Google came out swinging this past month and absolutely took over the SEO and paid media headlines (sorry, no digital analytics news to report). We have a new Search Console report to dig into, advice from John Mueller, and a bit of shocker that certain cookies aren’t actually going away anytime soon. Plus, can we talk about new ad inventory? It really felt like the theme of July.
You can learn more about these stories—including some news of our own!—in our July 2022 digital roundup.
SEO stories
Google announces new Search Console video index report
With video creation and consumption continuing to rise, Google recognized the need for marketers to track video performance through Search Console. The video index report aims to fill that need by answering the following questions:
- In how many pages has Google identified a video?
- Which videos were indexed successfully?
- What are the issues preventing videos from being indexed?
Note that the report isn’t available for all users just yet. Google plans to roll it out over the next few months, so keep an eye out for it in your Search Console through the fall months.
See all the latest Google ranking updates in a single place
You know those Google ranking updates we’ve talked about over and over and over? Well, the search giant published a list of its updates from January 2020 to now, and the list includes helpful bits of information and links to articles that explain what you need to know. You can see this handy list at Google Search Central.
Mueller says it’s OK to delete your disavow file—probably
Have you or a client been mulling over your disavow file? Well, chances are likely that you can delete it, according to Google’s John Mueller. During an Office Hours session, he explained that you can delete the file as long as your site hasn’t faced a manual action or doesn’t have a history of link-building schemes. Or, as he put it so succinctly: “I would just delete the disavow file and move on with life and kind of leave all of that aside.” (hat tip to SERoundtable for the news)
Paid media stories
New ad inventory is the theme of this summer
With ever-increasing competition and margins being squeezed at every step, there are now more ways to reach your target audience while helping to keep costs lower. These also allow for creativity in how you reach your audience with varying targeting options across different platforms. Specifically, Deliveroo introduced ads to its delivery app, Android is bringing ads to lock screens in the U.S., Netflix partnered with Microsoft, and Disney announced ads for Disney+ as part of a deal with the Trade Desk.
Google delays third-party cookie phase-out
Once again, Google postponed phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome. This time, the company plans to do away with the tracking files during the second half of 2024, representing a one-year delay from the previous announcement. Of course, Google also planned to do this in 2022, so we’ll definitely keep you updated if the deprecation date changes again. If you want to learn more about Google’s plans for privacy, you can read the full announcement at The Keyword.
Ayima news
In addition to several new Insights articles, we’re excited to highlight the following news from our team:
- Ayima hosted a breakfast session in London for guests, including London Ayima Insights Club members. We discussed the future of SEO, GA4 for SEO, and how Google evaluates authority in 2022. And it was an overwhelming success! The feedback was amazing, including "really insightful and a great morning!" and (reassuringly for our speakers) that "everything was really well explained." We'll keep you all informed of future events!
- Client Growth Manager Richard Ingilby spoke at the inaugural PPC Live UK, laying out the pillars that create PPC success. And you can take a look at his presentation on Slideshare.
- We’re thrilled to announce that our Insights Club has passed 500 members since it started in 2021. Want to join? It’s totally free and takes just a minute. Sign up here.
Ayima Insights articles
- PPC Budget Calculator - Our Free Tool to Estimate Cost: Learn how to set up and use your very own PPC budget calculator with this handy guide from Rich.
- How to Calculate a PPC Budget in 6 Steps: Rich is back with another helpful PPC budgeting article, making the entire process an absolute breeze.
