3 Unconventional But Effective AdWords Optimization Secrets
Very often in my line of work I get asked for tips on how to optimize Google AdWords campaigns. I like to give the person asking the question a little scare with my first 3 tips, as these would often run contrary to what many believe to be proper AdWords management.
So basically we all know that to really make the most of your pay per click campaigns you need to be grouping keywords into relevant ad groups, testing ad copy, testing landing pages, making sure everything is relevant, and tracking everything that you do. We can easily find this information online.
Image Source:www.adviceinteractivegroup.com
So let me give you a few search marketing secrets that might sound a little crazy to some of you.
Starts Bids High
Yes, don’t be shy when it comes to setting the maximum cost per click you are willing to pay. The search marketing miser earns meagerly.
This is especially important when you are rolling out with a new campaign and keywords. You want to improve your quality score fast so that you could bring down bids and lower your cost per click (CPC) sooner, and it starts with getting a good click through rate (CTR).
Granting that your keyword or keywords are relevant to the ad, and your ad is well written, then the only way to ensure a good CTR is to get your ad the best visibility. By visibility, I mean making sure your ad is easily seen or noticed by the search engine user. Your ad position is decided by your Ad Rank, the ad with the highest Ad Rank will appear in the first position. Ad Rank is decided by Quality Score and your bid. So if you have a new keyword with no CTR history to it and likely having a low quality score, the best way to get your ad noticed is to bid high and try to get a good position for your ad.
A lot of people are afraid of bidding high, many don’t realize that it is likely they will not be paying exactly what they bid.
Google AdWords’ Discounter automatically reduces your CPC making you pay the lowest possible price for your ad position. So if you find yourself paying a little too high a CPC for your current ad position, try lowering your bid to bring down position by 1 spot and see if you are paying a significantly lower amount for more or less the same visibility. Your CPC is directly affected by the Ad Rank of the ad one spot below you, so you need to play around with your bids to find what max bid gives you the best position at the lowest price.
Start With a Small List of Keywords
By small, I am talking about the number of keywords you have in your ad group or in your overall campaign. While it is indeed sound practice to put together a huge keyword list, it would not be wise to start out with a big list especially if it is a new campaign since QS is affected by your account history, that in turn is a result of the CTR and performance of all keywords and ads in your account.
Rather than having a huge keyword list at the start, begin with a smaller group of very targeted keywords that would likely get good CTRs and then add more keyword groups later on.
One reason a keyword you are bidding on might be getting a very low CTR is the absence of negative keywords. This is especially important if the keyword or phrase you are using also gets searched for in combination with other keywords or modifiers that make it irrelevant to what you are advertising. In that case, your ad still gets triggered, but since the ad is not relevant to the search engine user it does not get attention nor get clicked.
Increase Your Daily Budget as You Increase Keywords
You can’t expect to get the same number of impressions if you keep adding more keywords to your campaigns but do not increase your daily budget. You simply have to increase your daily budget. Unless, you constantly prune your campaigns, and delete keywords that you find are not converting.
Ippn order to be able to identify the keywords that do not convert you would need to use the built in conversion tracking feature in Google AdWords which tells you which keywords brought in visitors that lead to a conversion. You can also use other ppc tracking software that will offer other valuable data, other than which keywords convert.
Some of these programs can tell you what time of day your conversions occur, which enable you to do time scheduling which can also greatly improve your CTR. The more advanced programs can even split test your landing pages and provide visitor engagement data, information that you can use to further develop your landing pages in an effort to improve conversions.
Learn more about the most popular pay per click conversion tracking software available today on http://www.ppc-conversion-tracking.com. You can also download more AdWords optimization strategies from that site, absolutely free.
Google Says My Blog is Number 1 in the Philippines
When people in the Philippines go to Google, and type this phrase, online marketing consultant… this blog comes up in the top spot, number 1 just as you see in the image below.
That was a few days ago though.. the big question is, is it still number 1?
Click Distribution on Google’s Top 10
Did you ever wonder how many clicks each spot on Google’s top 10 search results usually gets?
A study on Eye-Tracking Analysis of SE Users’ Behavior conducted in Cornell University reveals the following data, which means number 1 is still the best spot to be on Google’s organic rankings.
But there are no guarantees to getting to number 1 and there could be too much competition.
Well, that is why multiple number 1 rankings for very targeted long tail search phrases that are dialed in to a search engine user’s intentions are better than general keywords that have higher search volumes.
