http://boldendeavours.com/ en Description Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:01:20 +0100 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:22:00 +0100 In July 2005, AdWords introduced minimum bids for keywords based on Quality Score. This system allows us to show very high quality ads to Google users, while also giving advertisers control over their keywords. Since 2005, we've improved Quality Score in many ways, such as the inclusion of landing … In July 2005, AdWords introduced minimum bids for keywords based on Quality Score . This system allows us to show very high quality ads to Google users, while also giving advertisers control over their keywords. Since 2005, we've improved Quality Score in many ways, such as the inclusion of landing page quality and landing page load time as factors. Along the way, we've also received much helpful feedback from both users and advertisers. Today, we'd like to let you know of further improvements we'll introduce in the coming weeks -- based, in part, on this feedback. First we'll outline the key points, and then dive into the details: Quality Score will now be more accurate because it will be calculated at the time of each search query Keywords will no longer be marked 'inactive for search' 'First page bid' will replace 'minimum bid' in your account A more accurate Quality Score Most importantly, we are replacing our static per-keyword Quality Scores with a system that will evaluate an ad's quality each time it matches a search query. This way, AdWords will use the most accurate, specific, and up-to-date performance information when determining whether an ad should be displayed. Your ads will be more likely to show when they're relevant and less likely to show when they're not. This means that Google users are apt to see better ads while you, as an advertiser, should receive leads which are more highly qualified. Keywords no longer marked 'inactive for search' The new per-query evaluation of Quality Score affects you in that keywords will no longer appear as ' inactive for search ' in your account. Instead, all keywords will have the chance to show ads on Google web search and the search network (unless you've paused or deleted them). Keep in mind, however, that keywords previously marked 'inactive for search' are not likely to accrue a great deal of traffic following this change. This is because their combined per-query Quality Score and bid probably isn't high enough to gain competitive placement. 'First page bid' will replace 'minimum bid' As a result of migrating to per-query Quality Score, we are no longer showing minimum bids in your account. Instead, we're replacing minimum bids with a new, more meaningful metric: first page bids . First page bids are an estimate of the bid it would take for your ad to reach the first page of search results on Google web search. They're based on the exact match version of the keyword, the ad's Quality Score, and current advertiser competition on that keyword. Based on your feedback, we learned that knowing your minimum bid wasn't always helpful in getting the ad placement you wanted, so we hope that first page bids will give you better guidance on how to achieve your advertising goals. It's worth mentioning that the impact of these changes will vary from advertiser to advertiser; some might see no changes to their ad serving, while others may see a noticeable difference. As always, we recommend optimizing ads to prevent them from receiving a low Quality Score. Putting it all together Here's an example to illustrate how per-query Quality Score works: Nancy's Dairy advertises on the keyword 'milk.' Nancy's ads perform better on the keyword 'milk' in the U.S. than in Canada. Her ads also perform better on the query 'milk delivery' than on 'milk,' and better on certain search network sites than on others. Instead of one static Quality Score and minimum bid that determines whether the keyword 'milk' is eligible to trigger an ad for all search queries, we will now determine eligibility dynamically, based on factors such as location, the specific query, and other relevance factors. For that reason, Nancy's keyword 'milk' will be able to trigger an ad for search queries where it's likely to perform better, i.e., in the U.S., on 'milk delivery' and on certain search network sites. We're working to update the AdWords API and AdWords Editor so that, in the future, they will support first page bids. Until then, both the AdWords API and AdWords Editor will continue to show the minimum bid field. However, the information shown in this field will be based on the new per-query Quality Score. You may keep current with upcoming API releases on the API Blog and learn about upcoming AdWords Editor releases via the AdWords Editor Forum . Finally, please note that we'll release these Quality Score changes to a very small segment of advertisers within the next day or two, so that we can gather feedback before launching to all our advertisers. We will, of course, post again in advance of the time that these changes go live for everyone. In the meantime, please see this comprehensive list of frequently asked questions for more information. Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/371398310/quality-score-improvements.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4582.html Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:31:00 +0100 Today, at the Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose, CA, the Website Optimizer team announced the launch of several highly requested product updates. For those unfamiliar with Website Optimizer, it's Google's free content testing and optimization tool. It allows you to test different … Today, at the Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose, CA, the Website Optimizer team announced the launch of several highly requested product updates. For those unfamiliar with Website Optimizer, it's Google's free content testing and optimization tool. It allows you to test different variations of your site content to determine what will be most effective at getting you the results you want from your site. Website Optimizer's offering has now expanded to include: Experiment Pruning : This new feature allows you to disable one or more combinations from taking part in your Website Optimizer experiments. Pruning can help you achieve faster, more meaningful results by allowing you to remove poorly performing or illogical combinations. This is especially helpful in cases where your experiment may have too many combinations relative to the amount of traffic it receives. A/B Offline Validation : If your test or goal pages aren't accessible to Website Optimizer then no worries. You'll now be able to just upload a copy of your tagged page and Website Optimizer will make sure that everything is tagged properly. More Intuitive Reporting: We've enhanced our reports to more clearly show how your combinations are performing, and to better indicate when we've found one or more high-confidence winning combinations. This will help prevent you from drawing false conclusions from results or from ending experiments prematurely. (Click the image for a full-size version) If you're unfamiliar with Website Optimizer, we've developed some great new videos for you. These include a new product tour , A/B experiment demo , and multivariate experiment demo . You'll see how quick and easy it is to create Website Optimizer tests in just minutes. You can always find these and all of our other tutorials on the videos page of the Website Optimizer microsite. We hope you'll enjoy these updates. Remember, you can always find out the latest product news and industry insights straight from the Website Optimizer team by visiting the Website Optimizer blog . Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/369419145/new-features-in-website-optimizer.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4580.html Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:43:00 +0100 Based on advertiser feedback, and our commitment to provide useful tools and information for our advertisers, we've now added search volume data to the Keyword Tool. Now, when you use the Keyword Tool to search for relevant keywords to include in your keyword list, you'll be able to see the … Based on advertiser feedback, and our commitment to provide useful tools and information for our advertisers, we've now added search volume data to the Keyword Tool . Now, when you use the Keyword Tool to search for relevant keywords to include in your keyword list, you'll be able to see the approximate number of search queries matching your keywords that were performed on Google and the search network . These approximate numbers are intended to provide better insight into keywords' monthly and average search volumes than previously provided by the tool. Here's a screenshot of the updated Keyword Tool: (Click the image for a full-size version) You can view the new statistics by looking at the Keyword Tool's Approx Search Volume columns. Search volume data can be useful to you in several ways, including: Account structure: You may want to create a new ad group around high-traffic keywords that you find particularly relevant. Closely target ad text and a specific landing page to the small, narrowly-focused set of similar keywords you've found through the Keyword Tool. Budget planning: See how much traffic is available to your keywords so you can better plan your budget. Keyword choice: Search for and select the relevant keywords most likely to return quality leads within your budget. Remember, the Keyword Tool also provides several other keyword-related metrics that can help you select highly relevant keywords to improve the overall performance of your campaigns. You can easily view data on advertiser competition, search volume trends, estimated average CPCs, and estimated ad positions for keywords. To learn more about using the Keyword Tool, please see this article from the AdWords Help Center. Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/330504087/keyword-tool-updated-with-search-volume.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4565.html Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:09:00 +0100 Could your AdWords account use a little oomph? If so, then the latest AdWords Industry Newsletters have some fresh ideas for you.This quarter's Retail issue features tips for getting a head start on your holiday campaigns and using Google Trends to understand your keyword traffic. In the Tech B2C … Could your AdWords account use a little oomph? If so, then the latest AdWords Industry Newsletters have some fresh ideas for you. This quarter's Retail issue features tips for getting a head start on your holiday campaigns and using Google Trends to understand your keyword traffic. In the Tech B2C issue you'll find original research on consumer electronics buyers and tips on streamlining keywords with AdWords Editor. And, just in time for the summer season, the brand-new AdWords Travel Industry Newsletter is here for advertisers selling travel-related products and services. We also have a new resource for financial marketers: the Financial Services Industry Knowledge Center . Here you'll find tips, guides, success stories, and Google product recommendations specifically for the financial services vertical. If you want to find an Industry Knowledge Center for a different industry, please visit this page . Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/309048827/latest-newsletters-to-start-summer.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4553.html Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:36:00 +0100 Today at the SMX Seattle conference, the Website Optimizer team announced the launch of the Google Website Workout contest. The idea behind the contest is simple: the team wants to help four businesses "pump up" their websites so they can realize more sales, leads, and sign-ups. Our consultants … Today at the SMX Seattle conference , the Website Optimizer team announced the launch of the Google Website Workout contest. The idea behind the contest is simple: the team wants to help four businesses "pump up" their websites so they can realize more sales, leads, and sign-ups. Our consultants will work with the four winners to increase their websites' performance by identifying and testing which combinations of page design, copy, and graphics yield the highest conversion rates. This short video explains how the contest works and what you can expect: (If you are having trouble viewing the video, please visit the contest page .) Entering the contest is easy -- visit the contest site and answer a few questions about why your site needs a workout. We'll only be accepting entries through June 17th, so please enter soon. Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/303999504/pump-up-your-site-with-website-workout.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4548.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:47:00 +0100 Over the next two weeks, we're offering free webinars covering Google Print Ads and Google Audio Ads. Traditional media ads can drive more traffic and conversions to your website, all from customers that are local to your business -- in these webinars, we'll cover different ways you can expand your … Over the next two weeks, we're offering free webinars covering Google Print Ads and Google Audio Ads. Traditional media ads can drive more traffic and conversions to your website, all from customers that are local to your business -- in these webinars, we'll cover different ways you can expand your advertising reach with print and audio ads , including how to get started and best practices you can use once your campaigns are up and running. We hope you'll be able to join us for one or both of the webinars: Google Audio Ads: Wednesday, June 11. Sign up here . Google Print Ads: Wednesday, June 18. Sign up here . We encourage you to attend both sessions to learn how Google can help you reach the right local customers, at the right time, with the right message. Posted by Heather Lane, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/303257104/upcoming-print-and-audio-ads-webinars.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4547.html Fri, 16 May 2008 00:28:00 +0100 Are you interested in reaching your target audience through offline advertising, while also driving online searches and boosting ROI? If so, you can get help from experts at the Google Marketer's Playbook talks at upcoming ad:tech digital marketing conferences.The Google Marketer's Playbook is a new … Are you interested in reaching your target audience through offline advertising, while also driving online searches and boosting ROI? If so, you can get help from experts at the Google Marketer's Playbook talks at upcoming ad:tech digital marketing conferences. The Google Marketer's Playbook is a new series of educational talks where our experts discuss strategies for making the most of AdWords and other Google products helpful to advertisers such as Google Analytics and YouTube . Topics include optimization strategy , measurement and tracking , and increasing reach . These sessions will be held at the 2008 ad:tech Miami, Chicago, and New York shows starting June 3rd and are open to all exhibit hall pass holders. To obtain a free exhibit hall pass to the event of your choice, visit www.ad-tech.com and click on the 'register' link next to the show you will be attending. Following the talks, attendees will be able to participate in the live Q&A sessions with the experts. The Google Marketer's Playbook at ad:tech San Francisco has already passed, but you can watch recordings of the sessions in this YouTube playlist . These videos are also live on the Google Business Channel which contains even more presentations and webinars about Google's business products and advertising solutions. Posted by Christian Yee, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/291307966/introducing-google-marketers-playbook.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4544.html Thu, 08 May 2008 19:35:00 +0100 In early March, we announced that we'd soon incorporate an additional factor into Quality Score, namely landing page load time -- where load time is defined as the amount of time it takes for a user to see the landing page after clicking an ad. Now, we'd like to post with an update.Starting today, … In early March, we announced that we'd soon incorporate an additional factor into Quality Score , namely landing page load time -- where load time is defined as the amount of time it takes for a user to see the landing page after clicking an ad. Now, we'd like to post with an update. Starting today, load time evaluations will be displayed on the Keyword Analysis page , for your review. We suggest taking some time to evaluate and understand this information because, starting mid-June, landing page load time will be incorporated into your Quality Score . Once you've had the chance to review and evaluate this information, you may wish to make changes to improve your landing page load time. People who click your ads may well thank you for it, by becoming your satisfied customer. To learn more about load time and landing page quality, please see this article in the AdWords Help Center. Posted by Blake Wharton, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/286296520/landing-page-load-time-now-available-on.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4542.html Fri, 02 May 2008 20:24:00 +0100 Google AdWords has come a long way since its launch in 2000 -- gone are the days of only serving simple text ads on search results and various pages across the Internet. Over the years, we've introduced a number of creative formats for advertising online, and now you can even use your AdWords … Google AdWords has come a long way since its launch in 2000 -- gone are the days of only serving simple text ads on search results and various pages across the Internet. Over the years, we've introduced a number of creative formats for advertising online, and now you can even use your AdWords account to create campaigns that will reach customers when they aren't online. Here's a quick overview of all the AdWords ad types available: Online Text ads : When displayed on Google, text ads are four lines of text: a title (25 characters), two lines of ad text (35 characters each), and a URL line. The format of text ads on partner sites may differ. For example, your ad text may appear on a single line, or it may look like the ads on this page . Image ads : Appearing on select content sites in the Google network, images ads are just that -- graphical AdWords ads. Unlike traditional online graphical ads, image ads can be matched to a page's content. See examples of image ads and placement options . Video ads : Like image ads, video ads appear on content sites in the Google network, but are user-initiated. That means a user must click "play" to watch your ad. Think of video ads as a type of commercial on the Internet. Watch examples of video ads . Mobile ads : Available as text or image ads, mobile ads appear on mobile websites, and direct users to your mobile website. Mobile text ads can also appear when users search Google from a mobile device. If you'd like to run mobile ads, you'll need a mobile website. Learn more about where mobile ads are available. Offline TV ads : That's right -- TV ads! Through your AdWords account, you can launch a television campaign in minutes. Google TV Ads is available to advertisers located in the United States, billed in U.S. dollars. Watch a demo to learn more. Print ads : Place your ads in newspapers across the United States. In fact, you can choose from more than 750 newspapers, and set a price that matches your budget. Learn how other advertisers have used Print Ads by reading our success stories . Google Print Ads is available to advertisers located in the United States, billed on credit card postpay . Audio ads : Broadcast you message on over 1,600 radio stations across the U.S. Audio ads are just like traditional radio commercials, but they're easier to buy and manage. Google Audio Ads are available to advertisers located in the United States, billed on credit card postpay . Listen to examples of audio ads , all of which were created using the Google Ad Creation Marketplace . We invite you to experiment with the various ad formats available -- advertisers often find that offline ad formats are a great complement to their online campaigns, helping them reach new customers. You can find more information about each ad type in the help center . Posted by Heather Lane, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/282341055/audio-and-video-and-print-oh-my.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4538.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:31:00 +0100 In celebration of Earth Day, we've decided to take a brief break from AdWords news and tips to share our favorite "green" tips for the office. 1) Turn off the lights in conference rooms after you're finished with a meeting.2) Turn off computers when you leave for the day.3) Bring your own reusable … In celebration of Earth Day, we've decided to take a brief break from AdWords news and tips to share our favorite "green" tips for the office. 1) Turn off the lights in conference rooms after you're finished with a meeting. 2) Turn off computers when you leave for the day. 3) Bring your own reusable water bottles and coffee mugs to work. 4) Carpool with your co-workers. 5) Try duplex printing -- save paper by printing on both sides. We hope you'll take some time today (and every day) to think about how to make your workplace more Earth-friendly! Posted by Vivian, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/275724175/green-tips-for-office.