Five things worth sharing from the last week or so, brought to you by a different member of the Browser Media team every Friday.
This week’s My Five is by Ali.
1. Google and Facebook in ‘buy button’ off
Both the search engine colossus and the social media giant have this week announced new functionality, which will make buying things easier. Google’s new Purchase on Google feature will allow users to purchase directly through search engine results and Facebook’s equivalent ‘shop section’ is currently being trialled. It’s not the first time that Facebook has tried this approach as back in 2011 it launched something similar but it was ditched when there was a poor return on investment for the companies involved.
Clearly neither company has wasted any resources in coming up with anything other than a Ronseal name for their new services. From a retailer’s point of view, I wonder whether these almost-immediate transactions will be lucrative. I imagine that they’ll be quite a high level of buyer’s remorse and returns before the general public get to grips with the idea.
2. Dragons’ Den is back (again)
In fact, it’s series 13 which means Dragons’ Den has outlasted both the X-factor and the original series of Big Brother. I’m surprised to see Peter Jones back on our screens as he usually looks like he’s thoroughly frustrated by the lack of business acumen of many of the contestants entrepreneurs.
Our MD Joe Friedlein, gives his thoughts and opinions about the first episode and whether there are any lessons that can be gleaned.
3. #plutoflyby
We’ve been nine years in the waiting apparently, (did anyone other than NASA have this is their diary?) which means that we’ve also had plenty of time to come up with Pluto funnies to mark the occasion of the New Horizon spacecraft sending the most hi-definition pictures ever seen of the planet / non-planet / planet.
4. Google seeks SEO manager
You’d have thought that Google had plenty of SEO expertise in house but if an advert on its careers portal is anything to go by, it would appear not. The company is advertising for a Program Manager, Search Engine Optimization to work in its Mountain View, CA headquarters.
The general consensus seems to be that the role is mainly to help Google get its services noticed on other search engines and entails ‘keep[ing] pace with SEO, search engine and internet marketing industry trends and developments and report changes as needed’.
As Wired.co.uk says,
‘And there we were thinking that Google was the one setting the SEO agenda’.
I saw this news yesterday lunchtime but such has been the industry interest, the role is probably now already filled.
5. And finally…
As I type, Ruby the Browser Media office dog, is fast asleep in her bed and it reminded me of the cat video that’s been circulating this week: when you are bored but your friend won’t wake up. Aaawww.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAVXlHjQ3DE
Enjoy and have a lovely weekend.
