Before you leave for your Memorial Day weekend vacation, check up on industry updates to ensure you’re not leaving the office without taking down some notes for optimizations and new projects when you get back. While you’re at it, feel free join the many sending paper planes to one another within Google’s paper plane game.

Search Engine Marketing

Updates regarding Google search engine capabilities include an increase in the character length for title tags and snippets to around 70 characters, and new Rich Cards which are an additional search result format building upon rich snippets. These updates present an opportunity for site owners to attract more targeted users to specific and relevant landing pages. After Bing enabled emoji searching in 2014, Google has finally caught up and is allowing searchers to now use emojis in the Google search engine as well. Other updates include Google’s completion of mobile-friendly ranking updates and a release of the mobile-friendly website test. Google has also introduced Firebase, an easy-to-use mobile developer platform using Google’s products and services, which is also referred to as the “next generation of Google Tag Manager and Tag Manager 360 for Mobile Apps.”

Advertising

Advertising platforms have become more proficient over the years by providing advertisers unique features, insights, and capabilities. More recently, social platforms and search engines have also been improving their advertising interfaces as a means of improving value for both the advertiser and consumer. Twitter is beta-testing a way for advertisers to display non-rendering Twitter ads in third-party applications, Google has taken an ethical approach and is opting to lose $34.5 million in advertising revenue by banning quick loan brands who offer loans with high APRs within advertisements, and Facebook is undergoing updates to their Power Editor this weekend (5/20).

Technology

Brands previously disconnected to interactive technologies are now entering new realms to improve connectivity with consumers. AT&T has been pushing in-car Wi-Fi to help keep those undergoing long car rides entertained. The Internet of Things is not just expanding in the automotive industry, but is also expanding into cosmetology as L’Oreal begins to expand its products into the Tech market with releases such as the My UV Patch.

With Google’s I/O conference happening this week (5/18), there have been an immense amount of releases over the past week. Google announced the release of Google Home, a product similar to Amazon’s Echo in an effort to capitalize on the idea of a virtual assistant. In addition, you can also flip pancakes with Google’s Android-powered VR platform called Daydream. Google is also rolling out Allo, a smart messaging app that uses artificial intelligence. The app includes a Smart Reply feature that shows suggestions of replies that match the user’s style, and relate to the type of content received within the app. Google is also rolling out Duo, a new video-calling app that is designed to work for users, even if they have a poor connection.

Social Media

In regards to social media, if you’re into selfies, check out how the selfie has evolved over the years and see where you fit in. Twitter is opening their first office outside of the United States in Singapore which will hire technical, data analysis and product specialists, and have a #RealTimeLab. And, unfortunately, just like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Snapchat’s content feed could go algorithmic due the app’s want to change the way users interact with those they follow. This could result in an algorithm update similar to what’s seen on Facebook.

Other

Switching to the Internet of Things, we’re seeing a quick shift in the way consumer technology products allow brands to connect with consumers in convenient, flexible and approachable ways. Amazon is releasing Fire TV media play in the coming weeks which will include Alexa functionality. Google has also released GBoard the keyboard for iOS that lets users search and send information from Google right from your keyboard. iOS users will also have the ability to glide and type with the app, something previously only provided to Android users. Google’s Cultural Institute has developed an Art Camera which allows users to zoom into the world’s most famous paintings and see detail previously only available in person.