Read This Week’s Digital Marketing News Updates

Digital Marketing News 9/30/2024 to 10/4/2024

This week: Google AI Overviews launch ads on mobile, there's a new Core Web Vitals tool, and shopping ads are now on Google Lens.

Here's what happened this week in digital marketing:

1. Snapchat Influencers Are More Likely to Drive Purchase Results

A new report on social shopping behavior shows that Snapchat is the top platform for influencer-driven purchases, with 85.6% of users buying after seeing a product promoted by creators. 

This outpaces TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Snapchat’s influence is especially strong with Gen Z, as 82% of users aged 15-26 have made purchases through influencer content. 

This makes Snapchat a key platform for brands targeting younger audiences, particularly through partnerships with influencers.

2.Google AI Overviews Launches Ads on Mobile

Google officially launched AI Overview ads and they’re appearing under AI-generated answers on mobile. And they still have a Sponsored label. 

Ads are triggered when:

• User’s question has a commercial angle where a product or service may be relevant
• When ads are relevant to both the query and the information provided

The pros? The placement could lead to increased clicks and sales. Luckily for advertisers, these ads require no extra setup! The ads aim to provide relevant products or services directly within search responses. “You can show ads in these experiences with your existing AI-powered Search ads, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns. There’s no additional action required.”

Unfortunately, the lower position of these ads landing underneath organic AI answers may reduce ROI. And Google isn’t offering specific reporting for the ads. “We are currently not offering segmented reporting when ads show above, below or within Search AI Overviews. Advertisers can consult the Search Terms Report, as usual.”

Why We Care: AI Overviews take up highly valuable real estate on Google’s search results, potentially driving clicks, sales, and revenue for businesses. However, since the ads appear below AI-generated answers, unlike the traditional ad placement above organic results, there are concerns about whether this position will yield a lower return on investment for advertisers. This uncertainty is further compounded by Google’s lack of reporting transparency, making it difficult to gauge the effectiveness of these new placements.

3. Could This New Core Web Vitals Tool Reveal Hidden Patterns in Performance Scores?

This week, Google rolled out a new tool called CrUX Vis which is designed to help you find hidden patterns in performance scores and help you figure out what to improve.

Data is collected from real browsers around the world and can be segmented in 3 ways:

1. Data = performance scores 
2. Device = segmented and visualized by mobile, data, and a combined view
3. Date Range = allows data visualization by 25 overlapping time periods stretching back 6 months

   

Additionally there are 5 ways to analyze the data: 

1. Core web vitals
2. Loading performance
3. Interactivity
4. Visual stability 
5. All metrics combined 

Why We Care: It helps marketers by showing performance patterns over time, helping identify areas for improvement. This is crucial for marketers because CWV impacts user experience, engagement, and SEO performance. It aims to make understanding website performance easier and help marketers have a big picture view on what’s going on on their sites.

4. Got a Niche-Specific Site? You May End Up in a Google AI Overview

Thought Google would overlook your super-specific website? No such luck! According to new data from BrightEdge, Google AI Overviews (AIO) will now be looking to niche-specific content for their AI overviews.

The overlap of URLs cited in AI Overviews with those ranking in the top 100 increased from 37% to 41% post-update. The shift indicates that AI Overviews are prioritizing organic results more than before, pulling from lower-ranked results to create comprehensive responses.

This started after Google’s August 15th Core Update and it seems to be causing a shake up in the SERPs, too. The more Google pulls information from these niche-specific pages, the higher their new spot in the SERP is. This is great news for smaller, independent sites but not great for big brand sites. 

5. Are You Using WP Engine? You're Up and Running Again!

Last week, we reported that all WP Engine users had been banned by WordPress. But this week, we have better news!

WordPress has given WP Engine users a brief reprieve and allowed them access to their sites again. This is a rapidly moving situation though and so if you’re running a WP Engine site, it’s best to look into a back-up plan.

6. Is it Time to Incorporate More UGC into Your Site?

Have you seen a decrease in your SERP ranking? It could be due to your lack of user-generated content (UGC).

According to Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan, Google has already started favoring UGC. He says that it’s due to the fact that “people are trying to get more authentic information. They want to hear from other people with experiences.” 

Google aims to provide firsthand perspectives that complement traditional web pages with UGC. UGC is seen and valued online in:

• Niche Forums
• Medical Searches

While the search engine giant admits that their current process isn’t perfect, UGC is here to stay. They will continue to refine their algorithms to address issues and improve the quality of the UGC content they’re pushing out.

7. Does X Feel Like a Ghost Town?

If your X feed has felt a little lonely lately, you’re not alone. New data released shows that X is losing users across the US and UK.

There are several reasons why this is happening but a lot of it probably has to do with Elon Musk’s takeover and his many changes to the once popular social app.

Are you still loving X or is it losing its spot in your social media tech stack?

8. Are Privacy Laws Hindering Your Ability to Personalize Your Advertising

According to a new study, 88% of respondents believe that privacy laws will have a “moderate to significant impact on the ability to deliver personalized advertising.” 

Without the third-party data so many advertisers relied on, digital marketers across the globe are having to adjust their targeting strategies and find other ways to customize their user experience. In fact, 47% of respondents in that same study said that they have already adjusted the number of data partners they work with.

Another thing that is making this more difficult for marketers is that it isn’t a blanket law across the entire country. With each state making their own regulations, it can be hard to find a strategy that fits every geographical audience.

This is probably only going to get more complicated as more states roll out new privacy regulations so if you haven’t started to shift your strategy, now is the time.

