Oracle has introduced a new artificial intelligence feature within the Oracle Fusion Cloud Customer Experience. These capabilities were unveiled in a bid to help sellers, service agents and naturally marketers improve deal cycles.

What are these new AI features?

The aim of these new additions is to generate sales quicker by reducing the workload on sales representatives and allowing them to focus on more urgent and important tasks. These new AI capabilities include:

• Gen AI-Assisted Answer Generation – this will enable service agents to decrease the amount of work they have to do. This is done by automatically creating bespoke responses to any customer questions. This will improve the customer experience as well with shorter waiting times. 
• Opportunity Identification – This will allow marketers and sales teams to generate further B2B sales and allow them to increase account revenue. It will do this by identifying potential targets in order to create more effective cross-selling and upselling. 
• Seller Engagement Recommendations – This feature will enable brands to leverage demographics and audiences by analyzing the data and then providing recommendations about certain products, how users and buyers engage and if there are any suitable contact points. 
• Gen AI Assisted Authoring for Marketing and Sales – Content creation can be very time-consuming for marketers and therefore the AI will be able to create content that will be attractive and engaging and therefore contribute positively to sales cycles. 

What has Oracle said about this?

The Vice President of Product Strategy Katrina Gosek has claimed that these new capabilities will play a huge part in revolutionizing UX, reducing the workload on departments from customer service to sales whilst also bolstering profits. Additionally, the Research VP, IDC, Aly Pinder had expressed her excitement about the fact that the Oracle Service updates a ‘good examples of how AI and machine learning models can improve customer experiences and create the efficiencies’. 

If you have any questions about Oracle & AI, and how it can help and support your brand please get in touch with us and we’d be happy to answer any questions!

Google has now stated that proximity to a searcher will no longer be the main factor for local ads and local service ad ranking. Other features are instead taking the lead as the predominant feature. 

What has Google now said about this change?

Google has stated that this change is a reflection of their growing understanding of how users search and what they find relevant. They believe there are better indicators to determine how local service ads are ranked.

A Google Ads Liaison, Ginny Marvin elaborated on the change by arguing that the LSA rankings had developed over time as the company began to recognise what worked best for consumers and that a business’ location was not necessarily the most influential indicator of relevancy.

In practice this means that the nearest restaurant to a user may not be the most attractive element. Therefore, they are highlighting more intriguing features. This doesn’t mean that proximity is no longer important and ad targeting will still be limited to certain areas as targeting an ad to Halifax, when your business is in Bristol would still be problematic. 

Why is it important for brands and marketers to understand these developments in Local Services Ads ranking?

Google’s update will have a major impact on the nature of how businesses engaged and connect with potential customers. If your company relies upon proximity as a method for creating leads or sales, then you will need to make some amends so that your PPC ads appear in front of the right audience.

Can a business still target areas far from their location with Local Services Ads?

Furthermore, Google Ads prevents businesses from targeting areas that they believe they can’t accurately service. This makes sense when you consider that a cleaning service in Sunderland would be wasting money if it was targeting ads outside the city. This method is a benefit to both the businesses and potential customers.

Frequently Asked Questions offer your audience a deeper understanding of your services and products. They allow you as a brand to address any reoccurring questions all in one place, making it easy for the customer to navigate finding answers to their queries. 

FAQs don’t just serve the users, they also help Google recognise your brand as one that is providing useful content, ultimately enhancing its user’s experience. Quality user experiences help boost your ranking, so if you were on the fence about creating them, do!

How to write an FAQ section?

Firstly, you need to identify the commonly asked questions and write them all down, this means you can add questions or refer to see if it has been asked before. Once you’ve identified the questions, see if you can categorise them.

Look into both long-tailed and short-tailed search terms also used on search terms to write answers that searchers who may not have intended to find your page, do.

An example of this would be when people ask about shipping times or the packaging. Though they are not asking the same thing, they both address shipping queries and therefore can be put into the same category.

Figure out how you want the layout on the page, determine the hierarchy of questions and position the most common or useful towards the top of the page for ease of access. Make sure the FAQ page is easy to find too, this could be done by adding a button to the Navigation bar or one on the footer as users typically search for it in these areas.

