DWG Archives

AI in Marketing Automation

Artificial intelligence (AI), which has already impacted several disciplines, including technology, is permeating every aspect of our life. It is transforming how we do business, boosting engineering productivity, improving customer service with customized chatbots, helping product managers with customer interview questions, and even assessing the clarity of marketing messages. Although the speed at which AI realizes its promise can be intimidating, it also forces a radical rethinking of issues and how firms might develop more quickly.

The Role of AI in Marketing Automation

Leading manufacturers of marketing automation software have acknowledged the revolutionary potential of AI. Automation, marketing, and sales are three areas of our business where AI has the potential to have a significant influence. The marketing environment has already seen substantial changes as a result of AI. It supports the creation of content, research, customer support, and personalization.

For example, you may utilize AI technologies like ChatGPT to improve the clarity of your email newsletters, come up with ideas for a blog or social media piece, or even make product recommendations more enticing. AI can be programmed to comprehend typical consumer inquiries and offer support via chatbots or tickets.

By summarizing information from calls or notes and tailoring communications, AI can help sales representatives. AI can detect future customers or provide pertinent recommendations and content when given customer data. However, incorporating AI into your marketing tools can take time and effort. For example, you may need to export data to get insights before acting or frequently upload a great deal of data for your system to pick up any knowledge.

AI Efficiencies

Through detailed segmentation, automated branching, and personalized content, marketing automation uses AI to power 1:1 encounters. Many marketing automation services have created tools that assist sales representatives in determining a prospect’s mood based on received messages and estimating the likelihood that a deal will be closed based on prospect interaction and deal activity.

At Dream Warrior, we want to ensure that our clients are using their time in ways that will positively affect their businesses. We are constantly looking for methods to make the crucial daily chores that our clients must complete more effective and efficient.

How can you quickly produce ideas and iterate while producing content without disrupting your flow? We’re identifying needs and combining tools that will enable you to simplify your process. For example, you can create text content using straightforward prompts, receive comments on the prompt’s tone, length, or improvements, translate content into other languages, and create effective SMS content.

Most Marketing Automation services are investigating the possibility of building full campaigns from a single prompt, complete with a subject line, preheader, template, content, and call-to-action (CTA). These capabilities go beyond marketing and into sales, where AI may support salespeople in time-consuming chores like reviewing notes and determining the next steps. AI can also assist in creating compelling sales messaging.

Editing is usually simpler than beginning fresh. Those customers utilizing Marketing Automation customize a beginning framework daily using automation recipes while we work on improving our automation recipes with AI to provide our customers with the best place to start with whatever they need to automate.

The Future of AI in Marketing Automation

At Dream Warrior, we have always prioritized opening sophisticated capabilities to all of our clients. AI accelerates our goal of democratizing marketing automation. AI can swiftly build brand-new consumer experiences across channels, audiences, and messages from a single directive or objective. What motivates us is the possibility for our customers to quickly discover targeted segments, build outbound sequences and drip campaigns, add complicated branching, and add personalized content. We are thrilled to be a part of this adventure with our Marketing Automation partners since the future of AI and automation is promising.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles Based web design and digital marketing Company, providing solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Posts & Marketing & Google PPC campaigns. Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

Sitemaps

News about Sitemaps Ping Endpoint Deprecation

On Monday, June 26th, Google made a significant announcement regarding the Sitemaps Protocol, a tool that has been assisting search engines in discovering new URLs and scheduling crawls of already known URLs since 2005. The announcement revealed that the sitemaps “ping” endpoint, a feature of this widely utilized protocol, will be deprecated within the next six months.

What are Sitemaps

To repeat some of our previous posts, Google defines a sitemap as “a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, as well as the relationships between them.” (Google: Find out more about sitemaps.)

When you submit a sitemap, search engines may crawl your site more efficiently.

A sitemap will offer search engines crucial information such as:

When was a URL last updated?
How frequently are modifications made to a page?
The importance of a page in relation to other pages on your website.

This data assists search engines in finding, crawling, and indexing the web pages on your site. Sitemaps can be generated in an XML file, the most often used method. Some content management systems have capabilities that make it simple to create sitemaps.

Below is an example of a simple sitemap with all possible elements sourced from Dream Warrior Group‘s site.

<urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″>
<url>
<loc>https://dreamwarrior.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2023-06-28T00:00:00-07:00</lastmod>
<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>

Understanding the Sitemap Ping

The sitemap protocol provides an unauthenticated REST method for sending sitemaps to search engines. However, subsequent internal Google and other search engine research have revealed that these unauthenticated sitemap submissions are no longer helpful. In the instance of Google Search, most of these submissions have been detected as spam. As a result, Google has chosen to remove sitemaps ping support. The deprecated REST API will stop working in six months, and any pings to it will result in a 404 error, and using the endpoint will no longer be useful.

