-
-
Network With Randall
Set It and Forget It AdWords Accounts
Every so often I run into someone who runs AdWords campaigns for a client or two and they want me to help them out with some initial keyword research. I even worked 100 hours a month for someone setting up campaigns. All too often I then look back at those campaigns to see how they are doing and I check the change history in the tools tab only to find they haven’t done a single thing to upkeep the account except generate reports and charge the client.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a longtail machine and many times an account or campaign can go a long time without major tweaking, but between bid and budget adjustments, daytiming changes, content network site exclusions, and ad copy split-testing regular upkeep needs to be just that…
…regular.
There is no such thing as a set it and forget it PPC campaign, and if anyone tells you otherwise run away, very very fast.
Being Negative is Good for Search
One of the most common mistakes I have seen over the past two years when taking over an Adwords or Yahoo! Search marketing account is the lack of negative keywords. Negative keywords do the same thing in PPC marketing that they do in the search box.
One major source of negative keywords is other industries that share the use of very broad terms. Usually both industries use some sort of qualifying term; the other industries term makes a great negative keyword.
Negative keywords can be used at different levels in the campaign structure as well. In both Google Adwords and Yahoo! Search marketing negative keywords can be added at both the campaign level and the ad group level.
Using negative keywords helps eliminate junk impressions that would most likely not click on your ad, and definitely not convert into a customer. By eliminating junk impressions we are able to increase the click-through-rate, helping to increase the Quality Score assigned to the keyword or ad copy, ultimately driving up the conversion rate and ROI. Developing a good negative keyword list takes semantic judgement to discern what phrases will make sure those who may click but not convert never even get a chance to see your ad.
Yes, CTR is Over-Rated!
One of the first questions a potential client is sure to ask when seeing if we will be a good fit for each other is “what kind of Click-through-rate will you be able to get me?” I take a deep breath and get ready to see if they will be able to work with me…”I don’t really think CTR is important” I reply. At this point they either hang up the phone or they ask “what do you mean it’s not important? Isn’t that how they determine Quality Score?”
The latest Dynamic Quality Score shake-up really backed up what I have been saying.
1. CTR does NOT matter.
2. Content is King.
3. Conversions really are all that should matter.
The more you as a potential client have been exposed to CTR based PPC optimization the harder it is to break away from this shallow thinking. PPC marketers have a history with CTR and it is time to break free of this bad traffic generating metric. If it doesn’t convert, and there is a high CTR, that is bad.
Nothing will bleed your budget and ruin ROI like a high CTR that does not convert.
7 Methods for Evaluating Web Sites on Content Networks
Amongst the many reports that ad serving platforms such as Google Adwords and Yahoo! Search Marketing the content network is often seen as less reliable a producer than the search network. This is mostly because control measures in the content network are not as instant as those in the search network. A negative keyword becomes active when entered into the campaign or ad group, you don’t know what sites to exclude until your ads have been served there.
Whenever I start a content campaign one of the most important activities is to start excluding sites from having ads served. Using Google’s site placement report I can see what sites have served the ad. Then comes the evaluation of each site. When I look at sites that are serving clients’ content ads I consider the following:
- Is the topic relevant to the client?
- Is the site relevant to the target market?
- What is the Google Page Rank of the site?
- What is the Alexa rating of the site?
- Is the site nothing more than a bunch of links, and no content?
- Do I find more than one site that looks exactly the same except for the domain?
- Where on the site do the ads appear?
There are a lot of junk site that have been put up by pyramid scheme companies that can suck the ROI out of a campaign if not kept in check. Having a plan of action on evaluating content network sites helps bring more control to content network campaigns.
Search Query Data helps Make Connections Online
Where does the search for the right keywords begin when building your online presence? Good Brand Strategy Research begins the process, laying the foundation that will hold everything together. As a Search engine specialist my focus is how to apply the concepts and differentiation built into their brand to their online presence. But relying on what customers were willing to say in research should only be a starting point for your businesses online location in cyberspace.
So how do we find what words your customers are searching for? There are two schools of thought, which I have seen evangelized by many in the SEM industry.
The first is to keep everything small and easy to manage. This tactic usually involves taking keywords that are already being used on the site, adding in what the automated systems generate in Google, and maybe do the same in Yahoo! Search Marketing if that platform is being used.
The second theory is to actually do some work and find the historical data that will give insight into not only the keywords most searched for but also what other industries are competing for the same general keywords.Both here at Marketing Curev and with Movéo I employ historical data based on the list of keywords provided by previous web copy, brand strategy research, Executives and search query historical data. The landscape of historical data is ever changing, as for over a year and a half marketers still used the Overture database, even though it had stopped updating data. By actively engaging in the communities and current events of the search marketing industry we employ a wide variety of search query database tools that we aggregate and sort to reach across 13 tools and databases.
By employing historical search query data search marketers can be sure that terms you should be seen for, that people have searched for in the past, you are seen for. As well, it is just as important that those searchers seeking other industries or levels of the supply chain do not even see your ad.
What is Web 2.0?
The big trend on the Internet in the last few years is Web 2.0. The first year that I kept hearing the term I was working extensively with Internet marketers who seemed to be seeping onto the Internet from the late night cable infomercials. They all kept saying it was the best thing to happen for solopreneurs and small businesses looking to reach beyond where they were willing to travel. After a few conversations with some of the people who defined what Web 2.0 really is I finally got it.
Here is what the essence of Web 2.0 is NOT:
(despite what you may have been told)
- Rounded corners
- Skype Blue
- Lots of navigation options
- A RSS feed button
- Having a Blog
Here is what the essence of Web 2.0 IS:
- Social Networking
- MySpace
- YouTube
- Forums
- Business Networking
- Meetup
- Industry specific Forums
- Engaged communication providing value and illustrating expertise.
- Navigation that makes sense and works well.
- A commitment to actively participate to expand on the shared knowledge base (string theory).
So why should small businesses pay attention to what Web 2.0 brings to the Internet?
Web 2.0 allows a business to show off the talent of their employees or owners. Web 2.0 is not something that can be outsourced, the writer must have the knowledge and insight being. I have seen these tasks outsourced before, and every step of outsourcing lost a high degree of the companies brand strength.
Google Content Network – Where are Ads Served?
Search network marketing is pretty simple to explain, ads are served accompanying organic search results, either on the network itself, or a partner network which utilizes the same search network.
However, the content network, unless targeted by individual site, can be unknown territory on the Internet.
On Google’s Content Network there are a few major categories that represent most of the sites in the content network.
Article Sites:
These types of sites are content rich and full of long-tail keywords. Some of these sites, which serve ads through the Google Content Network are:
- britannica.com
- about.com
- suite101.com
Forum Sites:
These types of sites offer users the ability to create their own forum. This results in very targeted forums. By looking at specifically which URL’s have served ads, it is easy to determine if a client’s ads belong, or if the forum is off the target market.
- Proboards.com
- Invisionfree.com
Blog Sites:
Blog sites offer users the ability to create and host their blog through the parent site. As with Forums, it is important to look at exactly which URL’s are displaying your ads, as just as many of the Blogs are likely to target your market as are not.
- Typepad.com
- Angelfire.com
Social Networks:
Social Networks metrics are just as different from the rest of the Content Network, as the Content Network is to the Search Network. The impressions are many and the clicks are few. These sites tend to have a .01% to .02% click through rate (CTR).
- Myspace.com
- Friendster.com
- Meetup.com
Well Known Specialty Sites:
Many well known specialty sites have a portion of their advertising filled by Google’s AdSense program. (AdSense is what the Content Network is referred to on the ad serving site’s side.) Examples of popular sites include Webmd.com, Snopes.com and of course Google’s own Gmail.com.
The best way to be sure of where ads are being served is to audit that serving periodically, and exclude the sites that do not meet the stated advertising needs. The goal is to reach the right prospects, at the right price, and a good content network strategy can do just that.
Location. Location. Location.
Almost any business owner you speak with will tell you the key to success is location. However, in the age of the information superhighway what exactly does this mean? Are they referring to their physical location, how it meets the demands of customers, suppliers, transportation, utility access, traffic count, ease of entry… the list of the Economic Geographic factors can be extensive, or are they referring to where prospects become customers? Is location still a driving force for business? Not only is location crucial to the success of any business, so is location and location.
Location 1: Physical location
Where your business is located physically and how to optimize your location is analyzed using the economic and geographic metrics I listed above. Many factors go into the decision of which location best serves your business, whether your focus is shipping logistics or consumer access. It may be necessary for a retail outlet to be on a busy easy to access corner, just as it is important for a manufacturer to be near suppliers and transportation infrastructure.
Location 2: Virtual location
Where your business is located virtually is quickly gaining importance in the battle to draw in new customers, and keep current ones. Every business’ virtual location begins with an address on the world wide web. However, just as with physical locations, virtual locations are not just your website. Other factors included in virtual location are linkbacks, trackbacks, listing sites, Google maps, social networks (eg. Linkedin & Meetup), forums, e-zines, and anything else that is logged by the search engines (eg. Twitter, a mass IM social application).
Location 3: Brand location
Where your business is located in the mind of your customer is what brings everything together, turning prospects into clients. Brand strategy needs to integrated and implemented across the first two locations and everything your business is involved in to maximize effectiveness and allow your business to communicate what customer it best serves, and what hill you have planted your flag on.
Location is as important as ever for business. Whether brand, virtual or physical, your location choices will drive your business. Every step must be based in tested research to make sure you are in the best position to maximize your business’ opportunities.
Top 3 New Media Outlets
Keeping up with the latest developments in PPC marketing has led me to be very involved in the Online social media space in general. I have experimented with countless new media marketing techniques and participated in developing everything from article marketing programs to the latest apps like Twitter.
I was listening in on a webinar Jen was participating in and the group consensus on the state of social media was ranking the top three new media applications/websites for B2B marketers.
1. Facebook. The Driving force behind why Facebook is preferred for professional development over similar sites like MySpace is the beginnings of the network as a way for college students to connect and keep in touch. This education level of the base user is distinctly different than the more artist/teen targeted MySpace.
2. Linked-in. Linkedin is designed to be focused around professional contacts with job postings, a Q/A board, and the ability to get a recommendation from a colleague.
3. Twitter. The leading edge of social applications is Twitter. Twitter is a micro-blogging format that limits any post to 140 characters. users are able to follow other users, and the other person can choose whether they want to follow back. In addition users can direct message each other. Twitter posts are indexed by Google. Many corporations such as Comcast are building their outreach on Twitter by having a tech support account that is monitored 24/7. Twitter is like the latest version of a chat-room, but everybody has control over what part of the room they see.
I agree with 2 out of the 3 above for B2B marketing and public relations. Social Networking sites are not a place to market unless you are a solopreneur. Facebook and MySpace are simply not perceived as professional forums, and are often not completely controlled by the user. Control over voice and branding when using new media and social media make using these outlets seem risky for many large organizations, but a well thought out strategy directly related to branding and target audience can make new and social media outlets a source of prospects, clients, and goodwill for any size business.
Blogging and Corporate Culture
Corporate blogging is still fairly rare, with only a few big companies choosing to blog. For many companies blogging seems like something that only upper management should be involved in. Many companies begin this way, opening up the blog to department managers, with the plan to slowly open up the blog to a larger number of employees.
While limiting the blog initially to department managers, those managers soon found that either they weren’t familiar with the technology or they didn’t have the time to write. So they asked their employees to either write the posts, and have them proof them, or they wrote them and asked someone to enter them into the blog.
Employees who normally don’t interact with clients started getting excited, the blog means recognition publicly of their expertise. Soon employees were communicating more across departments talking about what someone posted on the blog.
When a corporate blog is opened up to employees it benefits the business in more ways then just taking the load off of management to produce content. The corporate culture is given a boost.
-
Recommend Resources
