🔍 Facebook unfriends Australia

Plus, Maryland passes digital advertising tax [header tracking pixel]( Feb 22, 2021 Good morning, Search Marketer, and is UX the new web standard? I asked [how you felt about](Core Web Vitals last week, and we got some varied feedback: I think Core Web Vitals do stand to be a game-changer, kind of. Unlike https and mobile-first, Google has put a ton of support towards developer tools, transparency in weighting/values of each metric, etc. which leads me to believe that this is going to matter. However, it’ll be very high-stakes table-stakes, if that makes sense, in that if you aren’t on par with your competitors on performance, you’ll see a hit to your rankings. - Mat Reiss Not everyone will not be implementing it before the launch. It costs way too much. Implementing https is easy. Mobile-first indexing was a no-brainer. It is VERY difficult and VERY expensive to improve page experience. Given the fierce competition for rank based on content, many sites have equal or near-equal content footing. That will make page experience a game-changer. - Jennifer McDougall I think we’ve seen some historical evidence of [Google] strong-arming websites into doing things their way through ranking penalizations… This strong-arm approach would result in websites with lower CWV scores to lose position (even if they have better content) – forcing them to focus more attention to improving CWV and thus improving the UX of the whole internet (in G’s eyes). Without this approach, content would still reign supreme and the website with the best content would still win out – signaling that UX is not very important. - Tom Snyder The common thread in these responses seems to be that we need to make user experience a priority. And, I get it. It’s hard. We want beautiful websites. We want multimedia elements. We want interactive content. But those awesome website elements can’t come at the expense of the user. A fast, accessible, easy to use site is crucial for both SEO and PPC. P.S. [SMX Report]( is all about data and metrics. If you haven’t signed up for this analytics-focused learning journey yet, don’t sweat it. There’s still time. Go ahead, snag your ticket and mark your calendar. Carolyn LydenDirector of Search Content Social Facebook unfriends Australia after government proposes changing the rules ICYMI: Facebook unfriended Australia this week after the government there proposed a legal code that would allow Australian news publishers to charge tech companies to use their content in search results and news feeds. Facebook responded by blocking users there from viewing or sharing news content on its platform. But it looks like it didn’t get it’s categorization completely right… Thankfully, the faceoff may have turned a corner, as Josh Frydenberg of Australia’s Treasury department said he spoke with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday about continuing the conversation over the weekend. As of this writing, the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code has not been passed pending further negotiations between the Australian government, tech companies, and media outlets, the most notable of which is Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Why We Care. What does it mean for marketers that live downstream from news sites? And if Facebook can thumbs-down an entire continent’s move to support parity between tech giants and news publishers, what’s to stop them from blocking similar efforts in other sectors or countries? Also, what’s the fallout for marketers whose content isn’t news but who are still being blocked like Brodie in the screenshot above? Plus Facebook is now getting in trouble for [falsely inflating ad metrics](. Big yikes all around. Marketers may benefit from developing solutions that offer a detox from dependence on tech monoliths and walled gardens. [Read more here.]( [6 tips to win local with paid search]( Consumer behavior has fundamentally changed over the last year. Due to restrictions on movement, more and more consumers realize the ease and opportunity of online search and purchase. Individuals want a tailored search view with results that are relevant to where they are at that very moment. To win those conversions, your location-specific ads must be at the top of the search engine results page. Here are six tips every marketer needs to win local marketing with paid search. [Read More »]( E-commerce Digital-first commerce boosts Shopify’s earnings With the COVID-19 pandemic closing down many in-person businesses, companies shifted to online stores and ecommerce to stay afloat. Shopify’s earnings call this week reflected that exodus–with Q4 earnings up 94% YoY and their 2020 holiday sales surpassing $5 billion. Not only are businesses moving online, but consumer behavior around online purchases is also evolving. Research [from Publicis Sapient]( shows nearly three-quarters of consumers shopped online last summer with 48% of those interviewed saying they’ll continue to do so in the future. The research also indicates an opportunity for brands to acquire new customers through ecommerce experiences, with 74% purchasing products from retailers new to them. Why we care. Like we mentioned [last Thursday](, platforms like Shopify are taking user feedback to improve the migration process–and now we know why! Ecommerce SEO and Shopping Ads are a big deal for businesses, and we expect that the trend will continue far past the pandemic. So if you haven’t invested in [Shopify](, [Amazon](, or general ecommerce SEO or PPC knowledge–it might be time. [Read more here.]