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4535.html Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:53:00 +0100 We're proud to announce a new member of the AdWords family -- Frank the hand turkey. You may remember Frank from previous blog posts, and as of today, Frank will be the official mascot of Google AdWords. As part of our continuing efforts to improve the quality of online advertising, we're also … We're proud to announce a new member of the AdWords family -- Frank the hand turkey. You may remember Frank from previous blog posts , and as of today, Frank will be the official mascot of Google AdWords. As part of our continuing efforts to improve the quality of online advertising, we're also introducing FrankRank(TM), a new ad ranking technology and algorithm inspired by our new mascot. To learn more about Frank and FrankRank, we sat down with the new mascot for a quick interview: I see you're sporting a new look. Frank: Oh? What? Oh yes, the bow tie. Well, I'm a big corporate mascot now. I need to look the part. Plus, I hear they have big plans for me, so I've got to look sharp. Tell us about FrankRank. F: I'd be happy to. Well, as you might know, AdWords rankings are now based on how well a particular ad goes with mashed potatoes and gravy... and quite frankly, how much I like the ad. Some people thought this connection between mashed potatoes and bids was confusing, but since it's really all about what I like, I figured we'd just name it after me. We've done some usability studies with it, and you wouldn't believe the results. People are like, "Who's Frank?" and the User Experience Researcher is like, "He's a hand turkey," and then the people are like, "Woah, I get it now." Truly fascinating stuff. How did you become the AdWords mascot? Were there others competing for the title? F: I did have to beat out a snowman and his girlfriend for the title, but fortunately I received a travel hair dryer in my office's Secret Santa last year. That certainly heated up the competition, if you know what I mean. Any concerns that you might be eaten? F: Well, not in particular, I mean I'm a hand turkey, not the real thing. Now I could see that someone could be enjoying some mashed potatoes and gravy while managing their AdWords account, and then see me, think I am delicious turkey, and try to devour me, but I mean what are the odds? What else do you have lined up for the future? F: I've got big plans! First off, I'm going to learn 42 new languages so I can speak to all of our AdWords customers. I also hear that the AdSense folks are looking for a mascot. After that, I'm off to Mars with Project Virgle . Posted by Trevor & Vivian, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/262149673/introducing-frankrank-new-ad-ranking.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4527.html Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:18:00 +0000 We continue to receive a lot of questions about Google Website Optimizer, our website testing and optimization tool. Those of you who are familiar with Website Optimizer may have seen the Quick Start Guide and read our advanced testing strategies. Recently, however, you've asked us for more insight … We continue to receive a lot of questions about Google Website Optimizer , our website testing and optimization tool. Those of you who are familiar with Website Optimizer may have seen the Quick Start Guide and read our advanced testing strategies . Recently, however, you've asked us for more insight on what you should be testing on your webpages. "Should I test my headlines, images, or buttons? Google, what do I test?" To answer these questions and more, we'd like to invite you to join Website Optimizer's Product Manager, Tom Leung, and guest presenter Bryan Eisenberg (Chief Persuasion Officer, FutureNow, Inc.) for a free online seminar. TITLE: Website Optimizer: What Should I Test? DATE: Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 TIME: 9:00 - 10:00 am PST (Pacific Standard Time) JOIN US: Register to attend During this online seminar, Tom and Bryan will: Provide a brief introduction to Website Optimizer for newer users Delve into testing best practice Discuss some of the top elements to test on any webpage Review top mistakes people make when developing new content to test Upon registration, we also invite you to submit specific topics you'd like Tom and Bryan to cover. We look forward to seeing you there! Posted by Trevor, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/241719787/webinar-website-optimizer-what-should-i.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4519.html Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:49:00 +0000 Tomorrow, February 2nd, is Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil will soon emerge from his burrow and give his prediction for how much longer winter will last. While working with a prognosticating woodchuck to predict seasons is great, we have our own tool for determining seasonality: Google Trends. … Tomorrow, February 2nd, is Groundhog Day , and Punxsutawney Phil will soon emerge from his burrow and give his prediction for how much longer winter will last. While working with a prognosticating woodchuck to predict seasons is great, we have our own tool for determining seasonality: Google Trends . Google Trends shows you what the world is searching for. Using Google Trends you can see when searches for a particular keyword are most popular as well as the top geographic regions and cities for that keyword. You can even perform comparisons between keywords. (Click the image for a full-sized version) Here we have a trends graph for the searches performed in the United States in 2007 for the keywords flowers , roses , and chocolate . We can see that flowers is more popular around Valentine's Day and most popular around Mother's Day. Roses , on the other hand, sees the biggest surge around Valentine's Day, and just a small bump for Mother's Day. And chocolate has jumps for Valentine's Day and Easter and then starts climbing around Halloween, peaking around Christmas. You can also look at a monthly view to see which days have the most traffic. Knowing this information can help you prepare your campaigns for the additional interest. Happy Groundhog Day! Posted by Trevor, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/227516806/groundhogs-seasonality-and-trends.