Wondering why you can’t access all the features to the Google Business Profile page you just received access to? Well, Google is now making new owners or managers wait 7 days before they can manage all features of the profile. Please take this into account as you add new managers to your pages.
Google Looking to Make Website Crawling More Efficient
Google announced that they are trying to find ways to make website crawling more efficient and environmentally friendly. One comment that stood out to our team here was Gary Illyes saying people change the last mod date in the XML sitemap when the URL has not changed and that they “are just not going to use it” due to misuse. Could this change best practices for XML sitemaps? We’ll be monitoring it to see. Read more and listen to the entire podcast here.
Google Kills FLoC and Introduces An Alternative
When Google announced that Chrome will be removing support for 3rd party cookies sometime in 2023, everyone was eager to understand replacement technologies to help fill the gap in targeting. For a long time Google was positioning FLoC (Federated Learning Cohorts) as a viable solution. Google has announced that it will replaced FLoC with “a new interest-based targeting proposal called Topics”. According to Search Engine Land, “The Topics API will select topics of interest (based on the user’s browsing history), without involving external servers, and share those topics with participating sites”. Topics will be assigned to users based on their browsing history and can include topic segments such as Travel or Fitness. Time will tell if all browsers adopt this latest solution from Google but for now it’s in its infancy in testing, just within the Chrome browser. Learn more here.
Google Testing Emojis In Search Ads?
And by emojis they mean favicons from websites. Google has toyed around with emojis in search ads multiple times in the past but it was never a permanent change to how advertisers can use symbols/characters within ad copy. This newest test pulls the website’s favicon into the search ad in a move that Google’s Ad Liaison calls “a series of small experiments to help users more easily identify the brand or advertiser associated with the Search ads”. Time will tell if this experiment sticks. Have you seen examples of these while browsing Google’s search results?
Posts on Google My Business is an off-site local search engine optimization feature that is free and allows you to highlight your business and connect with existing & potential customers. Think of them like a social media post but located on your Google My Business page and visible within your business’ knowledge panel in the search results. Google My Business posts can be a very powerful tactic to improve your business’ local search optimization and reach but it is only available for specific industry types. Sorry hotels, this is one feature Google doesn’t provide to your type of business. (Probably because they are too busy monetizing this space with Google Hotel Ads).
How Can Restaurants Utilize Google My Business Posts?
Restaurants can promote their specials and any updates to their menus, COVID- 19 policies, and more. When created, Google can display up to eight of your business’ most recent posts. Posts, for the most part, are visible for seven days and then are removed. This does vary depending on the type of Google My Business post used.
What Are The Different Types Of Google My Business Posts?
There are Four types of Google My Business Posts that can be used:
COVID-19 Update – The newest type of Google My Business post due to the pandemic allows you to set up a post that lets customers know about any changes made due to COVID-19. Such as a change in hours, updates to safety and hygiene, whether you provide curbside pick-up or takeaway are a few examples.
Special Offers – Best used to announce limited-time promotions. With this type of Google My Business post, you can load a video or photo to support & draw attention to the time-sensitive event. You can also designate whether redemption can be done online or with a coupon code for in-store visits. This post also requires a timeframe to be provided.
Events – An easy & free way to promote an event. Events require a time frame like offers, a title, and the event's time. Google will default to 24 hours if a specific time is not included. This post type can also include photos, videos, descriptions, and an action button.
What’s New – This type of Google My Business post allows a business to provide general information with photos, videos, descriptions, and an action button. A restaurant could use this to promote new menu items.
Products – This type of Google My Business post allows you to feature multiple products you have available at your business. However, a Product tab will need to be set up before using products. These posts are also not shareable.
What Are Best Practices For Google My Business Posts?
When using Google My Business posts, keep these best practices in mind:
Use high-quality images & videos. Image Size: min: 400 wide x 300 pixels tall, 10kb | max: 10,000 x10,000 pixels, 25 MB. Videos: File Size Max 1000MB.
