Official Google Australia Blog

Marvel at Maria Island with today’s Google Doodle

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Whatever the tone of the day, Australians are bound by a love for our land, the seas that surround us and our extraordinary wildlife. Now more than ever, we’ve been prompted to treasure our natural wonders – as this time last year, our heroic firefighters battled Australia’s worst raging bushfires in modern history.

So, as we honour the many marvels of our island home today, we’re taking a virtual trip to a spectacular island just off Tassie, Maria Island.
Maria island is home to a unique collection of mammal, marine, and avian species – and has been categorised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. This includes one of Australia’s rarest birds and the star of today’s Google Doodle, the forty-spotted pardalote. This precious bird is about 9-10 cm long, with a light olive green body and distinctive white dots. It is depicted nestled in its natural habitat, the dry eucalypt forest where white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) occurs. The tiny pardalote is the first Australian bird known to forage a sugary sap called manna by snipping the leaf stalks of gum trees. Maria Island supports the highest breeding population of forty-spotted pardalotes in Tasmania, which plays an important role in maintaining the forest’s vitality and managing insect pest populations.
Whether you’re in Tassie or Townsville, we invite you to explore Maria Island on Street View and get inspired for your next trip. You can discover ancient clams, sea fans, corals of the Fossil Cliffs walk – and the vibrant colours and swirling patterns of the Painted Cliffs walk.
Today’s Google Doodle was developed in collaboration with Tasmanian Aboriginal community and Elders. We respectfully acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal communities and Elders past and present.

Posted by Daniel Nadasi, Engineering Site Lead, Google Australia

Supporting quality reporting and information on vaccines

Friday, December 11, 2020

This is a guest blog post from Dr Susannah Eliott, CEO of the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC), which works to enhance the media's coverage of science, for the benefit of the publicCOVID-19 Vaccine Media HubGoogle News InitiativeAustralian Science Media CentreMeedanCharter of IndependenceAustralian Science Media Centrehere

Year in Search 2020: Here’s what Aussies searched for this year

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

From fires to facemasks and sourdough, this year’s top trending searches show our wide spectrum of curiosities, worries and cravings.
2020 has been a year like no other, marked by blazing bushfires, a global pandemic – and cravings for comfort food. We sought definitions, made sense of restrictions and looked to help people in need. We were stood down from jobs, stood up for Black Lives Matter and stood behind Quaden Bayles. We hunted for hand sanitiser, stocked up on toilet paper and donated bales of hay. And looking abroad, we followed the US election, the Beirut explosion and said goodbye to some greats.
As the year draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the moments that made Aussies wonder, question and rally together. Here's a snapshot of five themes showing what caught Aussies' attention in Search in 2020:
Health, safety and livelihood 2020 began with smokey skies as Australia battled raging bushfires – prompting us to search for ‘fires near me’ and check the air quality. Not long after, COVID-19 rattled the world, steering our searches towards safeguards and lockdown kits. We were on a mission for hand sanitiser, face masks, antibacterial wipes and isopropyl alcohol. We asked how to get tested for coronavirus, how far we could travel and if we could go fishing. And as jobs were stood down or lost, we looked to apply for Centrelink and JobKeeper.
A new language for our new normal We may have been lost for words this year, but it turns out we found some new ones too. Search shows we were looking to understand medical, scientific and political terminology – as we looked up the definitions of COVID, pandemic, lockdown and stimulus package. As people joined and watched the Black Lives Matter protests, we wanted to know what BIPOC stood for. And as “Karen” memes filled feeds, Aussies wanted to get across this new slang term. Buying and DIYing The top trending DIY queries show that Aussies were crafty, resourceful and ambitious in 2020. As protective and sanitary products flew off the shelves, we wanted to to know how to make hand sanitiser, face masks, toilet paper – and even ventilators. We were also inspired to treat ourselves to some much needed self-care, searching to buy neck hammocks, dumbbells and looking for DIY foot scrubs.
Savoury, sweet and sanitary (!) recipes Food was a big feature of 2020, with many of us cooking up storms and eating at home more than ever before. Curiously, for the first time, a non-edible item has topped the list of top trending recipes: hand sanitiser. On a yummier note, baked goods were a stand out this year. Sourdough topped the list of (edible) recipes and we also kneaded donuts, crumpets, macarons, Anzac cookies and banana bread. Moving on to heartier, main meals, good ol’ spag bol and Beef Stroganoff also featured on the menu of top trending recipes. And finally, for a caffeine hit, we jumped on the Dalgona coffee bandwagon.
Rising up and reaching out While 2020 brought many hurdles, our searches show that Aussies were looking for ways to help each other through the hardship. As many Aussies struggled in drought and fire bush affected areas, we looked to “buy from the bush,” “buy Aussie now” and “buy a bale.” And when Quaden Bayles shared his heartbreaking story as a victim of bullying, we stood behind him – making Quaden the top trending kid on Search in Australia in 2020.
To rediscover the events, people and topics that defined 2020 in Australia and around the world, watch our our Year in Search video:

