Breaking Digital Marketing News (Updated Every Friday)

Digital Marketing News 9/26/2022 - 9/30/2022

This week: TikTok greatly increases video description lengths, YouTube Shorts adds a narration feature, and a couple of recent Google updates have completed rolling out.

Here’s what happened this week in digital marketing.

 

TikTok Increases Length of Video Descriptions

TikTok has increased the length of its video descriptions from 300 characters to a whopping 2,200 characters.

That increase will help in two ways.

First, it makes the content more searchable. The more words you use to describe what’s in your TikTok, the more likely you’ll include a phrase that users will plug in to a search bar.

Second, TikTok uses the description to determine which videos to recommend to users. So you also get more chances to “make the cut” with a longer description.

This update comes on the heels of a recent report showing that young folks use TikTok as a search engine.

TikTok Rolls Out Comment Downvotes

Not sure there was a whole lot of demand for this feature, but here it is anyway. You can now downvote comments on TikTok.

Look for the new “thumbs down” icon displayed on the far, right-hand side of each comment. Just tap it if you don’t like what you’re reading.

TikTok says it will use the downvotes to identify negative behaviors on the app.

“We’ve started testing a way to let individuals identify comments they believe to be irrelevant or inappropriate,” TikTok said in a statement. “This community feedback will add to the range of factors we already use to help keep the comment section consistently relevant and a place for genuine engagement. To avoid creating ill-feeling between community members or demoralize creators, only the person who registered a dislike on a comment will be able to see that they have done so.”

The company had been testing the feature for about six months.\

Google: No Percentage That Identifies Duplicate Content

So when it comes to duplicate content, how much is too much?

I mean, almost nothing is 100% unique.

Somebody asked Google’s John Mueller about this subject recently on Twitter: “Hey @johnmu is there a percentage that represents duplicate content? For example, should we be trying to make sure pages are at least 72.6 percent unique than other pages on our site? Does Google even measure it?”

Mueller replied: “There is no number (also how do you measure it anyway?)”.

But tools like Copyscape will tell you how much of your content is unique. So, to some software algorithms, it’s possible to calculate the percentage of duplicate content.

In the past, Google’s Gary Illyes simply said that Google tries “to detect dupes.”

And that’s about as good an answer as we’re going to get on this subject.

Google: September Core Update Complete

Another Google algorithm update is in the history books.

The Big G just announced that its September Core Update has been completed. It started on Sep. 12 and finished on Sep. 26.

So Google was right when it said the rollout would take about two weeks.

Early reports say that websites that got hit were hit quickly. But the impact wasn’t as severe as it was with previous algo updates.

By the way, the product review update was completed on Sep. 26 as well.

YouTube Shorts Adds Narration Feature

So what’s the latest in the ongoing saga about YouTube’s attempts to compete with TikTok?

This week, it’s a story about narration.

Specifically, YouTube Shorts is getting a narration feature. But it’s only on iOS as of now.

The new tool makes it easy to add voiceovers and helpful commentary to Shorts videos. 

YouTube Shorts recently added another feature it copied from TikTok: the ability to reply to comments with a video.

Google: We Don't Penalize for Keyword-Stuffed URLs

I think I’ve covered this before, but just in case...

Google says it won’t penalize your site for URLs stuffed with keywords.

Here’s exactly what John Mueller said on Twitter this past week: “No, you won't get penalized for keyword-stuffed URLs. It basically has no effect, positive or negative for search engines. It's a good practice to mention your keywords in the URL, but the effect is minimal. Focusing there is often the wrong prioritization.”

Note: you still could get penalized for keyword-stuffing in your content. 

Google's John Muller Will Review Your Presentation for Accuracy

Got a presentation about SEO coming up? If so, you can get some help.

From John Mueller.

Yep. He’ll review your presentation slides and let you know what he thinks.

Here’s what he tweeted this past week: “If you're presenting at an event soon, uncertain about something Google-related, and fearing someone from Google facepalming in the back (we won't), and especially if you're a new presenter, you're welcome to drop me a note.”

Mueller even set up a special email account for the purpose: gutcheck.with.john@gmail.com.

And if you think you’re leeching on Mueller because he’s got better things to do, keep in mind that Google pays him to do exactly that kind of work. So don’t feel guilty.

 

Instagram: Videos Under 60 Seconds Will No Longer Get Split Into Segments

In the past, videos in Instagram Stories under 60 seconds in length would get split into 15-second segments.

That’s no longer the case.

