Loop Digital September Digital Marketing Industry Update

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Welcome to the Loop Digital September 2024 Digital Marketing Industry Update! This month, we’re diving into the exciting developments that are redefining the digital marketing landscape. September has ushered in a wave of transformative changes, from YouTube’s innovative ad formats to Google’s strategic pivot away from commission-based bidding—each update poised to impact how businesses connect with their audiences. This month has also seen significant advancements, including key shifts in SEO and PPC strategies, alongside the ongoing integration of artificial intelligence into both search and social media. 

As we navigate the ever-changing terrain of digital marketing, these developments are enhancing our strategies and engagement. Join us as we unpack these key updates, offering you the insights and tools you need to stay at the forefront of this dynamic industry.

Digital Marketing Highlights

Google launches confidential matching for data privacy

Google has introduced confidential matching as the default process for Customer Match in Google Ads. This new method prioritises data privacy by securely processing first-party data, ensuring that user information is protected while still enabling advertisers to personalise ads. The move is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to balance the need for personalised advertising with stringent privacy regulations.

Recovery uncertain: Google’s Danny Sullivan on Algorithm Impacts

Google’s public search liaison, Danny Sullivan, has addressed the ongoing uncertainty surrounding recovery from core algorithm updates. He acknowledged that while some sites may bounce back, recovery is not always guaranteed, especially as updates are continually refined to improve the user experience. His comments follow growing concerns about the unpredictability of core updates and their impact on website traffic.

Google August 2024 core update rollout is now complete

Google has officially completed the rollout of its August 2024 core update. While the details of the changes have not been fully disclosed, SEO professionals are already seeing fluctuations in rankings. As usual, it’s expected that the update was designed to enhance search quality by refining how Google evaluates and ranks content.

Google’s AI Overviews face criticism from publishers, who fear traffic loss

Publishers have raised concerns about Google’s AI Overviews, fearing they may divert traffic away from their sites. With AI-generated summaries appearing directly in search results, users might not feel the need to visit external websites, impacting publishers’ revenue models. 

Google adds Generative AI insights, which offer real-time shopping trends insights

Google has enhanced its suite of shopping tools with Generative AI Insights. This new feature provides advertisers and retailers with real-time shopping trends, allowing them to better tailor their offerings to meet current consumer demands. This is especially useful during the short holiday season, where understanding trends in real-time can significantly impact sales.

Google Search now supports AVIF file formats

Google Search has added support for AVIF (AV1 Image File Format), a high-efficiency image format known for reducing file sizes without sacrificing quality. This update allows webmasters to use AVIF files on their websites, which can improve load times and enhance the user experience, ultimately benefiting SEO.

Google AI Overviews gains new citations and links, plus more

Google’s AI Overviews have been updated to include citations and links, enhancing the feature’s transparency and credibility. Users can now see where the AI-generated content is sourced from, which is a step towards addressing concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated summaries in search results.

Google Search Console launches recommendations

Google Search Console has introduced a new recommendations feature, aimed at helping webmasters and SEO professionals optimise their websites more effectively. The tool provides actionable insights based on site performance and search data, guiding users towards improvements that can enhance rankings and user experience.

SEO Highlights

SearchGPT: What you need to know about OpenAI’s search engine

SearchGPT, OpenAI’s search engine prototype, has generated significant interest in the SEO community. Unlike traditional search engines, SearchGPT integrates conversational AI to respond to search queries with more direct, human-like answers. Early users, however, have noted some gaps in its capabilities, particularly in retrieving detailed, accurate information. While it shows promise in transforming the search landscape, the tool still has a way to go before it can fully compete with established search engines like Google.

Google Search adds Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine links to About this Page

Google has introduced links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine in its ‘About this Page’ feature. This addition allows users to view previous versions of web pages directly from the search results, providing transparency and context about a site’s content over time. The integration of this historical data is a boost for fact-checking and research purposes.

Google Search may now use OG titles for title links

Google has made a change to how it generates title links in search results, with some queries now displaying Open Graph (OG) titles instead of standard HTML titles. This shift is likely aimed at improving the relevance and accuracy of search result snippets, but it may require webmasters to revisit their OG title settings to ensure optimal presentation in search results.

PPC Highlights

Amazon Ads launches AI-powered video

Amazon Ads has introduced an AI-powered video feature, enabling advertisers to create engaging video and animated content quickly and cost-effectively. This tool will allow marketers to produce high-quality visual content without the need for extensive video production resources, streamlining the process and making video advertising more accessible, especially for smaller businesses.

Google brings negative keyword exclusions to Performance Max

In an effort to enhance campaign targeting, Google has introduced negative keyword exclusions to its Performance Max campaigns. This update gives advertisers more control over their campaigns by allowing them to exclude specific keywords that they do not want their ads to appear for, improving ad relevance and efficiency.

Google launches confidential matching for data privacy

In addition to being a major update in Google Ads, confidential matching is now set as the default for Customer Match, offering an enhanced method for protecting first-party data. This change reflects Google’s continued efforts to comply with data protection regulations while enabling advertisers to create customised ad campaigns using sensitive customer data.

Google is trying new ad formats in Search Results

Google is experimenting with new ad formats in search results, including more visually engaging layouts and interactive features. These formats aim to increase user engagement and improve the click-through rate for advertisers by making ads more noticeable and appealing within the search experience.

