Posts by Maisie

Why is TikTok potentially going to be banned in the US? 

TikTok released by ByteDance a Chinese tech company in 2016, is now facing a complete ban in America as the House of Representatives vote 352-65. The bill passed stipulates, TikTok creators ByteDance have six months to sell the US version of the app, before it is banned in the US. The bill also states ByteDance must relinquish its authority, ceasing its control over the algorithm. It is worth noting the bill still needs to go through the Senate, and, if it does not pass with bill will be killed. 

This is due to the data collection used to generate and create tailored algorithms for its users, which is seen as a potential threat to security. This is also backed by concerns that content negatively representing the Chinese government is being censored. 

What does this mean for users in the US and globally? 

The ban poses some questions, like how it would stop existing users (those with the app), from continuing to use it. We will likely see the TikTok app removed from the American app store. Whilst those who already have it will be able to use it until the app is no longer compatible due to updates. 

It has been theorised that to negate personal usage, internet providers and phone companies would also need to blacklist the app, making it impossible for users to access TikTok. This method has already been used and was successful in India in June of 2020. A more extreme approach would involve the criminalisation of using the app, however, this would likely cause issues when trying to enforce it. 

So, what does this mean for users globally? Well, the ban is limited to the US, but other countries have enforced a ban across government devices, such as Taiwan, UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada and more. 

Countries like Nepal, India, Somalia, and Afghanistan have all permanently banned TikTok for a plethora of factors. Varying from religious beliefs, censorship, data privacy and the spreading of misinformation. 

Why will this impact America’s economy? 

A report produced by Oxford Economics has unearthed that TikTok provided $24 billion to the US’s economy. The findings summarised the impact small and mid-sized businesses had on the economic contribution, through TikTok. Finding that $9.2 billion was earned directly through TikTok, $6.6 billion was indirectly garnered, and $8.4 billion was induced by TikTok. 

This would not only be harmful to the economy but in fact could be incredibly damaging for businesses who utilise TikTok to reach customers, promote products and have integrated TikTok into their marketing strategy. The limitations this would have, have been theorised to be problematic for the longevity of brands and businesses. 

In one of Google’s most recent updates, those with a Google business profile can connect to
their social channels. Now, the function is going a step further and will display recent social
media posts on the results page of the business profile.

The update will provide searchers with snapshots of the social media channels, which will
give insight into businesses’ information and online reputation through the seamless
integration of social media.

The update is a welcome arrival on the search engine results page (SERP), following the
feature’s initial launch in October of 2023. The new section is titled ‘Social Media Updates’
located beneath the review section.

The incorporation of social media links into the SERP allows users to see a brand’s online
persona as well as real-time updates now displayed. This will be especially beneficial to
businesses promoting sales or events on their social platforms, as new customers and
existing ones will be able to see without being on the given platform. This could aid
businesses in their online visibility as well as the engagement of potential customers.

Google has suggested two businesses can connect to the same social link, but only one link
can be added per social channel.

How to connect social media links to a Google business
profile?

The display of social posts is automatic once businesses connect their social channels to

their Google business profile. The current platforms businesses can link to are:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• Pinterest
• X (Twitter)
• YouTube
• Facebook

To add social media links:

1. Log into the Google account linked to the business profile.
2. Type the name of your business into the search bar.
3. Locate the business button in the bottom right corner and select.
4. Then click on edit profile – business information – and then contact.
5. Editing is simple, select social profiles and the down arrow.
6. A drop-down menu will open, click the social media link you want to integrate.
7. In the web address field, paste your link.
8. Select save.
   To remove social media links:
9. Go to the business profile.
10. Select edit profile – business information – and then contact.
11. On ‘social profiles’ select the profile you want to remove and hit the trash icon.
12. Press save.
    Google have an in-depth guide to navigating your business profile, editing, deleting and
    uploading social media links.
    Will you be utilising the feature when searching? Conversely, we would love to know if any
    business owners will implement social media links to their Google business profiles.

On the 4^th of March Instagram announced a plethora of features had been added to their direct messenger. The update shows finesse from Instagram, as they acknowledge the impact direct messages have on user connectivity.

Direct message is one of the many ways Instagram users can connect with each other, which is why Instagram have implemented features like pinning chats, selecting and saving favoured stickers as well as personalised chat themes.

One of the new features brought to Instagram’s direct messages is the ability to edit a text for up to 15 minutes after it has been sent. This feature will allow users to correct any errors that may be in a message, leading to clearer communication. This is a featured that is not offered across any other direct messenger platforms yet.