The end of the sitemap pinging doesn’t mean that your sitemaps are useless; if you are utilizing robots.txt or regularly pushing your sitemap to the Google search console, you should experience no issues.

The Role of the Lastmod Element

The utility of the last mod feature, which indicates the latest modification date of a webpage, has fluctuated throughout time. However, it has recently become more impactful in a variety of situations, and Google now uses it as a signal for scheduling crawls to previously identified URLs.

To serve its purpose, the last mod element must be in a supported date format, as stated on sitemaps.org. Once you upload your sitemap, Google’s Search Console will alert you if it is not. Furthermore, it should accurately reflect the actual modification dates: if a page was last amended seven years ago, but the last mod element indicates that it was modified yesterday, Google will eventually discard the last mod dates provided.

You can apply the last mod element to all or just a subset of the pages in your sitemap. Because these sites frequently aggregate content from other pages on the site, some site software may need help to detect the last modification date of the homepage or a category page. In such circumstances, omitting the last model for these pages is appropriate.

It is critical to understand that “last modification” refers to “last significant modification.” Minor changes, such as changing the text in the sidebar or footer, do not warrant an update to the last mod value. Only if there are significant modifications to the primary text, structured data, or links you should change the last mod value.

Changefreq and Priority Elements

Google does not utilize the change freq or priority elements. The change freq element overlaps conceptually with last mod, while the priority element, a highly subjective field, often fails to accurately represent the actual priority of a page relative to other pages on a site based on Google’s internal studies. For further information on sitemaps, please review SITEMAP.ORG.

GA4 Audiences

Part 5 of many about GA4 and what is coming after UA

We will pick up this installment of the Analytics after UA here at the end of this article GA4 Segments and Audiences by focusing on building audiences in GA4.

Creating custom and remarketing audiences in Google Analytics 4 is one of the strategies to progress your analytics setup, per the GA4 checklist. You may need clarification on GA4’s comparable audiences, segments, filters, and comparative options.

Who are the GA4 audiences?

Let’s begin by defining the target audience. Users can be grouped or segmented into audiences based on one or more demographic, geographic, or user behavior characteristics.

This segmentation of users means you can use the whole amount of data in Google Analytics 4 to build audiences. For instance, you can create the following audience:

1. 1. Facebook Ads Traffic from the USA
  2. Google Organic Search Mobile Traffic
  3. Google Ads Desktop Traffic Paris, France
  4. Users who started their first session visiting the specific landing page and scrolled more than 50% of the page

Users that arrived at the targeted landing page for the first time during their first session and scrolled more than halfway down the page

These are all illustrations of audiences in GA4. So the question “What’s the difference between them” is excellent if you use segments in GA4 Explore.

How To Create Audiences in GA4

The audience creation process in Google Analytics 4 is comparable to that in Universal Analytics. Therefore, you should launch GA4 and take the next step to do that: Click the “New Audience” button under GA4 -> Admin -> Audiences.

creating Audiences in GA4 — Creating audiences in GA4

Let’s review the interface at this point. For this article, I decided to split the audiences into two types:

1. 1. Predefined audiences – the ones we can create using GA4 Templates
  2. Custom audiences – any audience we create using GA4 “Create a custom audience” button

Audience types — GA4 – Building new audiences

We can create the first type of audience using Google’s templates. Then, selecting the appropriate selection and entering the value are the only things we need to change. Next, Google offers us some ideas on how we may create them.

For instance, choosing “US” as the “country id” in the demographics template makes it simple to establish an audience that includes all users from the USA.

GA4 Audiences including US citizens — Audiences including US citizens

We can create remarketing audiences for Google Ads using customized or suggested audiences.

Predictive audiences is another intriguing Google Analytics 4 feature that allows you to run paid advertising campaigns, for example, for users more likely to churn. Send by ecommerce_purchase or in_app_purchase events to activate these audiences.

Audiences – Metric

Definition

- - - - Purchase Probability
        The probability that a user who was active in the last 28 days will complete a specific conversion event within the next seven days.
      - Churn probability
        The probability that a user who was active on your app or site within the last seven days will not be active within the next seven days.
      - Predicted revenue
        The revenue expected from all purchase conversions in the next 28 days from an active user in the last 28 days.

Unfortunately, you will see a “Not eligible to use” label if you don’t send these events.

Let’s create a custom audience and enable it in Google Ads. This way, it will become a remarketing audience.

Creating a custom audience in GA4

We want to target users who landed on the Show page during the last 30 days. We want to show them an ad detailing purchase ticket options and deals.

GA4 Custom Audience Users with page visit Jeffrey Kahane Show — Custom Audience – page visit Jeffrey Kahane Show

How to edit, delete or archive an audience in GA4?

