Archive for the ‘seo news’ Category
Thursday, September 12th, 2024
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Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Thursday, September 12th, 2024
B2B content contains a Catch-22:
- You need to write for search to justify the expense to produce an evergreen asset that will grow long-term ROI, but…
- You also need to write for a sophisticated audience to build credibility to ever eventually see said ROI.
Most brands skew too far in one direction or the other.
Write primarily for search and you get derivative, regurgitated, copycat content that immediately erodes trust with discerning prospects.
Write only for prospects, however, and your content is ephemeral – forever relying on short-term bumps in referral traffic that get forgotten within a week.
Semrush has somehow managed to bridge this divide for over a decade. Their year-over-year revenue was up 21% in Q1 of 2024, while growth in large customers paying $10,000 annually is also up 32% YoY.
In this article, Semrush’s Managing Editor, Alex Lindley, shares how his three S approach – structure, skimmability and search intent – can fuel SEO growth, plus helpful examples and takeaways.
1. Structure: Answer search intent without delaying the ‘time to value’
Writing for search and readers is a delicate balancing act.
On the one hand, you need to entice readers by setting up the problem and illustrating symptoms before providing alternative solutions.
On the other hand, you need to clearly answer search intent and structure articles similar to what’s already ranking so you can have a shot at evergreen traffic.
Nowhere is this conundrum more obvious than during the editing stage. An editor might think the paragraph and phrasing is the issue, while the underlying root cause is actually a poor article structure to begin with.
You can think of this “structure” problem as twofold:
- You spend too much time talking (or writing) about stuff that doesn’t matter, while also
- Not spending nearly enough time on the stuff that does.
Lindley starts with classic journalism advice, structuring articles in an inverted pyramid to help increase the “time to value” readers will receive.
- “For content the writer is creating for SEO purposes, I always point to the inverted pyramid and/or the bottom line up front (BLUF) framework.”
- “The reason is simple: The single biggest mistake I see writers make is delaying the time to value by adding too much exposition before getting to the point. Delaying the time to value essentially negates any attempt you make later to address search intent because a huge number of readers won’t stick with you long enough to see if you ever do get to the information they’re looking for.”
- “I realize, however, that this approach can alienate some readers – and, importantly, writers I’m working with – who prefer a bit of narrative or simply love language and writing for writing’s sake. Balancing strong structure and search intent with narrative and the “delight” factor is tricky, but when there’s any doubt, I always recommend leaning on BLUF first and everything else second. It’s the best possible approach when you’re not entirely sure of the best approach.”
This advice is especially relevant for long-form B2B content.
The decades-old Problem, Agitate, Solution (PAS) copywriting framework helps set context. You want to provide some background commentary so the reader immediately understands and resonates with the point you’re making, so that the ultimate payoff (or “solution”) hits that much harder.
The problem is that you might take too long to get there.
The trick, then, is to get in and get out – ASAP! Concision is the name of the game.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only “structure” issue that causes concern.
Delaying the “time to value” is increasingly common because that’s how more and more “search”-driven content is being structured.
Look at the two side-by-side Investopedia examples below. Both are glossary or definition-based content, so notice the similarity in the heading structures used across each:
Another way most search content falls flat is by spending too long on the initial sections of an article (the “what is” or “why it’s important” sections) while not spending enough time answering the primary query behind the article.
- “The No. 1 biggest red flag I see with article structure is a compulsion to do the “who, what, where, why” in massive sections before getting to the meat of the article,” confirms Lindley.
- “For example, you have an article titled ‘Top SEO Tools for 2024.’ Then the structure looks like this:
- H1: Top SEO Tools for 2024
- H2: What Are SEO Tools?
- H2: Why SEO Tools Are Important
- H3: Reach a Broad Audience
- H3: Save on Advertising Costs
- H3: Make Data-Driven Decisions
- H2: How to Choose an SEO Tool
- H3: Consider Your Budget
- H3: Compare ‘Must-Have’ Features
- H3: Test Them
- H2: 11 Best SEO Tools
- “We get 1,500 words or more in before we’ve even gotten to the point of the article. How many readers will sit through that or even scroll that many times before they get to the part they came for? Very few.”
