comes to blogging. Although its platform supports text, Tumblr is really all about sharing multimedia such as pictures, videos, and memes.  Long blog posts often don’t fare well on a system designed for images, music , videos and other small snippets of content. Tumblr also has a niche community of passionate users attached to the platform, so it is easy to find and share (“reblog”) content that you like.

In conclusion, if you just want a simple, easy-to-use blog, or one that works with affiliate hosting, Blogger is the right tool for you. However, if your blog is a way to promote your business, you’ll benefit from WordPress’ built-in SEO tools. Tumblr is the right choice for artistic, offbeat  or interactive content beyond text. Which platform will you be using for your blog?