To read the full article visit Distribution of Clicks on Google’s SERPs
Verizon Nexus One Delay Benefits Verizon and Google
A lot of Verizon subscribers have been waiting for the Google Nexus One, but it seems it would be in both Verizon and Google’s interests to delay.. for Verizon it gives them time to get rid of some of their 3g smart phones Palm Pre Plus and Pixi whose prices they have slashed down to $49.99 and $29.99. While Google, well, best not go head to head with the currently launching iPad from Apple which is making waves this weekend.
Apple’s new iPad hit stores just this morning and here in San Francisco, people in the hundreds have been lining up… some had been there all night, other had arrived early that morning.
I am guessing they will wait about a week or two, so the iPad launch will come to pass, and Verizon users who had gotten iPads or have an interest in them won’t be distracted and will give their undivided attention to the Nexus One Verizon version, when it is finally made available.
Apple Store on Stockton Street, San Francisco at 7am Saturday
Image Source: http://news.cnet.com/2300-31324_3-10003023.html
Get National TV Network Exposure thru Google AdWords
Advertising on TV networks has always been a little complicated and expensive… it actually still is! It can be a long process that involves too many people… there are the people that put your ad together then there are the people who recommend the right places to air your TV ad and make those placements and book your TV spots.
Today, Google AdWords allows you to book your ads on TV networks all by yourself. Watch the video below to see how it works.
Understanding Google Personalized Search and Implications on SEO
If I were to pick one word and use that same word as the sole criteria and absolute basis for how well your website is ranked on Google, the word would be relevance. Relevance of a search term to content on a page; relevance as evidenced by link popularity of that page on other web pages on the same website or on other websites and corresponding click throughs from those links; relevance as manifested in behavior of visitors that land on that page; relevance as quantified by click throughs from a website’s search engine results page (SERP) listing. The latter two, has recently recently become even more important to SEO professionals with Google’s personalized search results feature that rolled out in December of 2009.
With Google personalized search, the search results (listings) you see on Google’s SERPs will show you websites that you have actually visited in the past and spent time on because Google has factored in your previous search behavior (your act of searching on Google, clicking a listing and spending time on certain websites, and how often you visit) into the way they rank pages on your search. Google does that automatically, even if you have not activated this feature, but you can actually get search results that does not take into consideration your previous search behavior by clicking the “view customizations link” on the SERP.
So if you are a website owner tracking your rankings or an SEO professional tracking rankings because it is a key metric to gauge results of your SEO activities, then your metrics are skewed or to a graver extent, inaccurate and misleading.
Google is watching what you click on in search results and learns that you like certain sites. For example, if you often search for specific keywords, and on the top 10 organic listings on the next page there is a web page ranked on the number 9 spot, if you click that site and visit that site regularly, or search for the same keywords later or search for related keywords and you end up visiting that same website, over time Google gives that site a boost in rankings, might end up being in the top 3 or even ranked number 1, because it starts to believe that you like that website. But the ranking boost it gets are only for your results you see on your browser, and not for all other searchers and users. In other words if the site is number 1 on the Google listings you see on your browser, it is not number 1 on other users’ browsers especially if those users have not had previous interaction with that website.
So if you are tracking your rankings, if done with the personalized search feature active, you will not get an accurate representation of what your rankings actually are in general for the city/country you are in.
There has also been a question of privacy, “is Google invading your privacy by watching what you are doing and taking note of your behavior on the websites you visit?”
More information about you is actually kept if you are logged into to your Google account while performing these searches, if logged out, there is only limited data that Google collects about you and your behavior, but still it is enough to change what you see on the results page. Below is a table that shows you what they gather if you are logged in or logged out.
So is personalized search bad?
In the aspect of tracking behavior I believe Google to be walking a thin line.. as the char above shows, it appears that by logging in to your Google account, Google takes this as a sign that you allow your behavior and identity to be monitored. But, has Google informed you about this?
Second thing is, as a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultant, the biggest concern is keyword rankings of clients might not be credible or accurate, however this can be easily remedied by simply doing the search again without search customizations. Moreover with a better understanding of how personalized search works, SEOs can make adjustments in order to even leverage on personalized search that is active by default, and use that to get that a ranking boost for their websites. I know I have, but if asked how… I am afraid I rather keep this strategy to myself and not make it easily and publicly available.
Reference and Image Source: http://searchengineland.com/google-now-personalizes-everyones-search-results-31195
Google Local Business Listing: Why Get On It?
