Google recently announced the sunsetting of Google Optimize, stating that the testing tool will no longer be available after September 30, 2023. Google went on to say that any experiments and personalizations still active on that date will end.
What is Google Optimize?
Google Optimize allows users to test variants of web pages and find out how they perform against objectives that the user specifies, uncovering which variant performs best. Ultimately, it enables users to run website experiments to determine the optimal experience for each group of visitors.
There are a few different types of testing methods available with Google Optimize:
- A/B tests
- Redirect tests (split URL tests)
- Multivariate tests
Google Optimize was popular due to its free version to start with and its native integration with Google Analytics, which made it easy for users to target the segments uncovered in Analytics and gain access to behavioral insights.
Why is Google making this change?
Google claims that Optimize doesn’t have many of the features and services their customers need for experimentation testing, and so have decided to focus on investing in A/B testing in Google Analytics 4.
You can read Google’s statement here.
An alternative to Google Optimize
Fresh Relevance’s Testing and Optimization module allows you to intelligently optimize strategies for maximum ROI and to analyze the effectiveness of campaigns in Google Analytics.
Read on to learn more about the features included in our Testing & Optimization module and how they could benefit your business.
Auto optimize
Our auto optimize feature uses machine learning algorithms to automatically deploy the best-performing content, triggers or experiences towards the goals you set. You can optimize for many goals, including increasing AOV, conversion, identification rate, site visits, average time on site and reducing web bounce rate. This helps online businesses to get the maximum ROI from their content or triggers within the Fresh Relevance system with minimum time spent on setup and management.
With automatic optimization, you can:
1) Produce faster results
Automatic optimization produces faster results than A/B tests by capitalizing on user behavior and removing any delay in deploying the best content for maximum ROI. This is particularly useful for time-bound events, such as Black Friday.
2) Ensure relevancy
Automatic optimization ensures a highly relevant experience by identifying changes in content performance, for example based on weather, season or external events. It continues to recheck the performance of the initially less successful variations and – if it detects a noticeable increase in an item’s performance – responds by serving this variation more frequently.
3) Resonate with each customer
Automatic optimization provides you with peace of mind that the assets displayed to your customers are the ones most likely to resonate with them and reward your business.
Learn more about auto optimize
Contextual auto optimize
This is an extension of auto optimize, which takes into account the context of a user (such as their location or time of day) when deciding which piece of content to display. Contextual Auto Optimize gives better results without any extra work for you.
Learn more about contextual auto optimize
Automatic A/B test ending
Automatically end A/B tests based on a date or number of impressions and display the variant that generated the most revenue to everyone. This helps ease the burden from time-poor marketers and removes the risk of human error from the process of analyzing your campaigns and picking a winner.
Learn more about automatic A/B test ending
Enhanced reporting, with a Google Analytics option
Analyze test results with our enhanced reporting, including data for non clickable items, and/or send data directly to Google Analytics to enhance your dashboards and see the next steps taken by customers after interacting with Fresh Relevance content.
Learn more about enhanced reporting
Final thoughts
If the sunsetting of Google Optimize has left you in need of a testing and optimization solution, book a demo with a member of our team to find out Fresh Relevance’s Testing and Optimization module could help your business.
