November 2023: Google's latest innovations, organic search ad experiments, GA4 analytics updates, and more!

The Bluebird Messenger is a monthly newsletter that recaps all the latest news that digital marketers need to stay on top of their game. Keep scrolling to find out which updates recently dropped and how they impact best practices within marketing. Enjoy the read!

Paid Search

Google introduces Google Ads Data Manager

Google Ads has introduced a new tool, Google Ads Data Manager, allowing businesses to centrally manage their first-party data. This tool facilitates the analysis and utilization of consented first-party data to streamline the use of enhanced conversions and customer matches. The tool enables connections to various data sources, including CRM, CDPs, marketing technologies, and cloud-based storage systems, and is expected to be generally available in early 2024.?

Link here!

Ads mixed in the organic search results

Google is in the midst of an experiment involving the presentation of ads within organic search results, a departure from their typical placement at the top of each page set. Although Google confirmed the ongoing test in a tweet, it's important to note that Google consistently tests new features in search results, and this experiment does not guarantee a permanent implementation.

SEO

Google Releases October Core Update

Throughout the year, Google will launch major updates to its algorithm called “core updates”. These usually have a bigger impact and a wider range of elements that are optimized or changed. On the 5th of October, Google launched a core update which lasted for around two weeks to fully roll out. October 19th Google could tell that the update was finished rolling out.

Most of these updates target primarily content quality either in different areas or in general, which is the case for the October update.

October Spam update

Spam is something Google is constantly fighting against. It's not wanted to show spam or low-quality content in SERPs, so Google's system is often updated with tools to decrease the chances of spam showing up. On October 4th, their earlier spam detection systems were updated to function on a wider selection of languages. Google expects to lower the chances of showing spam related to cloaking, hacked, auto-generated, and scraped spam,

Mobile-First is now finished and rolling out

For almost 7 years, Google has told us that their mobile-first indexing has been active. Many have focused primarily on mobile-first when developing sites, as we know this is the destination we have been moving towards. Still, we have seen that Google sometimes crawl our sites with their desktop user agent in the tool “Google Search Console”, so “mobile first” has not been “mobile only”.? Now, Google will move to “mobile only” for sites that are mobile-friendly. Know that if your site does not work on mobile, their desktop crawler may still be used.

Paid Social

Meta Advertiser Awards

As a Meta Business Partner, Bluebird now offers Advertiser Awards as a part of our service. New goals for your individual ad account will be applied every quarter and if goals are met, your account will automatically receive ad credits based on a percentage of spend in your account over the period. There are no obligations that come with it – simply just a potential bonus for choosing Bluebird as your partner.

Meta user subscription

To comply with evolving European regulations, in November, Meta will begin offering people aged 18 and over in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland the choice to pay a monthly subscription to use Facebook and Instagram without any ads or continue to use these services for free while seeing ads that are relevant to them. The price will start at 9.99€ per month.

Story CTA buttons are now flexible

As a part of Meta's improvements to creatives, it is now possible to adjust the placement and appearance of your CTA buttons on Instagram stories. This can be managed under Optimized Creatives and makes it easier to simply adjust the positioning of the CTA button unluckily covers elements in your creatives.

Display & Video

Demand Gen - Now open to all advertisers

• In October, Google Ads automatically transformed all Discovery campaigns into Demand Gen campaigns for all advertisers globally.
• All of your historical data and learnings have been seamlessly carried over to your new campaign type.
• Make sure to take advantage of this and use the new futures available such as various ad formats, and new bidding strategies, and find more potential customers with lookalike segments based on 1st party data.

Target Shorts ads on YouTube in DV360 Instant Reserve

• Advertisers will soon be able to reserve Shorts ads in the YouTube Select lineup using Display & Video 360 Instant Reserve. This allows advertisers to extend their target audience reach alongside the most popular and relevant videos in the Shorts feed.?
• For a fixed CPM advertisers can target Shorts only inventory with guaranteed delivery at agreed rates or market rates.

Analytics

GA4 updates

• Item-Scoped Custom Parameters: GA4 now supports item-scoped custom parameters in BigQuery Export and Measurement Protocol, allowing for more detailed data analysis.
• Attribution Model Changes: Google Analytics discontinues First Click, Linear, Time Decay, and Position-Based attribution models for all properties, favoring Paid and organic data-driven attribution.
• Calculated Metrics: GA4 introduces calculated metrics, enabling the creation of new, more valuable metrics by combining existing ones using mathematical formulas.
• Data Redaction: GA4 allows web data streams to perform client-side redaction of email addresses and URL query parameters to reduce PII risk.
• Exclude Google Signals Data: You can now exclude specific demographics and interest data from reports, reducing data thresholding while retaining Google Signals data for other purposes.