The year 2019 is coming to a close. As the last quarter of the year wraps up, numerous businesses and marketers are turning their attention to what the advertising world holds in store for the upcoming year.

• Will Google roll out yet another update that affects your ads?
• Will SEO finally meet its demise, as marketers have been predicting since the term was first coined?
• Will the rise of AI usher in the return of the Cylons? Only time will tell. But, before we dive into the latest digital advertising trends for 2020, let’s take a retrospective look at the changes that unfolded in 2019, and how these changes might influence your ads in the year to come.

1. Google unveils a new Discovery ads format

At Google Marketing Live, the search engine giant revealed several new features and products. For PPC marketers, the most captivating announcement was the introduction of a new Discovery ads format.

Image source Discovery ads are native ads displayed across Google’s vast digital network, including YouTube, Gmail, and the Google homepage. This new format is engineered to be more immersive, interactive, and intent-driven. Significance for advertisers: Google’s Discover ads reach an audience exceeding 800 million users per year. This change has the potential to significantly enhance the effectiveness of these ads in driving conversions compared to the previous format, marking positive news for advertisers. Update: As of June 2020, Discovery Ads are accessible to all advertisers globally.

2. Google hit with $57 Million USD fine for GDPR Violations

In January, France’s CNIL levied a 57 million dollar fine against Google due to “lack of transparency, insufficient information, and lack of valid consent concerning ad personalization,” and cautioned that additional penalties might be imposed unless Google modifies its practices. GDPR, which came into effect in May 2018, established much stricter regulations for consent and transparency regarding data gathered in European countries. While Google revised its privacy policies, it’s evident that these modifications fell short of satisfying the French government. Significance for advertisers: This fine should serve as a stark reminder for businesses catering to European clients. GDPR should not be taken lightly, even by smaller US-based companies targeting European audiences.

3. Instagram introduces Checkout

Instagram has experienced rapid growth, boasting over a billion users at the last count. Over time, they have introduced a suite of business tools, including shoppable Instagram stories and posts. On March 19, Instagram announced Checkout, a feature designed to empower users to make purchases directly within the platform. Users simply tap on a desired item, choose their preferred version, tap to checkout, and seamlessly return to browsing their Instagram feed.

How do shoppable posts differ from Instagram Checkout? With shoppable posts, users were redirected off the platform to complete their checkout. Instagram Checkout, on the other hand, directly handles payments (for a fee), provides users with shipping details, and allows shoppers to monitor their purchases. Currently, the feature is available through a limited rollout. Significance for advertisers: This change significantly streamlines the process for brands to sell products directly through the social media platform, potentially leading to increased sales. It also suggests a move towards a more Amazon-like experience within Instagram. However, it represents just one addition to a lineup of features tailored for businesses on Instagram. In October, Instagram also launched a feature that enables users to see what products look like on them using augmented reality.

4. Facebook data breach

As Instagram continues its ascent in popularity among both brands and users, Facebook grapples with ongoing challenges, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal, security vulnerabilities, and even allegations of misleading Facebook ads being deployed to manipulate recent elections. In April, Facebook found itself back in the headlines with yet another data breach, this time stemming from the Groups API. This vulnerability allowed apps granted access to group data to retain that information beyond the intended timeframe. Facebook noted:

“We are aware of at least 11 partners who accessed group members’ information within the last 60 days. While we haven’t found evidence of misuse, we will require them to erase any member data they might have retained, and we will carry out audits to ensure its deletion.” Significance for advertisers: While advertisers should always be vigilant about data breaches, the sheer volume and magnitude of Facebook’s security issues are increasingly concerning. This has fostered a climate of distrust among users, prompting many to deactivate their Facebook accounts and their data.. Consequently, relying solely on Facebook ads constitutes a risky strategy.

5. Facebook expands ad library to encompass all industries

March saw Facebook announce the expansion of its ad library, which aims to make it simpler for Facebook users to glean insights into the companies running ads on the platform. Previously, the ad library solely covered ads related to politics and societal issues. Now, users can access a wealth of data about any Facebook advertiser. The ad library also provides considerably more detailed information, such as each company’s spending, the ads they’ve run, the page’s creation date, and any historical name changes for the page.

Facebook asserts that this revamped library reflects an endeavor to bolster transparency. It undeniably grants users access to significantly more data regarding the brands advertising to them. Significance for advertisers: Ethical advertisers shouldn’t experience much of an impact. However, this heightened transparency makes it simpler for users to scrutinize advertisers’ actions—should they choose to do so. It might also offer some competitive intelligence for marketers.

6. Google implements the BERT update

In October, Google unveiled the BERT update, heralding it as the most significant update in the past five years—a statement sure to grab the attention of anyone involved in online advertising. So, how did BERT affect online marketing?

