Reddit has introduced a groundbreaking advertising format called “free-form ads,” designed to seamlessly blend with the platform’s user-generated content. By mirroring the look and style of regular posts, these ads aim to foster natural engagement between advertisers and the Reddit community.

Key Features of Free-Form Ads

• Engagement-Focused Design: Advertisers can now craft ads that closely resemble user posts, encouraging more interactive and engaging experiences.
• Diverse Media Integration: The ads support a mix of images, videos, and text, utilizing templates for easy creation.
• Inspired by Megathreads: Drawing inspiration from Reddit’s popular Megathreads, these ads serve as a hub for information and discussion on trending topics.

Why Free-Form Ads Matter

• Enhanced Engagement: Brands can deliver comprehensive information in an engaging way, potentially boosting conversion rates.
• Potential User Backlash: There’s a risk that users seeking authentic content might react negatively to ads disguised as user posts.

How Free-Form Ads Work

• Versatile Media Support: Advertisers can use images, videos, and text to share in-depth information.
• Template-Based Creation: Ready-made templates facilitate the easy assembly of ads.
• Sponsored Label Visibility: Ads are marked with a “Promoted” label for transparency.
• Global Availability and Accessibility
• Reddit Ads Manager Integration: The new ad format is accessible globally to all advertisers via the Reddit Ads Manager.

Early Success Stories

• Brands like Just Eat Takeaway, Kraft Heinz, and Leica: Reported significant upper funnel results through early adoption of free-form ads.
• Philadelphia Cream Cheese Case Study: Demonstrated the ad format’s ability to engage communities, yielding over a thousand comments, a 91% upvote rate, and a 42% higher click-through rate compared to previous benchmarks on Reddit.

Reddit’s new free-form ads represent a strategic effort to enhance advertising engagement by mimicking the platform’s user content style. While offering the potential for increased brand interaction and community engagement, the success of this approach will depend on the balance between advertisement and user experience integrity.

In one of Google’s most recent updates, those with a Google business profile can connect to
their social channels. Now, the function is going a step further and will display recent social
media posts on the results page of the business profile.

The update will provide searchers with snapshots of the social media channels, which will
give insight into businesses’ information and online reputation through the seamless
integration of social media.

The update is a welcome arrival on the search engine results page (SERP), following the
feature’s initial launch in October of 2023. The new section is titled ‘Social Media Updates’
located beneath the review section.

The incorporation of social media links into the SERP allows users to see a brand’s online
persona as well as real-time updates now displayed. This will be especially beneficial to
businesses promoting sales or events on their social platforms, as new customers and
existing ones will be able to see without being on the given platform. This could aid
businesses in their online visibility as well as the engagement of potential customers.

Google has suggested two businesses can connect to the same social link, but only one link
can be added per social channel.

How to connect social media links to a Google business
profile?

The display of social posts is automatic once businesses connect their social channels to

their Google business profile. The current platforms businesses can link to are:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• Pinterest
• X (Twitter)
• YouTube
• Facebook

To add social media links:

1. Log into the Google account linked to the business profile.
2. Type the name of your business into the search bar.
3. Locate the business button in the bottom right corner and select.
4. Then click on edit profile – business information – and then contact.
5. Editing is simple, select social profiles and the down arrow.
6. A drop-down menu will open, click the social media link you want to integrate.
7. In the web address field, paste your link.
8. Select save.
   To remove social media links:
9. Go to the business profile.
10. Select edit profile – business information – and then contact.
11. On ‘social profiles’ select the profile you want to remove and hit the trash icon.
12. Press save.
    Google have an in-depth guide to navigating your business profile, editing, deleting and
    uploading social media links.
    Will you be utilising the feature when searching? Conversely, we would love to know if any
    business owners will implement social media links to their Google business profiles.

The Google March 2024 core algorithmic update has arrived and it’s bad news for brands who have been taking advantage of AI-generated tools such as ChatGPT. Google’s update will penalise sites that have been made using AI-generated content, due to this content’s inability to meet the standards of quality that Google has outlined in its documentation.

What’s the problem with AI-generated content?

