Social 

Facebook tells senators it still uses location for ads despite user location services opt-out

The company was open that it would continue to identify location by other means in a September blog post We might soon see another FTC investigation of Facebook for “consumer deception.” The company acknowledged in a letter to two U.S. senators that it continues to capture and use location to serve relevant ads even if users have turned off location services. Bipartisan inquiry into Facebook’s user of location. Senators Coons and Hawley sent a letter in November to Facebook “raising concern that Facebook ignores the wishes of users who don’t want their exact…

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Bing 

Bing to update BingBot’s user agent

BingBot is getting a new name, just like GoogleBot – are you ready? Bing announced today that it “will start the transition to a new bingbot user-agent” as it continues to roll out the evergreen BingBot. Evergreen BingBot, the version of BingBot that is able to crawl the web like a modern browser, is currently in use but will be used to “cover all the sites” over the “coming months.” With that, Bing will begin using a new user agent to convey which version of BingBot is crawling your web site. New user…

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SEO 

How many people should be on your SEO team? The factors to consider

This is the second installment of our series on in-house SEO in which we dig into the operational challenges and opportunities that managing search engine optimization in-house presents. As a consultant who specializes in in-house SEO, I’m often asked how large the SEO team should be. Most people think it has to do with revenue numbers. While that comes into the equation, it’s not a leading indicator of what size SEO team a company needs. Let’s explore some of the factors I consider when making recommendations for SEO team size. They’re typically surprising…

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SEM 

Pay-Per-Click Strategies You Should Be Implementing In 2019

The best way to succeed with paid search marketing is to revisit existing best practices, see what have worked and what didn’t as well as learn new ideas and strategies. Multi-channel campaigns The days of relying on a single channel for marketing are long gone. More companies are embracing cross-channel advertising. A pay per click advertising agency can help you implement the best attribution model for your unique business. Video ads Videos are becoming one of the most dominant forms of content on the internet. More search engine result pages…

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$1,000 Is the Breaking Point For Most Phone Buyers

According to new data by The NPD Group, $1,000 is too expensive for the overwhelming majority of phone buyers. NPD’s research shows that just under 10 percent of buyers are willing to pay $1,000 or more for a phone. This could pose a significant challenge for 5G adoption. On the one hand, 5G awareness and purchasing potential is very strong, especially for a technology that has not been widely deployed yet. “In fact, awareness has reached nearly 3 out of 4 consumers, totaling 73 percent, at the end of the first…

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google 

DOJ Planning to Review Google-Fitbit Deal Over Privacy Concerns

According to the New York Post, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is planning to review the Google-Fitbit deal over concerns about consumer privacy. We reported last month that Google had agreed to acquire Fitbit for $2.1 billion. As part of the announcement, Google did its best to reassure current users that it would respect their privacy and that their personal data would not be sold to third parties or be used for advertising. A couple of weeks later, it came to light that Facebook had also been interested in the wearable company, losing out in…

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Social 

Twitter Making Changes Globally to Comply With Privacy Laws

Reuters is reporting that Twitter is making changes throughout its platform in an effort to comply with privacy legislation around the world. The company is aiming to navigate the different laws and jurisdictions impacting how it collects and uses data. The European Union (EU) passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) last year, one of the most sweeping privacy protection laws in existence. California has its own legislation, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), going into effect January 1, 2020. Twitter is planning on moving accounts for users outside the EU…

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Marketing 

Motorola Returning to Premium Phones: Razr Just the Beginning

CNET is reporting that Motorola is recommitting to the premium phone market, after years of making budget and midrange phones. Motorola made headlines in November with an updated version of its iconic Razr phone. The new model keeps the old-style, flip-phone form factor, but reimagined as a folding touchscreen smartphone. The new design has the advantage of a relatively small footprint, while still being able to unfold into a full-size 6.2-inch smartphone. At Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit in Maui, Hawaii, the company made it clear the new Razr is just the beginning. According…

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Bing 

10 principles of digital accessibility for modern marketers

Developers and designers can help differently abled users navigate websites by using CSS to control visual page elements. Here are other ways accessible websites are built. When we talk about digital accessibility as marketers, we’re talking about the intentional creation of an experience that can be accessed by as many people as possible. Designing for digital accessibility means many things. It means designing for individuals with sensory or cognitive impairments. It means designing for people with physical limitations. It means designing for individuals who rely on adaptive and assistive technologies…

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