Latest news with #GoogleAnalytics
Time Business News
3 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
SEO company in dubai
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It's the work an SEO professional does to improve your site's ranking in search engines. A web agency specializing in SEO has recognized expertise and will be able to advise you on the best solutions to implement to optimize your natural SEO and make you known. SEO (search engine optimization) is a long and complicated process, but the work of a web agency specializing in SEO can help optimize your visibility on search engines. Indeed, the latter uses its knowledge of SEO (search engine optimization) to define the right referencing methods and strategies. Optimize your SEO the natural referencing of a website If you want to optimize your SEO, it's important to call on the expertise of a good SEO agency . This agency relies on specific tools and SEO methods to guarantee effective visibility for your website and normally a contribution of quality traffic. It's entirely possible to put a website online and wait for visitors to arrive en masse. But to increase the number of visitors, it's necessary to apply a number of techniques. Discuss your SEO needs with the SEO agency. The SEO agency should offer you personalized solutions to help you optimize your positioning on Google and improve your online visibility. Technical audit, semantic audit, competitor analysis, analysis of the current positioning of your site's pages. If the agency certifies you of the first positions in a few weeks, don't go any further; no true SEO professional can guarantee a particular position on key phrases. Research and request SEO agency client references Choose an agency based on its experience and references. The agency should provide you with references with whom it has worked. For some, these references can be a guarantee of quality. The number of references will also be a good indicator. Finally, the quality of the agency can also be deduced from its reputation in the sector. The SEO agency should show you tangible results, such as Google Analytics or Search Console reports. What is the work plan of the SEO agency? You need to have a clear idea of the method they offer to increase your visibility. Does the SEO agency offer a content strategy, content tailored to your topic, etc.? What are the technical skills of their team? Is there a dedicated team for your project? Always ask yourself if their practices match what you're looking for. A reliable indicator for assessing an SEO agency is to evaluate the results achieved for its own business. Is its website's positioning high-quality, is its blog high-quality, and does the agency display SEO case studies ? If so, that's a good sign. Another indicator is to evaluate whether the agency works with a large network of professionals and whether it or its collaborators are active on networks like LinkedIn . What types of packages does the SEO agency offer? The agency should offer you a minimum 6-month contract to start with, and it is important to assess the impact of specific agency actions on metrics and results. What are the technical skills of the SEO agency? A good SEO agency knows perfectly well that the code deployed on a website will have a direct impact on its natural referencing. The quality of the code is therefore an important selection criterion when you are looking for an SEO agency. Indeed, Google's rules are very strict and if they are not respected, your site can be penalized in its referencing. Many SEO agencies in Quebec, too often focus only on carrying out audits, without being able to implement all the recommendations they make. A good SEO agency can still work with a team of programmers who have good SEO foundations if it does not have the resources in-house it will act as a conductor to validate that all technical SEO recommendations are properly applied. Does the SEO agency use professional writers to write your content? Web writing is a unique profession; few agencies have an in-house writing team. If the SEO agency uses professional writers to write your content, it's a good way to achieve excellent results. They have a perfect command of their subject and are capable of writing tailored, high-quality texts. This content is then optimized for natural referencing, always according to an editorial charter and after analyzing the lexical field. User-generated content (UGC) is also a good and very affordable source to feed your blog depending on the type of site and services offered. In conclusion, to choose the right SEO agency in Dubai You should be careful not to give all your money to the first agency that offers you a 'GOLD plan.' It's always best to ask the SEO agency to clearly outline its strategy and show you tangible things you can trust to increase your company's sales and search engine rankings. A good SEO company in dubai can make your digital marketing successful and help you stand out from the crowd. Contact us to challenge us, we love it. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
USA Today
4 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Why are these health-care websites sharing sensitive info with LinkedIn and Snapchat?
Why are these health-care websites sharing sensitive info with LinkedIn and Snapchat? This story was originally published by The Markup, now a part of CalMatters. Sign up for their health care websites around the country, meant to provide a simple way to shop for insurance, have been quietly sending visitors' sensitive health information to Google and social media companies, The Markup and CalMatters found. The data, including prescription drug names and dosages, was sent by web trackers on state exchanges set up under the Affordable Care Act to help Americans purchase health coverage. The exchange websites ask users to answer a series of questions, including about their health histories, to find them the most relevant information on plans. But in some cases, when visitors responded to sensitive questions, the invisible trackers sent that information to platforms like Google, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. The Markup and CalMatters audited the websites of all 19 states that independently operate their own online health exchange. While most of the sites contained advertising trackers of some kind, The Markup and CalMatters found that four states exposed visitors' sensitive health exchange, Nevada Health Link, asks visitors about what prescriptions they use, including the names and dosages of the drugs, to help them find their best options for health insurance. When visitors start typing, it suggests specific medications, including antidepressants, birth control and hormone therapies. As visitors answered the questions, their responses were sent to LinkedIn and Snapchat, according to tests conducted by The Markup and CalMatters in April and May. Spend your money smart: Sign up for USA TODAY's Daily Money newsletter. On the other side of the country, Maine's exchange, sent information on drug prescriptions and dosages to Google through an analytics tool. It also sent the names of doctors and hospitals that people had previously visited. Rhode Island's exchange, HealthSource RI, sent prescription information, dosages, and doctors' names to Google. Massachusetts Health Connector, another exchange, told LinkedIn whether visitors said they were pregnant, blind, or disabled. After being contacted by The Markup and CalMatters, Nevada's health exchange stopped sending visitors' data to Snapchat and Massachusetts stopped sending data to LinkedIn. Additionally, The Markup and CalMatters found that Nevada stopped sending data to LinkedIn in early May, as testing was happening. The Markup and CalMatters discovered the sharing after finding that California's exchange, Covered California, told LinkedIn when a visitor indicated they were blind, pregnant, or a victim of domestic violence. Experts said state health exchanges' use of advertising trackers was troubling if not entirely surprising. Such tools can help organizations to reach visitors and tailor ads for them. Google Analytics allows website operators to better understand who is coming to their site and to optimize ad campaigns. The LinkedIn and Snap trackers, like a similar offering from Meta, help companies target their social media ads. Nevada uses the trackers to help target marketing at uninsured residents, according to Russell Cook, Executive Director of the state agency that operates Nevada's exchange, Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. But health care services need to be especially careful with those tools, said John Haskell, a data privacy attorney who has previously worked as an investigator for the Department of Health and Human Services. 'It doesn't surprise me that organizations that have these massive tech stacks that rely on third party-resources don't have a full understanding of what the configuration is, what the data flows are, and then once they go to somebody, what that data is being used for,' Haskell said. 'It's something that needs to be addressed.' How was state exchange data tied to users' identities? After The Markup and CalMatters reported on Covered California's sharing of health data with LinkedIn, the exchange removed its trackers and said it would review its data practices. The news triggered a class-action lawsuit and questions from federal lawmakers. The Markup and CalMatters then examined websites operated by 18 states other than California, as well as Washington, D.C., to see what information they shared as users navigated them. The sites were established under the Affordable Care Act, which requires states to offer health insurance either through their own exchanges or one operated by the federal government. To test them, The Markup and CalMatters first ran the sites through Blacklight, a tool we developed to reveal web trackers. We then reviewed network traffic on the sites to see what data the trackers received when visitors filled out forms. The results showed that 18 used some sort of tracker. Some were filled with them. Nevada, for example, used nearly 50. By contrast, Blacklight found no tracker of any kind on Washington, D.C.'s exchange. Popular websites use on average seven trackers, according to Blacklight scans of the 100,000 most trafficked sites on the web. Many of the sites used trackers in relatively innocuous ways, like counting page views. The four exchanges The Markup and CalMatters found sharing sensitive health data sent varied responses to questions about the tracking. Cook said in a statement that