Despite rhetoric from advertisers about investing in first-party data as privacy laws erode traditional means of targeting — the reality is much more difficult, according to a recent survey on programmatic attitudes. “Whilst 2021 showed first-party data was the priority for advertisers, agencies, and publishers in 2021, this is now ranked third behind second-party data (the most popular priority averaging 57% with agencies leading at 60%) and third-party at 49%,” reads the report from IAB Europe.
Google now automatically pulls in relevant creative content from a company’s landing page, website, existing ads, and keywords in ad groups to complement the creation of responsive search ads (RSAs). The new setting — which is being tested with some advertisers but not all — gives Google the ability to automatically create additional advertising assets such as headers and descriptions.
Soft paywalls allow readers to experience the quality of your content and may over time inspire them to sign up for a paid subscription. Research done by American Press Institute’s Media Insights Project found that 47% of new subscribers signup after running out of free articles on a site they like and respect. Metered paywalls are the most popular form of soft paywalls. They let readers access a set number of articles for free before requiring them to pay. Wired allows readers to consume four articles a month for free before asking them to subscribe for unlimited access.
An effective search optimization strategy means knowing who is targeting the same keywords and audiences. Effective SEO is all about getting as close to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) as possible. A key component of that optimization effort is researching the companies that compete with you, and a recent post from SEO experts MOZ points out two ways to assess competition for keywords, audiences and solving consumer needs.
