Let me apologize in advance for the transcript’s front and end missing. I will be sure to update when it becomes available, but was limited to the failures of the FTC live stream. The core message is 100% in-tact, from the intro to the last statement prior to questions…

…OTHER PARTIES, INTERVIEWED NUMEROUS INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS AND TOOK SWORN TESTIMONY OF KEY GOOGLE EXECUTIVES.

“There are two aspects to the settlement we announced today. The first involves Google’s misuse of patent protection to prevent competition. We stopped that abuse. The second concerns allegations that Google unfairly biases its search results. We closed this investigation finding the evidence does not support a claim that Google’s prominent display of its own content on its general search page was undertaken without legitimate justification. We do accept Google’s legally binding commitments to stop the most problematic business practices relating to search in search advertising. This also comes with monitoring obligations as well.

Let me start with the patent issue. By a 4-1 vote, a bipartisan majority of the commission orders Google to stop seeking to exclude competitors using standard essential patents that Motorola, which Google purchased, had first promised but refused to license unfair and reasonable terms. These essential patents and others like them are the cornerstone of the system of interopen — interoperability standards that we have taken for granted. Over half of American consumers own and use one of these devices, including iPhones, Android phones and Xboxes. Today’s action by the commission ensures that competition ensures to work for the benefit of American consumers in these important markets.

Now, years ago Motorola promised to license its patents essential to these interoperability patents on fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms. Those are called fran terms, to any interested manufacturer. Other companies took Motorola at its word. Over many years relying on this promise, they invested billions and probably tens of billions of dollars in developing and bringing products to consumers using these patents. Rather than offering a license or the license it promised, Motorola changed the rules of the game. The company sought injunctions and exclusion orders to prevent the devices from coming into the country against products using their patents. After Google purchased Motorola, it inherited this litigation and continued the same practices. Google’s un-fair conduct threatened  laptop and tablet computers and smart phone and gaming systems or it could have increased the cost of these products by requiring manufacturers to pay higher licensing fees which then would have been passed onto consumers.

Here’s an example of one product issue in the case. It’s an iPad. I happened to have an older one. There are a number of other devices, xboxes, government-issued Research in Motion smart phones, that are all under threat if this practice had been allowed to continue and grow. Google’s settlement with the commission requires to Google to abandon their claim for relief on any essential patents with a fran commitment and offer a license on fran terms to any company that wants to license these patents in the future.

Today’s landmark enforcement action will become, we hope, a template for resolution of SEP licensing disputes across many industries and builds on more than 15 years of bipartisan work in the Federal Trade Commission from patent reports, to workshops, to enforcement actions like this one aimed at protecting the integrity of the patent system and even more importantly, protecting American consumers. Today’s action makes clear the commitments to make patents available on reasonable terms matters and that companies cannot make these commitments when it suits them, and to have a patent included in one standard and behave differently later once the standard is in place makes those relying on it vulnerable to extortion. Today’s commitment action will relieve companies of hoarding patents for defensive purposes, savings we hope that can be invested in job creation, research, and development.

Before we turn to the commission’s investigation of Google’s search and search advertising practices, let me say a few words about the commission’s section 5 authority, which was the statutory basis for our challenge to Google’s unfair conduct.

When Congress created this agency in 1914, 99 years ago, it endowed the commission with a unique commission of broad jurisdiction and limited remedies. Our section 5 authority reaches beyond the antitrust laws to prohibit unfair methods of competition. In lies a pennumbra. We can impose fines. We don’t put malefactors in jail. Section 5 violations are not violations of the antitrust laws and are not a basis for subsequent follow-up private lawsuits for treble damages in Federal court. In a society that many believe is overly litigious, the judicial use of section 5 represents a practical way for the commission to bring problematic conduct to a halt.

In the second part of the action, Google committed to stopping the most troubling of its business practices related to Internet search into search advertising. Google will stop misappropriating or scraping the content of its rivals for use of its own specialized search results. Google will drop contractual restrictions that impair the ability of small businesses particularly to advertise on competing search advertising platforms. Google has made legally enforceable and binding commitments to resolve the commission’s concerns. These commitments have reporting requirements that will allow the commission to vigorously monitor and enforce compliance if necessary.

Let me talk in a little more detail about some of this conduct.

The commission investigated allegations that Google misappropriated without consent the content of rivals websites to improve its own products and pass this content off to consumer as if it were its own. For example, Google allegedly scraped the user-generated reviews of local restaurants displayed on yelp and led consumers to believe that they were its own. When some websites complained to Google about the practice, Google allegedly — and I say allegedly — threatened to remove them entirely from Google search results. Now, Congress created our commission almost 100 years ago to stop unfair business practices and I won’t seek to characterize Google’s behavior as conduct that is clearly problematic and potentially harmful to competition because it undermines incentives to innervate. That is why you would create a new site for restaurant reviews if someone else can take them and appropriate them as if they were their own.

Going forward, Google will allow websites the ability to opt out of Google local or product shopping without being penalized or demoting in its general search results on Google.com. That is it’s organic search. This arrangement should ensure that the Internet remains vibrant and competitive.

The commission also investigated whether Google unfairly restricted the ability of businesses to use tools to manage their advertising campaigns simultaneously on Google and on other competing advertising platforms. For example, Bing. This practice is known as multi-homing. Our investigation suggested that most large advertisers preferred to multi-home. Multi-homing by small advertising and small businesses affected by the Google restrictions was much less common. Some commissioners were concerned by the tendency of Google’s restrictions to raise the cost to small business and Google has committed to drop the restrictions on multi-homing. We think that will create a more competitive environment.

Many of Google’s critics, including many competitors, wanted the commission to go further in this investigation and regulate the intricacies of Google’s search engine algorithm. The commission exhaustively investigated allegations that Google unfairly manipulated search engine results to harm competitors, a practice that most of us refer to as search bias. Today the commission has voted to close this investigation unanimously. It can always, of course, reopen any investigation if it believes that a company, in this case Google, crosses the line with respect to our investigation. Although some evidence suggested that Google was trying to eliminate competition. Google’s primary reason for changing the look and feel of its search results to highlight its own products was to improve the user experience. Similarly changes to Google’s algorithm that had the effective demoting certain competing websites had connection, applausable connection, with improving Google search results, especially when competitors tried to gain Google’s algorithm in ways that benefitted those firms but not consumers looking for the best search results.

I remember an article from the New York Times maybe a year ago about J.C. Penney paying companies to do precisely this: not commenting on the value of seeing J.C. Penney advertisements ranked higher or lower in search results. Tellingly, Google’s search engine rivals engaged in many of the same product design choices that Google did, suggesting that this practice can benefit consumers.

Now, while not everything that Google did was beneficial on balance, we didn’t believe that the evidence supported an FTC challenge to this aspect of Google’s business under American law. As Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote more than 50 years ago and as the Federal courts have consistently ruled since, “the focus of our law is on protecting competition, not competitors.”

Google is unquestionably one of America’s great companies, innovative in fielding from its core search engine to varied ventures such as driverless cars. With today’s action by the FTC, Google can refocus on its business and its products, but with a clear understanding that it must do so while competing fairly. Now, some may believe the commission should have done more in this case perhaps because they’re locked in hand to hand combat with Google around the world or perhaps in a mistaken belief that criticizing us will influence the outcome in other jurisdictions. Some may believe we should have done less. I imagine Google is one that believes that. but for our part, at this very wonderful agency, we follow the facts where they lead  and apply statute faithfully. We do it with a vigor and appropriate restraint.

Today’s bipartisan commission action brings to an end the commission’s investigations of Google in a fashion calculated to brings our investigation to a close.”

Google has a reputation for rolling out far-reaching changes at a moment’s notice. Today, it was announced that Google is merging its Google Places pages with their new Google+ Local initiative. While this move adds benefits and options for consumers and G+ users, it creates a lot of new potential challenges for Google Places Page and Google+ Business Page administrators.

