Welcome to June’s digital marketing news roundup. There’s been major changes in both PPC and SEO, especially regarding AI. We’ll go through what you need to know, why it matters, and how it could impact your marketing strategies.
PPC Updates
Video Ads in Additional Placements (Not Just YouTube)
Why is this important?
If you’re using video ads in Performance Max and advertising in the US or Canada, you may begin to get more impressions and clicks from Search, Shopping and Image result placements. Google has expanded video to new placements to help engage users at the beginning of their buying journey.
This feature is still in the testing stages, so won’t be available to all advertisers, and is currently only available in the United States and Canada. Although users may spend more time on the page, we think (design-wise), it’ll work similar to YouTube shorts- keep the videos snappy and product/service focused.
Promoted Pins on Google Maps with Demand Gen
Why is this important?
If one of your business goals is to increase foot traffic to your physical shop, this update is perfect for you. Demand Gen are introducing “Promoted Pins” on Google Maps – another placement for advertisers to take advantage of.
Although current information on this change is limited, you can get started in improving your Maps presence with our recent blog “How to Rank in Googles Map Pack”
Meta introducing Ads to WhatsApp
Why is this important?
As an advertiser, I think this is a great opportunity to showcase brands and products in additional placements as potential customers use their phone. As a user, I’m not too keen on the idea of having even more ads to navigate around, however, Meta have confirmed that the ads will be exclusive to the “Status” and “Promoted Channels” tabs. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about our video calls or chats being interrupted.
It looks like this is just the start of a new era for WhatsApp, since they are also introducing subscription models for users to stay in the loop with their favourite businesses.
SEO Updates
June Algorithm Update
Google rolled out another algorithm update with noticeable volatility spikes, although this hasn’t been confirmed to be a core update. This update was most impactful at the beginning of the month, but has gone back to a normal range.
What’s New?
- Signals such as ad clutter, scroll stability and interaction delay are now more important ranking factors for your webpages. Start clearing out those pages and improve your visual hierarchy and customer journey.
- Google is now prioritising original content over reused AI information. If you are using AI tools, make sure your content includes your own thoughts and other reflections which aren’t found elsewhere.
Old Structured Data Features Retired
Why is this important?
Book actions, course info, estimated salary, ClaimReview, learning video, special announcement and vehicle listing are being retired from Google’s structured data, since they’ve found “that they’re not commonly used in search” and aren’t providing much value to users.
The hope is that by removing the old structured data, SERPs should be more streamlined and users will be able to find what they need quicker. This change isn’t going to impact rankings, just the appearance of Google’s results page.
New Structured Data Features Introduced
Why is this important?
While old ones are being retired, Google is introducing more structured data markups for loyalty programs. Loyalty and membership benefits will now appear alongside your searches in product and knowledge panels.
A few tips from Google:
- Only include it on one page of the website, even if you have multiple pages for different tiers or levels of membership.
- It should be included under the “Organisation” structured data type
Real-Time Voice Conversations Available in AI Mode for Google Search
Why is this important?
In the US, real-time voice conversations are available in AI mode for Google Search. Google says you can now “have a free-flowing, back-and-forth voice conversation with Search and explore links from across the web” (if you’re enrolled in the AI mode experiment in Labs). We’re not sure when this will be rolled out internationally and come out of testing, but we’re definitely excited.
This will definitely create major change in how search engines are used, and could even impact search intent. Onsite content may need to become more conversational to see results from this update, but time will tell the impact.
Key Dates For Your Marketing Diary
Here are some key dates you’ll need to know – we’ve even included some international dates for you bigger brands.
4th July – American Independence Day – for marketing in the US
14th July – Bastille Day – for marketing in France
15th July – National Give Something Away Day
24th July – International Self-Care Day
30th July – International Friendship Day
Keep Up To Date with Wildcat Digital
There’s a lot changing in the digital world. If you’d like help, you’re in the right place. Wildcat Digital has a proven track record across multiple industries and has a “whatever it takes” philosophy. Get in touch with us here for a free audit of your website, or a conversation with our experts about our services.
Catch up with the last few months’ news updates here:
Paul Pennington
SEO Account Director