Keep posts in the 150–300-character range. Generally, the first 7-8 words will show. Hashtags are unnecessary in Posts.
Include a CTA & Landing page depending on the post type.
Use UTM parameters so you can view the traffic generated from the posts.
Keep it strictly business.
Google can and will ding business for misspellings & poor-quality content so use preview before posting.
Obey Google Posting Rules. Stay away from offensive content and anything that violates a person’s or location’s privacy.
Don’t Disregard This Free Google My Business Service
It’s simple and doesn’t take a long time to create and it’s free. So, begin posting, and continue to expand your customer base. Unsure of what your first post should be? How about your specials, grand opening, new menu item or just a friendly Welcome? Need more suggestions or do you have questions, reach out to us, GCommerce Solutions, we are always happy to assist!
Somewhere out there someone’s writing ads about HVAC.
And we feel for them.
We enjoy digital marketing, but getting to do digital marketing for hotels and travel is a rare opportunity that we all feel fortunate to call our jobs. We spend our days dreaming about beach escapes, mountain retreats, rock ‘n roll havens and everything in between. We feel a true connection to our clients. Not only because we love travel, but because we love to help these partners succeed through driving awareness and direct bookings.
We wouldn’t be here without our clients and for that, we give so much thanks and gratitude. Cheers to another great year. One with continued challenges but also a whole lot of successes.
Since we spend so much time working with our clients, we wanted to reflect on some of the clients our team members would most like to visit and why. Read below for more travel inspiration, if you didn’t need some already.
Jael Dugdale (Search Marketing Strategist) - I couldn't decide so I have two, Enchantment Resort in Sedona sounds like a dream one I would love to take Tallara and Robert too, the amenities alone for kids and adults sound like a lot of fun and it's all there at the resort. The second one is Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans. I consider them the Golden Goose for Aparium, even with 2020 and then setbacks from Hurricanes they just keep on surpassing our expectations. I want to visit it for myself to see what they are doing. I mean the city alone is a good reason to visit, but they seem to have it together, from the restaurants to the people and rooms. I've always been interested in them.
The Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans
Nicki Stavres (Marketing Strategist) - As I’ve recently moved out west from the east coast I have found a greater love and appreciation for nature and the great outdoors. Our client that I would most love to visit is Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona. To be in such a serene setting, surrounded by red rocks would be truly a dream setting for pure relaxation and adventure.
The Enchantment Resort in Sedona Arizona
Chelsea Simmons (Marketing Specialist) - The client I would most like to visit is Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa in Pigeon Forge, TN, because I have always been such a big Dolly Parton fan. I also love the Smokey Mountains and am craving that "cabin-in-the-woods" kind of vacation.
The DreamMore Resort & Spa in Pigeon Forge Tennessee
Amy McNeill (Director of Account Services) - Choosing from our amazing clients is really hard! We have such an amazing collection of oceanfront resorts, ski-in/ski-out resorts, golf resorts, and downtown city center hotels. I've been lucky enough to visit many of them throughout my 5+ years at GCommerce. If I have to choose it would be the 5-star Las Terrazas Resort in Belize. I really want to get back to the island and scuba dive!
The Las Terrazas Resort in Belize
Chris Jackson (Principal & Chief Evangelist) - I have been dreaming of getting to Scotland to play golf with my son. The dream continues to get paused with the challenges of traveling internationally during the pandemic. Scotland and the natural scape of golf, how it was originally meant to be played, just got a little closer to home. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, one of GCommerce’s newest partners, is a golfing mecca for golf purists and might just be as close to a Scotland golfing experience as we can get right now.
The Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon Oregon
Katy Jeter (Sr. Project Manager & Web Developer)- The client I would most want to visit is Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. Every photo I've ever seen of the property is simply breathtaking. To know that many guests will spend the next two years dreaming of their chance to visit this other world over the next two years... I simply can't wait to get there.
Patrick Buckner (Search Marketing Strategist) - The client I would most like to visit is Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara. They are a client I have worked with since the beginning of our relationship and yet, I have never been to Santa Barbara. I would love to check out the Funk Zone and all the nearby cool bars and restaurants.
The Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara California
Mark Oliver (VP of Business Development) - The property I would like to visit the most is Dollywood. Why, you ask? The reason is that I am very interested in learning why so many people are drawn to the resort. Is Dolly Parton the main draw or is it the resort with Dolly on the side. I would also like to better understand Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa and it’s incredibly popular appeal. I would also like to experience their new resort, Heartsong, and what their idea of luxury is. And finally, I would like to see Brian in his element.
Dan Brewer (Business Development Representative) - The GC Client I would most like to visit is Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley. Going to bring my wife, Karen. We're going to ski all day, have a great dinner and then sit by the fire. It's going to be wonderful.
The Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City Utah
Ashley Scharpf(Search Marketing Specialist) - I love the idea of being out in nature, but I hate heat, bugs, sunburn, and the other nuisances of actually going outside. Enchantment Resort in Sedona, AZ seems like a great balance of the two though, with a peaceful and cozy resort in an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous environment. I want to visit so much that I've had literal dreams about it!
Cat Jones (Search Marketing Specialist) - The client I would most like to visit is Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego. Whenever I work on SEO optimizations for them I get a little lost in the photos of their property. I would be quite comfortable with a month-long stay in the Spa House, wandering through the olive groves, and taking advantage of the daily yoga, and I would love to poke around in their culinary garden.
The Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego California
Bill Morlock (Sr Customer Success Manager + Client Relations Supervisor)- My choice would be Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. There are quite a few reasons why Sunset would be my choice. Among them would be to finally experience this awesome and very unique property that I know quite a bit about, but have yet to experience first hand.
Also along those lines, Sunset is a property in our portfolio that has been a real innovator in numerous unique, extremely creative, and one-of-a-kind types of initiatives and campaigns that we have implemented throughout the years.
Finally, the location, West Hollywood, SoCal is an area that is always interesting to visit and an area that I have worked with numerous properties and visited many, many times and it would be great to be able to tie Sunset Marquis in with my experiences in the LA area.
The Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood California
Erin Fischer (Marketing Manager) - The client I would like to visit the most is Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. With their rich history in rock ’n roll and oasis-like atmosphere I feel like it would be the perfect escape from a chaotic world. I also love visiting the West Hollywood area and exploring Santa Monica Blvd. and Sunset’s location would be the perfect place to setup home base.
The Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan Florida
Eric Hoffman (Customer Success Manager) - The client that I'd most like to visit is Callaway Gardens Resort in Georgia. The reason why is that Callaway Gardens has created several new in addition to existing special events that I would love to experience in person. In particular, I'd love to see Fantasy in Lights and check out the different scenes that have been created and have become beloved by the locals and visitors to the Gardens.
The Callaway Gardens Resort in Pine Mountain Georgia
Taylor Fujimoto(Creative Director) - Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, CA. What’s cooler than hanging out with celebs in Hollywood? The raw tunes of many of the greatest classic rock bands filled our car anytime we’d take a road trip. I guess that’s what you get when your dad was a teenager during the greatest era in Rock. With a passion for Rock n Roll, I’d love to check out the Morrison Gallery and speak to some of the long-time employees and hear their amazing stories.
Paul Mooney (Marketing Development Specialist) - If I had one client to visit it would be The Cove, Eleuthera resort in the Bahamas. Eleuthera is a long thin island that's very tranquil, not too touristy, and offers the opportunity for an authentic island getaway experience. True paradise on earth.
The Cove, Eleuthera Resort in The Bahamas
Scott van Hartesvelt(Founder) - I’d most like to visit Eau Palm Beach Resort in Florida, simply because of their commitment to wellness. In recent years, I’ve become acutely aware of my own health, wellbeing and mortality. It's become clear to me that investments in material things are fleeting, but investments in mental and physical health are invaluable. Eau Palm Beach strikes me as the place you would create in your dreams,sparing no expense, to refresh your body, revitalize your mind and enhance/prolong your quality of life. There is no greater gift.
Jeff Hebert (Senior Developer) - I’d love to visit Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, partly because they were the first site I worked on when I started, but also because I have never had the chance to stay at a hotel on the beach. The accommodations look amazing, and they’re really nice people whenever I’ve had the opportunity to talk with them.
Brittany O'Neil(Client Success Coordinator) - The ideal client would be a brand that is passionate about their own identity and authenticity. I believe that this client would enjoy their brand and want to highlight what makes their experience individual and why their guests choose to experience them. If I had to pick one, for me it would be one of the Moonstone Hotel properties.
The Moonstone Hotel in Cambria California
Lisa McGivney (Director of Marketing) - This is a terribly tough question. We have so many amazing clients in so many dreamy locations. If I had to pick just one (at this moment) it would have to be Enchantment Resort and Mii amo spa in Sedona, Arizona. I dream of a relaxing (and kid free) escape to the desert where I can get lost gazing out into the red rock, finding spiritual connection in the vortexes and unwinding with the most amazing spa treatments at this one of a kind property.
Cathryn Sandoval(Senior Customer Success Manager) - The client I would like to visit most is The Pontchartrain Hotel. I have never been to New Orleans, but have always been drawn to the vibrancy of the city. The Pontchartrain Hotel offers a classic NOLA experience and is located right in the heart of the Garden District, so you'll never miss a beat. After a day of exploring (and eating) I'd love to enjoy a nightcap cocktail on the Hot Tin Rooftop overlooking downtown New Orleans.
Posts on Google My Business is an off-site local search engine optimization feature that is free and allows you to highlight your business and connect with existing & potential customers. Think of them like a social media post but located on your Google My Business page and visible within your business’ knowledge panel in the search results. Google My Business posts can be a very powerful tactic to improve your business’ local search optimization and reach but it is only available for specific industry types. Sorry hotels, this is one feature Google doesn’t provide to your type of business. (Probably because they are too busy monetizing this space with Google Hotel Ads).
How Can Restaurants Utilize Google My Business Posts?
Restaurants can promote their specials and any updates to their menus, COVID- 19 policies, and more. When created, Google can display up to eight of your business’ most recent posts. Posts, for the most part, are visible for seven days and then are removed. This does vary depending on the type of Google My Business post used.
What Are The Different Types Of Google My Business Posts?
There are Four types of Google My Business Posts that can be used:
COVID-19 Update – The newest type of Google My Business post due to the pandemic allows you to set up a post that lets customers know about any changes made due to COVID-19. Such as a change in hours, updates to safety and hygiene, whether you provide curbside pick-up or takeaway are a few examples.
Special Offers – Best used to announce limited-time promotions. With this type of Google My Business post, you can load a video or photo to support & draw attention to the time-sensitive event. You can also designate whether redemption can be done online or with a coupon code for in-store visits. This post also requires a timeframe to be provided.
Events – An easy & free way to promote an event. Events require a time frame like offers, a title, and the event's time. Google will default to 24 hours if a specific time is not included. This post type can also include photos, videos, descriptions, and an action button.
What’s New – This type of Google My Business post allows a business to provide general information with photos, videos, descriptions, and an action button. A restaurant could use this to promote new menu items.
Products – This type of Google My Business post allows you to feature multiple products you have available at your business. However, a Product tab will need to be set up before using products. These posts are also not shareable.
What Are Best Practices For Google My Business Posts?
When using Google My Business posts, keep these best practices in mind:
Use high-quality images & videos. Image Size: min: 400 wide x 300 pixels tall, 10kb | max: 10,000 x10,000 pixels, 25 MB. Videos: File Size Max 1000MB.
Keep posts in the 150–300-character range. Generally, the first 7-8 words will show. Hashtags are unnecessary in Posts.
Include a CTA & Landing page depending on the post type.
Use UTM parameters so you can view the traffic generated from the posts.
Keep it strictly business.