9. Noarchive Meta Tag is Gone

Google is constantly evolving and this week, the noarchive meta tag was on the chopping block. 

According to recently released documentation from Google, the noarchive rule is now history. “The noarchive rule is no longer used by Google Search to control whether a cached link is shown in search results, as the cached link feature no longer exists.”

That doesn’t mean you have to remove it from your website completely. Just because Google is no longer using it, it doesn’t mean other search engines have phased it out, too.

10. Google Adds Shopping Ads to Google Lens

Google is adding Shopping Ads to Google Lens visual search results! A user can tap the Lens icon in the Google search bar and then take or upload a photo to learn more. 

Why We Care: These ads will appear above or alongside Lens results, offering a new way for advertisers to reach shoppers. 

• Lens currently handles 20 billion searches a month, with 4 billion related to shopping. 
• Google’s updated Shopping Graph includes over 45 billion products, offering detailed information like reviews, price comparisons, and where to buy. 

This update enhances shopping experiences for users on iOS and Android.

11. Will Users Love Bing's Expanded AI-Powered Search for Complex Queries

Although they still hold less market share than Google, Microsoft’s Bing is still trying to improve their search engine.

This week, they announced a big expansion of Bing’s generative search capabilities. While these capabilities are still in the beta phase, Bing is hopeful that it will help make them more competitive in the market.

After activating the “Deep Search” button on Bing, a variety of AI results, along with the citations and links to original sources, will populate your screen. 

Weekly Digital Marketing News

1. If you’re interested in improving your user experience, be sure to poke around the new Google Core Web Vitals Tool, CrUX Vis.
2. Do you want to increase your SERP ranking? UCG could be your ticket! Explore ways to add this valuable content to your existing site.
3. If you’re still relying on third-party targeting data, it’s time to tweak your strategy. Look into first-party options to see how you can continue to personalize your targeted ads.
4. Play around with the Google AI Image Editing tool to see if you want to use it in the future for your Google Ads.
5. Explore Bing’s new AI improvements and see how you can grab a piece of that organic web traffic.

Digital Marketing News 9/23/2024 to 9/27/2024

This week: TikTok goes head to head with Google, a new study reveals which Google Ads strategy might be the best, and new advancements for Meta AI, VR and AR are coming.

Here's what you missed this week in the digital marketing news.

1. Have You Tried TikTok's New Ad Feature?

TikTok launched Search Ads Campaigns in the US, meaning advertisers can now target app users through their search results page. 

57% of users rely on the app’s search function, according to internal data. So, this new feature helps advertisers and brands tailor their ads to align with search behaviors, capturing this traffic. 

TikTok’s testing shows that combining Search Ads and In-Feed Ads can help boost conversions by 20%. This helps them take advantage of users who don’t typically engage with ads.

This tailored approach to running ads on TikTok could skyrocket the use of the app even further, making it competitive with Google.

2. New Study Reveals Which Google Ad Strategy Might Be the Best

This analysis was completed by Optmyzer, reviewing 14,000+ accounts that each spend between $1500 and $5 million a month.

They found that success comes with thoughtful execution, accurate conversion data, and continuous testing.

Key findings:

• Advertisers using Manual CPC tend to see weaker CPA, CTR and conversion rates, despite its decent ROAS.
• Max Conversion Value consistently delivers better ROAS and CPA than other ad strategies.
• 48% of advertisers use multiple bidding strategies within the same account.
• Accounts with 50+ conversions in 30 days show the best performance across all strategies.
• There’s no universal bidding strategy that’s better than others (Smart, Auto, or Manual); success depends on execution and the access since they aren’t reliant on conversions, helping advertisers understand auction prices.
• Smart bidding and conversion threshold: Smart bidding can be effective once an account has reached at least 50 conversions in a 30-day period, regardless of budget. Higher budgets don’t guarantee better performance—low-budget accounts sometimes outperform high-budget ones.
• Conversion data matters: Accounts with more conversions (50+) perform better, even when using Manual bidding, in terms of CPA, ROAS, CPC and CTR. For lower-conversion accounts, using micro-conversions can help in Smart bidding, but advertisers must assign accurate values to each action for better budget allocation.
• Budget and bidding strategy: Manual bidding correlates linearly with budget size, while other strategies face performance issues with drastic budget changes. Budget adjustments in Smart bidding require 2-3 weeks for performance stabilization.
• Bid caps, floors and targets: Setting goals like bid caps and floors can either help or hurt performance, often due to human error. Keeping bid caps within 10% of the daily budget helps ensure enough clicks per day and prevents underserving or misallocating the budget.

3. Do You Agree With These 6 Tech/Media Predictions from eMarketer?

I love looking forward to the future so when I saw these 6 “very specific but maybe unlikely” predictions from emarketer, I knew I had to bring it here. 

1. A company will publicly reject generative AI
2. Google will test its new consent workflow to opt in or out of data tracking
3. Tubi will become a bigger streaming service. It is a free ad-supported service, but it is not preloaded on smart TVs like competitors
4. ByteDance will sell TikTok to a US company due to the deadline from US regulators
5. A children’s safety law will pass in 2025 to protect kids online
6. Struggling tech companies, Dish and DirecTV, will merge.

What do you think about these predictions? If any come true, which will affect your workflow the most?

4. Google Ads Now Has Video Enhancement for PMax

Google Ads is adding a new Video Enhancement feature to improve ad performance through automated adjustments. 

This new feature creates additional vertical and square versions of your videos, and additional shorter versions. 

It was designed to optimize video creatives. As Google continues to add AI enhancements to its ad tools, it’s essential for advertisers to monitor campaign performance. 

