February was an eventful month for Google, as they officially announced partnerships with internet juggernauts Reddit and Pinterest.
Google Ads users can now run ads on Pinterest, which opens up a new range of possibilities for marketers running paid ads through Google.
The partnership with Reddit focuses more on improving the quality and convenience of Google’s search results.
Google now has access to Reddit’s Data API, and Reddit gained access to Vertex AI to improve its internal search capabilities.
It’s also rumored that Google could partner with TikTok.
Why would they want to do that?
This is because, despite being a short-form video platform, TikTok has become the search engine of choice for younger generations (Gen Z and Gen Alpha).
A Google partnership, then, could potentially benefit both parties. Google could lend its search algorithm expertise to TikTok to enhance its user experience, all while enjoying boosted traffic flowing from TikTok searches.
It’s not yet clear whether the TikTok partnership will become official, but there’s currently a beta test in the works, so it’s clear both parties are open to the idea.
Speaking of TikTok, YouTube Shorts (Google’s answer to TikTok) has some impressive capabilities that not enough businesses utilize.
More importantly, all these partnerships pose interesting opportunities for SEOs and digital marketers. Read on to learn how you can leverage these new partnerships (and YouTube Shorts) to expand your online reach.
Partnering with Pinterest for Ad Placements
Pinterest had a less-than-stellar Q4 2023 due to decreasing revenue. Since their earnings fell beneath analysts’ expectations, their stock fell by almost 28%.
However, they had an ace in the hole.
CEO Bill Ready announced Pinterest’s ad partnership with Google, which stands to boost its ad revenue by a significant margin. Ready claimed that they began the rollout a few weeks ago and that third-party ad demand is rising.
The partnership is also an attempt on Pinterest’s part to capitalize on its sizable international audience.
While 80% of Pinterest’s users reside outside the United States, they only account for 20% of the platform’s revenue.
Pinterest hopes the Google partnership will boost the amount of revenue coming from international markets.
This marks the second time that Pinterest has partnered with a third party to boost ad revenue, as they initiated a similar deal with Amazon last year.
Much like the Amazon deal, the Google partnership will roll out over several business quarters.
What does this partnership mean for digital marketers?
Marketers running Google Ads campaigns can now place ads on Pinterest from their Google Ads Manager.
This is significant because it provides businesses with new ways to appeal to their target audiences.
Pinterest is a massive platform with users from virtually every industry and niche, making it an ideal channel for third-party advertisements.
Also, Pinterest is adding several new AI-powered features to boost user engagement and interactivity.
The new collage feature lets users create scrapbook-style images using a combination of objects, stickers, and pictures. There’s also a new auto-organizing feature that encourages users to create boards whenever it identifies similar pins – which has led to an increase in user boards.
These engagement-boosting features increase the chances of Pinterest users interacting with your ads, which is a plus.
Pinterest has more than 498 million monthly active users, so it’s definitely an advertising channel that’s worth your time.
Improving User Search by Partnering with Reddit
While Google is no stranger to Reddit (the two have a longstanding relationship), they’re taking things to the next level with their newly announced partnership.
Google values the authentic human conversations and experiences that Reddit provides, and its goal is to highlight relevant Reddit content whenever possible.
To make this happen, Reddit granted Google access to its Data API – providing Google with real-time, structured, and unique content from Reddit that relates to Google searches.
This means SEOs can expect to see more SERP features from Reddit, which may be good or bad.
On one hand, if the Reddit posts mention your brand, then it’s a way to broaden your online reach. Yet, if a Reddit SERP feature appears at the top of the page and answers the user’s question, it can lead to a zero-click search. So, if you’ve put a lot of hard work into creating a piece of content for a keyword that triggers a Reddit SERP, you may lose out on traffic.
That’s why it’s essential to check keywords for SERP features before targeting them for your SEO strategy.
SEMRush’s Keyword Overview tool is a big help in this regard as if you select the SERP feature filter, it’ll let you know if a keyword will trigger something like a featured snippet or knowledge bar. You can get a free trial and check out their tools here.
The Rumored TikTok Partnership
This one is still up in the air, so there’s no need to panic (or rejoice) just yet.
Google has been keeping a close eye on TikTok ever since the platform took over social media a few years back.
As stated before, younger generations are now using TikTok as a makeshift search engine. Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s SVP of search, said, “Almost 40% of young people, when they are looking for a place for lunch, don’t go to Google Maps or search – they go to TikTok or Instagram.”
The plan is to combine Google’s search prowess and credibility with TikTok’s explosive popularity amongst young people.
There are talks of including links to Google queries straight from TikTok.
It would work like this:
- A user conducts a search on TikTok for a new restaurant or news story
- A built-in Google link lets the user validate the information through Google search and reviews
It’s a best-of-both-worlds type deal where users can use their search engine of choice (TikTok) while still enjoying accurate and trusted information (Google).
While a TikTok spokesperson claimed a trial version is underway, Google declined to reveal whether a financial agreement is part of the partnership.
Broadening Online Reach with YouTube Shorts
SEOs need to capitalize on every channel available to them, especially in the rapidly changing search landscape.
After all, putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good idea.
That’s why it’s wise to take advantage of platforms like TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, and YouTube Shorts to build brand awareness and generate more traffic.
That way, should one channel start to falter (like strict organic SEO), you’ll have other channels to fall back on.
Many aren’t aware that Google expanded YouTube Shorts to include video reach campaigns back in May of last year.
What’s a video reach campaign?
It’s an AI-powered video ad campaign designed to place your ads in front of the right people at the right time.
Google gives the example of a Paramount + Mexico movie called At Midnight that used video reach campaigns to build an audience. The campaign resulted in significantly higher ad recall and efficiencies, so YouTube Shorts is a channel you shouldn’t ignore.
Much like Pinterest, YouTube Shorts runs the gambit of all industries and interests, so your target audience is bound to have a presence there.
Leveraging Google’s New Partnerships for Your Benefit
These new partnerships are yet another example of the significant changes the search engine world is going through at the moment.
The good news?
You can use Pinterest ads, Reddit mentions, and YouTube Shorts to expand your online influence and generate more leads and sales.
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