Search advertising is evolving alongside a rapid change in user shopping behavior. With audiences shifting more than ever, it’s important for marketers to make the most of potential customers seeking out new brand loyalties and products. But when it comes to search marketing, it can be tempting to stick with what you know. It might be time to step outside your comfort zone and adapt to a channel left potentially untouched. To use search to its greatest capabilities, Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing) should be part of your search marketing equation. Visit Digital Marketing Depot to download “How the Microsoft Search Network Can Maximize Your Search Campaigns,” and learn how your business can use Microsoft Advertising’s latest innovations to add a new edge to your search efforts. The post How the Microsoft Search Network can maximize your search campaigns appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/2ZznzVK
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ICYMI: Facebook unfriended Australia this week after the government there proposed a legal code that would allow Australian news publishers to charge tech companies to use their content in search results and news feeds. Facebook responded by blocking users there from viewing or sharing news content on its platform. In a blog post February 17, William Easton, Facebook’s managing director for the Australia & New Zealand region, took a “this hurts you more than it hurts us” attitude to the affair, enumerating the restrictions Facebook intends to put in place as well as their consequences to both publishers and users of the platform. To sum up: “People and news [organizations] in Australia are now restricted from posting news links and sharing or viewing Australian and international news content on Facebook,” Easton wrote. Back to the table post-ban. The faceoff may have turned a corner, as Josh Frydenberg of Australia’s Treasury department said he spoke with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday about continuing the conversation over the weekend. As of this writing, the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code has not been passed pending further negotiations between the Australian government, tech companies, and media outlets, the most notable of which is Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. News Corp Australia Executive Chairman Michael Miller said that referral traffic from the platform disappeared Thursday, while “direct traffic to our websites was up in double digits,” a Time-Warner news outlet in the region reported. PSAs caught in Facebook’s collateral damage. Facebook’s block includes not only news organizations but also Australian government websites including a weather service and a state health agency. Facebook said that the sites were inadvertently blocked because the proposed measure did not define “news content” clearly enough. Response elsewhere has been more tempered. For its part, Google responded to the proposed legislation by beginning negotiations directly with news outlets including News Corp. Response across the media industry and governments appears to come down on the side of the government: “The code is necessary to ensure that journalism, content producers and news media are fairly paid by giants Google and Facebook that profit from the content,” Luke Taylor, COO and founder of Perth, Australia-based ad fraud mitigation solution TrafficGuard, said in a statement Thursday. “It comes down to all media outlets having a say in how their intellectual property is managed and fair compensation for independent journalism.” Why We Care: What does it mean for marketers that live downstream from news sites? And if Facebook can thumbs-down an entire continent’s move to support parity between tech giants and news publishers, what’s to stop them from blocking similar efforts in other sectors or countries? Marketers may benefit from developing solutions that offer a detox from dependence on tech monoliths and walled gardens.
This story first appeared on MarTech Today. The post Facebook-Australia standoff may have turned a corner appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/3qFAilq Search Engine Land’s daily brief features daily insights, news, tips, and essential bits of wisdom for today’s search marketer. If you would like to read this before the rest of the internet does, sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox daily. Good morning, Marketers, and here comes an SEO rant for you. As you know, Google launched passage based ranking in the afternoon of February 10 (PST time if you want to be exact). As you may also know, I am obsessed with watching Google organic rankings, the chatter in the SEO community and the tracking tools. And I have to say, there was minimal impact with this update. Google touted the update, when they first disclosed it last year, as being big, impacting 7% of queries globally. But, no. First, when it launched last week, it only launched in the US English results, it did not launch globally. Second, the SEO chatter in the community and the tracking tools almost all show little to no impact from this update. If you’ve been looking at the Search Shorts below, you know about the unconfirmed February 8 update and the unconfirmed February 17 update but those updates were not related to the passage-based ranking release on February 10 in the afternoon. They are different updates that happened before and after the passage ranking update was released. To make matters worse, you have some SEOs thinking they can see this update because of some scroll-to-text filter in Search Console. Those are not passage ranking results, those are likely featured snippets. Plus, the horrid communication from Google made things worse. Google first called it “passage indexing,” when it had nothing to do with indexing. Then Google showed a screenshot of a featured snippet as an example of passage ranking, when it later said passage ranking results won’t look different. Passage ranking helps pages that are not well optimized rank for content deep within the page of content. Most SEOs would not notice this update because the sites are well optimized and structured well for search engines. This is about Google ranking content within pages that are not well optimized for search and unlike with Panda or Penguin updates, SEOs wouldn’t take much notice of this update. I guess I’d say passage ranking is more like a BERT or RankBrain update than anything else. So there is my rant, I dig a bit more into this on my personal blog if you want more of this rambling. Barry Schwartz, SEO Editor and disgruntled search algorithm watcher Google core web vitals boundaries in Search ConsoleYou might soon see more green in your Google Search Console core web vitals report. Google said the metrics defining the boundaries for LCP, FID, CLS, which used to be < (less than), are now defined as <= (less than or equal to). So you might see a change in statuses, for the better, in this specific report. Why we care. With the Google Page Experience Update coming in May, we are all getting ready to ensure our sites fare green with this update. We are not sure how big of a ranking factor this will be, but even if this is a small ranking factor, making these user experience changes to your site can help make users happier and potentially increase site conversion rates and performance. Responsive search ads now the defaultGoogle announced today that responsive search ads will officially become the default ad type for Search campaigns in Google Ads, though expanded text ads can still be created. RSAs allow advertisers to input multiple headlines and ad copy variations, and Google Ads uses machine learning to determine which variations to use based on what queries people are searching for. The variations are tested to determine which combinations perform best. The Ad strength score lets search marketers understand how to improve their RSAs for better performance. Marketers like Frederick Vallaeys say that RSAs can outperform ETAs when optimized correctly, while other ads managers believe that the move toward automation clouds their view of the data that helps them improve their ad performance manually. Display ads now available in Google Ads attribution reportsGoogle added Display ads to Google Ads attribution reports, which are now available alongside Search (including Shopping) and YouTube ads to give advertisers a more holistic view of their Google media. Both Display and YouTube ads in attribution reports are now in beta. Attribution reports include Top Paths, Assisted Conversions, Path Metics, and Model Comparison reports. The Top Paths report, shown above, can help you identify the most common paths customers take to complete a conversion, based on the ads they’ve interacted with. This can give you a more holistic view of how your Display ads are working together with your ads in search (including Shopping) and/or YouTube to drive conversions. Why we care. Display ads within attribution reporting can help you see how your campaigns across different channels complement each other and move customers along their journey. You can also use that information to help you make better campaign and budget decisions. JavaScript redirects, domain privacy and thin content.JavaScript redirects. Google’s Gary Illyes recommends avoiding JavaScript redirects. He told Redditors that if they have to use them, “it [JavaScript redirects] works on Google, but I see other search engines are having a tougher time picking them up.” WhoisGuard and Google rankings. John Mueller of Google said using WhoIsGuard or other domain privacy settings won’t have a positive or negative impact on your rankings in Google or your SEO. Thin content video. Google’s Aurora Morales posted a new video on the Google Search Central YouTube channel on thin content and why quality content matters. It is mostly just information from the Google help documents but this one is fun to watch. We’ve curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader.
The post Passage based rankings, core web vitals and responsive search ads; Friday’s daily brief appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/3k4SvGT The Ottawa-based global ecommerce platform yesterday announced striking financial results, with Q4 revenue up 94% YoY. Merchant Solutions revenues grew 117% (these are solutions Shopify offers in addition to its subscription platform, like payments and shipping). Sales on the Shopify platform surpassed $5 billion during the holiday period. Full year revenue for 2020 showed an 86% YoY increase. Major changes in consumer behavior. These results for a high-profile ecommerce enabler, while striking, are unsurprising given major changes in consumer behavior caused by the pandemic. Research from Publicis Sapient shows almost three-quarters of consumers purchasing online more than usual last summer (a trend likely to have persisted: 48% interviewed said they would continue to shop online in the future). The research also indicates an opportunity for brands to acquire new customers through ecommerce experiences, with 74% purchasing products from retailers new to them. Shopify responds. Shopify launched a number of initiatives in 2020 to promote digital transformation for merchants. In Q2 2020, it extended its free trial period from 14 to 90 days. It incorporated gift card capabilities in all its plans, as well as introducing buy-online-pickup-curbside and local delivery. It also launched Shop, a free all-in-one mobile shopping assistant. Meanwhile, Walmart falters. In contrast to Shopify’s success, Walmart saw a fall in shares in today’s pre-market trading as it reported Q4 earnings which fell short of Wall Street expectations. Walmart has traditionally been a big-box retailer with almost 5,000 physical locations in the U.S. alone. It does, of course, have an ecommerce presence too, but it showed disappointing growth in Q4 (69%, the smallest increase since the pandemic hit). This came against the backdrop of extra expenses involved in running physical locations during the pandemic, including sanitization, cleaning, and bonuses to staff. Why we care. For the present, and for much of the foreseeable future, there’s a strong case for digital-first commerce. As consumers become accustomed to online shopping and delivery for products they would have previously purchased in-store, it’s in doubt whether they will revert to pre-pandemic habits once it’s safe to do so. This story first appeared on MarTech Today. The post Digital-first commerce boosts Shopify’s earnings appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/3ue0shB Google has added Display ads to its Google Ads attribution reporting as an open beta, the company announced Thursday. Last year, the company streamlined its attribution reporting and included YouTube ads to it, also in beta. How to opt-in. Eligible advertisers can opt-in to Display ads in attribution reports by going to the Measurement > Attribution section of Google Ads. After opting in, Display ads will be shown in all attribution reports, along with search ads (including Shopping), and, if they have opted into it, YouTube ads. The reports. Attribution reports include Top Paths, Model Comparison, Assisted Conversions and Path Metrics reports. The Top Paths report, shown above, can help you identify the most common paths customers take to complete a conversion, based on the ads they’ve interacted with. This can give you a more holistic view of how your Display ads are working together with your ads in search (including Shopping) and/or YouTube to drive conversions. You may also want to view your Model Comparison report to see how your Display ads are affecting conversions and to ensure that you’ve selected the most appropriate attribution model. Why we care. Display ads within attribution reporting can help you see how your campaigns across different channels complement each other and move customers along their journey. You can also use that information to help you make better campaign and budget decisions. The post Google brings Display ads to attribution reports as an open beta appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/3biSnzl Google announced today that RSAs will officially become the default ad type for Search campaigns in Google Ads, though expanded text ads can still be created. RSAs allow advertisers to input multiple headlines and ad copy variations, and Google Ads uses machine learning to determine which variations to use based on what queries people are searching for. The variations are tested to determine which combinations perform best. The Ad strength score lets search marketers understand how to improve their RSAs for better performance. Move to machine learning. Automation is becoming the name of the game for ads platforms as they integrate machine learning and AI to improve campaign performance and outcomes. Google touts that changing consumer behavior also means that responsive ads give advertisers the best chance to be competitive in the changing search marketing landscape. “We think it will improve flexibility and performance for advertisers, improving clicks and conversions up to 10%. It also gives advertisers more flexibility to address changing market environments due to the pandemic and save time,” said a Google spokesperson. Focus on metrics. “With the introduction of RSAs, Google began encouraging advertisers to move away from ‘overly fixating’ on click-through and conversion rates and instead focus on the incremental lift in clicks and conversions from RSAs,” said Ginny Marvin in Search Engine Land. But keyword metrics and click data are still a benchmark for many advertisers who balk at the idea of an RSA-only search marketing landscape. Plus, the loss of the combination of all the data together seems to be what’s hitting data-driven ads managers the most. Many PPC marketers note that RSAs often outperform ETAs–though that varies based on individual implementation according to many search marketers we spoke to. Best practices. Google recommends that advertisers not using RSAs currently consider the following best practices:
Why we care. In a #PPCChat discussion on the topic in September, many paid search marketers complained that RSAs “don’t give us any data on what works,” tweeted Daniel Vardi, PPC Product Manager at (un)Common Logic. #PPCChat host Julie Bacchini also said, “RSAs in Google Ads don’t consider things like, ‘Why would you need information about what your ads are doing to think about what you’re doing with keywords? And how I probably want to apply that to what I’m saying on my landing page.” Google addresses these PPC marketers’ concerns about a lack of insight into important metrics by directing marketers to the assets tab: “Advertisers still have full stats at the ad level so we are not taking away any data. We introduced a new concept (assets) and that’s where we have the performance ratings but we didn’t take away the stats they already have,” said the Google rep. Some marketers say that implementation of RSAs versus ETAs is often harder in organizations with rigorous legal and stakeholder approval processes. The Google spokesperson we talked to said that “Advertisers will still have the option to create expanded text ads or pin headlines and/or descriptions if they choose to do so.” A Search Engine Land analysis by Frederick Vallaeys frames the debate well: “RSAs are capable of being great ads and they deserve a chance in any account. They’re not a magic wand for ad optimization and still require human optimization.” The post Responsive search ads now the default in Google Ads appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/37rP1Jb Search Engine Land’s daily brief features daily insights, news, tips, and essential bits of wisdom for today’s search marketer. If you would like to read this before the rest of the internet does, sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox daily. Good morning, Marketers, and let’s talk Clubhouse… again. If you’re tired of chatting about Clubhouse, I’m so sorry, but it’s fascinating to me. There are apparently many unspoken rules, and just as many ways to break them. The “conference calling” social app is open only to iPhone users and builds demand based on exclusivity. You can’t just download it. An existing user has to send you one of their limited invites (though every once in a while I get a notification that I have more invites to send out). The nature of Clubhouse is such that conversations are ephemeral just like an old fashioned phone call (which increases FOMO), and recording is frowned upon (though some rooms have a “recording” notification in the title). “Think podcast meets interaction. These rooms can be hosted by anyone. Some are solo talks. Some are expert panels. Some are casual and people just listen to music together or whatnot,” explains Candian-based fitness entrepreneur Saschie MacLean-Magbanua. She shared her Clubhouse best practices for new users and brands:
People are already creating branded rooms and conversations in Clubhouse, but the key seems to be no shameless self-promotion and more focus on conversations that interest your audience. Carolyn Lyden, Google’s search choice screen had virtually no effect on search market share, perhaps by designIn 2018, Google was ordered by the EU to change how app bundling works on Android phones as a result of the antitrust case surrounding Google Play. Phone makers, like Samsung, that want access to Google Play were required to preinstall a number of Google apps, including search, Maps, Chrome and others. Google’s solution. As a result of that case, Google created the search choice screen. Search engines pay for the option to show up on the choice screen via an auction: “In each country auction, search providers will state the price that they are willing to pay each time a user selects them from the choice screen in the given country. Each country will have a minimum bid threshold. The three highest bidders that meet or exceed the bid threshold for a given country will appear in the choice screen for that country,” said the Google announcement from 2019. The limitations. The screen itself is limited to four search engines (including Google) — why four? Why not an alphabetized, searchable list? And, the choice screen only rolled out to new handsets after March 2020, and is only available once during the initial phone setup phase, severely limiting its reach. If anything, the screen, as it currently exists, is a way for Google to influence, and maybe even control, the mobile search ecosystem. Thanks, I hate it. So how has that turned out? In the words of Mad Men’s Pete Campbell, “Not great, Bob!” At least that’s according to most Google competitors in the EU:
