Managing resources is not just a buzzword; it’s the cornerstone of organizational success.

But sometimes, the constant juggling act between overworked and underutilized team members can be exhausting. The key to successfully managing resources is a seamless workflow that maximizes output while keeping your team balanced and motivated.

Join Chris O’Neal, Adobe’s expert on resource management strategy and learn how to unlock your team’s potential.

Register and attend “From Overworked to Optimized: Expert Tips for a Productive and Balanced Team,” presented by Adobe.

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Last Thursday, Google finished rolling out the September 2023 helpful content update after a 14-day rollout. The update took 14 days to roll out, starting on September 14, 2023, and ending on September 28, 2022. It has been a few days since the rollout was completed, and we wanted to dig in a bit on the impact felt by this latest Google algorithm update.

The previous two helpful content updates felt somewhat underwhelming for Google Search update standards, but this one did not. To be frank, it was a weird update in that many of the Google tracking tools showed that volatility has calmed significantly during this update, all while the SEO community was heated in documenting ranking changes for themselves, clients or other sites during this update.

It is my opinion that this update was felt more within the SEO industry niche, maybe sites designed to rank well in search engines, more so than typical sites that take into account more than just search engines. This is not to say, I repeat, not to say, that there was not collateral damage, and good, helpful sites, did see a drop in traffic related to the helpful content update. But based on what I track, it does seem this update did have more of an impact on SEOs than the average website owner.

Data providers on the September 2023 helpful content update

Let me start off by saying again that many of the data providers didn’t pick up as much volatility with this update as typical Google algorithm updates. So we were not able to get as much detailed data from as many data providers as we normally get.

Remember, when looking at some of these daily charts, that the update started on September 14th and ended up September 28th.

Semrush. The Semrush sensor quickly began to show less volatility as the update kicked into gear. You can see it cooling as the days went on:

Mordy Oberstein from the Semrush team told us, “It was noticeably more impactful than the last helpful content update back in December 2022 but with less movement than the recent Core Update.” That is for sure true, because the previous helpful content updates felt pretty tame. Here is a chart showing the impact of the September helpful content update on the December helpful content update by niche:

This next chart shows the peaks of volatility by category during the last helpful content update, with the shopping category seeing the most change:

“In comparing peak volatility to the recent Core Update the numbers for the HCU are far less severe. The overall average didn’t hit a peak of 6 on the Semrush Sensor scale and only 3 verticals saw peak volatility above 7,” Mordy Oberstein told us.

seoClarity. The seoClarity team sent me the top winners and losers by niche/industry from this helpful content update. Mark Traphagen from seoClarity also shared a volatility chart:

Here are the winner and loser charts from seoClarity:

Apparel winners:

RankRanger. The folks at RankRanger showed a typical trend with its Rank Risk Index, showing calming after the update started to roll out:

RankRanger’s team is a bit delayed in sending me their data but I will update this story once I receive it.

Other tools. While the other tools did not send me data, many have dashboards that show volatility changes to the search results. Here they are:

SERPmetrics:

Advanced Web Rankings:

Accuranker:

Mozcast:

Cognitive SEO:

Algoroo:

SERPstat:

Wincher:

SERPwoo:

More insights and data

I asked Glenn Gabe, SEO Consultant at G-Squared Interactive, to provide some examples of sites that saw declines due to this last helpful content update. For privacy reasons, he did not share the specific names of the sites but he did share anonymized data of two sites that saw big declines in their Google search visibility due to this update.

Here are those charts:

ANYONE ELSE?

My personal opinion. I believe this update targeted SEO-first, or search engine-first, content. I covered a lot of the industry “chatter,” the noise within the SEO industry, over the course of the update. My stories have hundreds of comments, including over 270 comments here, 170 comments here, 200 comments here, 235 comments here and 225 comments here and growing. The industry chatter on my site, in the forums and on social is really heated. In my opinion, it is more heated than even a core update.

It reminds me of when Google released the Penguin update that ravished the link-building SEO industry overnight. To be fair, it was not as devasting as that but it was pretty harsh. Maybe you can equate this more closely to the Panda update that target more content-related techniques. But this update seemed to go after content that was written for ranking in search.

It’s worth repeating, this is not to say that there was not collateral damage, and good, helpful sites, did see a drop in traffic related to the helpful content update.

And this makes sense, this update was originally aimed to target content written only to rank well in search engines. ogle’s helpful content system specifically targets “content that seems to have been primarily created for ranking well in search engines rather than to help or inform people,” as we covered earlier.

This algorithm update aims to help searchers find “high-quality content,” Google told us. Google wants to reward better and more useful content that was written for humans and to help users.

Searchers get frustrated when they land on unhelpful webpages that rank well in search because they were written for the purpose of ranking in search engines. This is the type of content you might call “search engine-first content” or “SEO content.”

