Archive for the ‘seo news’ Category
Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
Google today announced Gemini, a multimodal large language model, and confirmed the AI model will be added to Search and Ads in the coming months.
Gemini in Search. Gemini will become available in Search, Ads and other products in the coming months. But Google Search is already testing Gemini, which has reduced the latency of Search Generative Experience responses by 40% for English in the U.S. and led to unspecified quality improvements.
What is Google Gemini. Officially known as Gemini 1.0, it is a large language model that can work with all types of information – text, images, audio, video or code. Gemini is meant to compete with OpenAI’s GPT. Three “sizes” were announced:
- Ultra, for highly complex tasks.
- Pro, Google’s “highest performing model” for a broad range of tasks.
- Nano, for on-device tasks.
Gemini in Bard. Google Bard now is powered by a “fine-tuned version” of Gemini Pro. Bard now has more advanced reasoning, planning and understanding, Google said. Calling this Bard’s “biggest upgrade” since launch, it is now available in English in more than 170 countries, with plans to expand further in “the near future.”
A new version, called Bard Advanced, will debut early next year, Google said. Google DeepMind also shared a report that found Gemini outperformed GPT-3.5 for six of eight industry benchmarks.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
The purchase journey of a B2B buyer differs greatly from that of a B2C shopper.
With the proper strategy, SEO can become a strong acquisition channel for any organization in the B2B space.
Below are top tips for ensuring your SEO strategy is set up for success across every stage of the B2B buyer’s journey.
Understanding the B2B buyer’s journey
The buyer’s journey can still be viewed through the traditional purchase funnel lens of awareness, consideration and decision.
However, in recent years, B2B purchasers have increasingly been exploring solutions and performing research well into the funnel.
Awareness stage
- The beginning of the B2B buyer’s journey.
- At this point, potential customers are just starting to recognize a problem or need and are seeking informational content to gain insights or answers.
- SEO should focus on targeting broad, informational keywords that align with the general inquiries of your target audience.
Consideration stage
- Potential buyers have clearly defined their problem or need and are now exploring different solutions, products, or services.
- In this more focused time period, they compare options, read reviews, and delve deeper into the specifics of each solution.
- SEO content should be crafted to highlight the unique selling points of your products or services and how they compare to competitors, leveraging case studies, reviews, and testimonials.
Decision stage
- The buyer has all the necessary information and is ready to purchase.
- This stage is characterized by specific, high-intent searches that could include specific product names, pricing information, or implementation details.
- SEO is critical in capturing high-intent searches and directing them to conversion-optimized pages.
The post-pandemic world has seen a rise in digital events and communities (think webinars and social media groups) replacing in-person gatherings like conferences where B2B sales traditionally occurred.
The result is an increased reliance on content consumption when making purchase decisions, underscoring the need for a strong SEO strategy.
Dig deeper: Mapping the customer journey for SEO and marketing success
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B2B SEO tips for the Awareness stage
1. Begin your keyword research at the top of the funnel
Developing an effective B2B SEO strategy begins by identifying your target audience and understanding their needs, search behaviors and personas.
As you begin to tailor your content marketing and SEO initiatives to the B2B customer journey, it’s crucial to understand the kind of information they seek before they’ve even begun to think about your brand or the type of solution they want.
Once you gain this solid understanding, explore how your buyer conducts online searches with keyword research.
Identify broad informational keywords within your category and match your content (i.e., pricing information, product demos or category explainers) with the most relevant and popular user queries.
If you’re an SEO professional working for an agency, now is the time to get to know your client’s products and industry-specific language if you haven’t already.
Understanding the intent behind prospective buyers’ searches – whether they aim to know, go, do or buy – is key in determining the appropriate type of content to provide at each stage of their journey.
Dig deeper: B2B keyword research: A comprehensive guide
2. Understand the B2B difference
The sales funnel for B2B purchases is often longer and more complicated than its B2C counterpart. There are multiple C-suite stakeholders and a greater focus on ROI and the bottom line.
