Category: Google
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Google Antitrust Ruling: No Breakup, But… Changes Ahead and Unresolved Issues
Federal Judge Amit P. Mehta delivered a landmark ruling this week in the long-awaited Google antitrust case, but the decision reveals the complex challenges of regulating Big Tech in the AI age. While Google avoided the breakup many expected, the ruling introduces significant new oversight measures that could reshape how…
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The ChatGPT Referral Traffic Paradox: 52% Decline Reveals Shifting AI Citation Patterns
The artificial intelligence search landscape is experiencing a seismic shift, and the latest data reveals a surprising contradiction in ChatGPT’s role as a traffic driver. While AI-powered search has been hailed as the future of information discovery, recent analysis shows that ChatGPT’s referral traffic to websites has experienced a dramatic…
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What’s Loading in the Background When You Visit a Website?
Website tracking continues to spin out of control, collecting your data and repackaging it for sale. Sometimes what loads in the background can be helpful. Other times, providing data to site owners. And sometimes, it’s nearly impossible to tell what’s actually loading behind the scenes. Here’s a breakdown of what’s…
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Study: Google Changes Your Meta Titles in 76% of Searches
Hey. You. We know you spent all that time creating the perfect title for that article or blog post. But. Forget it. We’ll just scan your article and come up with our own title. That’s what Google’s doing now in the majority of cases, according to this article at Search…
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Google Doesn’t Care if Content is AI? Ummm…That’s Not Correct
You can’t be much clearer than this: Danny Sullivan, Google: “That’s not what we said.” Sullivan said the guidance they put out on AI-generated content has been misinterpreted by many in the SEO community. Many took the guidance as AI content was fine as long as it was quality AI-generated…
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Google Cracking Down on Site Reputation Abuse
Whether you do it or work with a third-party content provider, if it’s not related to your site’s core mission, you’re at risk. “Site reputation abuse is the practice of publishing third-party pages on a site in an attempt to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site’s…
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Google’s Watermarking of AI Images and Text
In a significant move for digital content integrity, Google has introduced SynthID, a tool designed to watermark and detect AI-generated images. This innovation addresses a growing challenge in the digital age: distinguishing between real and AI-created visuals. As the capabilities of AI evolve, it has become increasingly difficult to identify…
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Judge Rules Google Illegally Monopolized Search Market, Setting Stage for Potential Industry Shakeup
In a landmark decision that could reshape the internet landscape, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly over internet search. The verdict, delivered on Monday, marks a significant victory for the U.S. Justice Department in its most substantial antitrust case in 25 years. The…
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Optimizing for GEO: Generative Search Engine Optimization
A new study of 10,000 search queries focusing on generative search results by researchers from Princeton, Georgia Tech, The Allen Institute of AI, and IIT Delhi found that you can improve visibility by: “Specifically, our top-performing methods, Cite Sources, Quotation Addition, and Statistics Addition, achieved a relative improvement of 30-40%,”…
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Google Research Paper: Is Generative AI Ruining the Internet?
