The SearchEngineJournal has always been a reliable and comprehensive source of information about the happenings of the world’s most popular search engine and beyond. Last week they announced an impact on audience targeting that was a direct result of the ongoing battle for more user privacy in the digital landscape. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin officially confirmed that Google will no longer feature similar audience targeting in 2023.
How Will This Directly Affect my Online Marketing Efforts?
If you are currently using similar audiences in your campaigns and ad groups, you will not see any changes right away. You will be able to use existing similar audience segments until August 2023, but you will not be able to add new similar audience segments to your campaigns and groups. After August, advertisers will still have access to historical reporting even though the two elements will have disappeared.
What is the Reason for This?
The Privacy Sandbox Initiative was created to be consistently hard at work refining design proposals based on the valuable input from many developers and publishers earlier this year. This was a very focused and deliberate approach to transitioning from third-party cookies and not relying on cross-sidetracking identifiers or fingerprinting to give marketers a demographic advantage. Many users are now demanding enjoyment of browsing and apps without worrying about what is being tracked and collected.
Providing publishers with safer alternatives to existing technology will allow for the successful building of digital businesses, while assuring that consumers are happy with remaining more anonymous than they were able to in the past. There have been many heavy hitters on board such as Adobe Advertising Cloud, AppsFlyer, Branch, Cafemedia, Criteo, OnePlus, Oppo, Outbrain, Realme, Retargetly, Samsung, and Yahoo. Providers of digital goods and services are now excited about the ability to support key ecosystem needs without relying on the trafficking identifiers of yesterday to succeed.
Evolution of Drastically Different Marketing Approaches
At many different intervals during the last decade, Google realized the importance of user targeting for advertisers to have ways to effectively market their products. This transitions similar audiences towards a targeting solution that is a bit more automated, while having less invasive tendencies. Advertisers now have a preparation guide that is tailored to match their specific campaign type.
Where does This Leave me Regarding Viable Options in 2023?
Even though the quite valuable similar audience targeting may not be available as a standalone option, there are more automated targeting and bidding solutions coming soon. Using smart bidding already considers existing and audience lists, and signals from first-party customer match lists that effectively can reach a customer base. Some very experienced advertisers out there think that this may not change things drastically, but it’s good to understand exactly what is happening and why.
As a very definitive and memorable year is nearly behind us here at FarFetched Studios, we are daily perfecting strategies to thrive when it comes to attracting and retaining customers. Once that objective has been met, we will intercede on your behalf to track stats, create engaging copy, and assure that each valuable prospect is seeing your best foot and product features forward!