News

The latest marketing news you need to know this week, including the impact of Google’s March 2024 core update, TikTok competing with Instagram, and more!

The latest marketing news you need to know this week. Instagram chief plays down “vanity metric”, the latest on Google’s March 2024 core update, and more!

The latest marketing news you need to know this week, including Google’s completion of its March 2024 spam update, Threads turns on Trending Topics, and more!

The latest marketing news you need to know this week. Over 800 websites deindexed by Google’s core update, new feature for Google Business profiles, and more!

The latest marketing news you need to know this week. Google rolls out its huge March 2024 core update, technical issues across major platforms, and more!

The latest marketing news you need to know this week. New data on number of social media users worldwide, AI and a disastrous Willy Wonka experience, and more!

The latest marketing news you need to know this week. Google removes more fake reviews than ever before, TikTok partners with Team GB for Paris ‘24, and more!

The latest marketing updates you need to know this week. TikTok dubbed coolest brand for teens aged 13 to 17, Snapchat hits 800m monthly users, and more!

The latest marketing news you need to know this week. 30-minute TikTok uploads are coming, online whispers of a new Google algorithm update, and more!

A new survey by business intelligence company Morning Consult found that TikTok is driving consumption patterns for women in their 20s. Three-quarters of Gen Z women use the app regularly, which is more than their male counterparts (62%).

Social media platform TikTok is making its personalised algorithm optional in Europe to comply with new privacy rules set out in the EU’s Digital Services Act.

TikTok is the latest social media app to take a shot at attracting Twitter users after introducing text-only posts.

Threads is struggling to build on its impressive launch, following a 70% slump in daily active user numbers.

Barbie and Oppenheimer will go head-to-head at the global box office on 21st July in a clash that has sent the internet wild.

Google has called for a public discussion on how content is accessed and mined by AI systems, with the view to creating a set of “technical and ethical standards”.

Threads had a hugely successful first day after attracting 30m sign-ups, according to Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg.

Meta will launch its Twitter rival app, Threads, on Thursday. The new app is available to pre-order on Apple’s App Store and is set to go live on 6 July.

The trailer for Taika Waititi’s new film Next Goal Wins was released online in April, prompting discussions of the director’s return to non-franchise cinema after his recent work

TikTok is discontinuing its BeReal Clone, TikTok Now, just nine months after launching the feature, with users receiving notification of its imminent closure.

YouTube is still the favoured content platform for pre-teen children, despite TikTok’s recent surge in popularity.

Peri-Peri chicken restaurant Nando’s says TikTok has added an extra spice to its content marketing and advertising campaigns in 2023.

Elon Musk has confirmed that Linda Yaccarino will join Twitter as its new CEO, as he plans to focus on product design and implementing new technology.

Google unveiled a new Search Generative Experience (SGE) and “Perspectives” feature at its annual I/O event on Wednesday.

Microsoft has announced several major upgrades to its Bing chatbot and has refined Edge integration.

In a new update to its documentation, Google has removed references to “page experience” and “mobile-friendly” from its ranking systems page.

While jumping ship from Twitter and using an open-source, self-hosted social networking service seemed like the best choice after Elon Musk’s buyout, not many have been able to stick with it.

Instagram has added new trending and insights tools to Reels to help creators drive more engagement from the short-form video feature.

Elon Musk now has the honour of being the most-followed person on Twitter, after surpassing Barack Obama’s seemingly insurmountable count on Thursday.

Cookie brand Nutter Butter is the latest company to enjoy success on social media this year with an “unhinged” strategy featuring weird and offbeat content.

Just months after ChatGPT took the tech world by storm, OpenAI is set to blow minds once again with the release of the next-generation GPT-4 language model.

TikTok has added a new Keyword Insights tool to remove what it claims is one of the “biggest obstacles” to crafting high-quality video and ad content.

A small car body shop in Fort Lauderdale has become a TikTok sensation and generated more than 50m views in just a week after using an unhinged content strategy featuring viral feline Maxwell the Cat.

Has BeReal had its moment? According to new data, the number of people downloading the French social media app has slumped from 12 million last September to just 3.3 million in January.

TikTok’s evolution into a search engine continues to gather pace after a new study found a majority of college students use the app to enter queries for assistance with school work.

Twitter is now charging users to receive two-factor authentication (2FA) text messages after claiming it was “scammed” into paying £50m in fees by phone companies last year.

Snapchat has announced a surprise surge in user numbers, with 750 million people now using the social media and instant messaging service every month.

Microsoft says Bing recently saw its biggest jump in relevancy in 20 years after applying ChatGPT features to its search engine model.

Twitter will start sharing advertising revenue directly with creators as it continues its efforts to court creatives and make the platform a hub for engaging content.

