July 8th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
For our next webcast, Paid Search Testing & Experimentation: Optimizing for Superior Results, we invited viewers to submit questions in advance to Chris Sherman. Here are just a few:
Q. How do you benchmark positions results knowing that within Google AdWords there is a gap between the position within Google ( web) of the add and what you see within the dedicated page of Google sponsored listings
Chris Sherman: The position of a search result is just one variable among many to consider in a well-designed ad test. There are many other factors that are equally, if not more important to consider - especially if you’re doing a complex multivariate test that looks at hundreds or possibly thousands of variations of your ads. A well-designed test will also help you pinpoint the ads that ultimately perform the best, regardless of their ranking, apparent quality score or other factor - and that’s the bottom line reason why testing and optimization is so crucial for success.
Q. On sites where the goal is not converting on a landing page but rather ad impressions which translates into maximizing pageviews / visit or reducing bounce rate, how would you test the user experience across multiple pages? What tools would you suggest?
and
Q. Can Chris talk to the metrics he has seen used for assessing the sucess of optimization programs in media companies? (ie; where you are not driving actual transactions).
Chris Sherman: In both of these cases, it’s useful to think of conversion as a process with several variables that can indicate success. In the webcast, I’ll talk about creating a “conversion funnel” that helps you visualize and measure conversion when you’re dealing with less tangible success metrics.
Join us this Thursday, July 10 at 1 PM EDT for more from Chris Sherman. Registration is still open - it’s free!
Thanks to iProspect for sponsoring this webcast.
June 30th, 2008 by bcarson :: permalink
Google has famously stated that all you need to get started with paid search is five minutes and a credit card.
While that’s essentially true, to avoid wasting money and to achieve optimal results from your paid search campaign, you need to test, experiment, and test again.
On Thursday, July 10 at 1 PM EDT, join us for a webcast with Search Engine Land’s Executive Editor, Chris Sherman: “Paid Search Testing & Experimentation: Optimizing for Superior Results.” This webcast is sponsored by iProspect.
Testing and optimization offers multiple benefits: in addition to improving your bottom line, you’ll gain a leg up on the competition, as fully 60% of all search marketers aren’t doing any testing at all, and those that are testing often use simple, ineffective methods, according to JupiterResearch.
Your approach to testing and optimizing a paid search campaign should be systematic and carefully planned.
Chris Sherman will cover the followin key points in this webcast:
- What you should test and how much is too much?
- A/B vs. multivariate testing - which is right for you?
- The importance of audience segmentation and how to target different user needs
- Beyond ads: Optimizing the “landing experience”
- Why automated tools are key to this process
Register now - it’s free!
June 25th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
Join us today as Search Engine Land’s contributing editor Greg Sterling looks at the current landscape of local search, and how brand marketers can take advantage of this evolving channel - in a webcast titled “National Brands Marketing Local.”
Research indicates that 82% of consumers who use a local search site have followed up with an offline action. Find out where local search is headed — in this free educational webcast.
Special thanks to our sponsor, TMP Directional Marketing.
Register here.
June 20th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
It’s a great question - -and it’s among the topics that will be discussed at the upcoming Search Marketing Expo - SMX Local + Mobile in San Francisco, July 24-25.
Local search has become a critical channel for marketers, as consumers are becoming more sophisticated and as tracking and online targeting capabilities continue to evolve.
According to a recent comScore study, 82% of Local Searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, a phone call, or a purchase. Of these, 61% end up making a purchase.
Local Search is also at the heart of our next webcast - “National Brands Marketing Local,” Wednesday, June 25 at 1 PM EDT. Register for this webcast - it’s free.
The implication for marketers is significant: how do you track offline conversions that began in an online search? How does a large, national brand take advantage of search at the local level? As consumers become more adept at searching online, how do marketers keep up with the shifting behavior? Are Internet Yellow pages the way to go - or should you consider a combination of print and online advertising to maximize your offline sales?
In this webcast, Greg Sterling will discuss the latest developments in the Local Search landscape and how brand marketers — of any size — can take advantage of this evolving channel.
Greg Sterling, local and mobile search correspondent for Search Engine Land, has been covering local search for more than six years. He is the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on online consumer and advertiser behavior and the relationship between the Internet and traditional media, with an emphasis on the local search marketplace.
June 17th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
Next Tuesday’s webcast explores how you can use search as part of your strategic marketing plans - to gain insight into your competition as well as your customers.
Tuesday, June 24, 208 - 1 PM Eastern
“Search as a Strategic Planning Tool”
Gord Hotchkiss and James Lamberti, speakers
Developing good “search intelligence” - for example, understanding how certain demographics behave relative to certain keywords - is critical to your marketing success.
Gord Hotchkiss and James Lamberti will discuss how marketers use search in the strategic planning phase - from creating a demographic profile of their ideal customer, to sizing the opportunities in the market.
In this webcast you’ll learn:
- How to translate online consumer behavior into successful marketing strategy
- How to be sure your search campaign aligns with your target demographic
- How to determine the best marketing mix of paid & organic before launching a new campaign
Register now - it’s free!
June 14th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
For our June 18 SMN Webcast, “Decrypting Quality Scores,” we invite you to submit questions ahead of time. Our speaker, Jon Kelly has answered a few… We thought we’d share some with you to give a peek at what you’ll learn on this webcast.
