GOOGLE

Google Shares 16 Stats About Holiday Shoppers

Published

4 years ago

November 5, 2020

google shares 16 stats about holiday shoppers via mattgsouthern

Google shares 16 stats about holiday shoppers in a new document detailing recent shifts in consumer behavior.

While the holidays may look a little different this year, it’s still a season of peak demand and a critical time for businesses to connect with customers.

Google’s 27-page guide contains over a dozen useful data points to help marketers reach this year’s most engaged consumers.

Let’s start first by looking at the stats on search behavior.

Google Search Behavior of Holiday Shoppers

Throughout the guide Google references a number of search terms that are spiking in popularity.

Searches for “best affordable” have grown globally by over 60% year-over-year.
Searches for “fashion online shopping” are up 600% year-over-year.
Searches for “online clothing stores” have increased 100% globally year-over-year.
Searches for “available near me” have grown over 100% globally year-over-year.
Searches for “curbside pickup” have grown over 3,000% globally year-over-year.
Searches for “support local businesses” grew by over 20,000% since last year.

Takeaways

These stats illustrate that an influx of customers are shopping for clothing online this year.

The data may also be an indication of how reluctant people are to shop in-store.

Clothing has traditionally been a product people like to see in person before committing to a purchase. Now, search data shows consumers are getting more comfortable shopping for clothing online.

Consumers appear to be more price conscious this year, as evident by the increase in “best affordable” searches.

What’s most notable is how dedicated customers are with regards to supporting local businesses. A 20,000% increase in searches!

Customers are also actively looking for products “available near me,” and are apparently adapting well to curbside pickup.

Local businesses need to take note of this, as they may be losing out on sales if they don’t have a curbside pickup option.

Customers want to shop local – but they want to buy online and pick up their purchase at the curb. Make it easy for them to do that.

Out With the Old, In With The New

According to Google survey data, holiday shoppers are shifting from their old behavior and adapting to life in 2020.

69% of US shoppers plan to shop online for the holidays more than in previous years (with more people going online to browse and buy for the very first time.)
More than 50% of surveyed US shoppers tried a new shopping service for the first time this year.
More than one in ten surveyed US shoppers tried a new shopping app for the first time this year.
70% of US shoppers said they were open to buying from new retailers.

Takeaways

Today’s shoppers are not averse to change. While the pandemic may have disrupted the shopping experience, it’s not going to stop people finding new options.

As the data shows, customers are comfortable with trying different shopping services and apps. Most are even fine with buying from new retailers altogether.

That harkens back to my earlier point about local businesses needing to offer curbside pickup. If your business doesn’t evolve to meet the needs of today’s shoppers, they’re perfectly happy to go elsewhere.

Buying Behavior of Holiday Shoppers

This next collection of stats focuses on notable shifts in customer intent.

62% of US shoppers will start holiday shopping earlier to avoid items being out of stock.
46% of online US shoppers expect retailers to offer discounts.
77% of US holiday shoppers said they would browse for gift ideas online, not in-store.
46% of surveyed US shoppers agreed that “I make a deliberate effort to shop at businesses that align with my values.”
66% of US consumers who plan to shop this holiday season said they will shop more at local small businesses.

Takeaways

A recurring theme throughout the data presented in Google’s guide is the shift in customer intent toward buying locally.

Customers are no doubt aware of the hardships local businesses are going through during the pandemic, and appear to be looking for ways to give back to their community.

Many customers are also actively looking to shop from businesses that align with their values.

That reinforces the need to establish a strong brand in order to appeal to today’s shoppers.

Discount codes are fast becoming an expectation in online retail. That doesn’t mean you have to offer blowout sales – even something like free shipping can go a long way.

For more insights on the 2020 holiday shopping season, see Google’s guide here (PDF link).

Searchenginejournal

GOOGLE

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Published

1 week 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