You’ll see an alert to that effect after you update your Instagram app on your mobile device.

Instagram has tested this new feature recently with select users. 

Meta Makes It Easier to Switch Between Its Apps

Chances are pretty good that you’re doing digital marketing on both Facebook and Instagram.

And now Meta, the parent company of both, is making it easier to switch between your connected profiles on those platforms.

The company launched a new UI that highlights the number of notifications on each app. 

“We know that many people use more than one of our apps to pursue different interests, reach a broader audience or share different aspects of who they are with different groups of people,” Meta said in a statement. “With that in mind, we’re simplifying the process of creating and switching between accounts and profiles.”

The company is also rolling out a new registration flow that makes it easier for users to create accounts on both platforms.

Homework:

The first of the ber-months is gone. Hopefully, you still have time to take care of these action items:

• Take advantage of Meta’s new UI that makes it easy to switch between Instagram and Facebook. You’ll likely save yourself some time.
• If you’ve got an SEO presentation coming up, be sure to run it by John Mueller for accuracy. You don’t want to share fake news.
• Think about how you can use the YouTube Shorts narration feature to further boost your brand.
• Use those increased TikTok description lengths to add more details about your productions. You might attract a wider audience.

Digital Marketing News 9/12/2022 - 9/16/2022

This week: Adobe acquires Figma, YouTube wants you to make money with Shorts, and Google has yet another update rolling out.

Here’s what happened this week in digital marketing.

Abode Buys Figma

Adobe recently purchased rival Figma in a deal worth $20 billion.

Figma offers design software that runs in the cloud and allows teams to collaborate in real time.

In other words, it’s pretty much the same thing as Adobe XD.

“Adobe’s greatness has been rooted in our ability to create new categories and deliver cutting-edge technologies through organic innovation and inorganic acquisitions,” said Adobe chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen. “The combination of Adobe and Figma is transformational and will accelerate our vision for collaborative creativity.”

The company intends to integrate its suite of imaging, video, and illustration tools into the Figma platform.

Figma said its users can expect the platform to operate as it normally does over the short term.

Google: Low Word Count Not a Sign of Thin Content

When it comes to SEO, less could be more.

Just because your word count is low, that doesn’t mean you’re posting thin or unhelpful content.

But don’t take my word for it. That’s according to Google’s John Mueller.

“Word count is not a sign that a page is thin content,” Mueller tweeted this past week. “You're the expert on your site's topic (or you should be), you can make a qualified call on what's helpful for users, and what's fluff. Don't use word count.”

In the past, Mueller also said that word count isn’t a ranking factor.

Google: We Only Check Your Homepage for the Favicon

If you’re wondering how Google displays the correct favicon in search results next to snippets, it comes from the homepage.

You might have a website that, for whatever reason, includes different favicons on different pages. Just keep in mind that only the homepage favicon will show up in search.

A question about this subject came up this past week on Twitter. John Mueller tweeted: “Last I checked, I think we only pick up the homepage favicon.”

That said, it’s probably not a great idea to use different favicons on different pages.

YouTube Eyes Monetization for Shorts

According to The New York Times, YouTube will soon add a direct monetization option for Shorts.

“YouTube will bring ads to Shorts, according to meeting and two people familiar with the situation,” the report reads. “The company plans to pay creators 45 percent of the ad money, according to one of the people. YouTube creators have traditionally received 55 percent of the money from the ads that play before and during their videos.”

It’s meant to be a blow to TikTok.

Additionally, YouTube will soon lower the standards for entry into the YouTube Partner Program.

In the past, you needed 4,000 public hours in the previous 12 months to qualify. You also needed over 1,000 subscribers.

YouTube Shorts are currently viewed by more than 1.5 billion people every month.

WordPress Drops Security for Older Versions

Heads up if you’re one of those “refuse to upgrade” types.

This past week, WordPress announced that it’s dropping security updates for older installs. Specifically, versions 3.7 - 4.0.

The cease-and-desist process will begin on Dec. 1.

Why is WordPress doing this? So its development team can focus on adding new features in later versions of the product.

WordPress advises website owners to upgrade to the latest version: 6.0.2.

Google Product Review Algorithm Update Rolling Out

It seems as though late summer is the season of updates at Google headquarters.

First, we had the Helpful Content update. Then the broad core algorithm update. And now a product review update.

The point of that latest update is to take a shot at low-quality reviews. If you’re “padding” your reviews somehow, take heed.

As of Wednesday, Google said the product review update was “mostly done.” So by the time you’re reading this, it’s probably done.

If you’re running an ecommerce site, it might be a good idea to find out if your most popular keywords are doing the Google dance.

Google: Don't Make Cookie Consent Banners Annoying

As you probably know by now, it’s a really good idea to add a cookie consent banner to your website if you’re plopping cookies into people’s browsers.

In fact, you have to do that in the EU.

But that doesn’t mean you need to make an irritating cookie consent banner.

This past week, somebody asked Google’s John Mueller about that very subject. 

Here’s his succinct advicer: “Don’t make it annoying.”

You’ve probably seen plenty of annoying pop-ups in your day. Remember those as examples of what not to do.

Wix Integrates with SEMRush for Keyword Tracking

Good news if you’re running a website with Wix: that platform now integrates with SEMRush.

That means you’ll get insights into how well your keywords are faring in search results.

Oh, and here’s some better news: you get that data for free.

However, if you want all the goodies that SEMRush makes available to its customers, you’ll still have to fork over some cash. 

“By leveraging SEMRush's keyword databases and metrics, Wix is giving users the necessary tools to find smart opportunities and improve their ranking on Google,” said Marcus Tober, SVP of Enterprise Solutions at SEMRush. “As Organic Search traffic is incredibly valuable, the new integration in Wix can help to grow their businesses.”

The integration is already live.

Google: Named Updates Don't Include Penalties

Do you think your site got penalized by a recent update? Probably not.

That’s because those updates aren’t penalties.

The subject came up recently during a Google Office Hours hangout. Here’s a question somebody asked: “Both of my websites have been hit by different updates, around 90% drops and are suffering from some type of flag that is suppressing our sites until the soft penalty is lifted.  Or… is there even a soft penalty?”

And here’s the response: “No, the named updates that we publish on the rankings updates page on Search Central are not penalties in any shape or form.” Instead, those updates are just adjustments to ranking algorithms.

Homework

Summer is gone. So you should have more free time to take care of these action items:

• If you’re on Wix, take advantage of that free SEMRush integration to track your keywords. Take corrective action where necessary.
• If you’re popping up “loud” cookie consent banners, consider doing something quieter in the lower third of the screen. Google doesn’t like annoying pop-ups.
• If you’re in the ecommerce space, check your keyword rankings with that product review update that just rolled out.
• If you’re running an older version of WordPress, you might want to consider upgrading. Some of those older versions won’t have security updates and the last thing you need is a security breach.

Digital Marketing News 9/12/2022 - 9/16/2022

This week: Google completes rolling out its Helpful Content update, ecommerce brands ramp up ad spend on TikTok, and Microsoft rolls out multimedia ads for search.

Here’s what happened this week in digital marketing.

Google Helpful Content Update Now Done Rolling Out

It’s over.

The so-called Helpful Content update to Google’s search algorithm completed rolling out this past week. On September 9, to be precise.

As the name implies, the point of the update was to downgrade sites that are designed to rank well in the search engine results pages (SERPs) without providing helpful content. It’s another shot at the black-hatters.

Google describes the update as an “ongoing effort to reduce low-quality content and make it easier to find content that feels authentic and useful in Search.”

Although Google described it as a big update, the effects were minimal. That’s good news because that means most sites are producing quality content.

Google: Helpful Content Update May Get Stronger

Speaking of the Helpful Content update, it might get stronger with the next algorithm change.

According to Google’s Danny Sullivan, future updates might enhance the recent Helpful Content update.

“Maybe the helpful content signal alone wasn’t enough to tip the scales and produce a change in someone’s particular situation, but when we do other updates (core, product reviews), it might add into that and be more significant,” he tweeted.

Sullivan also said that if you noticed no change after the Helpful Content rollout, that’s because you’re producing quality content. Congratulations.

Instagram Is Testing a Repost Feature

Instagram recently confirmed that it’s testing the equivalent of a retweet button.

“We’re exploring the ability to reshare posts in Feed—similar to how you can reshare in Stories—so people can share what resonates with them, and so original creators are credited for their work,” the company told TechCrunch. “We plan to test this soon with a small number of people.”

Instagram users can already share Stories. But, as of now, they can’t share posts within the main feed.

Report: Facebook and Instagram Decline While Users Flock to TikTok

TikTok is consuming social media market share, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

The report says that Instagram engagement is fading. Specifically, Reels are declining significantly.

