Hello November and Goodbye October! Now that Halloween is behind us, it’s time to get the Christmas decorations from the loft and prepare for the festive months ahead. We’re super excited for Costa’s Christmas menu launch, despite the fact that they’re axing the Orange Hot Chocolate, and we cannot wait for the new season of Peaky Blinders to get going. Birmingham is getting ready for the German Christmas Market to take over New Street, and we’re already getting stocked up on the festive cheeses. October has been a whirlwind of a month, with Stranger Things and The Walking Dead seeing everyone glued to their TV screens. We were pleasantly surprised with just how good Chris Hemsworth looked with short hair in the new Avengers movie: Thor: Ragnarok, and Gemma Collins proved she was still Queen of the memes after falling through stage at the BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards. October has given us a lot of entertainment, and it certainly hasn’t slowed down in the world of PPC, SEO, Digital PR and Social Media. So, get a cup of coffee, put your feet up and check out 10 things you missed in Digital Marketing this October.
1. GBBO judge Prue Leith accidentally tweeted the Bake Off winner before the final
Digital marketing agencies across the UK held their breath after Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith accidentally revealed the winner on Twitter before the series finale. The blunder came seconds after Prue announced that she would be returning for Channel 4’s second series of The Great British Bake Off, alongside Paul Hollywood, Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding. Prue was understandably mortified and said the error was down to ‘time difference’ as she was in Bhutan. The tweet was deleted almost as quickly as it went up, but thanks to The Sun’s ever so thoughtful associate editor Dan Wootton retweeting it, the finale was ruined for a lot of people. Imagine retweeting a spoiler for everyone to see whilst complaining about said spoiler… However, the error did lead to some great reactions on Twitter. You can find out how sorry Prue is here.
2. Google no longer bases search results on Google domain names anymore
At the end of October, Google announced that going to a specific Google ccTLD will no longer change how Google shows you search results. Instead, no matter the ccTLD you are on, Google will detect where you are and automatically serve you search results based on your current location. This means that if you’re looking for French search results, going to Google.fr won’t give you the results you want. But don’t worry, you don’t need to go all the way to France in order to get French search results. All you have to do is go into your settings and change the country manually. Read all about it here.
3. Liam shared 7 great Screaming Frog features we should all be using
We’re proud to have our very own SEO Tech Wizard, Liam, at Ricemedia, and when he shares his tips and tricks of the trade we want to shout about it. In Liam’s blog, he discusses 7 super useful Screaming Frog features everyone in the SEO world should be using. Whether you’re a Digital PR expert, content creator or account manager, these features will help you. Get all the knowledge here.
tenor.com
4. Google started advertising their Google Pixel 2 on Exterion Media’s digital bus platform
Google has become the very first brand to start advertising on the digital screens on the sides of buses in London. Utilising geo-targeting, the screens feature a responsive design layout and have the ability to tailor the content depending on which shops and landmarks are within the buses vicinity. These screens mean that brands have the option to create location-based digital campaigns. We’re pretty excited about this and are looking forward to seeing these digital screens roll out across the UK. Check it out here.
thedrum.com
5. Geordie Shore’s Marnie Shaw broke Snapchat’s ad rules
On 25th October BBC News reported that Big Brother and Geordie Shaw cast member Marnie Shaw had breached Snapchat’s advertising standards rules, after uploading images from two brands she is in partnership with without identifying the posts as advertisements. What makes this super interesting is that this is the first case of its kind to involve Snapchat. When something like this happens, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) orders any posts that do not adhere to be deleted. However, as Snapchat stories only last 24 hours, Marnie was told to leave it. You can read more about it here.
tenor.com
6. Google My Business has added a ‘Book Now’ button for businesses
Hairdressers, restaurants, theatres, hotels and any other businesses taking bookings – it is time to rejoice! Google My Business has started to roll out a ‘Book Now’ button, which will allow businesses to take bookings directly through Google My Business. The booking process is thought to take less than a minute – which could see an increase in bookings and enquiries. This update is only in America, but we cannot wait for it to roll out in the UK. Learn more about it here.
7. We looked at how fake news could influence SEO efforts
Fake news has been circulating for centuries, but there seems to have been an influx thanks to the sharing powers of social media. Our very own Digital PR expert. Mali discusses what fake news is, the biggest fake news stories of 2017 (so far anyway) and the potential effects fake news could have on your SEO strategy. Get clued up here.
8. Majestic and SEMrush joined forces
SEO agencies rejoiced after SEMrush and Majestic announced that Majestic’s backlinks database now integrates into SEMrush’s backlink audit tool. This means that users will have access to Majestic’s backlink database, making it possible to carry out an in-depth analysis of their backlinks in much greater detail. Find out more here.
tenor.com
9. Amazon is going to give free access to Alexa skills content for Prime Customers
Amazon Prime continually renews and expands Amazon Prime benefits, and unsurprisingly this has seen a 75% renewal rate. This month, Amazon made some of the premium content in Alexa, free for Prime members. In the US, Amazon Prime customers spend almost twice as much as non-prime members. Check it out here.
10. We looked at the best Google Doodle games of all time
In the world of SEO, Google can be a real pain in the backside. However, their selection of Google Doodles and games often lend some respite. Beth looked at some of the best Google Doodle games of all time – here are her favourites! What are yours?
google.co.uk
