GOOGLE

YouTube’s CEO Provides an Update on Monetization Tools, Copystrikes and Content Guidelines

Published

5 years ago

November 22, 2019

youtubes ceo provides an update on monetization tools copystrikes and content guidelines

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has this week posted her final quarterly update of the year, covering developments in copyright claims, monetization processes, platform rules and more.

And this time – in what seems like an entirely logic and on-brand move – Wojcicki has posted the update as a video on the site:

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Wojcicki first notes that the YouTube economy is growing:

“Compared to last year, the number of creators with a million or more subscribers has grown 65%, and creators earning five or six figures, annually, has increased more than 40%.”

It’s amazing to consider the amount of money being generated by YouTube creators – did you know, for example, that this kid earns $22 million a year from his YouTube toy reviews?

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It’s enough to make you question your life choices, right?

Jokes aside, creating entertaining, engaging content is a skill, and that not everyone is able to do. And in addition to having some level of natural ability, you also have to actually do it. It’s easy to look at something like ‘Ryan’s World’ and think to yourself ‘I could do that’, but it’s another to invest the time and effort into creating and posting content consistently.

But then again, as noted by Wojcicki, more people are doing just that. Maybe it’s time for you to actually kick off that YouTube channel you’ve always wanted to get going.

But YouTube monetization isn’t always a straightforward process. One of the biggest headaches for creators in recent times has been copyright strikes – if an entity claims that you’ve used their music or content in some way within your video, YouTube’s processes, in the last few years, have enabled them to claim any revenue generated from that video as a result.

This system has lead to many frustrations and issues, something that Wojcicki recognizes, and says they’re moving to fix:

“A few months ago, we made changes that removed the financial incentive to claim very short and unintentional music use. We also required timestamps for all manual claims so you know exactly which part of your video is being claimed, and made updates to our editing tools so you can easily remove manually claimed content from your videos.”

There’s still a way to go, but these changes show that YouTube is listening to its creators on this front.

Wojcicki has also detailed their improved monetization options, providing additional financial incentive to keep people posting.

“Thousands of channels have more than doubled their YouTube revenue by using new features that help fans engage with creators, like Super Chat, Channel Memberships, and Merchandise. More than 100,000 channels have received Super Chat, and some streams are earning more than $400 per minute as fans reach out to creators to say hello, send congratulations, or just to connect.”

Super Chat, which enables fans to purchase credits to have their comments featured more prominently in live-streams, follows the model set by Chinese streaming providers, where live-streaming has become a massive business. YouTube recently added Super Stickers to expand on the potential of Super Chat – which doesn’t seem like a huge element of YouTube monetization, but is clearly generating significant results for those that are using it.

Wojcicki also says that YouTube’s variation of the Stories format is also helping creators build audience:

“Over the last year, creators who used an active Story on their channel saw an average increase to their subscriber count of more than eight percent compared to creators without Stories.”

I mean, everyone’s on the Stories train now, why not YouTube? It could be another option to consider for those looking to boost their on-platform performance.

Wojcicki says that YouTube’s also looking to add in new advertising options which will enable brands to reach users who are viewing content that’s more controversial, and may not adhere to brand safety rules.

“We’re also running experiments to help match content that could be considered edgy with advertising that fits their brand. As you know, yellow icons are a signal that only limited advertising can run on a particular video because of its content. We’re working to identify advertisers who are interested in edgier content, like a marketer looking to promote an R-rated movie, so we can match them with creators whose content fits their ads.”

YouTube tightened up its brand controls last year after significant backlash related to ad placement alongside controversial content. Now YouTube’s looking to build more options to improve its capacity in this respect, which may open up more opportunities.

Wojcicki also notes that YouTube will look to expand its Self-Certification pilot to more creators in 2020, while it’s also working on improvements to its harassment guidelines and the ways in which it gathers data from and children’s content.

Interestingly, YouTube has also now started to roll out its new labels on state-backed media uploads, another area where the platform is looking to improve transparency.

There are some interesting updates here, detailing how YouTube is working to improve its systems and create a more effective, engaging space for creators and users alike. And there’s a lot to like about its creator eco-system. While other digital platforms are working to tap into the rose of online video, the maturity of YouTube’s monetization program puts it a step ahead, which will likely see it continue to attract and retain top creators – and consequently, slow the expansion of alternative options.

Socialmediatoday.com

GOOGLE

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Published

2 weeks ago

September 12, 2024

Max

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.

Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:

“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”

This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.

What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.

But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.

Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.

How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:

Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.

Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

AI

Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

Published

7 months ago

February 26, 2024

Max

A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.

In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.

However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.

The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.

In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.

For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.

The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.

In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.

Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.

Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator