The CLICKTRUST monthly pick – April 2020

News and articles that allow us to stay on top of our game. You might want to read them too.

General: Data, Privacy & more

With Safari’s Latest Cookie Crackdown, Advertisers Must Have ‘The Talk’ With Marketing Partners

– AdExchanger

“Advertisers who could once rely on third-party data to augment their first-party assets can no longer do so. Because of these changes, programmatic will have to grow up fast. In short, it’s time for advertisers to have “the talk” with their partners about the changes that lie ahead and ask them about their plans to adapt.“

Microsoft Ads Expands Conversion Inclusion Options for Advertisers

– Search Engine Journal

“Microsoft announced it is rolling out two new settings related to conversion reporting for users of its Ad platform:

• Include in conversions
• View-through conversions

These new settings will allow advertisers to better-assess how channels contribute to sales and leads with their ad efforts. It will also allow multiple conversion types to be accounted for in bidding strategies.“

Google: Organic, Ads & Analytics

GMB usage declines, but poised to become more powerful post-coronavirus

– Search Engine Land

“The next 12 months will likely see an acceleration of GMB’s evolution. Local search has always been about using digital tools and information to make purchase decisions offline. Over the long sweep of GMB’s evolution, it has grown from being a way to get content to Google into a dynamic channel mediating transactions between consumers and business owners.
Post-COVID, we’re going to see much tighter integration of digital tools (inventory, booking, ordering, payments) with offline fulfillment, further blurring the distinction between online and offline”

To beat Amazon, Google needs to be more than the ‘Bing of e-commerce’

– Search Engine Land

“Most recently, Google announced the return of free product listings in Google Shopping, which is rolling out now. Retailers will now, under the Shopping tab in search results, have a new free channel to gain exposure and drive transactions.”

Video creation is fast, easy and free with YouTube Video Builder

– Google

“For businesses who don’t have resources to create videos from scratch, Video Builder can help. It’s a free beta tool that animates static assets—images, text and logos—with music from our library. You can choose from a variety of layouts based on your message and goals, customize colors and font and quickly generate a short YouTube video (6 seconds or 15 seconds). “

New free version of Google Shopping rolling out now

– Search Engine Land

“Opening up this feature to all merchants will enhance Google’s offering and its appeal to both sellers and consumers. And as on Amazon, merchants that want to ensure prominent visibility in the search results, due to increased competition with more products eligible to show, will continue to pay for ads. For e-commerce marketers and SEOs, the move adds a new layer to organic product search optimization efforts.”

Google adds website links to ‘Call Ads’

– Search Engine Land

“Marketers can now add website links to Call Ads. The idea is to give consumers another way to contact and engage with the business during a time when call volumes are very high and wait times may be long — risking a bad customer experience.“

 

Social: Facebook, Instagram & others

Facebook pulls back on Campaign Budget Optimization mandate

– Search Engine Land

“Facebook will no longer require advertisers to use its Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO) feature in campaigns. Advertisers will have the choice to either have budgets managed at the campaign or ad set level.“

How to Perfect Your Facebook Ads Placement Strategy

– Search Engine Journal

“It doesn’t take much to regularly review Facebook Ad placements, but it can have a big impact on account performance. Make sure you’re not being too broad or limiting with placements, regularly review and optimize based on performance, and you’ll get the most out of this basic yet fundamental setting.“