Privacy-Forward Search Engine DuckDuckGo Partners with Apple Maps
Making a big splash in privacy, the ongoing story that has dominated location data-based marketing buzz in 2019, DuckDuckGo, the search engine that does not store user data in order to sell pricey ads, announced that it is using Apple’s MapKit JS to power searches. While the search engine’s results are sought out by far fewer users than search industry leader Google’s, the growth DuckDuckGo is experiencing further validates the impression the tech media has practically been screaming about this year: The winds on privacy are definitively changing, and data-driven companies that fail to heed those changes are in for quite a storm.
Heard On the Street, Episode 15: Expanding the Local Marketing Suite, with David Mihm
As the media world continues to expand and fragment, services targeted at local businesses are likewise evolving into a more holistic set of marketing channels. A good example of that evolution can be seen at ThriveHive, as we discussed with the company’s newest member and longtime Street Fight contributor, David Mihm, on the latest episode of Heard on the Street.
Synup Test Measures Voice Search Readiness for Brands
Voice is the future of online search, but not enough businesses are prepared for the transition. To that end, the local SEO firm Synup recently released a product it’s calling the Voice Readiness Test to help brands discover how their search results sound to consumers using popular hands-free systems such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Reality Check: Adapting to Google’s Ever-Growing Control of the Search Experience
Google has been reducing the amount of traffic to local websites for a long time. And while it took a while to understand what was happening, it isn’t infuriating. Businesses can still get in front of customers and garner leads—it’s just not via their website.
Uberall Acquires Rival Navads, Announces $25M in Fresh Funding
Location marketing firm Uberall has acquired rival Navads and raised an additional $25 million in venture funding after closing a series B for the same amount just earlier this year. The exact terms of the acquisition deal are undisclosed.
Street Fight Daily: Facebook’s Latest Shot at Local, Mobile Search Habits May Undermine Loyalty
TODAY IN LOCAL & DIGITAL MARKETING… Facebook Takes a Stab at Local—Again… As ‘Near Me’ Searches Spread on Mobile, Consumers Trade Loyalty for Convenience… Google Might Be Hiding the Fact That Its Own Reviews Are Shoddy…
How AR Will Fundamentally Change Search, Participating in an ‘Internet of Places’
Online-to-offline (O2O) commerce is one area where AR will find a home. Just think: Is there any better technology to unlock O2O commerce than one that literally melds physical and digital worlds? AR can shorten gaps in time and space that currently separate those interactions (e.g. search) from offline outcomes.
Uberall Upgrades Location Services to Account for Booming Mobile Search
The update aims to boost search engine optimization for Uberall’s multi-location consumer-facing clients in order to drive in-store foot traffic. It comes at a time when mobile “near me” searches hit unprecedented heights and continue to grow.
#SFSNYC: May AI Help You? The Marketing Opportunities in Intelligent Search
Artificial intelligence is the future of search engines. Increasingly conversational, intelligent, and visual, search engines are adapting to become the centerpiece of consumer engagement, as well as a virtually new tool for marketers. Purna Virji, senior manager for global engagement at Microsoft/Bing, broke down the AI revolution in search at Street Fight Summit Wednesday.
Shift to Mobile and Eurozone Growth Fuel Search Spend on Global Scale
Global search spend increased by 11% YOY, according to digital marketing provider Marin Software’s Q1 2018 Digital Benchmark Report.
The study found that the increase in search ad spend has been spurred by higher cost-per-click rates, driven by mobile spending.
Q&A, Reviews, and Fake News on Google: False Content Is Not Just a Facebook Problem
“Given the primacy of Google’s market position, and the primacy of Knowledge Panels in SERPs—also a conscious product decision on Google’s part—the percentage of customers who are likely to come across fake information is great,” David Mihm tells Mike Blumenthal in their biweekly column.
Report: Google Shopping Ads Taking Over Ad Spend from Traditional Formats
A new report from search intelligence company Adthena shows how consumers are interacting differently with new advertising formats and points to ad innovation as an essential brand investment.
The Impending HTTPstrophe — And What it Means for Local Businesses
“Google is rapidly moving towards a time when HTTPS will be an absolute necessity for websites,” writes David Mihm to Mike Blumenthal. “As soon as this month if an http:// website contains any input field, users will start getting scary security messages.”
Hiya and Samsung Turn the Phone Dialer Into a Local Search Engine
“When you buy a new Samsung device, the phone just does more than the iPhone or any other Android,” says Mayur Kamat, Hiya’s VP of product. “Without downloading or installing anything, the user can call a business in the same way they call their friends and family.”
Charting Google’s Shifting Priorities in the New Local Search Survey
For many years, Physical Address in City of Search was the most important ranking factor, but it has now been overtaken by Proximity of Address to the Point of Search (Searcher-Business Distance). As such, the canonical local search use case has become a mobile user searching for a business nearby his or her current location.
YP’s Rowe: Hybrid Print/Digital Offerings Can Reinforce Value
The company’s chief executive, Jared Rowe, talked about where YP saw its sweet spot. In particular, he spoke of a “blended” print and digital model where publishers could move consumers “back and forth, and in between” to create more value for local businesses.
GoDaddy Launches Simple Way to Scale Up E-Commerce Sites
GoDaddy today is releasing a new Web hosting product that the company says makes it easier for anyone, regardless of their technical proficiency, to run high-traffic, e-commerce sites. It’s also a way for SMBs to gain access to more management and security options for their websites while sticking to a budget.
The Accelerating Consolidation of the Digital Ad Market
“The flow of dollars from businesses of all sizes has clearly been away from lower-performance niche platforms into boosted Facebook posts,” writes David Mihm. “We can debate the value of that activity, but relative to the questionable/delayed/opaque performance of so many digital ad products, Facebook seems to have found a sweet spot.”
Why Local Search Is Even More Important in the Age of Ad Blocking
With so many people blocking traditional advertising, a growing proportion of internet users cannot be reached through “classic” search engine marketing. That’s why in the context of ad blocking, SEO is still king.
Google and the On-SERP Experience: We’re Just Gettin’ Warmed Up
The introduction of a new Knowledge Graph layer in the form of “Topics” indicates to me that Google’s latest efforts in this arena will extend in two directions beyond Local entities. I see these linkages extending all the way up the search journey to initial consideration and even further down the funnel beyond Local entities.