Initial reactions from marketers suggest that they are cautious about automated adjustments that might affect ad outcomes.

5. Are You Having Issues with WP Engine?

The WordPress/WP Engine feud is heating up and some WP Engine users are finding themselves in the crosshairs.

This week, WordPress banned thousands of WP Engine customers from being able to add or update plugins and themes. If your WP Engine site has been giving you issues, this could be why!

Check out how this could be affecting your site now and make a plan to protect yourself in the future.

6. Reddit Launches AI-Powered Tools for Ad Creation

Reddit’s newest tools will help small businesses create more effective ads to resonate with the online community. 

So what new AI-powered ad tools are there? 

1. Ads Inspiration Library - a filterable collection of top-performing Reddit ads with AI-identified creative best practices
2. Copywriter - Generates Reddit specific ad copy based on advertiser inputs and best practices
3. Image Auto-Cropper - Automatically adjust imported images to the recommended display size

These tools are part of the broader strategy to make it easier for businesses to advertise on the platform.

7. Google's Spam Policy Updates

Google announced this week that they have updated their spam policy to make it easier for users to understand.

These changes include:

• More Information About Site Reputation Abuse
• New Details About Manual Action Consequences
• Changed Concept Of Thin Affiliate To Thin Affiliation
• More Appropriate Introductory Sentence
• Consolidation Of Words: Practices & Spam Practices
• Added The Concept Of Spam Abuse
• Improved Conciseness In General
• Improved Topic: Machine-Generated Traffic

If you are concerned about being swept up in Google’s spam takedown, you’re going to want to read this.

8. Google's Adding New priceType Property in Merchant Center

It’s now easier to specify sale pricing using structured data in the Merchant Center documentation. 

Google notes, “it is easier for merchants to specify sale pricing through structured data and bring parity with price features in Merchant Center.”

 “The following example shows a product with a sale price. The current, offer price automatically becomes a sale price when you provide a second price with the original, list price and mark it with a priceType property of value https://schema.org/ListPrice. Don’t mark the current, offer price with a priceType property.”

Here is a screenshot of the code:

9. Are You Advertising on Threads?

Regardless of how you felt about Threads before, there’s no denying that it continues to gain momentum. In August alone, 28 million people downloaded the app. 

If you’ve been on X, it could be time to consider adding Threads to your social media marketing strategy, too.

While X still has more actual users, if Threads continues to trend the way it has, it could unseat X as the preferred word-content social app. Some experts even think that Threads is on track to have over 300 million active users before the end of the year. Could any of those millions of users be your target audience?

If you haven’t already, download Threads and start exploring the platform today!

10. Virtual AI Influencers: Love Them or Leave Them?

Brands like Dior, Calvin Klein, and BMW are all using virtual influencers, or a fictional avatar, but does that mean you should, too?

This recent story from MarketingDive explores why some companies are using virtual influencers over real ones and how that might affect human influencers who are using their brands to build big companies.

Some positives: AI influencers are not limited by working hours, unionization, and other legal or physical restraints.

They're better for demonstrating simple products, but not complex ones like sports equipment.

Unfortunately, they are subject to copyright issues, bias, deepfakes, and customer manipulation.

With retailers and brands looking for ways to cut costs, is a virtual influencer the answer?

11. Google's Crawler Overview Page

Google announced this week that they’ve revamped their entire crawler documentation, including the overview page. While there is now a higher level of information, some experts are saying it may be too much for the typical marketer.

There are now three pages: common crawlers, special-case crawlers, and user-triggered fetchers. This is great news if you’re interested in really detailed information about what crawler is hitting your page but it may be too much if you’re just looking for a brief overview.

Have you checked out the new pages yet? What do you think of it?

12. Have You Seen the Meta AI, VR, and AR Advancements?

Meta Connect 2024 was this week and the social media giant revealed some exciting advancements involving AI, VR, and AR.

Here's what's new:

• Orion AR glasses with wrist control
• New functionality for Meta’s Ray Ban glasses
• Quest VR headset with two different models
• Celebrity voices for Meta AI
• Meta AI Image context
• AI translations for Reels
• “Imagine AI” technology

Meta is also improving their AI chatbots for businesses, making it easier to connect with your audience.

Weekly Digital Marketing News Homework

• Research TikTok's new Search Ads Campaigns feature. Analyze how it could fit into your current marketing strategy.
• Review your Google Ads accounts and evaluate which bidding strategy you're using. Track results over 30 days to see if performance improves, particularly focusing on conversion rates and ROAS.
• Enable the Video Enhancement feature on one of your current Performance Max campaigns. Analyze how the auto-generated vertical and square videos perform compared to your original creatives.
• Check your WP Engine-hosted sites for any plugin or theme update issues.
• Review your website and ensure it complies with Google’s updated spam policies.

Digital Marketing News 9/16/2024 to 9/20/2024

This week: Performance Max gets a facelift and there seems to be a never-ending amount of AI tools and features being released.

Let's dive into it:

1. 4 New PMax Updates for Insights and Reporting

Earlier this week, Google announced it’s giving Performance Max an update, bringing users new tools for optimizing creative assets and ways to dive deeper into insights. 

Here’s the latest updates:

1. Creative reporting updates: You will soon be able to track conversion metrics for individual image, video, and copy and receive detailed suggestions (e.g., adding new headlines or images) to enhance performance.
2. Streamlined performance insights: Google is integrating insights, explanations and recommendations into a single dashboard, eliminating the need to dig through multiple reports to understand campaign fluctuations.
3. Target pacing insights: Advertisers can now track whether campaigns are meeting CPA and ROAS targets and pinpoint the factors behind underperformance, from market changes to budget constraints.
4. Impression share reporting: This new addition to Performance Max allows advertisers to see how their text and Shopping ads are performing in search results, offering a clearer view of the competitive landscape. It’s available for both text ads and free product listings. 

