For all of you that are keen to keep up-to-date with the latest trends in online marketing, we’ve got the ultimate list for this month. We’re covering Google’s big mobile update, the new call-to-action button on Facebook, and the changes to Google AdWords that launched on June 1st.
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Update
the latest update from Google is absolutely massive in terms of the ranking algorithm for mobile-friendly sites. Any websites that do not have a mobile-friendly version of their site are going to take a huge hit to their ranking once the changes come into action. In terms of mobile-friendly sites, this update will have more of an impact on Google’s search results than both Panda and Penguin.
Google is yet to release a percentage of search engine queries that will be impacted by the update, however, they have reported that half of all Google searches now come through a mobile device.
What does this mean for your business? Simple, if you’re not mobile-friendly Google will punish your rankings and therefore your appearance to users on a mobile device is at risk. Now is the perfect time to get your website mobile-friendly and reduce the risk of losing customers. Get in touch with us today – every website we launch is 100% mobile-friendly and Google-approved.
Google’s Doorway Pages Algorithm and Guidelines Have Been Updated
If you rely heavily on doorway campaigns (excessive landing pages, a number of domains, etc.) beware! Google is cracking down on you. They’re working hard on wiping out doorway campaigns within their search results. Google’s Brian White explains:
“To improve the quality of search results for our users, we’ll soon launch a ranking adjustment to better address these types of pages. Sites with large and well-established doorway campaigns might see a broad impact from this change.”
Not sure if this is you? According to Google’s recently updated guidelines on the issue, doorways are categorized as sites/pages created to rank highly for specific search queries. They lead to a multitude of incredibly similar pages that essentially act as a way of bringing the user to the same destination. This covers; using multiple domain names/pages that are focused on cities/regions, eventually funneling users down to one page, and funneling visitors to one page of your website via a host of meaningless pages.
So if you don’t want to see your rankings drop over the next few weeks, get fixing those doorway campaigns!
New Call-To-Action Button For Facebook Pages
This update is incredibly helpful to businesses wanting to convert Facebook browsers to paying customers. The new Call-to-Action button has already been launched and is proving quite the success. So far, there are 7 Call-to-Action buttons available for users: Book Now, Contact Us, Use App, Play Game, Shop Now, Sign Up and Watch Video. Something for every business going! Page admins get to choose which one they want to appear to their visitors and is easily changed afterward. Facebook also shows how many people have clicked the button next to the cover image.
This is a useful upgrade from the Facebook team and should really help drive customer engagement directly from Facebook!
AdWords Roll Out Phone Verification For Call-Only Clients
If you’ve had a look at the new AdWords’ call-only campaigns, you’ll have already noticed the phone verification requirement. However, Google has announced they are now expanding this to cover all call and location extension phone numbers. When does it go live? Well, this month of course!
Why is this important to you? If your phone numbers aren’t verified, your ads won’t be approved. To get phone numbers verified, you have three options.
- Have the phone number being used in the extension listed on the website (in text)
- Link your AdWords and Google Webmaster Tools accounts.
- Add your AdWords conversion code snippet to the landing page in your ad.
Well, that’s all the internet marketing updates we have for you for this month, keep up-to-date with the latest in the industry by bookmarking our blog or signing up for our newsletter.
