Month: March 2009

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New AdWords Image Templates

I picked this info up from the AdWords blog and checked it out for you. AdWords now has an image ad builder in the AdWords ad variations control panel and it is cool.

Right now AdWords is showing Flash image St. Patrick’s day ad templates. The easy control panel allows you to add text, upload a logo or image, and does all the heavy lifting for you to have a very cool animated image ad in just the right sizes.

I think that this is a wonderful tool as the time to create all 8 size variations of image ads can be extremely time consuming and may even require the help of a graphic artist or Flash designer. The new image ad builder allows non-designer types to use image ads without having to spend huge chunks of time or money to create them.

When would you want to use image ads? Well, now this is the big question. In my years of experience I know that ads in the content network simply do not convert at the rate that they do in search, and right now image ads only show in content. So, it is important to know that you can really spend a huge chunk of cash advertising in content using image ads and not generate the real sales to cover the expense. Still even with that for name exposure, brand marketing, and wide advertising exposure targeting the content arena does work, just don’t expect the same conversion rate you get on Google.com.

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Facebook For Kids and Teens

Kids can do crazy things, things we wish they wouldn’t. As a parent I have to say I get a window on my kids activities by their personal pages. I am going to share some of my own family guidelines with you on the use of social networking sites that I have for my own kids.

First for my college freshman. I have recommended that for now he should set his Facebook page up as private and only to be seen by people he authorizes. I reminded him that funny photos doing silly things may come back to haunt him. I don’t necessarily mean the photo of him coming out of our dryer in the laundry room, but I do mean ones where he may not doing something that I would approve of. Periodically I check his Facebook page not to rant, but to give guidance and to know what he is doing. He and is friends are into mud sledding (mudding) right now. But if I see something questionable, I do phone and just remind him of not showing himself in the best light. We have a great relationship and I try to be a mentor now that he is on his own.

For my three small fry (age 12) all social networking sites and instant messaging programs are off limits. I am not allowing this type of interaction at this age. I feel that they can connect with kids and chat online at Fiesta, but beyond that I say no to MySpace and Facebook.

For some weird reason their age group is wanting to IM using Skype instead of AOL AIM, but I am not letting them do this at this time. What I have found from my big kid I am using to help my little kids. Instant messaging can be a huge distractor from homework. I have even institute computer time controls as I have found that it is very easy for them to be addicted to being online and I feel that at their age they need one-on-one interaction and socialization from clubs and activities offline.

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Google AdWords Explained

Here is video made by Google AdWords that explains some very important topics such as quality score, how Google decides where ads place on the page, and the AdWords auction.

So are you confused yet? :0)

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SEO Firms Trawling for Business – Don’t Get Fooled

I have a number of clients who have been forwarding me emails from SEO firms saying that there are problems with their websites and these clients ask my advise. “Are these real problems?”

I have to say even with great organic placement on many of my keywords, I get these emails too! Don’t jump to a conclusion that you need help based on an email from a firm trawling for business hoping to scare you into action.

One email I saw said that if you did not have a robots.txt file it would impact your organic placement, another mentioned link references in the content with a complete URL versus a relative URL, and another mentioned that real estate in their content was killing their results (the site was an attorney’s site that specializes in real estate law).

You just cannot believe everything that someone sends you unsolicited. Yes there may be opportunities that should be addressed, but with the business economic climate the way that it is, you will see more and more of these type of emails as firms start looking harder for clients and try to scare some into action using questionable practices.

So watch out, ask a reputable firm their opinion before you react and buy so you don’t get fleeced without knowing what you are really paying for.