The 2019 Google I/O Conference

Google I/O is a conference held annually by Google where they discuss their latest developer products, innovations, APIs, tools they may be working on, as well as other things of that same vein. The 2019 Google I/O Conference was held last week in Mountainview, CA, and we’re here to tell you some of the biggest takeaways from it, and what they may mean from a digital marketing perspective.

Google News Updates  

When a new story breaks, we’re always scouring the internet to find out all of the little details about it, from the moment is was first reported to the moment we started our internet dive. But the problem for those searching is that you typically have to look at multiple different sources, checking the dates to try and piece together the timeline. Until now, that is. Google is updating their Google News so that it shows a “story timeline.” When this gets launched, you will be able to see exactly how a story has progressed over time. This is great for users, but it suggests that the competition for trending topics just got a lot more intense since people won’t have to search for multiple sources to try to piece the story together themselves. Rather, if an authoritative source is able to release information on a topic quickly and effectively, and then keep up with the story, other sources are unlikely to get very much traffic, if any at all.

Podcasts Are Now Being Indexed in the Search Results

If search engine optimization (SEO) was not complicated enough, Google also revealed that podcasts have started being indexed in Google search results. Google has been automatically transcribing podcasts to make the content of the podcasts themselves index-able and searchable, which will inevitably add another layer to SEO. At this time, it’s not entirely clear if audio content will have more weight in search rankings than text, but it’s definitely something we will be keeping an eye out for.

3D Objects & AR Will Become A Part of Search 

From Search to your living room in just a few seconds. Later this month, Google will be rolling out their new Augmented Reality (AR) search feature. According to Google themselves, "you can view and interact with 3D objects right from Search and place them directly into your own space, giving you a sense of scale and detail."

Google has also been teaming up with partners like NASA, New Balance, Samsung, Target, Visible Body, Volvo, Wayfair, and many others to take AR and Search to another level. So, whether you’re just looking for more information on a concept that would be better explained if you could visualize it, or are looking at a specific product to buy, you will soon be able to see it in your home after only a simple search. In other words, how we consume information will be transformed, as well as digital marketing. Imagine a world where you can virtually try out any product, whether that is clothes, shoes, or home decor and furniture, without ever having to leave your house. That is the direction in which Google is taking us.

Google Lens Updates 

With Google Lens, Reputation Management will be even more important than it already is today. Through your phone’s camera, machine learning, computer vision, and Google’s vast database of knowledge, Google is able to answer billions of questions regarding what people are currently seeing. With the newest update, Google is taking that to the next level. 

Google gave an example of someone going to a new restaurant for the first time, with no idea as to what to order. You’re looking at the menu, wondering what the most popular dishes are, or what people are saying about specific menu items. With Google Lens, you are able to see just that. Simply open up the Google Lens app, point your phone’s camera at the menu, and Google Lens will highlight popular dishes, and you will be able to tap on dishes and see what reviews people are leaving about that dish on Google. If people are posting images of the dishes on Google Maps and tagging the name of it, you will even be able to see what the dish will look like before you order it, right there, on your phone.

So, if you’ve received a few negative reviews about specific dishes that you didn’t respond to because you thought that the chances are slim of someone seeing them amongst all of your other reviews, think again.

Stay Up To Date

These are really just a few of the things that Google unveiled last week at their conference. All in all, we’re very excited to see these features being implemented, and we’re always keeping an eye out on what Google has in store for us. To stay up to date with digital marketing news and trends, and for helpful digital marketing tips and advice, make sure to sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media!