Google+, SEO, and Paid Campaigns

Fun Times With Search Engines

Last night, our Google AdWords team treated myself, my team, and leaders from my employer to the Giants/Dodgers game. We had so much fun enjoying the game from Google’s luxury suite at AT&T park. It was honestly one of the best networking events I’ve experienced with Google. It was a great game too – The Giants won in an 8-0 victory. Thanks Google, we cannot thank you enough!

A few weeks ago, our Yahoo! account management team traveled to Silicon Valley and took us to a gourmet lunch (one of the best meals I have experienced in months). That day, we also spent hours planning strategies to grow our adCenter campaigns. Yahoo!, we cannot thank you enough, you rule! I am so thankful for the amazing friendships that I have made with Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft’s world class teams.

This is a quick post today since I was out late at the game last night. The main point: I have found in business that it’s all about building world class teams. Spend time to really get to know your search engine reps and support teams. They are amazing and I couldn’t imagine running enterprise SEM accounts without their support and guidance. As a team, you will uncover amazing opportunities and take your paid search engine accounts to new levels.

Image in this post © PPCIan.com

Fun At Google’s SF Giants Luxury Suite

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Sep 13 12

The corporate online marketing career path is amazing. It’s a career full of big responsibility, fast-paced growth, complex problem solving, and high powered networking. On the networking side, there’s been a really cool trend over the past year or so – It’s all about networking at AT&T Park in San Francisco, home of the Giants.

Earlier this year, I enjoyed the Giants/Dodgers game from Marin Software’s luxury suite (check out A Day In the Life of PPC Ian). Also earlier this year, I enjoyed the Giants/Marlins game from Google’s luxury suite (check out Amazing Times With My Friends at Google).

Tonight, I had an amazing time yet again at Google’s luxury suite for the Giants/Padres game. Google is really going all out when it comes to building relationships with their big advertisers, I cannot thank them enough. I had so much fun tonight and especially enjoyed the opportunity to get a picture with the Giants World Series Trophy (below), a special gift to the first 500 luxury suite attendees. If you’re thinking of getting into online marketing (or are already in this amazing career), remember to focus on networking. The relationships will take you so far!

Giants Trophy PPC Ian

Image in this post © PPCIan.com

AdWords Display URLs Are More Important Than Ever

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Aug 14 13

Google is on a roll – 2011 is a year of change when it comes to AdWords. I’m talking about front end changes that directly impact user experience. Just a few recent examples: Six Sitelinks In Paid Search, Light Blue Google Search Results, and AdWords Megatitles. Today, I’m thrilled to blog about a few recent changes to Google AdWords display URLs and how you can benefit from these changes.

AdWords Display URL Changes and Tips

Check out the screenshot to the right. You can see that the display URLs are now right under the title, followed with description lines one and two. In the past, the title would always be directly followed by the description and then the display URL at the bottom.

Most users focus primarily on the title. Now that the display URL is so close to the title, it’s more important than ever. Users are going to focus on your display URL more than ever before. My recommendation: Consider modifying your display URL to include relevant keywords (either as a subdomain or as a folder after the root domain). In the screenshot to the right, I personally like the Allstate ad since “Auto-Insurance” really stands out as a folder after the root domain in the display URL.

Another recent change to display URLs on AdWords (a few months back): Display URLs are now in lower case. You can no longer have title casing in subdomains and also root domains of display URLs. However, there’s one exception: folders. Check out the esurance ad to the right, the folder “California” is in title case. Now, check out the ad for insure.com. The “autoinsurance” is in lower case. A while back, it was possible to leverage title case in subdomains and root domains, such as “AutoInsurance.Insure.com”. My tip: Make sure to test both subdomains and folders. As you test folders, make sure to test both lower case and title case. Personally, I have found great success with title case and feel it will be even more important now that display URLs are right below the title.

So there you have it. A few recent changes to display URLs and a few tips on how to optimize the CTR of your ads. Hope this helps. Any special display URL strategies that have worked well in your AdWords campaigns?

Amazing Times With My Friends At Google

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Jun 6 7

I’ve been networking with Google like crazy lately, it has been a real blast! Today, I wanted to share some cool pictures with you, in addition to my insights about Google as an organization. In short, Google is on an amazing roll, they are reaching out to clients like never before and it really means a lot to corporate marketing professionals like myself.