Google can and will ding business for misspellings & poor-quality content so use preview before posting.
Obey Google Posting Rules. Stay away from offensive content and anything that violates a person’s or location’s privacy.
Don’t Disregard This Free Google My Business Service
It’s simple and doesn’t take a long time to create and it’s free. So, begin posting, and continue to expand your customer base. Unsure of what your first post should be? How about your specials, grand opening, new menu item or just a friendly Welcome? Need more suggestions or do you have questions, reach out to us, GCommerces Solutions, we are always happy to assist!
There seems to be a general disdain towards artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing, though marketers should learn to love the technology. Humans are the backbone of marketing, but there is so much to gain from the assistance of AI. As computerized marketing becomes more common, these tools are becoming absolutely necessary for success in the field. Instead of resisting AI, marketers need to embrace the technology and function as a Marketing Cyborg - a carefully balanced blend of human and mechanical parts.
Pros And Cons Of AI In Marketing
The biggest problem that most marketers have with AI is the loss of control that comes with automation. Humans are always a little scared to let external forces run parts of our lives, and this fear is only exacerbated in situations like marketing, where control is already somewhat limited. Even with the perfect messaging, channel, and audience targeting, results aren’t guaranteed. There are so many uncontrollable factors in this field; why would you voluntarily hand over even more control to a computer?
Well, because it ultimately works in your favor. Marketers are always working to optimize their campaigns, and AI makes it much easier to bridge this gap. Computers may not be perfect, but even the most genius marketing professionals can’t compete with AI’s capacity for learning and prediction. There will always be some level of guesswork involved in marketing, but AI is able to very reliably point marketers in the right direction. In a landscape with so many unknown variables, this is invaluable, and the marketing industry should not turn up its nose at an easy way to increase efficiency. Control is great, but it’s important to recognize the limitations of the human workforce.
But what about the limitations of machines? The human eye has a unique propensity for things like tone and personality, and these elements are often vital to the success of a marketing campaign. AI is surprisingly good at quantifying an audience and predicting their interests, but there’s a big difference between knowing what someone wants to see and actually creating it. AI isn’t ready to take over the more qualitative and artistic side of marketing, so human input is still needed in marketing to fill in the gaps.
The Marketing Cyborg
There are problems with both human and AI marketing, but that’s exactly why the Marketing Cyborg is so important. Not entirely man, nor entirely machine, cyborgs are an incredibly powerful entity. They are capable of almost anything, and this is exactly why marketers need to stop resisting the future of AI. Consider some of the most successful companies in the world right now. Amazon, Facebook, Google - AI is built into the very fabric of these businesses, and that’s no coincidence. It’s clear that consumers respond to AI, and the marketing industry could greatly benefit from embracing the technology.
The fears surrounding AI marketing are completely reasonable. Giving up control is hard, and there is a certain human quality to marketing that AI simply can not replicate. However, enhancing our abilities with mechanical parts does not mean we have to give up everything. Cyborgs are the perfect mix of man and machine, and this is what marketers should strive to be. Marketers must embrace the future of AI, working alongside these tools for the greatest chance at success. When humans and AI are able to work in harmony, it creates an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.
GCyborg Solutions
The marketing team at GCommerce understands the value of AI, and we’re constantly working to embrace the technology. Both our search and digital marketers use AI marketing tools to increase efficiency and optimize performance, and we’re better for it.
The entire foundation of search marketing is built on AI, so rejecting the technology isn’t an option for our search marketers. Search engines use bots to determine what users want to see, and a search marketer’s job is based on understanding and manipulating these AI for optimal results. If GCommerce were afraid to work alongside AI, our search marketing team wouldn’t exist, and we would miss out on a massive opportunity to increase visibility and web traffic for our clients.
Within search marketing, AI marketing tools are particularly useful for advertising. Dynamically generated ads, smart bidding, and campaign recommendations make it easier for our team to learn about audiences, improve ad performance, and test new strategies. While this is all possible without AI, the technology makes everything much faster and more efficient, leaving our search marketers with extra time for research and experimentation to better utilize search bots to our advantage.
The benefits of AI marketing don’t stop at our search team, though. Just like search advertising, digital marketing would technically be possible without AI. However, ad personalization and specific audience targeting are what make digital marketing so lucrative, and AI makes it easier for our team to serve the right ads to the right people. AI marketing tools help take the guesswork out of digital marketing, leaving our team with more time to work on creative, original ads that drive results for our clients.
As a company, GCommerce is always pushing boundaries to provide the best possible service for our clients. Our marketing team is constantly working to improve in this area, but human ability only goes so far. By embracing AI marketing tools and functioning as a Marketing Cyborg, the GCommerce marketing team is able to elevate our work to a level far beyond what’s possible with human marketing alone. So what are you afraid of? Contact one of our marketing experts for more information on AI marketing or becoming a Marketing Cyborg.
Google announces expanded text ads will be sunsetted in 2022
Technically this announcement snuck in at the very end of August. But it’s a big shake up in the SEM community so we had to share it here. Google has announced that “beginning in July 2022, advertisers will no longer be able to create new expanded text ads (ETA) or edit existing ETAs in Google Ads”. Instead, you will be forced to use responsive search ads or Dynamic search ad formats. Our search marketing experts break down what this means and more in this blog post about Google’s ETA announcement(link to Ashley’s post).
Expedia group shares fall travel outlook
We love some great travel insights. These fall travel outlook details from Expedia breakdown who is most eager to travel this fall (hint: Millennials are in the lead) and where they are most interested in travelling to. What excites us most is the mix of both city center and outdoor destinations. Dive into the details here to guide your fall marketing strategies including who you may want to start crafting your targeting and messaging towards.
Google updates how pages titles are displayed in Search Results
About a month ago Google confirmed that it had changed how it displays page titles in the SERP results. Google decided that in certain situations it would replace title tag text with the text from the page’s header tags. While the initial changes found by many in the SERP immediately after the change were dramatic, the amount of pages/changes that are showing the results have now leveled out. We’ve noticed only certain pages we’ve audited have been re-written in the SERP, mostly pages that had yet to have optimized page titles written. The thought amongst the team here is that Google is only focusing on rewriting or replace page title text that is underperforming. So, if you notice page titles that do not contain your assigned page title text, it may be a good indicator it’s time to try different copy.
Google Ads Phrase Broad Match Keyword Preferability and BERT
In what seemed to be an announcement that just confused most of the SEM community, Google announced updates to the way keyword matching works. The biggest change seems to come around the inclusion of different relevance signals, including use of BERT, to determine which keyword is most relevant. Exact will still trump phrase and broad in matching to the query as long it is the most relevant and has the higher Ad Rank. GCommerce is continuing to test different ways to use match type structures in our accounts to achieve the most cost efficient results.
Google Announces it will use Data Driven Attribution in Google ads by default
Data Driven Attribution was always something small businesses aspired to have, but could never possibly attain due to extremely high minimum conversions needed to qualify. At the end of September, Google announced that it is officially moving away from last-click attribution and instead using data-driven attribution as it’s default for all conversion tags for all advertisers. This means, no matter the total conversions you achieve in a month, your account will be eligible. This will roll out over the coming months and is another step Google is taking to help advertisers “future-proof their measurement” in a privacy centric world. GCommere long did away with last-click attribution many years ago in favor of the next best option for our accounts which was default-position based attribution. We’re excited to monitor how this change impacts our reporting and campaign performance.
Mailchimp Acquired by Intuit
Our last piece of digital marketing news to round out September updates comes from the major announcement by Intuit that it had acquired Mailchimp. The move comes from a desire by Intuit to establish themselves as an end-to-end customer growth platform. Email marketing and engagement possible through Mailchimp’s platform gives Intuit the ability to do so. From our point of view it proves that owning your customer data and organizing your eCRM in a way that allows you to best communicate and grow your customer database is even more important.
