Apr 25 2024
Top 17 SEO Podcasts For 2024 via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Podcasts are the perfect medium for keeping up to date with where the SEO industry is headed.

A larger number of podcasts this year are producing content with original takes on every facet of search marketing.

The following SEO podcasts were chosen for their helpfulness, deep insights, and their regular publishing schedule.

Every podcast on this list is a winner.

1. Search Engine Journal Show

  • Host: Loren Baker.

The Search Engine Journal Show takes a deep dive into virtually every aspect of search marketing, including content, technical SEO trends, paid search, and local search – and it always keeps an eye on what’s hitting the search industry in the near future.

Host Loren Baker is the founder of both Search Engine Journal and the digital marketing and development agency Foundation Digital. With 20+ years of search marketing experience, Loren’s interviews and conversations are always informed and come from a place of experience and knowledge.

Recent shows covered these topics:

If you’re new to the Search Engine Journal Show, you’re in for a treat because there are hundreds of episodes to listen to.

Listen to new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn.

2. SERPs Up

  • Hosts: Crystal Carter & Mordy Oberstein.

SERPs Up is the Wix SEO podcast that focuses on popular topics relevant to search marketers at every level of expertise.

Expect to listen to conversations about new and trending topics, like investigating whether AI content actually ranks, as well as more evergreen topics, such as finding the right content mix.

Recent podcasts also discuss whether expert opinions in content are important and a conversation with Martha Van Berkel, founder of Schema App, about structured data.

Martha is one of the most informed people I know on the topic of structured data, so that episode really shows how SERPs Up has the expertise behind it to deliver podcasts that are well worth listening to.

Listen to the SERPs Up podcast on Amazon, Apple, Google Podcasts, and Spotify

3. Conversion Tracking Playbook

  • Host: Brad Redding, Founder & CEO at Elevar.

Search rankings are typically the highest priority for SEO, followed by organic traffic, bounce rates, and other similar metrics.

It’s too easy to forget that the number one KPI is conversions and how much money the enterprise is earning. Everything about SEO eventually ends with the twin goals of conversions and earnings.

That’s why Elevar’s Conversion Tracking Playbook podcast is a natural fit for every search marketer to consider.

As the podcast title indicates, its main focus is improving conversion tracking for online businesses, including those on platforms like Shopify.

Typical episodes focus on accurate tracking, analytics, the impact of privacy-related trends (such as iOS updates), and strategies for using existing data to track and help increase conversions and business goals.

A spokesperson for Elevar shared what to expect from the Conversion Tracking Playbook:

“We release weekly episodes that dive deep into tracking, analytics and conversion optimization. If you value data-driven strategies and learning new incremental revenue strategies, be sure to subscribe!”

Listen to the Conversion Tracking Playbook at Apple and Spotify.

4. Webcology

  • Host: Jim Hedger and Kristine Schachinger.

Webcology is a long-running podcast that features the wisdom and insights of not one but two SEO legends: Jim Hedger and Kristine Schachinger.

Listen along as they interview guests and share their insights into the latest events in the search marketing industry, as well as commentary on the search marketing news you should know about. There’s so much to keep up with, but it’s easy to cut through the noise with Jim and Kristine.

Kristine Schachinger, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a highly experienced search marketer with twenty years in the search industry. Her depth of experience, knowledge of SEO, and the technical side of development add greatly to the Webcology podcast.

Jim Hedger is a Toronto-based search marketer with over 25 years of experience working on the Internet.  His wide-ranging curiosity keeps him in touch with current events, and he has a keen ability to discern and predict their impact on the search industry.

If you only listen to one SEO podcast a week, Webcology should be at the top of your list.

Listen to new episodes on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and RedCircle.

5. Search With Candour

  • Host: Jack Chambers-Ward.

UK-based Search With Candour publishes an episode weekly that addresses topics of interest to search marketing professionals, such as technical SEO, the usefulness of storytelling in marketing, the recent Google and Reddit agreement, and how to make helpful content.

Guests are well chosen for their expertise, such as technical SEO expert Beth Woodcock and Gus Pelogia, SEO Product Manager at Indeed.

Listen on Apple, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

6. The SEO Mindset Podcast

  • Hosts: Tazmin Suleman and Sarah McDowell.

The word “engaging” has been used so often that it has almost lost its meaning. But listen to this podcast, and you’ll agree that it holds your attention in a way that is indeed engaging.

Hosts Tazmin and Sarah reliably publish weekly episodes. Recent episodes include “Stop Excusing Bad Behaviour,” a discussion of the reasons why people might excuse bad behavior and how to deal with difficult conversations, directly addressing issues for one’s well-being, and encouraging a respectful and positive working environment.

Another episode is dedicated to identifying and learning from trusted resources in SEO, emphasizing how to discern reliable information.

I asked Sarah about the origins of the podcast and what listeners should expect from it.

Sarah shared:

“Whilst there are amazing SEO podcasts out there, Tazmin and I saw that there aren’t many that just focus on soft skills, personal growth, and career development.

Yes, some touch on these topics, but we definitely saw an opportunity to create a podcast that solely focuses on giving SEO professionals actionable tips and advice, so they can optimize their careers, not just the algorithms. Cheesy tagline, but true!

Go on and give some of our episodes a try!”

Listen to the SEO Mindset Podcast at Amazon Music, Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Pocket Casts.

7. The SEO Rant (with Mordy Oberstein)

Host: Mordy Oberstein

I was pretty blown away by the SEO Rant podcast. Mordy’s unconventional but interesting topics and the high-quality guests who discuss them make this podcast a must-try for every search marketer.

Recent episodes:

  • How Not To Market Your SaaS Product.
  • SEO Testing: How to Do It & Sell It to Clients.
  • Is the Helpful Content Update Defective?
  • Like It or Not, SEO Requires Critical Thinking.
  • Should Google Be More Transparent?
  • The Problems with Tracking Rank & SEO.

I admire what Mordy is doing because he’s combining unique topics with actionable insights. There’s nothing trendy about this – just solid, useful content. That’s not an easy thing to do in general and even harder to execute on a regular basis.

Listen on Apple, SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube.

8. SEO Pioneers

Host: Shelley Walsh

SEO Pioneers interviews industry greats who helped to shaped the industry at its formation, or contributed in a significant way.

Every pioneer has a different story, with plenty of insights into the foundations of SEO, how search engines evolved, and what is still relevant today.

In every episode, the approach is for the pioneer to offer a unique story and then share something they have never shared in public before. Listen to Dave Naylor for one of the best stories!

All episodes in this series are winners and must-listens for search marketers at every level. John Mueller even credited the show as ‘one to watch’ on Google Search News.

Listen and watch on YouTube.

9. Near Memo Podcast

  • Hosts: David Mihm, Greg Sterling, Mike Blumenthal.

The Near Memo podcast covers the latest news and trends hitting local search as well as covering trending topics related to regular search. Recent episodes focus on Google Gemini, Google SGE, and a lot about Google Business Profile (often referred to as GMB).

Dave Mihm is a longtime local search pro who has been working on local search since before Google Local was a thing. He is a true local search expert.

Listen at: Amazon, Apple, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube.

10. Good Signals SEO Office Hours Podcast

  • Hosts: Michael Chidzey, Jo Turnbull, Ruth Turnbull.

This podcast shares the exact same name as Google’s more famous podcast, which follows Google’s format of answering questions. The difference between the two podcasts is that the agenda for this one is focused on practical, hands-on concerns for anyone building a business from our side of the search box.

They answer questions that address real concerns, such as the ROI of link building, tips on handling internal links, getting the most out of an SEO conference, and how to determine the reasonable cost of a domain.

  • Hosts: Greg Finn, Jessica Budde, Christine ‘Shep’ Zirnheld, and Nicole Waddington.

Listen to the fresh perspectives on recent SEO and digital marketing news with the dynamic hosts of Marketing O’Clock.

Episodes so far in 2024 tackled the impact of Google’s recent rebranding of Perspectives to Forums, Instagram’s new ad type, Google’s Consent Mode V2, and updates to Microsoft Ads. There’s a strong dose of what’s going on in paid search with some SEO thrown in here and there.

Their podcast is released on a weekly schedule. Put it on your calendar and tune in to the latest episodes.

Listen to new episodes on Apple, Stitcher, and Spotify.

12. Branded Search (And Beyond) SEO Podcast

  • Host: Jason Barnard.

Search marketer Jason Barnard publishes a thinking person’s podcast on digital marketing. I really don’t know how he manages to publish such high-quality and insightful discussions on a regular basis. Each episode offers a creative perspective on search marketing that will not be found elsewhere.

Recent episodes include:

  • Leveraging Omnichannel Content Design into Digital Marketing (Larry Swanson and Jason Barnard).
  • Publicity – Get Known Everywhere With Guerrilla Publicity (Jill Lublin and Jason Barnard).
  • How to Incorporate Insights in Your Branding Campaigns (Chris Kocek and Jason Barnard).
  • 8 Essential AI-Driven Strategies for Business Growth (Isar Meitis and Jason Barnard).

Keep an eye out for a “limited run” of 50 five-minute unscripted podcasts called “Growing Your Personal Brand with Jason Barnard,” which offer a step-by-step tutorial on how to grow and manage your personal brand – essentially a class in podcast form.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

13. Google Podcast: Search Off The Record

  • Hosts: Gary Illyes, John Mueller, Lizzi Sassman, Martin Splitt.

Search Off the Record is an informal podcast about search and SEO from Google’s perspective. Topics range from a behind-the-scenes look at search crawlers and indexing to the considerations that went into rewriting Google’s SEO Starter Guide, search ranking updates, and the concept of quality in search.

Two factors make Google’s podcast notable:

  • Variety: There’s no other podcast that relates search and SEO from the search engine’s point of view.
  • Authoritative source: The fact that it’s created by Google is a compelling reason to tune in.

The podcasts tend to ramble in the beginning with some extended banter and kidding around. But once the hosts get going, the insights start.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

14. EDGE Of The Web

  • Host: Erin Sparks.

Edge Of The Web offers a roundup of the week’s news plus interviews with guests like Julia McCoy discussing AI content, Greg Gifford on how to dominate local SEO, Ola King on user experience design, and GA4 insights with Brie Anderson.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

Podcasts To Keep An Eye Out For

The following podcasts are gearing up for a new season. Put them on your shortlist, and get ready to be blown away.

15. WTSPodcast

  • Hosts: Isaline Muelhauser and Areej AbuAli.

The Women in Tech SEO Podcast (WTSPodcast) is a biweekly podcast that features women and GNC in search.  The last season focused on the business side of SEO from a woman’s point of view, and the season before that one zeroed in on technical SEO.

The 2024 season of the Women in Tech SEO Podcast kicks off in the second half of this year, so be sure to bookmark it for listening!

Listen to Women in Tech SEO on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

16. Search News You Can Use

  • Host: Marie Haynes.

Marie Haynes offers insights into the latest developments in SEO. Although the podcast is published “sporadically,” she did let me know that it will become more active in the near future.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

17. Azeem Digital Asks Podcast

Host: Azeem Ahmad.

UK-based Azeem currently has 76 podcasts recorded and has let me know that he has a new studio and will return this year with a brand new season.

He offered this preview of what’s to come:

“The podcast returns for a new season in 2024 – and you can expect even bigger things than previously. What initially started out as audio only is moving to video this year.

Expect great guests and topics connected to marketing and wider disciplines.”

2024 SEO Podcast Shows

It’s exciting to see so many new podcasts of exceptional quality making the list this year.

The broad scope of topics reflects the richness of search marketing and the high-quality talent that’s putting the time in to produce such great content.

More resources:

Featured Image: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

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Apr 25 2024
Google Universal Analytics 360 Sunsetting Soon: Migration Tips & Top Alternative Inside via @sejournal, @PiwikPro

This post was sponsored by Piwik PRO. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

This year, Google will finally phase out Universal Analytics 360, requiring paid users to switch to Google Analytics 360.

This is not something you can skip or postpone, and the clock is ticking.

The new analytics differ significantly from the previous version, and you can’t migrate data between them, so the transition can be challenging for organizations.

Since you’ll be starting from scratch, now is a good time to explore other options and determine if there are better solutions for your needs.

The three main areas to consider when deciding if you want to stay with Google or move to another platform are: the migration process, privacy and compliance, and ease of use.

When Is Google Universal Analytics 360 Sunsetting?

July 1, 2024 is when Google will phase out Universal Analytics 360.

What Should I Do Next?

Google encourages you to migrate to Google Analytics 360 as quickly as possible.

If you don’t, you could:

  • Lose critical advertising capabilities.
  • Lose the ability to export historical data.
  • Face delays in setting up Google Analytics 360.