YouTube Studio now has a website visits goal in promotions

YouTube Studio has introduced a new feature allowing creators to set website visit goals for their promotional content. This update enables creators to drive traffic directly to their websites from their videos, offering a new way to measure the effectiveness of video content in converting views into website visits.

Google Ads is automatically opting new accounts out of Parked Domains

Starting in October, Google Ads will automatically exclude new accounts from displaying ads on Parked Domains. This change is intended to improve ad relevance and optimise budget efficiency, ensuring that ads are not wasted on inactive or low-value domains.

GA4 introduces benchmarking data feature

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has rolled out a new benchmarking data feature that allows users to compare their website’s performance against industry peers. This insight is valuable for identifying areas of improvement and ensuring a company’s digital marketing strategies remain competitive within its industry.

Google adds a product categories tab to shopping ads

Google has introduced a product categories tab for shopping ads, giving advertisers deeper insights into category-level performance. This update allows businesses to track how their products are performing within specific categories, helping them make more informed decisions about inventory and ad spending.

Google introduces YouTube creator-based audience targeting

Advertisers can now use YouTube creator-based audience targeting, which enables them to create remarketing audiences based on specific YouTube creators’ videos. This feature is a significant update for brands looking to tap into the influence of popular creators and reach highly engaged viewers in a more targeted manner.

YouTube Tests Longer Connected TV Ads

YouTube is experimenting with longer ad formats for Connected TV (CTV) audiences, following their previous tests that revealed most viewers prefer grouped ads over shorter, dispersed ones. By consolidating ads into fewer, longer breaks, YouTube aims to improve the viewing experience by minimising interruptions. Advertisers may benefit from this shift as grouped ads offer more impactful placements and can improve brand recall due to the uninterrupted nature of the viewing experience.

Google Hotel Ads to Discontinue Commission-Based Bidding by February 2025

In a significant change for the travel and hospitality industry, Google will discontinue commission-based bidding strategies for its Hotel Ads by February 2025. This means advertisers will need to shift their bidding strategies to a cost-per-click (CPC) or pay-per-stay (PPS) model. 

Google Enhances Local Service Ads with Auto-Selected Photos and Budget Control

Google has rolled out new features for Local Service Ads, allowing businesses to auto-select photos from their profiles to enhance their ads. This helps create more visually appealing ads without the need for manual updates. Additionally, Google has introduced a monthly budget control feature, giving advertisers more flexibility in managing their spending. These updates aim to streamline the ad management process for local businesses, enabling them to maintain more engaging ads and better control their budgets in response to changing demand.

Google Loses Antitrust Case in the US

A US judge ruled against Google in a major antitrust case, declaring that the tech giant built an illegal monopoly by securing exclusive deals with device manufacturers like Samsung and Apple. The court found that Google’s practice of locking in search engine placements on devices stifled competition and limited consumer choice. As a result, Google may be forced to alter its search engine practices, potentially opening the door for rival search engines to gain market share. This ruling could lead to significant changes in how Google operates, particularly in the way it strikes deals with manufacturers and controls default search placements.

Social Media Highlights

X (Formerly Twitter) Excludes EU Users from xAI Training Set

X, formerly known as Twitter, has excluded users from the European Union (EU) from contributing to the training data for its xAI initiative. This decision is likely driven by stringent EU privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which impose significant restrictions on how companies can use personal data. By excluding EU users, X is attempting to avoid potential legal challenges related to data usage for AI training. 

TikTok Partners with Amazon for In-App Shopping

TikTok has partnered with Amazon to integrate in-app shopping, where Amazon product recommendations will appear directly in user’s feeds. Users can link their TikTok accounts to Amazon and complete purchases without leaving the app. This partnership signifies a growing trend in social commerce, where platforms like TikTok are increasingly blending entertainment with shopping. For brands, this offers a new way to engage with consumers in a seamless shopping experience, particularly targeting younger audiences who are more likely to use social media for product discovery and purchase.

Reddit CEO Calls on Microsoft and AI Search Engines to Pay for Content

In a bold move, Reddit’s CEO has demanded that companies like Microsoft and other AI search engine providers pay for using Reddit’s content to train their AI models. Reddit, which hosts vast amounts of user-generated content, is positioning itself as a valuable data source for AI companies. This call for compensation highlights the growing tension between content platforms and tech giants, as AI companies rely heavily on external data to improve their models. Reddit’s stance could set a precedent for other platforms seeking compensation for the use of their content in AI development.

X Continues to Highlight Misleading Stats About its Performance

X has been called out for continuing to promote misleading statistics about its performance, particularly in terms of user engagement and growth. Analysts have criticised the platform for inflating figures to suggest a stronger performance than what independent data shows. This has raised concerns about transparency and trustworthiness, especially as the platform struggles with declining user engagement since its rebrand. Advertisers and users are encouraged to rely on external verification when assessing the platform’s metrics, as the discrepancies could affect campaign performance and ROI.

Threads Gain Momentum as Users Reach 200 Million

Threads, Meta’s new social platform, has reached a major milestone, gaining 200 million users. The rapid growth can be attributed to its integration with Instagram and the unique conversational style of the platform, which appeals to users looking for more informal and personal engagement. As Threads continues to grow, it is likely to become a more prominent player in the social media landscape, especially for businesses looking to connect with audiences more directly and conversationally. The platform’s continued expansion could pose a challenge to existing platforms like Twitter (X) and Reddit.

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