Latest SEO, Paid Media, & Digital Analytics news
Summer is officially here once again, though it doesn’t really feel that way as we write this in the midst of rainy, grey days here in London. However, we’ll see some sunshine soon enough, and until we do, we’ve got plenty of juicy digital marketing news to read about in the meantime. Google is all about the algorithm updates right now in SEO, while Instagram and Apple are making waves in paid media and digital analytics.
You can read these stories and much more—including our latest Insights articles—in this month’s Digital Roundup.
SEO stories
Google rolling out July 2021 core algorithm update
After rolling out a core update in June, Google is releasing another update as we write this roundup! The company announced the news via its @SearchLiaison account, where it noted that this update will take a few weeks to be fully implemented—just like all broad core updates. Curious about the impact of these? You can read through Google’s guide to make sure you’re doing what you can to minimize the effects.
Google also slowly rolling out Page Experience update
Slowly but surely, Google’s Page Experience update is also in the roll-out stage, though it should wrap up by the end of August. So, what does this mean for you, as a webmaster or SEO? Ranking fluctuations are bound to happen, but Google says they won’t be drastic. Plus, the Top Stories carousel will now feature all news content, with AMP becoming a non-factor there. Head over to Search Engine Land for the full story.
Paid media stories
IG brings ads to Reels feature
Advertisers have another opportunity on Instagram after the social network officially launched ads within the Reels feature. Reels ads work similarly to those seen in Stories, in that they’re full screen and vertical, and that they’ll play in between users’ Reels. You can read more about how these ads work at Instagram.
Google postpones phasing out third-party cookies
Google originally planned to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome in 2022, but the search giant officially pushed back that timeline to mid-2023. In a post on The Keyword, Privacy Engineering Director Vinay Goel wrote that the company has made significant progress in its “Privacy Sandbox” initiative, but “more time is needed across the ecosystem to get this right.” What that means is simple: third-party cookies are here to stay until at least mid-2023, when a three-month process will (maybe) get rid of them forever.
Digital analytics stories
What’s the impact of Apple’s Mail Protection Privacy in iOS 15?
Writing for The Verge, Casey Wilson provided a thorough look at the potential impact of the Mail Protection Privacy (MPP) update in iOS 15. The update provides users with the option of opting out of email tracking (e.g. email opens), which for some advertisers is a key component of setting rates and knowing who to work with. It’s difficult to gauge the lasting impact of MPP, because Wilson argues there are many other ways to track email marketing success. Get the full story (it’s a really good one!) at The Verge.
Early analysis of app tracking opt-out rate following iOS 14.5 update
In related news, you may have heard that Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14.5 that allows users to opt-out of tracking data (we wrote about it last month). Well, an early analysis of ATT shows that the opt-out rate is as high as 96% in the U.S. while global users opt out a bit less (88%). We can expect this story to continue growing as the months pass, so keep an eye out for updates. For now, you can read Ars Technica’s article for more details.
Ayima news
In addition to writing some new blog content, we’re beyond thrilled to announce the launch of the Insights Club. You can learn more about Insights Club and sign up today to get free, personalised news and tools tailored to your specific interests.
Blog articles
Here’s what we published and updated in June 2021.
- A complete guide to managing PPC bid strategies: Client Growth Manager Richard Ingilby provides an in-depth look at how to properly manage a PPC bid strategy.
- We also updated three of our existing marketing templates that are free to download and use:
If you’d like a more detailed strategy to suit your needs, our experts are on hand to help. Get in touch with the team here, we'd love to hear from you.
