New Google Algorithm Update 2018, Facebook Mentorship Feature and Pinterest New Video Ad

Google is at it again, early this month they released what they called a general and core update but findings show that it mostly affected health websites. Not too general after all.

You might not like what Google has to say about “fixing” your website’s rankings.

In other, hopefully, better news, Facebook and Pinterest rolled out new features for advertisers and group administrators. I’ve also included two interesting articles from other digital marketing experts to help you write better copy for your products and services.

Latest Google Algorithm Update 2018 Leaves Health Website Owners Reeling and More Digital Marketing News

1. Google Medic Update

Early this month, Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable, wrote about his findings on the impact of “Medic Update,” a big Google algorithm update this 2018 that affected tons of websites in the health niche.

While Google claims is a broad update, Schwartz survey of over 300 websites shows that 41.5% of the affected sites are in the health niche. Admittedly, there were e-commerce, finance, and insurance sites affected but even those within the affected sites in the e-commerce niche were selling health and medical related products.

Threads in Black Hat World and Webmaster World show some site owners complaining of 20% to 30% decrease in traffic, while others have lost nearly all of their page 1 rankings.

Unfortunately, Google says there is “no fix” just as in other Google Algorithm updates 2018, and suggests that site owners should just focus on creating better content or improving a user’s experience on their site.

2. Pinterest Max Width Video Now Available to All Business Users

After several months of testing, Pinterest announced that its “max-width” video ads are now available to advertisers around the world.

Previously, videos were only available at the same size as other pins, but with the “max-width” video feature, advertisers can now promote videos that span the entire two-column grid of Pinterest mobile.

John Lewis, a UK-based retail brand, was one of the beta testers of this new feature. According to Pinterest’s report, the brand experienced a 33% increase in purchase intent and a 20% increase in brand awareness for their recently launched nursery line.

Here’s what the “max-width” video ad looks like:

3. Facebook Wants to Help Users find a “Mentor”

Yes, you read that right. Facebook is branching out into “LinkedIn territory.”

Dubbed as “Mentorship,” Facebook launched this feature last August 9 on Facebook Groups in the personal development, professional development, and parenting niches. Don’t expect all groups in these niches to have this feature though, as the decision to add this feature is up to the group’s administrator.

How does it work?

1. After activating the feature, the group admin can choose from different program structures, such as skill development, encouragement and support, or career advancement.
2. Once the mentorship feature is set up, group members can sign up as a mentor or mentee.
3. The group administrator can then decide which members to pair up.
4. After the administrator decides on the pairing, the pair will be introduced to each other and receive step-by-step guidelines through the program and will be encouraged to check in on each other through the mentorship program or via Facebook Messenger.

Since this is a recently launched feature, we have no information yet on how the programs are structured exactly or how they vary from one group to another.

4. New Research Reveals How to Sell Your Products if it’s Not “The Best”

Derek Halpern, Founder of Social Triggers, wrote an article about research from Tel Aviv University and Stanford called the “Blemishing Effect,” specifically how this research’s finding can help business owners sell their products when they know it’s not the best in the market.

Early on, Halpern is quick to note that this trick isn’t for bad or useless products, just those with flaws, disadvantages or missing features. For instance, a budgeting app’s user menu might be confusing for first-time users but overall it does the job well. Some people might not like it because of that UX flaw but it might not be that big of a deal for other users.

So what does this mean for you— the business owner with his own product to promote? In essence, there’s a way you can use the flaws you see in your products to sell it. Find out how in Halpern’s article on Social Triggers.

5. E-commerce Storytelling Tips

E-commerce is a booming industry because of Amazon and all the other individual sellers hopping on Shopify to sell their own products. Because of this competition, store owners need to get more creative in selling their products.

Storytelling is a great weapon for any business owner who wants to avoid getting commoditized. If you’re selling a product that’s offered by at a dozen other businesses, a well-written story that helps you connect with your potential buyers can boost your sales.

People love stories, especially stories that make people feel good about themselves. “I’m a good person that’s why I buy from eco-friendly stores” or “I’m health conscious but I support my local community, that’s why I buy local” are just some of the narratives you’ll hear from successful marketing/storytelling product campaigns.

Question is how can you apply these tactics for your average products? What if you’re not selling organic vegetables or eco-friendly metal straws? Not every product has an obvious story, after all.

Jake Rheude shared several storytelling tips to help you apply this strategy for your products. Check it out on his article at Core dna.

Even if you don’t have an online store, the storytelling strategies here can be applied to your business. In fact, many of the examples he used are from typical brick and mortar businesses.

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Stay tuned at McDougall Interactive to keep updated on Google Algorithm Updates 2018 and other changes in social media and content marketing. You can also follow us on Facebook to get the latest tips and strategies for improving your website SEO.