Why? The auction is biased against search engines that bring in less revenue by design, which also happen to be the niche search engines that are chipping away slowly at Google’s dominance. Search engines that can afford to pay are likely the ones that run more ads, which only makes Google look like a better user experience by comparison. And, larger search engines that win are ending up paying for users that might’ve selected them as a default for free. Shopify seeking SEO feedback in re: to migration hiccupsJackson Lo, SEO Lead at Shopify, posted on Twitter this week asking what search marketers’ biggest pain points are when transitioning online e-commerce sites to Shopify. One of the biggest issues seems to be the inability to match URL structure one-to-one, especially for sites that are already ranking well in SERPs. Other feedback includes importing navigation and menus, broken image issues, and moving blog content. We love a platform seeking real-world guidance from search marketers on how to improve! Related reading >> Check out our Shopify SEO guide. What’s on your mind, marketers?As search marketers, we deal with a ton of new and evolving issues every day. Ads platforms are moving toward more automation. Google’s algorithm updates are always shifting. Getting data from social ads is impossible. Clients don’t always understand KPIs. Remote work can be a struggle. Salary negotiation is hard. We want to know what you’re dealing with on the day-to-day. (Or, alternatively, what you’re excited about in our industry! Tell us how you nailed it.) So we made a quick survey for you to dish. Give us the deets. Tell us what you’re working through. Google unconfirmed algorithm update on February 17thGoogle unconfirmed algorithm update. Starting around Wednesday, February 17th, the SEO community has been noticing fluctuations in the Google Search results. So we have an unconfirmed Google search ranking update going on. Google Search Console screenshot hack. You know how Google Search Console’s URL inspection tool can give you a screenshot of what Googlebot sees? Well, it is just the top of the page. If you want to see lower, you can use anchor links, if they are available on the page to see that portion of the page. This was spotted by Valentin Pletzer along with Saijo George on Twitter. CrUX data updates take time. The Google Chrome experience report (CrUX) takes time to update, up to 28 days or so, so if you make changes, be patient, it will take time to update. John Mueller of Google said on Twitter “Yes, it’s based on field data, so it takes that long to populate the report; the populated data is then used for alerting. It’s probably a good idea to automate monitoring with lab tests so that you can catch issues / unexpected changes early :-).” We’ve curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader.
The post Clubhouse, Shopify, and unconfirmed algorithm updates; Thursday’s daily brief appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/3awglIf If you check out your core web vitals report within Google Search Console over the next day or two, you may start to see a lot more green scores. This is not necessarily because of anything you may have done to improve your site metrics. It may be because Google made a small change to the metric boundaries it uses for defining red versus yellow versus green scores in this report. What changed. Google said “the metrics defining the boundaries for LCP, FID, CLS, which used to be < (less than), are now defined as <= (less than or equal to). ” Google disclosed the specific metrics boundaries, which I embedded below, but we know now for Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay and Cumulative Layout Shift – those specific boundaries changed from a less than to a less than or equal to boundary. What is the impact. Google said “you might see a change in statuses.” Google said this would be “for the better” in the core web vitals report. Here is what the Search Console report looks like: More on LCP, FID, CLS: Here is more information on these specific metrics:
Why we care. With the Google Page Experience Update coming in May, we are all getting ready to ensure our sites fair green with this update. We are not sure how big of a ranking factor this will be, but even if this is a small ranking factor, making these user experience changes to your site can help make for happier users and potentially increase site conversion rates and performance. The post Google updated metric boundaries for core web vitals in Search Console appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/2Nh0dBE Consumer behavior has fundamentally changed and put local search well and truly on the map. Due to restrictions on movement, more and more consumers realize the ease and opportunity of online search and purchase. Individuals want a tailored search view with results that are relevant to where they are at that very moment. To win those conversions, your location-specific ads must be at the top of the search engine results page; it’s a competitive imperative. Here are six tips every marketer needs to win local marketing with paid search. 