And What Options to Discuss with Your Digital Marketing Agency
As one of the leading digital ad agencies in Kansas City, part of our job is to be a resource of information for our clients. You can’t conceive a digital marketing strategy until you know how all the pieces fit together. One of those pieces – perhaps the largest of the bunch – is Google.
If you’ve been using the Internet for any amount of time, then it probably comes as no surprise that Google is collecting personal information on you. They’re collecting information on everyone, in fact.
Try not to be shocked. This has been going on forever (since Google launched, anyway). The information that Google collects mostly pertains to how you use your devices, services, and apps. Essentially, they learn your Internet behavior. That could be how you use your Gmail or what videos you watch on YouTube. Internet behavior also applies to your location and what types of online purchases that you make.
So, what’s the point of all this data collection? And what exactly do they do with the data?
A few things, actually. As a company that’s been doing digital marketing in Kansas City and beyond, we’re more than happy to clue you in on what Google does with data and how the landscape is changing with a recent policy update.
Google Data and What It’s Used For
Using your data and the data of everyone else, they can effectively gauge how well a site or app functions and what aspects of it need to be improved. They also use data to develop completely new services and apps.
However, one of the biggest usages of your data is to measure the effectiveness of advertising and to personalize content in your ads that you see on partners’ sites and apps. This is the reason why you suddenly start seeing ads for shoes after performing a search for footwear. That’s Google providing you with a relevant ad.
The information that Google collects can be anything, like your phone number, email address, street address, and demographic information like age and gender. However, recent events have triggered Google to provide a new tool for anyone who doesn’t want sensitive personal information to be found online.
The Google Opt-Out Option
The fact that your personal information is out there on the web for anyone to see can be a rude awakening. This is especially true for anyone who is being targeted, doxed, or otherwise being harassed online. The worst-case scenario is that enough personal information can be collected which can then lead to identity theft.
To help users protect themselves and their personal information, Google users can do so with an opt-out tool. This tool allows people to formally request that their personal information be removed from Google search results.
This is a huge shift in policy for Google. It used to be that users could not request for their personal information to be removed unless there was a clear risk or actual threat. Now there no longer needs to be a risk for the request for removal to be made.
However, making the request for removal does not guarantee that personal information will be stripped from Google. If something is deemed “broadly useful” or is part of public record, then the information will remain public.
What Does the Opt-Out Mean for Your Marketing Efforts?
According to Michelle Chang, Global Policy Lead for Google Search, removing something from Google won’t remove it from the Internet. That would require the individual to contact the hosting site directly.
From the perspective of a digital marketing agency, what this tells us is that Google Search campaigns are still a viable marketing tactic. This holds especially true for those businesses who heavily rely on local searches in their geographic location. However, the change may affect targeting, which is why we recommend a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to ensure that your business gets seen by the right people.
Because the change in Google search policy is new, we will have to wait and see just how many people are requesting that their personal information be removed from Google search results. The policy seems to be aimed at individuals who have sensitive personal information out there that has somehow been made public.
Contact iFocus – Your Local Digital Marketing Agency
If you’re finally ready to take a good hard look at your digital marketing strategy, you won’t need to Google search “marketing agency near me.” iFocus Marketing is one of the leading ad agencies in Kansas City that works with both local businesses and national clients.
What our experience in this industry has taught us is that clients need a well-rounded digital marketing strategy so that all their bases are covered. Our suite of digital marketing services include:
- Paid search advertising
- Search engine optimization
- Display advertising
- Social media management and social ads
- Website development
- Creative services
The first step is to contact us using our contact form, or by calling us at (913) 708-8567. During our discovery call, we’ll conduct a needs assessment to gauge your specific marketing needs by going over your business goals. Once we have collected a little more info, our team will develop a fully-formed digital marketing strategy that is tailored to you and your business.
Get in touch with us today to see how iFocus Marketing can help you reach your goals.
Brandon Tietz is a senior digital copywriter at iFocus Marketing with close to a decade of marketing experience. He has written for clients in retail, real estate, automotive, education, manufacturing, healthcare, consumer goods, and several other spaces. In addition to copywriting, he has authored books, published short stories, written for several online and print publications, and was named “Best Local Writer” by The Pitch for his debut novel. He’s currently living the dream in the ‘burbs with his wonderful wife and their two dogs, Dr. Croutons and Professor Pickles.
