It’s time for our monthly roundup, where we discuss all the exciting digital marketing news in July.
If you’ve arrived here from our newsletter, you already have an overview of this month’s key developments.
We like to provide more information in our blog posts, answering some of the questions our clients ask us about each important topic. More specifically, we talk about how these changes affect the work you’re doing in marketing, with some actionable next steps.
In this blog post, we’re discussing OpenAI’s new SearchGPT, Google’s new AI tools for PMax campaigns, the importance of exporting Google Notes data, zero-click search rates, and Reddit blocking Bing.
Head straight to...
What’s happening?
OpenAI has announced the launch of SearchGPT, a prototype AI search engine designed to rival Google’s £175 billion-per-year business.
Image Credit: https://openai.com/index/searchgpt-prototype/
What can it do?
From what we understand of it so far, it works similarly to the search engines we’re using today, with the addition of being able to ask follow up questions, making for a smoother search and retrieve process.
Video Credit: https://openai.com/index/searchgpt-prototype/
When is this launching?
SearchGPT is currently in the prototype stage, with no specific public release date announced yet. The prototype launched on July 26, 2024, to a small group of test users. OpenAI have released a SearchGPT Prototype page where you can see the full features and sign up to the waitlist.
Why is this important for marketers?
SearchGPT could become a significant traffic channel. So we need to make sure that the content we’re producing is “AI-ready”. You’ll want to get ahead of preparing for AI integration now, ensuring better performance in the future.
What should you do next?
Create AI-friendly content: Focus on high-quality, AI-optimised content to ensure it performs well in SearchGPT.
Monitor traffic: Track how SearchGPT impacts your website traffic and adjust your strategy accordingly.
What do I need to include in my content to make it AI-optimised?
To make your content AI-optimised, you need to make sure it includes the following:
Structured Data: Use schema markup to help AI understand your content.
Rich Snippets: Provide concise answers to common queries to appear in featured snippets.
Clear and Concise Information: Ensure your content is easily digestible. (No rambling paragraphs just to hit a word count!)
Relevant Keywords: Naturally incorporate keywords relevant to user queries.
Proper Metadata: Optimise titles, descriptions, and alt texts.
Internal and External Links: Use links to authoritative sources and related content.
2. PPC: Google introduces new AI tools for Performance Max campaigns
Google has rolled out new AI tools for Performance Max campaigns.
This includes asset-level conversion reporting, expanded asset generation, improved image editing, and detailed YouTube video placement reports.
Specifically, what are the tools capable of?
Asset-level Conversion Reporting: Track which specific assets drive conversions. For example, you can find assets that drive strong conversion volume or value. Then, use tools like asset generation, image editing and video creation to improve your asset mix and help you achieve excellent PMax Ad Strength.
AI-powered Image Editing: Easily edit images using AI for better visual appeal. This new AI feature helps you build a wider range of high-quality creative assets that will drive performance.
Expanded Asset Generation: Generate assets for App and Display campaigns.
YouTube Video Placement Reporting: Detailed reporting on where your ads appear on YouTube.
Third-party Verification: Ensure ads are placed in brand-suitable environments.
How will this affect PMax campaigns going forward?
These tools bring more transparency and control to PMax campaigns, allowing for better optimisation and performance tracking. Google has published a blog highlighting the new features aimed at boosting creativity and campaign performance.
Why is this important for marketers?
These tools bring a greater level of control to PMax campaigns. (Finally!).
This will allow you to have a better say in the presentation of your brand. These tools also provide valuable insights into performance, enabling you to make more informed decisions to optimise your campaigns.
Where can I find these tools?
You can access these tools in your Google Ads account under the Performance Max campaign settings.
3. Data: Google urges marketers to export notes from search data
What’s happening?
Google’s Notes feature in Search Labs, which allows users to add comments to search results, is ending in August 2024. Official Google documentation was been updated as of July 19th.
Image Credit: Screenshot from https://search.google/ways-to-search/search-labs/
What is Search Labs?
Search Labs is an experimental platform by Google where new features, like Notes, are tested before broader rollout or discontinuation.
Why is this important for marketers?
If you’re using this feature, you must export your data via Google Takeout by the end of August 2024 to preserve your insights. Search Engine Journal has warned it'll be impossible to retrieve this data once this date has passed.
4. Search: Zero-click search rates on Google reach 60%
What’s happening?
A recent study by SparkToro shows nearly 60% of Google searches result in zero clicks. This means that most users find the information they need directly on the search results page, not via a website.
What are zero-click rates?
Zero-click rates refer to searches where users get their answers directly from the search results page without clicking through to a website.
What are the key stats from the research?
Out of every 1,000 US Google searches, only 374 clicks go to the open web, while in the EU, it’s 360 clicks. Of those clicks, 28.5% go to YouTube, Maps, Images, News, or another Google property, while 71.5% go to a website via organic or a paid ad.
Why is this important for marketers?
Marketers need to stop focusing solely on clicks to a website, and start thinking more about the ecosystem that surrounds your brand. How are your brand impressions performing over time? Are leads or sales increasing via other platforms? Rand Fishkin does a great 6 minute video on this if you’re wanting more information.
What should you do next?
Optimise for rich snippets: Use structured data to provide valuable information directly in search results.
Enhance visibility: Focus on high-quality content that answers user queries within the search results page.
Think strategically about multi-channel optimisation: Focus more on the full digital experience, including PR, social and SERP behaviour.
What’s happening?
Reddit has updated its robots.txt file to block Bing and other search engines, except Google, from crawling its site.
Why did Reddit block Bing and not Google?
Reddit blocked Bing due to disputes over compensation. Microsoft’s Bing and other AI companies were not willing to pay for Reddit’s data access, unlike Google.
In an interview, Steve Huffman (CEO of Reddit) calls out Microsoft’s Bing, Anthropic, and Perplexity for scraping Reddit’s data without permission. ‘It has been a real pain in the ass to block these companies.’
Why is this important for marketers?
This limits the visibility of Reddit content on Bing. This exclusion of Bing will mean a decrease in Reddit’s traffic, but we still recommend focusing on Reddit in your marketing efforts.
Why care about Reddit?
In our last blog post, we discussed the importance of Reddit and it’s recent rapid growth of users. It’s a fantastic source to use to monitor search trends, engage with the community and leverage UGC.
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