trackers placed by his Nevada agency were 'inadvertently obtaining information regarding the name and dosage of prescription drugs' and sending it to LinkedIn and Snapchat. Cook acknowledged such data was 'wholly irrelevant to our marketing efforts' and said it had disabled tracking software pending an audit. Jason Lefferts, a spokesperson for Massachusetts Health Connector, said in a statement that 'personally identifiable information is not part of the tool's structure and no personally identifiable information, not even the IP addresses of users of the tool, has ever been shared with any party in any way via this tool." But LinkedIn's tracker documentation makes clear that it correlates the information it receives with specific LinkedIn accounts so companies can use the data for features like retargeting website visitors. The company's documentation also states it later obscures this information and eventually deletes it. Spokespeople for the Rhode Island and Maine health exchanges said that they pay a vendor, Consumers' Checkbook, to run a separate site that allows visitors to explore what plans are available to them through their states' exchanges. It was from these sites that sensitive information was shared to Google. Consumers' Checkbook's sites are at different web addresses than the exchange sites, but are prominently linked to on the exchange sites and display identical branding like the state health exchange's logo, making it unlikely that an average visitor would realize they were no longer on a state-run domain. Christina Spaight O'Reilly, a spokesperson for HealthSource RI, said the company uses Google Analytics to study trends but not to serve ads, and 'disables Google Signals Data Collection, ensuring that no data is shared with Google Ads for audience creation or ad personalization, and no session data is linked to Google's advertising cookies or identifiers.' HealthSource RI's terms of use mention the use of Google Analytics, she noted. A spokesperson for made similar points, saying that the agency 'does not collect or retain any data entered into the tool.' Consumers' Checkbook declined to comment beyond the exchanges' statements. All of the exchanges said that individually identifiable health information, like names and addresses, wasn't sent to third parties. But the point of the trackers is to enhance information sent about a user with data the platforms already have on that user, and every tracker found by The Markup and CalMatters logged details about individual visitors, such as their operating system, browser, device, and times of visit. In response to requests for comment, the tech companies whose trackers were examined uniformly said they do not want organizations sending them potentially sensitive health data, and that doing so is against their terms of use. Steve Ganem, Director of Product Management for Google Analytics, said that 'by default any data sent to Google Analytics does not identify individuals, and we have strict policies against collecting Private Health Information or advertising based on sensitive information.' A spokesperson for LinkedIn, Brionna Ruff, said that advertisers are not allowed 'to target ads based on sensitive data categories,' such as health issues. A spokesperson for Snapchat owner Snap said the same, noting that sending purchases of supplies like prescriptions would run afoul of the company's rules about sensitive data. A Google Analytics information page specifically discusses how organizations that use the company's tools should comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects health data. The page notes that 'Google makes no representations that Google Analytics satisfies HIPAA requirements.' 'It is important to ensure that your implementation of Google Analytics and the data collected about visitors to your properties satisfies all applicable legal requirements,' the page reads. More incidents State exchanges aren't the only health sites that have sent medical information to social media companies. In 2022, The Markup revealed that dozens of hospital websites shared information with Facebook's parent company, Meta, through a tool called the Meta Pixel. The hospitals faced scrutiny from Congress and legal action. Another Markup investigation found trackers logging information about online drugstore visitors purchasing HIV tests and Plan B. In 2023, a New York hospital agreed to pay a $300,000 fine for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or response to a series of incidents, the Department of Health and Human Services said in 2023 that use of social media trackers to log health information could violate HIPAA, although recent court decisions have narrowed how the law can be applied against companies that use those trackers. Some plaintiffs have used state laws, like those in California, to argue that they should be compensated for having their health data sent to third parties without consent. Others have argued that this kind of tracking runs afoul of wiretapping or even racketeering laws. 'Organizations aren't investing enough time and resources into properly vetting everything,' said Haskell, who advises clients to be very careful about the information they track on their sites. 'When organizations are saying, 'we didn't understand that there's a certain configuration of this tool that we're using,' well, I can't really not put that on you.'