“Google researchers publish paper about how AI is ruining the internet” “Google: AI Potentially Breaking Reality Is a Feature Not a Bug” I saw these headlines in Futurism and 404 Media. They’re powerful statements and came from a review of a paper by researchers at Google’s DeepMind titled Generative AI…
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July 1st Deadline: Act Now or Lose Years of Analytics Data Forever
If you haven’t already made the switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you’re about out of time. Google is set to retire Universal Analytics, its long-standing web analytics platform, ushering in a new digital analytics era with GA4. The Countdown to July 1st Time is of the essence as we…
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Google’s New Algorithm Update Crushing Sites With AI-Generated Content: My Experiment
Google’s March 2024 core algorithm update is cracking down on low-quality, AI-generated content across the web. Google wants to “reduce unhelpful, unoriginal content on Search and keep it at very low levels.” Google says the update involves adjusting its rankings “if webpages are unhelpful, have a poor user experience. or…
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Google AI Cracking Down on Fake Business Reviews
To tackle the rise of false internet reviews that hurt local companies and mislead customers, Google has turned to artificial intelligence (AI). More than 170 million bogus reviews were removed by the corporation in 2023—a 45% rise from the year before. Local business owners who have suffered from false reviews…
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Google Begins Phase Out of Third-Party Cookies for Chrome Users
According to a new report by Engadget, Google has disabled third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users globally on January 4th, marking the start of its Privacy Sandbox project that was first introduced years ago. With Chrome accounting for over 50% of the worldwide browser market share, this initial rollout…
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Major Technology Companies Join Forces on Responsible AI Development
Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have formed the Frontier Model Forum, a new consortium focused on advancing safe and responsible AI. The Forum aims to benefit the AI community by developing best practices, evaluating capabilities and risks, and enabling research access. Key goals include: Membership is open to organizations developing…
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Analyzing Searcher Intent Signals for Better SEO Content
Understanding user intent is central to effective SEO content creation. Search engines are getting increasingly sophisticated at detecting the underlying needs and goals behind each query. In order to rank for those queries, your content must align with searcher intent. By researching and analyzing intent signals around your target keywords,…
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Apple, Google Privacy Changes May Disrupt Tracking, Attribution
Both Apple and Google are anticipated to implement new privacy enhancements alongside the release of their upcoming platform updates. In the case of iOS 17, which will enter public beta in July before its official launch in September, Apple plans to automatically eliminate link trackers from URLs transmitted through Message…
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Facebook, Instagram to Block News in Canada Due to New Law
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has announced that it will block access to news articles on Facebook and Instagram in Canada. This decision comes after Canada passed the Online News Act, a new law that requires internet companies to pay news publishers for their content. Meta had initially protested against…
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Website and Cross-Site Tracking Is Out of Control
I know I’m not the first to point this out, but tracking by websites is out of control. After an hour of being online today, all at mainstream websites, I somehow managed to accumulate more than 8,000 trackers. After clearing it, a journey to a news website, a Google search,…
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Maps Reimagined if Streaming Services Were Countries
A new study by Mackeeper has analyzed which streaming services are bigger than entire countries! The US dominates global tech and is home to the majority of tech giants including streaming services, but this study shows which of these mammoth services are bigger than countries by comparing population to subscriber…
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Apple, Amazon Are Wealthier than 92% of the Countries in the World
A new study by Clario Tech has analyzed which tech giants are wealthier than entire countries! Tech giant, Apple dominates global industry and has reached a colossal value of $2.2 trillion. This study shows just how large Apple and other tech giants would be if they were recognized countries on Earth. Looking…
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Two-thirds of Search Clicks Come from Mobile Devices
Whether you’re buying PPC ads to get to the top of search engine rankings or using SEO to rank high organically, it’s all about mobile these days. More than two-thirds of search ad clicks (67.8%) in Q4 2020 happened on a mobile device — primarily smartphones — according to a…
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The World’s Top Websites in 2020
With people stuck inside their home, they relied on technology to stay connect more than ever. Businesses had to adapt to this online shift. It resulted in new online habits and the way people used the internet in 2020. A study done by the UK Domain has revealed the top…
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DOJ v Google: Don’t Expect Action for Years
It’s going to be a very long time before the government gets a day in court against the big tech firms, at least if you look at the Department of Justice complaint against Google as an indication. The tentative trial date for court action is September of 2023. “If anybody…
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Google’s Top Searches in 2020
Google says people asked “Why” in searches more than ever before. They also asked “What day is it?” a lot. Overall, here are the top five searches in 2020 in the US. Election results Coronavirus Kobe Bryant Coronavirus update Coronavirus symptoms Globally, results were similar: Coronavirus Election results Kobe Bryant…
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Which Companies Have the Most Personal Data about You?
The folks at Clario have put together a fascinating chart that breaks down which online platforms and brands collect the most data and what they know about us. I thought it was worth sharing. Facebook and Instagram top the list (no surprise). We all do it – click ‘accept’ on…
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When Can I Measure the ROI of My B2B Campaigns?
When you launch an advertising campaign, you want results. For B2C products, a digital ad with an incentive, such as a discount or limited-time sale, can lead ROI in short order. The sales cycle is short. Sales can also stop the minute you stop advertising. For B2B businesses, the sales…
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House Reports Claims Anticompetitive Behavior by Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook
“Our investigation leaves no doubt that there is a clear and compelling need for Congress and the antitrust enforcement agencies to take action that restores competition, improves innovation, and safeguards our democracy.” Rep. David Cicilline After reviewing more than 1.3 million internal documents and interviewing more than 240 people and…
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Big Changes Coming to Digital Ad Tracking: A Cookie-less Future?