Why We Care: These new features will give advertisers a clear view of what’s driving performance and it will give them specific recommendations to improve. 

By fine-tune campaigns, advertisers can drive even better performance and maximize their ad potential in competitive markets. 

Asset reporting will be available by the end of September, and the rest are out now. Check your Google ads platform. 

2. Negative Keyword Exclusions Have Finally Reached PMax

Another PMax update! Google will launch campaign-level negative keywords in Performance Max campaigns later this year. Advertisers will be excited about this one because they can fine tune their ad targeting on Search. 

What’s coming: 

1. Negative keywords in PMax. The power to refine ad targeting by excluding specific search queries on campaign levels will be in your hands. This will start rolling out before the end of 2024.
2. Omnichannel bidding in Demand Gen campaigns. This will let you optimize for both online and in-store conversions. This will exit beta soon.
3. Demand Gen campaigns will be supported in Display & Video 360. This will add increased flexibility for media buying workflows. This is coming in October.

Why We Care: Advertisers finally control their own negative keyword exclusions and how their ads appear. This will create better alignment with brand and audience preferences. 

3. How Did the August 2024 Core Update Actually Affect Websites?

The August 2024 Core Update took 19 days to roll out, but there weren't a ton of positive impacts. In fact, data providers are saying it was highly volatile.

This update caused significant fluctuations in search rankings, impacting various industries.The first four days of the update saw a big search ranking bug, causing rankings to fluctuate. Google advises you not to take into account movement you saw during the time it took to fix it. Instead, compare rankings and traffic from this week. 

 The volatility was among the highest seen in recent core updates, with major ranking shifts occurring in a short time. Some websites saw dramatic gains, while others experienced notable declines in visibility. 

Experts suggest that Google's algorithm changes likely focused on content relevance, quality, and user experience. As with all core updates, businesses and SEO professionals are closely monitoring the changes to adjust their strategies accordingly. 

4. YouTube Reviews 8,000 Top Ads for Key Trends

YouTube recently analyzed over 8,000 of the top ads highlighting key trends that contribute to successful video advertising. 

The study reveals that ads under 30 seconds perform best, particularly those with engaging storytelling and a clear brand message. Brands that capture attention within the first few seconds and maintain emotional resonance throughout the ad tend to see higher success rates. 

Other key findings: 

• Increased representation: Brands are featuring more diverse characters and perspectives.
• Celebration of self-expression: Ads are focused on individuality and unique styles.
• Community-focused storytelling: Brands are emphasizing connection and social gatherings.
• Embracing magic and fantasy: Ads are using imaginative elements to spark interest.
• Partnering with creators: Brands are collaborating with creators to build trust and fan bases.

The research also emphasizes the importance of relatable content that fosters a connection with viewers. Additionally, ads with a strong call to action (CTA) show increased engagement. YouTube's analysis serves as a guide for marketers to optimize video ad performance and improve ROI.

5. AI-Powered Tools to Drive Holiday Sales from Meta

Meta has rolled out new advertising tools in anticipation of the 2024 holiday season, aimed at helping businesses enhance their ad performance during the busy shopping period. 

These tools integrated with Meta’s AI-powered Advantage+ shopping campaigns can help businesses focus on improving campaign creation and optimization, making it easier for advertisers to reach their target audiences. Features include more personalized ad experiences and better performance tracking through Meta's platform. 

Tools: 

• Promo features: Meta is testing new ad formats that spotlight promotions, first-time purchase offers, and personalized discounts across Facebook and Instagram Reels, simplifying the application of promo codes to boost conversions.
• Reminder ads: Advertisers can now use reminder ads to nudge shoppers about sales and events, and drive in-app purchases with more frequent notifications.
• New ad capabilities: You can now add multiple landing pages to a single image or video ad via site links, making it easier for customers to find relevant products.
• Additionally, Meta is testing ads that target in-store shoppers and tourists based on location interest, offering businesses a chance to optimize for both in-store and online holiday traffic.

6. GCLID Conversion Tracking Issues

Advertisers have been reporting issues with Google Ad’s GCLID offline conversion tracking since September 12. 

Even though the uploads have been marked as successful the associate conversion returns are showing zero results.

Why we care: Conversion data is the backbone of measuring campaign effectiveness. Without accurate tracking, it’s impossible to assess ROI, optimize bids, or make informed decisions on ad spend.

The response: The Google Ads team is aware of the issue and is investigating with urgency, The bug seems to be specific to GCLID-based offline conversions, with standard conversion tags unaffected.

7. Meet HubSpot's New AI-Powered Marketing Tools

HubSpot announced “Breeze” at its annual inbound marketing conference. Breeze is an AI layer integrated across the company’s marketing, sales, and customer service software.

1. Breeze has three main components:
   1. Breeze copilot: AI-assistant that provides personalized recommendations beasong on data in the CRM
   2. Breeze agents: A set of four agents that can automate entire workflows like content generation, social media campaigns, prospecting, and customer support without human input.
   3. Breeze intelligence: Combines HubSpot customer data with third-party sources to build richer profiles.

Other new updates: 

• Content Remix to repurpose videos into clips, audio, blogs, and more.
• AI video creation via integration with HeyGen
• YouTube and Instagram Reels publishing
• Improved marketing analytics and attribution

The announcements signal HubSpot’s AI-driven vision for unifying customer data

8. AI-Powered Ad Image Editing Comes to Search & Display

Google’s making a push towards creative. AI-powered image editing is expanding across Google platforms to Search, Display, App, and Demand Gen campaigns. 

