The Stack is a weekly podcast where we share and discuss the latest trends, news, and content from the world of marketing, sales, and tech. In each episode, Sean, Tim, and Ryan sit down to chat about the hard-hitting questions related to sales, marketing, and tech. You can subscribe on iTunes and Soundcloud.
In this episode, we talk about how Google tracks us, voice search, and Facebook Ad options. If you like our podcast make sure to subscribe and tell all your friends.
We would love to hear your thoughts so make sure to comment or tweet us at @Sylvestrer1, @SeanHenri and @Tendrecroppes or @PepperlandMKTG.
Google Location Tracking
“Do you accept the terms and conditions?” We get asked this question multiple times a month and I would bet that most of us blindly press “accept”. This topic really speaks to consumer awareness, and how often we give large companies or databases access to our data.
Are you okay with Google tracking you even if you have opted out of location tracking?
Sean: “For marketers, it will make our lives more challenging, but offers an opportunity to leverage our creativity, inbound marketing, and content.”
Tim: “From a consumer standpoint, I personally do not like the various social networks gather data about me.”
Fake Pizza Brand
Google created a fake pizza brand in order to test different variations of Youtube Ads. Most brands wouldn’t risk the money or risk hurting their reputation by doing these test. Even though their pizza brand only really tests food advertising, they made some pretty interesting discoveries.
Sean: “I like pizza”
Tim: “Gotta have the cheese pull”
Easier Google Search Console Access
Verifying users in Google Search Console just became easier. If you’re already a verified owner of a Google Analytics property, you will be automatically verified for that same website in Search Console. As an agency, this takes out a bunch of steps when working with a new client.
Sean: “I bet you the reason they did this is because the vast majority of marketers don’t use this a lot and probably should be. It shows a lot more visibility”.
Tim: “The people who aren’t normally in Google Search Console that now have access will ultimately be clicking around in their more and getting more data.”
Voice Search
Do you have a one-on-one conversation with your search engine? I don’t know about all of you, but when I get bored at home, I chat with my Google Home. Voice search technology is changing the way we search and find information.
Sean: “Apple has the reach but Google has the technology.”
Tim: “Voice search is all about taking action. It’s about accomplishing something.”
Ryan: “Google Assistant is far more advanced in voice search than any other AI.”
Google Testing New Search Design
Google has been testing a new desktop search design which features a sticky header, keeping the search bar only a click away. This doesn’t mean they are rolling this out for good, but a good indicator that a change is coming.
Sean: “I wonder what impact this will have on click-through rate, especially if you live at the bottom of the results page.
Tim: “Include a rounded search bar and sticky navigation, making it much easier for users to do a secondary search.”
Site Architecture
This article really talks about is how site architecture and content set-up can help your users find things on your website. A solid website set-up can have a reduced bounce-rate and more engagements from website visitors.
Sean: “Organization can make a huge impact on how you perform in search results.”
Tim: “Don’t bury your content.”
How Not To Use Social Media
Amazon has set-up twitter account for their workers to comment on things that tag Amazon in tweets that talk down about the company. Whaaaat? I understand that this is a PR tactic but there has to be a more honest way of doing this. Come on Amazon, not cool.
Sean: “It’s not authentic”
Tim: “You feel like it’s fake”
Facebook Removes 5,000 Ad Targeting Options
Facebook is removing thousands of ad targeting options in order to prevent discrimination. While we totally agree that we should not be discriminating, this may make it hard if we have a very specific audience we want to target. Again, this will help us leverage our creativity and focus when it comes to Facebook marketing.
Sean: “You shouldn’t be dependant on one particular tactic, network, or solution.”
Tim: “This is a backlash of the Facebook data issue”
Ryan: “It seems like a publicity move to ‘keep their image’ and focus on positive things”
Here’s What You Should Take Away
You are now going to have a much easier time getting verified for Google Search Console. This will of course help agencies like us, but will also give other users an incentive to poke around a little bit more. Watch out for voice search, this isn’t a new topic but has become increasingly more important as voice search becomes more and more popular.
Make sure you think through your site architecture. Don’t bury high-value pages deep in your website, best practices say that the most important information should only be a couple clicks away. Should you follow in Amazon’s footsteps? Make sure your PR tactics seem genuine. Even though Facebook is removing 5,000 ad targeting options, this gives you a chance to leverage your creativity and finding new ways to reach your audience.
