Category Archives: Google AdWords

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Google Ads New Call Ads and Call Recording

August 7, 2020 Nancy McCord Leave a comment

Call recording is new for Google Ads. Rolled out this past week in many of our client accounts is a feature to record and hold for 30 days calls from call extensions and the use of Call Ads in your account.

To enable these new call recording options, click into your campaign tab and then select settings > account. Then open the Call section and select to allow call recording. You will need to accept Google’s EULA.

To listen to call recordings, you will go to the Reports tab at the top and then create a report of the date range of your choosing for calls and call extensions. Google will auto populate a report with links to listen to actual calls.

What we have found is that for some clients based on the recordings, we are moving them to a call schedule for their business open times and not showing click to call and call extensions when the business is not open.

For others, we are finding that the call recordings validate the usefulness of using Google Ads and a budget increase may be warranted to get more activity.

Please note that calls from your website if you are using this conversion type will not be recorded only those associated with Call Extensions.

For us, we find that this extra option allows us as account managers to do a reality check on the phone call traffic we are driving with click activity. For clients. the call recordings will allow validation of responses taken by staff to fine tune a message or increase training to better serve customers and potential prospects from their first phone contact after a click.

We invite you to find out more about our Google Ads services and our Google Partner status on our website.

AdWords, AdWords Account Management, AdWords Consultant, AdWords Manager, AdWords Services, Bing, Bing Ads, Blogs, Google Ads, Google Ads Consultant, Google Ads Management, Google Ads Manager, Google Ads Services, Google AdWords, Internet Marketing Service, Microsoft Advertising Consultant

Stop Bleeding Cash in AdWords- Move Out of Broad Match

December 30, 2019 Nancy McCord

As a Google Partner and Bing Partner, I feel like I can speak with authority on this topic. In AdWords alone, I manage an actual monthly ad spend for clients of over $120,000 per 30 days or $1,441,776 yearly. As an experienced account manager I have to say that I simply hate broad match.

Don’t get me wrong, I like using broad match modifiers for keywords, but I feel that for most clients broad match is simply a way to bleed cash out of a pay per click account.

Google AdWords and Bing Ads (especially Bing Ads) Love, Love, Love broad match keywords. Heavy use of broad match without a reality check on the terms your ads are showing for is lining their pockets with your cash.

McCord Web Services is a Bing Partner and Accredited Bing Ads Professional.

If you don’t believe me, click just one of your high click volume broad match keywords and then click the drop down to view search queries. You will be shocked to see what is there.

Even with a huge and extensive negative keyword list, the way both Google and Bing Ads show your ads on synonyms for your broad match keyword would simply not be a good fit for most businesses that are focused on direct action or lead conversions and sales.

I hate to say never, but as click costs rise in an account the first thing I do is move out of broad match, use only broad match modifiers, phrase match and exact match. I end up with a much better cost per conversion and better overall results.

Need a savvy pay per click account manager on your side? Check out our programs. We work as a white label supplier/expert for agencies

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Why You Should Invest in A Google Partner

December 23, 2019 Nancy McCord

As a Google Partner specializing in AdWords, I want to share several key benefits with you as to why working with a Google Partner in AdWords is important.

Google Tests Us Yearly

Each year I have to recertify with Google to keep my Partner status. I take the AdWords Fundamental Exam every year and every other year I also take the AdWords Advanced Search Exam. These are not “gimme” tests. I study over 30 hours for each professional certification examination and am tested on over 1,000 pages of features in AdWords as well as account management techniques.

These exams are hard. They are comprehensive, and studying the materials is a key to staying up-to-date on AdWords features and their use. I personally feel that I benefit tremendously from these intensive refreshers and so do my clients.

Google Evaluates Our Account Management Practices

As a Google Partner, Google monitors activity in my MCC (My Client Center) account. The MCC is where all my firm’s client accounts are linked, to allow me one login to manage all accounts. Google reviews how frequently I am in client accounts, the benefit of the changes I make to account performance and the features I am are using for each account.

Google Evaluates What I Do for Clients and How I Market Our Services

As part of initially establishing my firm as a Google Partner, Google had a third party review all my reports to clients, my marketing materials, and how I marketed Google Products to clients. Google means business when they share their name with firm and allow Google Partner Status. As a Google Partner I am held to a higher standard than others who sell similar services.

If you want peace of mind that your AdWords account manager is skilled to provide quality services, Google has done the vetting for you before awarding Google Partner status.

The Benefits of Using McCord Web Services as Your Account Manager

I have been an AdWords account manager for over 10 years. From a depth of experience, I understand how to leverage activity on AdWords to drive traffic, increase exposure but most importantly to generate leads for your AdWords program.

Routine management of your account includes a review two or three times a week based on what I am testing or evaluating. During each review I look to boost click activity, conversions, and the click through rate by refining keywords, adding negative keywords, reviewing actual search queries and reviewing and refining ad text. Additionally I review and add new features as they are available, troubleshoot performance problems, and give advice on landing page and website improvements. I am always keeping an eye on performance and the cost per conversion for your program.

With advanced knowledge of the AdWords system, years of account management experience, I have been able to guide many AdWords programs to success and boost inquiries through AdWords.

I have personally love the challenge of working in AdWords and live and breathe AdWords.