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4508.html Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:36:00 +0000 Just because the December holidays are over doesn't mean we're taking a break from our industry trends and seasonal highlights. Get a head start on preparing for winter sales opportunities (including Valentine's Day) with our latest Retail and Tech B2C newsletters.Retailers can find tips for driving … Just because the December holidays are over doesn't mean we're taking a break from our industry trends and seasonal highlights. Get a head start on preparing for winter sales opportunities (including Valentine's Day) with our latest Retail and Tech B2C newsletters. Retailers can find tips for driving more conversions in the AdWords Retail Industry Newsletter . Advertisers selling consumer electronics, and telecommunications and technology products or services can check out the AdWords Tech B2C Industry Newsletter for advice on reaching more customers. You can sign up to receive AdWords newsletters via email through your AdWords account. Posted by Feng, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/223152676/latest-retail-and-techb2c-industry.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4507.html Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:36:00 +0000 Recently, we wrote a three part series on the Google content network. Many of you were interested in more optimization advice for the content network, and we're sharing more of those tips today:On the search network, ads are shown to users who are specifically searching for results using one of your … Recently, we wrote a three part series on the Google content network. Many of you were interested in more optimization advice for the content network, and we're sharing more of those tips today: On the search network, ads are shown to users who are specifically searching for results using one of your keywords. On the content network, ads are shown to users as they research interests and browse sites that are related to your keywords and ad text. Users on the content network are in a different mindset than users on search, so changes to your keywords, ad text and account structure may be necessary to make the most out of your content network advertising. Create separate search and content campaigns. This will allow you to: Optimize your ad groups and ad text specifically for content pages. Target different audiences. If you sell flowers, you may want to create a content ad group to show your ads to couples by targeting pages relevant to them. Use general keywords to strengthen the theme of your ad group, without affecting your search performance. Think about the type of user browsing a web page and write ads to catch that user's attention. It's important for your ad text to relate to the webpage on which it appears. If your target user is going to be on pages related to flowers, mention flowers or closely related products in the ad text. Test multiple creatives and ad formats (text, image, video) in all available sizes to gain better insight into what sort of ads will perform the best for you. Include call-to-action phrases. Phrases like 'Register now," "Get a free quote," and "Call now" can can help set expectations for the person who is about to visit your site. Your call-to-action should be what you consider to be a conversion. Highlight special offers or features available on your site. We've found that advertisers often get higher ROI on the content network when they include product prices in their ads. Prices and special offers can help you stand out from competitors and showcase your best deals. Link your ad to customized landing pages that match the information in your ad text. If your ad highlights a special deal on cell phones, make sure that the ad directs users to the specific cell phone page of your site. And ensure that your landing pages are clear and easy to navigate. As you implement these tips and those from the previous optimization post , we recommend that you track the performance of your campaigns and iterate to figure out what works well for you. Track the performance of your contextually targeted ads using Placement Performance reports. The Placement Performance report (PPR) provides information on where your contextually targeted ads are showing up and how they are performing. You can use placement targeting ( CPC or CPM ) to further target the placements where your ads are performing particularly well and use site exclusion to exclude them from sites where they are not performing well. You can find more tips on how to use PPR effectively to boost campaign performance here . Let Google track and manage your campaign's performance for you. Using the Conversion Optimizer , you can specify a cost-per-acquisition (CPA), and Google will automatically adjust your CPC bids to meet your CPA goal. Learn how Bingo Card Creator used Conversion Optimizer on his content network campaigns to save time and increase his profits. We hope you found these tips useful. Please continue to send us feedback on the content network and what additional content network topics you would like to read about in this blog. Posted by Feng, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/222567742/google-content-network-tips-optimizing.