Let’s Start With The Fun Events

PPC Ian and Kit (Google Employee) at Google Mountain View

As you can see throughout this post, I enjoyed two amazing Google events within the last few weeks. Highlighted in the first picture, I recently visited Google’s Mountain View campus to meet with Kit from the DoubleClick team. As a follow up to my recent speaking engagement at Google, Kit reached out and scheduled a meeting with me for my feedback and insights on some of their new tools. I really enjoyed viewing their new tools and contributing feedback. Our meeting lasted a good hour+ and was super productive. I must say, it was quite the honor! It’s not everyday that I get invited to Google for 1-on-1 time regarding their latest products.

Google Giants Stadium Luxury Suite

Kit was really gracious to treat me to an amazing Google lunch (I can’t get enough of their gourmet food). I even got a tour and was amazed to learn Google has a new bowling alley. It’s really slick, better than the real thing! Kit and Google/DoubleClick, thanks so much and please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can ever be of further assistance.

Also within the last few weeks, I attended the Giants/Marlins game in Google’s luxury suite. This event was hosted by none other than Dennis Woodside, Google’s President of the Americas. This exclusive C-level executive only event was a true blast and reminded me that I have truly made it big in online marketing. I was able to catch up with old friends from the executive teams of Nextag and Apollo Group (University of Phoenix’s in-house onith line marketing agency). I also enjoyed making new friends!

View From Google Giants Luxury Suite

Since the Giants game was an executive only event, I didn’t really have the opportunity to take too many pictures with attendees, but I certainly snapped some of the suite and food. I’ve been to four Giants games in the last year and three have been in luxury suites. (You may wish to check out my recent post about A Day In The Life of PPC Ian where I highlight Marin Software’s luxury suite.) Now that I’ve been spoiled, I never want to go back to regular seats. This is just one more reason I love the corporate online marketing career path so much! Thanks again Google!

Google Is Building Deep Relationships

Food at Google Giants Luxury Suite

So, what does this all mean? More so than ever before, Google is building deep relationships with their top advertisers. They have their sights set on the long term and are making impressive relationship investments that will last decades. I commend Google for their strong efforts in this arena because I’m also a long term type of guy. It is all about relationships, at the end of the day.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Google has always been focused on client interaction, it’s just that they are now going 110 miles per hour versus 100. What does this mean for you, the corporate Internet marketer? Seize the opportunity! Now is your chance to reach out to Google. Now is your chance to get heard! Now is your chance to build relationships that will last forever.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Snacks at Google Giants Luxury Suite

I want to close out today with an important tip that has served me really well: If you truly want something, you need to ask for it in a nice but strong way. How did I get invited to originally speak at Google? How did I get invited to an exclusive C-level executive Giants game with the top executives at Google and in the Bay Area? I asked! Opportunities are all around you. If you remember to ask, you shall receive (most of the time). Even when it comes to promotions/raises at work, it never hurts to ask, as long as you’re a top performer. Just remember to always give back and prove your value over and over. Thanks for reading everyone and now go reach out to your Google account management team and start networking!

Drinks at Google Giants Luxury Suite

All Images in this post © PPCIan.com

Google Testing Light Blue Search Results

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment May 8 8

It seems like Google is always testing something new. Whether we’re talking about Google AdWords, organic search, or simply the overall look at feel of the Google experience, there’s always something new and exciting. Just recently I wrote about Google’s new mega titles and organic sitelinks. The mega titles test stuck (and are amazing), but the organic sitelinks test does not seem to have panned out (I don’t see these sitelinks anymore even though I really liked them). Today, I’m thrilled to share another new Google test. As you can see in the screen shot below, Google is testing a lighter shade of blue in the search results.

Google’s New Light Blue Text

I noticed the light blue a bit earlier today, but it’s already gone from my computer. It seems like a really low volume test right now. Personally, I think it’s a great idea to test the color of the link text. The link text color (on Google and other search engines) has been that classic darker blue color forever. It’s time to try a new shade of blue! I must say, however, the light blue hurts my eyes a bit compared to the classic blue so I must give my vote to the control in this test.

Stay On Top of Search Engine Tests

To close out today’s short post, I want to encourage anyone advertising in pay per click to really stay on top of these tests. Seemingly small tests and changes on Google’s end can mean a big difference for your campaigns. If you’re like me and are in the corporate world of SEM, it’s even more important to stay on top of these tests. When you’re spending millions, these changes can have even more impact. Moreover, you want to know every new thing in SEM because you never know when your boss or another executive may ask you about the new trends they are seeing.

