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Happy Monday, Marketers, and let’s talk lab mice,
A few years ago, some researchers conducted a study on frustration. They gave mice a sugar cube behind a small port. All the mice had to do was poke their noses in to get a taste. Initially, the scientists made it very easy for the mice to obtain the sugar. Gradually, they pulled the sugar cube further into the port, making it increasingly difficult for the mice to reach it. Some valiant mice tried repeatedly but, unable to achieve their goals, eventually, every single mouse gave up and stopped trying to taste the sugar.
This scenario mirrors what happens to your audiences when they can’t accomplish their goals online. Even the most persistent user will eventually abandon your site (and not return) if they can’t complete what they set out to do.
This underscores the importance of user experience — even for search marketers. Exceptional ad copy, striking creative, and an outstanding SEO campaign cannot compensate for a frustrating user experience in another part of your site. (We have an entire track dedicated to user experience at SMX Advanced tomorrow for this very reason.)
The simplest way to ensure a seamless user experience is to step out of your silo to understand what’s happening across the site and deeper into the funnel. Make sure you’re not treating your users like lab mice.
Carolyn Lyden
Director of Search Content
TrueView for action campaigns will be transitioned into Video action campaigns in early 2022
Advertisers can create new TrueView for action ads until September 30, 2021, and their existing ads will run until early next year. Starting next year, Google Ads will transition all TrueView for action campaigns into Video action campaigns, the company announced on Friday.
Video action campaigns utilize skippable in-stream and video discovery ad formats and run on YouTube’s home feed, the watch page, the watch next feed, and Google video partners. This campaign type drives 20% more conversions per dollar compared to TrueView for action, according to Google’s internal data, which may enhance efficiency for advertisers. However, advertisers should note that they cannot opt-out of any available inventory when using Video action campaigns. For those who wish to transition their TrueView for action ads sooner, Google Ads will launch a “copy and paste” feature in the coming weeks to facilitate the process.
Google agrees to not favor its own products or access user personal data
Google has agreed to collaborate with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a UK regulator, on their Privacy Sandbox. The CMA launched an investigation into Google’s FLoC earlier this year when advertisers raised concerns about the privacy and competition implications of Google eliminating third-party cookies in Chrome.
“The CMA was concerned that, without regulatory oversight and scrutiny, Google’s alternatives could be developed and implemented in ways that impede competition in digital advertising markets,” said the CMA.
Google’s commitments. The CMA is now reviewing Google’s commitments which, if accepted, will be legally binding. Google agreed, among other things, that it “will not discriminate against its rivals in favor of its own advertising and ad-tech businesses when designing or operating the alternatives to third-party cookies”; and further, it will “implement the proposals in a way that avoids distortions to competition and the imposition of unfair terms on Chrome users.”
Why we care. Depending on the outcome, this could mean that Google doesn’t implement FLoC as quickly as anticipated and might stick with third-party cookies for a longer period.
Google adds Optimization Score to Video action campaigns
Google Ads announced last week the addition of their Optimization Score to Video action campaigns. Created to offer suggestions to maximize campaign performance, the Optimization score ranges from 0% to 100%.
“We’ve also added recommendations for Video action campaigns that help you follow the best practices that drive the most impact,” wrote Irina Su, Product Manager for Google Ads.
Why we care. While Google claims the recommendations for their Optimization Score aim to help your campaigns perform at their best, many advertisers know that accepting all recommendations can often mean a substantial increase in spending. Make sure that any clients running video campaigns are aware of the change and understand that they don’t have to accept every recommendation.
On the hunt for something new in 2021? Here are the latest career opportunities in search
Director of Paid Media (PPC) @ Workshop Digital (Richmond, VA, or remote)
- Develop and implement a strategic vision for the Paid Media team
- Maintain standards of performance and ensure successful campaign execution across evolving and expanding set of Paid Media services
Copywriter @ Facebook (remote + 3 locations)
- Write and conceptualize big ideas for all mediums, including mobile, social, app design/product, film, interactive, content, activations, OOH, print, events, experiential, etc.
- Understand how writing and conceptual ideas can be used to tell a story on behalf of a brand and within an app/product
Director of SEO @ RetailMeNot (remote)
- Develop and drive the overall SEO strategy across ZMG Shopping brands, including how the search strategy for each of the individual sites ladders into the bigger picture
- Understand the shopping search space, particularly as it relates to savings and deals consumer behavior
SEO Content Writer @ HubSpot (Cambridge, MA, or remote)
- Update (and sometimes write) blog content for improved tone, style, formatting, accuracy, structure, and user experience.
- Execute upon insights flagged by the SEO team.
Related video extensions, commercial truck loans, and really expensive ads
Related video extensions are now globally available. With related video extensions, you can show a list of 2 to 5 related videos below your video ad on the YouTube mobile app.
What do commercial truck loans and Google’s June core update have in common? No, there isn’t a punchline here, but a case study that provides an interesting look into enhancing your product and service content.
TikTok will charge over $2 million for a homepage takeover ad in Q3. “The total price has gone up largely because of the app’s growing customer base. The app had more than 100 million monthly active users in the U.S. as of last August, up from 11 million early in 2018,” wrote Lucas Shaw for Bloomberg.
Don’t panic: ‘Algorithm updates’ aren’t the end of the world for SEO managers
“The Google algorithm is made out to be some sort of mystical secret recipe cooked up in a lab designed to simultaneously rob and reward sites at the whims of a magical, all-knowing wizard,” said Eli Schwartz in TechCrunch. I can only imagine movie-Dumbledore yelling, “Harry! Didja put yer name in the Goblet of Fiyah?!”
Well, SEOs, did you? In essence, we all do when we decide to learn and practice search engine optimization. But I agree with Eli here that any time Google announces an update, search marketers brace themselves for impact.
However, despite the frequent algorithm changes and unpredictability, the core principles of SEO remain steadfast — focus on your audience, answer their questions thoroughly, and support their goals. If we focus on these fundamentals, we won’t need to panic with every Google announcement.