Google’s helpful content algorithm aims to downgrade those types of websites while promoting more helpful websites, designed for humans, above search engines.

Google said this is an “ongoing effort to reduce low-quality content and make it easier to find content that feels authentic and useful in search.”

What to do if you are hit. Google has provided a list of questions you can ask yourself about your content. Read through those questions as we posted over here, and in an unbiased manner, ask yourself if your content is in sync with this update.

Please note if this update has hit you, it can take several months to recover if you do everything right and make changes to your content over time.

Dig in, see what content and website improvements you can make to your site and start now. This is a process that can take months and months and hopefully in the next several months you will see improvements.

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In today’s data-driven era, regulations such as GDPR safeguard user privacy, while SEO professionals control what appears in search engine results.

Despite ongoing changes in both fields, however, the relationship between data protection and SEO is not well-explored.

This gap has devastating consequences, as personally identifiable information (PII) data indexed in search engines is instantly discoverable, harvestable and exploitable. 

When personal data is exposed, individuals are at a higher risk of experiencing identity theft, financial loss, account hijacking, medical fraud, harassment, stalking, threats and emotional distress.

Consumers worldwide lost nearly $9 billion in identity theft in 2022 and one in three Americans are victims.

For organizations involved in the leaks, this can translate into:

• Loss of reputation.
• Loss of customers.
• Legal and regulatory action.

Not all these damages are due to intentional breaches – some result from preventable errors when accidental data leaks go unnoticed and find their way into Google and other search engines.

Basic precautions, monitoring and a solid incident response plan can help SEOs prevent these accidents, protecting organizations and their users.

What is PII data?

PII stands for personally identifiable information. It refers to any data or information that can be used to identify, contact, or locate a specific individual. This includes:

• Names: Full names or partial names of individuals.
• Contact information: Email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses or social media profiles.
• Financial information: Credit card numbers, bank account details or financial transaction records.
• Health information: Medical records, health insurance details or other healthcare-related data.
• Identification numbers: Social Security numbers, passport numbers, driver’s license numbers or employee IDs.
• Login credentials: Usernames and passwords.

If exposed, any PII data may get crawled and included in Google’s index in some form.

How does PII data get exposed and indexed?

There are many ways in which personal data can get unintentionally exposed to crawlers and indexed in search engines. Some of the more common ones include:

Bugs and accidental rendering

• Bugs can cause PII data to be rendered in unintended places.
• For example, sensitive data reserved for a specific audience (logged-in users that meet a set of conditions) is made fully public or rendered in HTML, where crawlers pick it up.

Unintentional publishing

• Website administrators or content creators may accidentally publish documents or pages containing PII.

User-generated content (UGC)

• Websites that allow UGC, such as marketplaces, forums, blogs with comment sections, or social media platforms, can expose PII if users post personal information that search engines can find and index.

Cloud storage misconfigurations

• Data stored in cloud-based services can be inadvertently exposed if the storage settings are misconfigured.

URL parameters

• Passing sensitive user details in URL parameters can create privacy and security risks. This is especially true for transactional pages or checkout flows.

Searchable databases

• Some websites use search functionality that allows users to query databases containing PII.
• SEOs must ensure that indexable search results do not display PII and that search engine bots are blocked from crawling sensitive areas.

Third-party data sharing

• A third-party vendor, partner or affiliate who doesn’t fully adhere to data protection standards could cause a leak of your customer data.

Browser extensions

• Some browser extensions may initiate actions that can modify page content, execute JavaScript code, or potentially expose the URL to external systems or platforms. 
• Others may interact with third-party services or APIs, such as saving content to cloud storage. 
• If improperly configured, these extensions can expose PII content.

Monitoring for PII leaks

Once search engines index data, removing it from the internet can be challenging. 

Even if the source of the leak is secured, copies may already exist elsewhere, making it accessible to anyone who knows where to look. 

Regular monitoring is crucial. SEOs can do a lot to reduce the risks:

Regular website audits

Conduct regular website audits to identify areas where sensitive customer data might be exposed. 

Utilize crawling tools and set up automated alerts to spot potential issues before they become major problems.

Manual content review

Manually review website content to ensure that PII is neither visible on the page nor rendered in HTML. 

Pay special attention to contact forms, login pages, pages displaying user information and user-generated content sections.

Monitor SERPs

Regularly check SERPs using advanced operators to identify any unintentionally indexed pages that contain sensitive data. 

Search for specific PII elements like names, addresses, phone numbers and any other keywords or phrases relevant to your website that might indicate a leak. 

Look for PII data found in snippet titles and meta descriptions.

Set up Google Alerts

Create Google Alerts for specific keywords or phrases related to your brand and sensitive data to receive notifications if any matching pages get indexed.

Customer feedback

Often, customers are faster and better at spotting issues than in-house teams. 

Ensure you have an easy way for users to report problems and concerns, including data leaks. 

