Category: Instagram

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Aesthetic Username Ideas

Do you need aesthetic username ideas and aren’t sure about what to choose? Here in this article, we have listed aesthetic username ideas that you can use. A cool username surely creates a good impression on social media. Maybe your real name is already taken on the platforms. Therefore, using a phrase as your username might be simpler. Also, it is possible to stay hidden by typing these kinds of names. Sometimes it is better not to use our real names so that we can be anonymous. In this way, we can hide from the people that we don’t want to share our posts with.

Get Inspired

You can take the aesthetic username ideas that we have created as suggestions and get inspired. These are the best for Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok, games, etc. There are many different options to choose from. Choose the right one that will help people get to know you better. So, be creative and create something memorable and shows off who you are as a person!

For further suggestions, read our article Username Ideas.

Also, check out How to Create the Perfect Instagram Bio to have insights about creating your bio!

aesthetic username

Aesthetic Username Ideas For Boys

  • SkyWalker
  • AloneWolf
  • DragonDriver
  • SpacePirate
  • ShadowDimension
  • ElectricSword
  • RebeliousWarrior
  • TitanKing
  • ArkSailor
  • PirateKing
  • JungleHermit
  • TigerEye
  • DemonHunter
  • YoungZeus
  • MysticDragon
  • ThunderLord
  • RisingPhoenix
  • WhiteWalker
  • BlueShark
  • LegendaryGamer
  • Vikingkong
  • DrFrankenstein
  • ImmortalSpirit
  • GoodVibesOnly
  • HiphopKid
  • SmokeGhost
  • DarkLord
  • FireSpark
  • FunKey
  • NeonKnight

username

Aesthetic Username Ideas For Girls

  • SkyLight
  • ForestFairy
  • DreamyMelody
  • PeachySkies
  • DiamondEchoes
  • StrawberryPixie
  • VioletPearl
  • TropicalBlue
  • AquamarineSpirit
  • MsPerfectionist
  • WhiteSpirit
  • PinkySiren
  • ShiningStar
  • SnowyDust
  • AngelicBeauty
  • MagicGlow
  • CuriousKitten
  • ImmortalMermaid
  • GoldenGoddess
  • KaleidoscopicHeart
  • IcyEyes
  • VanillaSkies
  • IconicWitch
  • LittlePumpkin
  • CandyShopper
  • IonaLady
  • MoonlightSomata

username ideas

Aesthetic Usernames Ideas

  • Oasis Dreams
  • Celestial Essence
  • True Colors
  • Owl Eyes
  • Bitter Sweet
  • Empty Space
  • Rain Drops
  • Tiger Kitty
  • Wonderland Cherry
  • Eat Repeat
  • Name Wanderlust
  • Travel Forever
  • Yummy Cupcake
  • Fairy Perfection
  • Islander Babe
  • Vegan Foodie
  • EverythingatOnce
  • Missie Lucky
  • Artful Aesthetics
  • Paradise Palace
  • Handmade Heaven
  • Crystal Ball
  • Black Roses
  • Cosmic Dancer
  • Coastal Love
  • Rain Drops
  • Live at the Fiction
  • Autumn Moon
  • Diving With Sharks
  • Soft Caffeine
  • Peachy Dreamland
  • Miss Americana
  • Sparks Fly
  • Sleepy Penguin
  • Sweet Walkers
  • Fluffy Alien
  • PartyonmyMind
  • Skyline Walking

aesthetic username ideas

Soft Aesthetic Username Ideas

  • UnearthlyLove
  • HoneySilk
  • BlissCookies
  • SugaryHeaven
  • PeaceHug
  • RainbowWind
  • CutenessLoading
  • PlanetCat
  • OreoMagic
  • DollFace
  • WitchyPrincess
  • BlueberryCake
  • RedAmor
  • GardenRose
  • TickleStar
  • PinkyBlue
  • BeautyBabe
  • PineappleKitty
  • WhiteStorm
  • HoneyBeauty
  • DreamCatcher
  • UltravioletOcean
  • HappyHippie
  • SweetSparrow
  • JellyfishBubble
  • SunshineGyspy
  • SleepingPeace
  • VanillaKingdom
  • QueenKong
  • LavenderLady
  • CamefromVenus

The post Aesthetic Username Ideas appeared first on Heropost.