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4506.html Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:13:00 +0000 Last week, we hosted an online seminar for the Conversion Optimizer, a free AdWords feature that saves advertisers time and money by managing CPC bids based on their cost-per-acquisition goals.Since last week's seminar was so well attended, we've decided to offer three more seminars -- on January 31 … Last week , we hosted an online seminar for the Conversion Optimizer, a free AdWords feature that saves advertisers time and money by managing CPC bids based on their cost-per-acquisition goals. Since last week's seminar was so well attended, we've decided to offer three more seminars -- on January 31, February 7, and February 13. For each seminar, we'll give a product overview and explain how Conversion Optimizer can help you get a higher ROI and more conversions from Google search and content campaigns. We'll also have time to answer your questions. Keep in mind that the presentation and format for all three seminars will be the same, so please choose the date that works best for you. If you would like to attend, please register here . If you'd like to learn more about using the Conversion Optimizer, you can also visit the Conversion Optimizer website . Update: Corrected second webinar date to February 7. Posted by Heather, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/222535452/three-more-conversion-optimizer.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4505.html Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:31:00 +0000 Ever wish you could show your ads more often to a specific group like women aged 25-34? Want to see how your ads perform with certain demographic groups and then adjust your bids accordingly?We're excited to introduce the new demographic bidding feature from AdWords. Demographic bidding helps you … Ever wish you could show your ads more often to a specific group like women aged 25-34? Want to see how your ads perform with certain demographic groups and then adjust your bids accordingly? We're excited to introduce the new demographic bidding feature from AdWords. Demographic bidding helps you display your ads to specific gender and age group audiences on some sites in the Google content network, giving you more control over who your audience is and greater insight into how your ads perform with certain demographic groups. We'll start testing this feature over the next few weeks with a selected group of advertisers in the U.S. and U.K. If you'd like to be part of this group, read on. Demographic bidding and reports are available to advertisers who run contextually targeted or placement-targeted campaigns (with CPC or CPM bidding) on certain sites in the Google content network. Here's how it works: Some publishers in our network, such as social networking sites, know the gender and age of their users because their users sign in with that information when they create a profile or fill out registration or subscription forms. Participating publishers anonymize this user reported demographic data and then send it to Google in aggregate form, allowing us to adjust which ads are shown to members of specific demographic groups. (To protect user privacy , AdWords receives this data only from publishers that have permission from users to share their data according to the site's terms and conditions. Users are never identified personally, but only as anonymous aggregated data in the demographic reports. And to protect the privacy of minors, users under 18 can't be targeted demographically.) There are two ways you can use demographic bidding. First, you can modify your bids for a particular audience segment, such as increasing your bid for 25-34 year-old males by 230%. Second, you can ask that your ads not be shown to certain demographic groups if they aren't meeting your ROI goals. If you're not sure which demographic converts best for you, you can run Demographic Reports (found in the Report Center) to guide your bids for certain groups. These reports can show you campaign performance metrics (including impressions, clicks, CTR, and conversion data) by the gender and age range of users who saw your ad. If there are demographic groups that convert well, you can increase your bids for those groups, increasing the frequency your ad will be shown to this audience. You can also choose to have your ad hidden from groups that don't respond well to your campaign. If you're an AdWords advertiser located in the U.S. or the U.K., we'd like to invite you to try out demographic bidding. You can see which partner sites offer this feature and learn how to get started by visiting this site . We plan to add advertisers on a rolling basis. We'll let you know as soon as you've been added to the test. Posted by Feng, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/222064888/demographic-bidding-beta-test.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4504.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:47:00 +0000 Are you ready to kick-start your AdWords account in 2008? If you'd like to learn more about how to get the most out of your account, we encourage you to check out an AdWords Seminar. These seminars are offered by search marketing professionals who are also Qualified Invididuals in the Google … Are you ready to kick-start your AdWords account in 2008? If you'd like to learn more about how to get the most out of your account, we encourage you to check out an AdWords Seminar . These seminars are offered by search marketing professionals who are also Qualified Invididuals in the Google Advertising Professionals program. Sessions have just been added in St. Louis, Miami, Las Vegas, Denver, and San Francisco. Sign up 7 days before the seminar date and we'll even throw in a $50 AdWords advertising credit. (View the terms and conditions of advertising credits.) You'll find more information about these seminars, including dates, course outlines, and registration instructions at http://www.google.com/awseminars . On the site, you can browse through the schedule of upcoming seminars in the new handy calendar. And of course, if you'd like to be informed when AdWords Seminars become available in your area, simply fill out this form . Posted by Vivian, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/217411840/more-adwords-seminars-coming-near-you.