We’re in for some big changes when it comes to tracking and advertising. While government regulators are making noise about taking action against major tech companies, the industry has not-so-quietly been making a couple of key changes that could lead to a cookie-less future. Cookies are those things websites use…
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SEM: Is There Value in the Google Guaranteed Program?
Here’s a new wrinkle to Google search for local businesses. Advertisers on Google can now display a green checkmark, which Google will tag businesses with either “Google Screened” or “Google Guaranteed.” It’s only available right now for certain categories of business, such as law, financial planning, and real estate for…
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Facebook Threatens to Stop Allowing News Sharing over Pending Legislation in Australia
Facebook is publicly ramping up the battle with the Australian government over pending legislation that would force it to pay royalties for use of copyrighted news content. It’s a battle being watched closely in both media and tech circles because the implications go farther than just what’s happening in Australia.…
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Anti-Trust Hearings Against Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Google: What’s at Stake
Nearly half of Americans now believe major tech companies should face more regulation. That was one key finding in a new survey by the Pew Research Center. The survey was released as a House Judiciary Committee is looking into tech companies. Specifically, they are examining anti-trust concerns. Google, Facebook, Amazon,…
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Mobile Speed is Crucial in Today’s Mobile World
Google and Deloitte combined forces to look at mobile load times for 30 days across four verticals: Retail Luxury Travel Lead generation (such as insurance or auto sites) The results, published in a Whitepaper titled “Milliseconds make Millions,” were clear: 1. Faster sites mean more customers will reach checkout 2.…
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NY State Data Tax: Legislation Would Tax Companies that Make Money from Consumer Data
A new bill working its way through the NY state legislatures wants to tax companies that sell or make money from the use of consumer data. Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato wants to create a mutual fund from taxes that would pay a yearly dividend. New York State Assembly Bill A9112:…
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Morning Consult Poll: Only 8% Trust News Media to Do the Right Things
When you look at the top line results of the survey from Morning Consult, it’s scary. Only 8% of American have a lot of trust in the news media. Media does better than just a few others: The US Government, Wall Street, and Hollywood which rank at the bottom of…
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A Game-Changer for Internet Privacy
You’ve probably never heard of it, but a new protocol called DOH could be a game-changer for online privacy. DOH stands for DNS-over-HTTPS. It would encrypt DNS traffic within your browser and hide requests and responses. When you enter a website’s URL into a web browser, it’s sent to the…
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When Can I Measure the ROI of My B2B Campaigns?
When you launch an advertising campaign, you want results. For B2C products, a digital ad with an incentive, such as a discount or limited-time sale, you can expect to track the ROI in short order. The sales cycle is short. For B2B businesses, the sales cycle is much longer. 74%…
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Google says New Algorithm Update is “One of the Biggest Leaps Forward in the History of Search”
“With the latest advancements from our research team in the science of language understanding–made possible by machine learning–we’re making a significant improvement to how we understand queries, representing the biggest leap forward in the past five years, and one of the biggest leaps forward in the history of Search,”…
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More Bad News for Organic Search + New Research on Paid Search, Social Media, and Mobile Ads
If you’re hoping organic search is the way to increase conversions on Google, we’ve got some sobering news for you: organic search on Google is producing just 22% of site visits, according to the new 3Q 2019 Digital Marketing Report from Merkle. Here are a few of the others insights…
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Google to Recognize Original Reporting in Search Rankings
We’ve seen it play out too many times. One news outlet puts significant resources into reporting a story. As soon as it goes online, it’s being reported by other media. The place that broke the story quickly cedes control as higher- rated websites rank higher in search. Often, cloned copies…
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Changing Channels: Direct to Consumer Brands Are Moving Digital Dollars Back to Traditional Advertising
Many D2C brands are moving digital dollars back to traditional marketing channels. Rising costs of digital mediums Need to build brand awareness, trust, and credibility They are finding out that the direct response type campaigns that can work on search and social media channels will only take you so far. …
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Facing a $5 Billion Fine, Facebook Adds $10 Billion in Market Value
“Facebook’s infringements of the 2011 consent decree and its pattern of violating user trusts have been both vast and brazen.” – Letter to FTC from Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) The Senators are reacting to word that’s leaked out that Facebook will by…
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IAB: TV Ads Are Still the Best for Generating Awareness
