Part 3 of a quarterly digital marketing guide from our agency experts.

Is there such a thing as crystal clear digital marketing? We like to think so. That’s why all of us at Globe Runner map the digital landscape so closely. We have eyes in every corner of the internet, from SEO and Social strategies to PPC and web dev.

Whether you’re looking for some quick and clean lead generation or want to drive more traffic to your website, staying informed is mission critical. That’s why we do a deep dive with our hive mind once every few months, cataloging the digital marketing terms and trends rocketing our clients ahead of the competition.

Here’s your digital dose of everything fueling 2018 marketing trends in Q3:

Technical SEO/Link Building

1. Priority hints for page loading.

Soon developers will have the ability to give extra weight to the assets that are high-priority. Be it headers or images, soon Chrome Beta will allow values to be keyed to the code itself.

2. Removal of secure lock in chrome.

Used to be one little lock symbol was the best if only way to tell whether a website was secure (denoted by the ‘s’ in HTTPS). But now, secure sites are the rule, not the exception and you need an HTTPS site to rank on Google. As of September, Chrome 69 won’t be using the lock icon since SSL (secure lock layering) is the “new normal.”

3. New Google my business agency dashboard.

Earlier this month, local marketing agencies and local SEO managers got a productivity boost. Now, with the unlimited access to locations for each of their accounts, SEO pros have the ability to manage listing invitations, move business accounts into location groups, control access and permissions, and improve search abilities all from the new dashboard.

Local SEO/Citation Updates

1. Menus.

Put your services and offerings into your sites menu page if you want to define your competition and refine your keyword targets. In just a few sentences, you can even help solidify your Google category since Google My Business (GMB) is allowing local businesses more varieties to link to a menu URL.

2. FAQ Pages.

Whether you field a lot of frequently asked questions in person or online, a Q&A section helps Google and your customers understand what your business does, what it doesn’t do, and specifies your services. GMB administrators will also see new attributes listed.

For example, car dealerships can now specify if they sell certified pre-owned vehicles or brand new automobiles. Local businesses will see a Women-Led highlight feature. These attributes are sure to expand, so keep watch. Some in the future include same day service and free estimates or quotes.

Pay attention to the knowledge graph of your business, too. You’ll find it below reviews. One Dallas surgery clinic we work with has seen success using this area to answer questions about insurance, specific conditions, and treatments they offer.

3. Service Pages

Don’t have a service page on your website? Time to create one. This is your chance to speak in-depth about your offerings and lets you back them up with testimonials, case studies, or other rich media that can promote your brand.

You’ll also want to make sure and publish your services directly into Google My Business. The services section was added in April of 2018, but you have to be listed as an owner to see it.

Social/Content:

1. Snapchat cosmo after dark canceled.

The controversial channel was removed after only a week due to racy content and an outcry of parental concern.

2. Hootsuite updates.

You can now schedule, create boards, and post directly to Pinterest from the Hootsuite dashboard. No workarounds, just full integration.

Additionally, both Facebook and Instagram are changing the way partners, like Hootsuite, access data.

Want more tools to track mentions of your brand? Hootsuite Explore is hot on the case!

3. Thumb-stopping content.

The necessity for a reduced amount of text should be substituted with bolder, shorter wording and eye-catching visuals. Essentially, fewer words create a stronger impact. Focus on creative, visual content!

PPC

1. Import feeds with Bing Ads update.

Recently, Bing launched the ability to import product feeds from Google Merchant Center into Bing Merchant Center.

From the new Import tab in Bing Merchant Center (BMC), advertisers can sign into their Google Merchant Center accounts to pull in feeds directly. There is NO more having to upload product feeds to two separate places.

2. Google AdWords comments expanded.

Similar to Google Analytics annotations; Notes are now available at the account, campaign, and ad group levels in Google AdWords. This helps when changes are made that can affect results and allows for easier recollection to help understand why a metric may have gone up or down.

3. Bing Ads Editor now has the ability to add labels for MAC users.

(An added bonus PC users have been enjoying for years.)

4. In-market audiences debut.

Google first announced plans to release In-Market Audiences for search campaigns back at Google Marketing Next in May of last year. This month, Google and Bing rolled In-Market Audiences for Search out to all US advertisers.

Website/Development

1. Shopify sites.

The hosting platform is on fire right now with requests for e-commerce builds reaching a fever pitch. It’s a closed source system, but pretty user-friendly, and even handles a lot of the fulfillment legwork for you.

2. Fantasy.

For anyone following pop culture right now, you know Game of Thrones. It’s all about the mythical creatures, fantastical landscapes. In terms of the music, it’s epic orchestral music, and everybody is really excited about getting beyond the normal.

3. New Minimalism.

A lot of people will think about minimalism being a Scandinavian design concept with clean and crisp lines with lots of white. But now it’s still clean, but with more bold and vibrant colors and fluid styles.

4. Space.

With shows like Strangers Things and movies like Star Wars, the idea about space is that the future is now. We’ve got the field of robotics that is seemingly taking over our jobs and our careers, as well as automated cars that can function without us. People are really starting to explore this in their creative platforms.

Photography \ Creative

According to Getty Images, this year’s emerging visual trends are easy to spot in digital and social marketing campaigns.

1. Masculinity Undone.

For centuries, males have had their emotional complexity reduced to one problematic expression: anger. Now, images and ad campaigns are expanding stringent male stereotypes in an invitation for them to experience their full range of emotion. In other words, emoting males are the new normal.

2. Second Renaissance.

Whether snaps are candid or carousel ads, those that gain the most traction are diverse, authentic, and inclusive. Many successful accounts and musicians are reimagining classical artworks and long-standing themes with traditionally underrepresented communities. An admonition to advertisers who have previously relied on whitewashed, homogenous campaigns – time to diversify.

3. Conceptual Realism.

Focuses on “authentic visual storytelling” (ie: images that are at once relatable and realistic). Be it through distortion, exaggeration, or reality-based imagery, we see, once again, strong social commentary leveraged to dislodge social milieus – like female menstruation – that were once taboo in the ad world.

Need a little help with your digital marketing launch? Let us send you into the stratosphere.