What shaped search marketing in June? A look back at key updates [June 2024]

4th June 2024

Google Search central channel now on LinkedIn!

The launch of the Google Search Central channel on LinkedIn is confirmed! This new platform provides a valuable resource for anyone who works on a website, from business owners to SEO professionals.

By following Google Search Central on LinkedIn, you can gain access to a wealth of information, including:

• Official algorithm updates
• SEO best practices
• Search console tips and tricks
• New Google search features

The Google Search Central LinkedIn channel is more than just a news feed. It’s a space for open discussion and knowledge sharing where companies can connect with other SEO professionals, ask questions, and share their own experiences. To have access, users can head over to the Google Search Central LinkedIn channel, and hit the “Follow” button! The company is looking forward to connecting with search specialists and helping them navigate the ever-evolving world of search engine optimisation.

10th June 2024

Great news for online retailers: Google unveils new insights for shopping search performance

Attention online store owners! Google has just made it easier to understand how products are performing in search results. This fantastic update adds a brand new feature to Search Console called “Merchant Listings Performance.”

This new tool empowers businesses to track key metrics like impressions and clicks. This valuable data provides a clear picture of product visibility across Google Shopping features. Now, account managers can identify which products are gaining traction and which ones might require some additional optimisation efforts.

By keeping a close eye on these valuable insights, companies can refine their product listings and overall SEO strategy. This ensures products reach the right audience, ultimately driving sales and business growth.

For the websites that sell physical goods directly and use product markup, users will likely see a dedicated “Shopping” section within the Search Console. This section houses various reports specifically designed for online stores, including the new “Merchant Listings Performance.”

11th June 2024

Streamlining return policies: Google shopping’s new organisation-level support

Great news for online businesses! Google Shopping has introduced a valuable new feature: organisation-level support for return policies. This means Google Shopping account managers can now specify a general return policy for an entire business, making it easier to manage and potentially increasing its visibility in search results.

For online shoppers, a clear and accessible return policy is a major factor influencing purchasing decisions. Google understands this, and with this update, they’re making it even simpler for businesses to provide this crucial information.

This feature offers various benefits, including:

• Reduced markup size
• Easier return policy management
• Enhanced visibility in search results (potential)

This last feature is particularly beneficial for businesses without a Merchant Center account, as it allows them to specify a return policy without one. However, if the business already has a Merchant Center account, defining a return policy there remains the recommended approach.

14th June 2024

Getty images partners with Picsart for next-gen AI image model

Getty Images has entered into a new data licensing partnership with AI image generation company Picsart. This collaboration will enable Picsart to develop a new AI image generation model, trained on Getty Images’ licensed creative content.

Rather than using the images to train an existing AI model, Picsart’s PAIR AI lab plans to create a new model from scratch, which will be available to both companies later this year.

The deal aims to provide “commercially safe AI-generated imagery” for creators, marketers, and small businesses, offering commercial rights and indemnity for the images while also developing new ways to compensate the authors of the images used to train the model.

Picsart has expressed a keen interest in partnering with companies that understand the value of licensed content and are committed to training their models responsibly, respecting the rights of intellectual property holders and artists.

The partnership between Getty Images and Picsart is expected to help both companies compete more effectively in a market saturated with options, offering a responsible approach to providing AI-generated images for commercial purposes.

25th June 2024

The ongoing possibility of a TikTok ban in the US

The conversation around a potential TikTok ban in the United States has resurfaced in June, with President Biden making it clear that the app will not be allowed in the US unless ByteDance, the company owning the social media platform, transfers ownership to a non-Chinese entity.

This isn’t the first attempt to ban TikTok in the US, former President Trump tried to do so in 2020 without success. With 170 million Americans using the app, there is still significant public pushback against such a move.

Many marketers are concerned about the impact on brands that rely heavily on TikTok as part of their content strategy. The potential ban opens the door to uncertainty. If the ban goes ahead, it won’t take effect until at least 2025 and will only apply to the US market.

26th June 2024

Google Analytics 4 gets supercharged with new features as Universal Analytics disappeared

With the July 1, 2024 shutdown of Universal Analytics (UA), Google is showcasing up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with a suite of powerful new features. These enhancements are designed to empower marketers with deeper insights, streamlined cross-channel measurement, and optimised budgeting tools.

GA4 is getting smarter with the introduction of AI-powered insights. These automated summaries will translate complex data trends and fluctuations into plain English, allowing you to make faster, data-driven decisions for your business.

Cross-channel reporting is also getting a boost. GA4 now integrates data from third-party advertising platforms like Pinterest, Reddit, and Snap directly into your GA4 property. This comprehensive view provides a holistic understanding of campaign performance across different channels.

For advertisers, GA4 is introducing aggregated impressions from linked Campaign Manager 360 accounts within the advertising workspace. This addition offers a clear picture of how your campaigns are performing throughout the entire marketing funnel.

Steve Ganem, Director of Product Management for Google Analytics, emphasises GA4’s adaptability:

“Google Analytics 4 is built with the future in mind. We’ll continue to invest in providing a tool that helps answer your fundamental business questions across the entire customer journey, even as the measurement landscape evolves.”

Later this year, GA4 will unveil advanced budgeting tools, including a projections report. This feature will allow companies to track media spend pacing and project performance against target objectives across multiple channels. With this enhanced visibility, businesses can optimise media spend and allocate budgets more effectively.

June 27th 2024

Boosting trust: Google’s June update rewards quality content

Last month, Google rolled out a search update aimed at improving the quality of results readers see. This means a crackdown on websites that violate their guidelines, ensuring viewers can find more trustworthy and informative content when they search.

This update targeted sneaky tactics often used to manipulate search rankings including:

• Thin or copied content
• Content created solely to boost rankings
• Purchased/sold links or hidden redirects
• and Deceptive techniques

This update has not had the expected impact on AI-generated content, with some AI-generated content performing relatively well. That being said, Google’s spam detection is constantly improving so we may see more penalties for this in the future.

As with any update, there might be some minor ranking shifts, but this primarily affects websites that haven’t been following the rules.

The good news is that by offering valuable content and following Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, websites can maintain good search visibility and deliver a great experience for visitors. This means search users will find more trustworthy and informative results when they use Google.