Granite 5 November digital update – Page experience ranking coming to desktop

Our digital update is a review of the key headlines from the world of digital in November that are impacting the UK and global businesses.

Click on any of the titles in the list below to jump straight to that section of the article.

• Google to bring page experience ranking to desktop by March 2022
• Facebook rebrands to Meta
• Google My Business rebrands to Google Business Profile
• Facebook adds new monetisation tools for creators
• Google Ads insights page updated with new features
• Google partner programme changes for 2022

Google to bring page experience ranking to desktop by March 2022

Google will begin using page experience as part of desktop ranking beginning in February 2022. The rollout will be complete by the end of March 2022. It will be based on the same page experience signals rolled out for mobile earlier this year i.e., Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – loading, Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – visual stability, and First Input Delay (FID) – interactivity.

 

Facebook rebrands to Meta

One of the most talked about news stories this month was the announcement that the Facebook corporation has rebranded to Meta. This change is to corporate brand Facebook and won’t apply to the individual platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company said this rebrand would better “encompass” what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR).

Google My Business rebrands to Google Business Profile

Google has announced a change of name for Google My Business (GMB) to Google Business Profile to “keep things simple” according to Google. Along with the name change, they have also added a couple of extra features, including you can now complete verification (and resolve other issues) with your “business profile” directly from search, messaging directly from Google search, and call history (launching in the US and Canada).

For more information on this update and how to claim your business profile, visit the Google support article.

Image source – Google Support

 

Facebook adds new monetisation tools for creators

After Facebook’s public disapproval of Apple’s charges for in-app purchases and 30% transaction fees, it has created new ways for users to subvert Apple’s transaction fees. Its latest feature relates to fan subscriptions. Providing new options to ensure that creators get paid their full share of fan money.

The main new addition on this front is a new re-direct process that will help creators guide potential subscribers to sign-up outside of the Facebook app, thereby subverting Apple’s 30% cut. Facebook’s also launching a new bonus program for approved creators, which will allocate payments between $5 and $20 for every new subscriber they sign-up from now until the end of 2021.

 

Google Ads insights page updated with new features

Google Ads is giving businesses access to more data on their insights page with new features to help businesses drive more sales. These new features include:

• Consumer Interest Insights: This collects the top-performing search query themes that drive performance in your campaigns. Includes the number of people who searched for each theme, its growth, and how it performed in your account.
• Audience Insights: Find out the interests of your customers, such as the creative that resonates most with them.
• Demand Forecasts: This predicts six months of search trends with forward-looking insights that combine machine learning technology with past seasonal search data.
• Change History Insights & Auction Insights: Find change history insights and auction insights on the insights page. Understand how shifts in auction competition or account changes impacted your campaign performance.

These new features will be launched in the coming weeks at both campaign and account level.

 

Google partner programme changes for 2022

Starting in February 2022, companies will need to meet the new Partner requirements and be in the top 3% of participating companies within a given country to become a Premier Partner. New partner requirements include measurements around client growth, client retention, product diversification, and annual ad spend.

Being a Google Partner means that the company is recognised for maximising campaign success for their clients, driving client growth by maintaining clients’ campaigns, and demonstrating Google Ads skills and expertise with certifications. Make sure any agency you use to support your Google Ads is a Google Partner.

 

If you need support maximising your digital footprint, book a time slot to discuss this with our Head of Delivery and strategic lead.