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Good morning, Marketers, and the coworking space saga continues.
Once a month, my coworking space provides a catered lunch. While it wasn’t the main reason I chose this spot (proximity to daycare was the key factor), it’s a nice perk. It’s not your typical Chipotle buffet (though I am a fan, no food snobbery here).
The catered lunches are gourmet. Yesterday, the menu featured quail egg Croque Madames, spicy pesto avocado toasts, and cream of celery root soup with beet puree and fresh grapes. As someone who generally prefers simple foods, this menu was hit or miss for me (cold grapes in hot soup, really?). But, I love that it encourages me to try foods I would otherwise never taste.
Recently, I asked on Twitter how search marketers level up their careers (stay with me here), and many people suggested trying new things. We often get stuck in routines and stick to our strengths, but stepping out of our comfort zones can be crucial for career advancement.
New experiences can include anything from taking Python classes, learning design basics in Canva, negotiating a raise for the first time, or leading a project you typically wouldn’t.
So today, I encourage you to try new things! Whether it’s on a menu or in your job. Take the risk. Try the thing. Advance your career! Just do it.
P.S. Want to learn more about advancing your search marketing career? That’s the focus of my SMX Next keynote. We’ll also have a dedicated track on what’s next for our profession.
Carolyn Lyden,
Director of Search Content
Google Ads will combine Smart and standard Display campaigns
Starting this month, Google Ads will merge standard Display campaigns and Smart Display campaigns into a single option. Additionally, optimized targeting will be introduced to Display campaigns.
When creating a new campaign, advertisers will see the new Display campaign type. They can choose what to automate or control manually and can change their automation choices at any time without creating a new campaign.
Why we care. There will soon be just one option for creating Display campaigns. The new Display campaign type will retain the same controls for bidding, ads, and audiences that standard Display campaigns currently offer. “Existing Smart & standard Display campaigns aren’t affected by this change at this time,” Ginny Marvin, Google’s ads product liaison, mentioned on Twitter.
“It’s hard to tell from the announcement, but hopefully there won’t be a significant near-term impact,” Greg Finn, partner at Cypress North, commented to Search Engine Land. “Some advertisers will test the power of Smart Display automation without needing to create a one-off ‘Smart’ campaign.”
Read more about this update in the latest announcements.
Reddit invests in advertising features (as promised)
With its latest round of funding, Reddit had promised to expand advertising options to help businesses drive more qualified leads. And it seems they are making good on that promise. The latest updates indicate a focus on enhanced ad features. Here’s what’s new:
- Bid Recommendation: Utilize the bid recommendation tool on the ad group build page for guidance on how to bid to reach your target audience.
- Improved Bulk Edit Tool: Save time optimizing campaigns by updating bids and budgets across multiple ad groups simultaneously.
- Updated look with Better Performance: The updated dashboard loads twice as fast as before.
Why we care. As a passionate Reddit user, I love that the communities (called subs) are highly niche and specific to certain groups and interests. While they are usually wary of advertising, there’s an opportunity to fine-tune targeting and reach the exact audience interested in your product or service. These upgraded advertising options will allow marketers to do so even more effectively.
Search Shorts: Writing and stages of the funnel for both SEO and PPC
SEO: How to plan SEO content that actually ranks. Learn how to identify metrics for content goals, perform keyword research that drives SEO value, and build your content calendar from Hubspot’s head of English SEO, Aja Frost.
PPC: How to write ad copy that converts (and 3 major mistakes to avoid). When testing copy, make it worth testing. Use power words or emotional calls-to-action to deeply analyze which messaging has a stronger appeal and why, from Alyssa Altman, Vice President at WORX.
PPC: Three PPC targeting tactics for every stage of the funnel. “You can make any channel work depending on who your prospects are, which channels they use, and the available targeting options across all channels,” said Amy Bishop, Owner and Marketing Consultant at Cultivative.
SEO: How to drive the funnel through content marketing and link building. “It’s not just about what you want to tell your audience, but understanding what they want to learn and what will help them,” suggested Eve Sangenito, director at Perficient.
Joke of the day
“I don’t kill spiders. Why? Because I can’t harm a fellow web developer,” tweeted Florin Pop.