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Healthcare exchanges in New England shared users' sensitive health data with companies like Google
The exchange websites ask users to answer a series of questions, including about their health histories, to find them the most relevant information on plans. But in some cases, when visitors responded to sensitive questions, the invisible trackers sent that information to platforms like Google, Advertisement The Markup and CalMatters audited the websites of all 19 states that independently operate their own online health exchange. While most of the sites contained advertising trackers of some kind, The Markup and CalMatters found that four states exposed visitors' sensitive health information. Nevada's exchange, Nevada Health Link, asks visitors about what prescriptions they use, including the names and dosages of the drugs, to help them find their best options for health insurance. When visitors start typing, it suggests specific medications, including antidepressants, birth control and hormone therapies. As visitors answered the questions, their responses were sent to LinkedIn and Snapchat, according to tests conducted by The Markup and CalMatters in April and May. When an individual indicated that they took Fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac, on Nevada Health Link, the information was sent to LinkedIn. The Markup/CalMatters On the other side of the country, Maine's exchange, sent information on drug prescriptions and dosages to Google through an analytics tool. It also sent the names of doctors and hospitals that people had previously visited. Advertisement Rhode Island's exchange, HealthSource RI, sent prescription information, dosages, and doctors' names to Google. Massachusetts Health Connector, another exchange, told LinkedIn whether visitors said they were pregnant, blind, or disabled. After being contacted by The Markup and CalMatters, Nevada's health exchange stopped sending visitors' data to Snapchat and Massachusetts stopped sending data to LinkedIn. Additionally, The Markup and CalMatters found that Nevada stopped sending data to LinkedIn in early May, as we were testing. The Markup and CalMatters discovered the sharing after finding that California's exchange, Covered California, Experts said state health exchanges' use of advertising trackers was troubling if not entirely surprising. Such tools can help organizations to reach visitors and tailor ads for them. Google Analytics allows website operators to better understand who is coming to their site and to optimize ad campaigns. The LinkedIn and Snap trackers, like a similar offering from Meta, help companies target their social media ads. Nevada uses the trackers to help target marketing at uninsured residents, according to Russell Cook, Executive Director of the state agency that operates Nevada's exchange, Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. But health care services need to be especially careful with those tools, said John Haskell, a data privacy attorney who has previously worked as an investigator for the Department of Health and Human Services. 'It doesn't surprise me that organizations that have these massive tech stacks that rely on third party-resources don't have a full understanding of what the configuration is, what the data flows are, and then once they go to somebody, what that data is being used for,' Haskell said. 'It's something that needs to be addressed.' Advertisement How was state exchange data tied to users' identities? After The Markup and CalMatters then examined websites operated by 18 states other than California, as well as Washington, D.C., to see what information they shared as users navigated them. The sites were established under the Affordable Care Act, which requires states to offer health insurance either through their own exchanges or one operated by the federal government. To test them, we first ran the sites through The results showed that 18 used some sort of tracker. Some were filled with them. Nevada, for example, used nearly 50. By contrast, Blacklight found no tracker of any kind on Washington, D.C.'s exchange. Popular websites use on average seven trackers, according to Many of the sites used trackers in relatively innocuous ways, like counting page views. The four exchanges we found sharing sensitive health data sent varied responses to questions about the tracking. Advertisement Cook said in a statement that trackers placed by his Nevada agency were 'inadvertently obtaining information regarding the name and dosage of prescription drugs' and sending it to LinkedIn and Snapchat. Cook acknowledged such data was 'wholly irrelevant to our marketing efforts' and said it had disabled tracking software pending an audit. Jason Lefferts, a spokesperson for Massachusetts Health Connector, said in a statement that 'personally identifiable information is not part of the tool's structure and no personally identifiable information, not even the IP addresses of users of the tool, has ever been shared with any party in any way via this tool.' But LinkedIn's Spokespeople for the Rhode Island and Maine health exchanges said that they pay a vendor, Consumers' Checkbook, to run a separate site that allows visitors to explore what plans are available to them through their states' exchanges. It was from these sites that sensitive information was shared to Google. Consumers' Checkbook's sites are at different web addresses than the exchange sites, but are prominently linked to on