Pay Per Click Marketing Centricity

Google Adds Additional Landing Page Quality Factor: Destination Load Times

Google announced a few weeks ago that it will use the load times of your destination urls as another factor in the Quality Score for your landing page. The landing page quality score impacts the mimimum bid for each of your keywords.

According to Google, "you can see a keyword's load time grade on the Keyword Analysis Page.

• If your keyword is graded This page loads slowly, your landing page quality and Quality Score will be negatively affected.
• If your keyword is graded No problems found, your landing page quality and Quality Score will not be affected. The one exception is if your keyword is graded No problems found and marked Load time is faster than the average in your server's geographic region. In this case, your landing page quality and Quality Score may be positively affected."

This is a good idea from Google. Most searchers will click the "back" button if your destination page takes too long to load anyway, so this "rating" may help you identify issues with load times that have been costing you money.

Rob Reed
Terrakon Marketing
Search Engine Marketing Firm

Why Should You Be Careful with Long Display URLs in Your Pay Per Click Ads?

A recent study by MarketingSherpa "discovered that long URLs actually work as a deterrent and stop viewers from doing what they're supposed to do (click!)." The study found pay per click ads which immediately follow ads using long Display URLs were 2.5 times more likely to be clicked than if the ads used short URLs. The theory: searchers struggle with analyzing each of the words in the long Display URL and then find "relief" when they see something more short and to the point.

So, two quick items to test. First, try testing shorter Display URLs. Second, test ad positions just below ads which use longer Display URLs.

And here's a bonus to test, bid for the ad position just below ads which use the PayPal or Google Checkout badges - especially if you do not use the badge. I think you'll enjoy the results.

Rob Reed
Terrakon Marketing
Pay Per Click Optimization and Consulting

Don't Use Too Many Keywords in Content Network Ad Groups

When you create a list of keywords for Ad Groups within Google's Content Network, be sure to keep the keyword list to 50 thematic keywords or less for each ad group. Too many keywords may confuse Google and reduce the accuracy of the match. I usually have fewer than 25 keywords to develop the theme of each ad group.

Landing Page Optimization: Five Elements that Can Impact Conversion Rates

Optimizing your landing pages is probably the most significant activity you can do to increase conversion rates for your pay per click advertising. Just a small improvement in your conversion rate can lead to a significant increase in profits. In fact, a good landing page is usually the difference between making or losing money in paid search.

While there are many elements you should continually test to beat your control, I’ve listed just a few elements that typically impact your conversion rate – upward or downward. Keep in mind, there are very few “truths” on the Internet. What I mean by that is just because one element works on someone’s website, does not mean it will have the same impact on your website.

Always be testing!

Here are five different elements you can test:

Headline
The headline on your landing page is probably one of the most important elements to test on your landing page. We’ve seen significant jumps in conversion rates simply by adding or changing a headline.

Testimonials
Generally, testimonials on your landing page or during the conversion path are a good idea. However, it is very important that testimonials are written so they are believable and verifiable. There are so many unethical internet marketers today that you must be really careful how the testimonials are phrased on your landing page. In addition, it is critical that testimonials are placed in the proper position to garner the best conversion.

Price
This will be more difficult for some, but if you have a manageable way of adjusting your product or service pricing, then try different price points to see which brings you the most profits. Don’t assume a lower price will generate more conversions. There are studies that show a higher price can sometimes lead to increased conversions – and profits. A higher price point can sometimes result in a better perception of quality and utility.

Button Text
We’re all used to the standard action buttons on websites like “Submit.” Try testing more descriptive text on your action buttons to see if you can move the needle on conversions. A few examples include, “Download Now,” “Request Free Quote,” “Sign-Up for Newsletter,” etc.

Credibility Logos
There are a lot of unethical individuals and businesses on the Internet. If someone has not experienced this first hand, they surely have heard the stories. Credibility logos or seals as they're typically called, can help build trust with visitors. Studies have been done which show they can improve conversion rates. There are seals for a variety of purposes such as privacy, secured site, secured transactions, verified businesses, testimonials and more. The combination of credibility seals you select and positioning of the seals is very important.

While these five elements are not the only important variables you should test, these should be enough to get you started and could make a significant impact if you haven’t tested these elements in the past.

Rob Reed
Terrakon Marketing
Pay Per Click Consulting and Landing Page Optimization

Landing Page Optimization: Include a Privacy Policy Web Page

Google wants users to have a positive experience when they click on the search results in either Google's organic or paid listings. An important component of the user experience is the page they are taken to when they click on an advertisement - the advertiser's landing page.

