Month: November 2012

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Google AdWords – Why I Am Testing Dynamic Search Ads

I just asked all the time what are you watching, what’s new and exciting, what trends to you see happening? This week I will be writing three blog posts about what I’m watching and why. Today’s post is about the new Google AdWords Dynamic Search Ads.

This is why I am watching and testing Dynamic Search Ads right now:

1. With AdWords spidering my website and choosing to show landing pages that match a user’s query I may be able to expand my advertising reach and improve my conversions and ROI. In the hangout Google states the following statistics on performance.

“When compared to broad match keywords the click through rate will typically be 12% higher and the cost per conversion will be 25% lower.”

2. By not having to exhaustively select keywords for a program and with Google dynamically creating the ad title using the user’s search query, and Google choosing the landing page to show the prospect, targeting is improved and unique for each query.

3. Static information rich and e-commerce sites can benefit from Dynamic Search Ads (DSA).

4. DSA work with accounts that contain both regular keyword targeted programs. In fact Google states that with DSA the advertiser will get more activity than with keyword targeted ads alone.

5. The potential to know and understand the potential buyer and what the like versus what you are wanting to push may very well change advertising plans for some clients; allowing the user to be the advertising revenue driver.

You can watch the video from +GoogleAds from the hangout last week on the topic. I think you will find the potential for some clients very interesting.

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SEO – Why I Am Watching Co-Citation?

I just asked all the time what are you watching, what’s new and exciting, what trends to you see happening? This week I will be writing three blog posts about what I’m watching and why. Today’s post is about why I am watching co-citation.

Nancy McCord is really watching co-citation for organic search placement.

Google has made really sweeping changes to how it rates websites and what used to work for years to garner organic placement is not considered spammy by Google and may even run into a placement smackdown filter. This is why I am very carefully and intensely watching co-citation.Here are a few articles about co-citation that you may want to read:

SEOMoz take on co-citation

Jim Boykin’s take on co-citation

In lay terms, co-citation is close to link bait and article marketing but with natural growth. Both authors state that Google and Bing as so smart now that they do not have to be fed keyword phrases, they will decide on their own based on the content that links to you. But, here’s the change it is not the link text that they are weighing, but rather the jist of the content where the link to your website is embedded. In fact, the page that links to you may not even link to your service and may not even contain keywords on which you want to place. Instead it is an “authority” factor.

So here’s what I understand so far…

Google and Bing spider the web, they read incidents of mentions of your name and content, they spider your own website and get a picture of the services you provide, then they review how what people say about you and the authority of the site that links to your site talks about you. They then use this in their algorithm to place you in importance to being an authority on a specific topic. Way Cool!

Although I don’t think that anyone in my industry really knows yet what works for organic placement in this new world on Google and Bing, but it is clear that content, the sharing of your content will be a very strong impact for organic placement.

I will be doing further research on co-citation and will let you know what I find out and what I think about it in the months to come.

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Why I Am Watching Bing Ads for My Clients

Nancy McCord is an Accredited Bing Ads Professional.

I just asked all the time what are you watching, what’s new and exciting, what trends to you see happening? This week I will be writing three blog posts about what I’m watching and why. Today’s post is about why I am watching Bing Ads.

First, I think there is real and sometimes hidden potential for clients to advertise on Bing Ads. I very much like the platform and am using it already for my own advertising and a number of key clients.

Why Do I Like Bing Ads?

1. The system is easy to use and very much like AdWords. Although the traffic overall is smaller quality conversions happen and typically at a lower cost than on Google AdWords.

2. I like the versatility of the dynamic variables. You can create several dynamic insertion variables not just keyword insertion as at AdWords. With Bing you can dynamically add variables by the keyword for promotions and URLs.

3. The quality of the content network is excellent. There is not the volume of low traffic sites as at AdWords. In the content network at Bing, you’ll get access to really top notch quality sites in the Microsoft, MSN and Yahoo parent network. In fact for clients typically using Bing Ads I will enable the ads to show in the content network unlike my typical protocol in AdWords.

4. Bing Ads tells me that call tracking is coming. Since Bing bought Skype I have been expecting to see the addition of click to call in ads and Bing Ads tells me that this is coming soon for US clients. Currently Bing is testing ad calling in the UK and areas of Europe. We’ve asked to be early embracers of this new technology for our clients.

Why am I watching Bing Ads – it’s the value and quality of the platform. If you want to get involved with Bing Ads, I invite you to visit our Bing Ads services page to find out more about how we can help you.

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Google Puts Exact Match Domains In Their Scope

 

Exact Match Domains 101

Have you seen these types of domain names: maryland-web-design.com; AdWordsServiceConsulting.com; pest-control-New-Jersey.com? These are called exact match domain names and in many cases the site owner has simply optimized the content for search engines as an SEO doorway to another website or for AdSense ad use. Google has rolled out an algorithm update in the past month and one half that directly deals with these type of domain names and it has the webmaster world screaming!It is true that previously placement in the organic search results could be delivered by using a domain name that contained the exact keywords you wanted to place on and typically with the keywords separated by hyphens. It was just a smart, savvy approach to getting placement, but now, your site may be penalized for using an exact match domain.The key to all this is that if you are using an exact match domain and have LOW QUALITY content you will hit one of Google’s new filters and your placement WILL drop. If you have an exact match domain but you have quality unique content that is linkable and is your parent company website, you will probably not hit the filter. But make sure you have quality unique content!

If you feel that your marginal quality website came through this recent update unscathed, think again, Google may have missed your exact match domain site initially but has already stated that they will be rolling out updates and refinements to the algorithm update to additionally filter out sites it may have missed, so be forewarned.

The bottom-line is that Google is tightening the noose on SEO tactics for garnering free unpaid (organic) search placement. If you have a legitimate site with great content that has been created uniquely for you, if you blog, and if you actively work on improving your website every month, you will most likely never be impacted by these types of algorithm updates. Google is simply targeting the scammers, schemers, and scrapers. Actually Google’s activity benefits the legitimate businesses such as ourselves by filtering out the scrum and allowing sites like ours and our clients to become more visible.