July 2016 news you can use

July 2016 News You Can Use

Get inquiries via text message from prospects who see your PPC ads, probe the mysteries of RankBrain, or find out how to get more leverage from Google Analytics – you can do all of that and more by following the links in the summaries below.

Don’t let summer vacation stop you from staying in touch with what’s happening in digital marketing this summer. Stukent’s News You Can Use is on the job 24/7, scouring the internet for information you don’t want to miss.

Let’s get started!

1. ADWORDS TESTING CLICK TO SMS AD EXTENSION?

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]

Key Point: Picture this. You’re fishing on the lake with a few good friends. You’re not sure whether to check your text messages or bait up, though. “Impossible,” you say? Here’s the rub: Google may be testing a click-to-SMS ad extension that would allow prospective customers to text queries to the advertiser. You could conceivably need to choose between catching the big fish or landing the big client. That’s the word on the street, according to Search Engine Land and Barry Schwartz. Google’s not yet confirmed the idea.

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2. RANKBRAIN DOESN’T KEEP SCORE & IT’S IMPERVIOUS TO OPTIMIZATION?

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO[/highlight]

Key Point: In a clear as mud statement at SMX Advanced, Google’s Gary Illyes told attendees “You cannot optimize for RankBrain and there is no RankBrain score.” Search Engine Land’s Danny Sullivan followed up on the remark, trying to make some SEO sense out of exactly what RankBrain does do, but his attempts drove the questions about Google’s artificial intelligence exploits further into obscurity. Here’s a blip from the brief SEL report: “Google is calling it a ranking signal but it really doesn’t act like any other ranking signal Google has. So maybe it isn’t really a ranking signal.” To get your brain tangled up in the mystery, here’s the scoop: RankBrain Mysteries.

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3. MICROSOFT JUST BOUGHT LINKEDIN!

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing[/highlight]

Key Point: A cool $26.2 billion is all it took for Microsoft to become the new owner of LinkedIn. Why did they do it? Speculating in a Forbes article about the deal, Grant Feller says it’s all about content marketing. LinkedIn gets plenty of action in that arena, especially since opening Pulse up to easy-access sharing. Microsoft said LinkedIn isn’t going to abandon its current branding position and that the deal will “connect the professional world” by enhancing both parties. What’s your take? Will LinkedIn become Microsoft’s Google Plus? How will the character of LinkedIn be affected by the acquisition?

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4. VIDEOS SET TO DOMINATE SEARCH?

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO[/highlight] | [highlight type=”dark”]Internet Advertising[/highlight]

Key Point: The rising popularity and placement of video ads are #1 on AJ Agrawal’s “5 Online Marketing Trends You Should Consider” report. AJ says YouTube + AdWords = favorable SERP. His other four picks highlight the popularity of apps, the necessity of mobile, the arrival of virtual reality, and how businesses are experimenting with the marketing potential inherent in “The internet of things.” Take AJ’s advice and get ready for the future.

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5. HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU CHARGE FOR YOUR SERVICES?

Topics: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing[/highlight]

Key Point: Mack Collier aimed this article at social media marketers, but his advice is sound for every digital marketer looking for clients. Collier sets forth the criteria upon which a sound pricing structure should be based, then gives what may be the best advice a freelancer ever heard: Always make sure potential clients are absolutely clear on the outcomes they can expect from your work. It’s a good read for anyone who wants to expand a consulting business and maintain happy clients. Here’s the link: How Much Should I Charge?

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6. GETTING STARTED WITH GOOGLE ANALYTICS

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Analytics[/highlight]

Key Point: Google Analytics is one of the most powerful tools you’ll ever use in digital marketing. It’s also one of the most complex. Before you dive into Google Analytics Academy, here’s an introductory walk-through by Kristi Hines that can help get your feet on solid ground more quickly. In this tutorial, Kristi gives you a tour of the dashboard and a look at how you can set up your own analytics to deliver the information your business needs: How to Use Google Analytics.

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7. WHY PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING IS IMPORTANT

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]

Key Point: Is “programmatic advertising” just another word for something advertisers have been doing all along, or does it signal a change in the way online (and maybe offline) advertising works? Writing for the Wpromote blog, Emily Karram says the popularity of programmatic has more than doubled since 2014 and will account for 75% of all online ad spending this year. So, what is programmatic advertising, and will it make any difference in your digital marketing strategy? Find out here: Programmatic Advertising.

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8. WILL GMAIL SOON BE DROPPED FROM AUTORESPONDER DELIVERY?

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Email Marketing[/highlight]

Key Point: Sendlane, a platform providing landing pages, automation, and bulk email delivery for digital marketers is telling clients to stop using gmail accounts for the “From” address. A notification on the Sendlane Facebook page says Google is “banning all @gmail accounts from delivering via your autoresponders.” Fact-checking by Stukent turned up a DMARC announcement that Google is “moving gmail.com to DMARC policy p=reject” status. Yahoo and AOL have already tightened their policies, but our reading of the issue is that it’s aimed at phishing schemes. Read all about it here: DMARC Deployment.

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9. WHEN & HOW TO TARGET LOW-VOLUME KEYWORDS

Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO[/highlight]

Key Point: More isn’t always better. Clients tend to focus on how much traffic your SEO efforts can push or pull to their websites, but a better question might be “How well do those visitors fit my intended audience?” Rand Fishkin covered the why and how of going after low-volume keywords in a recent segment of Whiteboard Friday, and it’s way worth the watch. You can find it here: Long Tail SEO.

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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 it for the front side of summer. When you find news every digital marketer should hear about, let us know. If we include the story in the next month’s issue, we’ll give you a shout-out for suggesting it. Deal?

Hit us up on Twitter @StukentApp or message us via the Stukent Contact page. Wishing you the best summer ever! Keep learning.

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