INSIGHTS

Digital marketing industry roundup: October 2024

So many updates, so little time. SearchGPT officially launched, new short features in Youtube, TikTok launched new Flip Stories, video enabled shopping ads and much more. October was another month packed with big updates, we’ve curated the biggest, most impactful ones for you.

SEO

Searchgpt officially launched october 31. It’s rolling out to Plus/Team users first, with broader access coming in months.

TLDR: ChatGPT now integrates real-time web search into its OpenAI platform, allowing live news and data with source attribution for verified information. The goal of SearchGPT is to blend natural language with real-time data, using conversational queries and follow-up questions to deliver contextual, quality results. Search is available at chatgpt.com and on their desktop/mobile apps now for Plus/Team users and SearchGPT waitlist users. Access to all users rolls out in upcoming months.
Our POV: While there isn’t a way to measure performance in SearchGPT or ChatGPT yet, optimizing your site for search engines is the best way to gain visibility on the AI platform as popularity for this way of searching grows and evolves.
Moving forward: Industry leaders believe that AI search, in the near future, will be a primary way to access information as OpenAI plans to expand its search capabilities, particularly in the shopping and travel sectors. But until then, the platform will fine tune results and capabilities for its official launch to Free users in the coming months.

Source: Search Engine Journal

Google now providing AI answers in Google Maps. New AI-driven features are being rolled out to enhance convenience and personalization.

TLDR: Google Maps has introduced new AI-powered features that offer personalized activity suggestions, summarized reviews, and a Q&A tool for business listings. Users can now get curated ideas for activities, read concise summaries of reviews, and ask specific questions about places on the app.
Our POV: It will continue to be important to make sure that Google Business Profiles and listings are up-to-date for users since Google is pulling their information from these sources for AI summaries.
Moving forward: NPD will continue to monitor shifts, trends and changes with AI generated results and provide ongoing recommendations to improve visibility.

Source: Search Engine Roundtable

Google dings content that differs from main site. When Google confirmed the existence of specific ranking systems that look for irrelevant content.

TLDR: Google confirmed it has search ranking systems that detect when site content or sections differ significantly from the main content. Forbes and CNN have seen losses in traffic that can be attributed to this.
Our POV: We strongly discourage brands from hosting irrelevant content on their site or a subdomain. We also discourage brands from posting such content on other sites.
Moving forward: Content published on a domain should be relevant to the domain and not placed on the site in an attempt to generate traffic for the sake of traffic.

Source: Search Engine Land

Google updates crawl budget documentation. It’s best practice to have all links present on both the mobile & desktop version of sites.

TLDR: Google added documentation to their crawl budget page to outline best practices for linking. The bullet point reads: “If your site uses separate HTML for mobile and desktop versions, provide the same set of links on the mobile version as you have on the desktop version. If it’s not possible to provide the same set of links on the mobile version, ensure that they’re included in a sitemap file. Google only indexes the mobile version of pages, and limiting the links shown there can slow down discovery of new pages.”
Our POV: Following these best practices will help ensure that any new content you create is easily discoverable by Google.
Moving forward: NPD will help our clients audit internal linking and navigation on an ongoing basis and will recommend changes when needed to adhere to these best practices.

Source: Search Engine Land

Organic Social

Youtube launches new features for shorts. Youtube has added options such as a poll sticker or the ability to super chat for Shorts.

TLDR: YouTube has introduced several new features: poll stickers in Shorts to boost engagement, a “Views” filter that categorizes views by content type, and a Super Chat gamification feature that encourages viewers to help creators reach set donation goals. Additionally, YouTube will now also allow creators to block specific ad categories directly in YouTube Studio, offering greater control over the ads displayed on their channels.
Our POV: Using native platform features, especially ones that boost user engagement will have a positive impact on your social performance – try it out!
Moving forward: Instagram polls have always been a great tool to increase engagement. Utilizing it on YouTube will only drive-up audience participation further as YouTube Shorts grow in popularity.

Source: Social Media Today

TikTok launches new “flip stories” feature. App releases new feature called flip story, where users can further interact creator content.

TLDR: TikTok recently launched its “Flip Story” feature, allowing creators to add a hidden second side to stories, adding an element of surprise for viewers who can then reveal the secondary content by holding down a “Hold to Flip” button on the initial image. This feature is already gaining popularity with artists like Billie Eilish using it to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at her tour preparations, illustrating how it can enhance storytelling on the platform.
Our POV: This feature is perfect for interactive content, such as before-and-after reveals or exclusive sneak peeks and is designed to boost engagement by inviting followers to uncover hidden elements.
Moving forward: Test the flip stories on TikTok and see if it helps boost engagement. If it does, you now have a new tactic in your back pocket to incorporate into your social strategy!