When the TVB (Television Bureau of Advertising) puts out a study that says TV ads are the best marketing solution for businesses, some critics say the results are skewed because it’s a TV-focused organization. If that happens in the future, you can now point to the survey done by the…
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GDPR vs CCPA: How Privacy Regulations Affect Businesses
New privacy laws on the world stage are impacting businesses that have any online presence and capture personally-identifiable data. GDPR The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has already had a significant effect on companies doing business in the EU or doing business with EU residents. It’s affected most U.S.…
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Internet Trends 2019: Mary Meekers’ Annual Report Shows Big Changes
Mary Meeker is a venture capitalist and former Wall Street security analyst. She’s ranked by Forbes as one of the top 100 most powerful women in the world. When she unveils her annual presentation on Internet trends, it makes news. This year’s report is no different. You read the full…
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Should Content Creators Share in the Wealth from Search Engines?
Here’s an idea: tech companies pay you for the data you provide. State lawmakers in California, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom have proposed assessing a financial value on the personal data companies collect about their users. The LA Times reports that there is a research team looking at the issue…
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The Justice Department Investigation into Google: What We Know
Facebook’s gotten a lot of attention lately by legislators and regulators, but now the attention is shifting towards Google. The Justice Department is focusing on advertising and search, but the exact focus is unclear according to the Washington Post. CNBC reports that investigation is about whether the tech company violated…
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Study: Half the Business Listing Online Contain Inaccurate Information
It seems so simple. How hard is it to get your name, address, phone number, and website URL right online? Apparently, it’s not so easy. A new study by Uberall and reported in Search Engine Journal analyzed 73,000 online business location listings in the Boston metro area. They found nearly…
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Amid Privacy Issues, Facebook Promises Privacy Will Be the Foundation for the Future
“I understand that many people don’t think Facebook can or would even want to build this kind of privacy-focused platform — because frankly we don’t currently have a strong reputation for building privacy protective services and we’ve historically focused on tools for more open sharing,” wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.…
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New EU Copyright Rules Could Be a Major Disruptor for Google, YouTube, et al
New copyright rules have been voted in by the European Parliament that could be a major disruptor for Google, YouTube, and other digital platforms. Musicians and content creators have pushed for the legislation. Others argue that it destroys user-generated content. Here are the two clauses that are generating the attention:…
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Google+ May Be Saved After All… Kind Of
If you’re one of those folks (like me) that embraced Google+ when it started out, you may have been surprised (like me) when the company announced it was shutting down. It was an ambitious project for the internet giant, but they admitted defeat in October. People, it seemed, just didn’t…
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Long-form Content Results in 56% More Social Shares
Long-form content results in 56% more social shares than content shorter than 1,000 words, according to new research from BuzzSumo and Backlinko. The research, which analyzed over 900 million articles, also discovered that long-form content was correlated with better backlink performance. Specifically, posts weighing in at more than 3,000 words receive an…
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85% of Websites Fail to Meet Google Page Load Speed Standards
The faster your mobile site loads, the better you’ll look to Google’s robots when it scans your site. Slow-loading websites are now being penalized in the algorithm while fast-loading sites are rewarded. Google recommend your site loads on mobile in 5 seconds or less. Research from Unbounce, however, shows that…
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Amazon is predicting what you want and sending out free samples
Amazon is apparently beta-testing a new advertising strategy that leverages its logistics and delivery expertise with its massive treasure trove of consumer data. A report in Axios says Amazon has teamed up with advertisers Maybelline and Folgers to send free samples to users with a predilection for purchasing their products. …
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Google wins, Facebook loses in lawsuits over use of Facial Recognition
Two different ruling in privacy cases over use of biometric data called “faceprints.” A federal judge threw out the lawsuit against Google. The judge ruled that the Illinois consumers that sued were unable to prove any damages. Lindabeth Rivera and Jospeh Weiss were the named plaintiffs in a class action…
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French regulators hit Google with $57 million fine for violations of GDPR
Google has been hit with a $57 million fine for violations of the EU’s GDRP privacy regulations. CNIL (French data protection regulators) concluded that Google had failed to comply with the law. Lack of Transparency When setting up Android phones, the regulators said Google did not disclose “essential information” to…
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Is Facebook facing record fines for violating its FTC privacy agreement?
