Weekly Digital Roundup (2.24.14)

Menus being pulled into search results, and what's this about Robocop? We've got foodies and movies covered this week with an array of social and search engine headlines. Without further ado, here’s what we found to be the biggest news, so you may comfortably remain snuggled under a rock.

For the Fast-Paced Foodies

Google is now starting to show restaurant menus in search results, so you may call ahead and order without even going to the restaurant’s website. Chances are, the information is being pulled in from third-party sources (like Allmenus.com), because we all know this would be quite a task with those janky Flash menues or PDFs. Fancy!

Bing's Robocopportunity

Sony Pictures commissioned Bing to predict what search will look like in the future for the latest version of the Robocop movie. Spoiler alert: It involves voice recognition, a 3D panel display, and—oh what'ya know—infinite scroll. Guess we'll have to wait 14 more years to find out!

The Plus is for Google

Google+ is an essential part of Google’s future, though you may not think it a part of yours. The search engine giant isn’t concerned with garnering the types of engagement happening across other social networks, such as Facebook. They're focusing on building one all-encompassing online identity for users. The real power of G+ lies in the fact that Google has a robust understanding of their users, and in turn have created an extremely valuable database.

No Busting the Block on FB

For filmmakers, Facebook may not be the top choice for advertising. Due to the decline in millennials engaging on Facebook, many movie studios are turning to other sites such as Tumblr instead. A film promoter from Truth Entertainment said this of Facebook ads, "It depends on the film. Facebook has its own specific demographic like any other media outlet. It's a great place to reach [Gen X] parents." Tumblr seems to be making a comeback, as mentioned in last week's roundup.

A New Publishing Platform

Have a lot on your mind? Well we can't help with all of that, but now you've got yet another outlet for your industry-related rants. LinkedIn has opened up a new feature allowing users to share long-form content with their connections. Head of Content Products Ryan Roslansky said, “We're really excited to actually open up this publishing platform and start to draw some of that experience, knowledge, and insight out of these members and onto the LinkedIn platform to share at more of a massive scale.”

Search-friendly Infinite Scroll

SEOs rejoice! There is now a way to make infinite scroll on a website search friendly. This is a content tactic sported by Twitter, Pinterest, and an increasing number of news outlets. Google, you’ve really outdone yourself. Read more on the guidelines here.

UX Da Man

The folks over at the Google Webmaster Blog decided to dip a toe into user experience by publishing an article outlining best and worst practices for sites that feature faceted navigation. We love when Google (or anyone) takes a minute to remind us how important good site architecture is when you’re trying to achieve high search rankings.Speaking of which, our own Information Architect reminded us last week of the importance of user experience design for business. Check that out too.