Read More
Jason January 23, 2023 0 Comments

Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story

Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story

Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story? Instagram screenshot notification is a topic that everyone wonders about. Instagram launched Story feature in 2016. Users can upload an image or a video that lasts 24 hours. The feature allows people to share their daily life scenes, their thoughts, the music they like, etc., which helps everyone to connect with each other freely.

Check out Instagram Story Dimensions to see the guide to creating your Stories in the best way possible!

Also, these Stories can be saved as Highlights on right below bio. Highlights are so popular that people save and classify them by giving titles to Stories of specific moments in their lives. It’s mostly added with Covers on Highlights. Check out How to Add Aesthetic Instagram Highlight Covers if you think your profile looks too simple and needs touch-ups.

Sometimes you may wonder if someone has screenshotted your story or has someone noticed yours. Is it possible on Instagram, just like when you capture a story on Snapchat and the other Snapchatter receive an alert?

Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story

Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story?

No, it absolutely doesn’t notify it currently. There will be no alert or a sign that you screenshot someone’s Story, and you cannot see it if someone screenshot yours, too. You can hide your Story from certain people if you worry about someone screenshotting it without you knowing.

Plus, no one notices when you screenshot anything else on the platform, including posts, reels, captions, etc.

instagram screenshot notification

When Does a Screenshot Get Notified on Instagram?

Instagram screenshot notification happens when you screenshot a disappearing photo or video someone sends in your DMs. It sends an alert only if it is a disappearing content in DMs.

Instagram launched Vanish Mood in 2020, which is disappearing mode in DMs. Messages, photos, or videos that are seen disappear when you close the chat. To use it, swipe up in a DM and release your finger. When you switch to the mode, the other person will notify it. If the person you’re texting with uses this mode, there is a warning that says “[User’s name] turned on vanish mode”. Anything screenshotted will be notified in this mode.

 

The post Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story appeared first on Heropost.

Read More
Jason January 23, 2023 0 Comments

Instagram Hashtags for Photographers

Instagram Hashtags for Photographers

Instagram Hashtags for Photographers

Instagram Hashtags for Photographers are great ways to increase engagement and boost your presence in the photography world. People discover content through hashtags, which helps growth. To receive more shares, likes, and comments, you should add the most popular hashtags to the photo you share. Therefore, you need to utilize niche-specific hashtags that can gain relevant exposure to your posts. In this article, we will help you find the best hashtags for your niche!

Tips for Adding Hashtags

It is possible to add 30 hashtags per photo on Instagram post captions. However, it’s better not to overload your captions with too many hashtags that do not work much with your niche. Instead, you should pick the specific ones that are related to your posts. So, always be careful to type relevant hashtags. Use a combination of common hashtags and niche-specific hashtags to increase viewers as a photographer. If you don’t have time to determine what to type, Instagram Hashtags for Photographers guide is here to help you!

Check out our article about Hashtags to Grow Your Instagram to gain further insight into the world of Hashtagging.

Instagram Hashtags for Photographers

Instagram Hashtags for Photographers

We have listed certain types of popular hashtags below for various photography styles.

You can copy them directly to your post caption. Then, wait for likes, comments, and followings as soon as you share your posts!

General Photography

#photography #photographer #photoshoot #instagood #instadaily #instaphoto #photogram #canon #portraitphotography #photographylovers #photographylover #photographyislife #photographyeveryday #photographysouls #photographyislife #photographylife #photographyart #photographyaddict #yourshotphotographer #fotografia #picoftheday #HDR #HDRspotters #photoshop

photographer hashtags

Film Photography

#photogram #35mm #35mmfilm #filmcommunity #analogphotography #filmphotography #analogphoto #analogue #ishootfilm #filmcamera #filmfeed #keepfilmalive #filmisnotdead #thefilmcommunity #believeinfilm #shootonfilm #filmphoto #filmforever #analogvibes #analoguepeople #filmphotographer

film hashtags

Fashion Photography

#fashion #fashionista #fashionblogger #fashionstyle #fashionphotographer #fashionphotography #fashiongram #fashioninsta #fashionweek #fashionaddict #fashionpost #fashionable #fashiondiaries #fashiondaily #fashionnova #fashioneditorial #fashionmagazine #fashionmodel #fashionshoot #highfashion #instafashion #ootd #fashioninspo #styleoftheday #lookoftheday #styleinspiration #styleblogger

fashion hashtags

Also, check out 35 Great Instagram Hashtags for Fashion to Increase Engagement.

