This Image Update Could Transform Your SEO Strategy

Weekly newsletter on all things digital marketing, tech and AI! [image]() Hi {NAME}, This week, we’re diving into some fascinating trends that are shaping the digital landscape. Social shopping is making waves, but it’s still playing catch-up in the West compared to Asia. TikTok is leading the charge, but Facebook isn’t far behind. On the tech side, Google’s support for AVIF in search could change how we think about image optimization. And AI is shaking up the search advertising world, with new pricing models that might redefine how we pay for visibility. Lastly, Emotion AI is stepping into the spotlight, promising to make our interactions more human. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s find out. Cheers, Jeff What you need to know this week... Social Media Snapchat’s New Tools Supercharge Personalization Snapchat has launched exciting new features aimed at enhancing self-expression. Users can now customize ringtones for friends, utilize a Snap replay option to view sent Snaps within five minutes, and add lyric stickers to their messages. Additionally, fresh Bitmoji Stories provide comic-style content with 3D avatars, while an AI Lens allows users to star on their own billboard. These updates significantly boost creativity and personalization on the platform. Why this matters to marketing: These innovative features present marketers with unique opportunities to engage audiences in more personalized ways. By leveraging Snapchat's enhanced self-expression tools, brands can create tailored campaigns that resonate emotionally with users, fostering deeper connections and encouraging brand loyalty. The integration of music and interactive content also opens avenues for collaborations with artists and influencers, driving further engagement and visibility within the platform. [Snaptchat/Newsroom]() [image] Threads' rising popularity Threads is experiencing a surge in downloads, ranking 7th in July 2024. Meta's applications dominate the download charts, with Threads consistently maintaining a position in the top 10 since its launch. Although Threads is outpacing Elon Musk's X in terms of downloads, X still boasts a larger active user base. This trend reflects growing interest in Threads, indicating potential for future growth; however, it may take years for Threads to surpass X, depending on sustained download momentum. Additionally, X’s portrayal as a news app on iOS could distort perceptions of its actual popularity. Overall, while Threads demonstrates promise, it faces considerable competition from X. [SocialMediaToday]( [image] Social shopping trends Social shopping is growing slowly in the West, lagging behind Asian markets like China. TikTok aims to enhance in-app shopping, inspired by Douyin's success, which generated $375 billion in sales in 2023. Conversely, TikTok's in-app spending reached only $4 billion, mainly from creator donations. Facebook leads social shopping, benefiting from its larger user base, while Snapchat and Reddit show higher purchase frequencies among engaged users. Short videos are influential in social commerce, but trust and security concerns hinder adoption. Western consumers prefer dedicated shopping platforms like Amazon, although younger users are gradually adapting to social shopping. Full insights are available in the eMarketer report. [eMarketer]( [image] SEO AVIF support in Google Search AVIF is now supported in Google Search and Images, offering an efficient image format based on AV1 compression. It's compatible with major browsers and platforms like WordPress and CloudFlare, requiring no special indexing actions. Marketers should evaluate image formats carefully; if filenames change, implement server-side redirects. For more SEO tips, refer to the guide provided. This development matters for digital marketers as adopting AVIF can enhance image quality and loading speed, improving user experience and search visibility. [Google Search Central]() Beyond image optimization: Key factors influencing LCP Improving Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) involves understanding its complexities beyond just image optimization. While image size reduction is commonly advised, data shows that image download time is rarely the main bottleneck. Key factors affecting LCP include Time to First Byte (TTFB), resource load delay, load duration, and render delay. TTFB often consumes significant time, especially for sites with poor LCP, suggesting opportunities for improvement. Resource load delay is frequently overlooked, as it accounts for substantial waiting time before loading images. Developers should adopt a holistic approach to optimize LCP, focusing on all sub-parts rather than just images. Why this matters to marketing: Optimizing LCP improves user experience and engagement, which boosts conversion rates and customer satisfaction. A holistic approach to LCP can lead to faster-loading pages, reducing bounce rates and enhancing site performance. [Web.Dev/Blog]() Rethinking outbound links as a ranking factor Google's John Mueller clarified that linking out to other sites isn't necessarily beneficial for SEO. He emphasized that while outbound links can be valuable for readers and validating conclusions, their quantity is not a ranking factor. The common belief that adding a specific number of outbound links improves SEO stems from outdated practices and misinterpretations of Google's guidance. Mueller advises focusing on audience needs rather than adhering to arbitrary link counts. Ultimately, the relevance of outbound links should be determined by their context within the content, especially when citing research or quotes. Content should prioritize user value over SEO tactics. [LinkedIn/Batinder Singh](=) GA4 performance