I work hard to be accessible to you and to offer honest advice and recommendations for Google AdWords as well as for content back on your website to lead visitors into contacting you with a program or service inquiry through our monthly strategy phone calls.

If you are ready for us to manage your AdWords program, know that our fees are affordable, our communication is proactive, and we are seriously focused on exceeding your expectations in all we do.

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Just Started Advertising on Google Ads? Tips on Determining Your Ad Budget

July 29, 2019 Nancy McCord

When you start advertising on Google Ads, how do you determine your starting budget?

There is no mystery to deciding your budget for Google Ads. I use the Keyword Planner to determine the best budget for starting out. Here are my tips.

Create a list of 10 two to three word phrases that you feel will help drive qualified traffic.
Go to your Google Ads account or ask your Google Ads consultant to run the numbers for you, but putting each keyword in the Google Keyword Planner to check for traffic, competition, and typical bids.
Plan on these potential bids being about 20% lower than the real auction for clicks when your account is set up.
Take the average of these ten keyword’s click costs and then decide how many clicks you would like to have a day before your ads stop showing.
Look at the number generated in step 4 and determine if you can realistically live with this number. Never get over your head in regards to a budget that is way beyond your means. It is not typical to get leads in Google Ads the day ads serve. For some account it can take as long as three weeks for optimization to start to see the first lead conversion.
Remember a lead conversion or beneficial action you are recording as a conversion is not always a sale. Sometimes it is just the first step in the sales process.
Understand that it takes time for a Google Ads account to become profitable. Google Ads is a dynamic auction with bids changing for each query and many factors determining if your ads show or not.
Work with a professional Google Ads account manager or consultant like McCord Web Services to get the most out of Google Ads.

I invite you to visit our website to learn more about Google Ads and our Google Ads consulting and account management services.

AdWords, AdWords Account Management, AdWords Consultant, Google Ads, Google Ads Consultant, Google Ads Manager, Google Ads Services, Google AdWords

Doctor Websites and the Mention of Drug Name Brand Terms

May 27, 2019 Nancy McCord

McCord Web Services is a Google Partner and a Certified Google Ads Professional

Updated on 5-29-19.

Google Ads is cracking down again on dermatologists, plastic surgeons and other doctors that mention name brand drugs that they supply in office for treatments. Ads are market limited with a policy violation when brand names are listed or ads are flagged with one or multiple violations.

The Google required pharmacy registration, to show terms like BOTOX, is relatively costly and does not really apply to this market. These physicians are not selling these medications online, nor are they filling prescriptions. They just want to advertise that they are doing BOTOX injections or using other facial injectables on their website for in-office services.

Google is not not only searching terms on the landing pages, but now the entire website. So, removing the offending drug names from the landing page simply does not solve the ad issue.

From Google sponsored help forums I am seeing posts like this:

In the past we were able to contact someone at Google, show them it’s a hospital and that we weren’t advertising for any drug and the problem was gone. Now as of around Jan 20, this no longer seems possible so if something has changed (and let’s face it, Google is not 100% transparent about anything), then I would like to know what it is.

Well, these days this is the sole aim/goal the Policy enforcement team is focused on. You should also recognize that the policy is dynamic and changes continuously. We have no influence on the Policy team. I can only say – based on my wide experience with Policy issues – that Google is very strict with health-care issues (regulator scrutinize, Google was heavily fined in the past by regulators…). No waivers are granted.

So for medical professionals this new update from Google means absolutely no mention of name brand drugs on the entire website. They may not even be eligible for the medical/pharmacy registration that Google links to in their help notice pages for site and policy violations.

I called Google Partner support and got this clarification from staff on this issue this past week. For now, Google is showing ads but only in countries where there is not a policy issue and when they do show ads they are only showing to users 18 years and older.

Google staff recommended the full removal of all drug names from the entire website in order for the ads to no longer be flagged. They agreed that the $1,400 yearly fee and $495 application fee to get a pharmacy approval from one of Google’s two recommended vendor simply did not apply to these doctors, but that there was no work around.

Remember when you show ads on Google.com you have to play the way Google says and this new change means – know your ads will be flagged, your ad serving will be limited to adults only, and that the policy may change in the future.

If you need help with Google Ads, contact us today for a review and estimate of services.

AdWords, AdWords Account Management, AdWords Consultant, AdWords Manager, Google Ads, Google Ads Consultant, Google Ads Manager, Google Ads Services, Google AdWords

Discovery Ads – New Campaign Type to Appear in 2019

May 22, 2019 Nancy McCord

Google is mobile focused to the max as are these new ad products.

A new campaign type called Discovery Ads is coming to Google Ads later this year. It has been in beta for select advertisers but will be rolled out to all users later in 2019.

Discovery Ads will show on Google Discover, Gmail, YouTube and other Google properties. They consist of a swipeable photo carousel that renders ads by platform and artificial intelligence. They are supposed to anticipate consumer needs. Users so far have claimed 25% lower cost per lead.

In addition to Discovery Ads look for a new ad format for search called Gallery Ads. These photo heavy ads will allow 4 to 8 images with a 70 character tag line. Beta users claim 25% more interactions.

Both of these new items from Google are focused on products and cater to shoppers. You won’t be using either of these formats for services – just retail selling.

For more information on Google Ads and how to use the platform subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

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