To dive into Australia's lists, check out the full trending lists for 2020:
Overall Searches: 1. US election 2. Coronavirus 3. NBA 4. Zoom 5. Coronavirus symptoms 6. Kobe Bryant 7. Weather tomorrow 8. Fires near me 9. Coronavirus Victoria 10, Trump vs Biden
News topics: 1. US election 2. Coronavirus 3. Fires near me 4. Coronavirus Victoria 5. Toilet paper 6. NSW fires 7. Qantas share price 8. Air quality Melbourne 9. Beirut explosion 10. NSW coronavirus
Australian public figures: 1. Dani Laidley 2. Celeste Barber 3. Gladys Berejiklian 4. George Pell 5.Quaden Bayles 6. Pete Evans 7. Nicola Gobbo 8. Peter Dutton 9. Richard Pusey 10. Ben Cousins
Global public figures: 1. Joe Biden 2. Kim Jong Un 3. Boris Johnson 4. Kamala Harris 5. Tom Hanks 6. Kanye West 7. Joe Exotic 8. Donald Trump 9. Prince Harry 10. Carole Baskin
Loss: 1. Kobe Bryant 2. Naya Rivera 3. Chadwick Boseman 4. George Floyd 5. Sean Connery 6. Caroline Flack 7. Kelly Preston 8. Kenny Rogers 9. Sushant Singh Rajput 10. Shane Tuck
Sport: 1. NBA 2. EPL 3. State of Origin 2020 4. Champions League 5. IPL 6. French Open 7. ATP Cup 8. Australia vs New Zealand 9. Tennis Australian Open 10. AFL scores
Recipe 1. Hand sanitizer 2. Sourdough bread 3. Beef Stroganoff 4. Spaghetti bolognese 5. Donut 6. Crumpet 7. Macaron 8. Anzac cookie 9. Banana bread 10. Dalgona coffee
How to….? 1. How to make hand sanitizer 2. How to make a face mask 3. How to use Zoom 4. How to get tested for coronavirus 5. How to make bread 6. How to make self raising flour 7. How to apply for Centrelink 8. How to buy shares 9. How to apply for JobKeeper 10. How to make whipped coffee
DIY1. DIY hand sanitiser 2. DIY face mask pattern3. DIY neck hammock 4. DIY ventilator 4. DIY foot scrub 5. DIY fire pit area 6. DIY toilet paper7. DIY pottery kit 8. DIY antibacterial wipes9. DIY scrunchie holder
Definitions 1. COVID 2. Pandemic 3. Branch stacking 4. Stimulus package 5. Stand down 6. Portmanteau 7. BIPOC 8. Barre 9. Lockdown 10. Karen
Goods and giving: 1. Where to buy face masks 2. Buy toilet paper online 3. Buy from the bush 4. Buy Ps5 5. Buy Aussie now 6. Where to buy hand sanitizer 7. Buy isopropyl alcohol 8. Buy a bale 9. Buy Xbox Series X 10. Buy dumbbells
‘Can I….?’ 1.Where can I buy toilet paper 2. Where can I buy hand sanitiser 3. Where can I get tested for coronavirus 4. Can I access my super 5. How many people can I have in my house 6. When can I access my super 7. Can I go fishing in NSW 8. How much can I borrow home loan 9. How far can I travel in QLD 10. Can I leave Australia
Posted by Camilla Ibrahim, Communications & Public Affairs Manager, Google Australia

Powering innovation and efficiency in Australia’s public sector

Thursday, December 3, 2020

expanded capacitypowerful remote working toolsshared datasetshealthcare APIs
Improving customer service and experienceDigital Transformation Agency Google AnalyticsGoogle Search ConsoleService NSWApigeeCSIROLooking ahead as Australia emerges from COVID-19launch of our Melbourne region in 2021Registration by Mark Innes, Vice President, ANZ at Google Cloud

Celebrating the Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders of 2020

Thursday, November 26, 2020

And it’s an important part of our mission: ‘to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful’. That one word - ‘universal’ - says everything about how we think when we’re designing products that aim to be useful and helpful to everyone.