This will help marketers automate ad production and streamline processes since it all happens within Google Add.

Google’s “Automated Image Editing” can automatically enhance, edit, and generate responsive ad images based on machine learning and prompts or keywords provided by the advertiser.

AI can carry out the following tasks: 

• Automating image resizing for different ad placements
• Removing unwanted backgrounds from product images
• Applying brand colors, fonts, and logos
• Creating video thumbnails and social media assets
• Generating entirely new images from textual descriptions

Why We Care: The move is part of Google's broader efforts to integrate AI more deeply into its advertising ecosystem, helping advertisers save time and enhance creativity while improving campaign performance.

9. Instagram Private Profiles for Anyone Under 18 

Instagram has implemented new restrictions for ALL teen users, shifting them into a more advanced protection mode. It limits what they see, how much time they spend on the app and who can contact them. 

The app has 6 new restrictions for teens: 

1. Private accounts – All teen users will be opted into private accounts, while those aged under 16 will need a parent’s permission to opt out of private mode. Private accounts limit who can connect with you, who can see your content, and who can DM your profile in the app.
2. Messaging restrictions – Teens users will also now have the strictest messaging settings implemented by default, ensuring that they can only be messaged by people they follow or are already connected to.
3. Sensitive content restrictions – Teen users will automatically be placed into the most restrictive settings via IG’s Sensitive Content Controls.
4. Limited interactions – Teen users can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow, while Hidden Words will also be implemented by default, filtering out offensive words and phrases.
5. Time limit reminders - Teens will now get notifications telling them to leave the app after 60 minutes each day.
6. Sleep mode enabled – This is a big one: sleep mode will be automatically activated between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., which will mute notifications overnight and send auto-replies to DMs.

Teens will have access to a new feature that allows them to select topics that want to see more of on their Explore page. 

Why We Care: This is the first big move towards protection for young people against the dangers of social media. It also requires marketers to think outside of the box to create unique content as reliance on the algorithm will disappear.

Digital Marketing News Homework

• Update your Google Ads platform and monitor the new asset reporting features for individual conversion metrics. Review the insights and adjust creative assets based on Google's recommendations to optimize campaign performance.
• Prepare for the roll-out of negative keyword exclusions in Performance Max campaigns by creating a list of terms to exclude. Once available, implement campaign-level exclusions to fine-tune targeting.
• Leverage Meta’s AI-powered tools, such as personalized ad experiences and reminder ads, to enhance holiday campaign performance. Experiment with new promo features and site links to optimize for both in-store and online conversions.
• Review your current video ad strategy to incorporate shorter, engaging ads under 30 seconds. Emphasize storytelling, representation, community-focused content, and strong CTAs to align with top-performing trends.
• Utilize Google’s AI-powered image editing features to streamline ad creation by automating resizing, removing backgrounds, and applying brand elements. Incorporate these edits into Search, Display, and Demand Gen campaigns to enhance creativity.

Digital Marketing News 9/9/2024 to 9/13/2024

Happy Friday the 13th! This week Danny Conlon will cover implications of privacy laws, new tools, and a plugin you might want to download.

Let's get started.

1. Google's Privacy-First Data Protection Solution: Confidential Matching

Google launched confidential matching, a new privacy-first solution for audience targeting in Google Ads. This new solution lets you securely connect your first-party data for audience targeting and campaign measurement, leveraging confidential computing technology.

How is this so secure? Confidential computing uses TEEs or Trusted Execution Environments that protect all user data during processing preventing everyone, yes even Google, from accessing the data. 

Confidental matching is part of Google’s commitment to privacy and security. This new solution will come at no-cost to advertisers and is now the default for Customer Match in Google Ads.

Why We Care: Confidential matching allows marketers to securely use first-party data for more effective audience targeting in Google Ads, without compromising user privacy.

2. Meta Takes Steps to Restrict Data

Meta is implementing new data restrictions, symbolizing another move towards commitment to privacy. However, this will most likely complicate how businesses target ads and measure performance. 

Key changes and impacts: 

• Automatic restriction of certain URL parts and custom parameters
  • Will probably require adjustments to custom audiences
• Potential pausing of ads using highly targeted UTMs
  • Ad sets might be paused
• Altered monitoring in Events Manager 
  • Could reduce visibility 

Why We Care: Marketers need to stay up to date on Meta's new data restrictions because they may need to adjust their ad strategies, including custom audiences and UTM parameters, while closely monitoring potential ad pauses and reduced visibility in performance tracking.

3. Google's Making Ads More Noticeable in Search Results

Have you been tricked by an ad before? Google is experimenting with new techniques to make ads more noticeable and identifiable within search results. 

This more noticeable ad format uses a taller gray background with labels such as “Sponsored” and subtitles like “Promoted products” or “Promoted results.”

Another key feature Google is using to separate ads is labeling sections. Google’s taking a direct approach by labeling the following sections after the ads as “All results” to separate organic from paid content. 

With this change to make ads more noticeable, user behavior will most likely change. Marketers should monitor their click through rates and conversion rates. 

Why We Care: More noticeable ad formats and clearer labeling of paid versus organic content could impact user behavior such as clicks and conversions. 

4. Google Local Services Ads Verification Becomes Stricter For Lawyers

Google is launching a new Ad Verification process specifically for Lawyers running Local Services Ads (LSAs).

The new verification process requires identity checks for business owners, senior partners and featured professionals. 

