Microsoft Launches Clarity Analytics Product & This Week’s Digital Marketing News [PODCAST]

Hosts Jess Budde, Greg Finn, and Mark Saltarelli are delivering the biggest digital marketing news of the week, including a new YouTube feature that creators won’t want to sleep on.

If you’re unable to listen on Spotify, be sure to catch the video version of the show on the Search Engine Journal YouTube channel.

Introducing Microsoft Clarity

Microsoft Clarity, the new free web analytics product, is now generally available for site managers.

In addition to familiar metrics including sessions, device breakdown, and bounce rate, Clarity has some exciting features not found in Google Analytics.

Marketers and webmasters will be able to see heatmaps, rage clicks, session recordings, and javascript error reporting.

New YouTube Viewing Features

YouTube announced new options this week aimed at enhancing the viewing experience.

First, video chapters will now have a list view with preview thumbnails so it’s easier to find the specific part of the content you’re looking for.

Creators can add chapters using timestamps in their video description.

A new swipe up feature will make it easier to enter full-screen mode. Or, users can swipe down to exit.

YouTube will also start recommending suggested actions for users, like watching in full screen or VR.

Also announced were:

• A new mobile player page to make captions more prominent
• Bedtime reminders that allow users to set a time when they want to stop watching.

Adobe 2020 Online Holiday Shopping Predictions

Adobe Analytics analyzed over a trillion web visits and polled consumers to develop a forecast for the 2020 holiday shopping season.

Because there will be fewer in-store purchases, Adobe predicts that Black Friday will be just as important for ecommerce retailers as Cyber Monday this year.

The report predicts an overall increase in online shopping due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including an increase in buy-online-pick-up-in-store purchases.

Pinterest Announces Ecommerce Updates

Not to be outdone by the retail announcements made by Google Shopping and Facebook last week, Pinterest announced a slew of new features for merchants on the platform.

Highlights include:

• Recommended merchants for eCommerce related queries.
• New merchant profiles that mimic brick and mortar storefronts with featured products.
• Product tagging tool so retailers can tag items for sale in images.
• New product catalog interface for more efficient shopping ad creation.
• Collections ads allowing for multiple product images.
• Automatic bidding for shopping campaigns.
• Updated conversion analytics.

This week’s take of the week is this entire Twitter thread that Ginny Marvin started about a recent Google Ads account audit.

Although, Ed Leake’s optimization score joke might have been our favorite part.

Clearly it was that last 3% that failed them!

😂😇

— Ed Leake (@EdLeake) October 29, 2020

Then, ICYMI, we’re pretty proud of Adam Riemer for this canonical metaphor.

Someone asked me to define canonical tag, but make it sassy.

Me: You know that bitch who shows up to the pride parade prep party in glitter, & spread glitter to everyone so glitter appears in all rooms & on all guests. Ya, the canonical is pointing the finger at her, the first. pic.twitter.com/NkKEDsXBf8

— Adam Riemer (@rollerblader) October 27, 2020

Then we answer your digital marketing questions during our lightning round segment:

• Who is teaming up with TikTok to help merchants?
• What new Google Ads features were announced this week?
• When is Google Ads updating their election ad policy?
• Where you can analyze Google Ads audience performance across campaigns?
• Why would anyone want to go live on YouTube for four hours?
• How you can get longer headlines in Google Ads

Check out the Marketing O’Clock site to subscribe to the show!

You will also find links to all of the articles featured in this episode.

Featured Image Credit: Cypress North