    How To Migrate To Your Next Analytics Platform

    Moving to a new platform is much more than just implementation; it is vital to plan your migration properly. Below are five steps to help you through the entire process.

    Step 1. Evaluate Your Stack & Resources

    Before you switch analytics tools, take the time to evaluate your entire stack, not just the tool you’re changing. Ensure that your stack is up-to-date and meets your current business needs. Migrating to a new analytics vendor almost always requires more people and more time than originally estimated. It’s a good occasion to remove redundant tools from your stack; it might also allow you to integrate with new ones that can help you run your analytics and collect data more comprehensively.

    Step 2. Tidy Your Data

    Over time, data collection may get messy, and you find yourself tracking data that isn’t relevant to your business. A migration gives you a chance to clean up your data taxonomy. Ensure that your new tool allows you to use the same categories of data as the previous one. Pay close attention to any data that needs to be collected automatically, like location data (country, region, city), and device details (device type, browser). Finally, make sure the SDKs you need are supported by your new tool.

    Step 3. Implement A New Platform

    This step involves setting up the tracking code that collects data about visitors to your website or app and making any necessary modifications. Remember to set up tags to gather more detailed data through events or connect third-party tools.

    Speed Up The Transition: If you switch to Piwik PRO, you can use a migration tool to easily transfer your settings from Universal Analytics (GA3) and Google Tag Manager.

    Step 4. Evaluate Tour New Data

    Once you’re done implementing your new platform, you should run it parallel to your existing tool for a few months before finalizing the migration. During this time, you can audit your new data and correct any errors. In this manner, you can retain your historical data while simultaneously generating new data segments on the new platform.

    Step 5. Provide Training For Your Team

    All end users need training to comprehend the platform’s operations, retrieve necessary data, and generate reports. This step is frequently missed as it falls at the end of the project.

    Upon finishing this step, you will be set to switch to your new platform fully. If you find the migration process challenging, consider getting help from outside sources. Some analytics vendors offer hands-on onboarding and user training, which accelerates product adoption.

    Is Switching To Google Analytics 360 Worth The Hassle?

    You might be thinking, “Migrating to the successor of UA 360 won’t be a walk in the park,” especially if you work for a large organization.

    In addition to subscription and data migration costs, you may also need to train your staff or increase fees for external marketing agencies that will face new challenges.

    While Analytics 360 has incredible use cases, there may be other tools that better suit your needs.

    Switching to alternative solutions may be a good option for you.

    How To Pick A Replacement For Universal Analytics 360

    To decide whether to choose a new platform or stick with Google, consider a few important factors:

    1. Because GA 360 is a different software, your marketing and analytics departments will need to allocate extra resources to learn the new platform. You will also need the support of analysts, developers, and data architects to help you reconstruct reports based on the data architecture of the chosen platform. Choosing a solution with similar features and user experience to UA 360 can be a good option, because it saves resources, making onboarding faster and easier.
    2. You will also need to redesign your entire customer journey, because the data model in GA360 has changed from sessions to events. This process can be more challenging and costly than choosing a session-based platform or one that offers you freedom of choice.
    3. Another important consideration is the level of support offered by the vendor. This can greatly affect the quality of the migration and onboarding to a new platform. Although Google Analytics is currently the most popular tool for analyzing web traffic, the level of support it provides is limited. Other companies like Piwik PRO can offer more in this area, including personalized onboarding, product implementation, training, and dedicated customer support at every step.

    Consideration 1: Think About Privacy & Compliance

    Organizations around the world are increasingly concerned with data privacy and compliance. A 2023 Thomson survey found that 80% of business professionals acknowledge the importance of compliance as a crucial advisory function for their organizations. Gartner, on the other hand, predicts that, by 2025, 60% of large enterprises will use at least one privacy-enhancing computing (PEC) technique in analytics, business intelligence, and/or cloud computing.

    This is due to a growing number of new regulations that place greater control over personal data at the forefront. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are two of the most prominent examples. The landscape has been further complicated by events such as the Schrems II case, Brexit, and China’s Personal Data Protection Law. Data protection is also increasingly important in some sectors, such as healthcare, where regulations like HIPAA are mandatory.

    If your company operates globally or has ambitions to do so, the first thing to consider is who has full ownership of the data, where the servers hosting the data are located, and who owns them. Google Analytics 360 only offers cloud deployment in an unknown location, which means that data might be transferred between data centers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. This makes it difficult to know exactly where the data is stored and ownership is unclear. For now, the issue of data transfers between the US and the EU has been resolved by the EU-US Privacy Shield framework agreement, but the future stays unclear. Last year, NOYB, led by Max Schrems, announced that it would soon appeal this decision to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

    To meet privacy and compliance requirements in different countries and industries, choose a platform that allows you to customize your hosting plan and set specific parameters for data collection and analysis. Platforms like Piwik PRO Analytics Suite enable you to store your data on servers in Europe, the US, and Asia, based on your preferences. This translates into flexibility and security of your data.

    Consideration 2: Ease Of Use & Integration

    This may sound counterintuitive, but the new GA 360 might be too complex for many. While it offers numerous advanced functions for data analysts, it lacks features specifically designed for marketers. As a result, marketers may need help in configuring the system to efficiently use the data.

    On the other hand, in GA 360, the data model shifts from session-based to event-based. This is especially important if your teams depend on UA 360 behavioral reporting, benchmarking, and e-commerce flow reports, as these features are unavailable in the new release. You also need to revise all the reports for all the stakeholders.

    Conversely, Piwik PRO strongly emphasizes simplicity and enables marketers to quickly access the necessary data. Additionally, the data model combines both session-based and event-based structures. This approach ensures that you can start working with the data faster and deliver the reports that stakeholders are used to. Another big advantage of Piwik PRO is its model for working with raw data, which is a valuable source of knowledge about users and provides richer reporting in more contexts. Google Analytics does not provide raw data exports, so you have to use various services and tools to accomplish this. To be fair, however, exporting large raw data packets with Piwik PRO software may take longer than with Google solutions.

    The new GA 360 is most effective when used mainly with products from the Google ecosystem. When considering data activation, Google Ads is the most suitable option. When it comes to Piwik PRO, you still have this option, but integrating with other solutions is much easier. The platform offers four modules: Analytics, Tag Manager, Consent Manager and Customer Data Platform (CDP). The CDP module, available in the paid plan, lets you create detailed customer profiles and categorize your data into various audience segments. You can activate them to provide a personalized experience and run effective campaigns across multiple channels.