There is nothing wrong with creating AI content, however, it must be acceptable for Google and meet their quality standards. There are numerous ranking systems such as the Helpful Content and Reviews system that have such a strident quality system that AI content will always be unable to satisfy this. For example, there are several qualities that Google documentation, which rules out AI-derived content such as Experience, author page, author background information, author About page, Google Perspectives, Google News and published reviews.

Can AI content still be used?

Unfortunately, due to the impact of online regulations, AI is facing a daunting challenge. However, there are still ways to implement AI that can benefit your business without getting on the wrong side of Google.

For example, creating review content using AI is a possibility. You could consider using these tools to improve the rough draft of content that the human has produced. If you want a review product you can use human analysis to work out benchmarks and positives and negatives, before uploading it to an AI tool to use your language, thoughts and analysis to create the review.

We should look at AI as a method of enhancing our reporting, data dives and rough ideas. Ai can’t identify all the quirks and nuggets of information, but humans can. Therefore, AI can complement the human element of creating content.

Google has announced a set of major updates in March 2024 to improve search result quality and reduce spam, signifying a commitment to enhancing user experience. Here’s a breakdown of the key changes and their implications:

• Core Update: The March 2024 core update aims to significantly reduce unhelpful content by 40%. It is more complex than previous updates, affecting multiple systems within Google’s core ranking process. The rollout may take up to a month, with expected fluctuations in search rankings as the updates are implemented.
• Spam Policy Enhancements: Alongside the core update, Google introduced stringent spam policies targeting:
  • Scaled Content Abuse: Tackling spammy content produced at scale, whether through automation or manual efforts, to manipulate rankings.
  • Expired Domain Abuse: Preventing the misuse of expired domains to boost the ranking of low-quality content.
• Helpful Content Integration: The helpful content system is now a part of the core update mechanism, streamlining Google’s approach to prioritising valuable and user-focused content. This means no separate announcements for helpful content updates going forward.
• Guidance for Affected Websites: Google advises that there aren’t specific actions to recover from a rankings drop immediately. The focus should be on creating high-quality content that fulfils user needs. Significant recovery is likely to be observed following subsequent core updates.
• Impact on Digital Marketing: These updates underscore the importance of quality and relevance in content creation. Digital marketers should ensure their content strategies are aligned with providing genuine value to users, rather than employing tactics solely aimed at improving search rankings.

Google’s Commitment to Quality

These comprehensive updates respond to critiques about the quality of search results and represent Google’s ongoing efforts to ensure users find relevant, informative content. By focusing on enhancing the overall search experience, Google aims to maintain its position as the leading search engine while fostering a healthier digital content ecosystem.

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is redefining the rules of engagement for ads in search results. This insightful article delves into a comprehensive study by SE Ranking, with whom we partner for our rank tracking for clients, examining the impact of SGE on ad placements across a broad spectrum of keywords and niches. It highlights the strategic positioning of ads and shopping carousels in relation to AI-generated snippets, offering critical insights for marketers looking to navigate this new terrain. Discover how these changes could influence your advertising approach and strategy in the detailed analysis provided.

What is SGE?

SGE, or Search Generative Experience, refers to Google’s integration of AI-driven content directly into search results, aiming to enhance user experience by providing more relevant, comprehensive answers to queries. It marks a shift toward more interactive and dynamically generated content, affecting how users find information and how marketers optimize for visibility and engagement within search results.

Initial Findings

SE Ranking found that ads were displayed at the top in 23.19% of instances and at the bottom in 35.21% of cases. Shopping ads, presented as carousels, appeared 14.41% of the time. Shopping ads were predominantly displayed above the SGE snippet, accounting for 80.72% of placements. In contrast, they appeared below the SGE snippet in 13.65% of cases. The least common placement was in the sidebar, occurring just 5.63% of the time.

The Impact on Ad Placement

Google’s evolving search landscape, marked by the integration of the Search Generative Experience (SGE), prompts a strategic shift in ad placements. Here are key points on this trend:

• Ads predominantly settle at the bottom of search results, hinting at Google’s content prioritization strategy.
• Shopping ads secure positions above SGE snippets, emphasizing visual shopping aids.
• An extensive analysis of 100,000 keywords across various sectors reveals insights on ad placement and AI responses.
• Marketers are encouraged to adapt strategies in response to these evolving dynamics.

