April Invelity news

What arrived online over the past month? Read the April round-up for what happened in social, PPC and SEO, and in the world of WordPress and development too.

Social

Facebook introduces a new reaction for COVID-19

After testing it last month, the network arrives with something new. It has officially introduced a new reaction on Facebook and Messenger allowing a quick response to updates relating to COVID-19.

You can also swap the ordinary heart for a beating purple one.

Facebook wants to give people a way to express the emotion of the crisis simply and quickly, and so connect better with others.

Instagram live streams can now be watched on the web

After bringing Instagram messages to the web, we will now be able to watch live broadcasts on a computer too, with their own URL.

We will watch them vertically as on mobile, but we also get space showing the comments, which will not get in the way of watching as they do in the mobile version. More significantly, Instagram is giving the web version its own live video URL, which means it can be shared and teased directly across various social platforms and so reach a wider audience.

The changes are being introduced partly because of the current situation, with people at home more often and video viewing and desktop use both up.

Something new on Messenger

Facebook has introduced Messenger Rooms, where in time as many as 50 people will be able to meet in a single video call. At first you will be able to invite eight participants to the call through Facebook, Messenger or a link. The service will work on the principle of virtual rooms that an invited person can enter and leave at any time. Users will be able to share these rooms in the News Feed or in groups without having to invite anyone. Facebook wants to compete with the popular Zoom and Google Meet.

Facebook adds a new measure against the spread of COVID-19 misinformation

In the fight against misinformation the network is introducing two changes. First, people who saw misinformation on Facebook will be shown the true report once it is debunked, in the hope that it gives them a better understanding of the matter.

Second, the company is adding a new "Get the Facts" section to its COVID-19 Information Centre, highlighting reports from partners who have debunked false claims about the coronavirus.

PPC

New arrivals in the Google Ads Report Editor

This handy Report Editor is found under the Reports tab in the top panel. The update means agencies can now analyse up to 200 accounts at once within their MCC, instead of the current 10, which is splendid news. No more downloading data — you can simply analyse it in the Reports section.

A free video creation tool

This tool should help companies constrained by time or resources produce simple videos faster. Just give the tool static images, logos and copy, and the video is done. It works from Google's best practices and builds a video according to the basic principles a successful video ought to follow. It produces either a 6-second or a 15-second video. That does not sound bad at all. :)

SEO

Google launches search tips when a query returns no great matches

A new message may appear in Google search headed "It looks like there aren't any great matches for your search". The company said you will probably not see it, because for most queries Google hopes to give you great results. But for a "fairly small portion of queries" the message may appear. It advises you how to change your query to find better results.

It helps you rephrase your query when the search engine cannot find relevant results on the web. Although you can still go through the results to see whether they are useful, the message is a signal that Google probably did not find what you were looking for. Where possible the feature also offers several alternative searches and tips on how you might rephrase your query to find the information you want.

The feature should not appear too often — after all, you usually find something useful. But we hope it helps save you time and gets you to the information you are looking for faster.

Google is allowing products to be sold in search results free of charge

SEOs and site owners focused above all on organic search can add Google Shopping to their toolkit for the first time. By the end of the month the change will take effect in US search results, with plans for a global rollout by the end of the year. The rollout begins next week, when search results on the Google Shopping tab will consist mainly of free product listings.

The reason for the decision was that struggling companies currently cannot afford to pay for Google Shopping listings. Google is also starting a new partnership with PayPal so merchants can link their accounts. That will speed up onboarding and ensure the results are of the highest quality for users.

WordPress and development

The Stripe payment gateway comes to Slovakia

In the current situation online payments are growing in popularity. A few months ago Stripe added support for Slovakia. It offers an excellent alternative to the payment gateways currently available here. Among its clear advantages is how fast the whole setup is. Everything can be handled electronically and you can start accepting payments in a genuinely short time.

A connector for MyGLS

GLS is gradually moving from its older systems, such as Connect or Online Connect, to the newer MyGLS. If you send your parcels with this courier too, we have prepared a simple connector from WooCommerce straight into MyGLS. The setup really is a matter of a few clicks and you will be downloading your labels right in the e-shop. You need no other application. You can find the plugin in WordPress under the name "Invelity MyGLS connect".

WCEU 2020 will be online

Among the cancelled conferences came one piece of good news: this year's WordCamp Europe will be online. Better still, thanks to excellent sponsors it will be entirely free. Registration should open today.