- “Unfortunately, this kind of structure is really common online. It’s a search intent and time to value problem. And it often comes from either believing that search engines ‘want’ to see that kind of thing or feeling the need to reach a particular word count.”
- “But we simply don’t need to do that. In fact, we really shouldn’t if we aim to keep readers engaged. If the title promises something, give that thing to the reader right away. Don’t delay; don’t clear your throat. Just put it front and center. And if you need to cover the tangential whys and hows, do that later on.”
One way to mitigate this is to structure content in briefs and outlines with predetermined word count max ranges.
That way, you might still want to include the “what is” section to define a topic for search intent, but then remind writers to quickly move down to spending more time (or word count) on the sections that matter most.
A final tip on article structure and the subheading organization underneath is parallelism. Here’s how Lindley thinks of it:
- “Headers – the building blocks of article structure – should always be parallel. Listicles make an easy example. Here’s the ‘bad’ way to approach it, compared with the ‘good’ one right after.”
- H1: 3 Content Writing Tips
- H2: 1) Use Short Sentences and Paragraphs
- H2: 2) Read It Out Loud Before You Publish It
- H2: 3) Nailing the Search Intent (bad example)
- H1: 3 Content Writing Tips
- H2: 1) Use Short Sentences and Paragraphs
- H2: 2) Read It Out Loud Before You Publish It
- H2: 3) Nail the Search Intent (good example)
This last point seems small and nuanced on the surface. But as you’ll see in the next section below, it actually has a huge bearing on how “skimmable” the content is overall and whether you’re keeping the reader engaged to the end of the content.
2. Skimmability: Provide contextually relevant examples without interrupting the reading flow
AI content can tell you what “advanced excel formulas” are, as evidenced by this sample below:
However, it’ll never:
- Show you advanced Excel formulas.
- Explain why they matter for who they help.
- Illustrate how to create advanced Excel formulas.
- Put them into a usable format like a free template or tool.
You future-proof SEO by avoiding head-on competition with what AI can do well. And instead you do what AI can’t do.
Backing up points being made in an article helps the reader visualize what you’re describing and increases the credibility in your claims.
It also arms your content with differentiation that other publishers can’t match.
- “The context part is often lacking in web content,” explains Lindley.
- “Many web publishers will throw a faintly relevant image at the top or bottom of a section and call it done – almost as if they’re working from some kind of checklist. But we need to aim for a higher level of helpfulness.”
The trouble is that knowing how to incorporate good examples always throws writers and editors for a loop. Thankfully, Lindley has a good framework to keep in mind:
- “Concept > Context (for the image or example) > Image or Example.”
- “In other words, start with the concept you’re introducing. State it plainly. Then, provide context for the example or image you’re about to introduce. Then include the example or image.”
The second major skimmability issue can actually be spotted well in advance, prior to ever reading a single line of the content itself.
Go back to the overall structure again!
- “One skimmability problem that is easy to illustrate with examples (and highly applicable to many web writers) is when you’re unable to understand what a section or article is about from just the header title(s). That’s why I always look at the table of contents or stacked headers on the left side of the Google Doc before I start editing an article.”
In other words, start by familiarizing yourself with what is being proposed, the nested information under each section, and how these sections build on top of one another to get a general sense of the problems, challenges or examples that will ultimately be most appropriate later on.
Lindley continues this example with another one:
- “For example, if I see the H2 ‘Content Marketing’ in an article titled ‘Types of Digital Marketing,’ I am pretty sure that section will describe how content marketing is a type of digital marketing. But if I see the H2 ‘Fire Up Your Keyboard’ in that same article, I’m confused, and I know there’s a problem.”
How do you know whether you (or your writers) are on the right track?
Again, back out of the actual paragraphs to take in the proposed article as a whole.
The table of contents or header structure can help, as can literally minimizing the text sizing in your browser to zoom out and consider all of the content together, like so:
Last but not least, here are three additional “don’ts” Lindley recommends following to help avoid interrupting the reading flow or risk losing the reader:
- Don’t make the reader squint to look for details in images that help them understand what they’re looking at.
- Don’t make them scroll back up to the paragraph text to look for help understanding what they’re looking at.
- Don’t make them read your explanation below the image or example and then go back up to the image or example to finally understand it.
3. Search intent: Focus editing on reader clarity, less on phrasing or semantic keywords
Over the last decade of working across hundreds of brands, I’ve noticed that good writers often make bad editors and terrible content managers.
The reason comes down to a skill set mismatch, where good writers excel at ingenuity and saying the same things in different ways, while good editors instead laser-focus on consistency and clarity.
For example, take a look at the following “edits”:
As you can tell, these are done by a good “writer,” perhaps, but as an editor, it’s often missing the point.
The best editors are often akin to a coach. Their job is to sit at the intersection of the brand, the reader and search intent, then make sure to erect “bumpers” on each side to keep writers clear on the primary direction of travel.
- “The best editors maintain a radical focus on the reader. They’ll even break well-established writing rules to serve that focus,” affirms Lindley.
- “Getting into more specific areas of focus, editors should put structure, skimmability and search intent at the center of nearly everything they do.”
- “The other stuff – images, line edits, spelling, grammar, etc. – is important. But you can have all that extra stuff completely perfect and still have a bad article because you’ve neglected structure, skimmability or search intent.”
- “That’s not to say editors shouldn’t care about other concerns. They should, but if I only had 30 minutes to spend editing an article, I wouldn’t change a single word before I addressed those three Ss.”
Lindley is also a proponent of role specialization, where “strategists focus more on keywords, distribution, and the like,” while the writer can “focus on the sentence-level stuff.”
The editor might review all of these details prior to publishing, but none of them outweigh structure, skimmability and search intent.
How do you help enforce (or reinforce) these principles in practice? Especially at scale or higher volumes across a broad team?
The best way I’ve found is to make editors track time against every article, writer, and content type. Then, set established benchmark thresholds for each.
For example, after publishing thousands of articles each year over the past few years, we’ve noticed that if editors continuously spend over an hour editing certain articles, it actually indicates:
- A process problem (identify underlying gaps in briefs/templates).
- An internal documentation problem (ICP/product positioning communicated + re-trained).
- A role/expectations problem (editors wanna rewrite vs. edit).
- A delegation problem (editors/content managers ‘need to do it themselves’ vs. building a systematic workflow with the first three above).
And often not a “writer” or “editor” problem.
Here’s how to set up this internal feedback loop to make sure everyone is focused on the highest and best use of their respective times (and skills):
- You should have estimated editing time ranges, including caps, to edit each content type, format, or length.
- Add time tracking per article and per writer (even more true if editors are fixed cost / in-house / full-time).
- Use this baseline data to identify trends, patterns and bad habits (rewriting vs. editing).
- Force editors to flag underlying issues or gaps – not just fix surface-level issues – that should have been better spelled out, structured or illustrated for writers in preceding steps.
- Review these issues weekly to create new supporting resources to continually re-train your editorial team.
This feedback loop has two benefits:
- Editors’ editing-per-piece effort will drop like a rock, resulting in a better experience for them.
- It also allows editors to edit more content in the same amount of time, which is a better ROI for you.
The end result is that more editing comments should follow Lindley’s recommended three S approach, providing broad, strategic recommendations like the comment below early on – as opposed to the individual rewording of sentences at the start of this section.
A balanced content strategy delivers evergreen results and boosts revenue
There’s a constant tension when writing for search and readers. Lean too far in either direction and the final outcome can often sacrifice one at the expense of the other.
The trick, as with most things in life, is to lean into the gray area filled with nuance. While also avoiding knee-jerk reactions that try too hard to oversimplify.
If you want readers to consume, engage, save, and share search-driven content, the answer isn’t to start cutting important context like your introductions. Instead, you should be writing introductions that deserve to be read.
Building your publishing process (and editing) around the three S approach are a perfect start to walking this fine line.
Because structure, skimmability, and search intent aren’t just simple, practical guardrails for editorial teams.
But also the foundation behind writing marketing content that also gets evergreen results at the same time.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, September 11th, 2024
Google Search is rolling out a change to its About this page/result feature where it includes links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. This enabling searches to view the previous version of a given webpage.
Google added this feature likely because of the complaints about Google removing the cache link from that feature.
