What Does Google's Recent Announcements Mean?

Google has recently held a large selection of events and announced some cool interesting features being released. Whilst there were no massive surprises updates were in line with recent tests seen in the wild) there’s still work for marketers to do to understand their impact.

Here’s a summary of things to look out for in the coming weeks and months.

Pins Set To Change Maps UI?

Below is a shot showing a Starbucks pin along with a page preview at the bottom and a familiar directions button. Google didn’t add detail to how these pins would work but initially they’ll undoubtedly be just a pin, with the user needing to tap on the map to view more.

Could it be that route options may eventually offer to find points along a journey for me to eat or shop, you could call it a tailored adventure?

Mobile Expanding Text Ads

Text ads will include more characters for the first time since Google launched AdWords.

For mobile, neatly summed up by the GIF below, this means two lines of a headline and more description. Smart right?

This expansion will occur on the desktop, too, with more space to spread out across the page since right-hand-side ads were culled earlier this year, this was their secret plan after all!

Google mentioned a 20% increase in clickthrough rate for some advertisers in early trials of these expanded text ads. So, what’s important is that advertisers start preparing now, writing expanded ad text and getting ready to test once they get their mitts on the new format. Below is Google’s table showing the exact extent of the changes.

Local Search Data Is More Important Than Ever

Google’s information page on local search ads shows the image below as an example of a local search ad in maps. Apart from the purple pin, there isn’t much change on display here, yet.

The biggest changes appear to be within local business pages, where structured data is becoming more important. Google Shopping has already leant heavily on structured data, offering local inventory ads, and this is set to be championed in new Maps ad formats. This means it is increasingly vital for advertisers to have full oversight of their data, particularly in retail.

Promoted Pins Set To Change?

Below is a shot showing a Starbucks pin along with a page preview at the bottom and a familiar directions button. Google didn’t add detail to how these pins would work – initially, they’ll undoubtedly be just a pin, with the user needing to tap on the map to view more. However, it will be interesting to see if these are brought into route planning more.

Could it be that route options may eventually offer to find points along a journey for me to eat or shop?

Google’s Mobile Ecosystem Grows

With Android Instant Apps and now greater information in local business pages, Google is allowing more users to stay within its ecosystem and away from the web.

It’s easy to extrapolate to the world where advertisers are sending structured data to Google and website functionality is narrowed.

What was your favourite part of the releases? Let us know in the comments below! 

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Thanks to Econsultancy and Google IO.