eCommerce Express Digest - July 2023

It’s official – GA4 is here (even though UA is still tracking!). There’s a lot going on outside of this though in the World of eCommerce –  with Afterpay Day coming up and gearing up for the end of year Sales. If you didn’t have time to keep up-to-date with everything else that’s going on we’ve compiled the top stories from July for you!   

On with the updates….

Google

Rankings fluctuations have been recorded by Webmasters worldwide from late June and all through July. We have certainly seen a lot of volatility across our client base but there is yet to be an official announcement of an update from the Search Engine. SEO Roundtable predicts that there will be something on the record by the end of Winter (the Northern hemisphere’s Summer.) 

Something that Google confirmed in July however was that they updated Search Console with a more fine-grained page indexing report. This enhanced tool now provides website owners with a comprehensive breakdown of indexing problems, helping them to identify and address specific issues more efficiently. The improved report aims to streamline the troubleshooting process and improve overall website performance within search results. Most webmasters saw a large increase in 404s after the 02/07/2023 as a result of this update.

Google has taken a new customer-centric approach to enhance its Merchant Center, unveiling new customer support options to provide a seamless and efficient shopping experience for merchants. With these new support features, merchants can access timely assistance and expert guidance, ensuring their products are effectively showcased on Google’s shopping platform, bolstering visibility and sales opportunities.

Onto more Paid news, Google also introduced a game-changing feature, Performance Max product collections, designed to optimise advertising campaigns and amplify product visibility for advertisers. This innovative tool enables advertisers to showcase their products across multiple Google networks, utilising machine learning algorithms to deliver targeted and high-performing ads, ultimately driving better engagement and conversions for businesses. With PMax product collections, advertisers gain a powerful and efficient way to reach their desired audiences, maximizing the impact of their advertising efforts and achieving tangible business growth.

Social Media

In a daring and unprecedented move, Twitter’s co-founder Elon Musk has spearheaded a rebranding effort for the social media giant, renaming it as “X.” The rumored rebrand has been a subject of speculation and anticipation, potentially signaling a significant transformation in Twitter’s identity and offerings. Users and industry observers are eager to see how this bold change will impact the platform’s engagement and positioning in the fiercely competitive social media landscape. Twitter/ X has also blocked links to rival Meta!

TikTok has taken a leap beyond its traditional content format by introducing text posts. As reported by Search Engine Land, this expansion allows users to share textual content on the platform, opening up new creative avenues and enabling storytelling in a fresh and engaging way. With text posts now added to its repertoire, TikTok aims to attract a broader user base and cater to diverse content preferences.

AI

Google’s BARD is expanding its reach to include more countries and languages, while also introducing a host of new features. BARD, designed to protect against URL spoofing attacks, now offers enhanced security measures to a wider global audience, making it easier for users to verify the authenticity of websites they visit. This move emphasizes Google’s commitment to providing a safer browsing experience for users worldwide.

eCommerce Platforms

In a cross-over with AI and eCommerce, Shopify is launching Sidekick , their ‘AI enabled commerce assistant who helps you start, run and grow your business’. This looks like it’s going to be a game-changer for Shopify website managers. They also talked about a few other upgrades and innovations in their Summer News edition. 

Headless solutions are certainly gaining steam with the introduction of composable commerce through Atlas. This novel approach to online retail empowers businesses to create highly customizable and flexible commerce experiences, tailored to meet the unique demands and preferences of individual customers. With Atlas, e-commerce entrepreneurs can build and adapt their digital storefronts with ease, fostering improved customer engagement and loyalty through personalised shopping journeys.

If you’ve got any questions (or think we’ve missed an important news item from July) please let us know!