Google reviews (electronically and/or manually) each landing page and calculates a landing page quality score - a component of your keywords' overall Quality Score. According to Google, a high landing page quality score can impact your AdWords account in three ways:

• Decrease your keywords' minimum bids
• Increase your keyword-targeted ads' position on the content network
• Improve the chances that your placement-targeted ads will win a position on your targeted placements

One of the factors in your landing page quality score is how you handle visitors' personal information. Google's guidelines on personal information:

• Unless necessary for the product or service that you're offering, don't request personal information.
• If you do request personal information, provide a privacy policy that discloses how the information will be used.
• Give options to limit the use of a user's personal information, such as the ability to opt out of receiving newsletters.
• Allow users to access your site's content without requiring them to register. Or, provide a preview of what users will get by registering.

So, if you want to optimize your landing pages, one of the things to include is a privacy policy that can be easily seen/accessed by both your human visitors and the Googlebot as well. I recommend a separate web page labeled "privacy policy" with links from each page on your site to the privacy policy.

If you want to include a trust element (credibility indicator) which can leverage your privacy policy and may provide a small bump in conversions, check out the Truste website for one of their privacy seals.

Landing Page Optmization: Selecting the Right Level Can Make the Difference

Hopefully, you've learned that directing all visitors to your home page is not a "best practice" when it comes to selecting a landing page for your pay per click advertising. If you sell products through your site, though, what is the best landing page to use - the category page, the specific product page or something else?

Of course, the best answer is that it depends on a number of factors and your individual situation. The only way to really know is to conduct valid and statistically significant tests using different combinations of keyword phrase, ad copy and landing page that generates the best conversion rate. I can, however, give you some ideas to test which worked for one of my apparel clients.

In general, if a searcher is looking for a product by style or model number (e.g. TrueVis 555-32 Straight-Leg Pants), we go directly to the product page. If technically possible, I would try to have the specific product along with other similar styles or models below or adjacent to the searched product with title, "Other Styles You May Like" or some similar text. Think about it. How often do you walk into a store with something specific in mind only to walk out with much more or sometimes something completely different?

What about a little more general search like "red pants?" This is where you sometimes have several options. First, how many different styles of "red pants" do you offer? If you only offer two or three different styles, don't you think a lot of visitors are going to be a little disappointed when they click your ad and see three small images of red pants and a lot of white space? If you don't have a large selection of "red pants," then consider using your "pants" category as a landing page - even though you know the searcher is looking for "red pants." We were able to significantly increase conversion rates for several keywords where there wasn't a "full selection" of styles by using this strategy.

What if someone searches on "pants?" If your ecommerce site is set up correctly, you may still have a couple of options from which to choose. Let's say you show eight product images per page and carry eighty different styles - so ten pages. Most websites will have hyper linked numbers 1,2,3,etc., but a "best practice" is to also include a "view all" link where all of the cagegory images can be seen on a single page by scrolling. So, is it better to send visitors to the single-page category page or send them to a query page where all of the items appear on one page without the need to click the numbered hyper links?

In many, but not all cases, we improved conversion rates by using the "view all" query category page. Keep in mind that it will take longer to load a page with all of those images, so be sure to consider this when testing your options.

By the way, this is really easy to test. Create two identical ads using different destination URLs for each and track which ad produces the highest conversion rate.

Rob Reed
Terrakon Marketing
Pay Per Click and Landing Page Consulting

Google Beta Testing Demographic Bidding on Content Network

Would you benefit from the ability to target your pay per click ads demographically? For example, if you sell women's apparel, would you like the ability to target your ads to women in the 25-49 age group? How about targeting males 18-34 if you sell paintball markers and supplies?

In the very near future, you may have the ability to target your ads on some sites within Google's Content Network using limited demographics. According to Google:

Demographic bidding helps you display your ads to specific gender and age group audiences on some sites in the Google content network, giving you more control over who your audience is and greater insight into how your ads perform with certain demographic groups.

You have two options for the demographic settings. First, you will be able to increase your bids for specific demographics so you can increase the number of clicks. Second, you'll be able to show your ads only to your demographic settings.

Demographic bidding is available in the U.S. and U.K.

Does Pay Per Click Ad Rank Impact Your Conversion Rates?

If you lower your ad position in Yahoo Search! or Google AdWords, how will your conversion rate and number of overall pay per click conversions be impacted? A study several years ago by the Atlas Institute found the overall answer to this question.

I use the term "overall" because you should never assume that search marketing studies like this one on PPC conversions will apply accurately to your specific paid search account. In addition, the study is somewhat dated and visitor behaviors and the search marketing platforms are continually changing.  Having said that, the study provides some general knowledge that may benefit you.

