OrderDynamics Monthly Google Updates Report – November 2012

After a very busy August and September, Google appeared to quiet down this month – or so it was thought. While very few websites saw search rank fluctuation as they had over the past two months, Google AdWords subscribers had several updates and new features to take note of.

Google Search

Throughout August and September, Google Search underwent 7 total changes, 4 of which related to search rank.  As many continued to see fluctuation in their search rank into October during the aftermath of the EMD Update, there were no other official Panda or Penguin updates or refreshes. 

Instead Google Search expanded on the open field trial launched in July that consolidated Gmail information into Google Search Results. On October 15, Google Search increased the reach of the open field trial to also include results from Google Drive, Google Calendar and other Google applications after receiving a large amount of requests for it. To consolidate Google App information in search results, Google subscribers can sign up on the field trial page.

The Google Knowledge Graph also began the process of refining and adding more knowledge-building information. The update allows searchers to see connections between different subjects within search results in a “People Also Search for” sense. Currently, the feature is applicable to celebrity culture and entertainment. For example, should someone search for the Dark Knight, Knowledge Graph might also produce Inception in the results since both movies share Christopher Nolan as the director.

Google AdWords

In October, changes and feature introductions in the AdWords Platform were made and announced on the Google AdWords Blog every few days.

October 1^st saw two announcements:

• Rotate Indefinitely was implemented for AdWords subscribers who wish not to target high performance ads to peak periods, and would have high- and low-performance ads show up equally as a cost-cutting initiative. Google asserts the feature is slightly inefficient, as it often results in fewer overall clicks, more expensive individual clicks, and lower positioning of AdWords campaigns.
• Google Tag Manager is a tool for those who are less IT savvy, and enables the consolidation of various web page tags pertaining to tracking and conversion, among others, into a single snippet. The snippet can then be easily monitored and controlled on a platform that aims to increase efficiency and lower IT costs.

 On October 2^nd came with two announcements:

• Lightbox Ad Formats were introduced to create more sophisticated and refined ads that include more than just words. Lightbox Ads allow small graphic ads to expand into a lighted focal canvas after a two second hover over the smaller ad.
• Google Analytics data can now be imported into an affiliated Google AdWords account to enable easy access to Analytics data pertaining to specific AdWords campaigns.

AdWords Call Metrics Reporting was introduced in the US on October 16. The tool caters to consumers who would prefer to call a business to find out more information on their product, rather than browse their website.  Call Metrics Reporting masks the business phone number in the ad with a Google toll free forwarding number, which enables tracking of phone calls that come from ads in an AdWords campaign so the data can be combined with that of online search.

October 17 saw the final changeover from Google Merchant Center to Google Shopping after a 4-month transition period, with only paid Product Listing Ads being displayed. On October 18, Google AdWords unveiled promotion displays within Product Listing Ads, which could in turn be shared across other Google Platforms.

Creators of mobile apps received a treat on October 24, as Google announced the ability to track iOS app conversions. The tool produces a snippet of code to be embedded in mobile apps, so that views and conversions can be tracked, and app creators can identify the best ways to promote their apps on mobile devices.

The next day, Google AdWords made Dynamic Search Ads available to all AdWords subscribers after a year of US testing.  Dynamic Search Ads enables refined targeting of ads based on website content and context related to a search, rather than based on keywords within the search.  This feature allows for more realistic and efficient placement that helps searchers find what they are looking for when keywords can be taken in numerous contexts.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics announced on October 25 that Mobile App Analytics moved into open beta. With the change, setup of Mobile App Analytics was simplified to a 3-step process. The Software Development Kits (SDKs) for the Android and iOS operating systems were completely rebuilt to enhance functionality and create more powerful, easy to implement apps. Within Mobile App Analytics, Google Analytics announced a polished upgrade from Custom Variables to Custom Dimensions within the Analytics platform. Custom Dimensions enables users to :

•           Create new dimensions with which to segment traffic
•           Use custom/brand-related variables as dimension metrics
•           Implement Mobile App Analytics without re-tagging the app itself, but by configuring it via an administrative UI

The Cost Data Import Tool was presented on October 30, which allows users to import cost data from any external platform or tool via a self-service API into Google Analytics so as to measure ROI. The data can then be viewed in the Traffic Sources section of Google Analytics, or in the Attribution Model Tool.