Likewise, your customer support team must be trained to identify and act on this information, alerting the relevant teams and helping prioritize the work.

Pay special attention to URL parameters

Customer data passed through URL parameters can be very challenging to detect, especially if the URL has a 302 response code and is part of a redirection chain, for example, during an ecommerce checkout flow.

Once indexed in Google, these URLs will be discoverable and scrapable. But as 302s, they will redirect away when clicked, making them harder to detect. 

In addition to testing onsite checkout flows and monitoring SEPRs, it’s good practice to monitor 302s and 301s via access logs.

There are several alternatives to relying on URL parameters for passing customer data, including: 

Form submissions (sending the data to the server via a POST request without exposing data in the URL).

• Cookies.
• Session management.
• APIs.
• And more.

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Preventing accidental SEO PII leaks

While it’s difficult to ensure complete protection, there are many steps that SEO can take to minimize the risks of accidental exposure and search engine indexing of sensitive data.

Block public access

Internal account or administration pages, transactional pages, shopping carts, order status pages and any pages that may contain sensitive customer data should not be out for the whole world to see:

• Password protection: Keep private information private and inaccessible without proper credentials.
• Robots.txt file: Utilize the robots.txt file to block search engine crawlers from indexing specific parts and directories of your site that are not meant for the public eye.
• Implement noindex tags: Leverage noindex tags when it makes sense.

Content moderation

If your website includes user-generated content, implement content moderation tools and processes to detect and prevent the publication of personal data. Review and remove any content that violates privacy guidelines.

Data encryption

Secure data encryption protocols (HTTPS) are a must to protect data transmitted between users and your website.

Data minimization

Practice data minimization by collecting only the essential customer information required for the intended purpose. Limit the storage and retention of customer data to minimize exposure.

Employee training

Train your in-house teams, including content creators, developers, QA and product managers, to identify PII, handle it responsibly and spot potential exposure risks. 

For enterprise-level sites, consider including PII checks as part of standard QA protocol or automated QA testing for all releases. 

This is especially relevant for ecommerce sites or platforms where rendering content is contingent on user state (i.e., logged-in vs. logged-out), automated localization and more.

Incident response plan

Develop a clear incident response plan outlining steps to take in case of accidental exposure. Please do not ignore the problem; it will not go away.

We are indexing PII and sensitive data in Google – now what?

Remember, GDPR imposes strict obligations on organizations to protect personal data. 

If a data breach occurs due to negligence or failure to implement adequate security measures, organizations can face severe consequences, including:

• Considerable financial penalties.
• Compensation orders.
• Loss of data processing rights.
• Criminal sanctions for the most serious violations. 

If you discover an accidental leak, act quickly to minimize the damage to your customers and your organization.

Secure the source of the leak

Escalate the incident to appropriate teams. Identify the source of the data leak and eliminate it.

Remove content with PII from Google

Suppose the issue is isolated to a handful of pages. In that case, it may be possible to remove sensitive content from the page manually and request URL Removal or Cache Removal in GSC as appropriate.

For more significant issues that span thousands or millions of pages, request the removal of corresponding directories via GSC. Add a noindex tag as necessary. Resubmit for reindexing once the underlying problem has been corrected.

In some situations, it's best to work directly with Google, for example, if exposed data is associated with pages that no longer exist (404s) but continue to linger in Google’s index without being re-crawled.

Dig deeper: How to remove sensitive client data from Google’s index

Scrapers and syndicators

Has your customer data been scraped and published elsewhere? Report directly to Google if found. 

While you might not be able to remove it from another website, you should be able to have it removed from Google. 

Be prepared to escalate this, as Google’s automated feedback submission tools will likely prove inadequate for the job.

Take responsibility

Open and transparent communication is critical. Depending on the extent of the exposure, be prepared to notify affected individuals and authorities as required by law. 

Transparency can help mitigate the potential damage to the organization's reputation and demonstrate a commitment to compliance with GDPR.

Navigating the intersection of SEO and user privacy

The relationship between user privacy and SEO is vital, as exposure of PII data in search engine results poses significant risks. The consequences, including financial loss and identity theft, are substantial. 

SEOs are well positioned to monitor, safeguard and respond to PII exposure early, protecting users and their organizations and upholding GDPR principles for a safer digital world.

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Microsoft Audience Ads has kicked off the fall with a series of new product updates.

The tech giant said the purpose of these updates is to help advertisers achieve more results with less effort by helping them to create more engaging ads that are served to a higher-value audience.

Here’s a breakdown of the latest developments in Microsoft Audience Ads:

1. New markets

Microsoft Audience Ads has been rolled out to 58 new markets, meaning it is now available in 187 markets in total across the globe.

2. Casual games expansion

Microsoft is rolling out Audience Ads to new placements, such as home, menu, and game screens across games that come defaulted onto Windows computers. Currently, Audience Ads are served in Treasure Hunt and Jigsaw but the tech giant has confirmed it is expanding reach to all Casual Games by 2024.

