This Week’s Industry News
Compiled by the Rocket Clicks Team
Top Stories
Sites with Shady Download Buttons Now Getting Blocked by Google
In a move that many see as long overdue, Google has begun blocking access to sites in its search results if that site contains deceptive download buttons. If searchers click through to a site with deceptive download buttons, they will be greeted with a red warning screen that warns of the “deceptive site ahead” and offers a “back to safety” button. Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Google Redesigns Gmail Ads
Google has recently redesigned their Gmail ads which appear above emails in the promotions tab. They now appear with a yellow “Ads” tag that one would normally see in the Google search results, while also blending in more with other emails. The test is being seen for both mobile and desktop, although it seems to only be showing up for a certain percentage of users. Source: The SEM Post
Right-to-be-Forgotten Links will be Removed Worldwide
After the dust settled on Europe’s “Right To Be Forgotten” movement, Google agreed to block searchers from finding removed links in their home country. For instance, a removal request made in France would result in that link no longer being available only on Google.fr. Now, after some additional “encouragement” by France’s CNIL, Google will be removing requested URLs from all versions of Google, worldwide. Source: Search Engine Land
Google Putting An End to Flash Ads
Starting January 2, 2017, Google will be completely phasing out Flash ads in favor of HTML5 ads. Even before then, on June 30 of this year, you will no longer be able to upload display ads in Flash format. Many experts predicted this announcement, since many users have not even been able to show Flash ads because of security issues. Google currently offers tools to build new ads in HTML5 should you not have any other versions available other than Flash. Source: The SEM Post
Google Allowing Representatives of Knowledge Graph Boxes Change Content
Previously, if a person or business wanted to alter the information in their knowledge graph on Google, they would have to make changes indirectly through their website or Google My Business profile. Now, Google is offering users the ability to update the information on their knowledge graph when logged into the Google account that is associated with the business or person. Source: Search Engine Land
Emojis Now Blocked from PLA’s
Following a quiet update by Google, you will no longer be able to include emojis in your listings. This follows news last month regarding emoji’s being able to be used in store names for PLAs. Several advertisers took advantage of emojis while they lasted, but weren’t surprised when Google no longer allowed them to be used in their listings, due to similar events happening in the organic search results in the past. Source: The SEM Post
Additional Commentary
Can You Trust the Google My Business Guidelines?
Local SEO extraordinaire Andrew Shotland recently posed this question on his blog, Local SEO Guide. Shotland begins by clarifying that the Google My Business guidelines are “what make the most sense for them in running their business, not what makes the most sense for our clients’ businesses.” To test how following the guidelines affected search performance, Shotland closely followed the recommendations for choosing business categories for one of his clients. Ironically, though, Shotland’s client’s performance in the search results actually worsened after making the changes. Analysis: Local SEO Guide
Top PPC Tools to Try This Year
Larry Kim shares a whopping 29 useful tools for you to try with your PPC account this year. While Kim recommends obvious tools like the AdWords and Bing Ads Editor, he also shares useful tools like BuzzSumo, which can help you create catchy PPC headlines for your ads. If you’re running Facebook ads, you can also use AdEspresso which allows you to optimize and analyze your Facebook campaigns. Should you wish to create your own display ads, the author recommends the tools Share as Image and Canva to upload your own images and get creative. Analysis: Larry Kim, Search Engine Watch
