The Publisher Lab: Google Generative AI, Google’s Topic Authority System, & Analytic Insights From an Ezoic Expert

Welcome back to another episode of the Publisher Lab! This week we have a very special guest: Terrence Timmons, one of Ezoic’s top Business Intelligence Analysts!

You can watch the episode on YouTube, or listen in on whatever platform you get your podcasts.

Today, we talk about Google’s new AI-generated ads available to marketers and advertisers, and how that will affect the publishing industry with the lowered cost of creating custom ads. Then, we discuss Google’s latest update on their Topic Authority System, a metric Google uses to determine which news sites are the best.

Finally, Terrence and I talk about how Ezoic publishers can use some of Ezoic’s specialized data tools in their Big Data Analytics dashboard to earn more revenue and make more informed decisions about your website.

Generative AI Is Coming Soon To Search, Performance Max And Google Ads

Following in the footsteps of Meta and Amazon, Google is set to introduce AI-powered ads in search results. With the Performance Max (PMax) feature, advertisers can optimize bids and placements using machine learning algorithms. This means that creating ads just got a whole lot easier, especially for advertisers with not a lot of experience or financial resources to create their own professional advertisements.

By leveraging various Google platforms like search, Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Discover, and the Google Display Network, PMax tailors ad campaigns based on the factors most likely to drive performance. Advertisers can input their website into Google AI, answer a few questions about their brand, and benefit from asset population, including text and other elements. This innovation broadens ad creation possibilities, lowers costs, and yields higher conversions, particularly benefiting smaller businesses with limited ad budgets.

In addition to AI-powered ads, Google Ads now offers new ad types such as video views and demand generation. These additions provide advertisers with more creative options to engage their target audience. By expanding the range of ad formats, Google enables publishers to explore innovative ways to promote products and services. This flexibility empowers advertisers to optimize their campaigns and reach a wider audience while reducing the costs associated with ad production.

Google’s Topic Authority System for News Sites

Google has unveiled its Topic Authority system, an SEO ranking system designed specifically for news sites. While not new, this is a rare occasion where Google has opted to reveal more insider information on a key metric they use to determine the validity of websites. This system aims to improve the visibility of news content, especially in specialized topic areas like health, politics, and finance.

The Topic Authority system emphasizes the importance of local and regional publications, favoring original reporting from news teams familiar with the relevant topic and location. Publishers can enhance their chances of success by providing excellent coverage in specific areas of expertise. Google’s focus on promoting quality content aligns with its ongoing efforts to prioritize reliable and informative news sources over misleading or low-quality content.

Insights from Ezoic Business Intelligence Analyst Terrence Timmons

Finally, we have a conversation with Terrence Timmons, a Business Intelligence Analyst at Ezoic! An expert at deciphering data and using it to help websites make better decisions, Terrence shares valuable insights on leveraging Business Data Analytics (BDA) and AI tools for content performance evaluation and revenue generation. Pubs can make more money by understanding their audiences, creating higher value content, and identifying the aspects that users are willing to pay for.

Evaluating AI content performance through BDA can provide publishers with actionable insights to improve their strategies. Terrence also emphasizes the importance of staying ahead of the curve by trying new content creation approaches and experimenting with AI tools. With the decreasing barrier to entry for programming skills, publishers can explore various AI-driven solutions to enhance their content production processes and boost monetization efforts.

The advent of generative AI in search results and the introduction of new ad types in Google Ads mark exciting developments for advertisers and publishers alike. Moreover, Google’s Topic Authority system for news sites underscores the importance of quality content and expertise. By leveraging BDA and AI tools, publishers can gain valuable insights into their audience, enhance content creation, and optimize revenue generation.

As the advertising landscape evolves, successful publishers will embrace agility and remain open to new ad revenue streams, ensuring their continued growth and success in an ever-changing digital environment.

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode!