Archives for September 2010

Ghost Ads – How To Trigger Geotargeted Ads in the Google Ad Preview Tool When Using a Custom Shape

September 28, 2010 By Glenn Gabe

If you are running paid search campaigns via AdWords, then you might be familiar with Google’s Ad Preview Tool. If you’re not familiar with the Ad Preview Tool, it provides an easy way for you to conduct searches using a number of criteria to test your paid search ads. You can do this without impacting your impressions, click-through rate, or Quality Score. Using the Ad Preview Tool, you can enter your desired keywords and then select certain criteria, such as country, language, Google domain, location (such as state or province), etc. Google will then show you which ads are triggered, based on the settings you selected.

Tailoring Your Ad Preview Settings
The Ad Preview Tool is a valuable resource for search marketers, especially because it enables you to work in a safe environment instead of trying to trigger your ads in the wild where you can increase impressions and potentially impact your cost per click (CPC). There are a number of reasons you wouldn’t want to simply visit Google and search for your ads. As explained earlier, you can impact your impressions, click-through rate, and Quality Score (and QS is heavily influenced by click-through rate). If you negatively impact your Quality Score, you could actually end up increasing your cost per click (CPC). So, if you (or your clients) obsessively search Google for your ads every day, you could be increasing your costs. The good news is that you can use the Ad Preview Tool instead. Just make sure everyone involved (including clients) understand that it’s available and how to use it. In addition, personalized search could be impacting which ads show for your searches (being tailored based on your web history and by your previous search behavior). So, using the Ad Preview tool, you can safely and accurately test your paid search ads.

When Problems Arise (Geotargeting Using a Custom Shape)
Based on the title of my post, you might be wondering what they problem is. Well, there is an issue that arises sometimes when you use geotargeting with your campaigns. You can learn more about AdWords Geotargeting via a previous post of mine, but using this feature, you can tell Google where to show your ads. For example, you can tell Google to only show your ads to people in the United States, only in New York, maybe a certain mileage away from a map point, or via a custom targeting option (by using a custom shape). Geotargeting is extremely useful, especially for local businesses.

When you use Geotargeting and you want to test your ads, you need to set the location options in the Ad Preview Tool. For example, if you were targeting New York State, then you would select the United States, and then New York in the dropdown that shows up for State. This works well and you should see your ads trigger for the keywords you are targeting (if they qualify to show up on page 1).

Choosing a location in the Ad Preview Tool:

But, there is a problem when you use the custom targeting option (when you draw a custom shape to target a very specific location). For whatever reason, Google’s Ad Preview Tool has a hard time understanding when to show your ads when you utilize custom shapes (when you use the default state and city options in the Ad Preview Tool). Subsequently, search marketers (or clients) might think that their ads simply aren’t showing. But they actually are… It makes sense when you think about it. Let’s say you were targeting a specific area of Manhattan and not the entire island. How would Google understand when to trigger your ads if you simply select New York State, and then New York City? So, you can run into a problem when trying to find your ads via the ad preview tool if you use a custom shape to define your geotargeting. The good news is that there is a solution, and I’m going to cover that next.

Using a custom shape when setting geotargeting options in AdWords:

How to Trigger Geotargeted Ads When Using a Custom Shape
There is a simple solution for making sure you can test your geotargeted ads that use a custom shape. And, I bet there’s a chance you overlooked this option in the Ad Preview Tool (I know I did when I first started using the Tool). There is an option for “Coordinates” under state and location in the Ad Preview Tool. This will let you enter custom latitude and longitude coordinates.

The Coordinates Field enables you to enter a location’s latitude and longitude:

When you use a custom shape to define your geotargeting, you might notice that Google AdWords provides the lat/long coordinates. That’s what you can use to accurately trigger your ads when using a custom shape.

Below, I’ll walk you through the steps for using those coordinates to trigger your ads in the Ad Preview Tool:

1. Enter your keyword, choose your Google domain, and select your language (like you would normally do in the Ad Preview Tool):

Entering keywords, Google domain, and language in the Ad Preview Tool:

2. For location, select the radio button for “Coordinates” versus using “Country” and “State”. Note, you will need to copy one of the latitude and longitude coordinates that are provided in AdWords after you use a custom shape. For example, you might see something like this under your campaign settings for locations and languages:

[(40.859525,-73.907776), (40.833554,-73.856277),

You would want to select one of those coordinates to include in the “Coordinates” field in the Ad Preview Tool. For example, you could use 40.859525,-73.907776 from the example above. Once you do, you can conduct your test search.

Entering specific latitude and longitude coordinates in the Ad Preview Tool:

That’s it. You should be good to go.

Don’t Get Frustrated, Just Use Exact Coordinates
I hope this quick tutorial explained how to accurately test your geotargeted ads in the Ad Preview Tool when you use custom shapes to set location. If you end up using custom shapes, I can almost guarantee that you’ll get questions from your clients about ads not showing up when using the ad preview tool. Just make sure everyone involved uses the latitude and longitude coordinates when running test searches and you should be fine. :)

Google Instant, The Importance of Your Twitter Account, and The Danger of Not Being Found

September 20, 2010 By Glenn Gabe

I’m going to introduce a few topics before getting into the heart of this post. As you might know already, Google released a major update to its search experience a few weeks ago, called Google Instant. With Instant, Google now changes the search results as you type your query (on the fly). That includes changing the sponsored results (paid search ads), Universal Search (blended search results), etc. This post isn’t necessarily about the changes involved with Instant, but more of a side effect of the changes.

Google suggests queries (via predicted searches) as you type your query in the search box. This is based on Google’s autocomplete algorithm. So if you started to type “Apple”, you would see suggestions like “store, vacations, trailers, and iphone.” As part of Google Instant, you can select a predicted query and Google will dynamically change the search results to match that query. This works for any query you start to type, including searching for people. Yes, that’s a little foreshadowing. :)

A Twitter handle is basically the username that you select for your Twitter account. For example, my Twitter handle is glenngabe. You don’t have to use your actual name as your handle, although it could very well help you (again, more foreshadowing).

The Increasing Trend of Searching for Twitter Handles
If you follow me on Twitter, then you probably know that I’m a big believer in the service (and I’m a very active user). When I’m in the process of checking my feeds, reading new posts and articles, and posting updates on Twitter, I always try and give authors credit for their work (by referencing their Twitter accounts in my tweets). That’s one of the reasons I firmly believe that you should provide a prominent link to your Twitter account from your website template, blog template, etc. Let’s face it, you should make it easy for people who are trying to help you. But I still find many bloggers or writers that don’t provide an easy way to find their Twitter handles. In addition, some people may have heard about you from friends or colleagues. Since they’re not on your website when they hear about you, those people might simply search for your Twitter handle. That’s where Google comes into play.

Googling Your Twitter Handle
If I can’t easily find someone’s Twitter handle on the post or site in question, I quickly visit Google and enter their name along with the keyword “Twitter”. The query looks like this:

{first-name last-name twitter}
i.e. glenn gabe twitter

And many other people are doing the same thing. I know this because Google’s autocomplete algorithm shows this type of query via its predicted searches functionality (see screenshot below). You can see this in action now by searching Google for a name of someone you want to follow and then reviewing the search suggestions. For some people, you’ll see Google recommend their name and the keyword “Twitter”. For others, you’ll need to start typing “Twitter” after their name and Google Instant will start showing the results for that query. This is where it gets interesting (or not if you aren’t active on Twitter.)