That’s in line with a leaked Instagram internal report showing a 13.6% drop in Reels engagement over the past few months. 

TikTok, on the other hand, is sitting pretty. The WSJ claims that users spend 10x as many hours taking in the content on that app as they do viewing Reels.

No wonder other social media companies want to imitate TikTok.

Ecommerce Companies Spend 60% More on TikTok Ads in Q2

Speaking of TikTok: according to a recent survey of 5,000 online stores, ecommerce companies increased TikTok ad spend by 60% in Q2.

Total ad spend came in just shy of $30 million.

Combined Q1 and Q2 TikTok advertising costs amounted to $48.4 million. That’s an increase of 231% from the previous six months.

Overall ad spend increased 11% in Q1 to a total of $529.7 million.

Stores with more than $25 million in sales saw the highest average order values and returns on investment.

Google Rolls Out Another Broad Core Update

Yep. It’s time for another broad core update from Google.

The last one happened in May. That doesn’t count the Helpful Content update that just rolled out within the last couple of weeks.

So Google engineers have been busy this year.

The latest rollout started on Sep. 12 and will take two weeks to complete.

During that time, you might notice some of your keywords doing the Google dance. That’s normal.

Just wait until a week or so after the update completes. Then check your keywords. That will give you a better understanding of how the update affected your site.

Google Opens Enhanced Product Experience to More Ecommerce Sites

Once upon a time, if you wanted to display rich data for your products in Google search results, you needed to be a Merchant Center user.

That’s no longer the case.

All you need to do is provide product structured data on your web pages. Google will take care of the rest.

Google also introduced new Search Console reports:

• Merchant Listing Report - identifies structured data issues for free listing experiences
• Product Snippets Report - identifies structured data issues for product snippets

Google announced the changes this past Tuesday.

Microsoft Releases Multimedia Ads

This past week, Microsoft announced new ad formats that will appear at the top of the Bing search results, Windows 11, and Microsoft Start. They consist of new video and image styles.

Microsoft has been testing the ads for a little while. Brands that participated in the test include:

• Looka
• ADT
• VodafoneZiggo

Microsoft says there will only be one multimedia ad per page, so the ad stands out.

It also means you’ll likely have to spend quite a bit of money for that digital real estate.

The new ads also work with Creator tools, so you can extract images from your site and edit them.

Google: You Won't Be Penalized for Not Including H1s on Your Site

By now, you probably know it’s good practice to put H1 tags on your web pages. But it’s not a requirement.

The subject came up this past week on Reddit. During the discussion, Google’s John Mueller said: “You will never be penalized for not having an H1.”

Although he added that it’s “good practice” to include the tag.

In the past, Mueller said that H1 tags aren’t critical for ranking.

As a rule of thumb, SEOs like to put content in the H1 tag that matches the title tag.

Homework

Summer is drawing to a close so you’ll probably have plenty of time to take care of these action items:

• Take a look at those multimedia ad formats you can use on Bing. Maybe some of them might offer great opportunities to get the word out about your brand.
• If you’re in the ecommerce space, make sure you use product structured data on your web pages. You’ll give potential customers a rich experience in search.
• Consider scaling back your advertising on older social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and ramping it up on newer ones like TikTok.
• Monitor your keywords over the next couple of weeks to see how the latest update affects your rankings.

Digital Marketing News 9/5/2022 - 9/9/2022

This week: just about 1 in 5 SEOs noticed a ranking change following the Helpful Content update, LinkedIn is working on a post scheduling option, and Google will discontinue ads with landing pages that don’t conform to Better Ads Standards.

Here’s what happened this week in digital marketing.

Reddit Acquires Spiketrap

This past week, Reddit announced that it’s acquired Spiketrap, an audience research company.

Reddit says it expects Spiketrap’s tech to improve ad relevance and performance on the platform.

“Spiketrap has a proven track record for empowering brands and platforms to better understand and engage their audiences through AI-powered contextual analysis and tools,” the company said in a statement. “Bringing the team and technology into Reddit will enhance our interest and contextual targeting capability, improve ad quality scoring, and boost prediction models for powering auto-bidding, with the aim of ultimately driving higher return on investment and improved solutions for our advertisers.”

The acquisition is just the latest in a series for Reddit. The company purchased machine-learning platform Spell in June and natural language processing company MeaningCloud in July.

LinkedIn Working on a Post Scheduling Option

Ready to start scheduling your posts on LinkedIn? It looks like you’ll have that opportunity in the not-too-distant future.

