Hey there, Digital Darlings,
Between the 4th of July Holiday in the US and the rollercoaster elections in the UK and France, I know my dear readers are currently trying to bounce back after a wild week. Allow me to help by summarizing the latest digital drama…
Broad match is enabled by default for new search campaigns
When you create a new search campaign, you’ll see a ‘broad match keywords’ setting on by default. With this setting enabled, all the keywords in your campaign will be set to broad match. For now, we still have the option to toggle it off and choose the match type for each keyword. But with Google’s push for more automated, AI-driven campaign management, many are wondering if this is the first step toward getting rid of match types all together. I’ll keep you updated. For now, if you choose not to opt out of campaign-wide broad match targeting, make sure you have sufficient negative keywords in place to avoid wasted spend. In other Google news…
Google dropped a tCPA Insight Box for Demand Gen campaigns
The box helps advertisers understand if current CPA is in the expected range, displays weekly CPA averages, forecasts conversions, and more. They released a similar feature for shopping and PMAX campaigns last week, so it seems like Google’s taking initiative to help advertisers understand more about how their Smart Bidding campaigns are doing. Transparency has not historically been Google’s strong suit, so I’d say these insight boxes, while not particularly actionable, are a step in the right direction. And in my last bit of Google Ads news…
New chrome extension simplifies Enhanced Conversions setup
Google created a Chrome extension called EC Assist that helps advertisers identify issues with the Enhanced Conversions setup on their site. Simply install the extension and run a test on your site. EC Assist will identify issues with your setup and offer next steps to resolve them. If you’re using Google Ads conversion data as your source of truth and optimization goal, having Enhanced Conversions installed properly is essential, so I’d definitely recommend trying out this extension. Now for some Microsoft news…
Microsoft released AI-powered asset generation for video and display ads
This new feature could certainly streamline the campaign creation process if the AI-generated creative assets are actually good! The process is super simple; advertisers input the ad’s landing page URL and Microsoft's AI generates video assets for the ad. Marketers can then edit and refine the assets if AI doesn’t get it right the first time (let's be honest - it rarely does). I have doubts about how well the tool actually works, but I respect Microsoft for trying to position itself as a leader in AI advertising. Next, let’s catch up on some SEO drama…
Google Search Console Performance Reports finally caught up
Last week I informed my dear readers that the reports were delayed by over 52 hours, so just an update the the issue was resolved on July 5th. I know that this issue was interfering with a lot of SEOs end-of-month reporting, so I just wanted to give you the green light. Report away! In AI SEO news…
Google is pulling pack on AI Overviews
We all know the initial launch of AIOs didn’t go smoothly. But it was worse than just bad press - the rollout actually led to a significant drop in search volume, particularly on mobile. This drop in usage prompted Google to scale back on AIOs and address some of the issues users had with them. AIOs now appear less frequently and cite more sources when they do appear. I know a lot of us were frantic to learn how to SEO our way into AIOs, but with this scale back, we’ve got a bit more time to figure that out. Now for some ecom updates…
Amazon is expanding Sponsored TV ads to the UK
Following a successful US launch, Amazon is rolling out Sponsored TV in the UK, enabling UK advertisers to reach audiences on streaming platforms like Prime Video, Freevee, and Twitch. As someone who’s currently watching Mr. Robot on Prime Video, I’m annoyed because these ads are disrupting my viewing experience. And annoyance driving negative brand consideration is definitely a factor you should consider when testing this new ad type. That said, tons of US advertisers have seen success with these streaming ads, so it’s worth testing if you’re an ecom marketer in the UK. Now let’s dish about social…
Is Snap the best place to spend social ad dollars?
Recent data shows that while Meta and TikTok are favored by advertisers, Snap is actually the most cost-effective social ad channel. Inversely, Reddit is the most expensive, with an average cost per order of $158.96. Now, of course it makes sense that the most popular platforms would be more expensive - there’s more competition for ad space, and Meta and TikTok can simply get away with charging more thanks to their audience’s perceived value. But if you’re a paid social manager, maybe it’s time to allocate some more money to Snap and see where that takes your brand. And in my final bit of social news…
TikTok Shop launched the £1 Million Club to help new merchants grow
This new club offers tons of benefits to new merchants; up to 90 days of commission-free sales, free product storage and fulfillment, priority seller support, and dedicated promotion to get brands more exposure through ad campaigns and creator support. Those are some major perks! So if you’re a small business in the UK looking to grow on TikTok, I’d recommend filling out their interest form.
And that’s the scoop, my savvy marketers! From Google’s AI drama to new ad innovations, the digital world is buzzing. Until next time, keep your strategies sharper than a fresh set of acrylics. 💅
You know you love me. 💋
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