Ep189 - Google Ads Controversy: Ad Placements on Questionable Websites

Episode 189 contains the Digital Marketing News and Updates from the week of Nov 27-Dec 1, 2023.1. Google Ads Controversy: Ad Placements on Questionable Websites - A recent study by Adalytics has sparked a debate over the ethical and transparency issues surrounding Google's Search Partner Network (GSP). The report found that Google search ads appeared on websites that violate Google's publisher policies, raising significant concerns for advertisers about where their ads are being displayed.Key Points from the Study:Violation of Publisher Policies: The study discovered Google search ads on websites that don't adhere to Google's publisher policies. These policies prohibit ads from being served alongside illegal content, hate speech, misinformation, and more. Yet, ads were found on far-leaning political websites and other questionable domains.Google Search Partner Network: The GSP is a collection of search-related websites and apps where Google ads can appear. The network, established in 2003, aims to expand Google's ad reach beyond its search engine. However, the lack of transparency about the websites included in this network is a major concern.Compromising Ad Placements: Advertisers reported finding their ads on websites they had previously blocked. This raises questions about the effectiveness of Google Ads' excluded placements setting and the overall control advertisers have over their ad placements.Ethical and Transparency Issues: The report highlights the need for greater transparency and trust in Google's ad network. The lack of clarity about the GSP's members and the discovery of ads on sanctioned websites in countries like Iran and Russia pose ethical dilemmas for advertisers.What Can Advertisers Do?Opt-Out of GSP: Advertisers can manually opt out of the GSP for each search campaign to avoid their ads appearing on these networks.Review Content Suitability Settings: Adjusting these settings, especially on YouTube or display campaigns, can help control where ads are shown.Check Display Campaign Placements: Reviewing where ads are shown in display campaigns can provide insights into potentially questionable or poor-performing websites.Use Advanced Settings for Additional Exclusions: Advertisers can exclude sensitive content types, themes, keywords, websites, apps, YouTube channels, or videos to gain more control over ad placements.This report underscores the importance for business owners of being vigilant about where their ads are displayed. It's crucial to regularly review and adjust ad settings to ensure that your brand's values align with the platforms where your ads are shown. As digital marketing continues to evolve, ethical considerations and transparency in ad placements remain key concerns for advertisers.2. Google Updates Policy for for Consumer Finance Ads - Google has updated its personalized ads policy in February 2024, and introduced new limitations on personalized advertising related to consumer financial products and services. This policy change is particularly important for businesses in the consumer finance sector, including those offering credit cards, loans, banking services, and debt management products.Understanding the Policy Update:Scope of the Update: The updated policy will prohibit targeting audiences based on sensitive interest categories like gender, age, parental status, marital status, or ZIP code in the United States and Canada for consumer finance in personalized ads.Effective Date: The policy enforcement will begin on February 28, 2024, and is expected to ramp up to full enforcement over approximately six weeks.Warning Before Suspension: Violations of this policy will not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A warning will be issued at least seven days before any suspension of an account.Implications for Business Owners:Review Advertising Strategies: Businesses in the consumer finance sector need to review their advertising strategies on Google to ensure compliance with the new policy. This includes revising targeting methods and ad content.Prepare for Changes: With the policy taking effect in February 2024, businesses have time to adjust their campaigns and avoid potential disruptions.Understand the Impact: The policy change underscores the importance of ethical advertising practices, especially in sensitive sectors like consumer finance. It's crucial for businesses to understand how these changes affect their digital marketing efforts.3. Google's November 2023 Core Update Rollout Complete - Google has finalized its November 2023 Core Update, marking the fourth major algorithm update of the year. This update, which began on November 2, 2023, concluded on November 28, 2023, after 26 days. It followed closely on the heels of the October 2023 Core Update, which itself had significant impacts on search rankings.The November Core Update was notable for the breadth of its impact, affecting a wide range of sites and causing considerable ranking volatility. Many SEOs reported substantial changes in site rankings from the outset of the update.Adding to the complexity, the November 2023 Reviews Update, which began on November 8, overlapped with the Core Update. This meant that websites experienced the effects of two significant updates simultaneously, although the impacts of each were distinct.Understanding Google's algorithm updates is crucial for businesses, as these updates can impact how your site performs in search results. Any change in rankings from a core update, positive or negative, can impact your organic traffic, conversions, and revenue. Knowing when Google makes these updates enables site owners to know if traffic fluctuations resulted from a change to the site or something Google changed with its ranking algorithm.4. Google Search Expands Organization Markup: Enhancing Business Visibility - Google has recently updated its organization markup in Google Search, now supporting additional fields such as name, address, contact information, and various business identifiers. This expansion is a significant development for business owners, as it allows for more comprehensive representation of their organizations in Google's search results.What's New in the Update:Expanded Fields: The updated organization structured data now includes fields for name, alternate name, legal name, description, sameAs, address, phone numbers, email, number of employees, founding date, DUNS, NAICS, tax ID, and other ID numbers. This is in addition to the previously supported logo and URL structured data fields.Enhanced Visibility: These new fields can be used in Google Search knowledge panels and other visual elements, such as attribution. This means that when someone searches for your business, Google can display a rich snippet with detailed information about your organization, making it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.Updated Reporting: Google Search Console reports have been updated to support validation of these new fields. The rich results testing tool has also been updated, allowing you to test your organization's structured data and confirm its validity instantly.Google's expansion of the organization markup in search results is a valuable opportunity for business owner...