It’s been another big week at Google This Week with an unconfirmed Google algorithm update, new features for Google Analytics 4 and the new and improved Google Analytics 360 now in beta. Plus Google is going greener with carbon emissions information for flights and climate change denial ads and content prohibited across Google.
ICYMI, here’s what happened at Google This Week.
- New Restrictions on High Fat Sugar Salt Food and Beverage Ads
- Unconfirmed Algorithm Update
- Expanded Video Action Campaigns for Connected TVs
- New Features for Google Analytics 4
- New Rich Results Status Reports Errors in Search Console
- Google Adds Carbon Emissions Information to Flights
- AMP URLs Don’t Work in iOS 15
- Google Merchant Center Simplifies Showing Products in Multiple Countries
- New and Improved Google Analytics 360
- Google Moves to First-Price Auction in AdSense, Ad Manager and AdMob
- Climate Change Denial Ads Now Prohibited Across Google
New Restrictions on High Fat Sugar Salt Food and Beverage Ads
Google is now enforcing a new policy on Shopping ads to restrict the serving of High Fat Sugar Salt (HFSS) Food and Beverage (F&B) ads for minors in the UK and EU. High Fat Sugar Salt Food & Beverage Shopping ads are allowed if they comply with Google’s policies, however, they are now prohibited from targeting minors. This policy change only applies to Shopping ads, not free product listings.
Unconfirmed Algorithm Update
There appears to be an unconfirmed Google Search ranking algorithm update that happened over the weekend. There has been a lot of chatter recently around unconfirmed updates week on week, however, this one is making the tools spike like Google core updates do.
Expanded Video Action Campaigns for Connected TVs
Google is making YouTube ads on connected TVs more shoppable with expanded Video action campaigns. When a user sees a Video action campaign on their TV they can now click on a URL at the bottom of the screen to continue shopping on the brand’s website from their desktop or mobile device – without interrupting their viewing session.
New Features for Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics 4 is evolving with a few new features added to the mix. You can now integrate GA4 with Google Search Console, plus Google is introducing data-driven attribution – without minimum threshold requirements.
With Google’s advanced modelling technology, the new Google Analytics allows you to fill gaps in your understanding of customer behaviour when cookies and other identifiers aren’t available. New modelling capabilities include conversion modelling, now used in attribution reports, the Conversions report and Explorations, and behavioural modelling will soon be supported in reporting as well.
New Rich Results Status Reports Errors in Search Console
Google Search Console has (as of October 7) added new rich results status reports errors to help you perform better in the search results. The new details around some rich results errors will be more actionable so you can understand how to solve the issue.
Today we’re adding more details to some errors on Search Console Rich Results status reports to make them more actionable and help you understand how to solve those issues. Learn more about using the rich result reports and try it out! https://t.co/8pVYPCW6Oy
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) October 6, 2021
Google Adds Carbon Emissions Information to Flights
Google is adding carbon emissions information to flights results. You can now see a carbon emission estimate for nearly every flight in the search results, next to the price and duration of the flight. The estimates are flight-specific and seat-specific. Flights with significantly lower emissions will be labelled with a green badge. Plus, you can sort your results to bring the greenest flights to the top of the list.
AMP URLs Don’t Work in iOS 15
With the release of iOS 15 on September 20, AMP URLs in Google Search stopped working. The bug is only affecting searchers using Google Search on iOS devices that have been upgraded to iOS 15. Google is aware of the issue and are working on a solution. Danny Sullivan of Google confirmed saying “It’s a bug specific to iOS 15 that we’re working on. We expect it will be resolved soon.”
It’s a bug specific to iOS 15 that we’re working on. We expect it will be resolved soon.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) October 6, 2021
Google Merchant Center Simplifies Showing Products in Multiple Countries
Google Merchant Center is simplifying the process to show your products in multiple countries. Previously, you were able to show products in one of two country groups. Now, Google is merging the country groups into one global list, enabling you to more easily show products in all supported countries where free listings or Shopping ads are available.
New and Improved Google Analytics 360
Google has introduced the new Analytics 360 beta which is open now to all existing clients.
What’s new?
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- Four product line sub-properties, so you can create different sub-properties for different teams across different products and markets
- You can create dedicated roll-up properties for all four product lines
- Custom user roles to control feature access for certain groups of users
- Higher limits for up to 125 custom dimensions, 400 audiences and 50 conversion types
- Continuous intraday data via the interface and API, data usually appears within an hour so you can make near real-time decisions
- A new service legal agreement for BigQuery daily export
- A more robust Change History so you can review when settings are edited
Google Moves to First-Price Auction in AdSense, Ad Manager and AdMob
Google is streamlining the auction model across AdSense, Ad Manager and AdMob. Google is moving the AdSense (AdSense for Content, Video and Games) auction from second-price to first-price in the coming months. This change will make it easier for buyers to purchase ad space. There is no action to be taken. Google expects the transition to be completed later this year.
Climate Change Denial Ads Now Prohibited Across Google
Google has announced a new monetization policy for Google advertisers, publishers and YouTube creators that will prohibit ads for, and monetisation of, content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change.
“When evaluating content against this new policy, we’ll look carefully at the context in which claims are made, differentiating between content that states a false claim as fact, versus content that reports on or discusses that claim. We will also continue to allow ads and monetization on other climate-related topics, including public debates on climate policy, the varying impacts of climate change, new research and more.”
Google will begin enforcing this policy next month.
Thank You for Reading
Have you noticed any changes from Google this week?
Check back next Friday for the latest from Google This Week.