Google’s Predicted Searches Shows The Popularity of a Twitter Search:

Fortunately, or unfortunately, what shows up in the search results is what people are going to check out. There are times that I end up finding the people I’m searching for. But there are times I can’t find the person I’m looking for, which often shocks me considering how Twitter has surged and how important Social Media has become. Even worse than not finding someone is seeing a Twitter account that looks like their account, but it ends up being either a squatter or some impostor. Then of course, there are people with the same name that have Twitter accounts, which can also be problematic in certain situations (if your account is not there). For example, what if they have weak profiles, no avatars (or risky avatars), questionable tweets, etc. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a Twitter account is the one you are looking for. And what if people searching for you actually think one of those questionable accounts is yours?

Google Instant makes this process even more in-your-face, since the search results dynamically change to show you what ranks for the person you are searching for. If your Twitter account isn’t there, then the person searching for you is seeing someone else or a random search result. Needless to say, this can be problematic for you, and I cover some of the dangers below of not showing up when others search for your Twitter account.

An Example of a Search for a Person’s Twitter Account:

To demonstrate what can happen when you don’t show up for searches, I’ll use a celebrity so it’s overly obvious the problems that this can cause:

Yes, it’s crazy that Ben Affleck isn’t on Twitter, but think about how this applies to people you know (or yourself) versus a celebrity. By the way, check out how Ben’s fake Twitter account has gained over 4,600 followers. This could happen to you too (maybe not on the scale that it happened to Ben, but people searching for you could be tricked into thinking that it’s your real profile). And for the record, Ben’s PR Agency needs to get with it and secure his handle. Whoever owns the current @BenAffleck account could tweet whatever they want… That could be quite embarrassing for Ben.

The Danger of Not Being There (and Not Being Found)
Now that we’ve covered the trend of people searching for Twitter profiles, let’s explore some of the dangers of not being listed when people search for you.

1. Lack of Credibility
If someone is searching for your Twitter profile and cannot find it (or the right account), then you risk losing some credibility. For example, maybe they heard about you from a friend or colleague or maybe they just read an article or blog post of yours. Imagine they are excited to follow your updates on Twitter and then find out you’re not even there. Or they simply cannot find your account. Don’t risk losing credibility by not being on Twitter. It’s not a scary place. It’s a huge opportunity for you professionally (covered below).

2. Squatters, Impostors, and Your Reputation
This bullet could be the most dangerous for you. Reputation management has become a very hot topic in the age of Google. When people want to learn about you, they Google you. Period. So, it shouldn’t be a shock to know that some people will try and register your handle in order to control that account. They might end up doing nothing with the account, but they could end up tweeting “on your behalf.” And worse, people searching for your Twitter account will find that hijacked profile and not your own (because you’re not active on Twitter). Don’t let this happen to you. The people that contact me about Reputation Management almost always contact me after the fact. Be proactive and participate on Twitter today. You can check out my post about Twitter profile reviews to learn more about how to set up a solid profile.

3. Missed Exposure and Traffic
Let’s face it, there’s a good chance that you impressed someone if they are trying to find your Twitter account. Why make it hard for them to follow you, help you, and connect with you? That person could very well end up bringing you business, helping you personally, tweeting your articles or posts, and recommending you to friends, family, and coworkers. Don’t miss out on exposure, traffic, and recognition because you’re not active on Twitter. Register your handle, start following and connecting with people today, and post valuable updates on a regular basis. You won’t regret it. Also, learn more about the black hole of blogging and twitter before you start. This will give you realistic expectations about how the first few months will go.

4. Missed Followers
If you start on Twitter, you will inevitably want to build your follower count (the right way). You’ll quickly find out that there are quality followers and then zombie followers (or followers that aren’t active on Twitter or that don’t care about your updates). If someone is actively searching for your handle, they just might end up being a quality follower. That’s not always the case, but at least that person is showing initiative versus following hundreds or thousands of people with no specific reason for doing so (other than hoping some of those people follow them back). Don’t miss out on building your following because you’re simply not there.

5. Lost Business Opportunities
Yes, you can lose opportunities to build business, get a new job, and increase your personal brand by not being active on Twitter (and making it easy for other people to find you). By being active on Twitter, you can land new clients, connect with people in your industry, find influencers, and build your personal brand. If you want to prove how good you are, then let other people find you on Twitter and then earn their respect. Great things can happen when you do.