Source: TikTok Newsroom

New rules for the TikTok search. You can now edit scheduled posts via LinkedIn’s native scheduling tool.

TLDR: As TikTok prepares to launch it’s new TikTok Search campaign feature, they have recently released a list of new rules surrounding which keywords they will and will not allow. The categories listed are “Anti-discrimination & Sensitive topics”, “Housing, Employment, and Credit”, and “Financial Services & Products.” For example, you can use the keyword “budgeting” but “credit repair” is not allowed.
Our POV: In ‘Search Everywhere’ future, leveraging social search on TikTok is especially important for brands that want to rank across all platforms, not just Google.
Moving forward: By paying close attention to the guidelines and closely adhering to them can ensure that all campaigns will not violate TikTok terms of service.

Source: TikTok Newsroom

Digital PR

Cision releases webinar on effective pitching. Media monitoring tool collaborates with PR Newswire on a new PR Pitching Webinar.

TLDR: According to Cision’s Global State of the Media Report, 73% of journalists deem only a quarter of the pitches they receive to be relevant. In reaction to this statistic, Cision reached out to journalists to discover the best practices for PR professional’s when it comes to building valuable long-lasting relationships. They then brought on journalists to discuss how the stats apply to them personally in a new webinar that we attended.
Our POV: Connecting with the right journalist can push content to the forefront of a targeted audience. The challenge is to find the right fit for both the journalist and the created content, while then producing a compelling enough pitch that is can cut through the overwhelming number of emails they receive daily. The webinar discusses what journalists are looking for, what content they favor, and what will instantly get your pitch sent to their junk mail.
Moving forward: Webinars are a great way to get a unique perspective from those who we are pitching stories to everyday. By joining as many of these as possible, we can better build lasting relationships.

Source: Cision

Content Marketing

Utilize images and visuals to dominate SERPs. Adding images and visual content will futureproof your site for search.

TLDR: With Google continuously prioritizing visual search, companies need to stay on top of their visual content strategy to ensure they remain in the top SERPs. Text-based content is important, but it should be used with videos and images to create optimized assets across a variety of channels. Notable visual content trends include short-form videos, featured images, tailored experiences, mobile optimization, and in-video interaction. Following a 7-step process can help futureproof your site for the rise of visual search: 1. Curate, 2. Centralize, 3. Optimize, 4. Distribute, 5. Application and infrastructure, 6. Governance and checklist, and 7. metrics and KPIs are all integral pieces to the process of creating, distributing, and monitoring successful visual content.
Our POV: Having a holistic content strategy with strong visuals across a variety of channels is important. With an increasingly visual-driven search, images will help your site to rank . However, make sure the images are high-quality and consistent across the site, otherwise it could do more harm than good. Following the steps above can help ensure that you are creating quality visuals.
Moving forward: The Content Team at NPD makes visual content recommendations for many of the projects we support our clients with. These can include infographics, short videos, custom images, and more, depending on scope and the content piece.

Source: Search Engine Land

Content marketing shifts with three disruptions. Build trust and truth and differentiate digital content with quick delivery.

TLDR: Content marketing is seeing a shift with three major disruptions. The first is a shift in consumer patience and attention spans. Consumers want everything to be seamlessly integrated and attention-catching within a few seconds or they’ll bounce to a new video, page, etc. With that, companies need branded experiences that are engaging and immediately create trust. The second, a shift in how physical presence is perceived. Being present at a physical location is now equated to more value, so any in-person events must stand out, whereas digital content needs a greater emphasis on engagement with the audience. Third, a decline in trust and truth, which has been amplified by the 2024 elections, emphasizes the need for brands to create trustworthy content experiences.
Our POV: We understand the importance of creating scroll-stopping experiences for audiences and follow best practices for optimizing social content. Shareable assets are another great opportunity to create branded experiences that resonate with users in a fast-moving landscape. Knowing your audience, with personas, helps you to understand what drives them, what they want from brands, and how you can connect and build trust with them. We’ll make content recommendations based on what’s best for your audience with a priority on E-E-A-T which focuses on building trust and authority with your audience.
Moving forward: We’ll continue to make content recommendations with your audience in mind and bring up opportunities to expand your personas knowledge as needed. We also will make holistic recommendations for digital content, whether that be a larger visual or shareable asset opportunity to garner more brand awareness.

Source: Content Marketing Institute

Paid Search

Video enabled shopping ads. Prepare for a more dynamic shopping ad experience where you can include a “watch” button.

TLDR: Google is testing a new video feature in shopping ads that integrates a play icon, transforming into a “watch” button on hover, allowing users to view product videos directly within search results.
Our POV: While this could enhance ad engagement due to video content’s higher interaction rates, it may reduce traffic to landing pages as Google retains users within its ecosystem. This shift emphasizes in-ad interactions over site visits, reflecting Google’s ongoing interest in rich media advertising formats and a more interactive search experience.
Moving forward: You don’t need to hire a production crew, simply use existing images and Google’s AI will help turn those into dynamic videos where you can add audio & text overlay.

Source: Search Engine Land

Pmax & ai video creation. Google is integrating its advanced Imagen 3 AI model for creative optimization.

TLDR: Google’s latest update to Performance Max integrates the Imagen 3 AI model, bringing powerful video creation and asset testing capabilities. Here’s what’s new and how to leverage it effectively.
Our POV: Stronger creative performance with AI-enhanced visuals can help ads break through. As early features roll out, be prepared to monitor for bugs and adjust as needed.
Moving forward: Experiment with asset testing (once in beta) to sharpen our creative direction. Utilize ad preview links to streamline team feedback and collaboration. Track impact closely as we adopt new features to ensure consistent performance.

Source: Search Engine Land

Google’s new business links. A new asset type with features to target customized & varied user intents with a single Search ad.

TLDR: Google’s Business Links pilot lets advertisers target diverse user intents within a single ad, using custom headlines to boost engagement and relevance. Here’s how to set it up and leverage its unique features.
Our POV: Business Links enable advanced targeting and real-time content enhancement, potentially increasing click-through rates. Limited availability in pilot phase, and possible overlap with sitelinks may lead to auction complexity.
Moving forward: Set up Business Links under Campaigns > Assets in Google Ads (if available). Add multiple headlines to capture a broader user intent range, aiming for at least six links per campaign. Review performance data under Assets > Associations to refine and optimize.

Source: Google

Paid Social

Google’s new business links. A new asset type with features to target customized & varied user intents with a single Search ad.

TLDR: Google’s Business Links pilot lets advertisers target diverse user intents within a single ad, using custom headlines to boost engagement and relevance. Here’s how to set it up and leverage its unique features.
Our POV: Business Links enable advanced targeting and real-time content enhancement, potentially increasing click-through rates. Limited availability in pilot phase, and possible overlap with sitelinks may lead to auction complexity.
Moving forward: Set up Business Links under Campaigns > Assets in Google Ads (if available). Add multiple headlines to capture a broader user intent range, aiming for at least six links per campaign. Review performance data under Assets > Associations to refine and optimize.

Source: Google

TikTok: automated ad targeting options. Automate, measure and maximize with new automated performance features.

TLDR: TikTok introduces new advertising solutions: automated Performance Tools (Smart+), Measurement Capabilities, and Privacy Technologies. These innovations simplify ad buying, maximize business outcomes, and enhance data privacy. Advertisers can expect improved returns, increased conversion rates, and enhanced campaign effectiveness.
Our POV: TikTok’s perspective focuses on empowering brands to authentically connect with their community, driving business results through innovative advertising solutions. By prioritizing user engagement and commerce growth, TikTok creates a unique ecosystem where culture, discovery, and commerce converge. This viewpoint underscores TikTok’s commitment to delivering tangible value to businesses and fostering meaningful brand-community interactions.
Moving forward: TikTok’s future plans focus on advancing advertising, enhancing user experience, and fostering commerce growth, through expanded automated advertising, strengthened data privacy, and amplified commerce integrations, plus innovative content creation tools.

Source: TikTok Newsroom

Linkedin: lead gen for boosted posts. Convert organic posts into paid ads and capture high-quality leads.

TLDR: LinkedIn introduces post boosting for Lead Generation, enabling businesses to capture high-quality leads. This feature turns organic posts into ads, leveraging first-party data to extend reach beyond existing page followers.
Our POV: From LinkedIn’s perspective, post boosting for Lead Generation empowers businesses to harness their content’s potential. With 2 billion monthly interactions on company Pages, this feature helps businesses tap into professional insights and industry trends, driving meaningful connections.
Moving forward: LinkedIn’s post boosting for Lead Generation paves the way for streamlined lead generation. Businesses can expect simplified campaign setup, amplified reach, and high-quality lead capture. This innovation reinforces LinkedIn’s commitment to connecting professionals and businesses, fostering growth and opportunities.

Source: LinkedIn

Marketplaces

Amazon marketing cloud comes to search. AMC previously only accessible to DSP will unlock extra insights and audiences.

