Monthly Archives: May 2012

3 Tips For Your Next Google Adwords Campaign

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Google Adwords is a great way to drive traffic to your website. As soon as you create your ads within Google Adwords, they will appear in the “sponsored ads” section of the search engine results. By not having to wait a long time for approval, your ads are able to drive a significant amount of traffic to your website in a very short period of time. However, since you are paying for the traffic your website will receive, you simply cannot turn on your ads and let them run nonstop. You will need to pay close attention to your ads and make changes to them so you can optimize your pay per click adverting campaign.

Test Different Advertisements

When running a Google Adwords campaign, you will need to test many different ads in order to find the one type of ad that works best for your site. Split testing your headline and copy can make a huge difference in the success of your Adwords campaign. A good way to optimize your Adwords campaign is to start with just one advertisement. Once you collect enough data to get a baseline of how your campaign is performing, you will then want to split test other advertisements one at a time. This will allow you to see what kind of affect a new headline or copy will have on your Adwords campaign.

Google Adwords Campaign

Group Keywords

Another important tip you will need to keep in mind when running a Google Adwords campaign is to group your keywords by consumer intent. You can get a feel for what a consumer’s intent is by the keyword they are putting into Google’s search engine. Someone searching for the term “buy blue widgets” or “blue widget sale” are probably ready to make a purchase. By grouping these types of keywords together, you can tailor your ads to this specific consumer group. You can do the same thing for consumers that are researching products and others who are looking for reassurance that they need a specific item.

Created targeted advertisements for specific consumer groups will help you run a more successful Google Adwords campaign and see a larger return on your investment.

Analyze Data Frequently

Since Google Adwords has the ability to put your ads in front of so many consumers in a short amount of time, you will want to closely monitor your campaign’s data. Keeping a close on the metrics associated with your Adwords campaign will enable you to quickly see where there may be room for improvement. If your ads are receiving a large number of impressions but not many clicks, you will want to try a new headline. If you are still seeing the same results, try changing the copy of your ads. By paying close attention to the information you are given regarding your Adwords campaign, you will be able to tweak your campaign to ensure long term success.

Every website needs traffic in order to be successful. Google Adwords is one of the best traffic sources and can provide a large quantity of traffic in a very short amount of time. Remembering to test new headlines and ad copy, grouping your keywords by consumer intent, and analyzing your campaign’s metrics frequently will help you run a successful Google Adwords campaign.

SEO for Unfamiliar Industries

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As SEOs, we’re faced with new challenges every day. One of the top challenges is taking on a new client, as each and every client is different. They have different keywords, different types of sites, vastly different content, and different target audiences. Your strategies have to be tailored to fit the company and its industry and values. However, what happens when a company comes to you for help, and you know absolutely nothing about their industry? How can you strategize when you feel clueless?

For many of us, this alien industry tends to be something technical. Perhaps it’s a software solutions company, or a software quality assurance company, or a computer part company. No matter what they do, it can feel overwhelming if you’re not prepared with a plan for learning their trade. Creating their custom SEO strategy may not be as difficult as you think. Find somewhere quiet where you won’t be interrupted, and follow this guide.

seo for Industries

Find Your Focus

While the company you’re taking on probably does a lot of different things, decide what the primary focus is. If the name is Johnson QA, then it’ll be quality assurance. The easiest way to find out is to ask! Especially if they don’t have an existing website, sit down with a company representative and talk about what they do. Ask the person to explain it in plain terms, without jargon. From that, you’ll be able to determine their niche.

Do Your Research

You’ll naturally begin learning about the company during the keyword research phase. Collaborate with them to determine their top targeted keywords, and go from there. Begin using your keyword research tools to come up with related keywords. When you don’t know what something means, look it up! Discovering these new words will give you some more insight into the industry – what typical companies offer, what the competitive terms are, etc.

Analyze Competitors

Every company has competition. Even if that competition doesn’t have a website, looking them up will still help you determine your strategy, and learn a thing or two about the industry in the process. What words do they use in their ads? What sorts of offers do they have? If they do have a website, think about how you can outdo them. What keywords do they rank for, and which important ones do they not? Do they have any videos? Is their content engaging? Do they have enough explanation of products? Tailor your strategy to outdo (or at least match) the competition in these areas.

Ask Questions

The people that you’re working with are probably used to answering questions. They’re experts at what they do, and the best way to gather your necessary information is to ask a lot of questions. After your initial keyword research, hand them what you think are their top keywords and have them add any they don’t see on your list. Make sure they give you an overview of their offerings, so that you can market them in the right places. They’d probably be nervous if you didn’t ask questions! If you keep the lines of communication open and do your homework, you’ll be an expert in no time.