Additionally, keyword search volume and qualified leads are generally lower in B2B. This highlights the significance of quality top-of-funnel traffic over quantity.
Even at these early stages, create relevant content that:
- Speaks to your product or service efficiencies and effectiveness.
- Is easily translatable to decision-makers who might be removed from the immediate process.
The content focus at this stage should be building visibility and trust, which can be accomplished via blog posts, guides and introductory videos.
You can also demonstrate your expertise within the field with whitepapers and ebooks.
3. Create content that guides buyers
When creating and optimizing content, keep your end-user in mind and envision their purchase journey. Topic clusters are an excellent way to move visitors from the awareness to the consideration stage.
Structuring your website information like this lets you showcase deep expertise in a specific area. This is vital for B2B businesses, especially those operating in specialized or niche markets.
By thoroughly covering a topic, you provide valuable information to your audience and increase the likelihood of dominating search engine results pages (SERPs) for a range of related queries, not just isolated keywords.
For example, let’s consider a CRM software provider for small businesses.
- A pillar page with the topic “Comprehensive Guide to CRM for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses” might capture awareness searchers with the relatively high volume “crm software” and “crm software small business” keywords.
- From there, links to cluster pages like “Choosing the Right CRM for Your Small Business: What to Look For” and “Maximizing ROI from CRM: Strategies for SMEs” offer additional insights and product-specific information while moving the reader closer to purchase.
B2B SEO tips for the Consideration stage
4. Target comparison and evaluation keywords
At this stage, focus on identifying keywords that potential customers use when comparing products or services. These keywords often include terms like:
- “Comparison”
- “Versus” or “vs.”
- “Features”
- “Benefits”
- “Reviews”
Use keyword research tools to find the specific phrases your target audience uses in the consideration phase. Subsequently, develop content that directly addresses the comparison queries.
Comprehensive comparison guides, blog posts that compare features of different products or services, and detailed cost-effectiveness analyses could perform well for an audience that is inching closer to converting.
5. Leverage case studies and testimonials
These content types are powerful tools for demonstrating the effectiveness of your product. Optimize these case studies with relevant keywords, especially those your potential customers are likely to use when looking for real-world examples of your product or service.
Users might also be drawn to interactive and product-specific features, like an ROI calculator, which can help develop a business case for stakeholders. This stage is where you might begin incorporating long-tail keywords alongside broader queries.
Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines matter – especially “experience.” Your content should be unbiased, informative and valuable, helping readers make informed decisions.
Real verified user reviews, guest posts from subject matter experts, and thought leadership-style pieces from company executives can all help connote experience to visitors.
6. Enhance your onsite experience for users and search engines
Ensure each product has a dedicated landing page optimized for search engines and users.
These pages should be informative, easy to navigate, make logical sense within your greater site structure, and include clear calls to action (CTAs). Use targeted keywords in the page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and content.
Improve the site structure and navigation to make it easy for users and search engines to find relevant content.
Follow the same organizational structure as your pillar and cluster content: as visitors learn more about your offerings, they should be logically guided toward a conversion event.
When it comes to evaluating the success of your efforts, focus on engagement metrics like:
- Time on site.
- Bounce rate.
- Pageviews per session.
B2B marketers often place a greater emphasis on “micro-conversions” compared to those in the B2C sector.
SEO is pivotal here by steering potential customers to different stages of the funnel, where they can interact through actions like downloading an ebook or viewing a product demo.
These interactions are incremental steps toward a high-value and hopefully long-lasting purchase relationship.
B2B SEO tips for the Decision stage
7. Focus on high-intent keywords
At this stage, it’s necessary to identify and target your bottom-of-funnel keywords with a concentration on queries that indicate a readiness to purchase. These include more specific branded terms, product names, or service-specific queries.
Optimize your content for featured snippets, “People also ask”, or knowledge graphs which can provide immediate information and enhance visibility.
8. Streamline conversion paths
Your landing pages should be finely tuned to encourage conversions. They should:
- Load quickly.
- Display well on mobile devices.
- Provide all the necessary information at a glance.