Pet Photography

#animals #pets #petlovers #petsofinstagram #petstagram #catsofinstagram #catlovers #catoftheday #cutecats #catstagram #ilovemycat #catsofworld #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #instadog #dogsofig #happydog #dogmodel #dogsdaily #instapet #dailyfluff #petoftheday #petphotography #animalplanet #bestwoof #cuteanimals #animalsofinstagram

pet hashtags

Food Photography

#food #foodie #foodstagram #foodphotography #instafood #delicious #yum #foodgram #foodporn #dinner #lunch #tasty #breakfast #foodpics #gloobyfood #onthetable #yummy #foodblogger #foodpics #foodlovers #gourmet #foodies #f52grams #foodblog #cooking #feedfeed #huffposttaste #gastronomia #foodpic #buzzfeast #foodgawker #beautifulcuisines

food hashtags

Nature Photography

#nature #naturephotography #naturelovers #nature_photo #ignature #ourplanetdaily #naturehippys_ #wildlifephotography #nature_perfection #natureonly #bestcaptureglobal #earthvisuals #visualsofearth #roamtheplanet #discoverearth #wildernessculture #earthfocus #earthpix #natgeoyourshot #allaboutadventures #natureseekers #mountains #plants #flowers #mobilemag #instagood

nature hashtags

Sky Photography

#clouds #sky #cloud #skylovers #blueskies #cloudstagram #cloudporn #skyporn #skysnappers #nature #blue #white  #sunrise #sunrises #sunset #cityscape #igcentric_nature #light #skylovers #skystyles_gf #ic_skies #iskyhub #cloudy #instahub #iloveclouds #iskygram #beauty #igcentric_nature #natur #tagsta_nature

sky hashtags

Travel Photography

#beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travel #explore #travelblogger #hellofrom #travelphoto #travelgram #madetotravel #wonderful_places #traveltheworld #travelscenes #discoverearth #exploretheglobe #getlost #instapassport #sharetravelpics #worldexplorer #justgoshoot #wanderlust #letsgosomewhere #placetovisit #lifeofadventure #travelcommunity

travel hashtags

Landscape Photography

#landscapephotography #landscape #landscape_captures #landscapes #landscapelover #landscapeshot #landscape_specialist #earthoutdoors #vibes #nature #letsgosomewhere #beautifulplaces #moodygrams #hellofrom #EarthVisuals #mkexplore #travel #travelgram #madetotravel #wonderful_places #beautifuldestinations #travel #explore #travelblogger #earthfocus #earthofficial #wowplanet #viewpoint

landscape hashtags

Portrait Photography

#portrait #portraitphotography #portraitmood #portraiture #life_portraits #makeportraits #portrait_perfection #portraits #portraits_ig #portraiture #postthepeople #portraitstream #globe_people #makeportraits #top_portraits  #quietthechaos #folkportraits  #artofvisuals #justgoshoot #moodygrams #creative portraits

portrait hashtags

Sports Photography

#sport #sports #sportsphotography #sportphotographer #sportstyle #actionphotography #sportmotivation #active #extremesports #fitness #gohardorgohome #mondaymotivation #sportphoto #workout #gym #fitness #fitnessmodel #keepfit #trainhard

 

sports hashtags

Find and Schedule Hashtags

By using Heropost, you can have a strong selection of 30 reliable Hashtags! Use Heropost Top Hashtags to search for the most popular hashtags within your niche, then schedule your posts by adding hashtags to your caption. You’ll save time by scheduling your posts. Here is a How to Guide for Scheduling Instagram Posts.

By scheduling your content on Heropost, you can plan your Instagram posts in a simple and straightforward way.

 

 

The post Instagram Hashtags for Photographers appeared first on Heropost.

Read More
Jason January 23, 2023 0 Comments

How to Add Aesthetic Instagram Highlight Covers

Instagram Stories have become the most important feature of the app. Therefore, Instagram Highlight Covers are useful tools for businesses to preserve their best Stories. They are placed directly below the bio, and they form a visitor’s first impression as they always remain visible. You can save your Stories to special folders under your profile’s bio, which makes it easier to direct viewers to the Highlights you want them to see in order. In this way, you can present all your important information on your profile and help your viewers find what they’re looking for. Your audience will reach the previous Stories that are important to you. It enables you to share your content in more practical ways.

