Zero Click Search Drama & Other Digital Marketing News [PODCAST]

On this week’s episode of Marketing O’Clock, hosts Greg Finn, Jess Budde & Mark Saltarelli break down the biggest digital marketing news of the week.

If you are unable to listen on Spotify, check out the video version of this week’s episode on the Search Engine Journal YouTube channel.

Study Says 65% of Google Searches Do Not Click on Results but Should They?

Throughout 2020, Google has made it easier for users to find what they need right in the SERPs, which has led to a decrease in standard “off-Google” click-through results on the platform. According to Rand Fishkin, these zero-click searches grew from around half of all searches back in 2019, to a whopping two-thirds by the end of 2020.

Many marketers are refuting these claims, stating that this is flawed data, as it is taking into account simple queries that can naturally be found right in the SERPs, but even so, marketers should be aware that less traffic is being directed to websites if the information searched for can be found directly in the SERPs.

Read about it here.

The New York Times Bids Farewell to Their Extremely Popular NYTCooking Facebook Group

Amassing over 77,000 members, The NYTCooking Facebook group is a mecca for those wanting to show off their cooking skills and to connect with like-minded individuals. It came as a surprise when they handed over the reins to a select group of page members to moderate in their stead.

Over the years, Facebook moderation has become a huge time suck, as moderators are required to play a larger role in engaging with the group. As a large corporation, this meant The New York Times was actively paying employees for a job that was turning into a larger task than originally expected, and was not giving them the return they wanted, which was traffic to their site. Other speculations cite that the Facebook group was drifting farther and farther from its original intended purpose.

Read more here.

Photo and Video Improvements Come to Twitter

Twitter is testing new photo and video improvements to their platform. These improvements include larger images in the Twitter timeline, higher resolution photo uploads, and YouTube integrations.

Read about it here.

Take of the Week

In this week’s take of the week segment, Pamela Lund reveals her true feelings on Google’s account managers and their suggestions.

"I’m your Account Manager here at Google. I have few important observations for this account that needs to be cascaded to you.

Could you please let me know with your feasible time to call you."

Nope. #ppcchat

— Pamela Lund (@Pamela_Lund) March 19, 2021

ICYMI

Next, in our ICYMI segment, Mike Ryan shares a framework to evaluate competitors with shared data

Many struggle with competition from Amazon in #googleads. At @smxmuenchen last week, I proposed a framework for evaluating Amazon (or any competitor) and shared data to prove that this giant definitely has weak spots. #ppcchat #smx pic.twitter.com/avv3HItPpA

— Mike Ryan (@mikeryanretail) March 22, 2021

Lightning Round

Then we answer your burning digital marketing questions during our lightning round segment:

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Featured Image Credit: Samantha Hanson