1) Don’t rely on Google aloneLocation targeting — through Google Ads, for example — marks a huge revolution for advertisers and marketers. It enables them to maximize their PPC by targeting ads to specific areas. Yet, while this is certainly helpful, significant blindspots remain. The data provided by Google Ads and others isn’t as granular as it needs to be to do things such as monitor competitor strategies or uncover opportunities that may crop up. This is something that advertisers and marketers need to keep in mind when gathering comprehensive search intelligence to make their strategies as dynamic as possible. It’s nearly impossible for advertisers to juggle national, state, and local demand manually or without the right data. Therefore, AI is a business imperative when it comes to succeeding in the local search market. Resources: Covid is changing search: Here’s how to respond 2) Stay up to date with Google changesKeeping up with the Kardashians is far easier than keeping track of the multitude of updates Google makes every month across its Shopping, PPC and SEO offerings. Not only is it difficult, but there is also a real necessity to remain ‘in the know’ about these updates because, as search markets demonstrate, even one missed update can dramatically and quickly send you plummeting down from position one. This is why we’ve created a complete list of Google updates and expectations for the future. Learn how to react to these changes with Adthena’s Ultimate catalog of Google updates. Resources: 5 key predictions for Google search; Adthena’s Ultimate catalog of Google updates 3) Set your local search strategyIn 2021, mobile devices alone will influence more than $1.4 trillion in local sales. With markets diversifying and competition not limited by physical geography to encroach on your search space, you must build momentum and identify new ways of growing your paid landscape. Quite simply: it’s vital to utilize the power of local search in your marketing strategy. Local search advertising is moving at the speed of light, so it’s natural for advertisers to feel as if they need to jump in as quickly as possible and deal with any growing pains as they come. But in actuality, not having a game plan before jumping in can have far greater consequences. Take the time to create a clear checklist of tentpole items that will build the ideal strategy for you. By identifying items such as current benchmarks, target search terms, ideal partners, and other foundational elements ahead of time, advertisers and marketers can build a much more effective strategy with far fewer gaps right from the outset. See Adthena’s Your Ultimate Local Search Toolkit for your ultimate local search checklist. 4) Tailor your local ads to win72% of desktop or tablet users and 67% of smartphone users want ads customized to their location. Additionally, 82% of smartphone users search for businesses near them;90% click on the first set of results they see. A major part of local search marketing is customizing your messaging & strategy to each location. Follow these five steps to creating click-winning location-based ads:
Resources: Your Ultimate Local Search Toolkit 5) Take industry considerations into accountGiven each industry and each business’s KPIs will have at least some differentiation, it isn’t necessarily surprising that Adthena’s customer research has revealed that location targeting tactics vary drastically across industries, sub-industries, and even individual businesses. Don’t settle on some sort of one-size-fits-all approach to your search. Instead, get as granular as possible. To truly get the most out of your local search strategy, advertisers and marketers need to focus on their customers’ specific behaviors and local competitors. Moreover, advertisers and marketers need to adapt their creative and broader strategies in tandem to capitalize on any potential opportunities. Simply put, having a scattershot approach in today’s local search ecosystem will likely result in a lot of wasted effort and spend. Additionally, given how sophisticated today’s search environment has become if you aren’t actively personalizing and adapting your search advertising content, your competitors likely are — and are stealing your business as a result. The right location categories to focus on will depend on your business, your goals and your consumers’ behavior. For instance, Zip Code and DMA are more important for Auto than Finance. ImageSource: Adthena customer research data 2019 Resources: Covid is Changing Search. Here’s How to Respond; Your Ultimate Local Search Toolkit 6) Get intel on how COVID-19 is affecting your local marketOrigin Energy achieved a 15% increase in market share by incorporating intelligence into its local search strategy Origin Energy recognized that each region presented distinct opportunities and threats. For example, each state has different operating tariffs that regulate messaging. And each region has its own consumer search patterns, sales targets and competitive players. Origin needed the ability to map out the competitive landscape in each location. Using targeted location data, Origin’s agency, Atomic 212, benchmarked Origin’s share of clicks, impressions, and spend by region. Adthena made it easy to filter data and search term groups by geography and understand each state’s unique competitive landscape. The agency can see competitor moves and search trends state-by-state and allocate budget accordingly. And as local regulations change, Origin Energy can easily adapt its local ad messaging to stay compliant. Resources: Origin Energy Case Study If you’re interested in learning more about winning local with paid search, register for Adthena’s webinar with Search Engine Land, “Search Behavior Has Forever Changed: How Can You Stay Ahead of the Pack?”. In this webinar you’ll learn:
Author: Ashley Fletcher, VP Marketing @ Adthena Author Bio: Ashley is responsible for continually expanding the global audience and market for Adthena’s groundbreaking search intelligence solutions. He joined Adthena from Criteo, where he led the product marketing team launching its Predictive Search product, an automated performance solution for Google Shopping. Prior to Criteo, he headed up marketing for finance and insurance comparison products across global markets at Google. While at Google, Ashley worked for the broader Search Ads Team, including Google Shopping and Google Express products. Ashley’s career began on the agency side at Coast Digital, and he holds an MSc in Global Marketing. The post 6 tips to win local with paid search appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/3pDdx0s Search Engine Land’s daily brief features daily insights, news, tips, and essential bits of wisdom for today’s search marketer. If you would like to read this before the rest of the internet does, sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox daily. Good morning, Marketers, let’s pick up where we left off. Last Wednesday morning, I laid out a few reasons why it’s unreasonable to force Google to pay to link to publishers in the main search results. Instead, Google has been pushing its News Showcase as a mechanism to compensate news publishers. Since then, Seven West Media (which owns 21 publications) has become the largest Australian news media organization to get on board with News Showcase. In France, News Showcase has evoked mixed reactions: “These opaque agreements don’t ensure the fair treatment of all news publishers, since the calculation formula isn’t made public,” Spiil, the union for independent online news publishers, told Reuters, “Google took advantage of our divisions to advance its interests.” To Spiil’s point, there are clearly differing opinions within the industry. I opened up my inbox for your thoughts on this as well, and the responses were diverse:
What if Google tried that last idea? It would keep publishers advertising on its platform, but would the influx of advertising credits to the news sector just make for much more expensive ads? How would that impact non-news advertisers? And, surely, there would still need to be some form of traditional compensation…coupons and impressions aren’t going to be enough to pay your employees. It’s fun to think about, but unlikely to happen. Whatever course Google, the publishers and regulators end up taking, I’ll be sure to keep you posted. George Nguyen, Publishers should test AMP removal before quitting cold turkeyWe jumped on a Clubhouse call yesterday on the topic of Digital News SEO hosted by publishing SEO experts John Shehata, Michelle Robbins, Topher Kohan, and Paul Shapiro. With Google announcing that AMP won’t be required for publishers to get into Top Stories, we asked the experts if they recommended ripping out AMP as soon as the new page experience update goes live in May. A great conversation and debate ensued. Here’s the tl;dr:
Breaking down President Biden’s data-driven social media strategyThe social media campaign under the Biden for President banner wasn’t based on flair and instinct: it was tightly driven by social analytics. To explain how that worked in practice, we turned to Sarah Galvez, Director of Social Media and Audience Development at Biden for President. Among the initiatives she took were bringing on board social media managers from outside politics; breaking down social platforms into their component parts (Instagram Stories, for example, demands a different approach than Instagram); and rejecting heavyweight social media management suites for software which did what the team needed — Measure Studio for comprehensive but rapid performance analytics, and the project management tool Monday.com for scheduling. Perhaps the team’s most eye-catching achievement was figuring out how to showcase Biden on platforms like Twitch without being perceived as inauthentic. The solution? Combine Biden’s authentic affection for railways with video shot from his campaign train and a soundtrack of lo-fi hip hop. Another niche community captured. Tom Capper joins Moz as new Senior Search ScientistMoz announced yesterday that Tom Capper, former SEO lead at Distilled (now Brainlabs) joined the SEO platform’s team as their new Senior Search Scientist. “Tom has proven his mastery of search science through research that has had a meaningful impact on the SEO community for years. We are excited to welcome him to Moz,” said Sarah Bird, CEO of Moz. The move demonstrates that more companies are moving to hire research roles in search marketing to understand the big issues that affect paid and organic marketers. Stop worrying about stop wordsStop worrying about stop words. Google’s John Mueller said on Twitter “I wouldn’t worry about stop words at all; write naturally. Search engines look at much, much more than individual words. “To be or not to be” just is a collection of stop words, but stop words alone don’t do it any justice.” Poll on core web vitals. Lily Ray posted a Twitter poll asking if SEOs think the Google Page Experience Update will have a big or small impact on rankings. Most seem to think it will have a moderate to small impact. See the poll over here. Cat Mueller. By now many of you have seen the lawyer who couldn’t figure out how to get the cat face filter off during a court case with a judge. So Google’s John Mueller had a bit of fun on a call with fellow Googler Danny Sullivan. We’ve curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader.
The post Your thoughts on Google paying to link to news publishers; Wednesday’s daily brief appeared first on Search Engine Land. via Search Engine Land https://ift.tt/3dnm9p9 |
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