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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.
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.
CPA - Is this AdWords or Finance?
In my life, before the Internet became the center of my business and professional life I was a Financial Advisor with one of the largest firms in the US. I wanted to crunch the numbers and find the opportunities and help people actually retire. If you would have asked me about CPA online advertising at the time I would have probably responded that a CPA’s advertising options online are pretty limited, since they are such a highly regulated group. As a Financial Advisor the industry jargon defined CPA as Certified Public Accountant.
In online advertising with Google AdWords, CPA stands for cost-per-action/acquisition. It is a bidding system that requires the use of conversion code, and a specific number of conversions per month. CPA is essentially an autopilot for bidding and daily budgets where Google automatically sets bid level, position and budget levels to meet a target cost per action set by the user. This type of structure is set up for use with campaigns that generate large numbers of conversions. For example, an e-retailer that sells designer hand bag shoe sets can utilize CPA pricing to optimize their campaign for buyers of a new item in stock, or last season’s items by properly organizing and targeting their keywords, ad groups, and campaigns.
The lesson here for small businesses starting into PPC advertising is to be aware of what other industries use the same terms as yours. Usually a few Google searches of individual words can really open up ones eyes as to the true complexity of the English language and the meanings we assign to words.
Semantic Judgement and Keyword Research
Responding to a Tweet from David Bullock made me confident in the way I pursue keyword phrases and write ad copy for my clients.
When it comes to PPC being part of a conversation with your customers David hits the nail right on the head . Its all about history and the conversation the keyword is part of for the user.
Just using the lists that the ad platform spits out at you based on your site and their data does nothing to apply the semantic judgments that are necessary to convert those who view your ad into customers.
There are two parts to this to consider in PPC marketing:
1. Exactly what David mentions, and the knowledge of the customer to make a good judgment call.
2. The historical data on that keyword phrase and those similar to it.
Exploring the search history of the keyword, as well as the competition for that keyword, can help any size business take their PPC marketing to a higher level.
Be daring, stop tracking CTR and just optimize for Conversion rate. With knowledge of the conversation you are having with your prospects you will quickly notice the improvement in the ROI of your efforts.
SEO and PPC together in perfect harmony
In Late July Google released the results of a study they conducted on the interrelatedness of search engine placement and paid search placement and how they can play off of each other to increase trust from a surfer. Biz reports gives a good run down of the numbers.
I agree with the Google study to a point, but am always skeptical about studies who’s results so closely benefit the source. What I have observed is that the greatest value is when the term that is being bid on is one for which the website ranks high in natural search. When the company appears in the top of both organic and paid search results the industry positioning and brand value of the website are increased.
As always, third-party verification provides another layer of trust for the searcher. If you can complement high results for your website with good things said about you on prominent social networks and Blogs the outside verification off of your website provides the best brand value.
Overture Died a LONG time ago, and so did the Yahoo! Ambasador program.
Every time I see a website that has the Yahoo! SM Ambasador logo it upsets me that someone would fall for it and not check it out. Yahoo discontinued the Ambasador program in March…which I found out in May when I called to ask them about it. I am amazed that so many “Yahoo Ambasadors” are unaware that the program has been discontinued.
Even more common, is seeing SEO, SEM, & PPC practicioners talking about Overture as if it is still around. If you are selling SEO and you don’t know that Overture stopped collecting data over a year ago and stopped being accessible months ago you are not very good at what you say you do.
In taking over the Marketing Curve site and Blog from Jen I was amazed that my AdWords ceritified professional logo was not linked to the profile. It was the first thing I fixed.
New Media Giant Google Passes?
One of the things I do on a regular basis is follow Google. It’s not just because I am a Google Advertising Professional, but really a fascination with the Calculus with words and sociology that pay per click advertising is. With real dominance in the PPC/Search industry Google, Inc. is constantly trying to innovate and expand their offerings across media platforms. Not a week goes by that some new way to advertise doesn’t seem to be popping up in my client center.
When I first began in Internet Marketing it was less than six months after the first massive Google slap that forced many adsense revenue earners to take out a second mortgage and rethink their entire business model. Since then several Google dances have stood out. The introduction of the google quality score and many others have rocked the internet marketing community which claims to be white hat, but all to often has a small black hat hiding underneath. Google has been so proactive in tying up loopholes they have left us the users and searchers of the public and business to business world with a results because of it. Even competitors Yahoo SM, MSN, and Ask.com look more like the dominant Google everyday. The new media giant google is dead. Long live the emerging media king, Google.
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