This is particularly useful for incidents such as phrasing things poorly or misspelt messages. Users being able to adjust with ease is what sets this new feature apart from other platforms’ offerings. Typically, users would need to delete and re-type a message.

Chat themes

Personalised chat themes have been brought to the direct messages, allowing users to pick from a vast bank of themes. The feature brings a playful element to inboxes, enabling users to express themselves through more than just words!

There’s a variety of themes brought to DM, varying from themes like love, astrology, Dune 2, Cottage core and the list goes on! This will add to the users’ interactive experiences. To add a theme to chat you will need to:

• Click on the recipient’s name at the top of the chat.
• Select ‘Themes’ which is located below the profile and search icons.
• Pick a theme to suit you!

Pinning Messages

Chats can now be pinned in the direct message inbox. The feature allows users to move up to 3 group chats or one-on-one chats, to the top of their inboxes. The function works by sliding from right to left where the camera icon is, the button will say ‘pin’, and tap to activate.

Read Receipts

Read receipts display once the respondent read the text in chat. This feature is now adjustable, users can turn off their read receipts for one or all of their chats. To turn it off users will need to:

1. Go to the account settings.
2. Select ‘Messages & Story replies’.
3. Click on ‘show read receipts.
4. Toggle on or off for all chats.

If you use stickers frequently, then this next feature will make texting super quick and easy, as you can now save your favourite stickers. By holding down on the sticker for a few seconds, will then save it to the favourites section for the next time.

The new features brought to users by Instagram, create personalised, interactive, and enhanced experiences of Instagram’s community of users. Which feature will you be using with family and friends?

YouTube has announced its new analytical feature, which allows creators to see what their top-earning videos are. The feature is segmented by format of lives, video on demand and shorts. The interface will also show the view count across the high-achieving content.

What has been updated on YouTube?

YouTube has provided a new analytical tool, aiding its users in identifying their top-earning video content. This is categorised by format – VOD, lives, and shorts. In doing so users will be able to compare the success rate of each format and adjust their strategy to accommodate what works and what does not.

Developing content strategies that an audience can engage with whilst monetizing video assets is one of the benefits of utilising the data provided with the new feature.

How to utilise insights to craft successful video content?

Data made available on YouTube analytics is the key to creators understanding what performs best for an audience. This then allows creators to implement a strategy change to accommodate for making profitable and quality content.

Creating successful video content isn’t just about replicating existing content that has been gainful for channels, although that does play a vital role in the development and crafting of video content.

Existing content can be re-formatted or re-created to target an audience that would have otherwise not seen it. I.e. changing a long stream into multiple shorts.  This method of repurposing content is called Content Recycling, a bid to increase the content’s reach. Content recycling can be as simple as editing and resizing existing content or can be entirely new content that touches upon the previously produced content.

Alternatively, the creator could adjust their strategy, focusing on the predominant success of one format, and choosing to focus on producing just that.  While funnelling the budget from the least successful content format into the more successful one.

The last approach is utilising the data from the successful content to identify what made it work for audiences. Once the key factors in a video’s success are identified, content creators can implement similar techniques into their content that is not high-performing.

In a wider sense, how will you be leveraging your data to refine and enhance your content plan? Should you have any questions feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss ways of maximising the success of your content.

Google exploits AI capabilities to spot and remove fake reviews in a bid to protect brands’ reputations and customer experiences. Google has stated that 45% of fake reviews have been extracted from search and maps.

Negative fake reviews can harm a brand’s online reputation. Impacting the way audiences perceive businesses can cause losses to revenue, tarnishing the rapport of the customer and their trust in the brand.

How does Google AI detect fake reviews?

The algorithmic feature was created and used initially in 2023, with Google seeing approximately 20 million reviews per day. Developers analysed patterns and techniques honed by scammers and fraudulent reviewers.

Teams identified sectors which are targeted and the method in which they are targeting to teach the AI how to recognise patterns. One factor was the repeat offenders who were identified to comment on the same negative/positive reviews across multiple brands or for the same brand repeatedly. The second factor the AI considers is the volume of 1-star and 5-star reviews.

Google discusses this in-depth in their blog.

How do fake reviews impact businesses?

Reviews can be highly influential on where a customer chooses to spend their money, which is why the reviews that are made must be authentic.

False reviews can be harmful to the customer experience in two ways. The first is with positive reviews, they don’t need to be bad to impact the way audiences perceive brands. It has been acknowledged that positive reviews can have a negative impact on customers, leading them to believe that brands are better received by other customers than they actually are.