Consider A/B or CRO testing to land on a clean and effective design, focusing on the product and driving conversions without unnecessary distractions.
CTAs should be clear, compelling, and strategically placed. They should naturally guide the user toward taking the next step, whether filling out a contact form, downloading a trial offer, or completing a purchase.
9. Build trust with valuable and validating technical content
Develop content that caters to visitors making the final decision and those looking to validate their purchase. This includes:
- Detailed product comparisons.
- Reviews.
- How-to guides addressing different use cases.
Third-party reports or reviews demonstrating how well your offering stacks up to competitors can be especially effective here.
Pay special attention to addressing popular branded queries. Searchers here are likely already deep in the decision stage, so you can capture attention (and get ahead of any potentially negative third-party pages) by posting your own reviews, comparisons and product feature guides.
The accuracy and authority of your content are paramount for buyers in the decision stage. Regularly review your onsite technical information to ensure it is up-to-date, accurate and reflects the current state of your offerings.
SEO’s role in the B2B buyer’s journey
Each stage of the B2B buyer’s journey – awareness, consideration, and decision – demands a distinct approach, blending traditional SEO techniques with a deep understanding of the B2B purchasing process and a given business’s specific offering.
Use these strategies to guide B2B buyers to make informed decisions effectively. Staying agile and informed will help you maintain a competitive edge and drive meaningful engagement with your target audience.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, December 5th, 2023
Google has rolled out impression share data for Local Service Ads (LSAs).
Impression share is the percentage of times your ad shows up compared to the total number of times it could potentially appear.
This data became available on LSAs in November, Ginny Marvin, Google Ads liaison officer, confirmed on X.
Why we care. Impression share is a key metric for assessing the visibility and effectiveness of an ad campaign, enabling marketers to better understand performance and optimize more efficiently.
First spotted. The impression share data for Google LSAs was first spotted by Google Ads expert, Ben Turner, who shared a screenshot of his findings on X:
As shown in the screenshot above, three new metrics can now be seen for Google LSA accounts:
- Ad impressions: How often your ad showed up in search results within a chosen time frame
- Top impression rate on Search: The percentage of your impressions displayed above unpaid results within a chosen timeframe.
- Absolute top impression rate on Search: The percentage of your impressions that appear as the first ad in search results with a specific time range.
Commenting on the screenshot, Turner wrote:
- “Seeing IS metrics in selected Google LSA accounts – could be useful. Metrics seem wildly different to an LSA ranking tool I briefly used. One of them must be off.”
- “If you’re looking at anything other than November 2023 there is no data.”
Reactions. Digital marketing expert Anthony Higman commented that the rollout of impression share data could help improve the accuracy of reporting. He explained on X:
- “[I] have been screaming for this. My whole thing since the intro of LSA is how can I accurately report on Google ads when LSA is in the mix and you have no idea how or when. I doubt this will actually help solve it but it’s a step in the right direction. Only took them 3 years.”
- “Also what’s cool is that these are metrics I haven’t been able to see before. You can see a lot of data in LSA accounts from the account level if you are creative but haven’t been able to see positioning metrics before.”
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Deep dive. Read the Google Local Service Ad guide for more information on how this product works.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, December 5th, 2023
Google is expanding its video requirements where the video must be the main content of the page to show up as a video result in Google Search to also have that requirement with Google’s “Video mode” in search. Google said, “extending this change to search results in Video mode to better connect users with the video content they’re looking for.”
The change can take about a week to fully rollout but once it is done rolling out you should only see videos in Google Search and Video mode from pages that make their video the primary part of their content.
What changed. Google said it will only “show video thumbnails next to results on the main Google Search results page when the video is the main content of a page” and that it expanding this requirement for “video mode.”
Google explained “with this update, clicking a result in Video mode will only take users to a page where the video is the main content.”