According to Google:

“These enhancements are geared towards refining language comprehension, particularly for queries phrased in a more natural language/conversational style. BERT enables Search to better grasp the subtleties and context of words within searches and deliver more relevant results.” The BERT algorithm, which stands for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, is a deep learning algorithm designed to assist Google in more effectively understanding the meaning of words in context. Significance for advertisers: According to Google’s search liaison Danny Sullivan, marketers and website owners don’t need to take any specific actions to optimize for BERT. The update’s objective is to improve search results by allowing Google to distinguish between, for example, a bass fish and a bass guitar based on context. Advertisers should monitor how this change impacts key terms and, perhaps more crucially, the use of negative keywords in their ad campaigns.

7. LinkedIn introduces interest-based targeting

March witnessed professional social media powerhouse LinkedIn roll out a substantial change to its ad targeting platform. Marketers can now leverage interests to target LinkedIn users, mirroring a similar approach used by Facebook. Targeting options now encompass:

Image source Significance for advertisers: As trust in Facebook wanes, a more effective method of advertising on LinkedIn presents a huge opportunity, especially for B2B brands aiming to reach decision-makers.

8. Google updates ad policy to restrict debt services ads

In early November, Google announced revisions to its policies outlining permissible and prohibited activities for finance companies on Google Ads. To begin with, Google will cease to display ads for credit repair services, such as these:

Moreover, advertisers seeking to promote their debt services will need to undergo a certification process with Google. Importantly, only brands located in specific countries will be eligible for certification. Certification might also necessitate status as a non-profit budget and credit counseling agency, as stipulated in 11 U.S. Code § 111. You can apply for approval here. Significance for advertisers: While this development might not affect everyone, it carries significant implications for affected advertisers: If your business provides services within the financial sector, these changes could potentially hinder your ability to run ads on Google.

9. Google rolls out core update

September saw Google implement a significant Google announced a new core update to its algorithm, intended to elevate the rankings of websites offering original, substantive, and genuinely insightful content. It’s also noteworthy that this marked the second major core update from Google in 2019, with the first one occurring in occurring in March. That update targeted health websites, aiming to increase the prominence of highly trusted sites.

Image source Significance for advertisers: 2019 was notable as the first year in which Google pre-announced core updates and assigned them names, rather than relying on the search community to coin them (which, in fairness, did give us gems like Fred, Penguin, and Possum). This update reinforces what we already knew—content holds immense value for Google. However, it might also signal a greater degree of transparency from Google regarding updates, even if their naming conventions for updates are somewhat, shall we say, uninspired. While organic traffic doesn’t directly impact paid ad performance, PPC and SEO function as complementary strategies. Understanding the factors influencing SEO can contribute to crafting more effective ads.

10. Google experiences another content indexing hiccup

In August 2019, Google confirmed another instance of being unable to index new content on certain websites. Consequently, several sites suffered substantial traffic drops through no fault of their own.

Image source The issue appeared to predominantly affect news websites, with numerous Twitter users reporting that sites like The Washington Post and The New York Times weren’t appearing in search results, even for searches of the newspaper names. This marked the second time this year that Google encountered indexing problems. The initial issue occurred in April and lasted a total of six days. Significance for advertisers: Despite these issues being resolved, it’s prudent to stay informed about similar problems should they arise, especially if they impact PPC conversion rates. A significant traffic decline might stem from another Google de-indexing event, rather than a core update, blacklisting, or low-quality ads.

On the horizon: Facebook to restrict the number of ads pages can run concurrently

In November, Facebook announced that it will begin imposing limits on the number of ads that Facebook pages can run simultaneously. The company claims this will only affect a small subset of advertisers and is designed to prevent pages from squandering ad spend. This update is slated for rollout sometime in 2020, and Facebook intends to divulge more details in the coming months. Significance for advertisers: Given the scarcity of details, it’s challenging to gauge how many advertisers will be affected by this update. Brands and marketers who allocate significant budgets to advertising on Facebook should stay tuned for further information as it becomes available.

What does the future hold for online advertising in 2020?

Truthfully, it’s anyone’s guess. However, interactive content and video continue to rise in importance, as does mobile usage. That said, the burgeoning fields of AI, automation, and machine learning should be front and center for all online advertisers and brands. More Google Marketing Live content:

• Google Marketing Livestream 2021: What You Really Need to Know
• 9 Massive Changes Coming to Google Ads #GoogleMarketingLive 2019
• Mind-Blowing Statistics from Google Marketing Live 2018
• 11 Changes & New Features Coming to AdWords: What You Need to Know (2017 GML)