Each episode of the EDGE include a bonus news roundup segment to keep you up-to-date on the latest digital marketing headlines. The latest features host Erin Sparks and Creative Studio Producer Jacob Mann along with special guest Paul Lovell, founder of Always Evolving SEO. Here’s the news roundup from episode 356 of the award-winning EDGE of the Web podcast:
Google Page Experience Update – Google’s Next Algorithm Update Coming Next Year
From Barry Schwartz on Search Engine Roundtable we get a Google Page Experience Update – Google’s Next Algorithm Update Coming Next Year. Google announced a new algorithm update that will be launching sometime in 2021. I covered it in detail in my story yesterday on Search Engine Land named the Google Page Experience Update. I personally would not go too insane about this update, it is a lot of stuff Google has algorithms for already all packed up into one new name – “page experience.”
- Erin Sparks: This is all about how users experience a web page. The metrics they are looking at are page vitals, and in your Google Search Console you’ll see an area for “Core Web Vitals” that include loading, interactivity, and visual stability. In terms of visual stability they’ll be looking at Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) because they want smoother scrolling and less visual annoyances for users.
- Paul Lovell: This is all probably a good thing because the advertisers who have been taking advantage of the shift function maybe won’t be able to do that anymore. But people who work on conversion optimization should already have been looking at these things anyway.
- Erin Sparks: This seems like a critical feedback loop coming direct from Google through the Search Console to let you know if your pages are not up to the user standards they want to see, which means you’ll also have to keep a closer eye on what advertisers are doing with their ads on your pages.
A new TikTok clone hit the top of the App Store by paying users to watch videos
According to Jacob Kastrenakes on The Verge, A new TikTok clone hit the top of the App Store by paying users to watch videos. TikTok has a new competitor: Zynn, a nearly button-for-button clone of TikTok that differentiates itself with one key twist—it pays users to sign up, watch videos, and convince others to follow suit.
- Erin Sparks: TikTok is huge, though I’m not a fan.
- Paul Lovell: I don’t use TikTok either, but my kids do. But Zynn is not yet available in the UK so I guess my kids won’t be making any extra pocket money during lockdown. But it will be interesting to see how this works. Does it mean there will be a lots ads running in the app? It’s not surprising that someone is trying to monetize the TikTok model.
- Erin Sparks: Yes, where is the money coming from to pay users? So it looks like as you watch videos you get points, which you can later redeem for cash or gift cards. Gee, nothing sketchy happening there, right? And are they going to be asking for your bank account information so they can deliver that cash right into your account? And how secure is that? Be careful, people!
- Paul Lovell: Yes, some things do seem too good to be true.
Google Ad Credits for SMBs Start Rolling Out
On Search Engine Land, Ginny Marvin reports on Google Ad Credits for SMBs Start Rolling Out. Starting today (MAY 27), Google is beginning the first phase of its program to provide $340 million in Google Ads advertising credits for eligible small and medium-sized businesses. Qualifying advertisers in New Zealand will be the first recipients of this program.
- Erin Sparks: Advertisers don’t have to apply for this. Google know who you are. Eligibility requires that advertisers have been active for 10 out of 12 months of 2019, and also in either January or February of 2020.
- Paul Lovell: Google has been talking about this for a while to support the businesses that have been consistently spending money with them. It’s obviously a good thing. Any time Google gives away free ads is a good thing. They do it regularly for chartiable organizations, but giving back the businesses who have spent money on them during these trying times is a good move.
- Erin Sparks: A while back Facebook announced they were working on something similar, but I haven’t seen or heard anything about since then.
Connect with Paul Lovell and Always Evolving SEO
Twitter: @_PaulLovell (https://twitter.com/_PaulLovell)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-lovell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlwaysEvolvingSEO/
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