This month’s Google Marketing Live event saw the tech giant present new solutions and products. San Francisco held this year’s edition, and in addition to the focus on digital marketing, one of the main subjects was best practices for platforms like Google Ads and other changes that should get the attention of marketers. We will also be looking at the news unveiled at Google I/O, a conference mostly aimed at developers.
Google Discovery Ads
The big news that promises to shake the market is called Discovery Ads. In fact, this is a new approach to Google Ads that will centralise the reproduction of a single campaign on various Google platforms (it is expected to include the YouTube home feed, Gmail and its Promotions and Social tabs as well as Google Discover).
Basically, the process does not change much: to begin with, advertisers should specifically create a Discovery campaign and provide all the necessary content. Then, Google will optimise the best combinations for different platforms based on the material provided through machine learning.
Discovery Ads are expected to be available by the end of 2019.
Our first announcement is out! 💁 Presenting Discovery ads: inspire and engage consumers with rich and relevant creative across the YouTube home feed, the Gmail promotions and social tabs, and the feed in Discover. Hear more at #GoogleMarketingLive → https://t.co/J8PIH9BX7m! pic.twitter.com/38DDfzkSJU
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) 14 de maio de 2019
Google Gallery Ads
The ad galleries of Google Ads will also undergo a redesign to make them visually more attractive and boost interactivity. The new format will only be available to smartphone users and it will consist of swipeable carousel-style images that can include between 4 and 8 pictures, with descriptions of up to 70 characters. According to Google, the number of interactions for campaigns that include an ad gallery increases by up to 25% and Gallery Ads is expected to be available by the end of this year.
Google Showcase Shopping Ads
Another novelty is the expansion of Showcase Shopping ads – a showcase for resellers to show a list of products that can be associated with searches that do not include brands (such as “lifestyle” or “summer dresses”) – for platforms like Google Images, the Discover feed, and YouTube feed. The purpose of this innovation is to increase interactivity in the user experience. For example, if you’re watching YouTube videos such as products reviews or unboxings, you can purchase from that application.
These ads include a main image and smaller ones, but with the ability to expand to show multiple products selected by the advertiser. They can also include location data for those who have outlets nearby and thus offer the products advertised online.
Google deepens link in apps from ads
Google is also implementing a more direct link between apps and Google Ads, giving advertisers the additional option to direct traffic to their apps. If the user has the advertiser app installed, they can access it directly through sponsored links, whether viewed through Google Search, Google Shopping, or display campaigns and therefore make a purchase. In this way, the goal is to accelerate and further customise the purchasing process.
Improvements to Google Shopping
Google Shopping is getting a big revamp. Released in France last March, this redesigned aims to improve and personalise the experience for consumers. They will be able to make purchases on advertisers’ websites or directly on Google Shopping, which will intermediate the process.
One of the novelties is the customisation of Shopping, which will present recommendations according to the interests of each user (using, for this purpose, the search history, items purchased and lists). Therefore, the platform will be visually distinct from user to user. For now, it is available only on Google.com and Google Assistant, but there are plans to expand it to YouTube and Google Images by the end of this year.
These developments are efforts to improve the consumer experience and build confidence in a more streamlined process, but also to compete with Amazon and lessen the gap between the Seattle giant and its competitors.
YouTube Bumper Ads
This one is truly promising. Bumper ads are those very short, six-second ads that play before the video starts. According to worldwide data collected by Google, these videos leave a much more memorable impression on consumers than a single 30-second ad does.
The problem is that not every business can develop a measly six-second video that succeeds in delivering the message briefly, logically, and gracefully. The solution is bumper machine. Integrated into the Google Ads interface, this new tool can turn any video under 90 seconds into a collection of bumper ads ready to be uploaded to YouTube.
It is expected that the tool will be available to any advertiser by the end of the year, at no additional cost, and will also have basic editing options so the user can have full control over the final product.
Google I/O 2019: innovations on Google Search
At the same time, Google I/O 2019 took place. This yearly developer conference brought many news regarding the company’s crown jewel: Google Search.
Here are some of the new features, codelabs, and documentation that you was unveiled at the event:
- Googlebot now runs the latest Chromium rendering engine. This means Googlebot now supports new features, like ES6, IntersectionObserver for lazy-loading, and Web Components v1 APIs. Also, Googlebot will regularly update its rendering engine;
- How-to & FAQ launched on Google Search and the Assistant. The developer documentation for How-to and FAQ is already available, as well as supporting Search Console reports;
- Find and listen to podcasts in Search. It is now possible to listen to podcasts directly on Google Search when you search for a certain show. In the coming months, Google plans that search results will include podcasts based on their content;
- News codelabs available, such as how to add structured data, fix a Single Page App for Search, and implement Dynamic Rendering with Rendertron;
- New speed report. Google is piloting a new Search Console speed report;
- Mini-apps. They were announced a few weeks ago: Google has launched a tool which engages users with interactive workflows and live content directly on Search and the Assistant;
- High-resolution images. Google is studying the possibility for developers to opt in to highlight their high-resolution images for their users. More details will be revealed in the coming months;
- 3D and Augmented Reality (AR) in Search. Google is working with partners to bring 3D models and AR content to Google Search.
