Advanced AdWords Tools

February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Post by CPC Search + Trada

We all love feeling as though we’ve dodged a bullet, right? Well, here are some practical tips and real-life examples for using AdWords tools without them using you.

The AdWords Search Funnel

AdWords Search Funnels reports were first introduced in March 2010 to favorable reviews. After all, this was Google’s free answer to multi-attribution channels. In October 2010 Google made a few improvements to Search Funnels, and what we have today after another upgrade is additional granularity.

Before diving in, it is important to understand that these reports reveal things you won’t find in the AdWords dashboard, and as a result, you might choose to change your optimization practices in AdWords.

To access these reports from AdWords, navigate to Tools & Analysis->Conversions and look for Search Funnels on the left side of the page.

Top Paths
Top Paths reports show the most popular paths to conversion and are available at the campaign, ad group, keyword and query levels. But even more revealing is the Transition Path (Clicks) report, which can be found by clicking the ‘Other’ dropdown and choosing a dimension. [Read more...]

Filed Under: PPC Tips

There Are No Shortcuts in SEO!

February 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Guest Post by Marianne Pratt

Sometimes shortcuts are good. Like when you were a kid walking to your friend’s house and you cut through a vacant lot to get there faster. But shortcuts in business aren’t usually a good idea, because shaving time all too often leads to shaved results. Nowhere is this more apparent than when it comes to building SEO.

If you’ve been covertly skipping steps or are tempted to try it, here’s the best advice you’ll ever receive: no SEO shortcuts. Trying to outsmart yourself, your colleagues or clients and search engines is simply a mistake at every level.

Why is “no SEO shortcuts” such good advice?

We’re in such a hurry these days. We want everything to be abbreviated and we have less patience than ever, especially when it comes to the web. But cheating (yes, using SEO shortcuts is essentially cheating) doesn’t mean you’re working smarter, and doing things cheaper and quicker is rarely better. [Read more...]

Filed Under: SMB Marketing

A Guide to Mobile Search

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Guest Post by Marianne Pratt

You may not have a smartphone yet, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 million other people do. And the number of iPhones and Androids in use is growing at a steady clip. No wonder more than 20% of Google searches now originate from mobile devices.

Perhaps even more important for your business, studies show people using their smartphones to search are in the latter stages of shopping – looking for your location, hours, etc. as opposed to basic research. They are ready to buy, or nearly so.

Unfortunately your regular website isn’t necessarily very welcoming to those conducting a mobile search. You need special optimization. Otherwise your site may appear super-slow not even function properly. Even the smallest laptop screen is far larger than a smartphone screen, so you can easily see the problem.

Now is a good time to get in the mobile game. Most businesses aren’t there yet, so you can get a jump on the competition. However mobile SEO is more complex, so you’ll need to think a little differently about what you offer searchers. [Read more...]

Filed Under: SMB Marketing

Google AdWords Study Guide

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Guest post by Marianne Pratt

More and more businesses of all types are taking advantage of pay-per-click advertising. But it can be daunting, especially if you’re trying to go it alone. You need to learn the language, the mechanics of how it all works and – most especially – the nuances of each step that will help you put PPC to work most profitably.

So maybe you’re just starting out. Or perhaps you’re already working in the PPC environment and have hands-on experience with AdWords, in which case it’s time to delve deeper or learn about the latest AdWords updates direct from the source.

Wherever you are in this continuum, you can gain the knowledge you need by studying toward Google AdWords Professional certification. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

What is Retargeting and How Can I Make It Work for my Business?

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Guest post by Marianne Pratt

“Retargeting advertising” is a phrase that may seem rather mind-boggling at first, but it’s actually a subject you should get to know better.  “Retargeting” refers to using  sophisticated online targeting technology to repeatedly put your brand in front of searchers who have already shown an interest in your products or services but who have not yet become paying customers.

Because retargeting advertising campaigns are behavior-based and extremely refined, this relatively new marketing technique is growing in popularity with all types of marketers – both publishers and advertisers, especially retailers.

How retargeting advertising works.

