January witnessed a flurry of changes in the digital industry, shaping the way businesses approach SEO, social media, and PPC strategies. Loop Digital is here to provide you with an overview of the key updates that unfolded during this month.
SEO News
Google Phases Out Third-Party Cookies
Google initiated the phased removal of third-party cookies, impacting digital marketing strategies. Marketers need to adapt to this shift to maintain effective targeting and personalised advertising.
Selective Delay of Third-Party Cookie Phase-Out
Google allowed select websites the option to delay the phase-out of third-party cookies, offering a temporary reprieve for certain platforms. This development has strategic implications for advertisers and webmasters.
Study Reveals Discrepancies in Google SGE Links
A recent study uncovered that 94% of Google SGE (Search Engine Generated) links differ from organic search results, Google SGE is expected to reduce organic traffic significantly to websites for many keywords because searchers will be able to get the answer directly in Google’s AI-generated answer.
Google Shuts Down Business Profiles Websites
Google made a significant move by discontinuing websites created through Business Profiles, prompting businesses to reconsider their online presence and potentially migrate to other platforms.
GA4 and Ads Audiences Integration
While there were no recent updates for GA4 in January, the potential link between GA4 and ad audiences poses an intriguing avenue for marketers to explore.
Google Introduces Circle to Search and AI-Multi-Search
Google showcased Circle to Search and a new AI-driven multi-search experience. Circle To Search allows you to use a gesture to select a section of the image you are interested in. You can do this by circling, highlighting, scribbling, or tapping the portion of the image. AI Multi-Search allows you to either take a photo, upload a photo, or upload a screenshot, then you ask a question about it in the search box, and Google will use its generative AI to give you an answer.
Urgent Steps for Advertisers to Enable Consent Mode
Advertisers aiming to display personalised ads to consumers within the European Economic Area (EEA) must promptly take steps to avert potential campaign performance issues. To align with the upcoming heightened enforcement of its EU User Consent Policy (EU UCP), marketers are required to transmit verifiable consent signals to Google.
GA4 Adds New In-Product Help
Google has added some new features to their GA platform intended to help navigate and use the tool more effectively. The new features are as followed
In-product help –
We’ve added new help options to Google Analytics 4, designed to enhance your experience and provide instant support. These new options are accessible through the help button in the top-right corner of Google Analytics.
Learn about this page: Get detailed guidance on using the features on your current page in Google Analytics.
Start tour: Open a guided tour, where available, that walks through key procedures relevant to the current page.
Get more help: Find information in the Google Analytics Help Center or join the Google Analytics Help Community for further assistance.
Send feedback: Encounter an issue? Share your feedback with the Google Analytics team.
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Social News
TikTok’s Ambitious U.S. Expansion
TikTok revealed plans to rival Amazon with a major expansion in the U.S. It expects to grow its e-commerce business – TikTok Shop – to $17.5 billion this year, signalling its intent to become a significant player in the e-commerce space.
LinkedIn Ad Prices Surge Amid Advertiser Boycott
Ad prices on LinkedIn surged as much as 30% as advertisers continued to boycott X’s advertising services. A media buyer disclosed that the expense for 1,000 impressions in premium LinkedIn campaigns has surged to $300. In contrast, executing a similar campaign on Meta’s platforms incurs a cost ranging between $10 and $15.
Lawsuit Alleges Meta-Placed Ads Next to Inappropriate Content
Meta faced allegations of placing ads next to content sexualizing minors, leading to increased scrutiny and potential consequences for advertisers on the platform.
X’s 2024 Development Plan Insights
X provided insights into its 2024 development plan, offering a glimpse into the platform’s strategic direction and potential opportunities for marketers.
X Launches Video and Audio Calls
X expanded its features by introducing video and audio calls on Android, a feature that it rolled out to IOS users back in October. It is available only for X Premium subscribers, however, it isn’t clear if it’s available for Premium Basic users, the cheapest of X subscriptions.
LinkedIn Retires Lookalike Audiences
LinkedIn retired lookalike audiences, they are urging advertisers to shift to new targeting methods, signalling a shift in the platform’s ad targeting options.
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PPC News
Google’s Updated Inappropriate Content Policy
Google updated its inappropriate content policy to mitigate insensitive or exploitative content during sensitive events, emphasising responsible advertising practices.
Consent Mode V2 Launch by Google
Google launched Consent Mode V2, requiring all websites to be updated by March for continued access to remarketing features, reinforcing the importance of compliance.
Microsoft’s AI Tool for Instant Banner Ads
The Retail Media Creative Studio allows advertisers to produce banner ad creatives by inputting a product’s URL in seconds. Using generative AI tools, these creatives adhere to the style guides of each retailer, simplifying the workflow and reducing the need for manual resizing or frequent adjustments.
LinkedIn’s Introduction of Sponsored Articles
LinkedIn expanded its advertising offerings with the launch of Sponsored Articles, providing marketers with a new avenue to engage with their target audience.
Are you interested in beginning a PPC campaign of your own? Let Loop Digital be your guide in the complex world of paid marketing today.
Web Development Updates
ACF WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Affects Up To 2+ Million Sites
The recent release of ACF 6.2.5 brings some notable modifications that could have an impact on your website. In the security release announcement, a caution was issued about potential disruptions, accompanied by guidance on troubleshooting these adjustments.
One prominent alteration in the 6.2.5 update relates to how the ACF shortcode handles and presents HTML content that may pose a security risk. The update implements a security measure by escaping the output, a process that typically eliminates undesirable HTML elements such as malicious scripts or poorly formatted HTML, ensuring the rendered HTML remains secure.
While this change fortifies security, it may pose challenges for websites relying on the shortcode to display intricate HTML elements like scripts or iframes.
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