3. Microsoft 365 expansion

This month, Microsoft is planning to roll out Audience Ads to new markets of the free consumer version of the Microsoft 365 mobile app in the US. The tech giant will then expand further to EU markets on Android in January.

4. Predictive targeting

Microsoft Audience Ads recently launched predictive targeting, enabling advertisers to leverage the platform’s AI to identify relevant high-value audiences that they may previously not have considered targeting.

5. Video and CTV ads

Video and CTV Ads were recently launched to help advertisers reach large-scale and high-value audiences across Microsoft and publisher partner platforms in online video and CTV placements.

6. New AI bid strategies

Microsoft has launched two new automated bid strategies to help “advertisers reach their target audience with minimal effort” – Maximize conversion and Target CPA. The two new offerings are currently in pilot with a general roll out planned for later this month.

Why we care. The latest Microsoft Audience Ads updates were designed to help advertisers create more engaging campaigns that reach their target audience. Engaging ads capture attention, foster brand connection, and drive customer interest while reaching the target audience ensures that the message resonates with the right demographic, increasing the likelihood of conversion and maximizing the return on investment.

New travel lodging UI enhancements. The Microsoft Advertising platform is expanding its terminology for Lodging Solutions beyond just “hotels” to embrace all types of accommodation. With this in mind, Hotel Campaigns have been renamed to Lodging Campaigns, and all the “hotel” nomenclature has been updated to “property” nomenclature.

Vertical ads. Microsoft is also expanding vertical ads across the search partner network to enable advertisers to broaden the impact of their campaigns, including the introduction of Credit Card and Property Promotion ads, alongside existing offerings like Automotive & Tours and Activities ads.

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What has Microsoft said? Product marketing manager, Kevin Salat, said in a statement:

• "With Microsoft Audience Ads, you can target your ideal audience based on Microsoft’s understanding of their interests and consumer intent signals. These high quality, cross-device ads show on sites like MSN, Microsoft Edge (the Microsoft browser), Outlook.com, and publisher placements."
• "Leveraging rich consumer intent signals, which include searches, web activity, profile data, and more, brands can serve highly relevant messages to an audience who’s ready to convert and reach them in beautiful placements across the web."

Don't forget. Microsoft Advertising’s Performance Max is still in open beta and available to start testing for your campaigns.

Deep dive. Read Microsoft's announcement in full for more information.

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Fashion ecommerce is going through a period of change. Brands are under increasing pressure from consumers and market forces to become more sustainable and less wasteful, especially in fast fashion.

As a result:

• Several brands are starting to charge customers for returning online purchases.
• Resale ecommerce, or “recommerce,” is growing quickly and entering the mainstream. 
• Users are being reminded to make more sustainable buying choices, turning more toward thrift.

Users are also moving away from using Google for discovery and utilizing Amazon and TikTok more.

This shift in the market and consumer means data is more important than ever, and the ability to forecast and monitor the changes in buyer behavior. 

Given the amount of data available to us from multiple sources, we’re now in the strongest position possible to monitor demand changes and create forecasts.

The core focus of trend analysis in ecommerce should always be to:

• Identifying opportunities for value creation.
• Informing SEO (and general marketing) activities for maximum impact.
• Creating stronger messaging to better meet user expectations at the right time.

Here are some examples of how we provide more value in the ecommerce fashion sector by leveraging search data effectively.

Multiplatform trend analysis

Both resale and rental are emerging consumer trends in fashion. For this example, I’ll use handbags as a data source. 

Users shop across multiple platforms, so we must not only focus on Google when performing any trend analysis for ecommerce.

Consider other shopping and product discovery platforms such as Amazon and TikTok.

To do this at a simple level, we can:

• Take a set of search terms, in this case, the top 50 related keywords by U.S. monthly search volume (MSV) when looking at “large handbags” as a root topic.
• Compile 12 months’ worth of MSV data, TikTok search trends, eBay and Amazon search data.

If we take this data as a whole set, we can actually see that in the months’ Google search declines around “large handbags,” the search velocity in other platforms remains higher (relative to platform search demand).

We can then drill down into this data more and look at additional modifiers of “large handbags,” such as “luxury” or “on-sale.”

Seeing the search demand data over four different product discovery platforms also allows you to forecast user demand, taking into account that users in your target market are potentially using more than just Google to discover products.

The easiest way to display this is through a Bayesian Structural Time Series (BSTS) graph:

You can do this via Google Sheets, as I have above, or you can use RStudio to model traffic graphs with different ranges and periods by following this RStudio forecasting guide.

Dig deeper: Ecommerce SEO & UX: 4 simple tips to boost traffic and sales

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Opportunity products

Using the same demand modeling (with data from periods over time), we can also identify “opportunity products” across a catalog. 

For example, suppose you have an ecommerce website specializing in luxury fashion. In that case, you can take your product categories (or a specific brand) and model products against each other to find demand correlations.

These correlations can then:

• Create product opportunities for cross-selling and cross-merchandising.
• Influence your email and social channels.
• Be used to influence helpful user content such as style and “wear the look” guides for added value.

Let’s use the brand Van Cleef & Arpels for the data example below.

We’d expect all four product categories to see an increase in demand around December/January in line with seasonal demand for most luxury items.

We can also identify that during July, August and September, search demand for Van Cleef & Arpels earrings and necklaces has a small peak. In September, bracelets also hit peak search velocity.

With early knowledge of a correlating product trend, fashion businesses can:

• Coordinate omnichannel marketing efforts.
• Produce content that aligns with the trend.
• Set up targeted ads. 
• Collaborate with influencers who resonate with the product's appeal on platforms where a brand may not have a strong presence, such as TikTok or Instagram.

Tangential search trends

The final use case for better data usage I want to cover is identifying trends between your fashion products and tangential searches.

A great example of this is exploring the relationship between athletic wear and users wanting to make healthier lifestyle choices.

To do this, we need to overlay gym/athletic wear clothing searches with a tangential topic the same user audience may be searching for, like workouts.

Very quickly, we can see that both Amazon and Google reach peak search velocity for gym/athletic wear around January and February (as we’d expect with what we know of the topic’s seasonal trends) before seeing some uptick again toward the end of the year.

When we look at users searching for workouts and workout ideas, we see that both Google and TikTok have a consistent search velocity the whole year round (compared to workout clothing searches).

With data supporting this, we can justify creating content and messaging across multiple platforms that actively works to engage our target customer all year round, even when they’re not in the peak buying cycle.

The more positive brand touchpoints we create in this way, the more we can build trust and, hopefully, brand demand. This can help influence Google’s perception of the domain/brand when assigning crawl resources.

Tangential trends can also extend to other product use cases, sporting events, television shows, or other pop culture and media elements that influence a buyer's decision-making.

The ecommerce imperative: A holistic, search data-led approach

Different demographics are adopting platforms like TikTok to discover products and information and make product purchases. 

TikTok sees ecommerce as a growth play and has ambitions to quadruple its operations and achieve $20 billion in sales.

That's why, as a fashion brand, it's vital to take a holistic approach when analyzing your search demand, researching keywords, and crafting your content and messaging strategy. 

This approach helps establish a strong organic presence and guides other channels in maintaining a consistent brand message.

Dig deeper: Ecommerce marketing next year: 5 ways to set up for success

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Ever get the feeling you’re reporting on – or your agency or marketing team is reporting on – the wrong metrics?

Put another way, how high is your frustration level that your marketing team is bringing in hundreds of leads without any noticeable effect on your pipeline?

Smart marketers are using offline conversion tracking to solve the issues I just laid out. If you missed my SMX Advanced session, keep reading to learn:

• What offline conversion tracking is.
• Why it matters for lead gen campaigns.
• When and how to use it. 
• Success stories for implementation. 

This article will give you some to-dos that have helped many of my PPC clients get more revenue from their marketing spend.

What is offline conversion tracking?

Offline conversion tracking, or OCT, is a discipline that incorporates offline data to help marketers measure how their ads contribute to real business outcomes, not just marketing metrics (e.g., closed revenue, not just vanity leads). 

The data includes actions that users take somewhere other than your website, such as:

• In-store purchases.
• Visits to car dealerships that end in sales.
• Visits to a local college to register for a course promoted online. 

In B2B, this often takes the form of lead nurturing and qualification – a lead may register immediately as an MQL upon filling out a form (which all marketers should be able to track).

But from there, progression through your CRM from MQL to SQL to opportunity to closed-won all happens outside of your website property.

Dig deeper: 5 best practices for tracking offline conversions in Google Ads

Why is OCT important in lead gen campaigns?

We don’t have as many controls at our disposal today as everything’s moving hard toward AI and machine learning. 

Without OCT, your advertising campaigns simply let increasingly powerful algorithms (Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn) find audiences likely to take a conversion action.

As most of us have seen, the combination of automation and basic form fills typically equals a lot of low-quality leads. 

With OCT data fed back into those algorithms, you can teach the platforms to find the right leads – those most likely to move along the customer journey and become customers or clients. 

One note here: incorporating OCT means there’s a good possibility that you’ll:

• End up paying more per lead. 
• Have to do the extra math of calculating cost per SQL or cost per opp to show the value of OCT. 

Still, it won’t take long to see the efficiency in action.

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When should you incorporate OCT?

Essentially, everyone should be testing offline conversion tracking. 

That said, the best use cases for implementation are if you’re seeing lead quality issues or if your account is experiencing performance plateaus, meaning performance is consistent but the account growth is stagnant. 