The Federal Trade Commission is looking at what could be record-setting fines against Facebook, according to the Washington Post. It has to do with the binding agreement the social media company signed in 2011 to protect personal data. The fine would be for violating that agreement. The biggest fine to…
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Google Ads Now Features “Pay for Conversions” Option
Google has announced Pay for Conversion options for display campaigns. Choosing Target CPS in Conversions under the Bidding when setting up your Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) display unit will mean you only pay when someone converts on your website or app. You won’t be charged for clicks…
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Online Brand Search Spikes Within Seconds of TV Ads Airing
Advertise on TV and people will search for you online… almost instantly. As many as 90% of TV viewers have a digital device either in their hands or within reach while watching. “Forget the remote,” said Lisa Gevelber, VP Global Marketing at Google. “Smartphones are becoming the essential TV-watching companion.”…
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Digital Ad Fraud Continues to Grow; FTC Asked to Investigate Google
Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the prevalence of digital ad fraud. In particular he wants the FTC to look at Google in light of a BuzzFeed investigation uncovering more than 125 Android apps and websites that potentially siphoned off millions of dollars…
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Google Is Under Investigation for Privacy Breach That Led Them to Shut down Google+
The best social network you probably never used is shutting down. After security problems that Google apparently didn’t report publicly, Google+ is closing down inAugust, 2019. The private data of half a million of Google+ users was exposed in early 2018, but the company never reported it at the time. …
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Digital Media Consumption Way Up: Winners and Losers
Overall digital media consumption grew by 15% in August alone, according to a Pivotal Media Research analysis of Nielsen’s August 2018 data as reported by Wayne Friedman in MediaPost. Winners and Losers Google goes up. Facebook goes down. Google products, including YouTube, Google, and Waze account for 32.8% of all…
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Google Algorithm: Low Traffic Does Not Equal Low Quality Content
Google’s John Mueller had some good news for bloggers (like me) when it comes to evaluating the quality of content. Just because it doesn’t have a lot of page views doesn’t mean Google’s algorithm will flag it as low quality. During a recent Google Webmaster Central hangout, he was asked…
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California passes new privacy law with greater consumer controls
It’s not perfect, but the new privacy laws passed by California that go into effect 1/1/20 will help give some consumers more control over their online data and what happens to it. The big deal is you can opt out of having your info sold. The law applies to businesses…
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Did Google violate the 2011 consent order by tracking users without permission?
Following an Associated Press report revealing that Google tracks user location even when users opt-out, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) in D.C. contends the Google if violating the 2011 consent order on privacy issues. In the settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Google is not allowed to track users after…
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SEJ: Is Google My Business Stealing Your Leads?
Earlier this year, Google added a new option in their Google My Business platform. It let businesses add a link to click for appointments or services. Sounds good so far, but Shelly Fagin is reporting in Search Engine Journal (SEJ) that it may not be what it seems. In fact,…
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Four Reports Show Serious Problems for Facebook
Four reports within the past 10 days point to a serious problem for Facebook. First, the headlines: Facebook is shedding massive traffic — and it’s apparently flocking to YouTube Facebook’s web traffic has declined by nearly half in the last two years, while YouTube is climbing Facebook Engagement Sharply Drops…
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Google hit with $5 Billion fine by EU regulators
Can a software maker require a hardware maker to pre-install its software apps on a device as a condition of doing business? We’ll find out. The European Union, which is taking digital privacy seriously, is now attacking on another front. With a whopping $5 billion fine against Google, added to…
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Do you trust social media to protect your privacy?