As I previously stated, Google Analytics 4 allows you to build up to 100 audiences. So, you may find yourself in a position where you must remove, alter, or archive one.

Once more, editing an existing audience does not need resetting any users. This audience has no users before you provide and save modifications, but it immediately begins to get new traffic.

The audience can be archived in Google Analytics 4. The same as delete, it is. Go to the GA4 Audiences page, click the three dots next to the audience you want to delete, and then select “archive.”

Edit, Duplicate, Archive, or Delete GA4 Audience — Audiences – Editing

In the next and final installment you will read about Reporting with GA4.

GA4 Configuration

Part 3 of many about GA4 and what is coming after UA

This installment of the Analytics after UA deals with detailed work you need to do to ensure you have completed the basic setup of GA4 by performing a proper GA4 configuration. We will pick up here at the end of the last article:

Next steps with your new GA4 property

After completing the process with the wizard, you’ll see “You have successfully connected your properties” at the top of your Google Analytics 4 Property Setup Assistant page. If your Universal Analytics property name is “Example property (UA-nnnnnnn),” your GA4 property name will be “Example property – GA4 (xxxxxxx)”, without a “UA-” prefix, and where xxxxxxx is a new property number.

Set up the GA4 Configuration tag

Step 1: Create a GA4 Configuration tag

Start by creating a Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration tag to send data to your Analytics property.

1. 1. 1. 1. In Google Tag Manager, click Tags > New.
      2. Enter a name for the tag at the top (e.g., “GA4 Configuration – example.com”).
      3. In the Tag Configuration box, select Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
      4. Configure your tag:
        
        In the field Measurement ID, enter your “G-” ID. Keep the Send a page view event when this configuration loads option checked to automatically send page view events.
      5. Optional settings:
        
        Server-side tagging: Select Send to server container to send all GA4 events to a Tag Manager server container instead of Google Analytics. Specify the Server Container URL of your Tag Manager server container. Learn more about Server-Side Tagging.
        
        Parameters: Add any parameters you’d like to configure in Fields to Set. Use recommended event parameter names so that Google Analytics can populate dimensions and metrics for you.
        Example 1: To set a user ID, add a row to Fields to Set. Set the Field Name to user_id, and the Value to a Tag Manager Variable that returns the user ID.
      6. Example 2: Use Fields to Set to configure cookie field settings:
      7. Custom properties: Add any custom user properties that you’d like to configure in User Properties.
        Note: Analytics automatically collects some user dimensions so you don’t have to define user properties for them. You can set up to 25 additional user properties per Google Analytics 4 property.

Step 2: Create a trigger

Next, set up a trigger to load the Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration when someone loads your website.

1. 1. To ensure that the Google Analytics 4 Configuration tag fires before other triggers, click Triggering and use the Initialization – All pages trigger. Learn more about Page triggers.
  2. Save the tag configuration.

Result

Your tag configuration should look like this:

Step 3: Verify your tag works

To make sure your tag works as intended:

1. 1. In Google Tag Manager, click Preview. The Tag Assistant opens.
  2. Enter your site’s URL.
  3. Check if the Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration fired when the page loaded.
    ✅ If your tag fired successfully, the Tag Assistant UI look like this:❌ If your tag didn’t fire, check your tag’s trigger settings.
  4. When you are done with debugging, close Preview mode.
  5. In your Workspace, click Submit to publish your changes.

Set up events

To set up an event using Google Tag Manager, you will configure a Google Analytics: GA4 Event tag and then create a trigger that specifies when you want to send the event.

The following steps show you how to send a custom event to a Google Analytics 4 property when a user clicks a button to sign up for your newsletter. The steps show you how to implement the event using Tag Manager and don’t require you to implement a data layer object.

Step 1: Create a GA4 Event tag

Start by creating a Google Analytics: GA4 Event tag for the new custom event.

1. 1. In Google Tag Manager, click Tags > New.
  2. Enter a name for the GA4 Event tag at the top (e.g., “GA4 Event – Signup newsletter”).
  3. Select Google Analytics: GA4 Event.
  4. In the Configuration Tag, select your Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration tag.
  5. In Event Name, enter a name for the event (e.g. signup_newsletter). This will create a new custom event and the name will appear in your GA4 reports. To create a recommended event, use one of the predefined event names.

Step 2: Create a trigger

Next, create a trigger to send the event when someone clicks the button.

1. 1. Click the Triggering box in your GA4 Event tag.
  2. Click + on the top right.
  3. Enter a name for the trigger (e.g., “Trigger – Signup newsletter”).

You can choose the conditions for sending the event. The following example sends the event based on the button label:

1. 1. Click the Trigger Configuration box in your trigger.
  2. Choose All Elements.
  3. Click Some Clicks.
  4. Set the following trigger condition: “Click Text contains Sign up for the newsletter”.
  5. Save all your changes.