Here’s how it works:

• Lawyers will get an email on 9/16 from Evident, a Google partner 
• Lawyers will have 30 days to complete the identity verification 
• Verified identities will need to be cross referenced with professional licenses

If you fail to complete the new verification requirements by the deadline, your ads could be suspended. This could ultimately affect customer acquisition. 

Action Item: Business owners should update the email addresses for all featured professionals before 9/16. Keep in mind each business professional needs their own unique email address. 

5. YouTube Studio Is Adding New "Website Visits" Goal

YouTube Studio’s promotions feature officially has a new goal, “Website visits” to allow creators to drive traffic directly to websites. 

Creators can easily promote products and services directly from their channels by targeting select countries and languages.

How it works:

• Creators can set up video promotions within YouTube Studio by choosing between three different goals: audience growth, video views, or website visits.
• Ad formats include Shorts, in-feed ads, and skippable in-stream ads labeled as “Sponsored”

Unfortunately, engagement from these different ads do not contribute to YouTube Partner Program eligibility. 

Why We Care: This update will make it easier for creators to turn video views into website visits.

6. Google Ads Depreciate Enhanced CPC for Search and Display

Yep. Google’s phasing out the option to use enhanced cost-per-click for both new Search and Dispay ad campaigns beginning in October. By the end of March 2025, all remaining enhanced CPC campaigns will be transitioned to Manual CPC campaigns.

Enhanced CPCs was a great way for advertisers to get a chance to experiment with automated biding strategies working towards a conversion target. But now that’s going away. They’ve been around since 2010. 

Now, in light of the new technology advancements, machine learning options lik

1. Maximize conversions with an optional target CPA 
2. Maximize conversion value with an optional target ROAS 

Action Item: Begin transitioning from enhanced cost-per-click (CPC) strategies to machine learning-driven options like Maximize Conversions or Maximize Conversion Value, as Google phases out enhanced CPC

7. Google Tighten Indexing API Rules

Google added a very clear warning about spam detection and possible consequences for misuse of its Indexing API.

Google’s Indexing API is helpful for sites that have content that changes quickly and frequently. The API can help Google crawl and then index these pages quickly.

Google’s Indexing API documentation now has the following statement: 

“All submissions through the Indexing API undergo rigorous spam detection. Any attempts to abuse the Indexing API, including using multiple accounts or other means to exceed usage quotas, may result in access being revoked.”

Those who violate these guidelines will risk losing access to the tool.

Follow the expectations of Google’s Indexing API by:

• Respecting quota limits. If you need more, request them instead of creating multiple accounts
• Only use Indexing API to update job postings and livestream video only 

8. New WordPress Plugin All-Around Tool

Yoast co-founders have created a brand new WordPress Plugin to help all users plan tasks, stop procrastinating and achieve overall website success. 

It’s called the Progress Planner plugin. Use it to create a roadmap within your WordPress site. It creates a “gamification” of task completion offering “badges” when tasks are completed. 

Key Features: 

• Activity Tracking: Monitor your actions on your website, from publishing posts to updating pages, and see how they contribute to your overall site health.
• Gamification: Unlock achievements, earn badges, and track your progress in a fun and motivating way.
• Progress Reports: Receive detailed reports on your website’s performance and progress.
• To-do list: Keep all those content and maintenance tasks in one place.

9. Google Integrates Wayback Machine Links Into Search Results

Google has integrated links from the Internet Archive’s "Wayback Machine" directly into search results. 

This new feature allows users to view previous versions of web pages that may have changed or been removed, providing more historical context for content. It's helping users verify facts and track the evolution of web content over time. 

This development is part of Google’s broader effort to provide more comprehensive information and combat misinformation. It is seen as a valuable tool for journalists, researchers, and those looking for content verification.

The new functionality has been added to the existing ‘About this page’ feature.

To access it, click the three dots next to a search result, select “About this result,” and then choose “More about this page.”

Why We Care: The integration of Internet Archive links in Google search results allows users to access and scrutinize past versions of web pages, which could affect how changes to their content are perceived and influence brand trust and credibility.

10. New Structured Data for Video Content

Google has introduced new structured data options for video content, expanding the ability for websites to enhance their visibility in search results. 

This update adds a new property called 'ineligibleRegion' allowing site owners to control where video content is restricted in search results. 

This new feature complements the existing 'regionsAllowed' property, offering creators more flexibility in managing regional restrictions. 

The 'ineligibleRegion' property specifies countries where videos should not appear, using ISO 3166-1 country codes, and can be implemented through JSON-LD or Microdata.

Website owners are encouraged to update their structured data to take advantage of this new option,  ensuring compliance with content rights and tailoring search results to specific markets.

Action Item: Marketers should update their video structured data to utilize the new 'ineligibleRegion'  property, controlling where video content is restricted across search results. 

11. What Are First Position Ads on YouTube?

First Position Ads have been updated to finally include all YouTube content across its entire library. So now, advertisers can secure the best ad placements across any content.

Previously, this feature was only available on YouTube Select inventory at fixed rates.

First Position is the guarantee an ad will land in the first in-stream spot when a user begins watching on YouTube. With YouTube being the largest streaming video website in the world, this provides lots of opportunity if you run videos in your ad campaigns. 

Why We Care: First Position will be ideal for campaigns critical moments in business such as product launches. Advertisers should lean into it for their campaigns to enhance brand recall and drive higher engagement. 

Digital Marketing News Homework

• Review your custom audiences and UTM parameter setup to ensure compliance with Meta’s new data restrictions, and be ready to adjust ad sets if paused due to these changes.
• Monitor click-through rates and conversion rates closely to see how Google’s more noticeable ad labels and formatting impact your campaigns, and adjust your ad strategies accordingly.
• Leverage YouTube Studio’s new “Website Visits” goal to drive traffic to your site through video promotions, targeting relevant audiences and tracking results.
• Begin transitioning to machine learning-driven bidding strategies, such as Maximize Conversions or Maximize Conversion Value, before Enhanced CPC is phased out.
• Update your video content’s structured data to include the new 'ineligibleRegion' property, ensuring compliance with content rights and optimizing search result visibility by region.

Digital Marketing News 9/3/2024 to 9/6/2024

This week: Google's 2024 August Core algorithm update is complete, Google has a new design for forum-related content, and Google Analytics releases new benchmarking tool!

Let's jump in!

1.Google's August 2024 Core Update is Complete

Google has completed the rollout of its August 2024 core update, which started on August 15 and concluded on September 3.

The update focuses on improving search results by prioritizing useful and high-quality content. This had a very negative effect, particularly on smaller and independent publishers.

Most websites did not experience significant changes in rankings, but those affected by previous updates (such as the September 2023 helpful content update) may see ranking recoveries.

• 44% said My Rankings/Traffic Are Down (total votes 1,583)
• 27% said My Rankings/Traffic Are Up (total votes 993)
• 29% said No Change (total votes 1,038)

2. Google Will Update Video Action Campaigns

Google will merge Video Action Campaigns with Demand Gen Campaigns by the end of Q2 in 2025. 

This transition will increase conversions by 20% at the same cost per action, by combining video and image assets. 

Other improvements:

• Expanded Reach - New Demand Gen campaigns will allow advertisers to engage with more monthly users
• Creative Flexibility - By using both images and video ads in a single campaign, advertisers will get more insights to help define their creative strategies 
• Enhanced Audience Targeting - Marketers should use Lookalike segments in Demand Gen campaigns to reach new audiences similar to the best customers they currently have

Marketers using Video Action Campaigns should start transitioning to Demand Gen Campaigns. Google will launch a migration tool for manually upgrading from Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen Campaigns in early 2025.  

3. New Advanced Performance Plans for YouTube Campaigns

Google Ads has a new “Performance Planner” that includes tailored strategies for your YouTube campaigns. The focus is on Demand Gen for both Action and Awareness goals.

Use these plans to align your full marketing strategy with your campaign goals. There are options to customize your budgets, d formats, buying methods, and campaign objectives. 

Key Features:

1. Action Plans - Prioritize conversions by using Video Reach, Video View, and Demand Gen campaigns
2. Awareness Plans - Focus on brand visibility with Video Reah and Demand Gen Campaigns

4. Google Search's New Design for Forum-Related Content

 Google is testing a new display for forum content when they appear in search results.The display will highlight the top comments from forum threads and related discussions  

The goal? To allow people to quickly view top comments and related discussions to find information faster than before. 

This new feature aims to improve search results by offering more relevant and interactive content directly within the SERP.

5. Google's New Benchmarking Feature!

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has a new benchmarking feature to allow businesses to compare their performance to their industry peers.

Benchmark data is refreshed everyday and users can customize different groups, being sure to compare themselves to others in the most relevant categories. 

Key features:

1. Customizable peer groups so you can compare what’s relevant
2. Daily benchmarks
3. Privacy protection for data
4. Wide range of metrics across performance

6. YouTube Shorts Thumbnails Are Now Editable

Creators can now add text and filters on their thumbnails AFTER they upload them. 

Users can add text, filters and emojis to personalize their thumbnails and create more engaging content. 

Test it out by tapping the pencil icon in the top corner of the Short. Then, scrub through the video until you find the frame you want to use. Edit and customize, and when you’re done, save the changes by selecting the checkmark. 

Although your customized thumbnail won’t appear in the Shorts feed, you’ll see it in:

• Search results
• Hashtag pages
• Audio pivot pages
• Creator channels 
• Home feeds
• Subscription feeds

7. AI Browser History Feature? New On Chrome

Google Chrome's new AI History feature enhances browser history search by utilizing AI to match users' previous site visits not just by URL or page titles, but by analyzing webpage content, including text and images. 

This feature allows users to find specific content they've interacted with before, even if details like keywords were embedded in images rather than the page text.

• AI-based history search can match content found in text and images.
• It allows users to re-discover previously visited sites based on natural language queries.
• Exact keyword matches are no longer required, although simple text searches will default to matching page titles and URLs.

8. CTOs Are Driving Generative AI Strategies

According to a global survey conducted by Google Cloud and the National Research Group (NRG) in April 2024, 59% of executives state that CTOs should be responsible for driving generative AI strategies in their organizations.

CTOs or Chief Technology Officers are seen as key leaders due to their deep technical expertise.

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and CEOs follow closely, at 49% and 48% respectively. However, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are less involved, with only 18% tasked with leading generative AI efforts.

Digital Marketing News Homework

• Marketers should review their site’s performance post-update and prioritize creating high-quality, helpful content to maintain or recover rankings.
• Marketers using Video Action Campaigns should start migrating to Demand Gen Campaigns to take advantage of better conversion rates, expanded reach, and creative flexibility.
• Customize your budget and formats to maximize conversions and brand awareness with Performance Planner.
• Use Google Analytics 4’s new benchmarking feature to compare your performance with industry peers.

Digital Marketing News 8/26/2024 to 8/30/2024

This week: Google's releasing new AI-powered tools to kickstart your holiday sales season, YouTube launches creator-based audience targeting, and TikTok let's you create your own AI voiceover.

