news, Author at Latest News, Headlines at Peter Zmijewski

Facebook Acquires Giphy, Adding It to Instagram

May 21, 2020 news

Facebook announced it is acquiring Giphy, with plans to integrate it into the Instagram platform. Giphy is a popular service that lets users share short, looped videos, reminiscent of animated GIFs. The service is widely used in text messaging, social media and more. Facebook already uses the Giphy API across its many services, including Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. The social media giant sees the purchase as a way to increase integration and improve the user experience even more. “A lot of people in our community already know and love…

google

Google to sunset Gallery ads beta, focus on Image Extensions

May 20, 2020 news

Simple wins out. Image extensions and dynamic image extension betas will continue. Gallery ads, the splashy, image-driven format that Google introduced last year, will be phasing out. Instead, Google will focus its other image beta, image extensions. Google is informing Gallery ad beta testers that the format will sunset beginning in August. The ads featured a large carousel of images. The format has worked for the automotive industry with the auto ad unit, but didn’t gain enough traction with other verticals. Whereas Gallery ads required setting up a whole new ad format and…

Bing

Microsoft Office hits pause on forcing Bing search in Chrome, Firefox

May 19, 2020 news

Rather than automatically changing default search engines for Chrome and Firefox, administrators are required to opt-in for it to do so network-wide. Microsoft recently announced a new “extension” as part of an update to its Office 365 ProPlus software that forcibly changes company-wide Chrome and Firefox search engine defaults to Bing search, automatically, from what is likely set to Google. After considerable backlash, the company is reversing course, a bit. In a predatory fashion, the extension automatically seeks out, through the network and local device file systems, installations of independent browsers (Chrome…

SEO

SEOs talk pivoting and planning for a future after COVID-19

May 15, 2020 news

Hear what these veteran SEOs are doing to help clients adapt to business during and after the pandemic. “If there is no interest whatsoever in your vertical, the best you can do is look inside and try to reorganize your company and help your customers in the best way you can,” said Pedro Dias, managing partner at apis3 and former Google search quality analyst, addressing what brands and agencies should prioritize in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. With demand declining for a huge range of goods and services due…

Marketing

What to Expect When Migrating Marketing Automation Platforms

May 14, 2020 news

Don’t let FUD keep you chained to a marketing automation platform that’s no longer a fit! Many marketing leaders are evaluating whether or not their current technology stack provides the right foundation for their marketing strategy. Often, those contemplating a move fear that migrating to a new marketing automation platform will jeopardize their ability to drive revenue. While this is a valid concern, you can keep your revenue engine humming while making the move to a platform that’s right for your business now (and into the future). In this webinar, experts…

SEM

More PPC advertisers pause campaigns amid coronavirus upheaval

May 13, 2020 news

For many marketers, last week was a tipping point as the U.S. grappled will coronavirus measures. “It’s surprising how fast things have changed in just a couple of days,” said Brad Geddes co-founder of PPC management tool Adalysis in an email Friday. “We’ve seen a LOT of campaigns suddenly paused. Everything from travel (even travel agents who are often booking trips 6 months to one year in advance) to car dealerships, event venues, restaurants, etc.,” said Geddes. “If you have to leave the house to engage in the service, it…

google

Google tests ‘Curbside Pickup’ badge for local Shopping ads

May 12, 2020 news

Local Inventory Ads gain prominence with “In store” mobile experience and “Curbside pickup” option. “Curbside pickup” badges are now appearing on eligible Local Inventory Ads in Google Shopping One area where Google has an edge over Amazon? Local retail. In response to COVID-19 restrictions, Google has been giving local businesses more messaging options such as special store hours, pickup and delivery options and more in Google My Business. Now, it has also enabled “Curbside pickup” badges for Local Inventory Ads. Curbside pickup. Google has been piloting the “Curbside pickup” feature with a small group…

Senators Will Introduce Coronavirus Data Privacy Bill

May 11, 2020 news

A group of senators will introduce legislation to help protect consumer privacy as companies focus on using data to help combat COVID-19. Governments and companies around the world have turned to big data in an effort to map the spread of the coronavirus, and try to get ahead of it. One of the most publicized efforts is being undertaken by Apple and Google, as the two companies work on a contact tracing API. The API, and subsequent apps, will use anonymous Bluetooth keys to keep track of the phones an individual has been…

Bing

Bing adds snippet controls to help sites control their search result previews

May 9, 2020 news

Google began supporting these new controls last September and now Bing adds control for snippets. Bing announced Wednesday that it now supports new snippet controls with robots meta tags to help webmasters manage how their search results are displayed in Bing. These new controls work via robots meta tags in HTML or X-Robots-Tag tag in the HTTP Header. New meta tags to settings snippets. Here are the three new controls Bing offers: “max-snippet:[number]” — This lets you specify the maximum text-length, in characters, of a snippet in search results. Here is the…