the exchange sites and display identical branding like the state health exchange's logo, making it unlikely that an average visitor would realize they were no longer on a state-run domain. Christina Spaight O'Reilly, a spokesperson for HealthSource RI, said the company uses Google Analytics to study trends but not to serve ads, and 'disables Google Signals Data Collection, ensuring that no data is shared with Google Ads for audience creation or ad personalization, and no session data is linked to Google's advertising cookies or identifiers.' HealthSource RI's terms of use mention the use of Google Analytics, she noted. A spokesperson for made similar points, saying that the agency 'does not collect or retain any data entered into the tool.' Advertisement When an individual selected a doctor on HealthSource RI, the doctor's name was sent to Google Analytics. The Markup/CalMatters Consumers' Checkbook declined to comment beyond the exchanges' statements. All of the exchanges said that individually identifiable health information, like names and addresses, wasn't sent to third parties. But the point of the trackers is to enhance information sent about a user with data the platforms already have on that user, and every tracker found by The Markup and CalMatters logged details about individual visitors, such as their operating system, browser, device, and times of visit. In response to requests for comment, the tech companies whose trackers we examined uniformly said they do not want organizations sending them potentially sensitive health data, and that doing so is against their terms of use. Steve Ganem, Director of Product Management for Google Analytics, said that 'by default any data sent to Google Analytics does not identify individuals, and we have strict policies against collecting Private Health Information or advertising based on sensitive information.' A spokesperson for LinkedIn, Brionna Ruff, said that advertisers are not allowed 'to target ads based on sensitive data categories,' such as health issues. A spokesperson for Snapchat owner Snap said the same, noting that sending purchases of supplies like prescriptions would run afoul of the company's rules about sensitive data. Advertisement 'It is important to ensure that your implementation of Google Analytics and the data collected about visitors to your properties satisfies all applicable legal requirements,' the page reads. More incidents State exchanges aren't the only health sites that have sent medical information to social media companies. In 2022, In 2023, a New York hospital agreed to pay a $300,000 fine for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. In response to a series of incidents, the Some plaintiffs have used state laws, like those in California, to argue that they should be compensated for having their health data sent to third parties without consent. Others have argued that this kind of tracking runs afoul of 'Organizations aren't investing enough time and resources into properly vetting everything,' said Haskell, who advises clients to be very careful about the information they track on their sites. 'When organizations are saying, 'we didn't understand that there's a certain configuration of this tool that we're using,' well, I can't really not put that on you.'
Time Business News
5 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Realize the Best Practice to Maximize the Marketing Effort
Digital marketing is beneficial for businesses across various sectors. When it comes to the real estate industry, business owners rely on such services to succeed in the potential landscape. Through real estate digital marketing services, business owners have an excellent opportunity to drive traffic, generate leads, and nurture them. Business owners in this field use services to manage online visibility and impress qualified buyers. A perfect niche landing page and video content are crucial aspects for enhancing conversion. A well-optimized search engine profile is beneficial for a real estate business to reinforce its presence. Experts fulfill marketing efforts by executing the email marketing, blog, and content marketing. Buyers and sellers focus on the online resource for buying and selling the property. Necessity of professional service: Proper marketing is a significant consideration for many business owners today. You can consult with reputable experts who possess good skills and experience. The main aim of a professional is to create a site that is accessible to any device, such as desktop, mobile, and tablet. The advent of internet helps users access to the site via smart devices. For this reason, the expert makes user-friendly and responsive sites. Digital marketing professionals possess the industry-specific experience and expertise. They know how to create a stunning listing and optimize the content for local search terms. Based on that, professionals use advanced strategies to drive traffic. Handle the lead fostering and generation If you want a perfect marketing campaign, you can approach a reputable digital marketing company for real estate. Experts utilize an ideal system, including email follow-up and setting up campaigns. These are crucial matters in marketing properties. It is efficient for engaging potential buyers and making the right decision. Keep track of marketing trends The dream of every real estate business owner is to stay relevant in the industry. In that manner, business owners wish to stay updated with the latest trends in this industry. It supports