What is video mode. The videos that show under the video tab are generally what is video mode. Google shared this illustration of video mode in the Google Search results:
Not primary video content. Google posted some examples of page types where the video is supplementary to the textual content, and not the primary focus of the page, they include:
- A blog post where the video is complementary to the text rather than the primary content of the page
- A product details page with a complementary video
- A video category page that lists multiple videos of equal prominence
Search Console changes. Google said this change may have an impact on your video reports within Google Search Console. “You’ll see the impact of this change in your Search Console video indexing report,” Google wrote. Videos that aren’t the main content of the page will appear as “No video indexed” in Search Console.
“Since these videos will no longer be shown in Video mode, you can expect to see a decrease in the number of pages with indexed videos,” Google added. This decrease will also appear in the number of video impressions in the performance report, video indexing report, and the video rich results report in Google Search Console.
Google will also add a new reason to the report to explain why these videos are not indexed: “Video is not the main content of the page”, which simplifies the report by replacing the following issues:
- Invalid video URL
- Unsupported video format
- Unknown video format
- Inline data URLs cannot be used for video URLs
- Video outside the viewport
- Video too small
- Video too tall
Why we care. If your pages have been ranking in video mode within Google Search, you’ll watch to watch the performance of those pages heading forward. This change also has implications for the video metrics you see reported in Search Console.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, December 5th, 2023
It’s hard to believe it’s only been a year since ChatGPT burst onto the scene and captured the world’s attention with its remarkably adept chatbot that generates human-like text on command.
Once users moved on from trying the chatbot for silly things like writing jokes or letters in Shakespeare’s voice, more useful applications emerged.
- Teachers figured out how to use large language models to teach complex topics to students.
- Hollywood writers negotiated new contracts to continue earning a living when genAI could use their ideas to create new plot twists.
- And software companies added genAI to their tools to simplify mundane tasks.
For PPC marketers, ChatGPT also unlocked game-changing potential. Here’s a look back at ChatGPT’s first year and what we can expect next from this transformative technology.
Looking back at ChatGPT’s debut
ChatGPT launched on Nov. 30, 2022, offering free access to what seemed like an impossibly smart AI chatbot. Built on OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 language model, it showcased an unprecedented ability to understand context, follow logical reasoning, and respond to prompts with coherent, convincing text.
Almost overnight, people began using it to write emails, blog posts, code, and ad copy. The hype amplified as users realized this wasn’t some narrow AI but a foundation for the next wave of computing revolution with implications across countless industries.
Since the introduction of ChatGPT and other genAI models a year ago, several industries have undergone significant transformations.
Our industry is among those impacted as generative AI has streamlined the process of producing various content, from blog posts and social media updates to landing pages, keywords, and ad copy.
The technology’s ability to quickly generate high-quality text has been a boon for marketers, saving time on ideation and execution of projects.
Google took things further and introduced a generative AI campaign creator in May.
Announcements like this reinforced the question that’s been on digital marketers’ minds for years: what will our roles look like as AI continues to do more of what we used to do manually?
To help answer that, let’s first look at what chatGPT has done for search marketers.
Early uses for GPT-3.5 in PPC
Naturally, PPC experts wondered how we could harness ChatGPT’s talents. Even in its initial form, I found plenty of uses:
- Generating keyword ideas from seed keywords or landing page URLs.
- Classifying long keyword lists into coherent ad groups.
- Composing compelling ad headlines and descriptions.
- Providing landing page optimization suggestions.
- Analyzing search query relevancy for improving ads targeting.
To do some of these tasks at scale in spreadsheets, I started using GPT extensions for Google Chrome. Also, I played extensively with the OpenAI API Playground, where all the settings that impact performance can be dialed in.
For example, the temperature setting can be used by advertisers to make the system more or less creative, something that is important in regulated industries where more creative ad text ideas could violate regulations.
These early applications demonstrated the immense potential for ChatGPT in PPC account management and campaign optimization. But they were just a taste of what would soon become possible as the AI advanced.
Dig deeper: How to use ChatGPT to boost your PPC efforts
GPT-4 is a better but more expensive writer
In March 2023, OpenAI introduced GPT-4, which brought meaningful improvements. The model was trained on more input parameters, 25 times more than Meta’s Llama-2 model and five times more than Google’s PaLM-2 model. As a result, it produced higher-quality writing.
