This week Google has gone all in with devoting a significant amount of organic real estate to the 2016 presidential election; Facebook becomes more like Periscope; and there’s now an official iPhone app for managing AdWords campaigns.
Full details about each of these top headlines in this SEO roundup.
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Google & the 2016 Election
Google is determined to keep people informed about this year’s election, and more specifically, the candidates involved. Google says it received a 440% spike in search volume during televised debates — in response, the search giant has developed new “candidate cards.”
Searching for the debate on Google while it is live will surface unique cards featuring quotes candidates have made throughout the evening. These cards will also link you to further resources related to a particular quote. Google claims this benefits the searchers and will help them to be able to make more informed decisions around election time.
Danny Sullivan, veteran SEO and owner of Search Engine Land, takes issue with Google’s new endeavor. He makes a strong case that too much organic real estate is being devoted to these cards. Moreover, it’s a “disaster” for search quality since candidates can add their own cards at will.
This means the front page is not necessarily showing cards from candidates most people are interested in, but cards from the candidates that are savvy enough to both know the feature exists and how to use it.
With Google being taken to task by SEOs over these new search cards, it will be interesting to see if the search giant changes its ways as the election progresses.
Google’s AdWords App Lands on iPhone
Google has finally brought its AdWords app to iOS. With this app, search marketers can keep a close watch over their campaigns from wherever they are and can act on the things that require immediate attention.
The app is designed to be used as a companion to the desktop tool. The app can be used to maintain existing campaigns and view real time stats. It cannot, however, be used to set up a new campaign from scratch.
Examples of Use
If you suddenly find you need to top off a budget or adjust your bids, you can pull out your phone and get the job done. You can also pause campaigns, or launch a new campaign that you’ve already taken the time to create on a desktop.
The app’s main dashboard can be customized according to what is most important to you. To see what you can do to your campaign with the app, navigate to the ‘opportunities’ section in the menu. Here you will find some suggested changes you can make to campaigns right then and there.
Alternatively, you can have Google tell you what needs attention and when by enabling notifications. You’ll receive alerts about when a budget is about to run out or when its an ideal time to take advantage of one of your ‘opportunities’.
The app can be downloaded now on both iPhone and iPad.
Everyone Can Now Broadcast Live Video on Facebook
Fully out of its beta testing period, everyone on Facebook can now broadcast live video from either their personal page or business page. To share live video feed, start creating a status update as you normally would. Now look for a new icon at the bottom that enables live video. Tap the icon to start broadcasting yourself.
If you use Periscope, the experience is very similar. Where it differs is in its privacy options. Anyone can jump in and watch a Periscope feed, for example, but you can limit the audience of live video feeds on Facebook to select groups of your Facebook audience. Another huge difference is that videos on Periscope can be replayed for up to 24 hours before disappearing. On Facebook, a live video replay lives forever unless you choose to delete it.
We understand that this feature is not for everyone, but if you believe live video can enhance your marketing campaign, go for it!
Wrapping it Up
Whether people like it or not, Google is making itself an integral part of the election season. There’s now a convenient AdWords app for iPhone users, and Facebook is giving everyone the opportunity to broadcast themselves in real time.
Image Credit: (c) Can Stock Photo
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