Now that September 2016 has been and gone, it’s time for us to reflect and tell everyone that we simply, ‘cannot believe that we’re heading into October already.’ September has been pretty exciting – the release of the jack-less IPhone 7 enraged a few people, and the Internet had a few things to say about the debate between Trump and Clinton… Anyway, it’s been a pretty good month for Digital Marketing, SEO and Social Media and some really cool things have been happening. You know the drill – here are 10 awesome things that have happened in the digital world this September.
Google is using AMP to override APP Links
On 27th September 2016 Adam Greenberg, head of Global Product Partnerships at Google gave a talk about Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), after Google announced that AMP will be overriding app links within their search results – even if the user has already installed the app with indexing deployed. You can find out a little more here.
Twitter has Opened up Moments for Everyone
September has been a massive month for Twitter; they’ve taken media out of their character count, relaxed their advertising guidelines and now they’re allowing all of their users to be part of their ‘Moments’. Following in suit of Instagram and Snapchat’s stories, this unique twist enables users to tell a story through their Tweets. Interested? Well you can read more about it here!
Penguin 4.0 Happened
Friday 23rd September was a day that caused an influx of both excitement and panic in the SEO world, as the Penguin update became part of Google’s core algorithm and is now updated in real-time. Whilst this may have cause a few rankings drops, there are some massive advantages to be had! Find out more here.
Google Launches New Private Messenger Services
It’s fair to say that Google is synonymous with world domination, and they’re proving that with their latest products. This month they released new private messenger service, Google Allo and Google Duo – Facetime’s new arch nemesis. Allo has already seen an astonishing 5 million downloads – we’re looking forward to seeing where this will go! Fancy doing some digging? Read more here!
Businesses Can Now Sell on Facebook Messenger
Facebook unveiled a few new ways businesses and brands are able to send their customer’s products via Facebook Messenger, along with a ‘Buy Now’ button, allowing customers to make a purchase. Search Engine Journal stated that this came after Facebook allowed brands and companies to engage with their customers using bots since April – but once a product suggestion was made, customers had to leave Messenger to make the purchase. Want to find out more? You can here!
Our Head of Search Slayed Brighton SEO
Briton SEO happened, and our very own Head of Search, Laura Hogan filled the room and absolutely nailed her talk about Keywords. There were some other incredible speakers there, and we don’t mean to pick favourites but Laura was the best! Check out her talk here.
YouTube is Disabling Monetisation on Non-Ad-Friendly Uploads
At the beginning of the month, YouTube began notifying their users after removing monetised advertisements on non-advertiser-friendly videos. Although the policy itself has been in place for a while, YouTube is now being much clearer on where they stand when it comes to making some dosh from a non-advertiser-friendly video! Read about it here.
Moz Opened up About Their Future
Doctor Peter Meyers opened up about Moz’s recent decision to let 28% of their staff members go, how it will affect the Moz community, and their processes. We’re avid followers of Moz, and are excited for them and to see how they progress! Want to find out more? You can here.
The Expectations for SEO Interviewees were Discussed
Bridget Randolph from Distilled talked about her experiences of applying and hiring people who want roles within the SEO and Digital Marketing Community. From skirting around questions to *ahem* bullshitting, it is a really interesting read for anyone in or looking to get into the SEO & Digital Marketing Industry. It’s also pure sass… Read more here.
A List of 12 Companies Hit With a Google Penalty was Released
Search Engine Watch compiled a list of 12 companies that were hit with Google penalties over the years, in light of the recent Google Penguin update. This really emphasised the importance of never ever using black hat SEO techniques. Interested? Find out more here.
At Rice we’re experts at anything SEO and Social Media. If you’d like some advice on your SEO or Social Media strategy then do not hesitate to get in touch!
