Weekly Digital Marketing News Roundup

Google has updated its Google Discover documentation to explain why website traffic from Discover can be inconsistent and shouldn't be relied upon as a stable source of business strategy. 

Google Discover provides personalized content feeds based on user interests and search history. Changes in user interests, content types, and updates to Google Search algorithms can cause fluctuations in Discover traffic. 

Google emphasizes that websites should diversify their traffic sources instead of depending solely on Google Discover. The documentation highlights that while Discover traffic can be valuable, it may not provide consistent results.

Google has started a new YouTube series titled "SEO Made Easy," designed to offer practical guidance on improving website performance in search engine results. 

The series, hosted by Martin Splitt from Google's Search Relations team, is for both beginners and experienced website owners. 

The debut episode emphasized the importance of structured data for optimizing website visibility. Splitt provided valuable tips, such as ensuring consistent site name use in page titles and using Google Search Console. 

With this initiative, Google aims to simplify SEO for businesses and help them rank well. The following episodes will explore SEO strategies in-depth.

Google updates for September 2023 have been completed. The helpful content updates prioritized user-friendly content over SEO-focused material. 

Key changes include revised guidance on machine-generated content, caution against hosting unrelated third-party content on your site, and updated self-assessment advice. 

Notably, Google has softened its stance on AI-generated content, aligning it with other content guidelines. The update also highlights the issue of microsites manipulating search results. 

For those affected by this Google update, the search engine recommends identifying and removing unhelpful content.

LinkedIn is testing AI-driven tools to modernize recruitment and learning experiences. The platform is responding to the changing workforce's skill demands and the growing role of HR departments. 

LinkedIn's Recruiter 2024 uses AI and internal data to quickly find qualified job candidates and provides recruiters with natural language descriptions of ideal candidates. The tool expands beyond traditional target companies and incorporates candidate insights. 

Additionally, AI coaching is coming to LinkedIn Learning, offering tailored advice based on job titles, career goals, and skills. These features are currently in pilot with plans to expand access, marking LinkedIn's move into AI support for HR and learning professionals.

Reddit is introducing enhancements to its ad targeting options, making it simpler for marketers to broaden their audience reach within the platform. The updates include improved topic suggestions, expanded audience targeting based on interests, and more ad management tools. 

The key update is the expanded targeting capabilities, allowing users to search for communities by topic and receive community suggestions based on their targeting criteria. This feature helps advertisers reach the right audience more effectively. 

Additionally, Reddit is removing the option for users to opt out of ad targeting based on their in-app activity, further maximizing ad reach. These updates aim to enhance Reddit's ad manager system and offer advertisers greater reach during the holiday season.

TikTok has introduced a creative AI assistant in its ad tools to aid marketers in the campaign creation process. This tool guides advertisers by connecting them to relevant examples and tools and even generates sample ad scripts based on TikTok's Creative Center resources. 

While not entirely new in functionality, the creative AI assistant streamlines the process, making it easier for advertisers to access relevant sections and elements in TikTok’s Creative Center. 

It provides guidance on TikTok best practices, offers insights into top-performing ads in the same niche, and helps create ad scripts. The Creative Assistant tool is now available to all users within TikTok Creative Center, enhancing TikTok's advertising capabilities.

Google is introducing new requirements for users sending mass emails through Gmail to combat spam and enhance recipient control. Starting February 2024, senders of more than 5,000 Gmail emails per day must adhere to these rules:

• Authenticate their emails with DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) for improved sender verification.
• Provide an easy one-click unsubscribe option to recipients and process unsubscription requests within two days.
• Maintain a clear spam rate threshold to prevent unwanted messages.

While these rules are generally straightforward, the spam rate threshold may concern some senders. Google aims to minimize manipulation by competitors through detection systems. This initiative will reduce email spam and enhance user experiences with cleaner inboxes.

Google is expanding its generative AI Search Labs (SGE) to a wider audience, particularly younger users who appreciate its conversational search capabilities.

Positive feedback, especially from users aged 18-24 who find it particularly useful for searching in a more natural and conversational way, has prompted Google to offer access to Search Labs to U.S. teenagers aged 13-17. 

Google is also introducing safety measures, including an AI Literacy Guide and "About this result" panels to provide context for search results and address false responses.

YouTube is introducing new subscriber analytics features to assist content creators in their planning efforts. Creators will now have insight into why subscribers choose to cancel their channel subscription, providing valuable feedback for content improvement. 

Additionally, YouTube is offering more specific analytics on how new and returning viewers engage with content separately, aiding in audience expansion. Creators can now see the number of views from new viewers compared to returning viewers. 

These granular data updates offer valuable insights for content planning. They help improve a channel's appeal to its audience by enabling creators to produce content based on audience interest.