Google Shopping Ads & SGE

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) reshapes the landscape for shopping ads by prioritizing them in search results. Here’s how it impacts their visibility and performance:

• Enhanced Visibility: Shopping ads are placed prominently above SGE snippets, ensuring they capture attention first.
• Targeted Reach: This positioning is strategic for queries with purchase intent, directly connecting products with potential buyers.
• Increased Engagement: Being at the forefront, shopping ads likely see higher click-through rates, driving traffic and sales.

Why is it Important?

The development of Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is pivotal for SEO marketers as it introduces a new layer of AI-driven content directly in search results, potentially changing user interaction patterns. This necessitates adjustments in SEO strategies to optimize content not just for traditional search algorithms but also for engagement in this new AI-enhanced context. Marketers need to understand how SGE influences visibility and click-through rates to ensure their content remains relevant and effectively reaches their target audience.

What Should We Do About It?

Currently, the future of SGE isn’t certain, but Google’s main guidance of creating engaging, helpful, and authentic content remains as valuable as it was before. Keeping a close eye on SGE and future developments is crucial for understanding its true impact and how it may affect your ongoing SEO strategy. SEO is a constantly shifting landscape that requires regular experimentation, analysis, and education – what may deliver performance this year might not be the next. Keep an eye on our email newsletter and Round-Up blogs for future developments on the impact of SGE.

On the 4^th of March Instagram announced a plethora of features had been added to their direct messenger. The update shows finesse from Instagram, as they acknowledge the impact direct messages have on user connectivity.

Direct message is one of the many ways Instagram users can connect with each other, which is why Instagram have implemented features like pinning chats, selecting and saving favoured stickers as well as personalised chat themes.

One of the new features brought to Instagram’s direct messages is the ability to edit a text for up to 15 minutes after it has been sent. This feature will allow users to correct any errors that may be in a message, leading to clearer communication. This is a featured that is not offered across any other direct messenger platforms yet.

This is particularly useful for incidents such as phrasing things poorly or misspelt messages. Users being able to adjust with ease is what sets this new feature apart from other platforms’ offerings. Typically, users would need to delete and re-type a message.

Chat themes

Personalised chat themes have been brought to the direct messages, allowing users to pick from a vast bank of themes. The feature brings a playful element to inboxes, enabling users to express themselves through more than just words!

There’s a variety of themes brought to DM, varying from themes like love, astrology, Dune 2, Cottage core and the list goes on! This will add to the users’ interactive experiences. To add a theme to chat you will need to:

• Click on the recipient’s name at the top of the chat.
• Select ‘Themes’ which is located below the profile and search icons.
• Pick a theme to suit you!

Pinning Messages

Chats can now be pinned in the direct message inbox. The feature allows users to move up to 3 group chats or one-on-one chats, to the top of their inboxes. The function works by sliding from right to left where the camera icon is, the button will say ‘pin’, and tap to activate.

Read Receipts

Read receipts display once the respondent read the text in chat. This feature is now adjustable, users can turn off their read receipts for one or all of their chats. To turn it off users will need to:

1. Go to the account settings.
2. Select ‘Messages & Story replies’.
3. Click on ‘show read receipts.
4. Toggle on or off for all chats.

If you use stickers frequently, then this next feature will make texting super quick and easy, as you can now save your favourite stickers. By holding down on the sticker for a few seconds, will then save it to the favourites section for the next time.

The new features brought to users by Instagram, create personalised, interactive, and enhanced experiences of Instagram’s community of users. Which feature will you be using with family and friends?

Google will begin its rollout of new AI updates to Android products over the next week with some exciting features set to arrive. The updates also range from normal Android product to the Wear OS technology as well as access to Gemini.

What can we expect from Gemini?