Click to View Full Image
The number one benefit of your business or company getting on a Google Local Business Listing is of course the ability to put your service or product right in front of your prospect when they need or want it.
A lot of people advertise their businesses in many different ways but somehow these often do not convert as highly as expected, simply because when you tell them about your product or service, they might not have a need for it at the time. But when your website is visible when people search on Google for products or services that they already need, you are able to put your brand right in front of a hot lead; someone who is already looking for what you have to offer. They know what they want, it is just now a matter of finding it and choosing the right person to buy from. Your business or website will get listed along with other similar businesses or websites within a specific radius or area where you are located, Google looks at your specific location, identifying your area code, and gives you list of suggestions based on proximity.
When you are properly listed on Google’s Local Business Listing, your product or service will show up on the first page of search results for product/service specific keywords and a location or area.
In the video below I used the example… dim sum san jose; because I was looking for a dim sum restaurant to eat at.
In the video I mention that, a Local Business Listing on Google is especially beneficial to a business that relies largely on customers who are within a certain area around the location of their business.
Watch the video to see specific examples.
Note that when I did a search for dim sum milpitas, the restaurant Mayflower Seafood Restaurant DID not pop up in the results, which means they are not listed on Google’s Local Business Center, and that means dim sum restaurants can grab this opportunity to get that exposure for themselves.
If you have questions or comments about the Google Local Business Listing, please post them in the comment section below. You can also send me questions through the Contact Form.
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Pay Per Click Advertising for Beginners
If you would like to learn more about Pay Per Click Advertising and get a grasp on the concept without getting confused, please do continue reading. I will try to explain PPC as simply as I can, laying it out to a grade schooler, and even provide a rather crude image to help… an image looking like it was actually drawn by a grade schooler with a spelling error which was actually not done on purpose. My spelling skills are apparently not as good as my marketing abilities.
There is this interesting story I need to tell about PPC and a newbie’s dilemma, or so I thought at the time.
It was Valentine’s day, February 14, 2007.. a Wednesday and single friends of mine thought of getting together at a local restaurant. As far as I remember the first people to get there were myself and a friend of mine Bing Torre, who is also a colleague in the marketing and events world. Bing then began to tell me about Pay Per Click advertising, how she had to run some ads on Google on a very limited budget for a client. At the time I had very recently crossed over into the online marketing space, leaving behind the marketing/advertising industry that I had been a part of for over 15 years. I was managing PPC accounts that was spending up to $1,000 a day. Yes a DAY!
I then went on to tell her about how AdWords worked, which is pretty much the same way I will describe to you in this post.
Incidentally here is picture taken of some us, the “un-valentiners.”
So about Pay Per Click Advertising.
PPC is simply a method of advertising on search engines like Google, Yahoo or MSN/Bing, where your ads get shown to people who are looking for what you have to sell. It is targeted advertising in the sense that, you target people who are already looking for what you have to offer them, your ad only appears when specified keywords are being used on the search engine. You make a bid for a certain keyword and when that keyword gets searched, your ad appears.. typically on the upper or right section of the results page, and usually appears boxed.
The bid is an amount you are willing to pay the search engine if your ad gets clicked. For instance if someone searches for Nike running shoes and you are bidding $0.50 on that keyword phrase, your ad will appear only when that phrase is searched for, and you will only get billed 50 cents if your ad gets clicked. Of course when an ad gets clicked the clicker gets sent to a website or webpage which has more information about what you are offering.
So there are 3 key elements that you need to pay attention to.
Keyword or Keywords
- these are words you bid on that will trigger your ads if searched
- your keywords have to be very specific to what you are selling or offering
- group together very similar keywords in a cluster called an Ad Group
- for instance a cluster of related keywords can be… Nike running shoes, Nike running shoes for men, Nike running shoes for women, men’s Nike running shoes, Nike running shoes kids..
The Ad
- this is the text that search engine users read on the search engine results page
- ad text needs to be related to the keywords you are bidding upon
- ad text needs to be very specific to the specific cluster of keywords or Ad Group
- for instance your ad text can say “Nike Running shoes at amazing discounts, Free overnight delivery”
- the ad must tell the visitor what you are selling, and tell them why they should buy from you, as an added motivating reason to get them to click your ad
The Landing Page
- this is the page where a clicker of an ad lands on
- this page should also have exactly what the ad offers, so if your keyword was for Nike running shoes, and your ad text tells the reader that you have Nike running shoes at great discounts and that you deliver overnight for free, then your landing page must have all that information on the page PLUS..