If you haven’t created one yet, you should start by pressing “+” button right below your bio and mark the Stories you need on your profile as Highlights.

Press “+” button and mark the Stories you need on your profile as Highlights.

Be careful to put the ones that are important and representative of your work because so many Stories can cause new viewers to lose interest. Also, what’s essential is creating your Highlights according to the content of the Stories. Classify your content into small groups that will keep it organized. Determine the titles well-matched to the content. For example, if you’re mentioning your goals, simply name the Highlight “Goals”. In addition, if your brand has a theme, you can apply related titles.

Make sure to post your Stories in the recommended size and resolution. Check out Instagram Story Dimensions.

What Are Instagram Highlight Covers?

Instagram Highlight Covers are images that are placed at the forefront of stored Stories on your profile. They represent a specific Highlight. The first image in Story Highlights is automatically set as the cover by Instagram, so it is better to manually add an image. When you don’t add any cover image, your Highlights look poor quality and messy as the images are probably not related to each other at all, which lowers the chance to attract viewers.

If you want to take the next step and design your profile to entice users to look at your Stories, using attractive cover images for your Highlights is exactly what you need. They are the best for the divided group of Stories to shape in order.  It ensures that your profile looks professional, organized and well-designed. Also, it may give your visitors some idea of what the Stories are about.

             

You can publish simple Highlight Covers by adding icons to suitable backgrounds just like Siemens and Zoom.

Also, you can add the images of your products to Highlight Covers exactly as Breitling does.

 

How to Add Aesthetic Instagram Highlight Covers

To add stunning Highlights, you can use templates. Canva is a great tool to find the ideal covers on its library.  Also, another option is to create your own design that fits your brand aesthetic.

While creating or choosing the covers, pay attention to the tips below:

  • The center of the cover images should contain what you need to present because Instagram automatically selects the center of the cover for the display.
  • Make sure you decorate your Instagram profile more stylish and impressive with these covers.
  • Determine your color palette.
  • Blend the cover images with your brand colors and fonts. Use theme if you have any.
  • Use descriptive simple keywords if you add texts to the covers.
  • Make them easy on the eyes.
  • Create a cohesive look on each individual cover as you divide your marked Stories into Highlights.

Using Instagram Highlight Covers Templates

  1. Go to Canva, and open a new Instagram Story design.
  2. Click on the Templates, and search for “Highlight Cover”. Check out Canva’s library.
  3. You can find any kind of template by filtering color or language and chose one you wish.
  4. After you’ve found your ideal covers, apply the pages to your blank design. You don’t have to use them just exactly the way they are. By clicking on, you can change the titles, colors, background, or icons to customize the template to your needs. It’s all up to you to edit the specific details of each element. You can switch up the colors and fonts in your brand’s color palette.

 

Creating Instagram Highlight Covers

When the images on Highlights don’t look appealing, it’s time to create your own. By using Canva, you have the opportunity to add a variety of elements on Highlight Covers. It provides anything to create an aesthetic cover.

For instance, let’s say your profile colors are in blue shades and you want covers related to sea or ocean! How will you design? Follow these simple steps:

  1. Open a new Instagram Story design.
  2. Click on “Elements” and find “Frames”.
  3. Press “Circle Frame” to add the circle element to shape your cover.
  4.  Shape the circle to create the exact size recommended by canva below. Adjust the size and align the position of the circle.
  5. It’s time to determine what kind of background you need for the cover. What would represent your Highlights better? Text the keywords related to the images you’re looking for to the search bar. Or, you can upload your images.
  6. When you find the right image for your cover, simply press the image and it will be added to your design. Now, drag it to the center of the circle frame so that image will be shaped circular.
  7. Add your text or chose sticker. Add the text by centering a descriptive word. It should make it clear to people what they can expect when they click on the Highlight. Or, if you want to add a sticker or an illustration, search on “Elements” and drag them to the circle.
  8. To create variety, swipe left to create a new page and copy the previous page. Try to make variations of the first page and create a cohesive look when they are viewed together. So, be sure to use the same kind of icons or texts. Pay attention to the color match. Just determine a theme and keep it. Download it when you’re done.

