Tag Archive for: Google news

Google Introduces New Search Console URL Inspection API

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Yesterday Google introduced the new search console URL inspection API. This will give programmatic access to URL-level data for properties you manage in Search Console.

According to Google’s news release on the topic, “the Search Console APIs are a way to access data outside of Search Console, through external applications and products. Developers and SEO tools already use the APIs to build custom solutions to view, add, or remove properties and sitemaps, and to run advanced queries on Search performance data.”

Google will be providing a new tool with the new URL Inspection API for developers. The tool will assist in debugging and optimizing their pages. You can request the data Search Console has about the indexed version of your URL. The API is going to then return the indexed information currently available in the URL Inspection tool.

 

How to use the new URL Inspection API

In order to learn how to use the new API, Google also has provided the developer documentation for the API which you can find here. The request parameters are a combination of the URL you are wanting to inspect from yours or your client’s site, and the URL of the property as defined in Search Console.

The response includes analysis results containing information from Search Console, including AMP, index status, rich search results and the mobile-friendliness of the URL.

The Google release also explains how “once you make the API call, you will get a response with all relevant results. If the request fails you would receive an error message instead. If a specific analysis result is missing from the response, it means the analysis was not available for the URL inspected. Here’s an example of the response you’ll get from the API.”

 

Final Thoughts

The entire release of the new URL Inspection API can be found on Google’s blog. In addition to Google news and other digital marketing updates, we will continue to share case studies and the latest SEO updates to help you drive your business. Our goal is to ensure we help improve your marketing and drive success.

At Onimod Global, we have endless experience and expertise when it comes to all things SEO, general social media advertising, and digital marketing. Got questions about Facebook advertising or want to learn more about us? Contact us here today.

Google To End Expanded Text Ads in 2022

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You heard it here first, Google is officially set to sunset their expanding text ads, or ETAs, in July of 2022. According to an announcement from Sylvanus Bent, Product Manager, Google Ads, advertisers will no longer be able to create new ETAs or edit existing ETAs in Google Ads beginning in July 2022. “Your existing expanded text ads will continue to serve alongside responsive search ads, and you’ll still see reports on their performance going forward. Additionally, you’ll be able to pause and resume your expanded text ads or remove them if needed. You’ll also still be able to create and edit call ads and Dynamic Search Ads,” said Bent.

 

What to do in the meantime?

We know this news is coming pretty far in advance. What we recommend for now is to use ETA info for RSAs in the transition, which is also recommended by product managers at Google Ads. “To prepare for this change, we recommend that you have at least one responsive search ad in every ad group in your Search campaigns by June 30, 2022,” Bent suggested. Google’s announcement also has already included ways that advertisers can repurpose their ETA content for RSAs. Recommendations from Google’s team include the following:

  • Look through your ads and evaluate their success based on incremental impressions, clicks, and conversions your ad groups and campaigns receive
  • Repurpose high-performing content from your expanded text ads and focus on Ad strength
  • Pin headlines or descriptions to specific positions in your responsive search ads

This new Google update will mainly affect anyone in highly regulated fields.These are currently the industries that benefit from ETAs and will be the most impacted starting next year. 

 

Why this Extended Text Ads news is relevant 

This new update from Google is the latest move in order to make a big push in the automation through their ad products. In the announcement from Google, their team explains, “15% of search queries every day are new searches we’ve never seen before” and therefore “Automation is key to keeping pace with these trends.” While RSAs are in use by many advertisers, we also understand the control over ads that ETAs provide as well as other capabilities. The future phase-out of ETAs means advertisers are moving even further away from direct control over their accounts and having to work with the Google Ads machine learning and AI.

Before the full phase-out is complete, our experts recommend testing your ETA ad pieces in RSAs and figure out what works best so you’re not cut off completely from new ad creation when Google Ads stops allowing new ETAs. 

 

More from Onimod Global

As this is news almost a year in advance, the story is evolving and our experts at Onimod Global will keep you up to date on the latest information regarding expanding text ads and any other Google Ads updates to come. At Onimod Global, our experts have endless expertise when it comes to the latest news on Google updates. We’re here to discover what is the right and relevant information to make your ads successful. Got questions about ETAs, Google Ads, or want to learn more about us? Contact us here today. 

How To Link Your PayPal And Google Merchant Center Accounts

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Google announced last month that it will now be allowing free listings in Google Shopping search results. Google also released information that retailers can integrate PayPal with their Google Merchant Center accounts. That integration is officially live!

This means that retailers and brands using PayPal as a checkout option on their site can now link their PayPal account to the Google Merchant Center which will apply to all products for listings across Google. If you’re new to Google Merchant Center, the PayPal connection can also speed up the merchant verification process.

Where to start with PayPal integration

To integrate the PayPal platform is quite simple. Just follow these three simple steps from Search Engine Land:

  1. After you log into the Google Merchant Center, select tools in the upper left navigation.
  2. Select “linked accounts” under the settings menu. Here you will see the option to link your PayPal account.
  3. In order to have your products eligible to be listed on Google Shopping, Search, Images and elsewhere, you will need to opt into Surfaces across Google.

And that’s it, easy and efficient for everyone involved. Total win-win for retailers and shoppers alike.

Why This Integration Matters

At this moment, PayPal is the only integrated platform. Google says there will be more options for integration payment platforms in the future for retailers to choose from. When there is integration of a variety of payment platforms, it significantly lowers the barrier for entry for merchants to list their products on Google shopping search. This helps retailers expand to new unpaid channels and helps Google broaden the universe of products it can show users. Another win-win!

Bill Ready, President of Commerce at Google, also mentioned in the initial announcement additional information to make e-commerce more accessible:

We’re continuing to work closely with many of our existing partners that help merchants manage their products and inventory, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, to make digital commerce more accessible for businesses of all sizes.

More From Onimod Global

Onimod Global releases the latest digital marketing news and essential marketing tips every Tuesday and Thursday! To catch up on the top digital marketing news and trends, click here. To find out more about who we are and what we do, click here.

Google Hit With Record Breaking $2.7 Billion Fine From the E.U.

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It was recently discovered that the search engine giant, Google, was giving preferential treatment to their own products and services in their search results. Once this information was revealed, the E.U. immediately took action.

Margrethe Vestager, the E.U. antitrust chief, explained the matter simply to reporters in Brussels when she said, “What Google has done is illegal under E.U. antitrust rules. It has denied other companies the chance to compete on the merits and to innovate. And most importantly, it has denied European consumers the benefits of competition.”

Vestager and the rest of the European Union have taken it upon themselves to set the standard for digital regulations across the globe. In addition to this latest Google scandal, other American companies like Apple, Facebook, and Amazon are also garnering attention for their questionable digital practices. Obviously the larger issue of concern here is what governments are doing to prevent these kinds of wrongdoings in the first place.

The Message:

Those in Europe are holding a firm stance on these issues with this recent fine. Even if companies are technically upholding the laws of their own country, they must also comply with the laws of others, or risk being reprimanded.

The $2.7 billion fine against Google is much higher than predicted. The amount also more than doubled the previous record-holder, Intel. The E.U.’s intent with their charge against Google is clear: follow the rules or pay the price.

Google’s Response:

There is little chance that Google will accept the initial fine. The company has already announced their consideration of an appeal. Kent Walker, the senior vice president and general counsel of Google, put a more positive spin on the situation by saying, “When you shop online, you want to find the products you’re looking for quickly and easily. And advertisers want to promote those same products.”

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