Google is reportedly planning to launch a newly designed desktop search results page with AI chat bubbles.

TikTok’s ambitions to become a new and exciting alternative to traditional social engines have been made official with a new 60-second ad.

Google has confirmed that the helpful content and link spam updates have finally finished rolling out, around a month after they launched.

Two-thirds of B2C and B2B companies are planning to increase their SEO budgets in 2023, according to a new study from NP Digital.

Google continues to expand the ways people can find content, with a new audio-based video search feature that is currently being tested in select regions.

It has been a year of tumultuous world events but Google’s most searched term in 2022 is for a simple online word game that quickly became a part of people’s daily routines.

Improving the quality of the “most important” pages on a website should be the top priority for SEOs, according to Google’s search engine expert, John Mueller.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has refuted claims that it is focusing too heavily on the metaverse, after revealing 80% of its investments are being made in its “core” business.

Twitter will use a new multi-coloured verification system when it relaunches check marks later this week.

TikTok is helping content creators and advertisers target different demographics and new audiences with the launch of a new insights tool.

The number of people using TikTok to consume news content continues to grow, according to a new report from Pew Research Center.

Experimenting with new strategies and using cutting-edge technologies and tools to drive reach and engagement is at the top of the agenda for marketers in 2023.

SEO professionals spent the most time conducting keyword research and implementing technical SEO this year, according to a new study released by Search Engine Journal.

Google has started rolling out a new update for mobile search that makes “site names” more prominent in results to help users more easily identify websites.

Elon Musk says he intends to finally complete his $44bn Twitter takeover after a long-running battle between the two parties took another turn late last week.

BeReal is reportedly planning to launch paid features to avoid introducing advertising on the platform, following its recent surge in popularity.

Instagram is testing a new “repost” feature that allows users to share content they like in their feeds.

Twitter users will soon be able to make changes to tweets for a short time after publishing them, following the introduction of a new “edit” button.

A major shakeup of Google’s algorithm will take place this week with the launch of a new “helpful content” update that aims to reward publishers who create blogs and articles “for people”.

People in the UK spend more than five hours watching video content every day across all devices, amid a rise in the popularity of short-form clips on social media.

TikTok is now one of the top social media platforms for teenagers and the second most popular app overall in the US.

Google has urged webmasters to “always try” to fix internal links when migrating from an older HTTP site to a newer HTTPS one.

Instagram’s push to bring a TikTok-style makeover to its app has backfired after scores of celebrities, influencers and online users criticised its latest update.

Twitter wants to increase engagement with topics in Communities after adding a new top hashtags feature to its app.

Facebook is now using its machine learning ranking system to deliver personalised content to users on a new ‘Home’ page.

Young teenagers now prefer to use Instagram and TikTok to get the latest news, rather than traditional channels like the BBC and ITV, new research from Ofcom shows.

Google’s position as the world’s most popular search engine could be under threat as younger users turn to popular social media apps to conduct queries instead.

Search engines and social media sites will be required to tackle “state-sponsored disinformation” in the UK as part of a new online safety bill.

According to a new study by thinktank Pew Research, only 56% of technology experts and business leaders believe the metaverse will be a “well-functioning aspect of daily life” within 20 years.

Three-quarters of B2C marketers are now achieving success with a customer-centric, conversational approach to campaigns, a new study from Spectrm has found.

Meta’s recent metaverse push continues with the launch of a new “Avatars Store” on Facebook and Instagram, which will enable users to buy digital clothes.

TikTok is the primary destination for consumers to research products they want to buy, according to a new study that takes a closer look at how the social media app supports buyer journeys.

B2B marketers are using emotionally driven content to engage leaders and decision-makers amid a broader pivot to brand building to drive long-term growth.

TikTok exploded onto the scene with perfect timing, filling the hole that Vine left (RIP), after it was purchased by Twitter.

Elon Musk says he has the “right to terminate” his Twitter takeover if the social media company is not more forthcoming on details about its user base.

Google has updated its algorithm again but this time to tweak titles that are written in a different language to the main body of content.

Meta will soon notify Facebook and Instagram users about an update to its privacy policies which will be “easier to understand” and clearer about how users’ data is processed.

Google announced on Wednesday (25 May) that it has started rolling out the first broad core algorithm update of the year.

Twitter says its live conversation format, Spaces, can drive follower growth by 17% in just three months, as it begins a new promotional campaign for audio content on the platform.

Cyber criminals are using black hat SEO tactics to rank malicious files in search engine results and target unsuspecting users.

Marketers who document their content creation and SEO strategies, and proactively plan campaigns are much more likely to achieve success.