TLDR: At Amazon unBoxed 2024, Amazon announced that advertisers using Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) can now apply AMC audiences directly to Sponsored Display, Sponsored Products, and Sponsored Brands. This update empowers advertisers to act on AMC insights within sponsored ad campaigns, reaching shoppers at critical moments in their journey.
Our POV: This update brings new capabilities to our clients, allowing them to use AMC insights to enhance targeting precision across Amazon Ads. Access to AMC’s in-depth audience insights, however, will require a data partner like Pacvue. With the right support, brands can build audiences tailored to their high-value shoppers, adjust bids using real-time data, and reengage past viewers through formats like Amazon DSP streaming TV. By integrating these capabilities, our clients can create full-funnel strategies that better align with conversion goals.
Moving Forward: As Amazon continues expanding its advertising tools, our clients can gain a competitive edge by adopting AMC audience targeting capabilities. Early adopters who leverage these audience insights and bidding options are well-positioned to increase ad relevance and drive higher engagement and conversion across Amazon’s ecosystem.

Source: Amazon Unboxed

Amazon audience bid boosting. Create bid modifiers for your custom audiences searching.

TLDR: Amazon Ads has launched audience bid boosting for Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands, allowing advertisers to create and reach custom audiences through Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC). This feature enables advertisers to adjust bids based on specific audience segments to enhance product discovery and drive sales.
OUR POV: This launch empowers our clients to reach more precise audience segments within Amazon’s ecosystem. By using AMC, advertisers can define custom audiences, such as new prospects or viewers of streaming TV campaigns, and adjust bids to engage them strategically. However, it’s important to note that these audiences must meet a minimum size requirement to qualify for targeting, ensuring privacy compliance. Small, limited data sets, such as a handful of sales, won’t meet the threshold, which protects user privacy and maintains data integrity.
Moving Forward: To leverage audience bid boosting effectively, our clients should focus on building robust audience segments in AMC. By using the Targetable Entities API and relevant Campaign APIs, they can seamlessly integrate these custom audiences into Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands campaigns. Tracking performance through AMC’s sponsored_ads_traffic table offers valuable insights, allowing for ongoing optimization of bidding strategies and audience targeting as these new tools are adopted more broadly across Amazon Ads.

Source: Amazon Unboxed

User Experience

New heatmap data filters. Filter heatmap reports using multiple visitor segments for more granular behavior analysis.

TLDR: Crazy Egg’s newest feature release ensure users can drill-down even further in their Audience Segment Reports. For example, say you have new visitors from Instagram ads and returning desktop users clicking different CTAs. Or morning and nighttime visitors engaging with different content. View their filtered heatmaps side-by-side, to quickly distinguish what each segment is doing differently.
Our POV: This feature allows marketers to more easily identify traffic sources that interfere with data quality. For example, many marketers find that display ads push lots of low-quality traffic into their reporting. Filter these out and get a crisper view of what real users are doing.
Moving forward: NPD clients can benefit from a discount for Crazy Egg. Ask how our UX team can help you better understand the value of your web pages by testing an optimized design against lifetime value!

Source: CrazyEgg

CRO

Maximize conversions with CRO strategies. Boost conversion rates by up to 30% with A/B testing, personalization, and faster load times.

TLDR: Conversion rate optimization (CRO) continues to demonstrate its critical role in boosting ecommerce performance. Statistics show that small improvements—like faster load times and A/B testing—can yield significant conversion gains, with some tactics increasing conversions by up to 30%.
Our POV: For performance agencies, these statistics reinforce the importance of iterative testing and site optimization. Personalization, faster load speeds, and simplified checkout processes can help clients see immediate improvements in conversion rates, which will justify continued investments in CRO strategies.
Moving forward: Prioritize enhancing client websites through personalized content, A/B testing, and mobile optimization. Regularly testing new landing page variations and improving page speed are key steps to maximizing conversions, particularly for ecommerce clients.

Source: Shopify

Zocket’s ai studio boosts ad performance. AI-powered ad creation and targeting tools enhance CRO for agencies and brands.

TLDR: Zocket’s AI Studio, recently launched in the U.S., optimizes ad creation and targeting, enabling marketers to streamline workflows, enhance audience engagement, and improve conversion rates.
Our POV: Zocket’s AI Studio can be a game-changer for CRO-focused agencies, allowing them to rapidly test and optimize ad creatives and targeting, driving higher conversion rates with minimal manual effort.
Moving forward: Consider incorporating AI tools into your CRO strategy to automate and optimize ad campaigns, focusing on improving conversion rates through precision targeting and creative enhancements.

Source: News File Corp