That’s why Google is extremely proud to once again partner with Deloitte and EnergyAustralia in supporting the Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders Report - recognising and celebrating remarkable role models across the country.

2020’s list is incredibly inspiring and it’s been humbling to read through the stories and achievements of leaders in so many diverse industries - from business and corporate Australia, to public service, diversity and inclusion, the not-for-profit sector, and social justice.

This year, we are especially proud to support the initiative because our very own Googler, Tara Mckenty, has been recognised amongst the esteemed field. This is the second time a Googler has received the honour, following Tea Uglow’s recognition in 2018.

Tara is Google’s Creative Director and Founder of Rare, Google's diversity and inclusion initiative for the creative industries. Her tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion, and ensure advertising represents diverse perspectives, inspire many at Google and have rightly earned her a place on this Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders Report.

Throughout her seven years’ with Google, Tara has also led the creative execution of Google’s Mardi Gras initiatives (Places of Pride and Love by Numbers), ensured diverse talent is represented in all communications, and built a platform to help remove unconscious bias from machine learning algorithms (Project Respect). Tara’s passion about diversity, inclusion and equity in the creative industries and using advertising as a medium for social good shines through in her work at all times.

“I’ve tried to be open and out about my identity, to ensure that the generation behind me has visible LGBTI+ role models, so they can see what they want to be, and know that there is a place in our industry for people like us,” Tara says.

You can read more about Tara’s experience and those of the other inspiring leaders in the Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders Report here.

Congratulations to all nominees and finalists - thank you for continuing to inspire LGBTI+ communities and allies.
Posted by Aisling Finch, Director of Marketing, Google Australia

Reflecting on our Google News Initiative work in Australia

Friday, October 30, 2020

GNI Impact Report

We’ve also learned that crises can be unexpected and require unprecedented support. That’s why when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the world, we refocused our efforts. Through the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund, we were able to provide financial support to 97 news organisations across the country, with recipients able to use the funds in whatever way would help them. For example, The Murray Pioneer adapted their entire workflow to a remote working situation, while building ways to maintain business relationships with advertisers.

Our work in Australia during the pandemic also tackled misinformation. Because access to primary expert sources during an evolving public health crisis is both challenging and fundamental for journalists covering the story, we provided funding to the Australian Science Media Centre, creators of Scimex.org. They worked with more than 85 COVID-19 experts and organised 60 expert reactions from leaders in the fields of science and health, explainers, briefings and myth busters on COVID-19, all of which informed more than 30,000 news stories in Australia and overseas. GNI funds also allowed the Centre to hire an additional media officer for six months.

As we look back beyond this year, here are the highlights of our work in Australia, which spanned three key areas:

Elevating quality journalism

Supporting newsrooms in delivering quality reporting sits at the heart of the GNI’s mission, and our work in Australia was deeply rooted in supporting editorial talent in that endeavour. We have appointed Teaching Fellows and partnered with the Walkley Foundation to provide training across Australia to help make sure that journalists and media organisations have the digital skills to succeed at their craft. Since the program launched in February 2019, we’ve been able to train thousands of journalists across more than 200 newsrooms in the country.

It’s when citizens have to vote that they rely the most on quality news content. To navigate last year’s Federal Election, the Google News Lab supported the Australian Associated Press (AAP) in its election verification service, sending alerts to newsrooms and offering workshops to help journalists access the latest tools and technology to tackle disinformation and support their coverage of the elections. Ahead of the election, we also helped First Draft launch its first bureau in Asia Pacific (APAC) to assist journalists and publishers unearth and expose misleading, false and untrue claims.

