Is Google in trouble?

August 6, 2024

The Digital Marketing Spotlight

VOL 2 - 2024

Somehow it's already August, and it still feels like a swamp in NYC. Call me basic, but I'm daydreaming of slightly cooler weather and pumpkin everything.nbsp;

Latest Digital Marketing News

Google Found in Violation of Antitrust Law

I'm no legal expert, but I'll try to break this down as simply as possible:

• Google paid Apple and Samsung a TON of money to be the default search engine on phones
• This is the action that technically violated anti-trust laws, and this judge said overall search did not
• There is a different case coming up in the fall that refers to search as a whole
• The repercussions have not been announced yet

Even without being a default on phones, Google still dominates the search world (don't forget they own YouTube which is still the #2 search engine). And no other brand gets remotely close. No one says "I BINGed that" (unless it's about binging a Netflix show...).

Verdict: I don't really see this changing much in terms of the overall search landscape.

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Google's Q2 Earnings

YouTube fell short of expectations, but revenue still grew 13% year over year (over $8 Billion for more context..)

Overall, Google did meet expectations, mostly thanks to Search and Cloud services.

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Meta's Q2 Earnings

Spoiler alert: Meta did better than expected! People over on Reddit love to proclaim that Meta ads are dead, but clearly that isn't the case...

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Expert Ads Tip

Google Ads - Turn Off Auto-Apply Recommendations

To turn this off, click the Auto-apply button in the Recommendations area of your account (screenshot above), and then un-check all the options and hit save.

Why you should do this:

1. By having this setting turned on, you lose the control to approve any changes before they happen. There may be recommendations that do make sense, but it's really helpful to know what changes have been made so you're not in for a big surprise one day.
2. Sometimes the recommendations aren't on point. For example, I have worked with the Broadway Collective who teaches workshops to teens wanting to improve their theater skills. In this account, I would always get the recommendation to add keywords like "lion king tickets" and "wicked tickets." Yes, these terms are related to Broadway, but they have nothing to do with the company being promoted. If I had left auto-apply on, it would have added these terms and likely tanked our results until I realized what had happened.

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Why you might want to start with Google instead of FB

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Product Spotlight

Google Ads Management - 1 Spot Left For August

At DMS, we limit how many new clients are onboarded per month so they get our full attention.

If you're looking to get started with Google Ads this month or aren't happy with your current results, book a call today to see if you would be a good fit.

Snag that client spot

PS: Q4 is our busiest time of year, so we limit onboardings even more. If you want to claim a spot for an upcoming month, click the button above to book your discovery call now before we're all booked up!