    The landscape of modern analytics is constantly changing. On the one hand, there are ongoing discussions about privacy and compliance regulations, while on the other, companies are trying out various methods to collect and analyze data. In the end, your choice of analytics platform will impact the performance of your marketing and sales efforts. So take the time to explore, and you may find other solutions that better suit your organization’s needs.

    Piwik PRO is a solid choice to explore for your next primary analytics solution. Book a personalized demo of the Enterprise version and see the benefits of introducing Piwik PRO Analytics Suite in your organization.

    REQUEST A DEMO

    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Piwik PRO Used with permission.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Apr 25 2024
    Almost every Chinese keyboard app has a security flaw that reveals what users type

    Almost all keyboard apps used by Chinese people around the world share a security loophole that makes it possible to spy on what users are typing. 

    The vulnerability, which allows the keystroke data that these apps send to the cloud to be intercepted, has existed for years and could have been exploited by cybercriminals and state surveillance groups, according to researchers at the Citizen Lab, a technology and security research lab affiliated with the University of Toronto.

    These apps help users type Chinese characters more efficiently and are ubiquitous on devices used by Chinese people. The four most popular apps—built by major internet companies like Baidu, Tencent, and iFlytek—basically account for all the typing methods that Chinese people use. Researchers also looked into the keyboard apps that come preinstalled on Android phones sold in China. 

    What they discovered was shocking. Almost every third-party app and every Android phone with preinstalled keyboards failed to protect users by properly encrypting the content they typed. A smartphone made by Huawei was the only device where no such security vulnerability was found.

    In August 2023, the same researchers found that Sogou, one of the most popular keyboard apps, did not use Transport Layer Security (TLS) when transmitting keystroke data to its cloud server for better typing predictions. Without TLS, a widely adopted international cryptographic protocol that protects users from a known encryption loophole, keystrokes can be collected and then decrypted by third parties.

    “Because we had so much luck looking at this one, we figured maybe this generalizes to the others, and they suffer from the same kinds of problems for the same reason that the one did,” says Jeffrey Knockel, a senior research associate at the Citizen Lab, “and as it turns out, we were unfortunately right.”

    Even though Sogou fixed the issue after it was made public last year, some Sogou keyboards preinstalled on phones are not updated to the latest version, so they are still subject to eavesdropping. 

    This new finding shows that the vulnerability is far more widespread than previously believed. 

    “As someone who also has used these keyboards, this was absolutely horrifying,” says Mona Wang, a PhD student in computer science at Princeton University and a coauthor of the report. 

    “The scale of this was really shocking to us,” says Wang. “And also, these are completely different manufacturers making very similar mistakes independently of one another, which is just absolutely shocking as well.”

    The massive scale of the problem is compounded by the fact that these vulnerabilities aren’t hard to exploit. “You don’t need huge supercomputers crunching numbers to crack this. You don’t need to collect terabytes of data to crack it,” says Knockel. “If you’re just a person who wants to target another person on your Wi-Fi, you could do that once you understand the vulnerability.” 

    The ease of exploiting the vulnerabilities and the huge payoff—knowing everything a person types, potentially including bank account passwords or confidential materials—suggest that it’s likely they have already been taken advantage of by hackers, the researchers say. But there’s no evidence of this, though state hackers working for Western governments targeted a similar loophole in a Chinese browser app in 2011.

    Most of the loopholes found in this report are “so far behind modern best practices” that it’s very easy to decrypt what people are typing, says Jedidiah Crandall, an associate professor of security and cryptography at Arizona State University, who was consulted in the writing of this report. Because it doesn’t take much effort to decrypt the messages, this type of loophole can be a great target for large-scale surveillance of massive groups, he says.

    After the researchers got in contact with companies that developed these keyboard apps, the majority of the loopholes were fixed. But a few companies have been unresponsive, and the vulnerability still exists in some apps and phones, including QQ Pinyin and Baidu, as well as in any keyboard app that hasn’t been updated to the latest version. Baidu, Tencent, iFlytek, and Samsung did not immediately reply to press inquiries sent by MIT Technology Review.

    One potential cause of the loopholes’ ubiquity is that most of these keyboard apps were developed in the 2000s, before the TLS protocol was commonly adopted in software development. Even though the apps have been through numerous rounds of updates since then, inertia could have prevented developers from adopting a safer alternative.

    The report points out that language barriers and different tech ecosystems prevent English- and Chinese-speaking security researchers from sharing information that could fix issues like this more quickly. For example, because Google’s Play store is blocked in China, most Chinese apps are not available in Google Play, where Western researchers often go for apps to analyze. 

    Sometimes all it takes is a little additional effort. After two emails about the issue to iFlytek were met with silence, the Citizen Lab researchers changed the email title to Chinese and added a one-line summary in Chinese to the English text. Just three days later, they received an email from iFlytek, saying that the problem had been resolved.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Apr 25 2024
    A new kind of gene-edited pig kidney was just transplanted into a person

    A month ago, Richard Slayman became the first living person to receive a kidney transplant from a gene-edited pig. Now, a team of researchers from NYU Langone Health reports that Lisa Pisano, a 54-year-old woman from New Jersey, has become the second. Her new kidney has just a single genetic modification—an approach that researchers hope could make scaling up the production of pig organs simpler. 

    Pisano, who had heart failure and end-stage kidney disease, underwent two operations, one to fit her with a heart pump to improve her circulation and the second to perform the kidney transplant. She is still in the hospital, but doing well. “Her kidney function 12 days out from the transplant is perfect, and she has no signs of rejection,” said Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, who led the transplant surgery, at a press conference on Wednesday.

    “I feel fantastic,” said Pisano, who joined the press conference by video from her hospital bed.

    Pisano is the fourth living person to receive a pig organ. Two men who received heart transplants at the University of Maryland Medical Center in 2022 and 2023 both died within a couple of months after receiving the organ. Slayman, the first pig kidney recipient, is still doing well, says Leonardo Riella, medical director for kidney transplantation at Massachusetts General Hospital, where Slayman received the transplant.  

    “It’s an awfully exciting time,” says Andrew Cameron, a transplant surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. “There is a bright future in which all 100,000 patients on the kidney transplant wait list, and maybe even the 500,000 Americans on dialysis, are more routinely offered a pig kidney as one of their options,” Cameron adds.