Lastly and most importantly, make sure all the information is kept up to date as time passes, customer questions may start to shift, or you might find a question is being used less/ more frequently. When you notice these changes, adjust the content to reflect the changes in the needs of the customers.

How FAQ pages can benefit your business

High ranking is everything when trying to maintain existing audiences and reach new ones. That’s why it’s super important to consider implementing FAQs on your website, this can be with a page, or placing the FAQ under product descriptions. This is a great way to address those long-tail search phrases, by implementing the search terms into the keywords needed in the FAQs.

For brands that Google perceive as incredibly useful and factually correct, there’s the opportunity to be displayed in the featured answer box, in position 0 on Google’s page. This means that the content would be the first thing to appear on a searcher’s results page.

Users can build trust with a brand that is transparent about the products or service, creating trust also forges the path to retaining customers. Customers will have less need to contact customer services which will also help relieve the customer service team from answering the same queries over and over again.

Instagram’s algorithm is finally being updated, providing small creators and those making unique and original content the opportunity to reach a larger audience. The algorithm will now recommend content to more users, this is due to a shift in the prioritisation of content.

Prioritisation of content was previously based on the success of a creator’s content and the volume of followers they had acquired.

A brief video made by the head of Instagram; Adam Mosseri explains the update.

How will the algorithm know how to display content if it is not based on the success of engagement with previous posts?

The algorithm takes factors such as videos and posts users have shared, commented on and saved, into account. Then the algorithm assesses the account that published the post. It looks at the previous interactions’ users may have had with it. This is then factored into how content will be distributed. 

Aggregator accounts

Aggregator accounts are the accounts that res-share content, usually, this content will be taken from other creators and other platforms. Aggregators currently make up a large percentage of content that is displayed to users but will soon be reduced.

Instagram has emphasized that original posts by content creators will be given the appropriate credit when the original content can be located.

Aggregator accounts will now need to re-shape any reused content so that it has unique and new content within it, to be displayed to new users again. Not to fret though, those who are crediting and reposting content will still have theirs displayed to their followers.

Instagram notes that aggregator accounts will be able to get recommendations, 30 days after their last piece of reposted content (that has not been adjusted to be unique). Users can monitor this using the account status overview.

Content labelling

Content labelling is brought to Instagram to negate aggregator account content reposts.  

Reposted content will now divert directly back to the original content. The labelling will pop up as a notification on the home screen, as content is being swiped through in-app and in the notifications tab.

This will keep creators’ original content ‘protected’ from content being used without any credit.

Another benefit of content labelling is protecting creators’ content and reputations. Often accounts will take content from other creators and use it out of its original context. This can be harmful to creators and brands, as the re-uploaded content may not represent their beliefs or ideas but is associated with their content due to it being reposted.

Censorship

Currently, some creators face censorship of their content.

With the ‘sensitive content’ label comes a lot of issues for creators whose content is unfortunately and unfairly included under the umbrella of sensitive content. This results in posts being hidden from their following as well as new unique users.

 Instagram stipulates that sensitive content can be adjusted within the settings, limiting the type of content you may see that contains something ‘sensitive’.

The problem that arises with labelling things as ‘sensitive content’ is it does not look at the wider context of the content. For example, a page featuring entomology is censored due to the portrayal of a dead insect. Yet the wider context of this is that the insects are sustainable and ethical sources of the animals, and no violence is seen on screen.

Google is set to implement a new spam policy targeted at addressing reputation abuse, commonly known in the SEO community as “parasite SEO.” This policy is scheduled to go into effect shortly after May 5, 2024. This change is part of a broader initiative that includes the recently completed March 2024 core and spam updates.

Understanding Reputation Abuse and “Parasite SEO”

What is Reputation Abuse?

Reputation abuse occurs when third-party sites host low-quality content that aims to leverage the ranking power of more reputable sites. For example, an educational website might unknowingly feature payday loan reviews to enhance the content provider’s search engine visibility. This practice can mislead visitors, causing confusion about the expected quality and relevance of the information.