It was also better at math, which matters greatly in PPC, where optimization decisions depend on a correct mathematical or statistical data analysis.
Image from author’s presentation at SMX Next.
While earlier versions adequately handled simple PPC tasks like keyword generation, GPT-4 proved particularly useful for long-form text, like that used for email campaigns, blog posts, and landing pages.
The downside was that it was significantly slower and more expensive than previous models. But as more models become available, it opens the door for optimizations. People can evaluate each model’s strengths and weaknesses and decide which LLM and version to use for various tasks.
I found that GPT-3.5 is equally adept as GPT-4 at suggesting keywords. Hence, deploying that model for keyword-related tasks is more cost-effective and faster.
GPT-4 performs better for writing, so the extra cost and latency are worth it when I need to write a landing page copy or a report to be shared with a client.
Image from author’s presentation at SMX Next.
Dig deeper: ChatGPT for PPC marketers: 15 strategic prompts to use today
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ChatGPT launches beta features
In July 2023, OpenAI introduced new beta features for ChatGPT, like Code Interpreter – which was later renamed Advanced Data Analysis. These made entirely new PPC use cases possible.
Advanced Data Analysis helps advertisers gain new insights
A huge upgrade for the sometimes mathematically challenged GPT-4 was its new capability to write and execute Python code.
By uploading campaign performance files directly into ChatGPT prompts, we can now have it do a statistical analysis and create graphs to provide new insights and optimizations.
Plugins let advertisers connect GPT with live data
One of the most powerful upgrades ChatGPT has gained is support for plugins, which are special add-ons that greatly expand its capabilities. Plugins allow ChatGPT direct connectivity with external datasets, documents, and live websites rather than just its own fixed indexed knowledge.
This means you can feed ChatGPT a raw .csv file of PPC campaign statistics for advanced analysis, upload your entire catalog of product descriptions to improve copywriting relevance, or even have ChatGPT scrape and summarize a landing page you’re optimizing in real time.
Would these new capabilities start humans down the path of irrelevance in digital marketing? Not quite.
Generative AI as an assistant, not a replacement
It’s easy to envision generative AI wholly automating digital marketing tasks. But in practice, these tools function best as assistants augmenting human capabilities, not replacing them.
As I first explored in 2017, well before the dawn of generative AI, humans play three essential roles in digital marketing:
- The teacher.
- The doctor.
- The pilot.
Even though AI has changed from mere pattern recognition to generating content, I believe these roles still apply.
- The teacher curates data and fine-tunes models like ChatGPT to align with an organization’s objectives and industry context.
- The doctor prescribes solutions, like the right LLM for the business challenge.
- The pilot vigilantly monitors performance, intervening when generative AI goes off course.
Generative AI takes over tedious tasks like writing repetitive ad copy and landing pages. This frees up teachers, doctors, and pilots to operate more strategically.
For instance, an account doctor can now invest time previously spent copywriting into data analysis and consultation. Or they can prompt ChatGPT to summarize key account insights in client-ready reports. The tool generates content, while the human provides creative direction and quality control.
So, don’t view generative AI as a threat. See it as a collaborative assistant amplifying human strengths. The marketing teams that embrace this human-AI partnership will pull ahead of the competition. But it requires accepting that the future remains human, with AI merely lending a helping hand.
What’s next: OpenAI Dev Day Announcements
At OpenAI’s DevDay on Nov. 6, 2023, they revealed major upgrades that give a glimpse into the future potential for PPC professionals.
Most notably, OpenAI launched GPT-4 Turbo, which supports much longer prompts of up to 128,000 characters. That means you can now submit the equivalent of around 300 pages of text to better help the AI understand what you want – to give it in-context learning: the data it should use to formulate its response to your prompt.
This massively expanded context window could empower ChatGPT to handle more advanced PPC analysis and optimization tasks.
From whiteboard to ad script
Additionally, OpenAI announced new modalities like vision, allowing GPT-4 Turbo to ingest images.