How to Publish Instagram Highlights Covers

Once you create your Highlight Covers, you can publish them on your profile. Follow the next steps:

  1. Click on the Highlights to edit them. Press on the ellipsis at the bottom of the screen and choose “Edit Highlight”.
  2. When you go to Highlights editor, press “Edit cover” button below your current cover image and chose your designed one. Make sure that you centered the circle in the right position by moving.
  3. Apply the same process to every Story Highlight on your profile. Plus, don’t forget to text the titles of Highlights.
  4. You can determine a phrase for your Highlight titles, too. Or, just name them with simple explanations.

 

In Conclusion

Instagram Highlights enable you to present the best content to your viewers. They offer a chance to make a good first impression. It is important to set them in an aesthetic way to attract followers, which is highly possible by adding ideal Highlight Covers.

The post How to Add Aesthetic Instagram Highlight Covers appeared first on Heropost.

Read More
Jason January 23, 2023 0 Comments

Instagram product tags rolling out to all U.S. users

Instagram will open product tagging to every user in the U.S. The ability to tag products is starting to roll out now and will become available to everyone within the next few months. 

Product tagging debuted on the platform in 2016 as its initial foray into e-commerce. Until now, only businesses and creators could tag products in video posts, stories and reels.

Of its 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram has an estimated 159 million users in the U.S., according to Statistia

Why we care. Instagram said that 1.6 million people are already tagging at least one product per week. By making product tagging available to everyone in the U.S., this number will likely skyrocket as users learn of and use this feature. This is yet another way for brands and businesses to be discovered organically on Instagram. So if your brand isn’t set up for Instagram Shopping, there’s no better time than now to test it.

Tagging products in Instagram posts

How to tag products. After creating a post, users would tap the “Tag Products,” tap the product in the video or image, then search for the product from the shop to add a tag. Instagram users who see a product tag can tap it to buy the product within the app.


Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.









Processing…Please wait.


Control for brands and businesses. Whenever one of your products is tagged, Instagram will notify you on your profile. Want to turn off product tags? You can in your account settings. By default, it is set to Allow all.

The post Instagram product tags rolling out to all U.S. users appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Read More
Jason March 22, 2022 0 Comments

Instagram opens Stories link sticker to all users

Instagram has made the link sticker available to all users this week. The feature lets you link out to third-party sites, stories, products, and more via the Stories option in the app.

Source: Instagram blog

Previously only available to select accounts. Instagram began testing the sticker option as a replacement to “Swipe Up” linking in Instagram Stories around August. Plus, the features were only available to verified accounts or those that met a 10,000 follower threshold. Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, has been emphasizing how the platform is crucial for small, local, and retail businesses — especially as a rallying cry against Apple’s App Tracking Transparency initiative.

However, the social media managers for these types of businesses have always advocated that making the Swipe Up link option, and now the sticker link option, available to everyone and not just select users, would be one of the best ways to support SMBs and commerce businesses.

The Stories link feature opening up to everyone is a huge opportunity for SMBs, retail, social justice orgs, and more. Instagram says that those misusing the Stories link feature to share misinformation or harmful websites will lose access.

How to start using link stickers. To add a link sticker to your Stories:

  • Capture or upload content to your story
  • Select the sticker tool from the top navigation bar
  • Tap the “Link” sticker to add your desired link and tap “Done”
  • Place the sticker on your story — like our other stickers — and tap on the sticker to see color variations

“We’re also working on ways to customize the sticker so it’s clear what someone will see when they tap your link,” according to the announcement.

Why we care. Instagram users have long been lobbying for this functionality as the platform says it supports small businesses, but previously did not allow them to link their products, stores, and services through Stories. The feature is now available to everyone just in time for the holiday shopping season. If your business has a decent following on Instagram, make sure to incorporate it as part of your social strategy to help move those loyal communities down the funnel toward a purchase.

The post Instagram opens Stories link sticker to all users appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Read More
Jason October 28, 2021 0 Comments

Search results, but without the search results page; Thursday’s daily brief

Search Engine Land’s daily brief features daily insights, news, tips, and essential bits of wisdom for today’s search marketer. If you would like to read this before the rest of the internet does, sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox daily.

Good morning, Marketers, can you imagine a search engine without a results page?

That’s what Neeva, the ad-free, private search engine, introduced yesterday — a feature called FastTap Search that enables users to bypass the results page via a list of direct links that are generated when the user puts a query into the URL bar or the Neeva app (learn more about the feature below).

It is very interesting to see what kind of features are possible when a search engine isn’t reliant on ad revenue. Neeva is supported by its subscribers, meaning that the company has no skin in the game when it comes to whether users spend time on their properties or head directly to another site.

Of course, Neeva is not on the same plane as Google, but neither is its strategy.  Google has a similar feature (the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button that takes users straight to the top result for their query), but appears to be moving towards more robust results pages. In fact, its MUM-related announcements from Search On in September gave us a preview of results pages that lead to even more search results, with featured snippets that may resolve queries without users having to click through to another site.

Will Neeva’s new feature change the way we optimize for search? Unlikely, but I’m hoping this spurs even more innovation among search engines. That kind of competition is important because it often provides marketers with more opportunities, like the free product listings Google introduced last year (and Bing also launched shortly after), which help it compete against e-commerce platforms like Amazon.

George Nguyen,
Editor


Neeva is launching a feature that enables searchers to type queries directly into the URL field of their browser or the Neeva app to be shown a drop-down menu with direct links. Dubbed “FastTap Search,” the feature allows users to bypass traditional search results pages and head directly to a site via the list of links generated based on the query. As Neeva’s founder and former SVP of ads at Google, Sridhar Ramaswamy, said in the announcement, this type of feature is made possible by the search engine’s unique business model, in which users pay $4.95 per month for an ad-free, customizable search experience.

Why we care. This feature may take on more significance if Neeva is able to increase its share of the search market or if Neeva is popular with your particular audience. While this is a reimagining of the search results page, it is still a list of results and there is still a top position, which means algorithms have to determine relevance and award that position to a page, just as they do on other search engines. However, since FastTap Search only presents a few results, the brands or publishers that are able to earn that top spot stand to gain significant visibility, which can be important if you operate in a highly competitive sector.

Read more here.


Facebook changes how it measures users for advertising purposes; Instagram introduces notifications for outages and a new Account Status tool

Facebook changes how it measures accounts for advertisers. “If someone does not have their Facebook and Instagram accounts linked in Accounts Center, we will consider those accounts as separate people for ads planning and measurement,” Facebook announced Monday, adding, “Facebook and Instagram accounts that are connected in Accounts Center will continue to be counted collectively as a single person.”

Previously, if someone used the same email address for both their Facebook and Instagram accounts or accessed both platforms using the same device, the company counted them as one person when they interacted with ads. As this new methodology rolls out over the next few weeks, advertisers should expect increases in pre-campaign estimates such as estimated audience size, “but for most campaigns we do not believe this will have a substantial impact on reported campaign reach,” Facebook said.

Instagram launches notifications for outages and a new Account Status tool. Instagram is testing Activity Feed notifications to inform users when the platform experiences outages (like the one from last week), technical issues and when those issues are resolved. “We won’t send a notification every single time there is an outage, but when we see that people are confused and looking for answers, we’ll determine if something like this could help make things clearer,” the company said. The test will run in the U.S. for the next few months.

Alongside that announcement, the company also unveiled a new tool called “Account Status.” The tool is designed to inform users about whether their account is at risk of being disabled. Within the tool, users can see if their content has been removed and why. They can also appeal a removal by requesting a review from their Account Status menu.


For the visual learners among us

“Short Videos” carousel spotted on desktop. First appearing as a test in mobile search results in November 2020, Brodie Clark has spotted a “Short Videos” carousel in Google’s desktop search results (shown above). The screenshot even includes a video from TikTok. Search feature junkies might also want to bookmark Brodie’s timeline of Google SERP features, which is sure to become even more handy as the company experiments with more features.

I heard you like flowcharts. Aleyda Solis has published her 10 favorite flowcharts to support SEO decision making. The charts can help you avoid the “it depends” answer with stakeholders, they may be easier to understand for non-SEOs and can make the criteria for various decisions more transparent.