Google’s Definition and Policy

Under the new policy, Google defines site reputation abuse as the hosting of third-party content primarily for search ranking purposes, without the site owner’s stringent oversight. Such content, intended to manipulate search rankings, will be flagged as spam. However, Google clarifies that not all third-party content falls under this category; genuine advertising content meant for regular readers, such as native advertising or advertorials, will not be affected.

Policy Implementation and Enforcement

Automated and Manual Actions

Starting May 5, Google will begin enforcing this policy through both automated systems and manual reviews. These actions are intended to ensure that content which abuses site reputation does not adversely affect the quality of search results.

Significance of the New Policy

Impact on SEO Practices and Webmasters

The introduction of this policy is significant for SEO professionals and site owners as it addresses longstanding concerns about the quality and fairness of search rankings influenced by parasite SEO. It’s a move towards maintaining the integrity of search results and providing users with more reliable and relevant information.

Why This Matters for Users and SEO Experts

Many in the SEO community have voiced concerns about the detrimental effects of parasite SEO on the fairness and quality of search results. This new policy aims to alleviate those concerns by enhancing the overall search experience for users and levelling the playing field for all webmasters.

Conclusion

As the implementation date approaches, it’s important for webmasters and SEO experts to review and adjust their content strategies if necessary. Embracing these changes will be crucial for maintaining visibility and relevance in Google Search results. This policy change underscores Google’s commitment to improving the quality of information available through its search engine, making it more useful and trustworthy for users worldwide.

On March 5, 2024, Google began rolling out its first major update of the year, which concluded on April 19, 2024. This significant update impacted various core systems and aimed to enhance the quality of search results by targeting low-quality and unoriginal content.

Key Outcomes and Achievements
Initially, Google projected a 40% reduction in low-quality content; however, the actual improvement exceeded expectations, achieving a 45% reduction. This update also marked the end of standalone helpful content updates, integrating these into the core update mechanism.

Details of the March 2024 Core Update

Complex Changes to Core Systems

The update involved intricate changes to multiple core systems. Chris Nelson from Google emphasized that this update was more complex than typical updates and aimed at improving the way content helpfulness is assessed.

Impact on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

For site owners and SEO professionals, understanding the implications of this update is crucial. Google has refined its approach to identifying web pages that offer poor user experiences or appear to be crafted solely for ranking purposes. These are often pages tailored to very specific search queries but do not provide genuine value to users.

Support and Resources for Site Owners

Debugging and Feedback

Google updated its help center page to assist site owners with troubleshooting drops in search rankings. Additionally, a new feedback form was introduced for site owners to report ranking changes for further review by the Google Search team.

Understanding Overlapping Updates

During the same period, Google also rolled out a spam update and adjusted its core web vitals, switching from First Input Delay (FID) to Interaction to Next Paint (INP). These overlapping updates may complicate identifying the specific impacts on site performance.

Long-term Effects and Recovery Tips

Advice for Affected Sites

Recovering from a negative impact can be challenging. Google suggests that the most substantial recovery opportunities may occur following subsequent core updates. The key is to focus on creating helpful, reliable content designed primarily for users, not just to enhance search rankings.

Continued Evolution in SEO Practices

With this update, Google will no longer announce new helpful content updates separately, as these have been integrated into the overall core system. This reflects Google’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the relevancy and quality of search results, encouraging creators to focus on genuine, user-first content.

Conclusion

The March 2024 core update signifies a pivotal shift in Google’s approach to improving search quality. By consolidating the helpful content updates into the core update mechanism, Google aims to streamline its efforts to combat spam and enhance the user experience across its search platform.

The total digital advertising expenditure expanded by 11% to £29.6 billion in 2023, as reported by IAB and PwC.

By how much has spending increased in 2023?

The ad industry has bucked the trend against the UK economy as it grew strongly in the last 12 months. The economy has grown by only 0.1% however the growth in markets such as podcasting and connected TV (CTV) has helped to strengthen the market. The media spend in retail increased by 12% in 2023 with brands trying to gather first-party data with the degradation of cookies occurring this year. Group M has predicted that there will be further growth of 8.4% this year.