A new survey conducted by Washington-based digital agency Rad Campaign and analytics firm Lincoln Park Strategies has found 3 out of 5 Americans distrust social media when it comes to protecting their privacy online. Despite increased use of social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat and use of smart speakers like Amazon Echo…
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Social Media falling out of favor as a news source
Reuters Institute surveyed more than 74,000 people in 37 countries about where they get their news online. What they found is that social media is quickly falling out of favor for news consumption after years of continuous growth. “For the last seven years we have tracked the key sources for…
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How to Delete Your Google Search History
Like Facebook and Apple before it, Google has introduced a new user privacy policy to comply with a new European data privacy law — General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — that went into effect on May 25. Google’s updated privacy policy makes it easier to understand what information it collects about you. More importantly, Google has improved its privacy controls…
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Publishers could be required to get permission and pay to link to copyright material
Now that GDPR is the law in the European Union, lawmakers have their sights on copyright reform, which could have significant impact on the way websites work. They want to bring digital copyright laws across Europe into a unified code. According to the proposed legislation, it “provides for measures aiming at…
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The AdWords Illusion: Forget the sales funnel
I’ve written before about the problem with using “last-click attribution” as a key metric for deciding where and how to place your advertising. Who gets credit for driving customers? The last thing they visited. Many marketers are just counting the click and forgetting about all the other marketing it took…
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Facebook, Google hit with multi-billion dollars lawsuits on first day of GDPR privacy and consent rules
On day one of the new GDPR privacy and consent rules in the European Union, Google (and its Android operating system) and Facebook (including WhatsApp and Instagram) were served with lawsuits that allege the companies “coerce users” into sharing personal data in violation of the law. The lawsuits are asking…
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How Your Landing Page Can Impact Your Quality Score and Search Performance
According to Google, AdWords looks for how useful your landing page will be when someone clicks through your ad. They cite “well organized” and “relevant text” as measures, along with keyword matches. Improving Your Landing Page Quality Score Useful and original content – specific to the ad’s keyword Transparent and…
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Google will start flagging non-secure websites
Starting in September, websites that aren’t secure will start being flagged in Google’s Chrome browser. If your website starts with HTTP that means visitors will see something like this when they go to your site: If you haven’t switched to a secure site (HTTPS), it’s time. Chrome is the dominant…
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Listen to Google Duplex AI calling a hair salon and make an appointment
This is truly mind-blowing sci-fi stuff. If you haven’t heard Google Duplex yet, get ready to be impressed. Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, wowed the crowd at I/O 2018 when he played back recordings of phone calls made by Google Assistant to book restaurant reservations and make hair appointments. You tell…
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Amazon Digital Ad Revenues: $2 Billion in Q1 2018?
Look out Goobook, here comes Amazon. We’ve been talking for a while about the emergence of Amazon as an online advertising platform. The numbers from Q1 2018 shows it’s no longer just talk. In just the first quarter of the year, Amazon announced earnings of more than $2 billion in…
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Strike Three for YouTube? Caught in yet Another Ad Scandal
More bad news YouTube: a new report claims the social video platform is once again serving ads for major advertisers on videos with objectionable content. This comes after identical claims last year that led to more than a hundred advertisers cancelling ads and boycotting YouTube. Google promised it would fix…
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Facebook & Google Ad Shares Are Slipping
Here’s a twist: eMarketer estimates that Facebook and Google’s share of advertising will decline in 2018. While they will still control 56.8% of US digital ad dollars, the company predicts, that’s a drop from 58.5% last year. If you’re thinking it has to do with Cambridge Analytica or privacy issues,…
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Google replaces goo.gl URL shortener with “Smart URLs”
We all know how frustrating it is when you click on a link to something you want to see, and it doesn’t go directly where you want to go. It’s more common in the App world, where you’re likely to launch the app but then have to search for the…
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Youtube Reminds Publishers who is in Control – Cuts Revenue to Small Guys
“One of YouTube’s core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel,” said the email I got from YouTube. Apparently their “anyone” doesn’t include me. YouTube says it is tightening its rules and raising the minimum threshold of subscribers you must have in order to…
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8 Ways to Build a Personal Brand
For years, marketers have worked with companies to build their brand. Cementing a brand message into a consumer’s mind makes sure you’ll get a shot at their business when they need your service. Imagine your air conditioner stops working and it’s 95 degrees outside. You’ll head to your computer and…