  • You visit XYZ website to investigate a product, maybe even go so far as to put something in your shopping cart, but you don’t buy anything.
  • While you’re there, the XYZ website marks your computer with a “cookie” it then uses to track your online activity for the next several days or even weeks.
  • As you continue to search, you see ads appear for XYZ’s product that you viewed.
  • Is this a coincidence?  Not at all — you’re being retargeted.  It’s a very deliberate effort by marketers to stay visible and available to prospects.  Using retargeting keeps your brand and products top-of-mind, to attract browsers back and ultimately convert them to customers. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Uncategorized

How to Determine Keywords for PPC

January 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Guest post by Marianne Pratt

Figuring out just the right keywords to use for your pay-per-click advertising can seem as elusive as finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. The good news is that there’s more than one needle out there, and there are plenty of tools to help you find the sharpest ones. You just need to conduct a little keyword research.

The best keywords for search engine optimization (SEO) and PPC are not necessarily the same, so you need to think differently and research specifically for PPC. Success depends on selecting the words and phrases that will be most effective and also cost-effective.

It’s all about ROI. Your ads need to be seen, but they also have to attract clicks and generate sales. Betting on the wrong keywords can be extremely costly, a total waste of advertising resources.

Your keyword research goal is to find choices that are specific enough to your business and products to separate you from your competition. Using a variety of specific keywords can help maintain ad display frequency while keeping cost per click (CPC) lower. Look for even more specific “niche” keywords, as they can be even more valuable. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Keywords

How to Get Started in PPC

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Guest post by Marianne Pratt

Are you finally ready to give pay-per-click (PPC) advertising a try? Maybe you’ve dabbled in PPC but your efforts need a boost. Or perhaps you’ve put your proverbial toe in the water and now think PPC may be a career opportunity for you. Knowing how to get started in PPC will ensure your next steps take you where you want to go.

Used properly, PPC can make your marketing more efficient, producing greater search engine visibility, more traffic, higher quality leads and quickly quantifiable results. Just being able to track and control your advertising can do wonders for your ROI.

Follow these basics on how to get started in PPC:

  • Do your homework. Google is the easiest place to start, because they offer lots of help. You can even earn an AdWords certificate.
  • Set goals and identify metrics to analyze results. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Paid Search, PPC Tips

Five Things I Learned in One Month at Trada that I Didn’t Learn in Four Years of College

January 16, 2012 By 4 Comments

Guest Post by Keith Jensen, Sales and Marketing Operations Intern

As I am dreading my impending graduation from CU Boulder this May, it was interesting to look back and see what I wish I would’ve learned while attending college.  I’ve only been at Trada for a little over two months, and I now know that there will always be more concepts, skills, or programs to learn before I can get to where I want to be in the real world.  Here are five main ones that hit me within seven days of my Marketing and Sales Operations Internship:

Salesforce.com
If you are involved with marketing or sales and you haven’t heard of SFDC, then I would recommend buying Salesforce.com for Dummies.  SFDC has received multiple awards over the past few years, including “Most Innovative Company” and “Best Sales Platform.” It serves as the basis for keeping all of a company’s leads, contacts, opportunities, accounts, campaigns, and everything else sales-related organized and easy to read.  A lot of companies pay above-average salaries for someone to be their SFDC Administrator, so learning everything about the site can prove to be a huge resume booster.  I had to spend hours exploring all the features and pages that exist in the back-end of the site, and knowing the basis of how it worked first would’ve made it a lot easier. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Trada News

Tips from the Boosters

January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Guest Post by Jeff Sexton of BoostCTR

So you offer nut-free cookies, created specifically for those who suffer from sever nut allergies. And naturally, you’re advertising for keyword phrase Nut-Free Cookies through Google AdWords.

So when writing the ad for this keyword phrase, what do you think will prove most effective:

A) Repeating the “Nut-Free Cookies” phrase in the body copy, or

B) Giving the reader more info on your cookies, related to their chief concern

Well if you guessed B, you got it right.  Take a look:

So why would “Nut-Free Bakery” work better than “Delicious Nut-Free Cookies”?

 

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Advertising, PPC Help

What to Look for in a Content Management System

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Guest Post by Marianne Pratt

A content management system is a comprehensive software application that gives you a single, automated framework from which to manage your website, blog, e-commerce, website-based customer communications and marketing.

There are lots of reasons to purchase a content management system:

They’re designed to be used by several contributors, and users don’t have to be highly skilled technicians.  Information sharing is easy, but you can control who has access to different areas.  A CMS provides:

  • Consistent look and feel throughout your website and blog.
  • Smooth content creation process (writing, review, approval).
  • Coordinated content processing and publishing.
  • Content storage, organization and retrieval.
  • Increased productivity, to save time and money.
  • Enhanced customer relationships. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Marketing Tools, SMB Marketing
« Older Posts