But our work doesn’t stop at how news is being reported on, we also deeply care about who is writing the news, because diversity and inclusion in newsrooms impact the reporting made available to citizens. That’s why we partnered with Media Diversity Australia to release a landmark report on diversity in Australia’s broadcast news. “Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories?” found that almost 76 percent of those on Australian screens were of an Anglo-Celtic background, while just six percent were from Indigenous or non-European backgrounds. We’re confident that by sharing these findings, newsrooms will be able to consider more closely their diversity and inclusion practices.

Empowering sustainable business growth

Readers’ consumption habits have changed, and media have had to adapt to this ever-evolving environment. That’s why since late 2019, we have worked on a News Lab pilot program in Australia to build digital skills and capacity among regional publishers, and to research and test new small-scale digital publishing models. The programs, such as Project Kookaburra, focus on specific publishers but share common themes, namely optimising revenue, increasing use of audience engagement data and insights, and supporting organisational transformation. Through this work, publications have been able to achieve goals such as increasing their advertising revenues, better understanding their audiences, and expanding their news coverage.

We also work with bigger media organisations like Nine to implement Subscribe with Google into their publications, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Subscribe with Google makes it easier for readers to subscribe to premium content online in a seamless way.

At Google, we work to increase the value of our partnership to publishers by ensuring their content reaches as many people as possible. As part of the YouTube Player for Publisher program, we worked with Junkee Media and Southern Cross Austereo to reduce complexity and increase audience reach.

Empowering newsrooms through innovation

While the media may face many challenges today, continuous innovation is the key to sustainable business models. We have seen that innovative spirit shine through our interactions with many Australian publications and journalists. Last year, two Australian editors from the Brisbane Times and Australian Community Media (ACM) were chosen among 12 Fellows for the Google News Initiative Newsroom Leadership Program, a collaboration between GNI and the Columbia School of Journalism, to develop the business and product expertise of emerging newsroom leaders from the APAC region.

Seven Australian media outlets (Crikey, the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, Women's Agenda, Guardian Australia, Mamamia, The Conversation, and Australian Community Media) are recipients of our GNI APAC Innovation Challenges, and Junkee Media and Nine News Australia received GNI YouTube Innovation Funding. Both programs fund projects that inject new ideas into the news industry, and we hope to be able to share the successes soon.

What’s next?

Despite the enormous progress that's been made to help create a sustainable future for journalism in Australia, there is still much work to be done. We’ve recently launched the GNI Digital Growth Program in Australia, which has been designed with industry experts and news publishers across the world to help small and medium-sized news organisations grow their digital businesses. We invite Australian media to course through a range of free playbooks, interactive exercises, digital workshops and labs. We look forward to continuing our important work with local publishers across the country.

Posted by Nic Hopkins, News Lab Lead, Australia and New Zealand.

Passion takes precedence: reaching engaged audiences with YouTube Select

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

We’ve seen their passion reflected in significant watchtime increases across a range of content categories. Watchtime for home improvement videos has doubled. (1) Tourist destination videos have jumped by 70% (2), and there’s been a swell of 45% in watchtime for surfing videos (3). Engaged audiences are using YouTube to learn, discover ideas, and shape their real world experiences in new and interesting ways.

Australian advertisers have been searching for ways to better connect with audiences for years, but with the launch of YouTube Select, the game has changed. Advertisers and agencies now have direct access to the best content and most passionate audiences YouTube has to offer.

Driving the best Return of Investment (ROI)

YouTube Select is about personalisation, not programming. Brands can deliver precise messaging to audiences who are watching videos on topics they are passionate about, in the time and place that works for them. Through powerful, unique tools and signals, YouTube Select helps advertisers access more of the most relevant and contextual content with:

Lineups: YouTube generated packages that engage viewers through content and topic.
Programmes & Packages: Key moments and sponsorships across Sports, Music and YouTube Kids that spark interest and deepen brand association.

By building deep connections through shared interests and powerful moments, advertisers and agencies can drive exceptional ROI. In 2019, global lineups delivered an average awareness lift of 13% and an average purchase intent lift of 9% (4), with a US study also showing YouTube Select lineups drove greater ROI than TV in 73% of Marketing Mix Models that measured YouTube Select lineups, Other Digital, and TV in 2016-2018 (5).

The power and the passion

We know the days of the family sitting down around the TV after dinner to watch a show together are gone. These days, primetime is personal. Primetime is anytime. And primetime is about passion. In fact, Aussies’ number one criteria for valuable content is whether it aligns to their personal passions and interests (6).

