In this article, we will discuss some important news that happened this week in the world of digital marketing. We will cover interesting stories related to Google’s updates in search results, changes in Facebook’s algorithm to improve the experience for marketers, a new application from IKEA that uses augmented reality technology, and a new campaign from Yahoo to rediscover itself. Let’s get started!
Google Begins Highlighting Deep Articles in Search Results
Google recently announced that it will start featuring deep articles in search results in a special section within the main results column. According to its own research, Google indicates that about 10% of people are looking for links to deeper articles… so it wants to help them discover those links. Although Google did not clarify what it means by “deep article,” this new feature aims to “provide high-quality content to help you learn about a topic.” Here’s how it will look:
As a marketer, I am extremely excited. This seems like a big win for marketers who are genuinely trying to provide unique, valuable, and comprehensive content. If you fit into this category, you may be rewarded with inclusion in this specific section in search results. Google provides us with a quick checklist you should follow if you want to help them rank your content and place it in the “deep articles” box. Learn more about this update on TechCrunch.
Facebook Announces Changes to News Feed and Becomes More Transparent with Businesses
Facebook is changing the way stories are displayed in the news feed, and is trying to enhance the lives of marketers at the same time. Last week, Facebook launched an updated algorithm for the news feed that will focus on redisplaying relevant stories from people you have interacted with recently through three new features: Story Bumping, Last Actor, and Chronological by Actor. At the same time, Facebook has become more transparent with marketers by launching a new blog specifically for Facebook for Business.
There are many lessons that marketers can learn – in fact, we have already documented several of them – but your immediate task boils down to one thing. Conduct tests to find out what type of content your fans on Facebook want to see. Conduct tests to see if ads can help increase engagement. Conduct tests to find out whether posting more frequently – or less frequently – will benefit you. The changes in the news feed will affect everyone differently, so keep an eye on your Facebook stats to see how your content performs. At the same time, get detailed information on all the changes by reading our article. Get 75 free images… with no restrictions (via HubSpot)
Get 75 Free Images… with No Restrictions
As visual content is extremely popular but copyright issues on the internet are currently a major problem, what does a marketer with limited resources do? Not everyone can spend a lot of money on stock photo companies for images that might get lost in a sea of company files. To help solve this extremely frustrating issue, we created 75 free images you can use anytime – anywhere – in your marketing without attributing us (although we wouldn’t say no to a nice inbound link). Get your free images here.
Facebook Graph Search Now Available to Everyone Using American English
Alert for marketers: Facebook Graph Search is reaching more users. Previously, it was only available to a specific test group, then to U.S. users only, and now it is available to everyone using American English (though they may not be in the U.S.). This is not groundbreaking news, but it is something marketers should keep an eye on.
Why?
With Facebook’s Graph Search, Facebook users will be able to discover your company’s page and content in more and varied ways. Facebook may become more open with marketers about how people discover your page via Graph Search, along with the new Facebook for Business blog. It’s an interesting trend to watch that could have a significant impact on your brand’s success on Facebook. Learn more about this new release on The Next Web.
Virtually Furnishing the Room with the IKEA Augmented Reality Catalog
Augmented reality – where the introduction of sensory computing like sound, video, music, or images interacts with the live real world – may not be within the budget of most marketers (including us) … but it’s great to hear when marketers utilize this technology. This week, IKEA launched an augmented reality catalog app – when you open the app and select an item, the app overlays the item in a live view of your home using your phone’s camera. So next time you want to buy a sofa from IKEA, you’ll know if it fits in your living room … and that’s really cool. Here’s the app in action:
We included this story in our summary this week for one reason: it’s a really great piece of inbound marketing. It’s a free app you can download and can’t help but engage with. We think it’s pretty awesome because it solves a common problem for furniture buyers through a truly interactive piece of content – something that could inspire your next marketing campaign. Learn more about the IKEA catalog here.
Yahoo Seeks a New Look to Reinvent Itself
Do you think Yahoo can be exciting again? In 30 days we’ll know the answer. In a recent campaign to support the launch of a new logo, Yahoo will reveal a rejected design for its new logo every day for a month. Each day, the rejected logo will be displayed on Yahoo’s Tumblr blog.
The campaign is interesting, but we’re more curious about how it will affect Yahoo’s usage. With Google and Bing currently dominating the search engine market share, it’s hard for us to believe that weak search can bring Yahoo back to the forefront. But hey … you never know. So, marketers, keep an eye on organic search traffic and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly. Learn more about Yahoo’s new campaign on The New York Times.
Which story was the most interesting to you this week? Let us know what you liked and why in the comments.
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