Keyword research data reveals the SEO CTR rewards for top of SERP rankings in Google. Inform your SEO marketing strategy with the latest trends in 2024

You often hear company owners saying “I want to rank top” for their target keywords. Although this may be an unrealistic hope, they’re right to say this since they realize that claiming the top position in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) drives up your SEO click-through rate CTR like nothing else. October 2023 data from firstpage.com demonstrates that ranking #1 generates a typical CTR of 39.8%. That's more than double the CTR for 2nd position, 18.7%, and nearly 4x the CTR for 3rd position, 10.2%. You can see this example below for example search term 'customer data platform". While the top 3 positions carry double-digit click-through rates, these start fallling rapidly to…

Google Search Console Insights combines Google Search Console and Google Analytics to introduce a new SEO platform for content marketers

If you regularly use Google Analytics and/or Google Search Console tools to evaluate and optimize your marketing (and if you don't - here's some starters for you!), you may have heard about this integrated new insights platform update from Google.

What is Google Search Console Insights?

Still in Beta mode, Google Search Console Insights is a new platform which allows content marketers an integrated overview of how their content is searched for/discovered (GSC) alongside insights about the audience and their behaviour (GA).

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Google is transforming from a search engine to an answer engine, which you should use to shape your SEO strategy for the year ahead

These days we are witnessing the biggest evolution of Google as we know it. Google is transforming from a search engine to an answer engine. That evolution is bringing new challenges to online publishers and businesses changing our marketing priorities and goals. We went from this: [caption id="attachment_149977" align="aligncenter" width="645"] [Image Source][/caption]

to this:

in a matter of seven years. As you can see, there are fewer organic results and more answers in the above-the-fold part of search engine result page. [si_blog_banner_cta]

Google is the answer engine

Google is planning to become the ultimate answer engine and we find the evidence of that in its recent patents,…

Adverts have 'positive impact' on society, LinkedIn hits new records, Google announces new chatbot development and Facebook sees income slow

Although last year saw confidence in advertising take a tumble, it seems as though the UK public believes that adverts can have a positive impact on society. In positive news for LinkedIn, the platform has reported a new record in terms of total members, as well as huge increases in engagement. The news isn't as positive for Facebook though, as it has seen net income fall following a number of privacy scandals. Finally, Google has announced that it is working on a new chatbot system that better matches and understands human speech, which could transform the chatbot industry. We've got all the information on each of these news stories below. [si_guide_block id="98899" title="Download our Individual Member Resource – Paid media and digital advertising playbook" description="This paid media planning guide will provide marketers with a structured…

Google phasing out third-party cookie support, Facebook under fire for political ad refusals, Instagram testing web DMs, Grindr reported for GDPR breach, YouTube "should demonetize climate denier videos"

We're a bit late with our usual Friday news roundup, but the stories we've covered are no less important. First up is the news that Google will be phasing out support for third-party cookies over the next two years - a huge move that will drastically affect the digital marketing industry. Facebook is continuing to come under fire for its refusal to stop allowing micro-targeting when it comes to political ads, with IPA saying that digital advertising has been "weaponized" for political reasons. [si_blog_banner_cta] In some good news, Instagram is testing DMs for its web-based app, meaning its messenger service could be a lot more accessible in the future. Grindr and Twitter have had some issues due to potential GDPR breaches, which were uncovered in an official report. Finally,…

Programmatic advertising to grow in 2020, Google faces new lawsuit, Aldi has top Christmas ad and TV ads are "least risky" option

New forecasts have suggested that programmatic advertising could reach record investment this year, with its popularity continuing in 2020. Google is back in court with a company suing for damages due to the tech giant's anti-competition rules. UK consumers have named Aldi's Kevin the Carrot as the top Christmas advert this year. A new study has revealed that TV could offer the least amount of risk when it comes to advertising channels. We've got all the details for each of these stories with this week's news roundup.

Programmatic advertising expected to grow in 2020

Despite rising concerns over digital ad fraud and brand safety, it seems as though programmatic ad spend is going to continue to increase in 2020. The latest forecast from Zenith shows that around 69% of media will be traded programmatically by…

Google adding warning badge to slow sites, Facebook's new fundraising tools, influencers and big brands lacking credibility, traditional TV ad spend declining and Instagram's new feature takes on TikTok

Following the addition of a new Speed Report in Google Search Console, Google has announced that it is set to start adding warning badges to sites with slow load speeds as a signal to users. This could ultimately lead to other 'badges' rewarding sites that offer good experiences. Facebook is aiming to make donating and fundraising on its platforms easier ahead of the holiday season by releasing several new tools. A new report has found that consumers don't believe that big brands or social media influencers have any credibility and that they support social issues purely for profit. New data reveals that spend on traditional TV advertising is declining with more people switching to streaming services. However, this could provide some…

Google's new data control features, Instagram launches 'Restrict', fewer women in executive marketing roles, Burger King under fire for tweet and Twitter testing 'Stream Tweets'

This week has seen Google announce a slew of new features designed for helping users better manage their privacy and data, all of which are now being rolled out. Instagram has launched its Restrict feature to help reduce the impact of negative comments and bullying on the platform as it continues to focus on user wellbeing. New research reveals that fewer women are now in executive roles in marketing and advertising companies. Burger King has come under fire by the ASA for a tweet that was deemed to be irresponsible and condoning anti-social behaviour. Twitter is reportedly testing a new feature to show tweets in real-time in users' feeds. We've got more info on all of these news stories below in this week's roundup.

Google launches new data control features

Google has…

Google highlights competition over digital ad monopoly claims, YouTube removes paid ad views from Music Chart counts, Client-side marketing and media professionals have declining trust in agencies, Facebook launching oversite board, Instagram cosmetic surgery post restrictions

Google has sought to fight off claims that it is dominating the digital advertising industry by pointing to other companies in a bid to prove competition, but is this entirely accurate? YouTube is removing paid ad views from Music Chart videos to focus on organic views only and provide a more honest reflection of artists' popularity. New research has found that trust in agencies is declining among client-side media and marketing professionals with the increasingly complex media landscape likely being a contributing factor. Facebook is set to launch an oversight board in 2020, which will review and potentially overrule the platform's decisions on content. Finally, Instagram is continuing its work toward reducing the negative impacts that social media can…

Facebook launches new influencer tools, US states launch Google probe, programmatic advertising revenue growth and Google's expanded advert options

Facebook is aiming to make its platform better for influencers and public figures with the release of new tools that could help them find new audiences. 48 out of 50 US states have joined together to launch a probe into Google's advertising dominance in a bid to stamp down on anti-competitor behaviour. Programmatic advertising revenues in Europe saw a huge 33% increase in 2018, with display and video ads seeing good growth. Google has expanded existing digital advertising options for more campaign types to allow for great flexibility for advertisers. Get all the details on these stories with this week's news roundup.

Facebook launches new public figure tools

Facebook has launched new tools aimed at public figures in a bid to help influencers…