The TwoSix team is back and ready to share what’s On Our Radar for April so that you can stay ahead of the always-evolving digital marketing landscape. This month, the TwoSix team discusses new YouTube Shorts features, organic search traffic, the TikTok ban, new Crowdriff maps, and more! Keep reading to find out what we’re keeping On Our Radar for April 2025.

Have you ever wondered what type of ads your competition is running on Facebook, or would you like to see all of your live ads in one place? The Meta Ad Library is the one-stop shop!

The Meta Ad Library is a publicly accessible database that allows anyone to view active ads running across Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram).  It is part of Meta’s transparency in advertising program, but it’s also very convenient for competitive analysis.  It lets you see the specific ads your competitors are running,  their messaging, and visuals.   This provides valuable insights into your competitors’ strategies, creative approaches, and promotional focuses.  This can ultimately help you refine your Meta advertising efforts, create some new ideas, and identify potential future opportunities.

With all the drama surrounding TikTok, now is the time to seriously consider upping your YouTube Shorts game. Google seems to be prepping its platform for an influx of new creators by beefing up some of the content creation tools in Shorts. Shorts are already one of the most streamlined formats to create. In fact, starting with content creation on Shorts makes sense due to its safe zone that works within Reels and TikTok. If you start with Shorts, your content works on the other networks. Brilliant.

Recently, Google added some more “tiktoky” features to Shorts, which closes the gap even more between the various platforms. They’ve updated the editor with some great new AI features like beat matching, AI-generated custom stickers, expanded template options, and more. Most importantly, the editor is now more precise. If you’ve created in Shorts before, you know that getting those tight cuts was a real challenge. Not anymore. They’ve greatly enhanced the capabilities of the editor. Additionally, previews are available in the composer! That’s a game-changer right there. That was probably one of my biggest frustrations. You had to render the whole video to get a preview. It caused many rage quits! Lastly, you can now rearrange clips in the timeline instead of starting over. If you know, you know.

Some other interesting additions include using AI to match video cuts to the beats in the music that you use. This can go a long way in making your content more engaging. Remember, one sentence per shot and don’t forget the power of narration. They’ve also added the ability to use images as background in your Shorts! Does that sound familiar to anyone?

These additions seem to indicate to me that, slowly but surely, YouTube Shorts are becoming the new TikToks. It’s time to get on board the Shorts train.

For the first time in almost a decade, Google has reported that they see more than 5 TRILLION searches on their platform annually. The last time Google gave the figure was in 2016, telling Search Engine Land that they handled at least “trillions” of searches, which the news outlet estimated at over 2 trillion. More than doubling a figure already in the trillions is astounding.

But with AI now in the mix, things are shaking up.

And that’s lead to a lot of concern over organic search traffic — what most organizations rely on to get users to their website. Typically, this free traffic from search engines comprises at anywhere from 40-60% of all website traffic for travel and hospitality organizations. At TwoSix Digital, we’re getting lots of questions about what we’re seeing in this space. We’ll dive into those numbers in just a moment.

First, some important context. For the first time since 2015, in Q4 of 2024, Google’s worldwide search engine market share dropped below 90%. According to a recent study released by the Verge:

• 66% said the quality of information is deteriorating, making it difficult to find reliable sources.
• 61% of Gen Z and 53% of Millennials reported that they are using AI tools in places of search engines (like Google) to find information about a topic
• 55% said they get information from their community more than online search platforms.
• 52% said they use AI chatbots or alternative platforms (e.g., TikTok) for information instead of Google.
• 42% said Google and search engines are becoming less useful.

About the study: The Vox Media Insights and Research team surveyed over 2,000 US adults representing the US population in December 2024.

Now onto what we’re seeing here at TwoSix Digital. After compiling Google Analytics 4 data, we generally see that 2024 was a positive rather than a negative year in the DMO and hospitality arena when it comes to organic search traffic. It’s a mixed bag, certainly, with some up by 15% and some down by 10%. But overall, it was an upward trend, especially in the first half of the year.

Note: We’ve had to be a bit picky with the data that we pulled, because some organizations have been a lot from our SEO and digital campaign programs — so we picked those that have been the most consistent year over year.

On the other hand, organic search traffic in Q1 of 2025 is unquestionably trending lower year over year. Sure, there’s economic uncertainties and a lot more snow than expected. It’s worth noting that those with the best seasonal / winter SEO strategies have actually benefited quite a lot. Nonetheless, this is a worrying development, with the average year over year downturn ranging from 5-10%.

Put simply, the answer to the question “is organic search traffic down across the board?” is yes.

It remains to be seen whether this trend continues after Q1 in 2025, but the signs are there. The good news is that we know how to combat this. Start creating content for both AI and users and start formulating content for generative search. If you haven’t already invested in SEO, now is the time.

Another day, another postponement.

This week saw the Trump-era TikTok ban date extended once again, delaying the enforcement date by which ByteDance must sell or close U.S. operations. It’s bringing back massive déjà vu—for creators as well as for advertisers—and not the kind of fun, viral audio kind.

Although the app remains very much alive and well, the legal back-and-forth persists. This is the newest chapter in a multiyear battle over data privacy, national security, and the question of whether TikTok’s existence in the U.S. is ultimately sustainable.

