Internet Marketing News October 2014 Recap
November 4, 2014Happy November! Here is an overview of the top internet marketing news stories of October 2014.
- Google Dynamic Remarketing Ads, which rolled out to retailers in June, is now available for all advertisers.
- Google has expanded the “In The News” box to include more sites than solely traditional news portals. Most notably, Reddit seems to now be appearing in that box.
- Google launches custom Affinity Audiences for display targeting, allowing advertisers to refine audience targeting by combining interest segments and related sites.
- Google+ users now can post polls on pages and profiles, a feature recently removed from Facebook.
- For advertisers that include forwarding number call extensions, they can now include local numbers in most areas instead of the standard toll-free numbers.
- Google released Penguin 3.0 “refresh,” affecting less than 1% of English queries worldwide. Google’s Pierre Far shared more details on Google+.
- Google has released an update to its Pirate Update, affecting many torrent sites.
- Video game search results now includes a knowledge graph panel with information such as game’s release date, developers and more.
- Google added the ability to target users who have made an in-app purchase, powered by Google’s mobile ad network, AdMob.
- Google launched “Inbox,” a new email client that seems to integrate Google Now, Siri, and Gmail like features. Below is a video highlighting the features:
Bing
- Bing is making Enhanced Sitelinks available in the U.S., and will be rolling out to more global markets later this year. Enhanced Sitelinks offer two additional lines of copy below the link itself, as in the example below.
- Bing begins to show lyrics directly in the SERP when a user searches for a lyric-related query. It is displayed as a snippet above the search listings.
- Similar to Google’s Film carousel, Bing now displays what’s playing in the movies in a similar fashion.
- Bing Ads announced the worldwide launch of Universal Event Tracking (UET) which allows advertisers to define and track goals specific to their businesses. This sets the stage for audience- based remarketing scenarios, which will roll out “soon.”
- Bing Images now allows users to filter for animated GIFs.
Yahoo
- For users logged into Yahoo, flights, events, and package tracking will now appear on Yahoo Search and Yahoo’s Mail Today.
- Tumblr is launching video ads named “sponsored video posts.” These ads will be cost-per-view; the program is launching with 11 partners including CW, Universal, Lexus, Hulu and JCPenney.
- Facebook introduces an anonymous community iOS app called Rooms. This app allows people to create a “room” on any topic and create invites via QR codes.
- Facebook rolls out “Audience Network” worldwide. This provides the ability for advertisers to increase their reach to mobile apps that aren’t within Facebook by using banner, interstitial and native mobile ads. Goals include app installs, app engagement, and linking ads to a mobile site.
- Facebook announces “Local Awareness Ads” allowing small to midsize businesses to target users within a certain radius of a store.
- Facebook upgrades Ad Controls with Ad Set targeting and bidding. The graphic below explains the new controls.
- Facebook announces new PMD Program structure and name, soon to be dubbed “Facebook Marketing Partners.” The new structure groups companies by the following expertise: Ad Technology, Media Buying, Facebook Exchange (FBX), Community Management, Content Marketing, Small Business Solutions, Audience Onboarding, Audience Data Providers, and Measurement.
- Instagram is introducing Video Ads with five major brands: Disney, Activision, Lancome, Banana Republic and CW. AdWeek included four of the five ads.
Snapchat
- Snapchat launched its first ad unit, the first advertiser being Universal for the “Ouija” movie. This 19-second trailer was viewed by millions.
- Twitter updates Audio Cards, allowing users to listen to songs, podcasts and other audio content within the Twitter app, while continuing to scroll through other tweets.
- After a successful test, users will begin seeing tweets from accounts that they do not follow.
- Twitter updated its MoPub native app advertising platform to give developers more control over position and frequency of ads. Twitter’s MoPub ad network places advertising outside of the Twitter platform.
- LinkedIn is gives users detailed information about what prompts people to interact with their profiles and content. This feature on the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” page gives insights about what led to specific interactions.
Foursquare
- Two months after its major rebrand, Foursquare launches its first ad campaign in an effort to drive awareness to the new Foursquare. The out of home ads focus on consumers’ different tastes and preferences, and does not mention check-ins. Foursquare also now has 55 million registered users, up 10% from the previous figure.
Yelp
- Yelp adds Hotel Reservations to its list of booking services via Yelp Platform’s integration with Hipmunk.
Have any questions about any of the above stories or think we missed something? Let us know in the comments section below. Also, be sure to check back in early December for our January recap. In the meantime, check out our Thoughts Page featuring our latest publications, blog posts, and featured articles; and sign up for the Catalyst Must-Have Digital Insights e-Newsletter for the latest thought leadership, industry updates, and Catalyst news.