- the landing page makes it easier for the viewer to find more information and to get exactly what they want, for instance the page shows not only Nike running shoes, but the viewer can choose a specific size, color, model, check out reviews from other buyers about the product or about your service, and an easy and secure system to make a purchase
Here is that grader level illustration I told you about… click the image to enlarge.
Website Traffic Sources…
I stood for about a couple of minutes staring that the title of this post and not typing anything else.. I knew I had to make the title a little more compelling, but for the life of me just could not think of something anything better to add to “Website Traffic Sources….”
One of the things I had to do, or still need to continue doing is check on all my other sites and get rid of those which are no longer relevant, or not profitable. There is one site whose income vanished as quickly as its rankings did.
Some years ago, I used to do marketing for a very successful Bar/Club. As you may know, a large part of a bar’s income comes from the mark up made on drinks, whether they be sold bottled like beers for instance, or mixed drinks. When you have a problem with a supplier for items that happen to be your most profitable, you see a huge dent in your bottom line. We solved that problem by not depending merely on one supplier and gave other people the opportunity to sell as that inventory. I am being purposely vague so as not to identify the bar nor the supplier or product.
A website survives mainly on revenue that its visitors generate, regardless of the means. You could be selling your own product or service, or someone else’s as an affiliate, or simply putting banners on your site. Regardless how the money is made, your money is made through your website traffic.
When you depend solely on one source of traffic, if that traffic source dries up or disappears, so will your revenue. Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket, I am sure you have heard that before.
Incidentally, about that bar I was talking about earlier, we had several different advertising avenues and not just depended on one. For instance we were heavy on radio advertising and social networking; but eventually realizing that networking was more effective and cost efficient we dropped radio advertising. It was also only at the point where we had come to realize that the brand had achieved the desired perception among its audience, the brand and the value it offered had already been established.
Going back, what I was doing wrong with this one website was, I was only getting traffic from one traffic source, Google. It was getting ranked for a keyword on Google. But since I had not been doing anything more to promote the site, no one new was finding the site, and no one new was linking to it or talking about it, Google thought… this site is not getting promoted by the owner, why should we rank it at all and send it visitors… there are other websites that are more deserving. So Google, dropped the site… from top of the charts to no where to be found.
Now, other people who have had this happen to them make a big hoopla out of it, but hey, your rankings disappeared because you did not do what you need to do to keep them up there. Google does not owe you anything. You want Google to keep you and rank you well, you need to have other traffic sources.
Maybe I confused you a bit there… but it’s simple.
If you want Google to rank you well, you have to not depend on them for rankings, but promote your site and get your website traffic from other sources, like other websites through links, through networking and even paid ads like banners or Google AdWords.
So that if Google does change its mind about how it ranks sites (its ranking algorithm) which it often does, and if you lose your rankings because of it, you still have a steady flow of visitors coming from other sources. Funny thing is, when Google notices you do have this steady flow of visitors from other sources and those sources keep growing, it ranks you even better and sends you even more visitors.
How to Use the Google Search Engine Effectively in 2010
I thought of putting together this brief video and show you how you can use the Google Search Engine effectively. If you spend a lot of time researching online or searching the internet for something you want to learn more about, you probably are familiar with Google and how it can sometimes be frustrating not to be able to find what you are looking for, instead you get overloaded with related or even non related listings, which are probably not exactly what you are looking for.
Google actually has the most advanced system in place that tries to give you a list of websites or web pages that might have what you are looking for, based on the keywords you type in to the engine. A few months ago Google rolled out with a new feature called “Search Options” which helps you find exactly what you might be looking for.
In this brief Google search tutorial video I will give you some tips and tricks on how to do searches and I will also run you through the new Search Options feature.
Here is a quick summary of what you find in the video.
- put keywords that you are using in quotes ” “, that way you get a list of web pages with your searched phrase in their exact order
- use Search Options to specifically find the kind of content you are looking for, whether these are images, videos, news, blogs, updates, books and forums; and even sort them further by freshness
- this tip is not mentioned on the video… if you want to search a specific website for a specific phrase or content you think they might have, type the following site:websitedomain.com “keyword phrase”, for instance on a recipe site like allrecipes.com, if you want to find meatloaf recipes, just go to Google and type site:allrecipes.com “meatloaf recipes” and the resulting page will be a list of pages only from allrecipes.com that have that phrase “meatloaf recipes” in it
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