You are now able to access the Google AI system Gemini from Google Messages on your Android device. This means you can draft messages, create ideas physically and plan events or meetings all within the confines of the Messages app. Additionally, the Android Auto feature will become more advanced as the interface is using AI to allow the user to immediately summarise long texts or group chats and even saves you time by providing suggested replies.

How is the update is helping with Maps?

This new update has many benefits for Google Maps across different devices. The new Lens feature in Maps, for example, will use AI and augmented reality to allow users to see and pinpoint places as they pan their phones. In short, it allows users to enter the map. Furthermore, the TalkBack feature will tell you information such as ratings, directions and opening times out loud which is helpful for many and makes
the tool more inclusive for those who are blind. Moreover, the new Wear OS update will allow users to see maps on their watches, as well as access boarding passes, cards and see departure times of for transport such as buses and trains.

The update also improves switching devices

The update has also made it much easier to switch between your devices. For instance if you wanted to change devices but continue listening to YouTube Music, you can use the output switcher and you can then beam a song. This can also be done with Spotify and has capacity to switch between TV, phone, headphones and other smart displays. The aim is to create a bespoke and personalised user experience whereby its customers can easily move between all elements of their Google profile.

What is YouTube Collaborate?

YouTube’s collaboration tool allows users to duet shorts from other creators on the platform, the feature has the same functionality as the TikTok stitch feature. The feature enables users to record videos with a split screen which displays both the newly recorded video and the original short. The feature has been released to both iOS and Android users.

The collaboration tool now provides YouTube creators with the opportunity to produce short-form content like those on TikTok. This creates space for creators to reach audiences that prefer short-form content whilst staying on YouTube’s platform.  Initially, TikTok offered the function, but YouTube did not, creating a clear disparity between the two platforms. 

YouTube has previously stipulated regarding copyright that ‘fair content use’ required users to use clipped footage of the original content, lasting no longer than 30 seconds per clip. And the content being made needed to be educational or for commentary purposes. Inappropriate or offensive content is not tolerated and can lead to creators acquiring copyright strikes or in some cases, account bans.

How to use YouTube Collaborate?

Utilising the Collaborate tool is quite simple, just use the following steps to navigate:

• Select the watch page for the short you would like to collaborate on.
• Press the ‘remix’ icon and then click ‘collab’.
• You can select as much as 60 seconds of the short you would like to duet.
• Pick a layout, there are plenty of options to cater to stylistic preferences.
• Record. Your video will be recorded whilst the original short plays simultaneously. 

The benefits of the collaboration tool on YouTube?

Creators have a fair chance to reach a wider audience by collaborating with other creators’ videos.  This will enable content producers to create short-form reactive/ collaborative videos without needing to orchestrate the production of a long-form video.

The ability to produce reactive content, commentaries and even repurpose existing content will give users the chance to utilise the platform’s features in ways they were previously unable to.

YouTube’s previous limitations to using other users’ YouTube content means the clips must be staggered and done with reasoning. Now creators will be able to react to longer clips in a shorter format, making the commentaries or working alongside other creators and their content far easier with fewer limitations.

YouTube provides a plethora of display choices allowing video creators to find a style which works best for their style. With options such as picture-in-picture, green screen effects and side-by-side layouts.

Lastly, the brands will now be able to use audience participation to their advantage within marketing campaigns. The integration of UGC within marketing campaigns will likely have a positive knock-on effect with audiences trusting personal customer experiences. While also decreasing the cost of campaigns, circumstantially because of the input of user content with their own.

We’d love to know if this is something you’ll be using or watching out for. For more information, YouTube has created a short to give a glimpse into using collaborate.

In an era where the fusion of social media data with search engine capabilities is becoming increasingly strategic, Google’s latest move to integrate Reddit’s vast repository of user-generated content into its search algorithm marks a pivotal moment in digital search dynamics.

Google and Reddit’s strategic partnership, involving a $60 million deal, is a forward-thinking initiative to integrate Reddit’s vast, user-generated content into Google Search. This collaboration not only promises to enhance the search experience by providing users with rich, real-time insights directly from Reddit’s communities but also signifies a major step in utilizing social media data to improve search relevancy and depth. For Reddit, this deal represents a significant leap towards increasing its visibility and user engagement across its myriad of niche forums, marking a transformative moment in its business trajectory.