LinkedIn is working on a scheduling feature for native posts.

According to app researcher Nima Owji, the new feature will display as part of the post-composer workflow. You’ll see a clock icon in the lower, right-hand corner of the panel where you share your thoughts/feelings/whatever.

Just click that icon and set the post to publish at a given time.

Survey: Only 20% Noticed Ranking CHanges After Helpful Content Update

As you’ve probably heard by now, Google recently began rolling out a Helpful Content algorithm update. 

Usually, when Google deploys broad algo updates, lots of SEOs notice (and complain) about their keywords doing the Google Dance in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

But this time, only about 20% noticed a change. At least according to an online poll conducted by Aleyda Solis. 

Of that 20%, about 9% noticed a positive impact while the rest noticed a negative impact.

Sixty-three percent noticed no change at all.

Google Will Disapprove Ads That Don't Conform to Better Ads Standards

Starting next month, Google will disapprove ads with landing pages that don’t conform to Better Ads Standards.

Google announced its decision in an email sent out Friday.

“In October 2022, the Destination requirements policy will be updated to include a new policy requiring ad experiences on destinations to conform to the Coalition for Better Ads’ Better Ads Standards,” the email read. “Destinations containing ad experiences that do not conform to the Better Ads Standards will be informed via the Ad Experience Report, and any ads that lead to such destinations will be disapproved.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Better Ads Standards, you can read about them here. Pages that contain the following elements don’t comply:

• Pop-up ads
• Video ads with sound that autoplay
• Intrusive ads
• Large sticky ads
• Flashing animated ads

Twitter Starts Testing an Edit Button

Twitter is finally testing a feature that will allow you to edit a tweet up to 30 minutes after publication.

The company says you can use that feature to fix typos and add missed tags.

However, as I mentioned a few weeks back, the feature will only be available to Twitter Blue subscribers. So you’ll need to pony up some cash if you want to edit your tweets.

I don’t think it will stay that way forever, though.

Instagram Scales Back In-Stream Shopping

Here’s a switch: a social media app stepping away from ecommerce.

According to a report by The Information, Instagram will scale back its shopping features. The company will move towards a strategy that drives revenue via advertising.

Eventually, the Shop tab will disappear completely.

Why the change? Because people are back to “old school” shopping at malls and stores now that the pandemic has run its course.

And social media users don’t seem too interested in using those platforms to make purchases.

Google: International Targeting Feature in Search Console Going Away Soon

Recently on Reddit, an SEO asked about how to avoid getting traffic from specific regions. The reason: his company doesn’t ship to those regions.

In response to that, Google’s Gary Illyes chimed in and said that there’s really no reason to use the geographical targeting feature in Search Console. Google can figure out the geography from other signals, such as the URL construction.

Illyes also said that the international targeting feature on Search Console will soon go away.

Finally, Illyes told the SEO to find out how companies like Amazon handle traffic and orders from countries where they don’t ship to.

Google Updates Privacy Threshold for Analytics Reports

Google is updating the privacy threshold in both Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4.

Specifically, you can expect to see changes in the Search Query report in UA as well as the Google Ads query, First user Google Ads query, and the Session Google Ads Query dimensions in GA4.

If you’re unfamiliar with the privacy threshold, it’s a feature that guarantees user anonymity by only reporting on search terms that have enough volume. 

What this means for you is that you might not get any analytics about the keywords you’re bidding on if those keywords don’t generate a lot of interest.

Instagram Tests 'Add Topics' Feature in Reels Upload

Instagram is testing a feature that will allow you to add categories to your Reels. It appears as an “Add Topics” option in the “Share to Reels” screen.

Looks like a great way to reach an audience of people that share common interests.

Additionally, Instagram could use the topics to recommend your Reels.

Instagram has been emphasizing Reels lately as a way to fend off competition from TikTok.

Homework

Hope you enjoyed your long holiday weekend. Now it’s time to get back to work with these action items:

• If you’re advertising on Google Ads with keywords that don’t generate a whole lot of traffic, you might need to find a new way to measure your cost/benefit analysis. UA or GA4 probably won’t give you everything you need.
• If you’re running ads that hit landing pages that violate Better Ads Standards, update those pages immediately. Otherwise, your ads might get disapproved.
• If you’re in the B2B space, think about how you can use that LinkedIn post scheduling option to reach people in your target market without flooding their feeds.
• If you’ve got a target market on Reddit (and you probably do), consider advertising on that platform. It’s got some great targeting options and reporting.