Thanks to Marin Software for sponsoring this webcast.
What’s the best quality score you can get? Is it “Great” and min bid of 0.01? Should you go for that goal? What’s a checklist so you know you’ve done everything you can?
Minimum bid is mainly determined by your Landing Page Quality Score, but yes it can be as low as 1 cent. You really only need to worry about the minimum if what they are asking you to pay is more than what you want to pay.Of course, what you want to pay is determined by your ROI and traffic volume needs. Come to the upcoming webcast for a best practices check-list, but the one word answer is “relevance.”
Can you keep an existing quality score when moving the campaign from one agency to another?
Yes, the quality scores follow accounts not agencies. If you have large accounts, it’s a good idea to give Google a heads up that you are switching over.
Googles Query String Report - How would you recommend digging in to the “unique queries”?
The Query String Report is a great way to see what people actually typed to get to your site. Look for patterns and “groups” you can establish. If you can segment searches into, say a dozen groups, you can establish a unique selling proposition for each and then craft your ad creative and landing pages accordingly.
Didn’t see your question here? Tune in Wednesday, June 18 at 1PM EDTfor “Decrypting Quality Scores” with Jon Kelly, Vice President at SureHits.
Register now – it’s free!
June 13th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
Search Marketing Now’s June 25 webcast features our own Greg Sterling, Search Engine Land correspondent and co-chair of SMX Local + Mobile. Join us as Greg explores the current landscape of Local Search, how it affects brand marketers of all shapes and sizes, and how marketers can take advantage of this evolving channel.
National Brands Marketing Local
Wednesday, June 25 - 1 PM EDT
Register here - it’s free 
As consumers become more sophisticated and targeting and tracking capabilities continue to evolve, local search is becoming a more critical channel for all marketers. We are, in many ways, in Act II of Local Search.
According to a recent comScore study, 82% of Local Searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, a phone call, or a purchase. Of these, 61% end up making a purchase.
The implications for marketers is significant: How does a large, national brand take advantage of search at the local level? As consumers become more adept at searching online, how do marketers keep up with the shifting behavior? Are Internet Yellow pages the way to go - or should you consider a combination of print and online advertising to maximize your offline sales?
Greg Sterling, local and mobile search correspondent for Search Engine Land, has been covering local search for more than six years. He is the founding princiapl of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on online consumer and advertiser behavior and the relationship between the Internet and traditional media, with an emphasis on the lcoal search marketplace. He also co-chairs Search Marketing Expo - SMX Local + Mobile, which comes to San Francisco July 24-25.
This webcast is sponsored by TMP Directional Marketing.
Register now!
June 10th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
If you’re finding the results of your PPC ad campaign puzzling, you’re not alone. It could be your Quality Score — and it could be costing you traffic.
Life for a PPC advertiser used to be easier. You bid more than your competitor, and you ranked ahead of them. But today, the perceived “quality” of your ads can make a dramatic difference in how much you pay and where your ads are positioned. And since the exact formula of calculating quality scores isn’t revealed by the major search ad networks, marketers have some deciperhing to do.
On Wednesday, June 18 at 1:00 PM Eastern, Search Marketing now presents another free webcast, “Decrypting Quality Scores.”
Jon Kelly will reveal what goes into Quality Score, how you can increase your Quality Score and why understanding it is crucial to the success of any PPC campaign. If you have specific questions for Jon, we’re taking them in advance on our registration form.
Join us for this free webcast - register now!
May 30th, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
Dana Todd, President Emeritus of SEMPO and CMO of Newsforce.com, will be delivering our next SMN Webcast, Tuesday, June 17, and we’re thrilled that she’ll be joining us. The topic is “Ad Networks Best Practices: Keeping Your Advertisers Happy.”
With a new ad network born every 20 minutes, it seems, there are few clear differentiators and much confusion on the part of ad buyers. How can ad networks ensure their own survival and success in such a competitive environment? What can they do to deliver value and retain high quality advertisers?
Dana will give an overview of the current landscape in ad networks. She’ll discuss best practices, including how ad networks can set - and measure - expectations, as well as how to measure and report results.
She’ll be joined by Tom Cuthbert, President of ClickForensics and Moderator of the Click Quality Council, who will provide case studies that illustrate key points and show how ad networks can manage traffic quality to maximize value for their customers.
Join us June 17 at 1:00 PM Eastern - register now, it’s free.
May 23rd, 2008 by Claire Schoen :: permalink
SMX Advanced is coming to Seattle in less than two weeks — June 3 and 4 — and we’ll be there. Many of the speakers who have appeared on Search Marketing Now webcasts will either be on a panel or in the audience. That’s the beauty of SMX Advanced - the person you’re sitting next to in one session may well be speaking on the next.
Among them, of course, Chris Sherman (whose webcast from yesterday, “Big Brand Search Engine Optimization” is now available on-demand), who will be moderating several sessions. Others include Christine Churchill, David Szetela, Shari Thurow, and Vanessa Fox to name a few.
Several of our sponsors will also be exhibiting at SMX Advanced - iProspect, Marin Software, Widemile, and ClickForensics will all be part of the Expo Hall. Be sure to stop by - we’ll be at the networking session in the Expo Hall, Tuesday evening.
If you’re coming to SMX Advanced, be sure to introduce yourself as a member of the Search Marketing Now audience. We always love to put the face to the name.
