Posts tagged Google Adwords
Speed up Google Adwords with Local Storage
Feb 12th
Google has installed a new feature that helps speed up the loading of your Google Adwords data. This new feature takes advantage of the Google Gears plugin to store a copy of your account data on your computer. So each time you access AdWords, your data loads directly from your computer, speeding up Google Adwords.
How is local storage enabled?
1. Click the local storage icon (a gray circle with a line through it) next to your email address in the upper-right corner of your AdWords account.
2. Read and understand the security warning; make sure you’re not using a public or shared computer.
3. Click Continue.
Note: If you haven’t yet installed Google Gears, your browser will open a new tab and direct you through a short installation process. Once you’re done installing Google Gears, you’ll be prompted to restart your browser. Sign in to AdWords and click the local storage icon again.
4. Gears will alert you that https://adwords.google.com will be making use of local storage. Click the checkbox next to “I trust this site. Allow it to use Gears.” and click Allow.
Local storage is now enabled!
How does this work?
When local storage is enabled, AdWords will store your account data on your computer the first time it loads. After that, when you change views (selecting a different campaign or ad group, for example, or sorting by a different column), your data will load directly from your computer; you no longer have to wait for the data to download from our servers.
AdWords will make sure your data is always fresh, and retrieve the latest statistics while you work.
Your data is stored on your computer via Google Gears, in the same way that your browser stores cookies. Others who use your computer with different usernames won’t be able to access your data.
To disable local storage in future, simply click the green check mark icon next your email address in the upper right-hand corner of your browser. Next to Local account data is enabled, click the Disable link. Local storage will be disabled and all your local data will be deleted.
USA Search Engine Rankings – December 2009
Jan 26th
According to the latest comScore Core Search Report , Google sites are providing over 65% of all US searches, while Microsoft Sites (Bing) increased to 10.7% from 10.3% in November; 9.9% in October; and 9.4% in September. Bing’s growth has been at the expense of Yahoo! Sites, which has seen its market share steadily decline. The summary of this report is shown below.
Yahoo is feeling the pain of the dominance of the web search gorilla, Google, as well as the growth of the aggressive Bing. Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in its search engine, and it clearly wants to compete with Google head on.
Google Adwords is the dominant player in sponsored search advertising, but Yahoo and Bing have similar offerings.
We have recently started to advertise on Microsoft Advertising (Bing) on behalf of some of our clients. Initial results are promising and show a low level of competition, very high Click-Thru-Rates, and a low Cost-Per-Click. Obviously the actual number of clicks, is much lower than Google, but they are proving to be highly effective at a low cost. In other words, most businesses have not yet discovered the benefits of advertising on Bing, providing an excellent opportunity.
To get started advertising on Bing, or to get an appraisal of your current online marketing strategy, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Google Ad Extensions
Jan 15th
Google Adwords Ad extensions expand a standard text ad with additional business information such as an address, phone number and map. This is extremely useful for companies targeting a local audience using Google Adwords.
Google Ad Extensions (also referred to as Google Local Business Ad Extensions) make your advert (sponsored link) appear more local, and thus much more relevant for the local searcher.
On Google searches, you are charged in the same way for ad extensions as you are for a standard text ad (by the click).
To activate ad extensions, all your business location(s) are entered into your Google Adwords Campaign settings. Once correctly set up, Google will show the most relevant ad extension based on the searcher’s location. If the searcher does not fall within your locations, then the ad extension may not be activated. For example, if you have locations in Surrey, Vancouver and Richmond, a searcher in Surrey will most likely see your Surrey location. However, a searcher in Abbotsford may not see any extension. Sometimes Google will show the advert (sponsored link) with full expansion, as per example below, whilst more commonly it will just be with the address. To get full expansion, your advert generally needs to appear very high in the sponsored links, have a good Click-Thru-Rate (CTR) and be considered “relevant” by Google, for the search terms used. In other words, a well optimized advert.
Below is an example of such an ad extension, for one of the Google Adwords campaigns that we manage, with thanks to Sharleen of Ladies On The Go Travel Club.
If you are one of our clients, and would like your Google ads extended as above, please contact us. If you have not yet enjoyed the benefits of online marketing and especially Google Adwords, please contact us for a free initial consultation.