Shipping delays mean Santa’s got some bad news this year. Marketoonist Tom Fishburne addresses supply chain slowdowns with the help of Santa and a young child wondering whether a year of good behavior was even worth it. Fishburne’s take is especially pertinent since so many businesses pivoted to e-commerce over the last year and a half. If you’re looking to learn how shipping delays might affect your advertising, check out Fred Vallaeys’ post on the subject over at Optmyzr.


What We’re Reading: Leaked documents suggest Amazon has been doing exactly what some merchants and regulators have suspected for years

“Use information from Amazon.in to develop products and then leverage the Amazon.in platform to market these products to our customers” — That quote comes from an internal Amazon document that details the strategy for Solimo, a private brand Amazon created in India. Reuters reporters have analyzed thousands of internal Amazon documents showing that, in India, the e-commerce platform ran campaigns to create knockoff products, undercut the original brands and promote them using manipulated search results.

“The documents show that two executives reviewed the India strategy – senior vice presidents Diego Piacentini, who has since left the company, and Russell Grandinetti, who currently runs Amazon’s international consumer business,” wrote Aditya Kalra and Steve Stecklow for Reuters.

The documents are about as damning as it gets: There are specific instructions on identifying which brands to “replicate,” a strategy for partnering with the manufacturers of the original item, there’s even a designated term for the practice of placing Amazon’s own newly launched private brand items in the top three ASINs in search results — “search seeding”; seedy indeed. Focusing specifically on the above-mentioned Solimo brand, Amazon matched or exceeded the quality of competing products but were 10–15% cheaper, the documents from 2016 revealed. 

This is bad news for merchants who have reached a high degree of success selling their own products on Amazon: “It is third-party sellers who bear the initial costs and uncertainties when introducing new products; by merely spotting them, Amazon gets to sell products only once their success has been tested,” Lina Khan, now-chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, wrote in a 2017 paper for the Yale Law Journal. “The anticompetitive implications here seem clear: Amazon is exploiting the fact that some of its customers are also its rivals.”

“As Reuters hasn’t shared the documents or their provenance with us, we are unable to confirm the veracity or otherwise of the information and claims as stated,” Amazon said in a written response. “We believe these claims are factually incorrect and unsubstantiated.”

The post Search results, but without the search results page; Thursday’s daily brief appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Read More
Jason October 14, 2021 0 Comments

Google provides some reasons why it won’t use your HTML title tags; Monday’s daily brief

Search Engine Land’s daily brief features daily insights, news, tips, and essential bits of wisdom for today’s search marketer. If you would like to read this before the rest of the internet does, sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox daily.

Good morning, Marketers, autumn officially starts on Wednesday (if you’re in the northern hemisphere).

But, in my neighborhood, the fall and Halloween decorations started popping up over the weekend, which reminded me that many marketers are in the midst of preparing for the holiday shopping season.

Last Thanksgiving, online sales increased 20% YoY, hitting a record consumer spend of over $5 billion. And, nearly half of those transactions happened on smartphones, which was another record. Though we wished the pandemic would’ve receded by now, it’s still around and consumers may now be even more accustomed to e-commerce or hybrid shopping options.

I haven’t done any of my holiday shopping yet (and I expect many others, as well), so there’s still time to promote your goods and hopefully tap into the most profitable time of year for merchants. If you’re looking for ways to increase the organic visibility of your products, here are a few resources to bookmark and share with your team:

George Nguyen,
Editor


Google explains why it made the title change to the search results

For the past few weeks, Google told us it was using the designated HTML title tag 80% of the time. But, on Friday, the company said it is using as-is title tags 87% of the time, a seven-point increase: “Title elements are now used around 87% of the time, rather than around 80% before,” Google wrote.

The company listed the following as common reasons why it won’t use your HTML title tag:

  • Empty or half-empty titles (”        | Site Name”)
  • Obsolete titles (“2020 admissions criteria – University of Awesome”)
  • Inaccurate titles (“Giant stuffed animals, teddy bears, polar bears – Site Name”)
  • Micro-boilerplate titles (“My so-called amazing TV show,” where the same title is used for multiple pages about different seasons)

The SEO community is still mixed on this: Some are optimistic that Google will improve in this area, while others are asking for an option to opt out. If you noticed changes to your click-through rate from the Google search results, it may be related to these changes. Hopefully, the changes are positive since it is a win-win for Google to provide titles that its searchers want to click on. If not, Google said it will keep making improvements. It’s critical that SEOs continue to provide feedback on the adjustments to the title tag system, as well as any changes that play out in real-time.

