March 2024: What's new in the world of digital
Posted on 5th April 2024 at 14:46
Read Time: Approx. 3 Minutes 36 Seconds
Author: Olivia Rutter & Lewis Stretton
Welcome to the March edition, where we share the updates in the world of digital.
TikTok and Google reveal recent changes to ensure they comply with the Digital Market Act
What is it?: TikTok has launched a new Data Portability API to comply with the Digital Market Act. Enabling users to authorise the transfer of their data, such as profile information, post information, activity, and direct messages to third-party apps. In line with TikTok's continued commitment to enhancing user privacy, the platform has introduced advanced data control tools and enabled users to opt out of personalisation. Similarly, Facebook has launched a Data Portability API for developers in the EEA to adhere to the new Digital Market Act.
Google is expanding its offerings for publishers and advertisers in the European Economic Area by providing additional campaign data beyond the already available pricing information. This data will be shared in a manner that prioritises user privacy.
Why is it important?: These updates empower users to control the handling of their data between the platform and third-party apps, fostering transparency and enabling customers to confidently place their trust in the company's practices.
What action should you take?: Take proactive steps by visiting your account settings to review the information shared with third-party apps
Meta announces new major updates to Shopping Ads and Advantage +
What is it?: Advantage+ now features creative optimisation, automatically adjusting videos to fit reel formats. Advertisers can generate multiple ad variations, dynamically tailoring them to individuals for maximum effect.
Global advertisers can now create more engaging product information through dynamic and personalised videos. With the latest update to the Advantage+ catalogue, advertisers can incorporate branded videos or feature customers using branded products in videos instead of static images for ads. Additionally, advertisers have the option to upload Hero Images to the centre of their Advantage+ Catalogue. Leveraging AI, Meta will dynamically showcase users the most suitable products from your catalogue to optimise performance.
Meta has rolled out alphanumeric promo codes globally, empowering advertisers to enhance the visibility of their promotions. This facilitates users in discovering and redeeming relevant and valid offers on Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, Meta has introduced product tags for ads, making this feature accessible to businesses regardless of whether they operate a physical shop.
Why is it important?: These updates play a crucial role in expanding customer reach, boosting conversions, and offering valuable insights to optimise ad efficiency.
What action should you take?: After the updates are released, access your account and experiment with these new features.
Google released a massive search quality enhancement core update and multiple spam updates
What is it?: In March, Google rolled out another core update aimed at diminishing unhelpful content in search results. Google seeks to accomplish this by refining its understanding of unhelpful pages and those with poor user experiences, thereby improving its core ranking system. Google mentioned that moving forward, they will no longer announce new updates for helpful content, as the system is now integrated into the core update mechanism.
Another update is expired domain abuse is now considered spam. Expired domain abuse is where a user will buy an expired domain and repurpose it with the intention of boosting low-quality content.
Why is it important?: This development is significant due to the considerable criticism and complaints regarding search rankings, particularly with many searches leading to Reddit forums. These updates are anticipated to decrease unhelpful content by 40%, although they may impact your site's search ranking. Therefore, it is essential to remain informed and prepared for potential changes.
What action should you take?: Assess your website's ranking to determine if it has decreased. If it has decreased due to the new core update, there are no immediate actions you can take for recovery. But wait until the next core update, as you may see improvements. It's important to recognise that a lower ranking doesn't necessarily indicate issues with your pages. If you have been negatively impacted due to the new core update than here are some things to consider that have been previously mentioned on our blogs.
Bonus Update: Microsoft releases a new feature, Feed Labels
Microsoft has officially released a new feature designed to streamline cross-border advertising for retailers, known as Feed Labels. This launch commenced in mid-March and introduced a tool enabling users to organize products from various feeds by utilising common characteristics, such as language. This allows for the creation of labels corresponding to each language in which products are sold, spanning markets like the UK, Germany, and beyond. These labels facilitate ad campaigns by highlighting products from multiple feeds to potential customers in relevant markets.
To create Feed Labels, users must set up a shopping campaign that targets these labels, enabling ads to display products to potential customers. This innovation promises to significantly simplify campaign management for advertisers, potentially reducing workload and enhancing organisation.
Our final thoughts ...
As we all know, Google’s Core Updates are nothing new and a March launch is of little surprise, based on previous years. However, the extent to how much brands rankings could be affected, is set to be one of the most significant. Ensuring content created and published continues to have the human touch, avoiding the trap of using AI for content creation.
For further information on any of the latest product updates or anything new that is on your mind, get in touch with our team of digital experts today.
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