Negative reviews are just as damaging but impact the business predominantly.  It can impact their reputation which can taint the trust a customer has towards a brand. Customers not trusting brands is poor for brands trying to successfully generate money and grow their customer base.

Faux reviews correlate to poor ranking on the search engine results page, the negative reputation is not beneficial to browsers, and therefore it is pushed lower on the rank.  

Revenue loss is one of the worst outcomes for a business on the receiving end of false reviews. This can have various implications on a business, such as not having the funds to continue employing staff or maintaining stock.  This poses risks to a business’s longevity, as a major loss in revenue is bound to impact the function of a business.

Google SGE, Google Search Generative Experience is a tool currently in testing. Its function will allow those who are browsing to see what content a web page possesses, is about by summarising the content and displaying it on the search engine.

This will allow for efficient browsing of content and connecting users to content that meets their specific search needs.

Why is Google SGE being kept in Google labs?

Google Labs is where all AI functions are tested and pushed out to a wider audience, this allows them to perfect the feature for the user’s benefit. The finishing date for testing was set to the end of 2023, but with 2024 well underway, it has been made clear the feature is not quite ready to leave the lab.

By not releasing the AI feature, we can infer that it is not ready for mass use. As with all AI products, Google needs to be assured that SGE is an effective, secure, and beneficial tool for its users.

How will SGE work?

SGE when applicable, will provide a concise overview based on searchers’ topics. Offering a list of factors and information to think about, giving users a starting point for their searching.

The function will offer a follow-up button which users can click on to filter the search topics, allowing for more relevant and practical Googling. This tool could prove to be a crucial turning point for those with complex search topics. Search ads will also be incorporated into SGE’s features, allowing users to find more brands online.

Creative features like image generation will also be possible with SGE. This function is likely to be incorporated into the search function, Google however has suggested the images could be also placed onto Google Images.

Existing concerns with AI?

AI is still in its development stages, which means there are still minor mistakes made by the AI. Google has listed some of the areas of focus for improvement as being:

• Hallucinations: Hallucination is the term used to describe false information provided by AI, this typically happens due to a number of factors, including insufficient data training, data biases and assumptions made by the tool.
• Duplicating and contradictory search results: This could be especially relevant when researching arguments as it may provide content featuring a bias.
• Nuances of language: This can lead to the AI misinterpreting the content it is scanning and providing to users.
• Biases in data patterns may still impact the search results provided.
• Opinion-based content: AI is meant to be unbiased. If the search results consist of predominantly opinionated content, the AI may struggle to find neutral content.

Currently, Google has no set rollout date on the SGE feature, but we’ll be closely watching to see when this comes into effect. If you’d like to know more about integrating AI into your research or marketing strategy, contact our email Info@intelligencygroup.com.

Personalised Browsing on Google Chrome

The Chrome M121 update utilises AI in order to improve the ease and security of its users. The new AI feature offers personalised browsing, enhanced writing features, customisable AI-made Chrome themes, and smart tab management.

Whilst the new update is in its trial phase it will have a limited release in the US. It is worth noting it won’t be active for business and school accounts while in its trial phase. For those wanting to use the feature, they will need to check their browser is updated so that it is compatible with M121.

To turn on the AI features you will need to:

• Open Chrome and navigate to settings which can be found where the three dots are.
• Once you are in the settings you will need to select the experimental AI tab
• Turn on the ‘try out AI features’ along with the feature you want to use.
• Click on ‘relaunch’

Smart Tab Management

The smart tab management feature allows internet explorers to assort their search tabs by relevant topics. This will enhance the users’ experience and allow users to efficiently browse across multiple tabs while keeping them organised.

This tool will be handy for those browsing multiple sites with different topics meaning users can navigate through tabs with ease and speed.

Launching the tab organising tool is easy, simply right-click on the tab and then select ‘organise similar tabs.  

Custom Chrome themes

Chrome users will now be able to prompt AI with moods, subjects, visual styles, and colours of their choice. The feature to precede this was released in 2023 and allowed Android 14 and Pixel 8 devices to use AI to generate wallpapers.

The new feature included in the update will eventually allow all Chrome users to tailor their browser themes to suit their preferences. In the meantime, Chrome offers some limited customisation tools, allowing users to upload their images or browse their collection of established themes.

Enhanced writing assistant

This experimental feature will aid users in writing on the web, the feature will require users to type a few words summarising what they want the AI to base its writing off. The tool will allow users to communicate without feeling uncertain about their phrasing and consuming too much of their time.

