🔍 Google tests paid coaching program for SMBs

Nov 19, 2020

Good morning Search Marketer, this is interesting…

If you are a small business owner, or have worked with one, you know how overwhelming it can be to try to manage on online presence when it's just one of many hats you wear. It's very easy to make mistakes or be led astray. To that end, Google has begun testing a consulting program for small businesses that offers coaching on a range of products such as GMB, Ads, Analytics and YouTube.

The Small Business Advisors (SBA) sessions are free through the end of the year and then will cost $39.99. SBA is available only in the U.S. to start and is designed for small business owners who don't have dedicated internal or external digital marketing resources and want to get more proficient at using Google products.

And, to help advertisers get their questions answered and share ideas, Microsoft Advertising has launched a new community forum. Read more about this effort and more below.

Ginny Marvin,
Editor-in-Chief

Social Short

YouTube gets into audio ads

Audio ads are now in beta on YouTube along with new "dynamic music lineups" of channels across music genres such as Latin, K-pop as well as lineups aimed at moods and interests like fitness. "Music lineups and audio ads make it possible to be there, at scale, whether YouTube is being watched front and center or playing as the backdrop to daily life," YouTube wrote in a blog post this week.

YouTube's 15-second audio ads are accompanied by an image or simple animation and include a link to the advertiser's site. They are largely aimed at driving brand awareness and are available to advertisers now in Google Ads and Display & Video 360 on a CPM basis.

Why we care. YouTube's scale makes its entry into digital audio advertising particularly notable. There are more than 2 billion monthly music listeners on YouTube, according to the company. Spotify, by contrast, reaches 185 million monthly users with its ad supported product. Internet audio advertising revenue reached $2.7 billion last year, up 21% from the previous year, the IAB reported. YouTube says more than 50% of logged-in users who listen to music content in a day consume more than 10 minutes of music content on the platform.

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Search Shorts

Google search ranking update unconfirmed

Unconfirmed Google algorithm update. There are unconfirmed reports of a possible Google search ranking algorithm update that happened on November 17th and 18th. Google has not, I repeat, has not, confirmed any update.

Google Remove outdated content tool. Google has updated the remove outdated content tool, a tool you can use to try to remove content from Google Search that is not from your own site. If you want to remove content from your site in Google Search, then use Google Search Console.

Web Stories poll. Jon Henshaw posted a Twitter poll asking do you like and engage with Web Stories or generally skip over them for regular results (articles and videos)? Most of the responses, and there were a lot of responses, were "I've never seen them."

New Microsoft Advertising Community. Microsoft has launched a new go at a community forum for advertisers to "share ideas, ask questions, and get information from peers" as well as get support from Microsoft Advertising Specialists. You can upvote threads and join the conversation here.

Adapt your holiday e-commerce strategy to new consumer habits

Sponsored by Microsoft

We're navigating uncharted waters during this year's holiday retail season, as new shopping behaviors spurred by COVID precautions will make this a season unlike any other. At the onset of COVID, consumers shifted their buying of necessities and other retail items online due to store closures and safety concerns. According to eMarketer, U.S. e-commerce sales will reach $794.50 billion this year, up 32.4% year-over-year (YoY). And e-commerce sales will reach 14.4% of all US retail spending this year and 19.2% by 2024. Online shopping is so strong that it will more than offset the 3.2% decline in brick-and-mortar spending this year.

Your business might be off to a strong start or have gained momentum after Prime Day, and you're now thinking of ways to build upon that to continue your winning streak and boost your sales in the coming months. Microsoft Advertising is here to provide you with additional insights on how to advertise during this unprecedented retail holiday season.

Read More »

Unlock two forward-thinking keynotes

Join 2020 Search Engine Land Award winners Areej AbuAli and Mike King for two forward-thinking keynotes, December 8-9, only at SMX. Reflect on what's changed — from evolving SERPs to new opportunities with A.I. — and prepare for what comes next!

Get the details here »