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Google Partners is Replacing AdWords Certified Partners

Announced on October 2nd in a YouTube livestream, Google announced that it is retiring its Google AdWords Certified Partner and Certified Individual program. Replacing these important programs is a new program called Google Partners.

Google AdWords Certified Partners will not be automatically grandfathered into the new Google Partner program. They will need to reapply for acceptance. But passing exams now is not the only hurdle to becoming a Google Partner. The prospective applicant firm must now prove competency in the AdWords accounts that it manages with Google rating performance on use of new strategies, frequency of account updates, value of the manager’s capability in changes enacted that will benefit an account, and customer service. Additionally Google Partners have a minimum ad management spend requirement.

We welcome these changes as Google tightens up on qualifications and helps consumers to understand the real value a Partner account manager brings to a professionally managed account. My firm is in the last stages of the approval process and I expect to have our Partner badge in the next two weeks.

With the previous Google AdWords Certified Partner program and badge expiring by mid November, make sure your account manager is staying abreast of these important changes that validate their skill level.

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Google’s Hummingbird Algorithm Explained

Affecting over 92% of all searches the new Google algorithm called Hummingbird was released about two weeks ago. Some website saw no change in placement and the placement of other websites was significantly impacted.

What does the Hummingbird update really impact?

First, this is a large change to how Google ranks websites. No longer is there a focus on the keywords on the page or keyword density but rather a refocus on “understanding” what a search query means and delivering the best page that addresses the intention of the searcher.

This is a huge technology shift in how Google delivers search results. With many of the technology changes Google has made this last year, Google now is able to measure user intent in each search query. By checking device, location, and search query history, Google now understands better what a user wants to see in the search results.

How does this impact website owners?

First and foremost website owners need to understand that Google is not looking for keyword density or to be spoon-fed keyword phrases. Google now understand a concept on your website page based on the phrases used and the meaning. Additionally by reviewing signals of co-citation and social media sharing Google understands which website pages and websites have the best content for the user’s unique query based on their intent and location.

The bottom line is that the ability to control Google to show your website or page in the search results in a higher position has become nearly impossible. The focus for website owners instead should be to create the most relevant website for their own audience with a strong focus on location specificity.

For national selling firms this means that location should be mentioned and not masked, but that this new geo-location bias will continue to have a negative impact on their performance; driving new advertisers into Google AdWords.

For additional information on how unique the Google Hummingbird algorithm is for Google, I recommend a careful review of this very interesting article called “Google’s Hummingbird Takes Flight: SEOs Give Insight On Google’s New Algorithm” from Search Engine Land.

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Google Allows Longer Tracking of the Conversion Window in Google AdWords

Now you’ll be able to choose your own conversion window from 7 to 90 days instead of the previous 30 day window. For many AdWords advertisers, especially those with a higher ticket price, those that encounter more research time in order for a user to make a purchase, this is a huge boon.

So how exactly do you change this setting in AdWords?

Here’s how:

1. Once in your AdWords account, click the “Tools and Analysis” tab and then select from the drop down menu “Conversions”.

2. Find the conversion item you would like to update. Place your mouse over the wording in the column that says 30 days. You will then be given the option to change your conversion window to 90, 45, 30 days, 4, 3, 2, 1 weeks, or a custom range. Select your option and then click save. Before you may your choice you may want to click the link just below this field to see your “conversion time report”. This may give you some additional insight into what you would be best served choosing as your conversion window.

3. Remember when a conversion happens, the resulting conversion number and cost is assigned back to the date the original click happened. So keep this in mind when you change your conversion window.

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Not Provided – Masks Search Terms from Website Owners

Just this last week, Google announced that it was moving all web searches at Google.com to https settings which would mean that all keyword data would be encrypted and no longer flowed into Google Analytics.

Although this may sound like business as usual and a great improvement for the typical web searcher – “great, increased privacy”, it is turning the world of search and SEO upside down. This means that the small number of “not provided” notations in Google Analytics will now cover all searches. The only keyword activity you will see in your Google Analytics account will be from Google AdWords activity. No longer will you be able to identify the search terms that are bringing in your traffic organically or for that matter harvest keywords for SEO use from Analytics.

There’s lots of chatter on the web as to why Google would make this change without warning, some say it is a direct reaction to the Edward Snowden revelation and others say that it is to drive more advertisers into Google AdWords. Whichever option you’d like to embrace, at this time Google is not saying why they have taken this action, just that it is.

For many website owners this will create the need to purchase website analytics software so that they will know what is happening on their own website. If I find a good statistical package, I’ll make sure to let you know.

To learn more about this topic, I have found two excellent resources to express the real impact for website owners. I invite you to read them and then come back to my post and let me know your comments.

http://searchengineland.com/post-prism-google-secure-searches-172487

http://www.6smarketing.com/blog/keyword-data-is-dead-long-live-keyword-data-2/