November 2024: What's new in the world of digital
Posted on 16th December 2024 at 16:52
Read Time: Approx. 5 Minutes 48 Seconds
Author: Joe Weatherill
Welcome to the November edition, where we share the updates in the world of digital.
Google Search Console Recommendations
What is it?: A recommendations section which has been added to Google, to help optimise opportunities and suggests actions that the user should take. This is done by looking at your account’s performance history, Google trends and campaign settings, then the recommendations are generated, with the aim of improving performance. Google provides trending insights, analysing the high-performance pages and trending queries to refine content strategies. The recommendations are designed to have a meaningful impact, making them useful even for non-technical users.
Why is it important?: From following Google’s tailored recommendations, websites are able to enhance their search engine rankings, leading to increased traffic, conversions, and engagement. Recommendations including trending keywords or submitted updated sitemaps directly align with googles algorithm updates. Website owners will now no longer need to analyse extensive data manually. As this tool will automatically highlight opportunities, allowing them to focus on implementation rather than diagnosis. Also, the recommendation tool will break down complex SEO tasks into simple, actionable advice, therefore empowering small businesses, and individuals to improve their online presence.
What action should you take?: Do not blindly use the recommendations as ultimately you know your site best and what products/content is on your site. Log in to Google Search Console and read the ‘overview’ section where recommendations are displayed. Alternatively consult your third-party agency.
TikTok Enhances e-Commerce Offerings
What is it? TikTok has partnered with LTK, Rakuten and other affiliate networks, a platform enabling content creators to share affiliate product recommendations, to enhance its e-commerce capabilities. This integration streamlines shopping by allowing creators to embed product links directly in their TikTok video comments, reducing the steps consumers must take to purchase featured items. The initiative is particularly beneficial for fashion influencers, enabling them to earn commissions while providing audiences with a seamless shopping experience.
The partnership also includes the LTK Alpha Program, which supports select creators with tools like webinars to optimise their affiliate marketing efforts. This move aligns with TikTok's strategy to solidify its role as both an entertainment and shopping destination, building on its success with TikTok Shop.
Affiliate network Rakuten Advertising and many others are involved in the management of TikTok shop for many brands and acting as a middleman to help handle tracking, signups and payments.
Why is it important? Fashion influencers and other creators are now able to monetise their content more effectively, through affiliate commissions. This makes TikTok even more of an appealing platform for content creators as it provides new revenue streams, making it a more reliable and stable platform. Also, shoppers benefit from the detailed product information and sizing guidance within TikTok. Helping to create more transparency between the seller and the customer, therefore causing the customer to make more informed decisions and reducing barriers in the online purchasing process. Overall, these changes will help TikTok to become closer to being a comprehensive e-commerce platform.
Partnering with affiliate networks such as Rakuten, allows creators to link products directly within their content, enabling viewers to purchase items seamlessly.
What action should you take? From this integration you should start adding LTK and Rakuten product links in your TikTok video comments to monetise your content and make it easier for viewers to shop. Use the data from TikTok and LTK/Rakuten to refine your marketing strategies, focusing on high performing creators and products. Also, you should start partnering with influencers using the LTK integration to showcase your products on TikTok.
Google Rolls Out New Curation Tool
What is it?: Google is rolling out new curation tools in Google ads to help advertising agencies improve audience targeting, streamline operations and easily navigate their digital ad campaigns. This will be beneficial for programmatic advertising. The tool integrates payments to data providers directly into bid prices, removing separate billing processes. Designed to make agencies lives easier, this tool enhances forecasting and reporting, allowing agencies to gain access to improved forecasting tools and more detailed performance analytics, resulting in better planning and optimisation.
In addition to AI summaries, YouTube introduced enhancements such as a redesigned Studio Mobile, new community engagement tools, and a creator support chatbot. These updates aim to simplify workflows and improve the overall experience for creators.
Why is it important?: This is important as it will reduce operational complexity and provide agencies with more control over inventory selection, leading to more efficient campaigns. The tool shows evidence of Google’s commitment to enhancing the role of agencies in digital marketing, empowering the with tools to achieve better results for their clients. Showing how Google are aware of the big role agencies can play in the digital advertising ecosystem.
What action should you take?: You should begin with enabling and activating the curation features, log into Agency Seat in Google Ad manager, go to account settings and enable the activate curation option. When monitoring campaign performance, use the advanced analytics, that is provided by Google ads manager. This should give you access to look at metrics such as match rates, audience engagement and cost efficiency. From this you should be looking at how to optimise your campaigns, with the aim of improving target audience efficiency and maximising your ROI.
Bonus Update
YouTube has unveiled a suite of new tools designed to help brands better leverage creator content and short-form video ads through its short’s platform. These updates aim to enhance customisation, interactivity, and measurement for advertisers, reflecting YouTube's efforts to compete with platforms like TikTok.
The YouTube hyperlinked comments feature, which is now widely available, allows specific words or phrases in video comments to become clickable links. When clicked, these links take users to relevant Google search results. The aim is to provide users with quicker access to more information without leaving the app, all while keeping the video playing in a smaller window.
YouTube introduced new AI-powered tools designed to help creators overcome creative blocks. These tools are part of an upgrade to YouTube's Inspiration Tab, which aims to enhance the content creation process by offering personalised suggestions based on audience insights. The new AI features help creators generate video ideas, outlines, titles, and even thumbnails.
Our final thoughts ...
As specialists in partnership marketing, we’re delighted to see the introduction of product links into TikTok, with tracking and commissions powered via LTK, Rakuten Advertising and other platforms. We’ve seen a major shift, with more influencers looking to monetise their content via affiliate commissions in 2024. With the continuous user growth on TikTok, we are sure to see TikTok creators becoming a key affiliate publisher type in 2025.
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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