Help Them Find You
Whether you like it or not, there are people searching for your Twitter account. Either they’ll find your account and follow you, or they will find someone or something else. That something else could be another person with your name, a random search result unrelated to you or your business, or worse, an impostor. As Twitter surges and new technology like Google Instant makes it easier to find answers, you should make it as easy as possible for other people to find your profile. If you don’t, you could be losing credibility, losing business, and losing control of your reputation. Is that scary? Yes. But can you impact the result? Absolutely.

My Internet Marketing ebook is Now Available – Taking Control of Your Online Marketing: Small Business Edition

September 16, 2010 By Glenn Gabe

I’m proud to announce the release of my new ebook titled Taking Control of Your Online Marketing: Small Business Edition. The online marketing ebook is a 98 page tactical guide for small to medium sized businesses and covers Local Search, SEO, Web Analytics, Website Structure, and The Long Tail of SEO.

I wrote the book in priority order, so each lesson builds upon previous lessons. You’ll find that the book provides a hands-on, take-action approach. I wanted readers to be able to complete each chapter, implement important changes, and then move on to the next lesson. If you’re a small business just starting out, or one that’s not seeing results from your current online marketing efforts, then this book is perfect for you.

Why I Wrote The ebook
When I launched the Search a Small Business Holiday Giveaway last year, I explained how small businesses often end up getting a raw deal when it comes to online marketing. They want to launch campaigns, utilize the latest online marketing tactics, and gain new business, but simply don’t have the budget or resources to do so effectively. I always thought this was wrong. Once the contest was over, I decided to document the approach I’ve used numerous times when helping small businesses. The result was my ebook. It is based on a core aspect of online marketing that I’ve seen time and time again (over the past 15 years):

Businesses (both large and small) needed a solid foundation in online marketing in order to succeed. Without that solid foundation in place, companies had a much harder time gaining traction, acquiring new customers, and increasing sales.

My goal was to make sure readers could build a solid online marketing foundation that they can build upon in the future. I always want my clients and readers to get up and running quickly. The book is structured so that’s possible.

What’s Covered in the Book
The core sections of book cover the following online marketing topics:

1. Website Structure
I’ve come across so many small businesses that are handcuffed when it comes to adding, editing, and optimizing content on their websites. In today’s digital marketing environment, if you cannot easily add new content and tailor your site optimization, then you’re dead in the water. In the book, I explain the technology and process you can utilize to get your site in order.

2. Local Search Strategy
If you’re a local business, then it’s critically important to make sure you have a shot at ranking for searches that are deemed local in nature by the search engines. I’ll show you what to do and where to make changes to achieve strong results.

3. Web Analytics
It’s critically important to track your online marketing efforts at a granular level. I provide instructions for setting up Google Analytics, as well as how to track conversion properly on your site. Unfortunately, without a smart analytics strategy in place, you’ll be flying blind. And flying blind is a dangerous thing to do in online marketing.

4. SEO
Organic Search is one of the most powerful online marketing channels and should not be ignored. The book covers what you need to do in order optimize your site and content for organic search. SEO is a massive topic and I cover numerous aspects of organic search within the chapter.

5. The Long Tail of SEO
When I first start helping new clients with SEO, they often approach me about ranking for a handful of competitive keywords. That’s fine, but in reality, they should be targeting the thousands of keywords that stem off of those initial keywords. In the book, I cover the long tail in detail, including what it is, how powerful it can be for your business, and how to effectively target the tail.

Buy the Book Now
I’ve worked hard on making sure the book is extremely actionable. I want every reader to make changes quickly so they can improve their online marketing efforts. Again, the book is a 98 page tactical guide covering the core things that you need to do in order form a solid online marketing foundation. So, head over to the ebook section of my site to learn more. You can explore the chapters in greater detail, read the forewords, and of course, buy the book! :)

I look forward to helping you.