Welcome to the latest instalment in our series of weekly roundups, where we bring you the latest news, updates, and exciting developments in the world of digital marketing. This week, we explore the pros and cons of Made for Advertising websites, how Adidas is ‘carefully’ offloading remaining Yeezys after the recent Ye controversy, and Disney+ launching an ad-supported subscription plan.
Let’s dive into some of the latest and exciting updates and news from the marketing world.
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How Adidas is ‘carefully’ offloading remaining Yeezys after Ye controversy
Adidas is selling off its remaining Yeezy shoes after ending its partnership with Kanye West due to his controversial behaviour. The company had originally considered burning, selling, or donating the shoes, but ultimately decided to sell them. The shoes represent around $1.3 billion in revenue for Adidas.
Adidas sold off its remaining Yeezy shoes in May, generating $440 million in sales. The company donated 27% of the revenue to charitable organisations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise, and the Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change. The move was expected by fans and analysts, given the popularity of the shoes and the brand’s investment in the line.
Google tests local service ads list view
Google is reportedly testing a new “List View” format for Local Service Ads (LSAs) in select markets. This format allows users to view a list of service providers in their area alongside their ratings and other relevant information. Currently, LSAs are shown in a carousel format, but the List View would provide a more comprehensive view for users seeking local services. This change could impact the way users interact with LSAs and potentially influence user preferences. While Google is known for testing various formats, the introduction of List View could have implications for businesses using LSAs and may necessitate adjustments to their advertising strategies.
Disney+ to offer ad-supported subscription plan in the UK
Disney+ will begin offering an ad-supported subscription plan in the UK, Europe, and other select markets on November 1, 2023. The new plan, called “Standard with Ads,” will be priced at £7.99/€8.99 per month, which is £2/€2 less than the current Standard plan.
The ad-supported plan will offer the same content as the Standard plan, but with a limited number of ads. Disney+ says that the ads will be “light” and will not interrupt the viewing experience.
The new plan is designed to give subscribers more flexibility in choosing a plan that suits their needs. Some subscribers may prefer to pay less and watch a few ads, while others may prefer to pay more for an ad-free experience.
Disney+ is the latest streaming service to offer an ad-supported plan. Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max all offer ad-supported plans in the United States.
The move to offer an ad-supported plan is a sign that Disney+ is looking to expand its reach and attract more subscribers. The company is facing increasing competition from other streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+.
Disney+ is also looking to generate more revenue. The company is reportedly losing money on its streaming service, and the ad-supported plan is expected to help improve profitability.
The ad-supported plan is a good option for subscribers who are looking to save money. However, it is important to note that the number of ads will likely increase over time. If you are sensitive to ads, you may want to consider the Standard or Premium plan.
The case for and against made-for-advertising sites
There are pros and cons of “Made-for-Advertising” (MFA) websites. These websites are specifically designed to host branded content and advertising campaigns. The case for MFA sites includes greater control over content, design, and user experience, ensuring alignment with brand messaging.
They can also offer specialised tracking and analytics for campaigns. However, there are concerns regarding the authenticity and user trust associated with MFA sites, as they may lack editorial integrity. Additionally, managing separate sites can be resource intensive. Brands need to weigh the benefits of customisation against the potential drawbacks of credibility and resource allocation when considering MFA sites for their advertising campaigns.
Google downgrades visibility of HowTo and FAQ rich results
Google announced they are removing FAQ rich results in the majority of SERPs and limiting HowTo rich results to desktop searches, in a bit to provide “a cleaner and more consistent search experience”.
Whilst this will be a setback for sites focusing on a FAQ approach, there is no reason to go and remove these from your site, or to remove the FAQ Page structured data they are marked up with. The content itself will likely still be useful for users on your site, and the structured data will not harm you site, but just bring no visible effects in Google’s SERPs anymore.
FAQ rich results are still to be shown for “well-known, authoritative government and health websites”. Likewise, HowTo rich results will still be shown on desktop devices, so you can and should continue to produce this content and mark it up appropriately.
3 ways to block google from indexing AI chatbot content
Google’s John Mueller has provided advice on how to handle AI chatbots on your site to make sure their unedited and potentially inaccurate content doesn’t affect your SEO efforts.
There are several ways site owners should consider blocking the indexing of the AI chatbot content:
- Robotted iframe – allows you to apply a noindex directive to the iframe only and not the full page
- Robotted JavaScript or resource – allows you to disallow the JavaScript file only within the robots.txt file
- Data-nosnippet tag – allows you to control a specific section of content on a page from appearing in search results
AI chatbots generate content that may affect the quality or relevance of your page’s other content and cause the page to be seen as lower quality overall, therefore diluting its rankings and search visibility.
If you’re looking for some expert advice on how to keep your digital marketing strategies fresh and follow the trends in a rapidly moving market – get in touch with us. Our team of experts will be more than willing to discuss your requirements and offer their knowledge – just fire over an email to team@modo25.com and we’ll get back to you.
