Here we go, headed towards Black Friday and all the shopping hoopla before and after that glorious day. There’s been plenty of developments over the past 30 days that could affect your business and your career. Are you ready to dive in and take a look at November’s Stukent News YOU Can Use? Let’s go!
1. IS GOOGLE SEARCH NOW OUT OF HUMAN HANDS?
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Google [/highlight]
Key Point: Have you ever taken a look at the SERP and wondered, “What in the world are those Googlers thinking?” Well, turns out that at least part of the time… they’re not. According to Bloomberg Business, Google execs are overboard with excitement about developments in machine learning – so much so that an artificial intelligence (AI) system known as “RankBrain” is now working alongside the human-coded algorithm. Citing an interview with Google scientist, Greg Corrado, Bloomberg says, “In the few months it has been deployed, RankBrain has become the third-most important signal contributing to the result of a search query.” For that shocking insight – and more – see this article: RankBrain.
[line]2. FACEBOOK “REACTIONS” – PURE MARKETING GENIUS
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Facebook users have been asking for alternatives to the “Like” button for years. Many have lobbied for a “Dislike” option, but management has said only that they’re considering the issue – and that they DON’T like the “dislike” idea. October saw the rollout of a solution: Facebook Reactions. Users in Ireland and Spain (the two countries chosen for the beta test) can now choose from seven emojis: Like, Love, HaHa, Yay, Wow, Sad, and Angry. The advantage to users is obvious – more choices – but Madhunmita Murgia, technology editor for The Telegraph says Facebook and Facebook advertisers stand to benefit from the move too. Check out her rationale here: Making Facebook Money.
[line]3. LOOKOUT YOUTUBE – FOR REAL THIS TIME
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Speaking of Facebook, ever since the social media superstar passed YouTube in the number of videos shown daily, there’s been an ongoing debate about whether the data really shows an apples-to-apples comparison or not (centered around what constitutes a “view). Now, the giant is seriously considering upping the ante: A senior VP says Facebook is “testing a dedicated place … for people to go when they exclusively want to watch video.” That announcement prompted Marketing Land to say “Watch out, YouTube: Facebook is finally getting a video hub.” After all, why should Facebook lovers leave their favorite hangout to go watch YouTube videos once YouTube-like functionality is right there on Facebook? It would appear a new advertising frontier is about to be born. Get more info here: A New Facebook Video Hub.
[line]4. GOOGLE AND YAHOO ARE GETTING MARRIED (AGAIN)!
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: The news was embedded in Yahoo’s 3Q Report: After more than a 10-year hiatus, Yahoo will again begin serving up results and ads from Google to those who use its search feature (Yahoo isn’t a search engine, it pulls from Bing. For advertisers, that means more reach and more potential. Search Engine Land covered the development well in this article: Yahoo and Google.
[line]5. JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS: SHOPPING INSIGHTS
Topics: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Analytics[/highlight]
Key Point: Google’s Inside Adwords blog dropped a blockbuster in October: the announcement of a beta release giving retailers a new way to “connect with consumers in moments that matter, by making data about shopping habits and preferences more accessible.” Shopping Insights will provide data on where people are shopping, how they are shopping, what they’re looking for, and when they are looking for it. It’s exciting news for the world of marketing. Check out the blossoming demand for emoji joggers, see which Halloween costumes are most in demand – discover insight deep enough to make advertisers stand up and take notice – it’s a potentially huge development… find out more here: What are People Shopping For?
[line]6. GET A VERIFIED BUSINESS BADGE FOR YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight]
Key Point: Local businesses need to pounce on this development. Facebook is rolling out a way for business owners to confirm their ownership of a Page – giving shoppers more confidence AND potentially giving the business a better chance of ranking in Facebook search results. Marketing Land covers the move here: Badges for Local Business Pages and Facebook shows you how to get started here: Get Verified. In the “stranger than fiction” department, you can bet that many businesses will fail to take advantage of this free and valuable new capability. Many times, the SEO advantage goes to the ones who simply execute on the basics.
[line]7. SEO IN 2016 – PREDICTION TIME
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO[/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Analytics[/highlight]
Key Point: We’re rolling into Q4, so you know it’s time for 2016 prediction articles to start showing up. One of the first we’ve seen contains some astute observations from SEO PowerSuite. Among the gems are high rank no longer means more clicks, Google Analytics makes it even tougher to track organic traffic, and link penalties are easier to remove. All of the ideas were drawn from speakers at SMX East and Pubcon – and while crystal balls aren’t the best way to run a business, these concepts are certainly worthy of SEO consideration (and most of the info the suggestions are based on is already reality). Here’s some thought-provoking reading for the weekend: SEO in 2016.
[line]8. HOW TO RANK IN MOBILE SEARCH
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO [/highlight]
Key Point: Search Engine Land calls it like it is in this list of takeaways from the maiden voyage of Searchmetrics’ Mobile Ranking Factors report. Anyone still not differentiating between mobile and desktop search ranking factors needs to wake up fast. From technical differences to User Experience (UX) and the very real need for unique content requirements, there’s plenty SEO’s need to consider to get optimum results across both desktop and mobile search platforms. If you can’t read it now, bookmark it. This is important: Research Revelations.
[line]9. THE STATE OF PIPELINE MARKETING REPORT
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Email Marketing[/highlight]
Key Point: Writing for Bizible, Andrew Nguyen reveals the lessons learned from a survey of online marketers (350 of them) about measuring success, marketing channels, and priorities. Diehard email marketing fans weren’t surprised to see their channel of choice take top honors as the one with “the greatest impact on revenue” and a surprising 70% of marketers say they need a better way of attributing success. It’s not a scientific study, perhaps, but it’s surely worth taking time to download (free) and consider. Get the overview and the access link here: Marketing Pipelines.
[line]10. SHOULD AD-BLOCKING BE OUTLAWED?
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Ad-blocking tools are disrupting commerce, and something “broad-based” needs to be done about the situation. That’s the word from Google senior VP, Sridhar Ramaswamy, this week at a conference hosted by the Wall Street Journal. Calling for a “sustainable ad standard,” to require ads that aren’t “rudely interruptive,” Ramaswamy says ad reform is “essential to our survival”, and something needs to happen in “months, rather than years.” That serious talk came on the heels of new online advertising guidelines from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Take a closer look at the discussion that has advertisers up in arms right here: Ad-Blocking Uproar.
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Congratulations! You’re all caught up on your digital marketing news and updates for the month! Tweet your excitement!
That’s if for this issue of Stukent’s News You Can Use. As always, let us know if you see something we missed or have additional insight on the topics we’ve covered. See you next month!