benchmarks Google Analytics offers benchmarking to compare your business performance against industry peers. Benchmarks are refreshed daily and require specific settings for eligibility. Data is encrypted for privacy, with thresholds ensuring quality metrics from a sufficient number of properties. You can access various metrics, such as user engagement and monetization, and compare them with your peer group’s performance. Adjust your peer group based on industry characteristics for more accurate comparisons. Benchmarking data can provide insights for strategic improvements, helping businesses identify strengths and areas for growth. User feedback on benchmarks helps refine future data offerings. [Google Support/Analytics Help]( [image] Changes to Auction Insights data in Looker Studio Starting August 24, 2024, Auction Insights fields will no longer be available for new data sources in Looker Studio. Existing data sources will lose access to these fields on September 23, 2024. To avoid disruptions in your reports and charts, it is recommended to remove the following fields: - Auction Insight - Domain - Auction Insight - Avg. Position - Abs. Top of Page Rate - Position Above Rate - Impr. Share - Outranking Share - Overlap Rate - Top of Page Rate - Auction Insight - Store Display Name - Shopping Impression Share - Shopping Outranking Share - Shopping Overlap Rate Auction Insights will still be accessible through Google Ads. [Google Support/Looker Studio Help]() [Buy TikTok Views with Fast Delivery](=) Advertising Transforming search advertising with AI AI-assisted search advertising is revolutionizing pay-to-play models for content marketers, as Perplexity proposes new pricing structures for prioritized answers to queries. Unlike traditional search ads, where multiple positions exist, AI search may offer only one answer, raising questions about costs and brand safety. Google is integrating AI features into ads, enhancing copy and performance but not clarifying payment for top search results. Perplexity's ads might cost over $50 CPM, higher than Google's typical rates, indicating confidence in performance. They are also partnering with publishers like Time and Fortune, suggesting innovative ad integrations that could redefine content marketing strategies. Marketers must adapt to these changes to stay competitive. [Content Marketing Institute]() Technology Custom AI solutions Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise subscribers can now create custom AI Gems for tasks like coding and career advice. Users personalize their Gems with specific instructions, while pre-made options assist in learning, brainstorming, writing, and coding. This feature is rolling out on desktop and mobile across 150 countries. Why this matters to marketing: Custom AI tools enhance customer engagement by enabling personalized interactions. Marketers can streamline content creation and improve relevance, leading to more effective messaging. [Google Blog/Gemini]( Addressing WordPress market stagnation A recent webinar featured WordPress executives and developers discussing stagnation in WordPress market share. The discussion focused on the reasons for this stagnation and potential solutions. While WordPress shows growth in sectors like education and government, overall market share remains flat, with statistics indicating a modest 1.85% annual growth. Concerns were raised about the perception of a lack of innovation and the impact of reduced customer acquisition on the ecosystem. Improved marketing strategies were suggested as a possible remedy, addressing the need for a more proactive approach to promote WordPress. The webinar emphasized the importance of confronting these challenges for the platform's future. Why this matters to marketing: Addressing WP's challenges can enhance customer acquisition and foster innovation, ultimately benefiting the platform's growth and improving user experience. [Search Engine Journal]( Emotion AI in business Emotion AI is emerging as a significant trend in business software, aiming to enhance AI's understanding of human emotions. This technology goes beyond sentiment analysis by integrating visual, audio, and other inputs to interpret emotions during interactions. Major cloud providers offer emotion AI capabilities, reflecting its growing importance with the rise of AI assistants and automated interactions in the workplace. However, skepticism exists regarding its effectiveness, as research suggests that human emotions cannot be accurately gauged solely through facial expressions. Regulatory challenges may also hinder the widespread adoption of emotion AI, raising questions about its practicality and effectiveness in roles requiring emotional understanding. [TechCrunch](=) Critical vulnerabilities in WordPress themes Two vulnerabilities were found in popular WordPress themes sold on ThemeForest, affecting over 500,000 users. The Betheme theme has a high-threat PHP Object Injection vulnerability, allowing authenticated attackers to compromise the site. Although a patch was released on August 30, 2024, Wordfence's advisory has not been updated to reflect this. The Enfold theme has a lower-severity Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaw that remains unpatched, which could let attackers inject malicious scripts. Users are advised to update the Betheme theme or consider removing the Enfold theme due to its ongoing vulnerabilities and lack of fixes. Why this matters to marketing: Vulnerabilities in popular WordPress themes can compromise website security, leading to data breaches and loss of customer trust. For marketers, this can result in diminished brand reputation and potential revenue loss if users feel unsafe interacting with affected sites. 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