Digital Marketing Week in Review by Four Dots: December 2019, Week 1

December 5th, 2019

posted by Radomir Basta

Google Is Now Applying Neural Matching to Local Search Results

By introducing its November 2019 Local Search Update, Google is now applying neural matching to local search results. To explain neural matching, Google states:

“In early November, we began making use of neural matching as part of the process of generating local search results. Neural matching allows us to better understand how words are related to concepts.”

“Neural matching is an AI-based system Google began using in 2018 primarily to understand how words are related to concepts. It’s like a super-synonym system. Synonyms are words that are closely related to other words…”

So, basically, neural matching helps Google to better understand the meaning behind certain queries and match them to the most relevant local businesses. It does this successfully, even if the keywords in the query are not specifically included in the business name and description.

This means that some business listings might appear in SERPs for queries they wouldn’t have before this update.

Google Now Allows Businesses to Add a Custom List of Services to GMB Listings

A new update to Google My Business will allow service-based businesses to clearly specify the types of services they offer to customers.

GBM will provide a selection of suggested types of services a customer can choose from. So, for example, plumbers may see “Install faucet” or “Repair toilet” as specific services.

Google is hoping that these standardized job types will make it easier for customers to find the services they need. When it comes to businesses, Google believes adding a list of specific service types will generate more relevant leads for those businesses.

Businesses can add their own custom services by following these simple instructions:

Sign in to Google My Business
Open the location you’d like to manage
From the menu, click Info
In the “Services” section, click ‘Edit’
Add your services

John Mueller from Google Shares 2 Tips for Improving Web Content

During a Webmaster Hangout, Google’s John Mueller was asked about improving web page content focus. Mueller shared two tips on how to do this.

Tip Number One: Proper Use of Headings

Content and digital marketers believe that headings are important ranking factors. This is why SEOs and publishers use headings as place to add important keywords in order to improve their ranking.

However, this was the case in the early 2000s. Today, the game is played by different rules.

These days, heading tags are useful for indicating what a section of content is about. Heading tags define and describe what a certain section of a web page is about. In fact, this has always been the main purpose of headings, but the writers and SEO experts have simply been using them poorly.

Here’s what John Mueller had to say on proper use of headings:

“Headings are useful in that we can take a heading and see what images and which text kind of apply to that heading.”

Having headings that are not directly related to the content is not recommended. This is one of the things that sometimes lead to low rankings.

Tip Number Two: Interstitials Can Block Indexing

John Mueller that an improperly deployed interstitial may interfere with content indexing. He recommended using a banner or other user interface object for encouraging site visitors to pick their country.

He says:

“Because if you’re using a banner then even if that does end up being rendered in Google’s systems then it wouldn’t block the indexing of the rest of your content.

Whereas if you have an interstitial that in the worst case… takes out all of the old content and replaces it with this… country or language picker, then we might not have that much content left on that page for indexing.”

TikTok’s Teen Stars and Marketers Are Becoming Natural Allies

This year, TikTok became one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. The app reached over a billion active users worldwide. However, while influencers are getting richer on platforms like Pinterest and Snapchat, TikTok’s sponsorship marketplace has not been developing as expected.

To help meet this standard, a new industry of marketing agencies and influencers is trying to invest in TikTok content.

They are helping companies to understand and match the unique style that’s required to succeed on this platform.

“Gen Z doesn’t mind being marketed to, as long as it’s quality content,” says Jacob Pace, the 20-year old CEO of media company Flighthouse.

Since TikTok is now one of the best places for companies to find a teen audience, Flighthouse and other marketing businesses have a great chance to earn a lot by working with this social media platform.

Google Keyword Planner Makes Sharing Plans With Others Easier and Simpler

Sharing keyword plans with other people without leaving the Keyword Planner tool is now much easier and simpler.

Google stated that sharing plans with others has always been a flaw of Keyword Planner. So, they are trying to fix this issue.

This is the official statement:

“Keyword Planner is a helpful tool for when you want to search for new keywords, get historical metrics, and forecast future performance. However, it hasn’t always been easy to share your new keyword plans with everyone who needs to see them. That’s why you can now create, save, and share plans from directly within Keyword Planner.”

Before this improvement, users had to download keyword plans to their PC and send them to others via email or a file sharing program.

Facebook Launches Viewpoints – a New Market Research App

Facebook launched a new market research app called Viewpoints. This is a certain response after Facebook had to shut down the virtual private network (VPN) provider due to the violation of the rules set by Apple. Last year, Facebook had to shut down a similar VPN app, called Onavo Protect, after Apple said it violated the standard App Store data collection rules.

With Viewpoints, Facebook isn’t peering into how a user is using third-party apps. Instead, it’s an app that will provide users with rewards for filling out surveys and testing new products.

Facebook states that the first available survey is the “Well-Being Survey”. This survey will take about 15 minutes and a user who completes it will earn 1000 points. This translates to $5 that will be paid to a user over PayPal.

We are at the end of this week’s edition of Digital Marketing Week in Review by Four Dots. Be sure to come back next week for more interesting stories. Until next time, you can check out the previous edition!