Welcome to this month’s digital roundup! Each month, we bring you the latest platform developments that are crucial for your marketing strategies. This month we see the latest updates from Google Ads, TikTok Ads, SEO and the latest social media trends. Dive into the key November updates that you need to know about, all outlined below.
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Search GPT is Here
OpenAI recently expanded ChatGPT’s web search capabilities as part of its broader strategy to enter the AI search market. With this new update, ChatGPT is positioned as a competitor to Google’s traditional search, offering a simplified, ad-free user experience that could appeal to users seeking streamlined information. Although it’s still early to predict ChatGPT’s impact on Google’s search dominance, the tool provides real-time, category-specific information on topics like weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps.
Additionally, ChatGPT includes transparent citation practices, this approach could set a new standard for AI search, providing users with current information backed by accessible sources and encouraging a more credible and user-friendly search experience.
Upgrades to Google Performance Max Campaigns
Google Ads has upgraded its Performance Max campaigns with new AI-powered tools to assist advertisers, especially ahead of the holiday season. These updates focus on asset testing, video optimisation, and campaign management, designed to help advertisers enhance performance across different media types.
- Starting in early November, retailers will gain access to experimental tools to measure the impact of supplementary assets, such as images, text, and videos, alongside product feeds. Additionally, a Final URL expansion feature allows advertisers to test alternative landing pages to boost conversion rates by better aligning with user intent.
- Google has integrated Imagen 3, its latest text-to-image AI model, into its platform. This model generates high-performing visuals based on ad performance data, enhancing images across Performance Max, Demand Gen, App, and Display campaigns.
- New automated video tools offer:
- Automatic aspect ratio adjustments for YouTube formats
- Smart shortening of videos while retaining key messages
- Fine-tuned controls over optimised video assets Most features are live, with video shortening for Demand Gen campaigns launching in 2025.
Bye Bye Sitelink Search Box
Google is discontinuing the Sitelinks Search Box, which sometimes appears under search result snippets for certain query types. This feature introduced a decade ago, will be removed globally in all languages and regions starting on 21 November 2024. The Sitelinks Search Box allows users to search a specific site or app directly from the search results page, offering real-time suggestions and other features.
On its Search Central blog, Google announced that the feature is being retired due to a decline in use, stating: “over time, we’ve noticed that usage has dropped.” To streamline search results, Google will phase out this visual feature globally on 21 November 2024.
The Growing Role of UGC in Search
User-generated content (UGC) has a ‘growing role’ in search results, driven by users’ demand for authentic, first-hand perspectives. In response to the rise of low-quality, marketing-heavy content, Google is increasingly featuring forums, Reddit threads, and similar UGC platforms, which sometimes even outrank established brands. According to Google, users value content that offers real-life insights, and Google aims to prioritise this type of relevant and high-quality information.
Stories and Carousels on Instagram
Instagram’s Head, Adam Mosseri, highlighted that ‘Carousels’ often achieve more reach on the platform for two main reasons: they encourage more interactions due to the multiple images or videos, and Instagram gives them a second chance in the feed if a user doesn’t initially swipe through. Additionally, he revealed last month, that creators who regularly post ‘Stories’ experience fewer unfollows, which supports stronger growth over time.
We recently posted our thoughts on this news on our LinkedIn Account, you can read our thoughts below.
TikTok Search Ads
TikTok has continued their move towards a social media search engine, further emphasising the importance of social media SEO. Their new offering of search ads allows marketers to place ads directly within search results on the platform with a new campaign type that uses keyword intent. This enables brands to target audiences actively searching for content relevant to their products, thereby aligning better with high-intent moments in the consumer journey.
That’s it for now, we hope you found this useful. For more help with your digital marketing, contact us at info@socialb.co.uk or +44 1223258000 for a quick chat to see how our consultants can assist.