Image in this post © Google

PPC Ian Speaks At Google

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Mar 31 9

I’m really excited right now because I spoke at Google today. It was quite the honor and my second time speaking at Google (I spoke on a panel back in 2009 at Google’s Client Ad Forum). Today, I spoke for one hour to a group of 20 Google employees across marketing and product management, an event called Client Connect. I want to sincerely thank James and the Google marketing team for arranging this event, it was a true honor in my career.

Corporate SEM Offers Great Speaking Opportunities

PPC Ian with Ryan and Rich From Google

My presentation today spanned one hour, and that hour flew right by! I focused on industry trends, predictions for the future of digital marketing, and opportunities for both advertisers and Google. Throughout my presentation, I had the great opportunity to interact with amazing Google employees and field some seriously great questions! While I’m not able to share the presentation here (it’s confidential to my employer), I wanted to write a quick post to call this out as a major advantage of the corporate SEM career path.

Just in the last year, I spoke at Stanford Graduate School of Business in May, I spoke at Stanford Graduate School of Business in January, and now I spoke at Google. If you’re into public speaking and giving back to the industry (I sure am), search engine marketing is an amazing career path to consider. It’s because of the corporate SEM career path that these speaking events presented themselves.

Google Is Amazing

I wanted to close out by calling attention to Google. I couldn’t be more impressed. My account management team (Ryan and Rich in the picture above with me) in addition to all the attendees to my presentation are truly top notch. Google is innovating so quickly and I really can’t get enough of it. They’re one of the best partners ever and it’s a true pleasure working with the Google Financial Services team. I’m looking forward to my next public speaking opportunity for sure.

Is Google Becoming Feature Rich?

By PPC Ian Leave a Comment Oct 11 10

It seems like I’m finding a new feature on Google every other week! About a month ago, Google launched Google Instant, the algorithm that predicts your search query as you’re typing it in and serves up results in real time. Just in the last week, I noticed two other new features that are quite interesting. Today, I’d like to talk about my thoughts on Google Instant and also these two new features. It’s really crazy. I’d venture to say that the once minimalist Google experience is starting to become feature rich!

My Mixed Thoughts On Google Instant

From a user’s perspective, I have mixed feelings on the topic of Google instant. I’m a quick typist so it doesn’t save me too much time. Moreover, I’m really missing the search box at the bottom of the search results page. I like scrolling through all the search results and entering my next search query at the bottom of the page, but I now need to scroll back to the top before entering my next query.

From a search marketing perspective, it’s possible that Google Instant will shift more traffic to head terms while taking away from tail terms. This is something I am monitoring closely and only time will tell if this hypothesis materializes.

Google New Feature # 1: Annoying Arrow

So, now the fun part – Following are some new features you may have not heard about yet. Check out the screenshot below. You see that little arrow on the left of the search results? This arrow started appearing for me last week. When I move the down arrow on my keyboard, it goes down to the next result on the page. It starts in the premium sponsored results, then goes to organic, then goes to the right rail of paid ads if you keep going down. When you hit enter, it actually clicks the result and goes to that website!

Here’s why I think the new feature is annoying: I’m a big fan of scrolling up and down with my arrow keys. Now, when I scroll down, everything is slower because the rate at which the Google arrow goes down is slower than the normal scrolling of the page. Also, if you scroll back up after going down, the arrow disappears at the top of the page, the cursor goes in the search box, and now you’re prevented from scrolling up and down at all! In short, I find this new feature annoying.

Google New Feature # 2: Promotional Ads That Reference The User’s Search Query

I’m going to close out with a feature that I really like. In the screenshot below, you will notice that I search for site:www.ppcian.com. Basically, I’m trying to see how many pages of my site have been indexed by Google. Check out the Google promotion ad at the top. It references the exact search query I’m buying!

Now, you may argue, "It’s not referencing your search query, Ian. Google is buying your URL and using keyword insertion." I’ll argue back, that’s simply not true. How do I know this? If I type in site:www.ppcian.com/* the trailing slash and star are also included in Google’s promotional ad. If I do it without the star, but with the slash, my exact query gets inserted again.

I’m really excited about this technology. It would really open up a world of opportunity if I could leverage dynamic insertion of the user’s raw query in my search ads. You may be thinking, what does the second query above mean (the one with the trailing slash and star)? Whereas the first one shows how many pages are in Google’s index, the second one shows how many pages are in the "real" index (and not the supplemental one). Definitely useful stuff in the world of SEO. What do you think about Google’s new feature rich approach?