ask.com gets nailed by Panda

Google rolled out its latest Panda update to the search engine's algorithm.  It is designed to push sites with bad content down the rankings.  SEJ has published a list of those most negatively effected. Thank heavens ask.com got drilled, that site is the most unhelpful site on the planet.  Check out eBay.  Headed in the wrong direction.

Mobile Search Click Through Rates!!

Click Through Rates for mobile...  Is your company maximizing its opportunity? It's amazing how many auto dealers and businesses that I look at in the Google Preview Tool that will show ok in a desktop search and are no where to be found on mobile.  #missingtheboat

Great Article on PPC Myths

Patrick Coynes wrote a great article on PPC Myths... Check it out...

7 Paid Search Marketing Myths – Busted!

Patrick Coyne       May 15, 2014       0 comments

Most businesses think they have an idea of how paid search works (or in their opinion, doesn’t work), but the reality is that paid search advertising is an effective marketing utility that can deliver immediate results. Here’s our list of some of those common paid search misconceptions:

“I Rank High in Organic Search Results, so I don’t need PPC”:

Organic success is a huge achievement for any website, but SEO and PPC are so much more effective when working together. We all know it takes multiple mentions for a brand to resonate with a consumer. And by buying ad space for keywords you’re already ranking for organically, you’re getting another space on the search engine results page. Think of it another way- 53% of people click on the first organic search result. So even if you’ve got the top spot, you’re still missing out on nearly half of those potential customers. PPC helps you increase your odds of reaching that 47% that aren’t clicking on your organic link.

“Nobody Clicks on Display Ads- Therefore they Don’t Work”:

compared to other paid search marketing options, banner ads have a low click-through-rate. But that doesn’t mean they don’t work. The misconception here is that CTR is the best metric to measure success of a display ad. When the truth is that even when a click doesn’t happen, users are still influenced by display ads. Think of display and banner ads as similar to billboards and TV commercials. When you consider the amount of impressions you can receive at a minimal cost, display ads can be an effective piece of your digital marketing mix.

“Re-targeting Ads are Only for Retail”:

You’ve seen re-targeting ads before. You’re shopping on a website looking for new shoes, and suddenly you’re seeing ads for those very shoes across every site you visit. While it’s true that re-targeting is very effective for retail websites who are trying to get online window shoppers to come back and make a purchase, many industries are having a tremendous amount of success with re-targeting. In fact, retargeting ads used across several industries can boost ad response up to 400%.

“With PPC You Can Just Set it & Forget it”:

This couldn’t be further from the truth. The misconception seems to stem from the fact that initially setting up a campaign can be easy and quick. But if you’re not periodically checking in on your account and optimizing your keyword list, ad copy, landing page, and other elements, you could be missing out on traffic and conversions. Even if your campaign is already running well and is ROI positive, you should always be optimizing.

“Conversions Are All that Matter”:

Yes, conversions are what it’s all about, but it’s definitely not all that matters. And if your ad isn’t getting conversions immediately, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a failure. While the goal is to increase conversions, there are other metrics to tweak first. Does your ad have a high number of impressions but a low click-through-rate? Then your keyword list probably needs to be better targeted. Take a look at the big picture, not just conversions.

“I need to Bid High Because My Ad Needs Top Placement to be Successful”:

This is wrong for two different reasons. First, bidding high doesn’t guarantee top placement. In addition to your maximum bid, Google ranks ads based on quality score. The quality score is calculated based on your ad and your landing pages’ relevancy to the user’s search, and the quality of your ad copy. Second, the top spot is not always the one that gets the most conversions. After you’ve run your PPC campaign, take a look in analytics and see which spot is converting best. It could be the top spot, then again it could not be.

“I Heard that PPC Helps You Rank Higher in Organic Search Results”:

This paid search marketing myth has existed for just about as long as there has been PPC and SEO. To be clear – PPC has ZERO impact on your organic search rankings. With that being said, PPC and SEO work very well together – Particularly for brand new websites. Search engine optimization takes time before you start to see results. But Pay-Per-Click and Display advertising can generate immediate results. Try using PPC initially while you get your SEO campaign off the ground. And if all goes well, once you start ranking organically and your paid search campaign is turning a profit, both will work together to deliver better results.

Despite some of the misinformation out there, paid search marketing can be a very successful part of your marketing arsenal – So don’t be dismayed by the rumors!

Some Great Advice For Taking Your a Website To The Next Level

HOW TO BOOST SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT FOR YOUR WEBSITE

Having a website is a great way to provide information to your customers, but if you want to maintain a dialogue with your customers, you should make sure to include social media in a way that complements the rest of the content on your website. People love sharing ideas with each other and with the businesses they support, and social media serves this exact purpose. Here are some ways to boost social engagement for your website.

Embed a Twitter Feed

If you have a Twitter for your business, it is a great idea to embed your Twitter feed right onto the side panel of your website so that customers will see frequent and real-time updates from you, which will make them feel more connected to your business. Tweet at peak times of customer activity so your Twitter will get as much exposure as possible.

Include Social Media Widgets

You have a website, but your customers may not know that you have an active presence online in other places like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or SlideShare. Embed widgets onto your site in a place where your customers can see them and easily click on them to be directed to your other social media platforms in a new tab. Customers will then return to your website again and again, because it will provide them with access to all of your social media platforms in one convenient place.

Maintain a Blog

When you keep a blog on your website, it gives customers a chance to read about who you and your employees are. A blog is a great way to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of your business, including pictures and videos, and let them know about company events you will be hosting or attending. Customers like to feel included in the operation of your business, since they are investing their money and energy to buy and use your product to support your business. Encouraging readers to leave comments will assure them that their voices are being heard, especially when you reply to those comments directly or address them in future posts.

Make Sure Your Website is Optimized for Use with Mobile Devices

People use their smartphones and tablets constantly, both at home and on the go. If your website is designed to be compatible with mobile usage, your social engagement will increase, because people will be accessing your website more often, accessing your social media through the website, then engaging with that social media. No one wants to scroll up, down, left, and right, or zoom in to tap tiny links, just to navigate a website on their tiny cell phone screen. If you make it as easy as possible for customers to use your website on their computer, smartphone or tablet, they will feel more comfortable engaging with your content and will also respect you for being technologically savvy.

Make the Most of Your Online Presence

There are so many ways to share information with your customers and give them a chance to provide feedback or share ideas with each other. Let your website shine as the main hub for all social engagement opportunities, and your online presence will bring you customer loyalty as well as profit for your business.

Source: How to Boost Social Engagement for Your Website

CPA IS THE BIG DOG DADDY STAT...

Impressions, Clicks, CTR, and such are fine statistics, but make sure your SEM provider talks to you about CPA. The only thing that matters is how many forms, calls or sales you get. Here is a handy reference chart from Larry Kim with some industry CPA averages..

Mobile Marvel

Millennials check their smartphones 43 times per day.  Is your business taking advantage of that habit?  If not, it should...

Stop obsessing over Click Through Rate

While reading my Twitter and LinkedIn feeds, I saw articles on Click Through Rate. The article said CTR's should range between 2% and 10%.   But I think obsessing over the CTR, is like counting pitches in a baseball game.  Sure it is a useful stat, but games are not won and lost on number of pitches.  Advertisers should focus on conversion rates & closing rates. How many clicks convert to a call or form?  How many calls or forms result in a sale?  Those are the stats that matter.  Convert 20% of your clicks to leads and close 30% of your leads and it doesn't matter what your CTR is.