Before we get into this month’s stories, did you make sure to catch up on what happened in 2021? … All set? OK, because we have a lot of big news from this past January, like the fact that Google Analytics is running into some serious issues in the European Union. Also, did you hear that Instagram is testing creator subscriptions in the U.S.?
That’s right, we've got lots of news to cover, so let’s get to it! Here’s our roundup of the biggest digital marketing news from the past month.
SEO stories
Google considering reducing webpage crawling frequency
As a way to conserve energy by using less computing power, Google is considering reducing the frequency of its webpage crawls. As noted by Search Engine Journal, the company’s Search Relations team explained that it wants to “make crawling more sustainable by conserving computing resources.” What this means for webmasters is that new content changes and webpage launches could take longer to be indexed, but Google’s team insists that more crawling does not equate to better rankings.
Google Search Console adds Page Experience desktop report
Google’s Page Experience algorithm update is set to roll out on desktop in February and wrap up by the end of March. And to help digital marketers fully understand the update’s criteria, the search giant added a Page Experience desktop report to Google Search Console. It will look very familiar if you have already used the mobile report, though the desktop report doesn’t include the mobile usability section. Want to know more? Read SEJ’s report.
Paid media stories
Say goodbye to Google’s FLoC, say hello to Topics API
As Google continues to prepare for a future without third-party cookies, the company has officially abandoned one of its plans, Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), before it ever started. In its place is Topics API, a new piece of targeting technology from Google.
According to the announcement post, “Your browser determines a handful of topics, like ‘Fitness’ or ‘Travel & Transportation,’ that represent your top interests for that week based on your browsing history.” Then, Topics picks three of those topics to share with a site and advertiser, which then shows ads based on those same topics.
It sounds a lot more complicated than it really is, and you can learn more about how it works and how it differs from FLoC at Search Engine Land.
Google Ads now includes placement reports
If you already run Performance Max campaigns on Google Ads, you can now see placement reports. These reports only show impressions, which is somewhat-limited. However, the info is very useful to help you understand where your ads are serving, and add to account level placement exclusions if needed. If you're not already running Performance Max but are running Smart Shopping or Local campaigns, remember that these will upgrade to Performance Max later this year.
Digital analytics stories
Austria rules Google Analytics as incompatible; is France next?
Things are heating up for Google Analytics in the European Union. You may have heard that Austria ruled in mid-January that GA is incompatible and violates EU law, but now France may follow suit after reports related to sensitive health data. What does this mean for the future of GA in the EU? It’s a bit too early to say, but Google is certainly trying to stay on top of it. We’ll keep you posted about any updates in the coming months.
Top digital marketing trends in 2022 and how to leverage them
The Drum published a look at the three top trends in digital marketing to watch in 2022 and, even better, the article includes how you can leverage those trends in your own campaigns. We don’t want to give anything away here—OK, here’s one: personalization is more important than ever this year. Now head over to The Drum for the full rundown.
Ayima news
We have a bit of news to share with you from the Ayima team. In addition to our usual mentions of speaking engagements and Insights articles, we've very proud to announce our status as a Google Premier Partner for 2022. This means that we're in the top 3 percent of participating companies, so we'd like to give a huge shout out to our Paid Media team! You can check out the Google Partners website if you want to learn more about the program.
Upcoming speaking engagements
We’re getting very close to some upcoming speaking engagements for our Ayima colleagues. Here’s where to catch them in 2022.
- Paola Didonè (Senior SEO Consultant) and Rich Ingilby (Client Growth Manager) will both speak at brightonSEO in April 2022.
Ayima Insights articles
Here’s what we published in January 2022 and December 2021 (just in case you missed them!).
- The Future of SEO: Key SEO Trends: Head of SEO Martin Fennon discusses five of the biggest upcoming SEO trends and what we can expect from them.
- Introduction to Digital Marketing Analytics and Tracking: Client Growth Manager Richard Ingilby provides an easy-to-follow six-step guide for setting up conversion tracking.
- Christmas eCommerce marketing campaigns: Richard Ingilby also shared seven unique and interesting ideas and tips for your next holiday marketing campaign (remember it for 2022!).
- The impact of ad blockers on your digital marketing: Have you considered how ad blockers affect your campaign performance? Campaign Manager Eugen Belchir explores how ad blockers work, their impact, and their future in this great read.
