This week Google introduced its sharing (not to be confused with “social”) network, Google+.

Here are some initial thoughts and observations. Will add more as I dig in further.

1. I’m just as conflicted over the name as I was with Google +1. On one hand, it’s short and I get it. On the other it’s a nightmare to toggle between + and “plus.”

2. They key to social (and sharing) is scale. The more people in the network, the more valuable the network. Google has a lot of people. Now it just needs to connect them. Google+ should help.

3.Advertising opportunities in and around Google+ will likely be less about new units or formats but rather advanced targeting. This is another way for advertisers to more finitely target and reach the folks most likely to be interested in their message. Whether that message appears on Google+ or another Google owned, operated, or connected property is TBD.

4. On Google+ are Friends, Family, and Acquaintances. I’m surprised Business or Work is not a standard classification. Would help Google compete with LinkedIn just as much as Facebook and Twitter.

5. As a user, I love the circles concept. It’s intuitive and the fact that Google+ is new allows me to start fresh by categorizing my connections and sharing only the appropriate stuff with the appropriate peeps. Wish I could have done this on Facebook from day 1. As it stands, I end up sharing less on FB because I don’t want to bother my personal friends and family with work-related stuff and don’t always want my industry colleagues to see my personal stuff.

6. I’m surprised that the search box isn’t more prominent on Google+. In fact, I don’t see one at all. Goes against my premise in Chapter 5: Be Where Your Audience Is. They must be counting on people using their toolbars and browser defaults to Google things. Sure seems like a missed opportunity though, especially given how many search queries originate in Facebook. (See update from July 2 below.)

7. The privacy police will be watching closely any little screwup will fetch headlines.

Update July 1, 2011:

8. Been thinking more about why Google rolled out a sharing network rather than a social network. Now actually seems pretty obvious to me. Contrary to #6 above (which I do expect to be remedied in short order) this IS about improving Google’s bread and butter product and monetization engine — Search.

Every share that happens within Google+ gives a critical signal to Google of the value and context for a specific digital asset – website, video, image, etc. It also allows Google+ to see who the real influencers are on the web based on number of shares and +1s. Pretty soon Google will no longer need to rely on links created by webmasters as its primary method of determining quality and authority for search rankings.

More on this line of thinking:

Like vs. Link and the Future of Web Ranking

Why Google Needs a Social Network

Why Google Me

9. Yes, I’m happy the name of this project is Google+ and not Google Me so I can keep on wearing my shirts with no fear or trademark violation. No, I have no plans to create Plus Me shirts. :)

Update July 2, 2011:

10. Regarding point #6 above, perhaps I was a bit hasty in saying that Google isn’t “being where its audience is.” While I still think incorporating a search box into the Google+ UX is a no-brainer, Google has brought its new sharing network to where its audience by integrating it into the nav bar atop Google.com, Gmail, and other Google properties and framing it in a block box to really stand out. See screenshot below. I find myself constantly coming back to Google+ because of the not-so-subtle reminder of its existence and the fact that notifications appear there as well.

Update July 13, 2011:

Today I published a column in MediaPost’s Search Insider titled, “Google+ Adds Up.” In it I outlined 10 key takeaways from Google+ to date including some of the observations posted here.

Update July 14, 2011:

Yesterday I was asked what impact I thought G+ would have on LinkedIn. In composing my thoughts, I stumbled upon a key insight from Google’s foray into search that very likely may have dictated its (most recent) approach to social. Read on…

I don’t think G+ will eat away at LinkedIn. People use LinkedIn to connect, not share. G+ is for sharing. That’s why it will hurt Twitter. Twitter sole purpose is sharing and the experience/UI is not very intuitive (especially when it comes to controlled sharing).

Same reason I don’t think G+ will eat at Facebook. While sharing is the #1 activity on Facebook, it’s use as a full social network is broader and includes that connecting aspect of LinkedIn. It’s about making new relationships as much as sharing with current ones.

Google dominated search because it had the luxury of not being first mover. It saw what Yahoo and Alta Vista and others did and took the key functionality and made it better. Rather than a portal with a bunch of links and content, it just stripped out the search.

Same now for social. Google had luxury of seeing FB, Twitter, LI, etc. And now it realizes sharing is the most vital aspect of social networking. So it’s stripped that out and built a whole experience around just that.

Check out the Search Insider column I penned this week for a rundown of everything you need to know about the Big G from A to Z.

Today I kicked off Day 2 of the Social Media Optimization Conference (SMOC) with a keynote presentation and, of course, a rap.

I had originally intended to introduce the acronym SAM (Social Advertising Marketing) but switched to SMA (Social Media Advertising) to keep in line with the theme of SMO (Social Media Optimization). While SAM certainly has a better ring to it, SMA seemed a better contextual fit.

Speaking of context, seeing as how SMOC was in San Francisco, I likened social media to marketing “without a net” and drew upon the Grateful Dead as my influence for the improvisational rap that followed my presentation.

Here are the slides I ripped through. Below that is a video of the last 5 minutes of the keynote and a 90 second social media rap. And after that is the rapping Q&A session in which I coined the new buzzword “dinterest” (digital interest) after not being able to think of anything that rhymed with interest. Could’ve used some “Help on the Way…”

Here’s the video and slides from today’s presentation at the Search Insider Summit. Remind me not to chug 5 Hour Energy before getting on stage next time. Although I needed it to rip thru 35 slides in 15 minutes!

Check out the video below to see how it went down today. Chuck was crowned the winner but I think I held my own and am already working on getting a rematch!

As Rob Wilk from Yahoo put it, “If it’s any consolation, out of the 100 people in the room, you were the second best rapper.” (To which I replied, “And if it’s any consolation, Yahoo is  the second best search engine.”)

FYI, you can watch the 12 minutes leading up to the freestyle on the MediaPost Facebook page.

And make sure to peep the Round 3 video I debuted on stage before the live battle.

Debuted this vid just before the live SEO PPC Rap Battle at the Search Insider Summit today. Had intended to get it out last week and give Chuck some time to respond but work and family got in the way of my rap. Damn priorities!

Big ups to my main man Will Crew for the backing track here.

Lyrics below…

Check it out, I’m back, picked myself off the mat.
Thought you had me knocked down? I ain’t goin’ out like that!

I came to bring the pain, can you feel it mayne?
And speaking of mayne, what’s up with rhyming everything with mayne.

You’re like Snoop Dogg, mayne, except he’s got the izzle.
Put it at the end of each line to make it rhyme in a tizzle.

Mayne.

Lyrical G.
He’s so lyrical.

You got one move, you’re totally mono.
But I’m versatile. Don’t like my shades? Call me Bono.

Your rap’s overproduced if you know what I mean,
Tryin’ to cover up broke rhymes by flashing words on the screen.

Wearin’ a Google Me shirt, man you like hell.
Had to make your own cuz they don’t sell quadruple XL.

Back to round 1 when you were rappin’ in your crib,
Man your rhymes were dribblin’, you needed a bib.

Looking larger than life, thinkin’ that you’re winnin’.
Man, you’re so big you made that hoop look mini.

And then in round 2 you found a brick wall to mess with,
Hope you had that ceiling checked for asbestos!

Lyrical G.
He’s so lyrical.

And speaking of bricks, how you gonna call me out?
I own Chicago, mayne, so don’t make me shout.

Damn right I was all state back in the day,
When MJ was winnin’ rings, I was making hay.

Check out these hops, that’s my high school musical.
You can’t get off the ground with your 1 inch vertical.

Now I’ll spare you the rest of my greatest hits,
Just call me the champ. Hey, if the shoe fits.

Size 14 baby, you know what they say,
The bigger your paycheck, the bigger your pay.

We ain’t even in the same league, you call that lyrical abuse?
Man if I’m on tiger blood, you on kitty cat juice!

Lyrical G.
He’s so lyrical.

I’m CMO fool, got no time to produce vids,
Tryin’ to keep battlin’ you and raise my 3 kids.

No way I’ll take off my visor and bow to your Astros hat.
Hey, let’s hope your bros can come wake up the bats.