In one cool example illustrated by PPC scripts expert Nils Rooijmans, he gave GPT a photo of a whiteboard sketch of an optimization decision tree and asked GPT to write a script to handle that use case.
It understood the logic from the whiteboard drawing and suggested the relevant Google Ads Script code to automate that task.
Reduced pricing for GPT
OpenAI also reduced pricing across the board. Input tokens for GPT-4 Turbo are now 3x cheaper at $0.01, while output tokens are 2x cheaper at $0.03.
Broader access to lower-cost capabilities like fine-tuning could help PPC managers train custom AI tools tailored to their unique accounts.
Between upgraded foundation models, new modalities like vision, and more affordable building blocks, OpenAI’s offering paints an exciting picture.
The next level of PPC optimization will be AI-assisted, thanks to innovations in the tools you already use that can leverage the latest innovations in generative AI.
The future of generative AI for PPC
The future looks incredibly bright if ChatGPT can accomplish so much in just one year. Here’s what I expect next:
- Improved accuracy in analytics and math computations.
- Integration with PPC platforms through plugins for simplified access to account data.
- Capability to dynamically write scripts and rules compatible with your PPC tool of choice to streamline optimization.
- Easier access to personalization through GPT, “fine-tuning,” and longer prompts to help align responses better with your goals.
- Low-code tools for building custom AI models tailored to clients’ businesses.
ChatGPT in PPC: A year of innovation, integration and impact
The past 12 months have transformed our expectations of what AI can do. As the algorithms continue advancing, our job is to push the boundaries of AI to boost PPC performance beyond human limitations.
In a world of AI assistants, the answer should never be that you can’t do something but rather that you haven’t yet tried something. AI can teach and help you execute your projects faster than ever.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, December 5th, 2023
Google has officially sunset the Google Search Console Mobile Usability report, the Mobile-Friendly Test tool and the Mobile-Friendly Test API today. Google told us back in April 2023 that this would happen on December 1st and Google announced today on December 4th that it has been done.
“Today we’re sunsetting Search Console’s Mobile Usability report, Mobile-Friendly Test tool and Mobile-Friendly Test API. We believe these tools helped website owners make the web a better place – thank you for working with us on this journey,” Google posted on X.
What Google wrote. Google posted back then, “Also starting December 1, 2023, we’ll be retiring Search Console’s “Mobile Usability” report, the Mobile-Friendly Test tool and Mobile-Friendly Test API. This doesn’t mean that mobile usability isn’t important for success with Google Search. It remains critical for users, who are using mobile devices more than ever, and as such, it remains a part of our page experience guidance. But in the nearly ten years since we initially launched this report, many other robust resources for evaluating mobile usability have emerged, including Lighthouse from Chrome.”
Access removed. When you try to find the Search Console mobile usability report within Search Console, you won’t be able to. Also the mobile friendly testing tool, which is accessible over here, has been redirected to Lighthouse. And the API should no longer be returning results.
Why we care. If you have been using these reports for clients or internal SEO work, you will no longer be able to use them, as they are gone. Ensure your sites and webpages are mobile-friendly using other tools, such as Lighthouse.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Friday, December 1st, 2023
Meta is reportedly planning to launch Threads in the EU before the end of the year.
The news comes after X’s biggest advertisers – including Disney, Paramount and Sony Pictures –boycotted the Elon Musk-owned platform following his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory
Why we care. Although Threads isn’t serving ads just yet, brands can still grow their audiences on the platform through influencer partnerships. It’s worth noting that ads on Threads are inevitable and will likely be a significant contributor to the app’s overall revenue when they do launch.
EU regulation difficulties. Threads was not rolled out to EU countries upon its global launch in July because of the EU’s strict privacy regulations. To comply, Meta modified its product to enable users to use the app without creating a profile. A profile is required if the user wishes to publish posts, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Threads users can now delete their Threads profiles without having to delete their associated Instagram accounts, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said.
Active subscribers. Threads now has just shy of 200 million monthly active users, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He predicted that figure could rise to one billion within the next few years.
By rolling out to EU countries, Threads could see up to 40 million extra monthly active users, according to independent tech analyst, Aho Williamson.