Why has spending increased?

Investment in podcast advertising has led the way with the increase. This form of advertising hit double digits in terms of growth (23%) whilst CTV rose by 21% and digital out-of-home advertising went up by 12%.

Paid Social advertising continued to be a key source of marketing for brands. Advertisers spent across Meta and TikTok aggressively and consequently the budgets rose by 20%. As society grows more and more reliant on technology and new forms of social engagement, advertisers are attempting to capitalise on social media.

In consequence, mobile advertising also made gains with a rise of 15% in 2023 – which equates to around £16.7 billion and a 10% increase on the 4% growth in 2022. Growth is likely to be driven by more and more young and old people adopting online shopping and spending more time on their devices.

Given the forthcoming (but delayed!) phase-out of third-party cookies, the landscape of digital advertising is changing significantly and industry analysis anticipates that this will continue to cause dramatic changes and growth in the ad ecosystem.

Harnessing the features of Instagram is essential when creating a well-rounded business presence. In this article, we explore all the features you can use to enhance the quality of your business’s social presence.

Link in Bio & Link trees

Including a link within your bio is a great way to provide upfront access to your website or affiliate websites. Displaying a link or using a link tree can help your audience reach the product or service with ease, making it simpler for creators and brands to promote consistently across platforms.

Link trees make it possible for creators and brands to display all their relevant links in one place. Audiences have easy access to the pages they want in just as little as two clicks. 

Connect your store

Both Instagram and Facebook allow businesses to connect their stores to the platforms, tag products, connect ads to the store, and have direct access to the store via the business’s profile. Businesses must make use of connecting their store to Metas platforms, so their customer’s journey to the products or services is simplified.

Connecting your store offers so many benefits to your social media marketing. Keeping your social media marketing campaigns cohesive across all platforms is likely to optimise the potential audiences and customers seeing and connecting with the brand. This creates opportunity where otherwise there would not be.

Instagram offers great insight into how to set up your shop.

Reels

Reels offer up to 90 seconds per video, ideal for short-form content surrounding campaigns, ads, and recycled content. On public accounts, reels have a large reach that encompasses non-followers of the brand too.

Creators can produce videos to trending audio, this feature is especially practical for brands when producing relevant and engaging content. Remixing allows creators to produce reactive content, displaying as a split screen. Creating content that is responsive to events or trends is made simple, duetting the content will also enable the brand/creators to reach the other creators’ audiences.   

Live streams

Live streaming is a fantastic way to reach newer audiences and can even be done in collaboration with other accounts to connect different audiences. Additionally, live streaming offers audiences real-time insight into how a brand chooses to present itself, showing personality can be represented authentically and naturally with the use of going live.

Livestreaming also gives audiences the capability to respond to content in real-time, giving clear insight into their engagement and responsiveness. Being able to see feedback from customers as it is happening will allow brands to tailor content to the audience’s wants and needs.

Collaborative posts

Though the feature is not yet available on desktops, those controlling their accounts from mobile apps will find they can create collaborative posts. Collaborative posts are displayed across any accounts that have collaborated.

To enable this post feature, you will need to navigate to the ‘tag people’ section and then locate the ‘invite collaborator’ button.

Collaborating allows brands to share audiences, leading to greater exposure and brand awareness. Collaborate enables brands to explore topics that may not be relevant through just the perspective of their stand-alone brand. Brands displaying, they have built a rapport with other brands and creators demonstrate the connective power of the collaborate feature. 

Instagram stories

Stories give insight into the daily on-goings of brands or creators as it is happening, making it one of the most useful features of the app. The live updates can be especially great when trying to bring personality to a brand’s reputation.

Public story threads also known as ‘add yours’ stickers are small stickers that can be added to a story to publish it to a public story. The feature allows brands to hop onto trends, showing real-time responsiveness to the current internet cultures adopted by many users on Instagram. The feature works like a chain, and as such, enables non-following users to access and respond to the content.

