Google announced just this week that they will be shutting down both Google Optimize and Google Optimize 360. Both of the features will be shut down and marketers currently utilizing the platform will have to look elsewhere for assistance with conversion rate optimization measurement.
Google Optimize allowed for marketers to make changes to variations of landing pages and then measure variants against each other to determine which landing page structure would generate the most benefit for the business which they were marketing.
Changes to landing pages which could be tested include, but are not limited to:
- Color palette testing
- Content structure changes
- Messaging alterations
What This Means for Marketers
The amount of marketers relying solely on Google Optimize to test conversion rate optimization is likely low compared with the wide number of tools available today. This is unlikely to affect many marketers. Google’s thought process is to further push adoption of GA4. However, anyone streamlined within the G Suite enough to utilize Google Optimize is much more likely to be an early adopter of GA4. Google has made mention in the past of providing much of the same functions as Google Optimize within GA4.
What This Means for Your Business
If you are a business owner and unfamiliar with Google Optimize, the shut down of this program is very unlikely to affect you. Compared to the time when Google Optimize made its re-debut, the amount of options for A/B optimization have increased. So, if you are a business owner or marketer who is currently utilizing Google Optimize for landing page variation tests, finding a replacement tool should not be difficult.
Overall, it would be optimal for Google to provide a Google Analytics integrated landing page optimization tool which could assist with tasks like Google Ads management and conversion rate optimization. However, with the changing economic landscape and Google recently cutting 12,000 jobs it is less than surprising that Google has decided to focus on other higher revenue generating features than Google Optimize.