Search Lately: Issue 149

ISSUE 149 –22nd August 2014

Video Snippets See Drop Off In Google SERP Google search engine results pages have recently seen a reduction in video snippets appearing for standard ‘Web’ drop down results, with some video thumbnails disappearing altogether. Although reports of up to 44% of results being affected have come out, it appears that some sites aren’t affected or at least not noticeably; it comes as no surprise that YouTube is on that list. With all that being said, organic search rankings have not reportedly been affected, so it seems the change is an aesthetic one and Google have confirmed that video snippets will appear where most relevant. They also stated that as they do with all their products, be it algorithmic or paid search changes for example, they will continue to test snippets and their appearance from time to time. It has not been determined as yet if this has had an affect on organic results’ click through rates; this data would help put the relevant theory to the test. On the flip side, this development is seen by some to be a move by Google to increase their paid search revenue, as paid ads appear more prominently above the fold, at the expense of the previously thumbnailed organic results. More information can be found at the link below.

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Youtube App Promotion Ads Available It is now possible to promote apps in TrueView ads on mobiles. Google research suggests that the power of sight, sound and motion makes Youtube users 2x more likely to download apps. The app ad appears as a banner below the skippable video to mobile users only, who have not already downloaded the app. This is now globally available.

Google have also implemented a simple 3-step process for set-up of app promotion in search ads and are also beta testing app re-engagement ads which will prompt users to use an app after download. These types of formats are leveraging the data which Google has about apps and app downloads linked to Google account data which is great for advertisers to minimise wastage.

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Android Users Can Now Speak to Google in Up to Five Different Languages Google has made another technological achievement this week, making their search app friendlier to bilingual Android users, who can now search for information in up to five different languages of their choice. You can download the new version directly from the Google Play store. The app already supported more than 50 different parlances but the update means that multilingual users won't have to change their settings when switching between different languages. A one-time tweak to the settings in the Android menu will allow users to search for a restaurant in English for example, then ask for the weather in French, back-to-back. Some of the most popular languages are even available in a few dialects. For example, Spanish users can select regional preferences for El Salvador, Mexico and other countries while Chinese speakers can choose between Mandarin and Cantonese. Limitations include sticking to one language per sentence and as of yet, Google cannot reply vocally in all the languages but the relevant results will be delivered on-screen. Currently, the update is only for voice search but will be rolled out to desktop over time, and Google has said it has plans to add more languages.