Example of Google Ad Extension
Inside The Mind of Google
Jan 7th
CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo hosted the CNBC Original Show “Inside The Mind of Google” which aired yesterday. The show is a fascinating insight into the world of Google and highlights how Google Adwords is possibly the greatest cash cow in history, producing 95% of Google’s profits. Please refer to the CNBC website for details of this show.
Click-To-Call-On-Mobile_Devices
Jan 4th
Google has announced that Click-to-Call in Ads on Mobile Devices with Google AdWords will be available in January, 2010. Your location-specific business phone number will display alongside your destination url (landing page of your website) in ads that appear on high-end mobile devices, such as iPhone. Users will be able to click-to-call your business just as easily as they click to visit your website.
How will phone numbers appear in my ads?
Based on the customer’s geographic location, the phone number and closest business address will appear as a fifth line of ad text when the ad appears on mobile devices with full HTML browsers (e.g. iPhone, Android, Palm WebOS).
Where will I be able to see the results?
At launch, you’ll be able to view calls from your ads on your Campaign Summary page within AdWords from the “click type” segment option under the “Filter and Views” drop down.
How will I be charged for phone calls I get from my ad?
The cost of a click to call your business will be the same as the cost of a click to visit your website.
What actions should I take?
If you’d like your ads to show location-specific phone numbers when displayed on mobile devices, make sure that your campaign is targeting iPhones and other mobile devices with full HTML browsers, and that you have included phone numbers with your business addresses in the locations under your Campaign settings.
If you would prefer your ads not show phone numbers, simply remove the location extensions from your ad campaigns or un-check mobile devices under the Campaign Settings tab.
USA Search Engine Rankings – October 2009
Dec 2nd
According to the latest comScore Core Search Report , Google sites are providing over 65% of all US searches, while Microsoft Sites (Bing) increased to 9.9% in October, from 9.4% the previous month. This was at the expense of Yahoo! Sites, which saw its market share decline from 18.8% to 18.0%. The summary of this report is shown below.
Yahoo is feeling the pain of the dominance of the web search gorilla, Google, as well as the growth of the aggressive Bing.
Google Adwords is the dominant player in sponsored search advertising, but Yahoo and Bing have similar offerings. These may be very attractive to some current Google Adwords advertisers, if they are in industries that are highly competitive in Google, but not as much as in Yahoo and/or Bing. To get an appraisal of your current online marketing strategy, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Google Adwords tips for success
Nov 20th
Climb Up The Google Rankings
Climb Up The Google Rankings
Organize your Adwords strategy by campaign
Often, you may only need one campaign. However, if your business offers products/services to different geographic areas, you should separate geographic areas by campaign. For example if your store is locally based, you may wish to target areas within a 20 mile radius. But if you also sell products online to North America, you should create a separate campaign for it.
Organize your campaign by theme
In each campaign, create separate ad groups for each of your products or services that you offer. Each ad group can then have a highly focused and related set of keywords and ads that match the specific theme. By doing this, your adverts can highlight exactly what a customer is searching for.
Choose your keywords with care and focus
Use specific keywords that directly relate to the theme of your ad group and landing page. Keywords that are too broad can lower your performance by generating many ad impressions but few clicks, ie a poor Click-Thru-Rate (CTR). One-word keywords are likely to be too generic, so try using two- or three-word phrases. Use the Keyword Tool to generate keyword ideas.
Include keywords in your ad text
Include your keywords in your ad text (especially the title) to show users that your ad relates to their search. If your ad shows when a user searches on a keyword in your ad group, the keyword will appear in bold in your ad text.
Use the right destination URL
Make sure that the destination URL (landing page) you use for each ad is the most relevant page within your website — ideally, a page dedicated to the specific product or service that’s highlighted in your ad.
Track your success (or lack of!)
To make informed decisions about how to optimize your campaigns, review your Google Adwords campaign statistics as well as you Google Analytics.
Optimize your campaigns regularly
The higher your CTR is the more optimized your campaign is. A low CTR will result in Google lowering the position of your ads, as your relevancy drops. Thus, keep adjusting your ads and keywords, by removing poor performing ones, and concentrating on the winners.
SavvyK specialises in structuring effective online marketing campaigns for businesses. Google Adwords is usually the most effective starting strategy. Do not hesitate to contact us for a free initial consultation, and get your website on top page of Google today!
How to rent your condo using effective online marketing
Nov 19th
How to rent your condo using effective online marketing
This is an example of how online marketing can help you with just about any business activity. This example is of particular interest to people who may have a condo, apartment, house, basement suite (etc) to rent.
