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Google updates to favour real people. Are you prepared?

Observant marketers may have noticed Google recently make these two subtle updates to their T&Cs.
 
Firstly, any user creating a new Google account (for Gmail, YouTube, Maps), the wall previously separating user browsing behaviour and login ID has been dropped.
 
Secondly, all advertisers using Google Analytics now have new capabilities with their remarketing audiences.

So What?

Google is finally making strides in moving towards people (login) vs browser (cookie) based measurement.
 
As real users get consolidated and audiences get corrected, here are some changes Google advertisers can expect to see over the coming months.

Reach and Frequency

We'll see a correction in Reach & Frequency.
 
In the past with fragmented cookies, we have overstated our reach – instead of reaching three people, we were more likely reaching the same person once on three different devices.
 
In actuality we had inflated reach but understated frequency. With user data stitched together via the Google login, reach will now come down and frequency should be corrected.
 
This should theoretically mean we will start seeing ad inventory/available impressions reduce, our impression share rise and ultimately that CPAs should come down. 

Digital Touchpoints

We also see far more digital touchpoints than previously considered including an even greater weighting on mobile.
 
This will create greater importance on CRM data so marketers can understand where consumers are in the customer journey, and likely lead to more resourcing for Mobile UI/UX.
 
In addition, more credit will go to Display as the true effectiveness of Display is revealed.
 
Keen eyes would also have noted the new inclusion of DoubleClick in all Google T&Cs. Ultimately we will see Display spends increase, most notably via DoubleClick Programmatic media buying.

Why Now?

Of course, Google isn't making all of these changes in a vacuum, but tellingly, because of the obvious threat posed by the opponent in the blue corner.
 
Last year Facebook shut down its famed Atlas platform from all ad serving capabilities to becoming the people based measurement ad tech that will eventually become Facebook's alternative to Google Analytics.
 
Just as Google's move to people based measurement will increase credit given to Display, to an even greater extent will this be true of Facebook. 

What does this mean for you?

The most recent large scale Australian case study for people based measurement, revealed that we should be prepared to give slightly less credit to Paid Search, and almost no credit to Direct, Organic Search/SEO & Referrals. But potentially 4X credit to Display and over 5X to Facebook.
 
If this all of the above holds true, it may still well be time to be buying shares in Google and Facebook.
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Sugihto is founder of specialist, Melbourne based Pay Per Click agency and Google Certified Partner, Intentional. Since 2009, the Intentional team have driven online advertising for companies in global markets such as Prague, Paris, Tokyo, London, Shanghai, Bangkok, New York and LA; as well as being digital advisor and partner in the Australian domestic market for numerous household brands and NFPs.

 

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