What Google said. “We know that many people, including those in the research community, value being able to see previous versions of webpages when available. That’s why we’ve added links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to our ‘About this page’ feature, to give people quick context and make this helpful information easily accessible through Search,” a Google spokesperson told us.
How it works. To access this feature, you can click on the three dots near a search result. That will bring up the About this result feature and within there you will be able select “More About This Page” to reveal a link to the Wayback Machine page for that website.
I don’t see this feature yet but it should be somewhere in this panel when it fully rolls out:
Update: Google sent me a screenshot of what the link looks like in the more about this page section:
More details. The Internet Archive is a nonprofit research library that provides and curates a digital archive of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form called the Wayback Machine. Mark Graham, Director, Wayback Machine, Internet Archive wrote:
“The web is aging, and with it, countless URLs now lead to digital ghosts. Businesses fold, governments shift, disasters strike, and content management systems evolve—all erasing swaths of online history. Sometimes, creators themselves hit delete, or bow to political pressure. Enter the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine: for more than 25 years, it’s been preserving snapshots of the public web. This digital time capsule transforms our “now-only” browsing into a journey through internet history. And now, it’s just a click away from Google search results, opening a portal to a fuller, richer web—one that remembers what others have forgotten.”
Why we care. I use the Wayback machine a lot for my research here and for other work related projects. Having quick access to these links in Google Search can be more useful for me and searchers.
This should also help with some of the complaints around Google dropping the cache link but it does not resolve the complaints around seeing how Google sees your pages. But for that, you can use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console or the rich result testing tool from Google.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, September 11th, 2024
Google is on trial for allegedly abusing its dominance of the $200 billion digital advertising industry.
The U.S. Department of Justice claimed that through acquisitions and anticompetitive conduct, Google seized sustained control of the full advertising technology (“adtech”) stack: the tools advertisers and publishers use to buy and sell ads, and the exchange that connects them.
In response, Google denied the claims stating several ad companies compete in the space, a mixture of tools are used so they don’t get the full fees, their fees are lower than industry average and small businesses will suffer the most if they lose this case.
The outcome of the landmark case could bring significant changes to Google and publishers. However, experts argue that could seriously hurt advertisers as well.
It’s equally possible the trial will result in no changes and Google will be free to continue operating as it wants.
Day 1: Accusations and badgering of witnesses (Sept. 9)
DOJ laid out their accusations as follows:
- Google controls the advertiser ad network.
- Google dominates the publisher ad server.
- Google runs the ad exchange connecting the two.
Google’s defense:
- Disputed the definition of open-web display ads.
- Argued the DOJ’s market definition is “gerrymandered” – the DOJ are manipulating the boundaries of their definition to make Google out to be the bad guy.
- Presented a chart showing competitors like Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and TikTok.
Bottom line. This trial could determine whether Google’s control over digital advertising constitutes an illegal monopoly, potentially affecting how information is disseminated online.
What’s next. The trial is expected to last several weeks. If the DOJ wins, Google could face up to $100 billion in advertiser lawsuits, according to Bernstein analysts.
Deep dive. Read our Google antitrust trial guide for a breakdown of everything you need to know from the first trial last year.
This article will be regularly updated with the latest developments from this landmark trial.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, September 11th, 2024
Google is experimenting with a new way to make ads more distinguishable in its search results.
The update introduces a taller gray background for ads, accompanied by a “Sponsored” label and subtitles like “Promoted products” or “Promoted results.”
This is a shift from Google’s current more subtle labelling approach.
What it looks like. Here’s a screenshot, shared by Gagan Ghotra on X:
Additionally, after the ads, Google now labels the following section as “All results,” clearly distinguishing the organic, non-sponsored listings from paid content.
Why we care: This test signals a possible shift in how Google balances ad visibility and user experience. Advertisers should keep a close eye on metrics like CTR and conversion rates as these experiments evolve.
Bottom line. This move, should it become permanent, could make ads more noticeable, potentially influencing user behavior and click rates, as Google continues to fine-tune its ad presentation for clarity and transparency.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, September 11th, 2024
Search marketers like you must navigate a sea of constant change… from major algorithm updates to the birth of AI overviews, ever-shifting ranking factors, evolving consumer expectations… the list goes on.