business owner's adapt strategy. It is a better choice for the real estate business to be competitive. Digital marketing aids the business to capitalize on promising opportunities. Manage the good marketing campaign performance is major aspect for the realtor. Google Analytics, Facebook insights, and email marketing platform analytics are impressive tools for professionals to check the functionality. It is excellent to gather data and make an informed decision. With the precise data, business owners can optimize the effort for the better outcome. Digital marketing experts suggest diverse digital tools to automate and modernize the task. It enables business owners to focus on other functions within their business. Professionals research and select ideal tools that fit the business objective and requirement. Real estate business owners decide annual budget and assign resource to distinct digital channel. Depending on performance, business owners adjust their budget. It is excellent to invest in strategy for a successful business. So, you can utilize the expert advice and reach the goal. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Time Business News
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Maximizing Hotel ROI Through Strategic Paid Media Campaigns
In today's busy world, tourism and hospitality industries are grabbing people's attention. With innovative and strategic paid media campaigns, you can easily boost your hotel's ROI and increase your bookings. As travel enthusiasts rely upon targeted Ads for decision-making, optimizing paid media campaigns helps in successful ROI. With optimized advertising accounts in platforms including Google Ads, LinkedIn, Facebook, and so on, you can create effective campaigns that help in transforming your brand's presence and engagement. It is always better to have an innovative approach towards your hotel advertising strategies rather than relying upon the pay-to-display ad campaigns. This guide will help you with maximizing your hotel ROI through strategic paid media campaigns. Have a guided approach to understand your target audience effectively. Get detailed insights for choosing the best advertising platforms. Finding effective strategies to create compelling advertisements to boost ROI. Target Audience Segmentation When it comes to the hotel industry, one-size-fits-all will never work. It is needed to group your audiences based on their preferences, booking style, and their interests. Leverage High-Impact Visuals Create an image or video content that reflects your brand's uniqueness. It improves your click-through rate thereby boosting engagement. Use your skills to craft a creative story that reaches your target audience. Having strategic paid media campaigns with attractive visuals will effectively boost your ROI. Optimize Landing Pages for Conversions Having a well-designed landing page will help in boosting your paid media campaign. This includes clear call-to-action, fast-loading pages, and mobile optimization. Use Data-Driven Insights For Continuous Optimization To maximize your hotel ROI, collecting and analyzing the campaign data is very important. Using Google Analytics or Facebook Ads Manager will refine the target audience, identify what is working, and make adjustments based on data helps to improve your performance. Invest In Retargeting And ABM (Account-Based Marketing) For VIP customers or repeat visitors, having retargeting and ABM strategies makes your Ads always on top. With the use of Uno Rate Gain, improve your account-based marketing By providing personalized experiences and recommendations, you can improve long-term loyalty and repeated bookings. Let your brand come to life by proper media campaign advertising. You can have interactive forms using banners, videos, and animations on multiple websites, news pages, and blogs. Reconnect with your primary visitors by applying remarketing strategies for luxury hotels. Remarketing helps incentivize users to reconsider your offer and make purchases. Create your strategic paid media campaigns in Microsoft's search engine. In Bing, you can create lower CPC and have better ROI than Google. Showcase your paid media campaigns in Gmail by sending ads on the user's email ID. Promote your strategic paid media campaigns on YouTube as one-third of internet users spend their time on YouTube. You can easily target the right customers based on their gender, age, geography, and interests. Know how to use metasearch in your hotel marketing biz by showing updated room rates to achieve direct bookings and improve your ROI. When a user searches about your hotel, a metasearch displays your hotel with the current price on different platforms. Metasearch also helps in direct booking by promoting brand awareness. Being the largest network system for business, LinkedIn helps you to reach more than 500 million people effectively. It helps you to reach your target audience based on their job, and company size, creating brand awareness and generating new leads and traffic to your site. With Google Hotel Ads, users can search for availability and compare prices. Run your paid campaigns on Google Hotel Ads that reach customers at various stages. Thinking of improving your ROI for the Hotel Business? With Strategic Paid Media Campaigns you can now achieve this. Maximize your ROI by integrating with the Uno Rate Gain Platform. Read this article to know the ways to maximize hotel ROI with strategic paid media ads. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