Here’s what you need to know:

Optimization of G+ is Even More important Now

While you can still manage your Google Places page from your previous administrator access, the page information is now being cultivated and merged with your Google+ Business Page and will live in the new Google+ Local tab.

You business pages will still show up in search results (and have been integrated with Maps and mobile too), but now the information that shows will be the rich content that has been written and optimized for your Google+ Business Page.

This makes it even more important that you’ve taken the necessary steps to completely optimize your G+ page (if you’re unsure how to do that, read our post on optimizing G+ personal pages). There isn’t a business on the planet that can afford to not have an updated, optimized Google+ Business Page now as search results and business rankings will be shifting in the wake of Google’s 80-million-page shift.

A Fully-Realized Enterprise Social Strategy and Social Media Policy Are No Longer Optional

It wasn’t that long ago that having an enterprise social strategy was something you’d find in companies few and far between, but those times have changed. With every change to Google and Facebook’s growing empires, it has become necessary to delve into and understand how your company appears for, acts with and responds to customers on social media.

With the recent merger of Google Places and Google+ Local, customers now have the ability to interact and converse directly on Google+ Business Pages alongside leaving reviews. In the past, it was easy to keep an eye on reviews and respond when necessary, but the conversation is moving away from stagnant review slots and we are in the midst of Google realizing their vision – a completely social experience for the consumer.

Because of Google’s recent changes to 80 million pages, having a clear, set and understood social media policy has just become a top priority for companies.

It’s worth reminding you that unless your customers are prompted to write a review, the review they’re most likely to leave will happen after they have a bad experience. Unlike the Lowe’s Facebook fiasco last year, we hope you’ll be ready to reply with the right response.

One Profile, Several Search Experiences

Your customers will now be able to search out your business in many different ways: by searching on Google.com, searching on Google Maps, through mobile applications and now through searches on Google+ and Google+ Local. You can see how businesses show up in Google Map searches in the image below:

Although there are many doorways through which your customers can now find you, all the information is coming from your one G+ Profile. Users will be able to filter by location, type, Circles, ratings (Zagat-based ratings as well as reviews), and more, so having a fleshed-out and content-rich profile is critical.

Google+ Business profiles allow for much more information and rich content like pictures and videos to be added and easily displayed to customers and search engines. Below, see the different between the old Google Places page layout and the updated Google+ Business page layout.

It’s up to you to take the time and fully optimize this page to give people searching their area the best presentation of your company as possible.

New Pages Are Indexed

One of the most exciting changes coming along with this shift for business concerned with SEO is that unlike Google Places pages, Google+ Local pages will be indexed, so all that work you’re putting into optimizing your page will pay off in your company’s search ranking positioning.

The good news is that aside from spending more time setting up an enterprise social media policy and filling out your Google+ Local page information, managing your Google Places/+ page won’t involve a huge learning curve. Here’s that Google had to say about it in their blog:

“If you are a business owner, you should continue to manage your information in Google Places for Business. You’ll still be able to verify your basic listing data, make updates, and respond to reviews. For those who use AdWords Express, your ads will operate as normal as they’ll automatically redirect people to the destination you selected, or your current listing.”

Yes, there are greater demands on business-owners on learning Google+, but much is being focused for businesses while search option are expanding for customers searching you out.

No More Stars, Zagat Now Rules To Roost 

Last year Google acquired Zagat. No one was really sure how it would play out, but now we’re getting a peak into how this will solidify for businesses and consumers.

Google has done away with their 5-star review rating process and merged everything with Zagat’s 30-point score system. The same is true for general reviews and both will show up in search rankings for businesses on Google.com AND Google+ Local searches.

While for a lot of B2B businesses this may not seem like that big a deal, with all reviews now showing up in search rankings throughout all Google services, it is even more important that you create positive experiences for clients and encourage your customers to leave positive reviews on your Google+ profile.

