The Web Authority – Page 68 – Smart Digital Marketing, Real Business Results

February 19, 2018February 15, 2018

Do You Need HTTPS Now?

We Are a Google Partner Specializing in Search Marketing, Mobile, and Display. — We Are a Google Partner Specializing in Search Marketing,, Mobile, and Display.

HTTPS – Google loves it, but for informational websites, moving to HTTPS adds to your costs. Expect to pay $129 to $229 for a SSL or secure socket layer certificate to be able to have your website use HTTPS in the browser bar.

For me at this time, I am not moving to HTTPS and it is mainly due to the additional cost. I do not have e-commerce on my website and I only use a contact form for prospects, so do not feel that I must have this extra security. But, Google loves the security and encryption that HTTPS affords for websites. At some point in time, the use of HTTPS on your website may be a ranking factor for organic results, but for now, it is not.

E-Commerce Sites MUST be HTTPS

If your website has e-commerce, you take payments or log users into a secure area, you really need to be using HTTPS at this point in time, no exception.

New Websites Should Embrace HTTPS

Any new websites we design are all in HTTPS. At this time I do not feel that existing informational websites should move to HTTPS, but that day may be coming soon.

To find out more about how we can help you, I invite you to visit our website to browse our service offerings and read more content on topics that will help your business grow.

February 14, 2018February 9, 2018

Machine Learning Initiatives for AdWords – Part Two

Machine Learning – Continued from Monday.

Google AdWords is specifically using advanced machine learning via artificial intelligence in its automated bidding algorithms. Target CPA (Cost per Acquisition) bidding, Maximize Conversions, and Maximum Clicks are just samples of new bidding algorithms that can be used in AdWords accounts.

Each algorithm has a place and function based on a client’s need and metrics of success. However, I have found that in some cases using these machine learning driven algorithms that cost per click increases as does cost per conversion.

The value of an account manager in this automated environment is to provide the needed checks and balances to assure that your profitability goals are being met in AdWords.

As Google integrates more machine learning applications in Google AdWords for suggestions, bidding, and account management, it now becomes even more important to have a business-minded AdWords experienced expert overseeing your account to achieve the best results at the lowest cost for your budget.

February 12, 2018February 9, 2018

Machine Learning Initiatives for AdWords – Part One

Machine learning, it is the new buzz in our industry. Machine learning is using computers via artificial intelligence to predict actions. Machine learning can be used for Smart Bidding in Google AdWords and can even predict performance of activity based on your keywords and budget.

With products like Universal App Campaigns and Smart Bidding, it’s now possible to use this data to help deliver millions of ads customized for your customers, and set the right bid for each of those ads–in real time.

If you are using the new Beta AdWords interface, the Opportunities tab recommendations are personalized suggestions for your account based on machine learning.

Even if you’re not using these AdWords innovations [listed above], you’re still seeing the benefits of machine learning. Google uses information about search queries, historical ad performance and other contextual signals combined with machine learning, to predict whether or not someone will click on your ad. This predicted click-through rate helps determine the selection, ranking and pricing of your ads–meaning machine learning is already working to show the right ads to the right customers.

This means that even if you were not aware that you were embracing machine learning, Google AdWords has embraced it for you, to make account management easier and to provide more insights and analytics to assist you in better managing your ad account.

Here are some ways that Google is leveraging machine learning for your benefit in AdWords.

Smart bidding and bidding to increase conversions
Ad rotation, ad creation, and optimization
Opportunities and account suggestions

Google AdWords is embracing machine learning in many account management areas. Not only will they will making keyword, bid, and budget suggestions, but now AdWords will even be self-creating ad text for your programs to supplement your own created ads.

To leverage all that AdWords offers for your businesses benefit, I invite you to visit our website to find out more about how McCord Web Services can help you with your AdWords management needs.

February 7, 2018February 2, 2018

Your New Website: Prepare to Drop Organic Placement

Planning Ahead with You Launch a New Website is Important

Plan ahead, bringing a new website online does mean that you will drop organic placement. It happens! Sometimes with redirects, after 4 to 6 weeks a website will pop back up in organic placement, but sometimes, the site stays down and does not regain the placement that the original site had.

It is a reality and one that you should honestly prepare for when you launch a new website. It may be smart to build your new website at a new domain, so you do not lose your organic placement of your old site. If that is not an approach you would like to take, know that you will drop and plan a pay per click budget to drive traffic to your new website and get started quickly with blogging and content creation to try to build inbound links and help your site regain position.

Many businesses will own multiple domains and it may make sense to use one of your domains and leave your legacy website alone. Especially if you have thousands of blog posts and thousands of inbound links.

If your site is relatively small and has under 150 inbound links, your placement is not so strong that you cannot overwrite the URLs on your site and damage your organic placement.

Be careful and thoughtful about the changes you want to make beforehand so you are prepared in case your site does fall significantly in the organic results.