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4503.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:40:00 +0000 In the past, we've often mentioned Google Analytics as a great tool that helps you learn more about how visitors reach your website and what they do once they get there. But now's a good time to take a step back and talk about how to get started with Google Analytics from the very first step. This … In the past, we've often mentioned Google Analytics as a great tool that helps you learn more about how visitors reach your website and what they do once they get there. But now's a good time to take a step back and talk about how to get started with Google Analytics from the very first step. This will be the first post in a series of "Analytics 101" articles that will walk you through sign up, installation, and using reports. The WAY Beginning: What is Google Analytics? Google Analytics is a free, hosted web analytics service that provides useful data for website and marketing optimization. Site owners and marketers can make better informed decisions about their sites and campaigns by using metrics from Google Analytics reports. Google Analytics works by collecting information about your site traffic and advertising campaigns, combining this with e-commerce and conversion information to provide insight into the performance of your marketing efforts and site content. Anyone can sign up using a Google account by visiting http://www.google.com/analytics/. You don't even need to have an AdWords account beforehand. How do I sign up and install Google Analytics? After signing up for a Google Analytics account comes the most important part of installation -- the tracking code snippet. Every Analytics user is given a unique piece of JavaScript code to insert in all site pages immediately before the </body> tag. The code snippet may look like something like this example below: <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js ' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-#####-#"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script> (For illustrative purposes only.) Your "UA-#####-#" number will be unique to you. It's important to insert the code on all of your site's pages; otherwise Analytics won't be giving you the whole picture of what's going on. If you're not ready to insert the code now, you can always retrieve this code later. Depending on the size of your site and the number of pages you need tagged, you may want to discuss installation with your webmaster, if you have one. How do I view my reports? After you've finished signup, you'll be taken to the Analytics Settings page. The Status box on the right side of this page will let you know whether the code has been properly inserted. It's important to note, however, that it takes anywhere from a few hours to a full day after code installation for your reports to start gathering and showing information. Once the Status box in the Analytics Settings page says that you're receiving data, you can click the View Reports link to receive reports about your website traffic. Like this: (Click on the image for a full-sized version) That's it for this first installment of Google Analytics 101. Try playing around with a few reports -- the Analytics interface is specifically designed to be intuitive and "discoverable," so to speak. If you can't wait to learn more, the Analytics Help Center is a great resource for information. Look for the next installment soon, when we'll explain more about administering your account and using your reports. Posted by Christian, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/217343004/google-analytics-101-part-1.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4502.html Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:46:00 +0000 Last week, we announced that the Conversion Optimizer, a free AdWords feature for managing CPA (cost-per-acquisition) bids, was out of beta and available to more advertisers.We'd like to remind you that the Conversion Optimizer team will be giving a free online seminar tomorrow, January 15th at 10 … Last week, we announced that the Conversion Optimizer, a free AdWords feature for managing CPA (cost-per-acquisition) bids, was out of beta and available to more advertisers. We'd like to remind you that the Conversion Optimizer team will be giving a free online seminar tomorrow, January 15th at 10 am PST . This one hour session will cover how the Conversion Optimizer works and how you can use it to get more conversions and improve your ROI. You'll also have the chance to get your questions answered by the team. If you would like to attend, please register here . If you'd like to learn more about using the Conversion Optimizer, you can also visit the Conversion Optimizer website . Posted by Trevor, Inside AdWords crew http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/ATHs/~3/216586697/sign-up-for-conversion-optimizer-online.html http://boldendeavours.com/news/detail/rss4501.html