( Search Behavior Has Forever Changed: How Can You Stay Ahead of the Pack? As 2021 is poised to be one of the most interesting years for search yet, how can advertisers and marketers navigate this evolving, more localized search landscape and get it right? Join Ashley Fletcher, Adthena’s VP of Marketing, as he shares everything you need to know to harness the power of local search and succeed in 2021. You’ll learn how to stay up-to-date on enhancements to Google My Business and about the top changes in paid search and how to respond [RSVP Today »]( PPC Maryland is the first state to tax digital advertising services Last week Maryland passed a bill enacting a tax on digital advertising services. Operating on a sliding scale, the law requires companies that make money off the sale of digital ads to pay a percentage to the state. “Digital-advertising services, as defined in the bill, include ‘advertisements in the form of banner advertising, search advertising, interstitial advertising, and other comparable advertising services,’” said Kate Cox with [Ars Technica](. Here’s the breakdown: - Between $100 million and $1 billion in global revenue = Pay 2.5% - > $1 billion in revenue = Pay 5% - > $5 billion in revenue = Pay 7.5% - > $15 billion in revenue = Pay 10% Why we care. So I’m sure you can guess where Google and Facebook fall… (Hint: They generate more than $15 billion per quarter according to [AdExchanger](.) Tech companies are, of course, suing to block the law from taking effect saying it violates the Internet Tax Freedom Act. If it does manage to go into effect unscathed, it could start a surge of similar legislation across the country. Some detractors believe this law will hit businesses the hardest during an already hard time because tech platforms will find ways to pass the added cost on to advertisers. [Happening tomorrow: Tactical search analytics training, just $149]( Join the Search Engine Land experts TOMORROW at SMX Report to embark on an expertly-programmed journey through essential analytics and reporting issues. By the end of the day, you’ll be ready to improve search results, execute competitive intelligence reports, and efficiently demonstrate KPIs. [Secure your spot »]( Jobs On the hunt for something new in 2021? Here are the latest career opportunities in search [Performance Marketing Manager]( @ Noble Studios (USA–closes today!) - Manage defined paid advertising budgets, monitoring spend pace and performance forecasting - Develop strategic plans and campaigns that drive measurable results [UX Designer]( @ ROI Revolution (Raleigh, NC) - Create and pitch recommendations and designs for a cohesive experimentation strategy - Initiate, monitor and report on the performance of A/B tests [SEO Growth Manager / Director]( @ Compound Growth Marketing (Remote) - Manage projects, prioritize, and manage external consulting resources - Manage client relationships and driving strategy that delivers [Associate Technical SEO]( @ DeepCrawl ([US]( and [UK]() - Train client SEOs and developers on advanced usage of DeepCrawl - Work with DeepCrawl clients that have regular Professional Services calls [Enter a job opening for an opportunity to be featured in this section.]( Search shorts Block content from Google Discover, conferences and fireworks Perseverance Google fireworks. To celebrate the historic landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars, Google has special fireworks when you search for the term [[perseverance](]. Google SEO conference. After you are done with [SMX Report]( on February 23rd (make sure you don’t miss it), you can catch the short Google Search Central Live conference. Registration is free, and [more details are over here](. Block content from Google Discover. Google may give publishers a method to [block their content from showing in Google Discover](, said Google’s Danny Sullivan. What We're Reading We've curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader. [Announcing v202102 of the Google Ad Manager API]( – Google Ads Developer Blog [Google May Index URLs In Form Action Attributes & Text Files]( – Search Engine Roundtable [Google Page Experience Audit For 2021 [+ Free Template]]( – SEOsly [How to Explain Domain Authority to a Non-SEO]( – Moz [Maps 101: A look at how we tackle fake and fraudulent contributed content]( – Google Blog [Search Engine Land] [( Information on Advertising/Sponsorship [here](. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. [Unsubscribe.]( [We respect your privacy.]( This email was sent by: Search Engine Land - a Third Door Media, Inc. publication with headquarters at 88 Schoolhouse Road, PO Box 3103, Edgartown, MA 02539 [Manage my preferences.]( © 2006-2021 Third Door Media. All Rights Reserved.