    All the living patients who have received pig hearts and kidneys have accessed the organs under the FDA’s expanded access program, which allows patients with life-threatening conditions to receive investigational therapies outside of clinical trials. But patients may soon have another option. Both Johns Hopkins and NYU are aiming to start clinical trials in 2025. 

    In the coming weeks, doctors will be monitoring Pisano closely for signs of organ rejection, which occurs when the recipient’s immune system identifies the new tissue as foreign and begins to attack it. That’s a concern even with human kidney transplants, but it’s an even greater risk when the tissue comes from another species, a procedure known as xenotransplantation.

    To prevent rejection, the companies that produce these pigs have introduced genetic modifications to make their tissue appear less foreign and reduce the chance that it will spark an immune attack. But it’s not yet clear just how many genetic alterations are necessary to prevent rejection. Slayman’s kidney came from a pig developed by eGenesis, a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts; it has 69 modifications. The vast majority of those modifications focus on inactivating viral DNA in the pig’s genome to make sure those viruses can’t be transmitted to the patient. But 10 were employed to help prevent the immune system from rejecting the organ.

    Pisano’s kidney came from pigs that carry just a single genetic alteration—to eliminate a specific sugar called alpha-gal, which can trigger immediate organ rejection, from the surface of its cells. “We believe that less is more, and that the main gene edit that has been introduced into the pigs and the organs that we’ve been using is the fundamental problem,” Montgomery says. “Most of those other edits can be replaced by medications that are available to humans.”

    JOE CARROTTA/NYU LANGONE HEALTH

    The kidney is implanted along with a piece of the pig’s thymus gland, which plays a key role in educating white blood cells to distinguish between friend and foe.  The idea is that the thymus will help Pisano’s immune system learn to accept the foreign tissue. The so-called UThymoKidney is being developed by United Therapeutics Corporation, but the company has also created pigs with 10 genetic alterations. The company “wanted to take multiple shots on goal,” says Leigh Peterson, executive vice president of product development and xenotransplantation at United Therapeutics.

    There’s one major advantage to using a pig with a single genetic modification. “The simpler it is, in theory, the easier it’s going to be to breed and raise these animals,” says Jayme Locke, a transplant surgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Pigs with a single genetic change can be bred, but pigs with many alterations require cloning, Montgomery says. “These pigs could be rapidly expanded, and more quickly and completely solve the organ supply crisis.”

    But Cameron isn’t sure that a single alteration will be enough to prevent rejection. “I think most people are worried that one knockout might not be enough, but we’re hopeful,” he says.

    So is Pisano, who is working to get strong enough to leave the hospital. “I just want to spend time with my grandkids and play with them and be able to go shopping,” she says.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Apr 25 2024
    Chrome Extensions for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini

    Users of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini no longer have to access the sites directly. Third-party Chrome extensions make working with those generative AI tools much easier.

    I’ve tested the following extensions for organization, productivity, and more.

    Organize Chats

    Easy Folders: ChatGPT & Claude Chat Organizer is a freemium Chrome extension that arranges chat history. Create up to five folders for free, color-code them, and add unlimited chats to each.

    Upgrade to the premium version (£8.99 per month or £149.99 lifetime — roughly $11.25 and $187.50)  and access to more productivity features, including:

    • Cross-platform and multi-account support for ChatGPT and Claude,
    • Folders and search chat history for both platforms,
    • Unlimited folders,
    • Syncing folders across unlimited devices.
    Screenshot from Chrome store for Easy Folders: ChatGPT & Claude Chat OrganizerScreenshot from Chrome store for Easy Folders: ChatGPT & Claude Chat Organizer

    Easy Folders: ChatGPT & Claude Chat Organizer

    Prompt from a Sidebar

    Sider is a freemium extension for Chrome, Safari, and Edge (desktop and mobile) to access multiple generative AI platforms from a browser sidebar.

    Receive 30 free chats per day using ChatGPT 3.5, Claude 3 Haiku, and Gemini 1.0. Upgrade to the “Basic” version at $25 per month for 3,000 chats. The top premium tier at $40 per month includes unlimited chats on the three AI platforms simultaneously.

    The free ChatGPT Side Panel, a Chrome extension, is a good alternative to Sider for ChatGPT Plus users. It opens ChatGPT 4 in Chrome’s sidebar for faster access.

    Screenshot from the Chrome store for SiderScreenshot from the Chrome store for Sider

    Sider is a freemium extension for Chrome, Safari, and Edge.

    Export Chats

    ChatGPT Exporter is a free Chrome extension that exports ChatGPT dialog in markdown, text, JSON, CSV, and images. Users can download:

    • The entire chat,
    • Only their prompts,
    • Only ChatGPT responses.
    Screenshot for Chrome store for ChatGPT ExporterScreenshot for Chrome store for ChatGPT Exporter

    ChatGPT Exporter

    Speak ChatGPT Prompts

    ChatGPT Microphone is a free Chrome extension to speak prompts into ChatGPT. Users can also add shortcuts for repetitive words.

    Screenshot from the Chrome Store of ChatGPT MicrophoneScreenshot from the Chrome Store of ChatGPT Microphone

    ChatGPT Microphone

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    Apr 24 2024
    Google Further Postpones Third-Party Cookie Deprecation In Chrome via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

    Google has again delayed its plan to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome web browser. The latest postponement comes after ongoing challenges in reconciling feedback from industry stakeholders and regulators.

    The announcement was made in Google and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) joint quarterly report on the Privacy Sandbox initiative, scheduled for release on April 26.

    Chrome’s Third-Party Cookie Phaseout Pushed To 2025

    Google states it “will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4” this year as planned.

    Instead, the tech giant aims to begin deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome “starting early next year,” assuming an agreement can be reached with the CMA and the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

    The statement reads:

    “We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem. It’s also critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence, including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June.”

    Continued Engagement With Regulators

    Google reiterated its commitment to “engaging closely with the CMA and ICO” throughout the process and hopes to conclude discussions this year.

    This marks the third delay to Google’s plan to deprecate third-party cookies, initially aiming for a Q3 2023 phaseout before pushing it back to late 2024.

    The postponements reflect the challenges in transitioning away from cross-site user tracking while balancing privacy and advertiser interests.

    Transition Period & Impact

    In January, Chrome began restricting third-party cookie access for 1% of users globally. This percentage was expected to gradually increase until 100% of users were covered by Q3 2024.

    However, the latest delay gives websites and services more time to migrate away from third-party cookie dependencies through Google’s limited “deprecation trials” program.

    The trials offer temporary cookie access extensions until December 27, 2024, for non-advertising use cases that can demonstrate direct user impact and functional breakage.

    While easing the transition, the trials have strict eligibility rules. Advertising-related services are ineligible, and origins matching known ad-related domains are rejected.

    Google states the program aims to address functional issues rather than relieve general data collection inconveniences.

    Publisher & Advertiser Implications

    The repeated delays highlight the potential disruption for digital publishers and advertisers relying on third-party cookie tracking.

    Industry groups have raised concerns that restricting cross-site tracking could push websites toward more opaque privacy-invasive practices.

    However, privacy advocates view the phaseout as crucial in preventing covert user profiling across the web.

    With the latest postponement, all parties have more time to prepare for the eventual loss of third-party cookies and adopt Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox APIs as replacements.

    Featured Image: Novikov Aleksey/Shutterstock

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    Apr 24 2024
    5 tips on how to use TikTok for your business

    If you want to reach a younger audience, you need to look into TikTok. Almost half of TikTok’s user base is under 30 years old. So if that’s a market you want to target, you should consider creating a TikTok account and a TikTok strategy. In this post, we’ll give you 5 tips on how to use TikTok for your business. Let’s go!

    Understand TikTok as a platform

    It’s good to understand TikTok as a platform before you start using it for your business. Why? Because you need to understand what appeals to people and what type of content is popular if you want more engagement.

    TikTok is typically used for short-form videos that range between 5 seconds and 3 minutes long. The app has a huge music library and in-app editing features, which means it’s easy to create your own content. 

    The TikTok algorithm

    Another reason why TikTok has grown so popular is because it has a very clever algorithm. Their For You page seems to effortlessly and endlessly share content that you like. And it only gets better! Which makes it hard for people to leave the app, since it keeps showing them great content. Before they know it, just one more video has turned into twenty videos! 

    Should you get a TikTok business account?

    TikTok offers businesses this neat thing called a business account. It’s not hard to set up, and gives your brand the credibility of being a verified business. It also allows you to set up a TikTok shop and use a link in your profile. Plus, you can download all the analytics, which makes it easier to use the data in reports.

    The only downside? You won’t get access to all the commercial sounds. But there are still lots of good sounds that you can use, so a TikTok business account is worth it in our opinion.  

    5 tips on how to use TikTok for your business

    1. Showcase the value of your product within 3 seconds

    Users want to quickly see the value of your video. So, try to show your USP (unique selling point) at the very start. Ideally, in the first three seconds of your video. Otherwise, people will just scroll away. 

    For example, let’s say you sell ultra-strong iPhone cases. You could film a scene where you drop the phone from the second floor, then show your viewers that it didn’t get scratched. Of course, there are tons of ways to showcase the unique value of your business. It all depends on your product. Just remember to keep it to the point!

    2. Try not to sell 

    Unlike other platforms, you should build a connection with your audience on TikTok before you try to sell them anything. In fact, it’s better not to be sales-y at all! That type of content typically doesn’t do well. 

    Instead, treat TikTok as a way to be authentic with your audience. For example, you could share your journey as a small business owner or showcase your products in fun ways. It will take time to build an audience, but it will be worth it once you’ve found your target audience!

    3. Be vulnerable

    TikTok users appreciate authenticity and “realness”. That’s why videos where people share their struggles with their small business tend to get a lot of engagement, since people find those stories relatable. 

    Some ideas: 

    • A “story time” video about how you started your business. A popular trend that fits this topic would be: how it started vs. how it’s going 
    • Things you learned during your small business journey
    • A mistake you made and what you learned from it
    Examples of small businesses who are vulnerable and authentic on TikTok

    If you want to take TikTok seriously, you shouldn’t post just once a week. Instead, try to post everyday. This will allow you to keep up with TikTok’s algorithm. 

    Of course, creating and editing new videos everyday sounds daunting! But there’s tons of ways to create new content. For example, you can hop on trends, make videos of your products, or relate your business to a trending sound. The key is not to take things too seriously. Just have fun! 

    Note: Of course, you shouldn’t just be posting trends. Try to have a good balance between planned videos and trendy/fun videos.

    5. Utilize UGC for your TikTok ads

    If you’re a small business, TikTok ads are a great way to get your name out there. Still, it’s good not to be too sales-y. A great way to avoid this is by boosting videos made by users, otherwise known as user generated content (UGC). These videos will come across as more genuine and authentic than a polished video ad.

    Just make sure you ask the creator’s permission before you use their video! 

    Examples of UGC ads

    Whether it’s TikTok or Instagram or another social media platform, it’s good for your SEO to be active on social media. After all, SEO is all about being found. When people search for you, it’s nice if they’re be able to find you on multiple platforms. In fact, with social media being so popular as it is, your audience probably expects you to be on social media!

    Plus, Google now shows TikTok videos in the search results too. So if your videos show up there, you will get a nice bit of extra visibility.

    Find what works for you

    Since TikTok is all about authenticity, you should only create content that you feel comfortable with. Don’t try to shape yourself and your business into something it’s not. People will notice. Instead, find a video style and posting schedule that works for you, and have fun!

    Sabrina Joest

    Sabrina is the Social Media Specialist at Yoast. She’s responsible for creating and curating engaging content to enhance Yoasts’ brand presence across various social platforms.

    Avatar of Sabrina Joest

    Coming up next!

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    Apr 24 2024
    Google Warns Of “New Reality” As Search Engine Stumbles via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

    Google’s SVP overseeing Search, Prabhakar Raghavan, recently warned employees in an internal memo that the company’s search division faces a “new operating reality” with fewer resources, according to a CNBC report.

    The memo comes amid concerns over softening revenue and user engagement metrics for Google’s core search product. Recent quarters have seen weaker-than-expected growth in search queries and engagement.

    The memo raises questions for SEO professionals and website owners about how Google changes could impact their strategies and online visibility.

    Google’s Memo To Employees

    In an all-hands meeting last month, Raghavan, who oversees Google’s Search, Ads, Maps, and Commerce divisions, acknowledged that the industry has shifted from the tech giant’s earlier dominance.

    Raghavan reportedly told a gathering of over 25,000 employees:

    “I think we can agree that things are not like they were 15-20 years ago, things have changed.”

    Raghavan cited heightened competition and a more challenging regulatory environment as factors necessitating Google’s adaptability without explicitly naming rivals. However, the company faces increasing pressure from Microsoft and OpenAI in the burgeoning field of generative artificial intelligence.

