As we step into 2014, a clear shift is underway in the digital marketing landscape: native advertising has moved from a niche tactic to a mainstream content strategy. You may not realize it, but chances are you’ve already read a native ad this week — maybe on BuzzFeed, where an article titled “10 Things You […]
Basil Puglisi's Brand Blog #AIassisted
Mobile-First is No Longer a Trend — It’s the New Normal
2013 is closing out with a major shift in how people use the web. For the first time, mobile traffic is overtaking desktop traffic for many websites — not just for casual browsing, but for e-commerce, social media, and even B2B engagement. According to recent data from comScore, mobile devices (smartphones + tablets) now account […]
Instagram Ads Debut: A New Era of Visual Marketing
Just a year after Facebook acquired Instagram for nearly $1 billion, the photo-sharing platform has officially joined the ad game. In November 2013, Instagram began rolling out its first sponsored posts, giving select brands access to a growing audience of over 150 million active users. This move represents much more than just another advertising channel […]
The Death of Keyword Data: What “Not Provided” Means for Your SEO and Social Content Strategy
For years, keyword data has been the backbone of SEO strategy. It told us how people found our content, what they searched for, and which terms brought real traffic. But as of this month, that era is officially over. Google has encrypted 100% of keyword referral data from organic search. What started as a trickle […]
Expo Testimonial Melville NY # 2
Expo Testimonial Melville NY
Google Confirms It: Hummingbird Is the New Brain Behind Search
On September 26, at an event celebrating 15 years of Google Search, the company dropped a bombshell: they’ve quietly launched an entirely new algorithm called Hummingbird. It’s fast, smart, and designed to understand meaning — not just keywords. And here’s the kicker: they’ve been using it since late July — exactly when I wrote that […]
6 Seconds of Fame: What Vine Is Teaching Us About the Future of Video Marketing
If 2013 has taught us anything so far, it’s this: short-form video isn’t just a fad — it’s a phenomenon. Vine, the 6-second looping video platform acquired by Twitter, has gone from quirky novelty to cultural movement. With over 40 million users as of this month, it’s now clear that brands and creators are learning […]
Is Google Getting Smarter Than Ever? Why Semantic Search Might Already Be Here
Something’s going on at Google — and if you’re paying attention, you’ve probably noticed it too. Over the past few weeks, many SEOs and digital marketers have reported unexpected shifts in rankings, especially on long-tail search queries. These aren’t your typical Panda or Penguin updates. They feel… different. Results seem to be getting better — […]
#AboutTime: Facebook Embraces Hashtags — But Should You?
It finally happened. As of June 12, 2013, Facebook officially supports hashtags. Once the domain of Twitter, hashtags are now clickable and searchable on Facebook, enabling users to see public conversations around specific words and phrases. The goal? Make it easier to follow trending topics and real-time conversations — and give Facebook a shot at […]