YouTube Select’s content packaging approach empowers brands to connect with those passions and show up in primetime, whenever it may be. With precise audience curation tools across a diverse range of high-quality, brand safe content, advertisers can be sure their products will be seen when and where it matters. So instead of your hair spray product showing up with just any beauty video, you can speak to the eager at-home stylists that are watching hair tutorials specifically, at the time that is best for them.

As the beating heart of YouTube content, our creators continue to deliver the goods. In Australia there are now 100 channels with over one million subscribers, and a further 1,000 with 100,000+ (7), and Aussies pull their weight amongst the one billion people around the world who watch a music video on YouTube each month (8). Artists like Tones and I, who was busking in Byron in 2019, and now has over a billion views of Dance Monkey on YouTube, can now connect with fans through unique digital experiences like her intimate live performance in April.

For the sports nuts (and I most definitely include myself in this category), YouTube is the place for sport and fitness content that can’t be found anywhere else - a fact that 79% of YouTube sports viewers have noted (9). It just goes to show that YouTube is able to provide niche, personal content experiences for sports fans that they truly value and will come back to time and time again.

An interested audience that can’t be found anywhere else

YouTube is the most loved video content platform in Australia, and it shows. With 16 million monthly visitors and 7.5 million in the 18-39 demographic (10), YouTube has an expansive, connected viewer base that can’t be found anywhere else. And that base continues to grow.

Content consumption, as well as the use of SVOD services, jumped sharply in April and May, with 72% of Aussies now able to access at least one SVOD (11) service (2.6 million more than before COVID-19) and seven million people are streaming YouTube through connected TV - with a 65% jump in watchtime on TV screens since last year (12).

YouTube Select now offers you more capabilities on the TV screen, and gives you more choice in how you buy. In Australia, YouTube Select lineups are available via Google Ads, Display & Video 360 and reservation.

83% of the total Aussie adult population turns to YouTube (13) when they want to get deeper into their interests, to grow as people, to solve problems or achieve their goals. And with that in mind, we’re incredibly excited to offer YouTube Select to Australian advertisers and agencies. By partnering with some of the best content on YouTube through lineups and programmes, brands can deliver exceptional ROI by building deeper connections in more powerful moments than ever before. We remain committed to delivering engaging videos to everyone, everyday, and we look forward to seeing how these exciting new tools can help our advertisers grow!

Posted by Rhys Williams, Director Media Sales, Google Australia & New Zealand

Sources:(1) Google Data, AU, Apr 20 - Jun 20 vs. Apr 19 - Jun 19(2) Google Data, AU, Apr 20 - Jun 20 vs. Apr 19 - Jun 19(3) Google Data, AU, Apr 20 - Jun 20 vs. Apr 19 - Jun 19(4) Google Preferred Lineups (now part of YouTube Select) Brand Lift, 2019, Google Preferred launched countries (across all studies measured).(5) Commissioned Nielsen MMM Meta-Analysis, 2016-2018. Base: a list of studies selected and compiled by Nielsen, consisting of all available CPG studies completed in 2016-2018 that contain Google Preferred, Other Digital, and TV results. This list includes 45 studies for US Brands across all CPG categories. ROI is “Retail ROI,” defined as total incremental sales divided by total media spend. Incremental offline retail sales measured for TV represents average across all TV broadcasters.(6) [Google/Nature, Primetime is Personal study, AU, Aug 2019. n=1500 people age 18-65.] (7) Google data, AU, Jan 2019.(8) Source: YouTube Internal Data June 2020(9) Source: Google/Ipsos Connect, Sports Viewers Study, U.S. among adults aged 18-54 who watch sports/fitness content on YouTube at least monthly, n=1,501, Feb. 2016.(10) Source: Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Monthly Total, Platform C/M, Video 0 seconds, Brand: YouTube, Unique Audience, Apr '20.(11) The Lab/Nature COVID Brand Navigator, Media Deep Dive, April – May 2020 (n=1600 Australians) (12) YouTube Internal Data, March 2020.(13) Nielsen Digital Content Ratings, Monthly Total, Platform C/M, Video 0 seconds, Ppl 18+, Brand: YouTube, Unique Audience, Apr '20.