There are a few considerations to keep in mind, including:

Data density

• Consider how many actions are taken within a 30-day time period when deciding how to optimize. 
• If the number is too low, you might need to get creative or move back up the funnel a step (e.g., optimize for opportunities instead of closed-won or SQLs instead of opportunities). 
• The best metric is always the one closest to the revenue (e.g., closed/won), but you’ll need to balance quality with enough volume to truly train the algorithms.

Data delays

• Some offline actions (including closed/won deals if the sales cycle is too long) may fall out of the usability window. 
• Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn all have a 90-day window to get data back to the platforms (Google’s window starts at the time of the click. Facebook and LinkedIn start at the time of the impression). 

Current performance

• If your account’s current performance is strong, you’ll want to take a conservative approach to testing (test one campaign to start).
• Remember that some metrics can look worse in the early stages.

How do you get started with incorporation?

In general, there are two ways that ad platforms connect your data back to their platforms. Google uses click ID (every click from your ad gets a unique click ID), and you’ll need to ensure that the click ID is associated with the lead info passed through your website. 

Some CRMs, notably HubSpot, absorb this information automatically, but if you’re working with one that doesn’t, you’ll want to use hidden form fields to ensure the information is being passed to your CRM.

Facebook and LinkedIn, meanwhile, rely on customer data to tie conversions back to ad spend. Information like name, email, and company is uploaded and then hashed by the platforms. 

Though the data connections differ, all the platforms have multiple options for OCT setup. Google and Facebook have robust partner connection options, including Zapier, and both offer automated upload options. 

Of the two, Google makes it simpler as you only need to set up a Google Sheets connection. Facebook runs this setup through its conversions API, which requires developer resources.

LinkedIn is newer to the OCT game. They rolled out the functionality in 2022, and I anticipate their partner list will continue to grow.

Each platform offers manual upload through CSV files, but that introduces more time and the possibility of user omission or error – this is something you’ll want to use in your platforms over the long haul, so invest in automation early.

Dig deeper: How to set up an offline conversion import from Salesforce into Google Ads

OCT success stories

By simply incorporating OCT into client accounts, we’ve seen results in a range of accounts:

• 1% lift in pipeline with a 43% decrease in spend.
• 55% decrease in cost per subscriber (as opposed to users signing up for free trials) with 185% increase in subscriber volume.
• Improved conversion rates throughout the funnel, notably improving the “sign up to install” rate from 14% to 35%.

The common thread here is that each client is spending more effectively to engage the right users. 

In many cases, the first step is to realize that much of the marketing budget can be reduced in some areas with minimal growth impact – and reallocated to more impactful placements.

Maximize lead quality and ROI with offline conversion tracking

In this day and age of digital marketing, advertisers have fewer controls than ever to leverage in their campaigns. When done right, OCT is a powerful tool that can teach the algorithms to work more effectively toward your real business goals. 

As you incorporate OCT to improve your down-funnel metrics, ensure you’re also reflecting your work in a reporting narrative of how your marketing campaigns directly contribute to business growth and performance. 

In very little time, you’ll be able to spot more areas where an added layer of data can make the difference between vanity metrics and business success.

Watch: Offline conversion tracking to boost lead gen strategies

Below is the complete video of my SMX Advanced presentation.

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Generative AI. It’s the hottest topic in search (but not without debate) – and with good reason. It’s not only revolutionizing the way we as search marketers create content and execute daily tasks… it’s overhauling the very framework of SERPs and upending user search behavior as we know it.

Dive deep into what you need to know about generative AI with three exclusive keynotes from ESPN, Optmyzr, and Search Engine Land – online at SMX Next, online November 14-15, for free.

Keep reading for a sneak peek at what’s in store…

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At a time when many marketers are trying to predict when their lives will return to pre-pandemic normalcy, let’s examine three key trends reshaping YouTube marketing today.

1. Audiences are receptive to AI, but content is still king

Creators are utilizing AI to generate some amazing content, as I noted in a previous article, “The best AI video generators for creators and marketers.” 

For example, Curious Refuge uploaded “Lord of the Rings by Wes Anderson Trailer | The Whimsical Fellowship” on May 9. Created by Artificial Intelligence, Caleb Ward, Shelby Ward, and Tyler Smith, this delightful fan-made trailer now has 4 million views.

Since then, Curious Refuge uploaded “Barbenheimer | Movie Trailer” on July 18. Created by Artificial Intelligence, Mike Fink, and Caleb Ward, this video now has more than 387,000 views.

“ANIME ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS,” which Corridor uploaded on Feb. 26, now has 4.2 million views.

Since then, Corridor uploaded “ANIME ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS 2” on Aug. 12. Episode 2 now has over 823,000 views.

And my article featured ““러브홀릭스(Loveholics) – ‘Butterfly’ 커버 COVER [??? ??????],” which RuiCovery uploaded on Dec. 2, 2022. This song by a virtual YouTuber, or VTuber, now has 1.4 million views.

