TikTok Search Behavior – SGE Shakeup – AI in YouTube

TikTok’s surge as a go-to search engine, especially among Gen Z, to Google’s latest AI-powered search tools, we’re covering it all in this week’s Coffee & SEO. Whether you’re a marketer trying to navigate the shifting sands of social media search or an SEO pro keeping up with Google’s latest updates, one thing’s for sure: the digital world is evolving, and staying ahead means adapting quickly. Let’s dive into these trends and see how they’re shaping the future of search and marketing.

Generations Search Behaviors Change Course

TikTok is turning up as a popular search engine, particularly among Gen Z, and is part of a larger trend where social media platforms are becoming key channels for search, sales, and customer service. This shift is highlighted in the 2024 State of Marketing Report by HubSpot, which underscores the changing landscape of online search and consumer behavior. This presents both new challenges and opportunities for marketers. To engage effectively with audiences on these platforms, your strategy should be updated sooner rather than later.

Simply posting on social media is longer enough to connect with your consumer base. Short videos and engaging infographics that are personal to the reader should be at the top of any marketing strategy, and the data reaffirms this:

 

TikTok’s Rising Popularity in Search

• Widespread Use Among Younger Generations: 40% of consumers, including 64% of Gen Z and 49% of Millennials, are now using TikTok to search for a variety of topics, from recipes to fashion.
• Preference Over Traditional Search Engines: About 10% of Gen Z users prefer TikTok over traditional search engines like Google.

 

Social Media as a Primary Discovery Channel

• Social Media for Answers: 31% of consumers use social media to find answers to their questions, making it the #1 product discovery channel for Gen Z and Millennials.
• Social Selling and Service: In 2023, 17% of social media users reported buying products on social platforms, and 19% used direct messaging for customer service, a 45% increase from 2022.

 

Marketers Targeting Digital Natives

• Shift in Focus: 74% of marketers aim to reach Millennials, and 67% target Gen X, with only 27% focusing on Baby Boomers. This reflects the growing influence of digital natives in the market.
• Challenges and Opportunities: Marketers face challenges in creating engaging content and gaining followers on social platforms, but these channels offer significant opportunities for connection and sales.

 

Investment in Social Media Marketing

• Strong ROI from Key Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are showing the strongest ROI, aligning with where marketers plan to invest in 2024.
• Future Predictions: 68% of marketers anticipate more success with certain platforms than others in the coming year.

Google SGE’s Industry Shake-Up

A groundbreaking analysis by BrightEdge, involving a massive one billion queries across nine industries, reveals that healthcare is at the forefront of SGE’s impact, with significant effects also seen in eCommerce, B2B tech, insurance, and education. This is particularly intriguing given the importance of Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) queries in these areas.

Here are some examples of the SGE impact:

• Healthcare: With 76% of queries affected, healthcare tops the list, primarily showing truncated AI-generated answers.
• eCommerce and B2B Tech: About half of their queries are under SGE’s influence.
• Restaurants and Entertainment: Even these industries are dancing to SGE’s tune, though finance is stepping to a different beat with less impact.

But that’s not all—BrightEdge’s report unveils some emerging SGE features that are changing the game:

• Places Module: Mimicking the local pack, this feature is now a common sight in SGE, complete with citations and user reviews.
• Unordered Lists: Google’s upping its game here, adding rich context with images and descriptions.
• Reviews and Perks: From clickable review snippets to perks like free delivery in eCommerce, SGE is enhancing the shopping experience.

Whether you think SGE will have a big or minor impact on SEO, make no mistake—it’s already shaking things up. Google’s AI-generated answers, complete with pros and cons, are setting the stage to change the customer journey. Understanding the new “intent” and “conversational” landscape of search is crucial for success.

In a nutshell, SGE is not just another Google update; it is revolutionizing how different industries approach SEO and online visibility. Keeping ahead of the curve and adapting to these changes by integrating GEO with current SEO strategies, for example, is key for brands looking to maintain a competitive edge.