Stories also offer a brilliant feature which allows creators to retrospectively mention other users after the story has already gone live. This can be done by clicking on the three dots, locating ‘more’ and then selecting ‘add mention’. This feature is especially handy when accidentally forgetting to tag other users.

We’d love to know, do you use Instagram or any of these features already? Feel free to contact us if you’re looking to expand your business’s social media presence or are interested in growing your brand’s online presence.

Google has once again delayed its plan to phase out third-party cookies on Chrome, now pushing the timeline to possibly as late as 2025. This decision marks the third postponement, indicating significant challenges that still need addressing before third-party cookies can be deprecated.

Understanding Third-Party Cookies

Third-party cookies are small pieces of code created by websites other than the one you are directly visiting. These are primarily used for cross-site tracking, advertising, and creating a personalized browsing experience. Google’s decision to phase them out stems from increasing privacy concerns among consumers and regulators. This shift intends to promote a more private browsing experience while still enabling advertisers to effectively reach their audiences.

Extended Timeline: What It Means for Businesses

With Google’s latest announcement, brands and marketers gain additional time to adapt their strategies. The discontinuation of third-party cookies is a pivotal change, as these cookies have been instrumental for marketers in targeting advertisements, measuring campaign performance, and improving user experience through personalized ads.

The extension allows businesses to further explore and implement alternative tracking technologies as the reliance on third-party cookies diminishes. Although this is another delay, the eventual discontinuation of third-party cookies is inevitable, emphasizing the need for the industry to prepare for a significant shift in digital advertising practices.

Behind Google’s Decision

In a recent statement from Privacy Sandbox News, Google highlighted the complex nature of transitioning away from third-party cookies. The tech giant acknowledged the varied feedback from multiple sectors, including industry leaders, regulators, and developers, all of which contribute to the ongoing challenges:

• Google is committed to engaging with the entire ecosystem to navigate the varied opinions and technical challenges.
• The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) requires additional time to review all evidence, including results from recent industry tests, which must be submitted by the end of June.
• Given these complexities, Google will not proceed with cookie deprecation in the second half of this year as previously planned.

Looking Ahead

Despite the setback, Google remains hopeful to complete the phase-out by 2025. This timeline, however, is not set in stone as the company continues to navigate regulatory scrutiny and industry feedback. The extended deadline should serve as a reminder for businesses to accelerate their transition plans and innovate in how they collect and utilize data in a privacy-first world.

Google has recently announced some new advertising plans which will enable brands to make the most of YouTube shorts, the company’s fast-growing short-form video offering. YouTube Shorts has now reached over two billion monthly logged-in users and over 70 billion views each day across the globe. A new blog post has announced that there would be a new curated content selection, from which brands could place short ads next to popular videos.

What are YouTube Select short ads and how can they help brands?

The YouTube Select Shorts is the new platform for ads. Google has curated a platform that allows brands to choose popular and trending short-form content to place their ads against.

YouTube Select Shorts is a new advertising platform curated by Google that allows brands to place their YouTube Shorts ads alongside popular and trending short-form videos. This initiative benefits brands by providing audience targeting which will allow users to reach the right users who are more likely to engage. Additionally, there will be greater exposure across devices, with TVs showcasing YouTube Shorts with an increase of 100% by 2023 for YouTube Shorts viewership. Finally, this new initiative will provide brands with the opportunity to be present on a platform that has billions of monthly users.

How will the ABCD Framework support Short Ads?

Google has expanded the ABCD framework for Short Ads to improve the chances of success for advertisers. This includes format guidance so that marketers can properly elevate their strategy. A recent study by Kantar has found that by implementing the ABCD principles brands can expect to increase their short-term sales by up to 30%.

The framework has four key tenets: Attention, Branding, Connection and Direction.

• Attention: Googler recommends that brands install creative messaging, audio and imagery to engage customers.
• Branding: Maintain a strong brand message and raise awareness by using integrated branding from the start.
• Connection: With clear messages and emotional storytelling (whether that be humour or love for example) you should create a connection with the user.
• Direction: Point your audience in the right direction with smart CTAs and voiceovers.