Our latest roundup of all the Google updates you need to know about.
1. Google is going on the offense against fake news
Fake news is a problem that affects everyone, not just the folks in the online advertising community.
To backtrack on what’s been happening, content is being created that reaffirms an opinion, or view, versus facts. This spike in content production, along with people’s searches for urban myths and rumors, is influencing Google’s search suggestions.
To address the onslaught of fake news and offensive search suggestions, Google is launching “Project Owl.”
Project Owl will leverage three strategies:
- A new feedback form for search suggestions, including an explanation about why search suggestions may be removed
- A new feedback form for “Featured Snippets”
- A deeper emphasis on authoritative content, in hopes, it will improve search quality
2. Are you eligible for data-driven attribution (DDA)?
Data-driven attribution has been around since spring 2016. Its goal? To tell marketers what moments matter, most.
Here’s why that matters: people tend to click around—a lot—before they convert. AdWords currently defaults to attribution for the last click, which only counts that one final click as the one that matters.
But what about all those clicks that occur before that final converting one? DDA was created because those clicks matter, too.
DDA leverages machine learning to credit each click along a buyer’s journey. It allows you to trace the value of those buyers who clicked but didn’t buy. You can start using DDA, if you aren’t already, your account has enough clicks and conversions.
Let us know how it goes!
3. Google is testing ‘suggested clips’
When users are searching for answers, they want it fast. And now, they can get the answer they’re looking for in video, via a “suggested clip.” Google is now testing embedded videos at the top of search results.
The coolest part: the video is queued up to start at the part most relevant to the answer you’re looking for (no need to watch 10 minutes of video to get there!).
4. Google is testing shopping ads on its display network.
Google’s expansion of its Shopping ads has been happening for some time now, hitting places like YouTube and third party retail sites. And now it’s hitting the Google Display Network, in pilot mode. They’re calling it Retail Shopping on Display.
In the words of Google to AdWords API users,
“Starting next week, some of your customers will be able to target the Google Display Network (GDN) with their Shopping campaigns as part of a pilot Google is running. This will allow them to expand the reach of their Shopping Campaigns beyond the Google Search Network. It will allow their shopping ads to be eligible to appear on a handful of select, premium fashion and home decor sites for this pilot.”
Looking to test? You may need to be patient—campaigns that are opted in may not see traffic until sometime around June.
5. Reach more customers with Smart Campaigns
Google Smart Display Campaigns, part of the Google Display Network (GDN) are being rolled out to all customers. Smart campaigns use machine learning to help your business connect with prospects, and create native and text ads to fit anywhere within GDN, as well as set accurate bids.
Automation allows the bidding, ad targeting, and ad creation to be executed swiftly, allowing advertisers to work smarter—not harder.