What is Google "Caffeine"?

First of all, Caeffeine is just a code-word (like Shock and Awe) for the secret project Google has been working on. Project was revealed in the last few days on Google's official blog. So, it's not so secret now. And it's no big surprise that Google would reveal some fire power after Microsoft and Yahoo inked their deal.

What is Google Caffeine's purpose?

Reportedly, Caffieine is an under the hood version of their existing search engine. What does that mean? "Caffeine" or whatever it will be called, uses the existing algorithm to produce results. However, those results will be "more comprehensive and streamlined". As the code name suggests, this under-the-hood version will be faster. Faster how you ask? Who knows. Perhaps it will have a separate indexing process, or a more streamlined quality guideline that will be more black and white. If your website is built to Google-perfection, you're in. If not, you're out. Your guess is as good as any ones.

Google could be doing some spin-doctoring here, revealing a reportedly super secret, revolutionary product to pull headlines (and rising consumer use) from MicroHoo. Google is a multi-national state unto itself, so you shouldn't be surprised if it starts acting like one.

Should businesses be worried?

For those business who live and die by their Google rankings, the answer is maybe. Google won't do anything too detrimental to their advertiser base. But, they will shake things up in the name of consumer progress. But if you're business is chasing the dragon (so to speak) with Google, you should get your hand slapped. Diverisify. Diversify. Diversify. Have you learned nothing from the current American economic meltdown? If not...remember what you're grandmother used to tell you. Don't put all your eggs in one basket...even if that basket is Google.

Will Caffeine's search results be any different from the standard Google SERP?

Well. According to Google. Yes. In reportedly "minor but significant" ways. I checked it out and found no differences as of yet...but perhaps this under the hood version relies more on user behavior? There have been rumors that Google has been enamored by real time search results fed by real time source like Twitter. Maybe Caffeine takes a snapshot of real time search behavior rather through the traditional bot indexing process. Is that what makes it like Caffeine, that it keeps you alert? This is all just speculation of course. But if I lose my life in some strange and unexplained way, then you'll know I was right about something. You've seen Conspiracy Theory I'm sure.

Can I try out Google Caffeine?

Sure can. It's sandboxed, so Google is keeping the program a safe distance from their Standard Google search engine. After all, they wouldn't want a coding error to pull down the whole sha-bang. Check out Google Caffeine. I would be really interested in hearing what difference people discover while searching.

I'll keep you posted as more is revealed.

Oh my. A lot has been going on in the Search Market. There hasn't been this much buzz since Google went in cahoots with China on censorship and Ashton Kutcher saved someone from a not so glamorous suicide. Wow.

So Microsoft and Yahoo, the number 3 and number 2 companies in the Search Market respectively (and respectively WAY behind Google) have inked a 10 year deal to combine their efforts. Combine ad platforms mostly...letting Bing (Microsoft's used-to-be MSN used-to-be LIVE) handle that. But it's that what it's all about.

From what I see from the individual SERP's, I personally think Bing is way ahead of Yahoo in its clearer quality guidelines and sensible indexing. Yahoo has been all over the place for the past year. Especially in it's PPC results. So, it just makes sense that these two giants combine.

But Google doesn't seem to frightened by the prospect, though certainly there will be a round of anitrust suits to follow the deal. And why not? Google gets in trouble for every company it acquires...and it should. Why should Google, Microsoft, and NewsCorp own EVERYTHING (directly or indirectly)?

Which brings us to Twitter. Though Twitter burns through cash faster than American auto-makers, it's still just a pebble in Google's shoe...but the prospect of real time search results, getting indexing on a real time basis - what's hot NOW because of behavior, NOT because of a long list of code and content protocols - is interesting. Interesting enough to be a game changer. Or so they say.

Check out this article on the top contenders in real time search, and the problems each one faces in immediacy, popularity, and relevancy.

Bing is Microsoft's new upgrade of its search engine LIVE search. Infact, LIVE is now Bing. Live.com is redireded to the new search engine. So what's new? Bing promises to make search easier by allowing a searcher to drill down through the search results until they find exactly what they want. Searchers looking to shop for something (say a digital camera) or book a flight or hotel can get directions, price ranges, specials, and even categories of different types of travel (cheap, luxury, oceanfront, etc).

So the big difference? Most other Search Engines want to give you the best results for your search the first time (whether they really are or not is debateable) and then pass you along to that website. Bing is different. It wants you to keep plugging around until you find exactly what you want (you do your research and reviews within the results page so to speak).

From an SEO standpoint, this means top rankings aren't as weighted as significantly in Bing as in a traditional search engine's results page (though it shouldn't be outright ignored). Why? Because your top ranked page, say for the term "Myrtle Beach hotel" is competing with "clarification" content. Bing says, ok - here are some hotels - but which kind of hotel do you want? Did you really want a condo? Did you really mean North Myrtle Beach?

For Bing rankings I imaginee (if their premise works) that terms will be more long tailed, traffic more qualified so much less quantity (amount of traffic), and the conversions should be higher.

I'm not exactly sure how their PAID ADS measure into all this "drilling down" of content? Or how your analytics would actually track which keyword phrase the visitor came to your site from. If I started with searching for "Myrtle Beach hotels" and ended up drilling down to "cheap Myrtle Beach hotel on the oceanfront" which keyword is actually tagged for drawing the traffic to your website? And better yet - which phrase should you optimize for?

For all you webmaster concerned with the new quality guidelines of Bing.com (not so far off from Live.com's quality guidelines), please read Microsoft Bing Quality Guidelines.

Microsoft is a big player, so it's never a good idea to figure them out of your SEO equation (even though their search market share is nominal compared to Google and Yahoo). If you need a current assessment of your website and how it measures up in the search engines, contact InterCoastal Net Designs today, a North Carolina SEO company.

So, a common thread I have throughout my many discussions on Social Networking and the "conversations" that ensue is out segemented everything is, and how difficult it is to keep it all together. I mean, wouldn't it be nice to be able to view your emails, IMs, and all your social networking activity, all from one friendly interface? Well, Digsby gets the job done (see previous post), but it isn't nearly inclusive enough to handle all the niche communities popping up all over the web.

Well, Google has put something together to address that very issue of segmented conversations across the Web. It's called Google Wave and quite frankly, it looks very intriguing. First of all, Google Wave is an open source development. That means you can customize it to pull in the conversations that matter most to you (and your business).

Watch the Google Wave video to find out more.