Read more here.


Instagram is testing ‘Map Search’ in Australia and New Zealand

Image: SocialMediaToday.

Instagram has launched “Map Search” as a test for its users in Australia and New Zealand, according to SocialMediaToday. This new feature enables users to discover businesses and other locations of interest via the in-app map (shown above), which can be accessed via the map icon in the Discovery tab. Selecting a location on the map shows users a business’ information, public posts tagged at that location and the associated Instagram account for that business (if applicable).

Why we care. If this feature rolls out more widely and hits the right notes with users, it could help local businesses connect with more potential customers, many of which are likely to be nearby and looking for places to visit, shop or dine at. This may also mean that local business owners will have to pay more attention to curating their presence on the platform.

Instagram has steadily added more e-commerce support over the years. One would hope that e-commerce support would be integrated into map listings, offering even more flexibility for local businesses.


Accessibility that won’t ding your SEO, independent reviews mentioned in GMB profiles and considerations for starting your own agency

“I don’t see a problem.” Google’s John Mueller says the search engine doesn’t take issue with hidden text if it’s for accessibility, “partially because the accessibility elements usually aren’t the keywords you’re trying to rank for,” adding that, “If they were the only mention of your main keywords on your pages, that would be trickier.”

“Reviews on independent sites” seen on GMB profiles. There have been more and more reports of GMB profiles that include text like “200+ reviews on independent sites.” Tip of the hat to Joy Hawkins, who first brought this to our attention. We’ve reached out to Google to see if it’s willing to provide any details.

7 things to know before starting a PPC agency. Kirk Williams, owner of ZATO Marketing, shares three reasons why starting an agency in 2022 may be harder than ever, and four reasons why it may be easier than ever.


What We’re Reading: Documents reveal Facebook’s weak response to human traffickers and drug cartels on its platform

“Scores of internal Facebook documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show employees raising alarms about how its platforms are used in some developing countries, where its user base is already huge and expanding,” Justin Sheck, Newley Purnell and Jeff Horwitz wrote, “They also show the company’s response, which in many instances is inadequate or nothing at all.”

Facebook employees have flagged human traffickers operating in the Middle East, luring women into abusive employment situations or sex work. In Ethiopia, armed groups used the platform to incite violence against ethnic minorities. The article goes on to discuss organ selling, pornography, cartels recruiting teens to attend hit-man training camps and more.

“The company took down some offending pages, but took only limited action to try to shut down the activity until Apple Inc. threatened to remove Facebook’s products from the App Store unless it cracked down on the practice,” Sheck, Purnell and Horwitz wrote, explaining that Apple’s threat was in response to a BBC story about maids for sale.

Facebook’s attitude on these issues seems to be that it is “simply the cost of doing business” in those regions, according to Brian Boland, a former Facebook vice president in charge of partnerships with internet providers in Africa and Asia. This claim seems to be substantiated by the documents the WSJ reviewed: “In an internal summary about the episode, a Facebook researcher wrote: ‘Was this issue known to Facebook before BBC enquiry and Apple escalation?’ The next paragraph begins: ‘Yes.’”

The article goes on to explain a few reasons why this has been allowed to happen, language being one of them. If anything, these excuses work to highlight the company’s priorities, which apparently don’t include the safety of its users in those regions.

Why we care. Facebook is suffering in more ways than one: Its reputation has taken hit after hit since 2016 and it only seems to have gotten worse with COVID misinformation last year. In January, the company revealed that it actually lost daily active users in the US in Q3 and Q4 last year, despite a pandemic that forced more people online. Average time spent on Facebook by US users has also been on a steady decline (from 41 seconds in 2017 to 37 seconds in 2021), according to eMarketer.

For brands that rely on Facebook, this may mean that your target audience on the platform is shrinking and that there may be fewer opportunities to reach those individuals. This might get worse before it gets better as more users are following their beliefs and refusing to support companies that are complicit with human rights violations. And, I have to imagine that the users in these regions are associating the social media network with such violations, which may hinder its growth abroad.

The post Google provides some reasons why it won’t use your HTML title tags; Monday’s daily brief appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Read More
Jason September 20, 2021 0 Comments