    He continued:

    “People come to us because we are trusted. They may have a new gizmo out there that people like to play with, but they still come to Google to verify what they see there because it is the trusted source, and it becomes more critical in this era of generative AI.”

    In a move to accelerate the company’s responsiveness, Raghavan revealed that he plans to shorten project deadlines for his direct reports, stating:

    “There is something to be learned from that faster-twitch, shorter wavelength execution.”

    Google Search: From Ideals to Revenue Machine?

    Some critics argue that Google’s current search struggles stem from misguided priorities and leadership missteps, not just external market forces.

    In an opinion piece, industry analyst Edward Zitron paints a different picture of what ails Google’s search engine.

    He believes the company consciously degraded its flagship product to boost revenue under former ad executive Raghavan.

    Citing internal Google emails from 2019, Zitron reports that Raghavan, then head of Ads, led a “Code Yellow” emergency mobilization after Search revenues lagged expectations.

    In response, Zitron alleges Google rolled back key quality improvements to inflate engagement metrics – including boosting sites previously downranked for spamming tactics.

    Zitron wrote:

    “The emails … tell a dramatic story about how Google’s finance and advertising teams, led by Raghavan with the blessing of CEO Sundar Pichai, actively worked to make Google worse to make the company more money.”

    Zitron depicts this shift as abandoning ethical principles, where the leadership team disregarded Google’s original mission of providing superior search results.

    He argues it set the stage for Raghavan’s subsequent promotion to SVP of Search in 2020 – over the objections of veteran search chief Ben Gomes, who was reassigned after nearly 20 years improving the product.

    Zitron’s report states:

    “Gomes, who was a critical part of the original team that made Google Search work… was chased out by a growth-hungry managerial type led by Prabhakar Raghavan, a management consultant wearing an engineer costume.”

    Under Raghavan’s tenure, Zitron claims the search engine has become increasingly “less reliable,” “less transparent,” and overrun with low-quality content optimized purely to rank well rather than meet user needs.

    Google hasn’t directly responded to the allegations in Zitron’s report.

    What Does This Mean For SEO Professionals & Site Owners?

    For website owners and SEO professionals who closely follow Google’s every move, the tensions brewing within the company point to the ongoing challenge of optimizing for Google’s shifting search priorities.

    Sudden product changes could disrupt current SEO strategies, whether driven by immediate financial goals or a philosophical change.

    Raghavan’s statement about embracing a “new operating reality” with shorter timelines suggests that Google Search may start updating more frequently.

    The intense scrutiny on Google highlights the high stakes involved in any significant overhaul of its algorithms and ranking systems.

    As Google evolves its products, how the company balances innovation with maintaining its standards could shape the future of search.

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    Apr 24 2024
    Google Revised The Favicon Documentation via @sejournal, @martinibuster

    Google revised their documentation on Favicons in order to add definitions in response to user questions received about favicons and what to use. The updated version of the documentation is significantly better because it explains the difference between the legacy form of favicon and the latest version of it.

    Favicon

    A favicon is a visual representation of a site and when properly executed it can draw attention to itself in the search engine results pages (SERPs) and encourage more clicks. The favicon is linked with the “rel” HTML attribute, which shows the relation between a linked resource (the favicon) and the webpage itself. REL stands for relation.

    Revision Of Documentation

    Google’s support page for favicon was revised in the section about which kinds of favicons are recommended and adds more details that explains which are legacy and which are modern versions.

    These Are The Changes

    This section was revised and essentially removed:

    Set the rel attribute to one of the following strings:

    • icon
    • apple-touch-icon
    • apple-touch-icon-precomposed
    • shortcut icon

    The problem with the above section is the use of the word “strings” means text, but it’s needlessly jargony and not informative enough.

    That section was replaced with this:

    Google supports the following rel attribute values for specifying a favicon; use whichever one fits your use case:

    • icon
      The icon that represents your site, as defined in the HTML standard.
    • apple-touch-icon
      An iOS-friendly icon that represents your site, per Apple’s developer documentation.
    • apple-touch-icon-precomposed
      An alternative icon for earlier versions of iOS, per Apple’s developer documentation.

    There is also a new callout box with the following information:

    “For historical reasons, we also support shortcut icon, which is an earlier, alternative version of icon.”

    Screenshot of new callout box

    A “shortcut icon” is a term that refers to an old way of signaling the presence of a favicon by using rel=”shortcut icon” instead of rel=”icon” so what Google’s documentation states is that they will still support the non-standard way of linking to a favicon.

    The new documentation is improved with wording that is more descriptive.

    Read the new documentation here:

    Define a favicon to show in search results

    Compare it to the old documentation here:

    Internet Archive: Define a favicon to show in search results

    Featured Image by Shutterstock/GoodStudio

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    Apr 24 2024
    Google Testing IP Proxies: What This Means & How You May Be Impacted via @sejournal, @navahf

    Google’s latest attempt to meet privacy concerns and regulations (IP proxies) is causing a bit of a stir.

    Thanks to Anu Adegbola’s investigative research, initial plans were uncovered. Now that we’ve had a bit to process, we’re going to dive into:

    • What are Google proposing to do (per their GitHub)?
    • Who will it impact?
    • What can you do to prepare?

    Before we dive too deep into the weeds, it’s important to define all the pieces in play:

    • Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses: A unique number assigned to devices connected to the internet. These are how you’re able to access information on the internet and act as a “calling card.”
    • Click Fraud Protection: Tools designed to block malicious IP addresses (bots) from engaging with ads/sites. They are able to identify and block the root IP address that’s causing the issue.
    • Location Targeting: A PPC strategy that allows you to serve ads to a user who is in, regularly visits, or shows interest in a given location.
    • Exclusions: The act of telling an ad platform you do not want traffic from a place, audience bucket, website placement, or people who use specified words in their queries (negatives).

    A final note: This is in active development, and Google has not yet made firm statements about how it will be applied.

    Expect this post to be updated around/after Google Marketing Live when we anticipate the search giant will make more concrete announcements about it.

    What Is Google Proposing To Do?

    Google is proposing to use two proxies to mask IP addresses.

    This means an IP address would make the call to a site for information (including Google search), and the IP will be converted to a randomly assigned different IP.

    That randomly assigned unique IP will then be converted to a third IP address. In this way, the user will be able to access all the site information. However, their personal IP address will be masked.