If you want the event to trigger when someone views a page (e.g., on a confirmation page), you could use a Page View trigger instead.

Step 3: Preview your changes

Before you publish your new event in Tag Manager, click Preview to see the data that’s recorded when you click the “Sign up for the newsletter” button.

You can use preview mode to test changes to your container before you publish those changes to your website.

See your events in Analytics

You can see your events and their parameters using the Realtime and DebugView reports. Note that the DebugView report requires some additional configuration before you can use the report.

GA4 Setup

Part 2 of many about GA4 and what is coming after UA

The next installments of the Analytics after UA, deals with detailed work you need to do to make sure you have access to GA4. Here is a step by step explanation of GA4 Setup:

Use the GA4 Setup Assistant to create a new GA4 property that collects data in parallel with your existing Universal Analytics property. There are no changes to your Universal Analytics property, and it continues to collect data as always. You can access both properties via the property selector or Admin screen.

Starting GA4 Setup

To use the GA4 Setup Assistant, you need the Editor role for the account.

1. 1. In Google Analytics, click Admin (lower left).
    admin at the lower left hand side
  2. In the Account column, make sure that your desired account is selected. (If you only have one Google Analytics account, it’s already selected.)
  3. In the Property column, select the Universal Analytics property that currently collects data for your website.
  4. In the Property column, click GA4 Setup Assistant. It’s the first option in the Property column.
  5. Click Get started under I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property.
  6. In the Create a new Google Analytics 4 property pop-up screen, you’ll have one of the following options, depending on how your site is currently tagged:
    - Create and continue. Click this button to continue to the Set up a Google tag page.
    - Create property. If you see this option, this means that Analytics can reuse your existing Universal Analytics tagging for your GA4 property. Analytics will create a connected site tag between your Universal Analytics and GA4 properties. Select this option and skip to the Next steps with your new GA4 property section.
      Note for advanced users: This option implements standard data collection for your GA4 property. If you’ve implemented any custom tags for your UA property
  7. On the Set up a Google tag page, select the option that best describes your situation and follow the instructions to finish creating your new GA4 property.

Use the Google tag found on your website (Recommended)

Select this option to use the Google tag detected on your website to complete setup without making changes to your site’s code.
If desired, click Details to view your tag details.
Click Confirm to finish creating your new GA4 property.

Use a Google tag you already have

Select this option to reuse a Google tag that you already have admin access to. Click Choose a tag. You’ll see:

1. A list of tags you have admin access to.Tag IDs
2. Choose a tag labeled “On site” to complete setup without making changes to your site’s code. If you choose a tag labeled “Not detected”, you might need to install it. Select the Google tag you want to use, then click Confirm to finish creating your new GA4 property.

Install a Google tag

Select this option if you don’t have the Google tag installed on your website.

- Click Next to install a new Google tag on your website.
- On the Installation instructions page, you have 2 options:
  1. Install with a website builder: If you manage your site using certain website builders (or “CMS platforms,” like Wix or Duda), you can finish setting up your Google tag without making changes to your code.
  2. Install manually: Choose this option if one of the following is true:
    1. Your website builder/CMS does not yet support the Google tag (gtag.js)
    2. You or your web developer are manually tagging your website
    3. Your website is tagged with analytics.js
    4. You use Google Tag Manager

Option 1: Install with a website builder or CMS
If you manage your site using one of the platforms listed on the Installation instructions page, select your platform and follow the instructions to finish setting up your Google tag without making changes to your code.
If your platform doesn’t yet support the Google tag, you can use the manual installation option (below).

Option 2: Install manually
Choose this option if one of the following is true:

- - - Your website builder/CMS does not yet support the Google tag (gtag.js). Note: You’ll need to use your platform’s custom HTML feature
    - You or your web developer are manually tagging your website
      Your website is tagged with analytics.js
    - You use Google Tag Manager

How to manually install the Google tag
On the Install manually tab, you’ll see the JavaScript snippet for your Google tag. Copy and paste your entire Google tag in the code of every page of your website, immediately after the <head> element.

Your Google tag is the entire section of code that appears, beginning with:

<!– Google tag (gtag.js) –>

and ending with

</script>

Next steps with your GA4 setup

After you’re done with the wizard, you’ll see “You have successfully connected your properties” at the top of your Google Analytics 4 Property Setup Assistant page.If your Universal Analytics property name is “Example property (UA-nnnnnnn)”, your GA4 property name will be “Example property – GA4 (xxxxxxx)”, without a “UA-” prefix, and where xxxxxxx is a new property number.

GA4 Setup Assistant — GA4 Property setup assistant

We will continue with GA4 Configuration in the next post.