Here’s an exploration of what this partnership entails and its implications for both platforms and their users.

Benefits for Google

For Google, the partnership with Reddit offers significant benefits by providing exclusive access to a wealth of real-time, user-generated content. This access enables Google to enhance its search algorithms with fresh, structured information from Reddit’s dynamic discussions, enriching search results with diverse perspectives and insights.

Additionally, it bolsters Google’s generative AI projects with unique data, helping to refine and improve AI-driven content generation and search relevance, further solidifying Google’s position in the competitive search engine market.

Benefits for Reddit

The partnership with Google offers Reddit enhanced visibility and user engagement across its forums. Direct integration with Google’s search capabilities means Reddit’s content and discussions will reach a wider audience, potentially increasing participation in its communities.

This deal signifies a valuable endorsement of Reddit’s platform and its efforts to evolve into a more mainstream, user-friendly space, aligning with its broader business objectives and future growth plans, including its anticipated initial public offering (IPO).

Strategic and Financial Implications

The strategic partnership between Google and Reddit carries profound strategic and financial implications. Strategically, it positions Google to enhance its search engine with unique, user-driven content, potentially outpacing competitors in delivering relevant search experiences.

Financially, while the $60 million per year deal provides a substantial revenue stream for Reddit, it’s the long-term benefits—increased visibility, user engagement, and potential growth—that underscore the deal’s value.

This partnership not only signifies a pivotal shift in Reddit’s business model but also highlights the increasing value of social media data in the digital economy.

The impact on SEO

The strategic partnership between Google and Reddit might significantly impact Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies. By prioritizing Reddit’s user-generated content in search results, websites and content creators may need to consider engagement on Reddit as part of their SEO strategy. This could involve creating content that resonates with Reddit communities or leveraging Reddit for insights into trending topics and audience interests.

Additionally, the freshness and authenticity of Reddit’s content could influence Google’s search algorithms, emphasizing the importance of real-time, community-driven content in achieving SEO success.

Google has updated its e-commerce platform to better handle product variations like size or colour through structured data. This makes it easier for online shops to show off their product range and helps shoppers find what they’re looking for more easily.

Along with detailed guides and tools for website owners, Google has introduced three key features to organize products more effectively and has made return policies clearer. This is great news for online stores, as it could lead to better visibility in searches, more trust from shoppers, and possibly more sales.

Technical Implementation and Documentation

Google’s recent update includes new structured data specifications for product variants, accompanied by comprehensive technical documentation and validation tools. This documentation guides e-commerce sites on how to implement the new structured data correctly, ensuring products are accurately represented in Google’s ecosystem. Tools like Search Console and the Rich Results Test have been updated to support the validation of this new structured data, helping site owners identify and rectify any issues promptly, ensuring that product listings are optimized for Google’s search.

Understanding Product Variant Properties

The three new properties, hasVariant, variesBy, and productGroupID, are integral to Google’s enhanced structured data for product variants. These properties allow e-commerce sites to effectively group variants of a product under a single “parent” product.

• “hasVariant” is used to nest product variants within their parent ProductGroup
• “variesBy” identifies the variant properties (like size or colour)
• “productGroupID” serves as a unique identifier for the ProductGroup, facilitating easier management and discovery of product variants in search results.

Clarification on Return Fees

Google clarified the use of “FreeReturn” versus “ReturnShippingFees” values in the structured data for product returns. This distinction is crucial for e-commerce platforms to accurately communicate return policies to consumers, ensuring clarity on whether returning a product is free or if return shipping fees apply.

This clarification aids in enhancing transparency and trust between retailers and customers, making online shopping experiences more straightforward and satisfactory.

Importance for E-commerce Sites

Google’s update is a significant boon for e-commerce sites with product variants, allowing for a more detailed and structured presentation of products. By enabling the grouping of variants under a single parent product and clarifying return policies, Google enhances both the visibility and the user experience on e-commerce platforms.

These improvements can lead to better search result accuracy, increased consumer trust, and potentially higher conversion rates for retailers.