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Deep dive. Read our Threads FAQ guide for more information on how the platform works.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Friday, December 1st, 2023
Google Merchant Center Next will support rules and supplemental feeds early next year. The predecessor version, Google Merchant Center, is still used by some advertisers and already supports these new features.
Google Merchant Center Next (GMC Next), a simplified version of Merchant Center, was unveiled in May.
Advertisers that haven’t transitioned to GMC Next and want access to the rules and feeds should not upgrade to GMC Next.
Those who have already migrated to GMC Next and need access to these tools can revert to classic mode. Google will not invite merchants using rules and feeds to migrate to GMC Next until the features are available in that platform.
Why we care. For those who migrated from GMC to GMC Next, and were unpleasantly surprised to find rules and feeds unsupported, there’s now a path to restore those features. Reverting isn’t ideal, but it offers a way to restore functionality that is integral for optimizing Google Shopping ad performance.
Switching back to Classic Mode. To revert from GMC Next to classic mode and gain access to rules and supplemental feeds, follow these steps:
- Sign in to Merchant Center.
- At the top of the screen, click the Help & feedback icon.
- Click “Use classic Merchant Center”.
- A disclaimer will appear. If you’d still like to continue, click Use classic Merchant Center.
- A box will appear allowing you to give feedback on why you’d like to switch. When you’re done, click Submit.
- Another disclaimer will appear. Check the box, and click Switch now.
- Classic Merchant Center experience will now be available to use.
Warning. Switching from Merchant Center Next back to the classic Merchant Center may result in the loss of previously added business details and in-store product details. Consider this potential impact before making the switch.
No return to GMC Next. If you switch back to the classic Merchant Center, you won’t have the option to return to the Merchant Center Next until the classic experience is retired next year.
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Deep dive. Read Google Ads Liaison officer Ginny Marvin’s announcement on X in full for more information.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Friday, December 1st, 2023
Reddit has launched two new ad formats within Conversation Placement: Carousel Ads and Product Ads.
Conversation Placement sits within a Reddit conversation thread, appearing below the original post and above the first comment. The rollout of the new ad formats within this placement is intended to offer advertisers the opportunity to interact with high-value users in a high-focused environment.
Why we care. Marketers now have more options to promote products through Conversation Placement, giving them more control over how they reach their target. These ads also offer a valuable opportunity to connect with new audiences, especially as many users in Reddit conversation threads come directly from organic searches.
Carousel Ads: This ad format has been revamped for Conversation Placement, enhancing the experiences for both users and advertiser. With the new design, brands can showcase up to six images or GIFs, each with its clickable link leading to respective landing pages.
Product Ads: After introducing Product Ads earlier this year, the format is being extended to Conversation Placement. This expansion enables advertisers to connect with high-value consumers who are actively engaged in research, providing a strategic opportunity to influence their purchase decisions.
Accessibility. Carousel Ads and Product Ads are now available to all advertisers globally.
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Deep dive. Read Reddit’s announcement in full for more information.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Thursday, November 30th, 2023
Pinterest has started testing an AI “body type” filter to make search more inclusive.
The new consumer tool, which is rolling out on women’s fashion and wedding ideas, will enable users to filter their product search results based on different body types. Pinterest execs claim the feature has potential not just to improve search diversity, but also increase engagement for brands.
Why we care. Enabling customers see how clothes fit their unique body shape has the potential to strongly influence their decision to buy, which could possibly lead to higher conversions.
Roll out. The AI “body type” filter is currently available in the following countries:
- U.S.
- U.K.
- Ireland.
- Canada.
- Australia.
- New Zealand.
Pinterest has confirmed that the technology will expand to additional international markets soon.
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What Pinterest is saying. Sabrina Ellis, Pinterest’s chief of product, told TechCrunch:
- “We are committed to building a more positive internet, and with these developments, our hope is to bring a more personalized and inclusive experience on Pinterest.”
- “We are still at the early stages of testing, and look forward to sharing additional learnings and details soon.”
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