    In action, the flow would go something like this:

    • I search for [things to do in Iceland] using my real IP to access Google’s search results in my Chrome browser.
    • My IP connects with Google’s systems and will be converted to a proxy IP. This proxy IP will be the IP that actually makes the request.
    • Google will serve me a beautiful search engine result page (SERP) full of videos, images, and links (paid/organic) for me to get ideas.
    • I click on the link to Frost and Fire (our favorite hotel in Iceland, where we went on our honeymoon).
    • My proxy IP engages with Frost and Fire’s DNS and is converted to a second proxy. This means that Frost and Fire will only receive the tracking information for the second proxy.
    • I view the site and choose to consent to tracking or not (regardless – my actual IP is still hidden as of this reporting).

    Google proposes using cohorts to help with the geo element, focusing on countries with some state/sub-country targeting.

    However, it also acknowledges it cannot be 100% accurate.  Currently, the threshold to be considered for a cohort is 1 million unique web cookies across a two-week period.

    To put this in context, HubSpot found that only 31% of sites get more than 50,000 unique visitors per month. A 2018 study from Research Gate found that domains only have 10 cookies (median).

    A line graph displaying the cumulative distribution of users based on the median number of different userids per domain on a logarithmic scale, demonstrating the impact of IP proxies and showing a sharp increase to nearly Screenshot from researchgate.net, April 2024

    There is a real possibility that Google will need to merge interests/location cohorts to meet the minimum. There is no word yet on whether exclusions will be impacted by the location targeting.

    Who Will It Impact?

    In theory, this is a huge gain for privacy because you can access all internet properties without any company knowing who or where you are.

    On the other hand, if brands aren’t sure who you are, they might serve you entirely irrelevant ads or need reminders about your preferences.

    Location Targeting

    One of the reasons people are concerned about this is the location targeting issue (and lack of transparency).

    map of Google's proposed cohortsScreenshot from author, April 2024

    As you can see, these proposed location cohorts are much bigger than conventional location targeting. Brands that are used to targeting some cities or designated market areas (DMAs) because they’re more profitable than others might need to target states.

    This is especially critical in low-search volume industries and low-population areas of the world.

    For example, Boston (a fairly major city) has ~651,000 people. While many in the Boston area live in the surrounding cities or commute from out of state, some businesses might want to target Boston specifically.

    With this new rule, it is very possible that targeting Boston (the city) won’t be possible anymore – even with it being a college town with high internet usage.

    On the other hand, the whole state of Rhode Island has just over 1 million people. While many businesses are subjectively close together, people in Rhode Island tend not to want to go more than 15 minutes by car.

    Additionally, almost 30% of Rhode Island has no internet. This means that many users in Rhode Island would likely be absorbed into other states’ cohorts, or would be lumped together in a single statewide target.

    Ginny Marvin, product liaison at Google, confirmed the location thresholds aren’t new.

    A tweet from @adsliaison addressing Julie, clarifying Chrome's Google Testing IP Proxies and geolocation updates, and discussing advertisers' control on targeting settings, including IP address usage, withScreenshot from X (Twitter), April 2024

    Click Fraud

    The other major consideration is click fraud technology. For years, brands have gratefully availed themselves of click fraud services to block malicious IP addresses.

    If the original IP address is obscured from both Google and the end site, it will be really hard to truly protect against those bots.

    As Google said in its GitHub post:

    • The destination origin doesn’t see the client’s original IP address.
    • Google can’t see the origin that clients interact with.
    • No single proxy can see the origins that clients interact with and the clients’ original IP address.
    • IP addresses of the proxies cannot be used as stable identifiers.
    • We are using a list-based approach, and only domains on the list in a third-party context will be impacted. More information below.

    I expect click fraud tech will need to adapt to a modeled workflow.

    Whether they choose to block IPs predictively based on the listing mechanic or use other signals remains to be seen.

    However, as it stands now, Google would be removing the ability for sites to protect against malicious bots, which impacts paid and organic.

    User Experience

    It’s worth acknowledging its impact on the user experience and what people will give up in the name of privacy.

    As it stands now, ad platforms do their best to serve relevant ads to relevant users. If brands aren’t able to understand who their users are (existing customers included), it will be impossible to avoid serving ads to existing customers.

    The saving grace is that this is opt-in and requires users to log in. While some may opt-in because they enjoy the idea of perfect privacy, I would be very surprised if users maintained the setting.

    Here’s why:

    • People like ease of life. Having to reconfirm information and remind a brand about their preferences gets old quickly. I’m not saying people won’t find the positives outweigh the negatives, but I expect folks to get a rude surprise if they opt for perfect privacy.
    • Getting ads from a brand you already do business with is a source of constant frustration for many today. It will only get worse if brands lose the ability to protect their existing customers. Google’s customer match and Performance Max verbiage include a clause that they might not be able to fully protect users due to technology.
      pmax exclusion and verbigeScreenshot from author, April 2024

      What Can You Do To Prepare?

      The biggest thing is getting your exclusions ready. As of now, there is nothing in any of the documentation around exclusions being impacted.

      Google exclusions allow you to exclude people in a specified location, or who show interest in a specified location. You have always been able to exclude locations within a target location. Until this goes away, this is the easiest way to make sure you’re setting your budgets up for success.

      However, keep an eye on your status column. I expect a lot of “Eligible: Misconfigured” as Google and advertisers figure out how surgical they can be with exclusions.

      Another really important step is to communicate with your customers about this change. An informed user is an empathetic user.

      You can get ahead of many friction moments by owning that this is a potential technical limitation on your ability to sequester existing customers from marketing efforts.

      Read the full GitHub documentation and give feedback. Google needs to understand how this will impact us and whether it will achieve the desired results (balancing privacy with utility).

      Do some research on your main markets and their internet usage. Tools like BroadbandSearch.net are great for giving you a sense of how likely you are to be put in a focused or muddled cohort.

      Final Thoughts

      I don’t think this is a bad thing until it’s implemented and we see what functionality makes it into the final version.

      Am I nervous about the location targeting piece (especially for niche industries and smaller population areas)? Absolutely.

      Do I think all my Google Ads (and other ad networks running on Chrome) are going to implode? No.

      At the end of the day, we still have our creative, and a lot of effort has been invested in modeling technology.

      We just need to get better at convincing our customers to consent to data sharing and trust in modeling.

      More resources: 

      Featured Image: Funtap/Shutterstock

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