Since then, RuiCovery uploaded “FIFTY FIFTY – Cupid COVER [RuiCovery] | KPOP TIKTOK VIRAL MUSIC” on Aug. 16. This cover now has almost 25,000 views.

It’s worth noting that in all three cases, earlier videos created with AI-based tools got more views than later ones. So, using AI tools doesn’t guarantee your video will go viral. 

I now realize that my article focused on the AI-based tools these three YouTube creators used, not the content they’d created. So, I may have been looking through the wrong end of the telescope.

So, here’s the first trend that’s reshaping YouTube and video marketing: 

Marketers and pundits may be looking at which AI tools are reducing the time, training, and expense required for creators to bring their visions to life. However, audiences are still evaluating the content, not the video production techniques.

Up to 60% of audiences agree that they are open to watching content from creators that use AI to generate their content, according to the YouTube Culture and Trends Report 2023.

So, if creators use AI to apply director Wes Anderson’s iconic style to their beloved sci-fi fantasy, their content gets more than 4 million views. But if the same creators use AI to generate a mashup of two blockbuster films that are polar opposites, then their content gets less than 400,000 views.

In other words, AI may eventually become Prime Minister, but content is still king.

2. The line between creators and their audiences is blurring

Marketers should think twice before using Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers to segment their target audiences.

And whenever you come across a news story or research about generations, remember to consider the following: 

• “Generational categories are not scientifically defined.” 
• “Conversations about generations often focus on differences instead of similarities.”

The line between Gen Z and millennials isn’t the only one that’s blurring. The line between creators and their audiences is blurring, too.

• 40% of all the respondents 18-44 years old described themselves as video content creators, according to the YouTube Trends Survey mentioned above.

Now, how did Think with Google package this insight? In July 2023, it proclaimed that “41% of Gen Z describe themselves as video content creators.”

But if you do the math, 41% of Gen Z isn’t significantly different than 40% of 18- to 44-year-olds online. And we don’t know if Gen X or baby boomers are similar or different because they weren’t surveyed.

So, this trend does not signal that “kids today” are significantly different from their predecessors. Something else that is much broader and has been happening for much longer is blurring the line between creators and their audiences.

YouTube’s Smriti Sinha and Maddy Buxton surmise:

“In 2023, thanks to the availability of advanced tech tools, fans have a more active role in shaping culture than ever. Fandom is more layered, and it’s shifting not only how people experience and participate in video culture but how they perceive their role.”

Umm, OK. The availability of advanced tech tools is certainly a factor.

But this first trend has been hiding in plain sight for years. According to Tubular Labs data:

• In 2014, 12.8 million creators uploaded 159 million YouTube videos, which got 4.0 trillion views. 
• In 2015, 14.8 million creators uploaded 194 million YouTube videos, which got 5.1 trillion views. 
• In 2016, 18.1 million creators uploaded 251 million YouTube videos, which got 7.2 trillion views. 
• In 2017, 19.8 million creators uploaded 334 million YouTube videos, which got 10.4 trillion views. 
• In 2018, 18.4 million creators uploaded 355 million YouTube videos, which got 11.8 trillion views. 
• In 2019, 16.5 million creators uploaded 336 million YouTube videos, which got 12.2 trillion views. 
• In 2020, 14.4 million creators uploaded 381 million YouTube videos, which got 12.7 trillion views. 
• In 2021, 13.8 million creators uploaded 479 million YouTube videos, which got 17.6 trillion views. 
• In 2022, 16.7 million creators uploaded 732 million YouTube videos, which got 24.6 trillion views.

In other words, the number of creators worldwide has gone up and down over the past decade, but the number of videos they’re uploading to YouTube is now 4.6 times greater, and the number of views they’re getting is now 6.2 times greater.

Did advanced tech tools make producing content daily instead of weekly for millions of YouTube creators easier? Sure. But why bother?

Well, YouTube launched its Partners Program in 2007, which lets creators earn ad revenue from video ads that run on their channel. 

With YouTube paying out more than $50 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the last three years, a higher percentage of creators can now turn their side hustles into successful businesses with employees and full-fledged operations.

Oxford Economics estimates that YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed over $35 billion to the U.S. GDP in 2022 and supported more than 390,000 full-time equivalent U.S. jobs last year.

For example, Hercules Candy is “just a wee little family candy shop that has been in the heart of East Syracuse, NY, since 1910.”

The business, founded by Robert Adrianos and his two brothers, fell on hard times and closed its store doors in 1972. Then, Robert’s grandson, Steve, reopened the business in 1977 and started making and selling candy from his home.

In 2017, the Andrianos family launched the Hercules Candy YouTube channel, which offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how treats like strawberry lemonade hard candy were made.