The key to smooth sailing is to stay on top of the latest trends by training with experts who are ready to help.
Head into 2025 equipped with fresh knowledge and actionable tactics that can help you execute winning SEO and PPC campaigns today… and prepare for what’s coming next: Attend SMX Next, online November 13-14, for free!
This is your final chance in 2024 to unlock the world-class Search Marketing Expo experience and everything that comes with it:
- Actionable tactics. Walk away with reliable, actionable, brand-safe insights you can immediately apply to your campaigns to drive measurable results.
- In-depth live Q&A. Tap directly into some of the brightest minds in search, ask them your questions, and get real-time answers during Overtime!
- Engaging discussions. Connect with and learn from like-minded search marketers and industry experts during live Coffee Talk meetups.
- Instant on-demand access. Can’t attend live? On-demand replay is included with your free pass so you can train at your own pace.
- 100% online. Log on from your cubicle, coffee shop, couch – wherever! – and skip the plane ride, hotel room, and time out of the office.
- 100% free. Continued training doesn’t have to break the bank. Leave the expense reports (and expensive in-person training experiences) behind!
- Certificate of attendance. Showcase your knowledge of the latest industry trends with a personalized certificate and digital badge, perfect for posting on LinkedIn.
The Search Engine Land experts are hard at work programming the agenda… I’ll reach back out next week with more details. In the meantime, secure your free registration now!
Since 2006, SMX has helped more than 200,000 search marketers from around the world achieve their professional goals. Now, it’s your turn.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 10th, 2024
Meta is implementing new data restrictions in its Business Tools, which could potentially affect how businesses target ads and measure performance.
Why we care. This move reflects Meta’s ongoing commitment to privacy, but could complicate ad targeting and reporting for you.
Key changes.
- Automatic restriction of certain URL parts and custom parameters.
- Potential pausing of ads using highly targeted UTMs.
- Altered monitoring in Events Manager.
Impact on businesses.
- Custom audiences may need adjustments.
- Some ad sets could be paused.
- Reduced visibility in Events Manager.
First seen. Meta communicated this update to advertisers this week. PPC expert Navah Hopkins of Optmyzr shared the email she received on LinkedIn:
Hopkins commented about the importance of this update:
- “This is a critical reminder that Meta is taking privacy very seriously and our ability to report and target based on seeing/clicking ads is no longer a guaranteed state.”
Claude Sprenger Managing Partner @ Hutter Consult AG, is not surprised by this update and gave some advice on what the effect could be:
- “Sounds worse than it is. Meta already started restricting this data 12 months ago. Concrete effects – Target groups based on specific URL paths grow more slowly and can no longer be created retroactively. Target groups that combine URL paths and another rule (example: device) are no longer functional and can no longer be used in campaigns.”
What’s next.
- Businesses should review and potentially adjust custom audiences.
- Prepare for possible compromises on UTM parameters.
- Keep stakeholders informed about potential reporting changes.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 10th, 2024
Google is implementing new identity verification requirements for lawyers using Local Services Ads.
Why we care. This change aims to protect both businesses and consumers from impersonation and fraud in legal service advertisements. However, this could be an extra hurdle that some businesses may not be willing to prioritize.
Key details.
- Deadline: Nov. 15.
- Who’s affected: Law firms and practices using Local Services Ads.
- New requirement: Identity checks for business owners, senior partners and featured professionals.
How it works.
- Evident, Google’s partner, will email lawyers on Sept. 16.
- Lawyers have 30 days to complete the identity verification.
- Verified identities will be cross-checked with professional license information.
What’s next.
- Business owners must update email addresses for all featured professionals by Sept. 16.
- Each professional needs a unique email address for individual case generation.
First seen. This communication from Google started this week. Anthony Higman, founder and CEO of ADSQUIRE, shared the letter he received from Google on LinkedIn:
Bottom line. Failure to complete verification by the deadline could result in ads being suspended, potentially impacting law firms’ online visibility and client acquisition.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 10th, 2024
The European Union’s highest court has confirmed a record $2.7 billion (€2.4 billion) fine against Google for anti-competitive practices related to its Shopping service.
