Weekly Digital Marketing News Roundup

Google core updates aim to refine its search algorithms to offer more helpful and reliable search results. The platform’s last core update was in March this year. With the new Google core updates in August, the platform has advised site owners to focus on quality content to tackle fluctuations in search rankings.

Google also stressed that businesses should consider a site audit to understand which pages were most impacted and for what type of searches. It emphasized that improving your site might not lead to an immediate change in ranking. If you want to maintain your online visibility, you will have to follow the latest Google algorithm updates and website analytics.

Starting October 10, 2023, Google Ads will make alterations to its ad suspension appeal process. Some suspended advertisers will need to complete advertiser verification before appealing their suspension. This rule does not apply to those advertisers on monthly invoicing. 

Verification may require a D-U-N-S number for organizations or a US Social Security Number or phone number for individuals. Full enforcement will take about four weeks. This change may inconvenience some suspended advertisers but aims to enhance ad quality and reduce ad fraud on the Google Ads network.

TikTok Shop has fully launched in America, further strengthening the bond between commerce and content. The social media giant aims to revolutionize online shopping with creative hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt. It also offers integration with major ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BoCommerce, and more.

TikTok Shop adds Live streams and shoppable videos directly into the For You feeds for its 150 million U.S. users. Businesses get a dedicated “Shop Tab” for displaying their promotions, services, and products. The platform even includes an affiliate program and other promising features. 

Snapchat for web just rolled out a new feature that allows you to share your screen during a call by clicking the share button at the bottom of your screen next to microphone and video controls. Till now, Snapchat’s focus has been on image-based communication and short-form video. 

However, screen-sharing puts it in the market currently dominated by professional digital communication tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. You can share your screen from your computer and view from your phone, enabling a seamless digital collaboration. 

Contrary to popular belief that Facebook is old and not relevant anymore, Meta is doing pretty well! Thanks to the company’s recent job cuts and worldwide monthly active user growth, Meta’s revenues continue to grow. 

Moreover, three-quarter of Meta advertisers use reel ads on the platform. Its current revenue run rate for reels stands at $10 billion, which is a significant bump from the $3 billion from last fall.

Meta Platforms is in the process of developing a new AI system that will be as capable and sophisticated as OpenAI’s system and more potent than its current open-source Llama 2, which was meant to be the alternative for ChatGPT and Bard. 

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg wishes to launch this generative AI in 2024 and has assembled a specific team to speed up its development. His aim is to ensure the Meta AI is trained later this year and emerges as a serious challenger in the generative AI race.

Reddit introduced Keyword Suggestions, its keyword research tool that will help advertisers boost the reach and efficiency of their campaigns. It will help save your time on keyword research as Reddit’s AI can handle all the heavy-duty work and give you access to a list of new targeting possibilities.

According to Reddit, the keyword research tool uses machine learning to generate relevant keywords, ranks them through Reddit monthly views, filters unsuitable content, and offers highly relevant and contextual results. 

Recently, Google announced the launch of the Digital Futures Project, an initiative that aims to study the far-reaching implications of artificial intelligence. The initiative includes a $20 million fund managed by Google.org that provides grants to universally-recognized academic institutes and think tanks.  

Google hopes the initiative advances independent study on AI and explores its impact on economic structures and global security.

To assist video advertisers with AI, Google introduced its latest feature Creative Guidance in Google Ads. This AI-powered tool evaluates video ads against Google's best practices and suggests improvements if critical elements are missing. 

It focuses on brand logo visibility, voiceover quality, video duration, and aspect ratio. While it's promising, remember it's based on historical data and might not suit every brand's aesthetic. That said, AI-driven video campaigns have proven effective in boosting conversion rates and lowering ad costs for brands like eBay, making AI a key player in the advertising industry.

YouTube has made it relatively easier for creators to monetize their content by decreasing its YouTube Partner Program entry requirement from 1,000 to 500 subscribers. It has enabled creators to access YouTube monetization features. However, they still require higher engagement thresholds for revenue sharing from YouTube ads. 

YouTube has made this move to attract more early-stage creators and improve its channel analytics. The platform is actively trying to compete with platforms like TikTok and Meta and create a healthier creator ecosystem.