LinkedIn is overhauling its ranking algorithm to reduce the number of low-quality posts and polls, and serve more content from thought leaders and industry experts on the platform.

Meta will allow businesses to direct new leads to “exclusive, relevant” content on the platform as part of new wave of updates designed to help smaller enterprises.

Six in 10 marketers are not concerned about Elon Musk’s $44bn deal to buy Twitter, despite his intentions to make big changes to unlock its “extraordinary potential”.

Google is beefing up its privacy policies after giving personal users the ability to request the removal of sensitive information such as phone numbers and home addresses from search results.

Collaborating with SEO professionals is key to improving rankings in search and is a sign that a company has a “high maturity” approach to optimisation.

Creating a “seamless” landing page experience on Facebook is the best way to increase conversion rates, according to a new whitepaper published by its parent company Meta.

Twitter has officially accepted a $44bn offer from Elon Musk to purchase the social media site.

Google says 99% of search results are now “spam free”, after it made further improvements to the machine learning systems that detect and remove manipulative sites last year.

Instagram wants to give “original” content creators the credit they deserve, after announcing plans to update its ranking algorithm to serve more authentic images and videos to users’ feeds.

Snapchat has launched a new Dynamic Stories feature that will create and serve a publisher’s news content automatically to users on the social media app.

Generating brand awareness is the primary objective for marketers but connecting with the right audiences remains a challenge.

Elon Musk wants to overhaul Twitter’s premium subscription service with a cheaper price, cryptocurrency payment options and no advertising.

Generating backlinks for “unique” stories could now be even more beneficial for publishers after Google confirmed it will be adding a new “highly cited” label.

Elon Musk says he wants to create a new social media platform that “rigorously adheres” to free speech principles, after appearing to criticise Twitter for its stringent moderation policies.

Google says the thousands of updates it has made to Search every year since 2015 have helped it to reduce the number of irrelevant results shown to users by more than 50%.

Yoast says it is working on a fix for a duplicate sitemap bug within its plugin for WordPress after a marketer discovered the issue and tweeted about it on Monday.

Meta is making virtual reality (VR) experiences safer for teenagers, with the launch of new tools for its Oculus headset.

Google is giving publishers more ways to create “useful search experiences” and increase on-site engagement with the launch of a new ‘Related Search for Content’ ad unit for its AdSense program.

Twitter is testing new features that will make content posted on the platform more accessible for people with vision impairment.

Webmasters should use internal links to point to content and pages that they “care about the most”, rather than just using them for establishing basic site navigation, Google says.

Improving the quality of content and implementing search engine optimisation (SEO) are two of the three top tactics that are helping content marketers to succeed, according to a new report from Semrush.

Google has confirmed that the rollout of the page experience update for desktop searches has been completed ahead of schedule.

Optimising web pages based on Google’s Core Web Vitals can improve rankings in search but it won’t get pages indexed and crawled more quickly, according to John Mueller.

Google has revealed that content is not scored directly for its expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-A-T) but that these factors do have an influence on search engine rankings.

Three-quarters of businesses are making SEO a top priority this year, but coming up with an effective strategy remains a blind spot for many.

YouTube has promised to add new features to its Shorts video format, a range of fresh shopping capabilities and new analytics insights for content creators as part of its roadmap for 2022.

Google has started using snippets of editorial content in a new “Buying Guide” feature in mobile search results to help buyers find out more about products.

Screaming Frog has integrated Google’s new URL inspection API into its software and added seven new auditing filters to help SEOs identify problems with web pages.

Apple and Walmart made the biggest gains in search engine visibility in 2021 as brick-and-mortar retailers invested in SEO to boost their online presence, a new study by Searchmetrics has found.

Google rewrites 6 out of every 10 page titles to make them more relevant for searchers, according to a comprehensive new study by SEO tool provider, Zyppy.

Instagram is making it easier for marketers to raise awareness of upcoming live video streams with a new banner feature in profiles.

B2B marketers are struggling to optimise blogs and videos for SEO and undertake other valuable tasks because content creation is taking up 82% of their time, a new study by Casted has found.

Website owners can now start testing their pages based on Google’s “good page experience” criteria, after the search giant added a new desktop section in Google Search Console on Monday.

Google has urged website owners to seek out recommended best practices for SEO from different sources after admitting that its own help documents are not always updated regularly.

LinkedIn says the number of Live Events on its app has increased 150% during the last year and it is catering to greater demand from businesses with the launch of a test for new audio rooms.

Google has confirmed that the desktop version of its page experience update will go live next month and take around two months to fully roll out to all sites and searches.

Having a low-quality section of a website indexed and ranked can “pull down” higher quality content published elsewhere and have a negative impact on SEO, according to Google.