The study found that the overall conversion potential for both high-volume and low-volume keyword phrases decreased as the ad rank decreased. This makes sense because your click-through rate normally decreases as the ad rank decreases. Fewer clicks on your ads translates to fewer visitors to your site and lessens the opportunity for conversions. The overall impact on conversion potential dropped 90% between ad rank 1 and ad rank 10.

In addition, the conversion rates for both Google AdWords and Overture (now Yahoo! Search) fell 20%-30% between ad rank 1 and ad rank 10. So, as you move down in ad rank, this study found you'll not only garner fewer clicks, but you will also convert fewer of the visitors who do click.

If you combine the lower click-through rates with the lower conversion rates as you decrease the ad rank, there is a significant impact on the keyword phrase conversion potential. In Google, for example, the study found ad rank 2 had a conversion of 54.5% versus ad rank 1. Ad rank 6 had a conversion potential of 22.5% versus ad rank 1. In Yahoo, ad rank 2 had a conversion potential of 73% in relation to the top position and ad rank 6 had a 22.2% conversion chance.

One very interesting finding in this study had to do with the conversion rate for high-volume vs. low-volume keywords. In both Google and Yahoo, the conversion rate decreased as the ad rank decreased. However, the conversion rate for low-volume keyword phrases actually increased as the ad rank decreased.

As always, take the information in search engine marketing studies with a grain of salt. Use the information to develop and test results for your own pay per click strategy.

Rob Reed
Terrakon Marketing
Pay Per Click Consulting and Management

Internet Marketing Seminar: St. Louis, MO

As promised in an earlier post, I've included the link to more information on the Internet Marketing Seminar to be held in St. Louis, MO, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, on February 27th. The seminar is entitled, Proven Strategies for Improving Your Search Engine Marketing. I'll be one of four speakers. My topic will be, "How to Profit from Pay Per Click Advertising."

Here's the agenda for my part:

10:00 – 11:30	How to Profit From Pay-Per-Click Advertising
	— Rob Reed
	Case Study: How an Online Retailer Tripled Their Pay-Per-Click Profits Landing Pages: Best Practices and Testing Keywords: Farming; Match-Type Strategies; Bidding and Placement Strategies Campaigns and Ad Groups: Structure, Settings and Budgeting Ad Copy: Best Practices and Testing

Feel free to contact me or click the link below to learn more.

http://www.lorman.com/seminars/seminar_agenda.php?pid=182800&tid=&sid=

Rob Reed
Terrakon Marketing
Pay Per Click Optimization and Management

Microsoft and Yahoo - What Could it Mean for Your Pay Per Click Advertising?

Would a Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo be a good thing for pay per click advertisers and search engine marketing firms? My personal opinion is that a merger between the #2 and #3 paid search platforms should be a good thing for most SEM's and PPC advertisers in the long run.

The primary benefit for search marketing agencies and advertisers is the result will eventually be one less platform to learn and manage. More impressions and clicks in the new "Microhoo" pay per click platform will result in better economy of scale for launching and managing pay per click programs.

Right now, Yahoo Search! and Microsoft AdCenter are considerably more difficult to set-up and manage compared to Google AdWords. Both platforms are significantly behind Google in terms of ease-of-use, tracking and reporting. At the same time, the combined volume for my clients running Yahoo and Microsoft campaigns is typically 1/3 of that for Google AdWords. It takes just as long, if not longer, to launch and manage campaigns on Yahoo Search! and Microsoft AdCenter as Google AdWords, but at significantly lower click volumes.

Despite this drawback with Yahoo! and Microsoft, I still recommended Yahoo Search! and Microsoft adCenter to my clients because the higher conversion rates on those search platforms, in comparison to Google, more than justify the time required to launch and manage paid search campaigns on those platforms.

By combining the pay per click volume of the two search engines, in-house advertising departments and search marketing agencies will be able to lower their overhead costs to launch and manage the same level of clicks. There's also the possibility that the Microsoft and Yahoo! teams will be able to create a paid search platform that rivals or even surpasses that of Google. The potential of a better Microhoo platform, while seemingly slight, will obviously encourage Google to continue improving their already superior pay per click advertising platform.

Of course, there is downside risk to this scenario if Microsoft and Yahoo are not able to effectively integrate their cultures and platforms. Large mergers/acquisitions like this one rarely meet the expectations of shareholders (e.g. AOL and Time Warner). This deal is nearly 7 times larger than any acquisition Microsoft has made previously which increases the risk level for a successful outcome. This leaves us with the potential outcome two or three years down the road where Google is even more dominant that they are today. Admittedly, that would not be the best outcome for online advertisers.

Rob Reed
Terrakon Marketing
Pay Per Click Consulting and Management