Final Thoughts

Google has made some pretty big changes that affect a lot of businesses and pretty much all of them involve how your business shows up locally to people around you. The changes will most certainly enhance customer search and discovery experiences with a small learning curve for users.

As for businesses, the changes mean a great deal more. It is now imperative that businesses pay attention to the activity and presence on Google+ and those that ignore their Google+ presence do so at their own peril.

Google has been inching towards making local search more social for a while and now has taken a huge leap into that area with this merger. Social media has been playing a large part in business communications for years, but in one day, Google has effectively upped the ante and made it crucial for your business to get in the game.

Recap

3 years ago you may have been one of the guys saying “I can’t believe competitor X is wasting money on THAT…” Today, Google has created another opportunity for you to start fresh and be ahead of the curve. The question is, are you ready?

If you need additional help, feel free to contact our search and social department at social@marketstrong.net or visit our Enterprise Social page.

Add Joshua on G+

Optimizing your G+ profile is quite possibly the best use of your time on social networks at the moment. Here is the ‘how and why’ of what we recommend you do to take advantage of things.

Why it’s important

Your G+ profile is displayed when one of a few things happens. The most common being that someone searches for something in Google and results are returned from their G+ network (in the way of profiles or shared content), when you as an author have a ‘rich snippet’ tied to an article you wrote, or when someone simply searches for your name. With this latest change, all of these things are increasingly important to your SEO efforts. Remember, with G+, you really do have to treat yourself as a brand.

G+ Profile in Search Results

Metadata still counts

Google+ uses the following formula to generate the meta name=”description” tag:

Your Name + Headline + Position + Company + Current City + Introduction

Here are the steps you should take in order to make the most of G+:

1. Decide where (and what) you’d like to rank for
1. Do you do most of your business in your hometown, or the large city where your office is? This makes a difference when you add a current location.
2. Are you looking for freelance work, a job, or aiming to promote your company page? Keep this in mind when looking for keywords and job titles to use in your profile
2. Do a little research
1. Just like traditional keyword research, look for higher volume, lower competition words and phrases
2. Pay attention to one variable – the fact that people are probably more likely to click through personal profiles when seeking to expand their network (that means city searches, and occupational searches may be much more valuable than generic phrases), and business pages are more likely to be clicked on when someone is looking for a service.
3. Complete your Profile
1. It may sound ridiculous, but when we say “complete”, we mean it. G+ uses bits and pieces of your entire profile to determine the best way to display you and your content in search results.
2. Pay attention to your length of text – especially in your headline, as it appears that hidden information isn’t so relevant when searching inside of G+, although it’s all used in the meta tag for public searches
3. Make sure to add the proper URLs to your profile. There are (2) types of links that affect search results for someone in your network:
1. The ‘Other profiles’ will give Google a clue as to where your Twitter account and Facebook profile or pages live, and will affect subsequent search results
2. The ‘Contributor to’ field will let Google know where you publish content.

NOTE: Make sure you link to an actual author profile page, and not just the blog or publication page. This along with some optimization and rel=”me” and rel=”author” tagging on that linked profile page is required for Google to display rich snippets

Rich Snippets in Google Search

Other Important Steps

1. Optimize outside of G+
1. Connect your other profiles to your G+ profile by adding links where possible
2. Although Google may or may not take it into account for individuals, make sure to be consistent – there is no sense in telling Facebook you live in Monaco and G+ that you live in Arkansas and in the case of a business profile this is likely to have a negative effect
2. Engage, engage, engage
1. Lastly, there is no point to any of this if you don’t build your personal network on G+, so start building circles and contributing to conversations.
2. Try building location or interest specific circles so you can build influence in your own area or the area you do most of your business. For example, for a freelance PHP developer doing mostly local work you might start engaging with people you know are closely related to small business associations in the area and adding their members to your own segmented circles. As more and more business people in the area add you to a circle, you are more likely to be returned as a search result that magic day when they go to Google and type in “freelance PHP developers”.