When this video comes out, your first 2 will be rated flops,
My production may be amateur but I got more props than Carrot Top.

You’re all sizzle, Chuck, time to show me the steak.
Step out from behind the computer if you ain’t a fake.

Callin’ yourself the SEO king…
You ain’t even on page 1 if you know what I mean.

But you can Google me and you will see,
I even got people bidding on me!

Lyrical G.
Cuz I’m so lyrical.

Don’t talk to me about ad groups and other PPC tactics,
My quality score’s so high, I don’t even need practice.

I launch right out the gate and Google knows,
My ad copy is tight and my landing page flows.

I scream relevancy from my head to my toes,
And my rhymes are tight too, like a poet’s prose.

It’s prophetic… Ya get it?
PPC’s so sexy that you Right Said Fred It.

SEO keeps you waiting while traffic lags,
As you toil away over meta tags,

I make it rain at the register with instant clicks.
While you tryin’ to catch fire by rubbin’ 2 sticks.

Lyrical G.
He’s so lyrical.

Now I ain’t sayin’ SEO don’t have its place.
But I am sayin’ if you wanna win the race.

Sometimes ya just gotta pick up the pace.
So sit back while I bring these rhymes to your face.

Bad reputation you wanna erase?
PPC is instant, it’s like mace!
SEO like’s the thrill of the chase.
But PPC eliminates all the waste.
So, if you want results you can taste.
Then, get hip to PPC with no haste.
So there, I think I’ll rest my case.

That’s my lesson for today, no need to thank me.
I don’t use link farms so Google won’t spank me.

In fact they’ll reward me with all kinds of tchotckes
It’s like 8 days of Hannukah and I got the latkes.

Lyrical G.
He’s so lyrical.

When we’re down in Florida for SIS,
We will settle the score, but if I’m taking bets.

It’ll be PPC MC 1, SEO Rapper 0,
I’ll walk outta that joint an SEM hero.

You’ll catch the early flight back to H-town,
While I assume my title and don my crown.

You’ll be left with your lame moves, call it the page rank.
You’ll wonder what went wrong when your street cred tanks.

So here’s the deal, crowd will vote for the winner.
The loser does the other’s dance at dinner.

If you win, I’ll get on the table and do the page rank.
But if I win, Chuck, you gotta take the Google spank.

Lyrical G.

We got a deal?
You know I’m for real.

Cuz I’m so lyrical.

PPC MC,
Just won round 3.

So next time we’ll see you in Captiva, Chuck.
I wish you luck!

Today I participated in a session at ad:tech San Francisco called, “Connecting the Dots with Paid Search” moderated by “Marketing Pastor” Melanie Mitchell.

My presentation focused on a new approach to search engine marketing that can not only help improve performance within the SEM channel but across other channels as well. The idea is focusing on the people behind the keywords to get a sense of their true value to your business. It’s not rocket science. It’s people science.

Here’s my deck:

In yesterday’s MediaPost Search Insider column (+10 and -10 for Google +1), I shared 10 things I love and 10 things I hate about Google +1. It just so happens that the lists contained the same 10 things. Behold the definition of a love/hate relationship!

In Chapter 19 (Make Your Company a Great Story), I cover all of Google’s April Fools Day gags over the years and the amazing amount of free press they drum up (not to mention, employee engagement). Yesterday, Google outdid itself with no less than 16 jokes. Matt McGree has a great roundup for Search Engine Land (my personal favorite is Chromercise).

In an effort to practice what I preach in the book and make Kenshoo a great story, we announced the release of a “cloudvertizing” platform. I think there are more puns in the press release than the 343 pages of my book combined! This is the very definition of “fluff” news…

Just got word that the book won the Gold medal in the “Advertising/Marketing/PR/Event Planning” category from the Axiom Business Book Awards. No cash prize but will be receiving one of these fancy medals.

Very honored and appreciative but seems like a miss that these guys don’t give out online badges for winners to display on their websites. As covered in chapter 7 (Act Like Content) this is a great opportunity to build up link juice by offering something of value that people would be happy to put on their sites along with a link to the authoritative domain.