October 25, 2022
Google is offering first-party support to publishers, Facebook is offering new ways to customise your feed, Google is making 5 changes to mobile search and Google has also announced 7 local search updates.
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Google announced this month that it plans to launch a number of features that aim to help publishers monetise websites and increase the importance of first-party data relationships. Publisher first-party cookies can help publishers deliver relevant Ads without having to track users across third-party websites. They have been made available in order to address frequency capping and fraud control previously.
Some of the new features being released by Google include things such as ad personalisation with publisher first-party cookies in Google Ad Manager, as well as AdSense. Google also announced publisher-provided signals last month to help publishers categorise their first-party data into the audience or contextual segments and then share those signals with programmatic buyers.
This will help small businesses and publishers as they don’t have the capacity to capitalise on first-party data. Google’s support of publishers’ use of their first-party data will only enhance their bottom line, as privacy concerns and ad relevance becomes more prevalent.
Facebook announced this month that they are adding two new ways in which we can customise our feed. These features include ways that allow you to show more and show less of the content that’s suggested to you based on the platform’s AI (Artificial Intelligence). The first new feature will allow you to select Show more or Show less on posts from people and communities you’re connected to as well as posts that Facebook recommends.
Selecting the new “show more” button will temporarily increase the ranking score of the posts you like while decreasing the posts you ignore or dislike. The scores help Facebook improve the functionality of its AI, making it more responsive and the content more tailored to your preferences.
Facebook is also testing out new ways in which users can be able to customise posts they see from friends, family, groups and pages that they follow. You will soon be able to find all these new features in the “Feed Preferences” section on users’ accounts.
Google has announced that they are making 5 big changes to mobile search, coming soon. These changes will affect the way in which we view, use and conduct our searches using the mobile app.
Coming soon, you will see more shortcuts added to the search bar on Google, adding various actions you can perform other than typing in a traditional search query. Another change will be how Google displays results on mobile devices, focusing more on the use of images and video, enhancing the visual aspect of Google’s mobile search.
Google is proceeding to also enhance query refinements, making it easier to find the most relevant results by displaying an assortment of query refinements. Google web stories will also be something getting changed soon, making mobile search more visual with deeper integration of Google Web stories. Google stated in an announcement “we’re also making it easier to explore a subject by highlighting the most relevant and helpful information, including content from creators on the open web. For topics like cities, you may see visual stories and short videos from people who have visited, tips on how to explore the city, things to do, how to get there and other important aspects you might want to know about as you plan your travels.”
Finally, Google is turning mobile search results pages into an endless feed of discovery. We will no longer have to switch between Web, images and video tabs as Google will display it all on the front page.
Google has announced that they will be making 7 new updates to local search, they announced this at its annual Search On virtual conference.
These new updates will have a significant impact on how people explore neighbourhoods, businesses and restaurants, using Google search. The local search changes will include:
1. Search for restaurants by dish
Google is upgrading its restaurant search capabilities with the ability to find local places that serve a specific dish.
2. Discover restaurant specialities
Local restaurants commonly have a unique quality that they’re known for through the community.
3. More support for digital menus
Google is expanding its coverage of digital menus while enhancing them with rich visuals and keeping them reliably updated.
4. Enhancements to Google Maps’ Live View
Google is upgrading a feature it introduced three years ago called Live View, which allows you to navigate directions while looking through the viewfinder of your phone’s camera.
5. Aerial views of famous landmarks
Available today, Google has over 250 photorealistic aerial views of global landmarks.
6. Immersive view
Immersive view will allow you to go beyond street view with an experience that takes you inside buildings and other establishments.
7. Neighbourhood vibe checks
A new “neighbourhood vibe” feature in Google Maps will give you a feel for a neighbourhood before you visit.