What can advertisers and creators then do with this “yes, but no, but maybe” energy?

Stay agile: Given TikTok’s precarious status, marketers shouldn’t overcommit their budgets to the app without a fallback strategy. Diversifying across Reels, Shorts, and even Pinterest’s Idea Pins isn’t just prudent—it’s a must.

Cross-Post Everything: If you’re creating for TikTok, you ought to be creating for Reels and Shorts as well. Save the raw files, adjust the captions, and upload.

Watch what new features other platforms are doing: Instagram and YouTube are competing by trying to replicate TikTok’s dynamism (and users). This means frequent updates to edit tools, discoverability algorithms, and monetization. Those aren’t distractions—those are signals.

The reality: TikTok remains very much a heavyweight in the short-form game. But just as was the case in 2020, 2021, and 2023. the rules could change. And trust us, the brands and creators that will thrive will not be the ones who were loyal to one platform—those will be the ones who remained flexible.

Editing has gotten a lot easier in recent years thanks to tools like Canva for design, ChatGPT and other AI platforms for writing, and now Instagram Edits for video. Edits is set to become its own standalone app—essentially Instagram’s answer to CapCut.

Currently in beta testing, Edits is expected to be free, with a simplified version already rolling out. The goal? Make content creation as accessible as possible. The easier it is for people to create, the more they’ll post—and the better Instagram becomes as a platform.

If Edits ends up being to CapCut what Canva is to Photoshop, I can see it becoming a go-to tool for quick, user-friendly video editing. Canva has already replaced Photoshop in my workflow thanks to features like background remover and built-in AI tools—all in a more intuitive interface. If Edits follows a similar path, it could be a game-changer for casual creators and marketers alike.

CrowdRiff just launched something big! You can now embed interactive maps that help DMOs tell their story in a whole new way. These customizable maps let you showcase UGC and owned content right on the map, from local businesses to your biggest attractions.  The map also includes clickable CTAs that guide travelers from your map to listings or blog posts related to each location.

Photo from Crowdriff

Whether you’re highlighting foodie spots, scenic road trips, or pet-friendly adventures, CrowdRiff Maps make it shockingly easy to create on-brand maps that visitors can explore on desktop or mobile. This is such a smart and fun way to level up your site content and help travelers navigate your website with ease.

Check out Crowdriff’s full blog post below to get started!

Throughout March, Google continued expanding its AI capabilities, launching Gemini 2.0, in the U.S. to power more advanced AI Overviews. This update allows AI Overviews to handle more complex, multi-layered queries—not just the straightforward FAQs we’ve been optimizing for.

One standout capability is certainly interesting to those of us in the Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality industry: AI Overviews can now generate multi-day travel itineraries. These aren’t just for big cities—they can cover regions, towns, and even entire countries. You can test this in Google by searching something like:
 “Create an itinerary for [DESTINATION] with a focus on [THEME]”
 For example: “Create an itinerary for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan with a focus on nature.” Or “Create an itinerary for Muskegon, Michigan with a focus on history.”

This is a great experiment for destinations to see if they’re featured in the AI Overview. Try searching for an itinerary within your own destination and see what comes up, and check to see if your site is linked in the results.

Authority matters more than ever. From what I’ve observed, Google prioritizes linking to official sources: accommodation sites, DNR/NPS pages for parks, Google Business profiles for local restaurants and attractions, and the occasional DMO website.

For example, when I searched “create an itinerary for Muskegon, Michigan with a focus on nature,” Google linked to this page about the South Pierhead Outer Lighthouse. Why? Because Visit Grand Haven answered all the relevant questions—how to access it, the best views, historical details, tour availability, and parking info. That level of completeness likely boosted their authority and got them featured.

The takeaway? To improve your chances of being cited in AI Overviews, make sure your content is deep, helpful, and comprehensive.

Thanks to Instagram’s algorithm implementation a few years back, it’s been harder to see content from friends, family, and businesses/brands we follow. Chronological feeds have practically become irrelevant.

The closest way to see real-time updates from followed accounts is using Stories up at the top, even those posted 3 seconds ago—I promise I’m not creeping, it just popped up when I opened the app! This is also how many users have reshared content they find interesting and worth sharing with their followers. Stories also let users interact with that content however they see fit, like skipping by it or clicking on the post to engage further.

Now, to feel more like TikTok, Instagram appears to slowly be rolling out a feature allowing users to re-post Reels. While it’s unclear how often you’ll see re-posts as opposed to regular content the app recommends, the re-posts will live directly in the main feed instead of sharing in Stories.

On one hand, it could work to the advantage of those trying to boost their post’s reach. Since Instagram prioritizes engagement-based content, a re-post would add to your post’s overall engagement and metrics. On the other hand, it feels like our main feeds will be injected with even more content we don’t particularly care to seek out or follow in the first place, turning people off to accounts before they even have a chance.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how this option plays out. We’ll keep an eye on it moving forward.

With the ever-changing digital marketing world, we are here to keep you informed of new digital trends and what we are keeping on our radar each month. Have any questions? Contact us! We’re here to help.

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