March Online Marketing Roundup

What's the latest in the marketing world this month? Here is a roundup of some of the headlines from the month in case you missed them.

April 21 Is Your Last Chance for Mobile Optimization [Google]

Google announced, that on April 21th, they will update their organic search algorithm, specifically making it easier for searchers to find mobile-friendly web pages. If you’re a marketer or a small business owners, means that you’re more likely to boost awareness of your business if your website is mobile friendly.

By some estimates, more than 60 percent of all Google searches are now performed on mobile devices, so it makes sense that Google wants to capitalize on this traffic and ensure the best possible experience for its users.

This announcement is really important for small businesses, since they are still falling behind when it comes to using mobile, even though these solutions can make a huge difference, according to a study by Endurance International Group cited by eMarketer.

In the U.S., 78 percent of small businesses do not have a mobile app, but 71 percent believe this is important.

If you’ve not yet implemented a mobile strategy for your online presence, now is the critical time to get it done.Check out Google’s guide to mobile friendly sites.

The Meerkat Bubble is Bound to Pop. The Only Question is When [Mashable]

A new social platform tends to be a star at Austin's South by Southwest Interactive conference every year, and this year was no different. This year's biggest app is Meerkat, a live video-sharing platform, Mashable reported. The app is linked to Twitter, so you can tweet a video as you record it. The video can be watched from any device.

Previous app leaders at SXSW include Twitter in 2007 and Foursquare in 2009, but it's unclear how the video-streaming network will perform in the real world. However, the instant popularity of Meerkat shows there is a definite appetite for live video.

The app's founder said its 100,000 users watch more than two hours of live video per day.

Currently, Meerkat faces a hurdle with its user engagement. When the app started a few weeks ago, users could auto-follow the same contacts they have on Twitter, but the microblogging platform cut them off. People who don't follow a large number of users won't consume as much content. To gain long-term success, Meerkat may need to reduce its dependency on Twitter.

However, Facebook may not be the best choice either. Only 12 percent of a Facebook user's friends see a post within the first 24 hours on the site. While no one knows what the future holds for Meerkat, there are many possibilities.

Twitter Accelerates Second-Screen Push With TV Timeline Test [Marketing Land]

On the subject of Twitter, the social platform is testing separate TV timelines for tweets related to the latest shows. Many people live-tweet during their favorite shows, and on a limited basis, Twitter will reach out to users who include a show's hashtag and invite them to a hub.

On the show's timeline, they can interact with other users tweeting about the same program. It's similar to what the platform did for the World Cup and NFL games. Additionally, the show's hashtag is automatically inserted when a users tweets from its timeline.

The TV timeline is split into three columns that users can swipe through: Highlights, which are expected to garner the most engagement, Media, which is photos and videos, and All, the full stream about the show.