Their mix of long-form videos and live streaming attracted a following of sweet-toothed subscribers, and they saw the demand for their products take off.

The following year, the Andrianos could finally open a storefront, purchase new equipment, and hire additional staff.

More recently, the “wee little family candy shop,” which Steve and Terry Andrianos have run for 46 years, added Shorts to their mix of video content. 

And advanced tech tools may accelerate their business growth going forward. But the family candy shop’s growth started in 2017 and was powered by their community of fans, who loved their behind-the-scenes look at how handmade chocolate and hard candy were made.

Since Steve and Terry Andrianos “don’t know how to take anything seriously,” they’d be the first to admit that they aren’t card-carrying members of Gen Z.

And because Steve is “fluent in sarcasm,” he might concede that the availability of advanced tech tools has helped their business. That is, if you consider their gas-fueled candy stove as an advanced version of his grandfather’s coal stone.

It’s also worth noting that “community building” pre-dates YouTube by thousands of years. And the reason why the line between creators and their audiences is blurring is that a significant percentage of your family, friends, and online community now describe themselves as video content creators.

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3. Long-standing language barriers are coming down

Since I’ve questioned AI and advanced tech tools, you might think I’m a “Luddite.” But you’d be wrong.

I happen to agree with Everett M. Rogers, the author of “Diffusion of Innovations,” who wrote:

“The interpersonal relationships between opinion leaders and their followers hang in a delicate balance. If an opinion leader becomes too innovative, or adopts a new idea too quickly, followers may begin to doubt his or her judgment.”

Rogers added: 

“One role of the opinion leader in a social system is to help reduce uncertainty about an innovation for his or her followers. To fulfill this role, an opinion leader must demonstrate prudent judgment in decisions about adopting new ideas.”

Now, I see you as the opinion leaders in your organizations, social networks, and online communities. I’m just trying to provide helpful content on the key trends reshaping YouTube marketing so you can demonstrate prudent judgment when making decisions that impact your organization, network, or community.

And sometimes, innovations that haven’t gotten much attention and new ideas that have flown under the radar can generate measurable results. 

For example, long-standing language barriers are coming down as YouTube features like closed captions and multi-language audio enable global audiences to tailor their viewing experiences to their local preferences. 

And more creators are using captions to add context, deliver inside jokes, or provide Easter eggs for interested viewers.

Closed captions have also contributed to the rise of “silent vlogs,” which use subtitles to add commentary without interrupting a video’s immersive storytelling.

Not only were users open to watching videos without sound, but videos with “silent vlog” in the title garnered 24 million views in 2022, according to global data from YouTube.

Meanwhile, YouTube’s multi-language audio feature lets anyone upload different audio tracks to the same video.

For ads specifically, YouTube is experimenting with an AI-powered offering that can dub English video ads into nine languages, with more coming soon. The option opens up a new world of possibilities for creators, brands, and viewers hoping to reach wider audiences. 

YouTube’s most subscribed individual creator, Mr. Beast, recently shared how he dubbed his most popular videos into 11 languages to cater to more of his international audience.

Creators testing multi-language dubbed videos saw over 15% of their watch time come from videos in nonprimary language.

Midnatt, the alter ego of South Korean singer Lee Hyun, launched “Masquerade” in 6 languages (ENG/KR/JP/CH/ES/VN) in June.

Midnatt’s song even used AI to enhance pronunciation and make his vocals sound more natural in his non-native languages. 

Audiences support these innovations. 

• 54% of respondents said they follow a creator who creates content in a language other than their own, According to the same YouTube Trends survey, .

For marketers, dub tracks can mean reaching new audiences without the need for huge production budgets.

The road from here

So, even if other marketers are trying to predict when their lives will return to pre-pandemic normalcy, I’d recommend focusing on three key trends reshaping YouTube marketing today.

That’s more likely to get you where you want to go.

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TikTok may soon pilot an ad-free subscription service on its app.

Code within the social platform suggests that subscribers may soon be able to access content with no interruptions from adverts for $4.99 a month.

Screenshots of TikTok asking users if they’d like to upgrade to an ad-free experience were shared by Android Authority.

Why we care. If sign-ups for TikTok’s ad-free subscription tier prove to be popular, then this could have a significant impact on reach for the platform’s advertisers, which will ultimately lower the product’s value.

What ads will be excluded? Influencer marketing one-offs or campaigns will still appear on the paid-for version of the app – it’s only ads that are served by TikTok that will be excluded. This means the change is unlikely to help combat the issue of TikTok influencers not disclosing brand partnerships.

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Why now? TikTok generates most of its profits from ad revenue – which came to $9.4 billion in 2022. That number is expected to quadruple by 2026. However, in a bid to mitigate financial risk, the platform's executives are exploring the diversification of revenue streams, with the potential introduction of paid subscriptions not coming as a surprise.

Deep dive. Check out TikTok's newsroom for more information on the platform's latest developments.

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