Details. The fine, initially imposed in 2017, was upheld by the EU Court of Justice today.
- Google was accused of favoring its own price-comparison service in search results, disadvantaging competitors.
- Google appealed the case to help circumvent potential similar fines and demands for change around other types of “vertical search” results such as maps/local, travel and other categories.
- The court ruled that Google’s conduct was “discriminatory” and fell outside the scope of fair competition.
Why we care. While Google has already made changes to comply with the 2017 decision, this ruling could lead to further adjustments in how Google shares data, algorithm transparency and more, impacting how advertisers strategize and spend their budgets.
What they’re saying:
- Google: “We are disappointed with the decision… This judgment relates to a very specific set of facts.” They then continued with noting that they had made changes to comply with the European Commissions decision in 2017.
- BEUC (European Consumer Organization): “The Court has confirmed that Google cannot unfairly deny European consumers access to full and unbiased online information.”
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 10th, 2024
With Google’s antitrust jury trial underway, Google claimed the U.S. Department of Justice has a “narrow view” of the ad tech market and that advertisers and publishers have many alternatives. However, the evidence suggests otherwise.
Google’s misleading claim of “hundreds of competitors.”
- While many ad tech providers exist, Google dominates key market segments such as ad exchanges, ad networks and demand-side platforms.
- Though Google has competitors in the most basic sense of the word (i.e., there are other players in search), the gap between their share of the market and the second largest (Microsoft) is vast and has been for many years.
Advertisers and publishers don’t truly have free choice.
- Michael King of IPullRank presented in a recent SMX conference how it would take 17 years to collect the data Google get in 13 months.
Buying online ads isn’t cheap.
- Several reports this year have shown that advertising costs increased:
I asked some experts to discuss this blog post in which Google argued that:
- There are several other ad tech companies that compete in the space.
- Ad buyers mix and match tools with rivals; therefore, they don’t get all the fees.
- Their fees are lower than the industry average.
- Small businesses will be hurt the most by this case.
Robert Brady founder of Righteous Marketing, said Google is presenting a masterclass of painting oneself in a positive light:
- “The only statement I specifically disagree with is in the second to last paragraph where Google says ‘The ability to buy online ads cheaply and simply…’ Most searches with commercial intent (the ones SMBs want to put their ad on) are not cheap and Google Ads is not a simple platform anymore.
- “What Google doesn’t say is much more salient. They fail to mention their utter dominance of search, which is where you get search intent data.
- “That advantage, having 80%+ of the internet’s search intent data, is what puts every other piece of Google’s ads tools at a significant advantage against even large competitors like Microsoft. And as long as Google can leverage that search intent data in all their other products, they’ll own this industry.”
However Sam Tomlinson, EVP and Director of Digital Strategy of Warschawski, pointed out several issues with the DOJ’s case:
- He claims this to be an issue with market definition: “Honestly, Google is right on their market definition point. The relevant market should be digital advertising , not some ridiculous thing like “Non-product text based ads” — it would be absurd to say that Amazon has a monopoly on “eCommerce consumer retail”
- He doesn’t believe it is possible to assess what Google’s fees are: “[It’s] very difficult to assess Google’s fees vs. those charged by others due to the sheer volume of points in the value chain where fees can be added, often in non-transparent ways.”
- He thinks SMBs will lose if the DOJ wins SMBs: “End result to SMBs? Probably right, to be honest. That’s not what the ‘Google = evil’ people want to think, but the reality is that breakups would come with massive incremental costs that would be passed onto advertisers.”
Tomlinson said he thinks the system will get healthier if the DOJ wins, but that it will be a painful process:
- “Long run, we’ll probably get a healthier, more transparent ecosystem, but the short term pain to advertisers (and by extension, publishers) is going to be brutal.”
Between the lines. Google portrays itself as an enabler of the free and open internet, but the DOJ argues its ad tech dominance does the opposite – it limits choice, increases costs and harms publishers.
What’s next. The trial will test whether Google’s defiant claims hold up against the DOJ’s evidence of anticompetitive practices. A positive outcome for the DOJ, as Tomlinson noted, could reshape the digital advertising landscape.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