Let's dive into this week's digital marketing news:

1. Google's New Tools for a Short Holiday Season

Google has launched new tools to help businesses prepare for a shorter holiday season, including expanded product listings and early sale notifications. 

1. Shopping Trends - Real-time trends can help you adjust your inventory and product descriptions based on what people are actually searching for
2. AI-Powered Insights - Get quick summaries of product performance and custom reports based on specific searches
3. Automated In-store Availability - Automatically sync in-store availability from retail websites to help customers find products nearby 
4. New Campaign Goals - Set customer acquisition goals and optimize campaigns with a profit-focused mindset during peak shopping periods 

These tools are attempting to help advertisers as they deal with the shorter holiday shopping timeline - only 26 days this year compared to last year’s 32.

2. Google YouTube Creator-Based Audience Targeting

Google has rolled out a new feature that allows advertisers to target audiences on YouTube based on the creators they follow or have recently engaged with. 

Advertisers can now link YouTube creator videos to their Google Ads accounts, providing access to organic view metrics and the ability to create remarketing segments. 

This tool enables more precise targeting, ensuring that ads reach the most relevant viewers.

3. What Does Google Use for Title Links?

Google Search may now utilize the Open Graph (OG) title tag for title links in search results, potentially changing how titles appear to users.

There are now 9 sources google can use for your title link:

• Content in <title> elements
• Main visual title shown on the page
• Heading elements, such as <h1> elements
• Content in og:title meta tags
• Other content that’s large and prominent through the use of style treatments
• Other text contained in the page
• Anchor text on the page
• Text within links that point to the page
• WebSite structured data

An og:title is the title of your page as it should appear in the open graph 

This change can impact click-through rates, as users may see a different title than what was originally optimized.

4. Google Removes Auction Insights From Looker Studio

Google has removed Auction Insights data from Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio), limiting advertisers' ability to analyze competitive performance directly in the tool.

Why Marketers Should Care: The removal of this data may require marketers to find alternative methods for competitive analysis to fill the gap left by the removal of Auction Insights from Looker Studio.

5. AI Overviews Were Affected by Core Algorithm Update

Turns out Google’s AI Overviews were affected by the August 2024 core update. 

Marketers in the SEO industry have seen a shift after major algorithm updates - the sources in AI overviews change. 

As these algorithm updates improve the quality of search results, we can expect to see more impacts from future core updates. 

6. Is Webpage Text Copied from a YouTube Duplicate Content

Although duplicate content is not a ranking factor itself, content published on a more authoritative site will outrank content on a less authoritative site.

 A user asked “If i create a youtube video then take that exact text and place it on a web page, is that duplicate content?”

No, the two forms of content are different and will be treated as different content. Because of this there is no threat of cannibalization and marketers should continue to repurpose their content to extend it’s reach.

7. Say Goodbye to Google Merchant Center

Google is replacing classic Merchant Center with Merchant enter Next next month

Merchant Center Next will have plenty of new elements: 

1. Product Studio .- AI powered content creation tool 
2. Consolidated analytics - a new tab to combine various data tools, pricing reports, and competitive visibility metrics
3. Redesigned Interface - the new design is more intuitive with pre-populated product information and customizable homepages
4. Unified product management - online and local product listings are in one place 
5. Built-in ad creation - basic automated ad campaigns 

The mandatory upgrade affects all retailers using the platforms for product listings .

8. Perplexity Ads to Launch in Q4

 Reports indicate that Perplexity, a search engine, will launch its ad platform in Q4, offering a new avenue for digital advertising in about 15 key categories.

Ad Categories: Arts & entertainment, finance, food and beverage, health, and technology.

Video ads will be run on mobile above related questions or on the side screen of a desktop.

9. ChatGPT Outage

A significant outage caused ChatGPT to go down, affecting users and businesses reliant on the AI service.

The outage began on Monday, August 26th, with the highest number of reports on August 28th, causing numerous “Bad Gateway” errors on the Down Detector website. 

While 4% of the reported problems involved ChatGPT as an app, more issues were reported involving the website. The issue is said to be fixed for now.

10. Create Your Own AI Voice Over

Within the TikTok app you can now create an AI simulation of your own voice. Now, you can voice over your clips with your own digital voice as opposed to the generic speaker voice.

You’ll navigate to the page “Create your Own AI Voice” and then speak into your device. 

Custom AI voice overs can make brand content more unique and relatable, helping to differentiate in a crowded market.

Leverage this feature to create branded voice overs that align with your brand’s tone and messaging, adding a personalized touch to your TikTok content.

11. Google's Digital Ads Revenue is Growing Fast

Since Q3 2023, Google has seen double-digit worldwide digital ad revenue growth—more than double that of Microsoft’s, according to the companies’ earnings. 

Beyond the chart, Google’s US ad revenues are expected to reach $77.49 billion this year, accounting for 25.6% of total digital ad spend, per the March 2024 forecast. 

The company’s continued dominance in search is fueling its growth, but the US ruling against Google’s search monopoly could let competitors steal market share.

Digital Marketing News Homework

• Google's New Tools for a Short Holiday Season: Implement Google's new AI tools and trends monitoring to optimize holiday campaigns and inventory management.
• Google YouTube Creator-Based Audience Targeting: Use YouTube creator-based targeting to refine audience segmentation in your ad campaigns.
• Webpage Text Copied from a YouTube Video Duplicate Content?: Repurpose YouTube video content on webpages without worrying about duplicate content penalties.
• Say Goodbye to Classic Merchant Center: Prepare for the transition to Merchant Center Next by familiarizing yourself with its new features.