WebProNews

Google: Page Speed May Become a Ranking Factor in 2010

Over the course of 2009, a consistent theme that Google has been involved with is that of speed. In announcement after announcement, Google has talked about the importance of speed on the web, and how the company wants to do everything it can to make the web a faster place. Has it occurred to you that how fast your page loads may have a direct effect on how your site ranks in Google?

Google Finally Shows Off Chrome OS

Everybody has been waiting to see a glimpse of Google's upcoming Chrome OS - that is Google's new operating system. Those who attended an event at the company's headquarters today had a chance to view a demo in person, and many more details than previously available are now out on the OS. Google has now opened up the code for Chrome OS, so developers can get in there and see what it's really all about. For all of the non-developer types, Google has provided the following short video, which sums up what Chrome OS is as a concept.

80% of Consumers Would Not Pay For Content

As you've more than likely heard by now, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch in an interview last week talked about the possibility of blocking search engines from indexing News Corp. publications' content. While this may or may not actually happen, it is one of the latest (and biggest) examples of a publisher taking the position of search engines hurting them rather than helping them.

Paid Twitter Accounts To Debut This Year, Says Stone

Corporate Twitter accounts are still on the way, and should be introduced by the end of this year, according to cofounder Biz Stone.  Stone chatted a little more about these accounts - along with the company's problematic growth rate - while on a NESTA panel in London.

Murdoch On Blocking Search Engines: "I Think We Will"

There's a chance that the content produced by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and a number of other important organizations will soon become impossible to find using Google.  Rupert Murdoch indicated in a recent interview that News Corp. may block search engines.

Yahoo Showing Tweets for News Results

Yahoo Search is now including a new Twitter feature in search results for select topics that are in the news. For example, if you search for "health care reform," or "obama," you will get a section for news results, which contains tabs for news, photos, videos, and Twitter. The results look something like this:

New Network Gives Smaller Online Publishers Free Legal Help

The Citizen Media Law Project (CMLP) has launched the Online Media Legal Network (OLMLN) that will offer free legal advice to online journalists and bloggers.

5 Less Obvious Online Reputation Management Issues

There are a lot of elements to online reputation management. Really, depending on how far you want to take it, the elements are basically limitless. Any web property out there that gives people a voice caters to potential reputation smearing. There have been entire books written about online reputation management, and countless articles, but I just wanted to take the time to point out five things to keep track of that you may not have considered (or maybe you have...if so, good thinking).

Businesses Benefit From Reviews On Their Website

Small businesses that features reviews on their website are seeing significant returns, according to a new survey from RatePoint. Among the 30 percent of small business retailers who had product reviews on their websites, 43 percent said reviews had led to more sales, while 28 percent indicated they had resulted in more traffic.

Ad Council Launches New AOL-Backed Social Site for PSAs

The Advertising Council, which is the leading producer of public service announcements in the United States, has unveiled a new site at MyAdCouncil.org. The site is intended to encourage advertising agencies, media companies, and advertisers to expand the reach of their PSAs by using social media platforms.