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Google Proposes New Standards to Speed Up Mobile Page Load Times
On the mobile web, and really everywhere, there’s a real need for speed. The average person clicks away from mobile content if it doesn’t load quickly. Yet the average page loads s-l-o-w-l-y. Something’s got to give. How bad is it? Google’s 2017 study showed the average mobile landing page takes…
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Social Media for Publishers: Revenue Doesn’t Match Investment
Despite all the work media companies put into their Facebook and other social media channels, it has not turned into any significant source of revenue. If you’re in the business you know that. You get some traffic from social media, but not any real dollars. A research report by trade…
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Google and Facebook face potential anti-trust claims
Germany is the latest to level potential anti-trust violations at Facebook and Google. Germany’s anti-trust regulator has started a formal investigation into online advertising. Google and Facebook have said they will cooperate, according to Reuters. When you are an international company, it can be tricky to navigate different laws in…
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Google Chrome Browser Live with Built-In Ad Blocker
The new version of Google’s chrome browser is now live, with its built-in ad blocker. Here’s the short version of what it will block going forward: And here’s Google’s explanation of how it will work. Chrome – the world’s most popular web browser (56% market share) will automatically block ads…
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YouTube shuts down monetization for smaller contributors
“One of YouTube’s core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel,” said the email I got from YouTube this morning. Apparently their “anyone” doesn’t include me. YouTube says it is tightening its rules and raising the minimum threshold of subscribers you must have in…
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Seismic Shifts in Digital Marketing in 2018
As we look ahead to 2018, there are some clear pattern emerging when it comes to digital marketing and advertising. What’s in and out? Here are my predictions for 2018: Content Marketing, SEO, and Value Exchange With the reduced reach of social and the continuing fragmentation of media, marketers are finding…
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Should social media companies screen content before it’s posted?
Should social media companies screen content before it’s posted and weed out offensive or extremist content? Setting aside the First Amendment for a minute, here’s the question: Would you be willing to accept a delay in posting content if it meant increased vetting from tech companies? Tech Companies Team Up…
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Google is moving to mobile-first indexing
Google gave webmasters plenty of warning — more than a year — but it now appears they are ready to step up efforts on indexing mobile websites and serving results based on what they find. Currently, Google’s crawling, indexing, and ranking algortihms look at desktop version. Now, they will switch to mobile-first indexing. “Mobile-first…
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Winners and losers in a rapidly consolidating digital advertising market
Good News for digital ad sellers: Digital Advertising is expected to finish the year with a year-to-year growth rate of 11.5% in 2017 and grow again in 2018 by 11.3%. That information comes from GroupM/WPP, the world’s largest buyer of advertising. Magna (IPG Mediabrands) pegs 2018 digital growth at 13%.…
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Quartz: Android phones send location data even when location services are turned off
“When you use Google services, we may collect and process information about your actual location. We use various technologies to determine location, including IP address, GPS, and other sensors that may, for example, provide Google with information on nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points and cell towers.” – Google Privacy Policy Google says it collects…
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Major changes to online privacy – except in the U.S.
Some big changes are coming to online privacy, especially when it comes to companies like Google and Facebook. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes a new set of rules designed to give people more control over their data. Think about how much of “you” is online. Things…
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Year-long Google study of the dark web shows how accounts get hacked
The folks at Google teamed up with Carnegie Mellon to undertake an extensive study on how accounts get compromised. By searing the dark web, they identified some troubling things: 788,000 potential victims of off-the-shelf keyloggers 4 million potential victims of phishing kits 9 billion usernames and passwords exposed via data…
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Where does Google go when it wants to roll out a new product? Television.
YouTube TV is rolling out across the country, starting in select markets, which will feature a so-called “skinny bundle” of TV channels, including local channels. It is designed to compete – at a much lower price point – against cable and satellite packages in this era of “cutting the cord.”…
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Is Google Fiber sputtering? Dropping 8 markets and new television services
Is Google Fiber struggling? The rollout of high speed Gigabit internet has been slower than expected and the company has cut back on the markets where it’s installing. In October, it scrapped plans to expand into 8 markets. It’s been hampered by both the cost and time it takes to…
Paul Dughi.com 