AI is an effective tool that can facilitate change, whilst being proficient and simple to use. If you’re interested in utilising AI within your digital marketing strategy feel free to email us at info@intelligencygroup.com and we can help integrate it.

With the help of Microsoft Edge’s sidebar, users can see results from Google and Microsoft’s search engines. The new feature was discussed on X (formerly Twitter) by Microsoft CEO of advertising and web services, Mikhail Parakhin. Parakhin states the default browser will still only display one search engine, by clicking the search icon the second search engine results will appear. 

Why search on two search engines concomitantly?

The new feature will allow users to simultaneously comb through both Google and Bing. This will provide users with a streamlined way of researching topics whilst staying on an individual browser. 

This feature could benefit users by helping negate defective search results. The feature will allow users to efficiently scour the internet in half of the time it would typically take, using two search engines. 

With the differentiating algorithms, diversification of results for users could aid in gaining a wider understanding and appreciation for topics.  This could be especially advantageous for those partaking in market analysis as well as those seeking comparative results. Some results will likely appear in both search engines. 

Google has yet to make a feature like this, meaning Bing could be set to see a traffic increase as it offers more for the global market.  Should Google decide to adopt this feature and integrate it into Chrome, Microsoft Edge is likely to see benefits from mutual indexing.  Microsoft Edge’s approach to introducing the new feature puts them ahead of their counterparts. Utilising their competitor’s search results within their interface immediately sets them apart from other browsers. By including the split search capability Edge is pre-emptively capitalising on the substantial traffic difference, aiming to draw Chrome users in by offering integrated concurrent searches. 

What search engines are available to the search bar? 

Currently Edge users can swap between Google, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo. For global searchers browsers who may use search engines like Yandex, Ecosia, Naver and Baidu, there may still be some time before they too become available to add as a second browser.  

Should Microsoft offer more Browsers for its new feature, it could see traffic being funnelled globally rather than predominantly Western users. This would also allow users to 

Tips for using the Microsoft Edge Search bar. 

Microsoft Edge’s sidebar is a feature that allows users to select secondary pages without leaving the page they are currently browsing. This allows for fast and easy searching while multitasking. The feature does not require a login, however, for Microsoft apps, it may be required. 

To clear the sidebar or bring it back onto the screen: 

CTRL + SHIFT + /

To change your search engine through the sidebar you will need to: 

1. Click on the three dots, which will present a drop-down menu.
2. Click on the settings button. 
3. Select privacy, search, and services.
4. Select ‘search engine used in the address bar’ from the drop-down menu. 

On January 8th, 2024, Google announced that its adjustable speed limiting tool for its
Googlebot crawler has been removed.

In the statement, Google addressed that the tool was no longer needed as the crawler has
evolved, whilst still providing site owners with a plethora of adjustable tools.

Google Crawler aims to work through a few pages on a server at a time, to not use all the
bandwidth. For sites undergoing rigorous crawling on a significant number of pages, servers
may not have the capability to handle users accessing the page. The adjustable speed tool
allowed site owners to slow the crawler and allow user traffic to return to normal.

Why?

The adjustable function removal comes amid the crawler’s capability to slow itself. Google
has stated that its algorithm can acknowledge when a server has come to its limit. Its ability
to recognise when a server’s aptitude is hindered, results in the crawler slowing to
accommodate the server’s user volume.

Google previously noted that the usage of the tool was somewhat limited, those who were
using the feature would put it to the lowest setting.

Google bot’s crawler has been set to crawl at a slower speed than it previously was,
enabling site servers to not reach capacity. This differs significantly from when the tool was
first introduced in 2008 as a solution for publishers when the bandwidth was maxed.

What does this mean for site owners?

For site owners who are still facing issues after the removal of the feature, Google has
provided a document on reducing the Googlebot crawl rate. When users try to access the
tool, Google redirects to a page signposting that the tool is offline.

Users are still able to limit the crawl rate in urgent situations, this is done through a limited
amount of time, typically lasting between a few hours to 1-2 days.

This can be done by responding to crawl requests with 503,429 or 500 instead of 200 on the
HTTP status code. It is worth noting these codes should be used for a brief period. If Google
bot recognises the code has been there for an extended period (more than 2 days) it runs
the risk of the URL being removed from Google’s index.

Google has stated if your site is being crawled too fast, it is likely to be indicative of a
problem with the infrastructure of the website.