The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving, and March has proven to be a busy period for professionals in the field. A confirmed Google algorithm update, implementing AI in advertising, and more. This month has undoubtedly kept digital marketers on their toes!
This update aims to highlight the key developments in digital marketing from the past month. Are you interested in staying ahead of the latest marketing trends and utilising them effectively? If so, continue reading!
March Core Google Algorithm Update
In our digital roundup for February, we discussed an unconfirmed Google algorithm update – now, it has been officially confirmed. But what will this update entail? Will campaigns need to be adjusted? Don’t worry, we will go through it all below.
What Does The March Core Update Involve?
The March Google Core update is geared towards enhancing the quality of search results by targeting low-quality and unoriginal content. The update is scheduled to unfold over a month until it reaches full implementation. Its primary aim is to present users with more pertinent and valuable content in search results.
Google’s overarching objective is to elevate the standard of search results by integrating signals and strategies that discern helpful content, thereby diminishing the prevalence of search-engine-first material in SERPs. The emphasis is on prioritising the needs of users over search engines.
Spam Update
In the same announcement, Google has also released new spam policies within this update. This includes:
- Site reputation abuse: Individuals add new low-quality third-party pages to websites with high reputations to rank well on Google. To avoid violating this policy, sites should block that content from Google Search. Website owners have until May 5 2024 to prepare for this.
- Scaled content abuse: Some website owners create a large number of pages to manipulate search rankings, not to help users. This is now considered spam by Google. While many think this is solely an AI problem, Google states that human-generated content will also be targeted.
- Expired domain abuse: Many purchase expired domains for websites that have good reputations and then build low-quality websites using the same URL in the hope of ranking well based on the old reputation. To do this is now considered spam to Google.
How Can I Adapt to the Google Core Update?
As Chris Nelson from the Search Quality team at Google said: “There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people”.
This reinforces the focus of this core update on content that prioritises being helpful, trustworthy, and people-first. Therefore, when creating your content, prioritise these aspects over solely relying on research.
Meta Announce Updates to Improve Engagement In Ads
In March, Meta unveiled a series of enhancements to its Advantage+ and Shopping Ads, aiming to assist brands in enhancing engagement, boosting conversions, and delivering ads tailored to individual preferences. So, what does this include?
- Hero images in catalogue ads: Now, advertisers have the option to upload a hero image to the focal point of their Advantage+ catalogue ads!
- More eCommerce ad options: Meta is broadening access to its Magento and Salesforce Commerce Cloud integrations for a wider range of advertisers to utilise Shops ads, including merging Advantage+ shopping campaigns with Shops ads.
- Reminder ads: Advertisers can now include external links to products or sales in their Reminder ads, increasing the possibility of converting interest into purchases.
- Promo codes: Meta is introducing alphanumeric promo codes to enable advertisers to spotlight their promotions and aid users in finding and applying relevant, valid promo codes through Facebook and Instagram ads.
- Ads with product tags expansion: From March, Meta will introduce ads with product tags to the Facebook Feed. These are the same product tags we already see on the Instagram feed.
Making Google’s Algorithm Love AI Content
As mentioned above, the latest Google core update focuses on people-first content. Many anticipate that this means the death of AI content, yet this couldn’t be further from the truth. AI doesn’t need to be perceived as the enemy; instead, employing its capabilities to your advantage is key.
Solely relying on AI-generated tools is a big no when it comes to SEO. However, mastering the effective utilisation of AI tools can significantly improve your campaigns. So, how can you use AI for content creation?
AI For Content Creation
With how many websites have AI-generated content, there is no doubt that many will be getting hit with manual actions in the March 2024 algorithm update. Instead of relying solely on AI for creating content, how can you use its potential to enhance your work while still having an authentic, creative, and ethical approach?
- Proofreading: Have you spent hours writing a blog post only to doubt its quality afterward? We have all been there. Utilising a proofreading AI tool to analyse your writing can uncover grammatical errors that may have slipped past your initial review.
- Generating ideas: If you’re finding it difficult to brainstorm articles, social media, or advertising ideas, turning to an AI tool for ideas related to your topic can serve as both motivation and inspiration to guide the direction of your content.
- Organisation: You can prompt chat AI tools with the number of tasks you have, their priorities, and time allocations for each. This can help if you are disorganised by suggesting which tasks to prioritise and how much time to allocate, aiding productivity.
- Summarise/shorten content: If you need help making your content concise, chat AI tools can assist, but don’t rely solely on them. Use them as aids to shorten or summarise your content effectively. For instance, meta descriptions should ideally be 155-160 characters long. If you’re having trouble, a chat AI tool can trim your text to fit within this range.
Customisable Automation Is Now Available In Google Ads With “Solutions”
Solutions is a new free tool within Google Ads that simplifies campaign management and automates tasks for advertisers. You can use it to generate performance reports, manage budgets, and optimise your advertising. So, how does this benefit advertisers?
- Ease of use
- Customisation
- Efficiency
- Accuracy
There are several ways in which Google Ads “Solutions” can improve campaign management for advertisers. These “solutions” help to streamline campaign management by automating time-consuming tasks. Furthermore, it offers effective resources for overseeing budgets and compiling lists of negative keywords, thereby conserving time and effort.
Tools We Found Useful This Month
As a digital marketing agency, we are always on the hunt for tools to enhance our work and streamline tasks for greater efficiency. Here are some of the tools that we found useful this month:
Siteliner – Find Duplicate Content On Your Site
Anyone working in SEO understands the detriment of duplicate content on a website. With Siteliner’s duplicate content finder, you can easily locate and rectify any instances of duplication.
Check out Siteliner here.
Semrush – SEO Writing Assistant
With the SEO writing assistant provided by Semrush, you can easily check the SEO potential and originality of your piece of content in real time.
Check out Semrush SEO Writing Assistant here.
Semrush – Volatility Sensor
Following the recent confirmation of the Google algorithm update, digital marketers utilised tools similar to this one to detect fluctuations in their campaigns. When a simultaneous decrease was observed across the board, it served as an indicator of global downturns.
Check out Semrush Volatility Sensor here.
PageSpeed Insights
Struggling to figure out why your website is running slow? PageSpeed Insights can help you to identify what areas of your website need improvement. Additionally, this tool will help you determine what scores your website should be getting.
Check out PageSpeed insights here.
Conductor for Chrome – Google Extension
Discover SEO insights faster, better, and smarter with Conductor for Chrome. Want to see the website’s key page information? Or the overall health of a page? With Conductor, SEO experts can accomplish all of that and more.
Check out Conductor for Chrome here.
Enhance Your Online Presence with Wildcat Digital
Wildcat Digital has an enthusiastic team of experienced digital marketers, delivering services that include SEO, PPC and Paid Media. We consistently monitor and stay ahead of developments in the digital marketing sector to uphold the quality of our campaigns. Get in touch with us today to discuss your digital goals and find out how our team can help your business punch above your weight online.