AI in YouTube Marketing

Hold onto your seats, YouTube aficionados! The world of YouTube marketing is getting a turbo-boost from artificial intelligence (AI), and we’ve got the inside scoop from Egypt to India. These global case studies are a window into the future of marketing, where AI’s potential meets its limits head-on.

Egypt’s Sunny Gamble

The Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) played a clever hand with their latest campaign. They bet on Britain’s notorious weather, pairing gloomy UK forecasts with personalized ads showcasing Egypt’s eternal sunshine. The result? A marketing masterstroke. Customized videos for various weather moods—think cloudy, rainy, or snowy—painted a picture of sunny Egyptian escapes. The payoff was huge, with a spike in travel searches proving that real-time personalization and data-driven targeting are more than just buzzwords.

Coca-Cola Middle East

Coca-Cola Middle East turned a wild card into a winning strategy. Teaming up with a Saudi comedy star, they crafted a base video brimming with humor and everyday relatable scenes. But here’s the twist—using AI, they morphed this one video into 32 different versions, each striking a chord with specific cultural and regional audiences.

Mondelez India

Mondelez India’s “Not Just a Cadbury Ad” campaign was more than just marketing; it was a mission. Amidst the pandemic, they focused on boosting local stores with ads that tugged at the heartstrings—featuring local shop owners and stories personalized to the viewer’s location—this campaign was a beacon of hope and connection. The result? Sales doubled for featured retailers, and Mondelez’s business soared.

These highlight AI’s ability to automate the mundane, conjure content, and fine-tune media buying. But let’s not forget the human touch. AI might be a whiz at crunching numbers and unearthing insights, but it can’t replace human creativity, empathy, and judgment. The real magic happens when AI and human smarts join forces, enhancing efficiency while keeping strategic and creative control in human hands.

Google’s Take on AI Content in Google News

Google’s Danny Sullivan, the Search Liaison, recently stepped up to address some heated claims. The buzz? An article from 404 Media titled “Google News Is Boosting Garbage AI-Generated Articles.” But hold your horses, says Sullivan, because there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

First things first, Sullivan clarifies that Google News isn’t giving AI content a leg up in search results. The examples cited in the article are a bit of a stretch, according to Sullivan. He explains that the author used specific filters and searches to push AI content higher than what you’d typically see with Google News’ default settings.

Here’s the breakdown of Sullivan’s response:

• AI Content Not Favored: Google News isn’t playing favorites with AI-generated content. It’s all about quality, not the method of production.
• Quality Over Production: The focus remains steadfast on the quality of content. Churning out low-quality material, AI-generated or not, is a no-go in Google’s books.
• Imperfect Systems: Sullivan admits that no system is flawless. Google’s default ranking might occasionally let sub-par content slip through, but they’re constantly working to refine these systems.
• New Sites Need Time: Patience is a virtue. Google News needs time to trust new publishers, but Google is looking into speeding up this process.
• Paywall Content Tips: Sullivan advises using structured data for publications behind paywalls so Google can better understand and rank the content.

Google News isn’t about boosting AI content but what it’s always intended: that high-quality, original journalism gets the spotlight it deserves.

Circle to Search and AI-Powered Multisearch

Google’s latest search innovations for 2024 are not just an update but ushering in a whole new way to search, blending the natural and intuitive with cutting-edge AI.

Let’s get to know them:

• Circle to Search: Imagine you’re deep in your phone, and something piques your interest. It’s annoying to switch apps to search, right? Well, not anymore. Circle to Search is a new feature that lets you search directly from your Android phone screen. Whether it’s a text, image, or video that catches your eye, just circle, highlight, scribble, or tap, and voilà—instant search without app-hopping. Launching globally on select premium Android phones (hello, Pixel 8, and Samsung Galaxy S24 series).
• AI Joins the Search Party: Remember multisearch in Lens? It was excellent for refining visual searches, but now, it’s gone next level thanks to generative AI. Point your camera, ask a question, and get AI-powered insights that delve beyond mere visuals. It’s perfect for those “What is this and how does it work?” moments. Like stumbling upon an intriguing board game at a yard sale— snap a pic, ask how to play, and get an AI-powered overview with all the deets from across the web.
• Generative AI: This isn’t just a one-off but part of Google’s grand plan to integrate generative AI into Search (remember GEO?). They’ve been experimenting with this in Search Labs, and the feedback’s been a goldmine. The goal? To make AI not just a playground for techies but a tool for everyone. As Google continues experimenting, expect more AI wonders in Search, making it more helpful, natural, and intuitive.

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or a person who loves easy searching, these updates are game-changers. And if you’re itching to try out the latest experiments, hop into Search Labs and join the SGE experiment. The future of Search is here, and it’s looking pretty exciting!

Watercooler Highlights

Before you head back to the grind, let’s catch up on the latest happenings that everyone’s been chatting about. Google’s mobile interface is getting a snazzy update, and there’s been a crucial security alert for a popular WordPress plugin. No need to jump between websites looking for the latest news and updates when you can simply scroll down.

Google’s Knowledge Panel Gets a Timeline Makeover on Mobile

Something pretty slick has been seen in Google’s mobile search interface—a timeline view for some knowledge panels. Remember the notable moment’s card feature from a few years back? Well, think of this as its evolved cousin but with a timeline twist.

This isn’t your everyday knowledge panel update. It appears to be a mobile-exclusive feature, as the timeline is only seen in mobile search, not on desktop. The timeline view brings a new dimension to how information is displayed in Google’s knowledge panels, making it more dynamic and visually engaging. Searching for a celebrity like Taylor Swift on your mobile. Instead of the usual static information, you get a neat timeline showcasing key moments and milestones. It’s like a mini-biography at your fingertips. But switch to desktop search and poof! The timeline disappears, reverting to the classic knowledge panel format.

Desktop No Timeline vs. Mobile with Timeline in Google Search of Taylor Swift 

It’s also worth noting that this feature, even on mobile, doesn’t populate for all searches. Fictional characters, for example, produce a ‘Things to Know’ panel but no timeline.

It’s still a bit of a mystery whether this feature is brand spanking new or just new to some of us. But one thing’s for sure, it’s live and kicking for mobile users. This timeline view could be a game-changer for how we interact with information on Google, especially for those quick on-the-go searches.

Critical Security Update for ACF WordPress Plugin

The Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) WordPress plugin, a widely used tool with over 2 million installations, announced a critical security update in version 6.2.5. This update addresses a vulnerability, the details and severity of which are limited but significant enough to warrant immediate attention from users. The vulnerability requires contributor-level access or higher, making it somewhat challenging for attackers but still a notable risk.

The update introduces changes in how ACF processes and outputs HTML content in shortcodes, now escaping potentially unsafe HTML. This security measure is crucial but may disrupt sites using complex HTML elements. Tags prone to misuse, like <script> and <iframe>, will be automatically removed, although customization is possible based on site needs.

Unlike typical quiet updates following confidential alerts from security researchers, this update is publicly announced due to its potential for breaking changes. To further address the complexity of this vulnerability, ACF plans a second security release, version 6.2.7, in February 2024. This version will extend security measures to additional functions and alert users about potential HTML output alterations.

Anyone managing websites with the plugin as well as developers, are advised to use caution with HTML output. In cases where unfiltered HTML is necessary, specific functions are recommended, along with appropriate escaping functions for security.

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Remember, staying ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape requires expertise, adaptability, and a keen eye for emerging trends. At Plan Left, we specialize in navigating these complexities, offering a suite of digital marketing services tailored to your unique needs.

Whether it is refining your SEO strategy, boosting your online presence, or leveraging modern marketing tools, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Don’t let the ever-changing digital space overwhelm you. Reach out to Plan Left, and let’s partner to elevate your brand and drive meaningful results.