In the old days, you would advertise in the local paper, or perhaps use a property manager to handle the rental. In the new days, you can rent your condo from your computer!
- Do research to try and figure out what kind of rental you should expect. The easiest way to do this is to look at the rentals section of Craigslist and Kijiji and see what other renters are asking for similar condos. Craigslist is the world’s largest online classified website, and it is free to post. Kijiji, owned by Ebay, is a much more modern online classified website. Like Craigslist, its free to post adverts, but you also have various choices for “upgrading” your adverts by paying to have the adverts appears on top page, for example
- So you have figured out the rental that you can expect to ask for. Next task is to create your classified advert. Be sure to specify the main points, such as rental price, location, age, number of bedrooms/bathrooms and more. You can see how other adverts are structured and use them as a basis for yours
- Having 2 to 4 good quality photos (shrunken in size to fit on web) is a good idea. If it’s a new development, you may be able to use images from the developer’s website, including the plans of the condo
- Post your advert on Craiglist (for the correct city)
- Post your advert on Kijiji (for the correct city)
- Give it a few hours and ensure your adverts are appearing. Also see how they appear compared to other advertisers, and make adjustments if necessary to enhance your adverts
- Create a simple Google Adwords Campaign. Select a geographic area within a 20-30 miles radius of your rental condo. Use a few simple keywords related to condo rentals, set a low “cappuccino” budget ($5 per day), ensure your advert contains basic information about the rental, and use your Kijiji or Craiglist advert as your landing page
- So now you have an effective online marketing strategy for your rental: Google searchers in the relevant geographic area will see your advert when they search for rentals; and people using online classifieds Craigslist and Kijiji will also see you advert
- Sit back and wait for the potential renters to contact you!
This is one of the many ways that online marketing can work for you. Do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation to discuss the online marketing opportunities for your business.
Grow your business with Web Marketing
Sep 23rd
The Web is an ocean of information
Don’t let your business drown in it but navigate it to success!
Today there was a report in the Vancouver Sun entitled “A day without the Web? As if!”. This report assessed an Ipsos Reid survey conducted for Telus. It showed that 59% of Canadian teens say they can’t live without the Internet and 75% of children in families that use the Internet are cyber savvy by the age of seven!
This is a wake up call for any business that has not realized the importance of the Web. Having a website is no longer sufficient….you need to get targetted traffic and to ensure that visitors can take actions on your website that will help your business grow.
SavvyK can get help you with web marketing
We specialize in helping businesses use their website as their prime marketing tool
There are many different web marketing strategies that can be utilized for most businesses. These include Google Adwords (getting top page rank on google searches), advertising on Facebook, using email marketing, advertising on free classifieds Craigslist and Kijiji, and much more. These strategies will increase the amount of targeted traffic to your website. But when they get there, its critical to have measurable actions that they can take. For example, this could be a special offer, promotional pricing, free consultation etc.
Free Consultation
Find out suitable web marketing strategies for your business
We will do a brief assessment of your website, and advise of the most suitable strategies. In some cases we may even be able to get you on Google Top Page, THE SAME DAY! This is for your specific keywords in a defined geographic area. Check out our special offer for Google Adwords.
Our business is growing almost entirely from referrals and from our own web marketing initiatives. If you have any business associates or friends who have a business they want to grow, we would really appreciate the referral.
Here is what some of our clients have said about our services.
Contact us online, or phone 778.786.3061. The web is an ocean…swim, don’t sink!
Google Adwords Keyword Tool
Jul 2nd
To have a successful Google Adwords campaign, its important to identify keywords that are particularly relevant to your business as well as being cost effective. The Google Adwords Keyword Tool can help identify keywords that are related to your main business.
You can either enter a keyword phrase to find related keywords, or you can enter your website URL (or your landing page) and Google will then identify useful keywords! Below you can see an example of the usage of this tool. I chose to enter my website URL (green oval) as well as including other pages on my site. Google then correctly identified different relevant categories (red box). The first few results from the first category, Pay Per Click, are shown. The completely green Advertiser Competition boxes indicate that these keyword phrases are highly competitive and thus expensive. The Search Volume columns indicate the traffic on a monthly basis.
Even from an SEO perspective, this Keyword Tool is extremely useful, as it shows you what Google thinks your website is all about.
