Paid Media

For those of you that are not familiar with the Search Alliance, it is an initiative that Yahoo! and Microsoft are taking to create a competitive choice for both advertisers and users in the marketplace.

Essentially, paid search results on Yahoo! are now going to be powered by Microsoft.  This means that our current Yahoo! accounts will cease to exist once the transition is complete.  The accounts that we have set up in BING will supply the search results in Yahoo!

To prepare for this transition, I have created suggestions and tips on how to make sure you safe guard your accounts from experiencing negative effects from the search alliance.

Actions that need to be taken before and during the transition of your accounts:

1. Advertisers should make sure that their clients know what the search alliance is. Make sure to communicate possible changes in the accounts before the transition occurs.
2. Yahoo representatives will now be managing the BING Accounts.  If you do not have a BING account set up in adCenter, get this account established and open an IO with your Yahoo representative.  Make sure that you discuss any discounts that you previously had with BING.  You will not be receiving the same discount after the alliance and you will need to start a dialogue with your representatives about what changes you should expect.
3. Have your Yahoo! representative perform a gap analysis between your Yahoo! and BING accounts and use this analysis to add keywords into your BING account. It might be good to mirror over your best performing Google accounts into MSN before the alliance so that you capture any traffic that could be lost.
4. Think about the possibilities of beginning or re-engaging SEO efforts in MSN and Google to counter any negative effects on traffic and performance.
5. As the transition occurs, increase your adCenter budgets.  Your Yahoo! and BING accounts will now be serving from one account, so you will need to allocate what you would be spending previously in Yahoo! and BING to your BING budgets.
6. Download the new version of the Desktop tool (8.3)
7. Continue to monitor your accounts for the changes that occur after the alliance and communicate the changes and trends that you are seeing to your account manager at Yahoo! and to your internal team.
8. Use search query reports (found on the reports tab in the engine) before and after migration. Read more…

Analysing data is paramount in the day-to-day work of internet marketers so strategic decisions can be made based on evidence. However, many glamour terms are sometimes misunderstood and used in the wrong context. Some of the most typical ones include:

• Bounce rate
• Average time on page
• Average time on site

By and large, a high bounce rate is considered as a negative signal which may trigger some conversion optimisation work. Similarly,  low time on page/site  figures are not considered as positive signals but this is not always the case. An in-depth understanding of what these metrics represent is absolutely necessary, otherwise decisions may be made based on wrong assumptions. The definitions of all major metrics for Google Analytics, definitions can be found here. Below, we will discuss the flaws of bounce rate and time on site, and then define a better alternative, known as dwell time.

Bounce Rate Flaws

This is the percentage of single page visits. However, bounces do not take into account the average time a user spends on a landing page. That means that when a user lands on a page from a search engine and stays just for a few seconds before exiting the site, it counts as a bounce. However, when a user lands on a page and stays on that for a few minutes before exiting the site, that again counts as a bounce.

In the first example,  the user did not find the landing page useful and left, whereas in the second example the landing page met the user’s expectation and server the search query.

So, there are two takeaways:

• Bounce rates should not be seen in isolation but in conjunction with other metrics such as average time on page.
• Bounces should not always raise concerns, as in certain cases a bounce can be a positive signal. This is when the landing page serves fully the user’s needs before they leave the site. Read more…

Last year I posted on elements which I’d like to see Google incorporate into AdWords during 2011.   Google claim to have tested over 100 new ad formats in 2011, along with a bunch of new features, so unsurprisingly a couple of my predictions came up.  There are still some omissions which I feel are no brainers, but given the progress made this year I’m pretty optimistic about them.

How I did before…

Ad scheduling was resolved by automated rules, which opened up to all advertisers in February. Not only that, it allows for some reasonably advanced automation at most levels of the account. It would be good to see ad extensions added to this, but ultimately it’s a big step in the right direction.

Video Ads have rolled out in the same format as the US rather than the more flexible way I’d hoped. But no real surprises here.

So there’s no sign of sharing impression cookies outside of conversion tracking and Google analytics.  Or of the privacy sensitive, search re-marketing.  Weather-parting also remains a pipe dream (and probably always will do).

So on to 2012…

Google’s focus on monetising every last click seems to have intensified if anything so expect a further slew of alphas, betas and general releases. So here are some expectations, highly likelies and a couple of very long shots… Read more…

Affiliate Marketing has been around for over ten years ever since Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com, pondered the idea of having others advertise links on their sites to Amazon.com and receive a commission on sales for doing so. Well that’s how legend has it that the first affiliate programme on the internet launched. Since that time Affiliate Marketing has grown into a multi-million pound industry which forms an integral part of an advertisers marketing strategy.

As new affiliate models are created and existing models are developed, account managers continue to adapt to the different ways of managing a client’s brand. Affiliate Marketing has greatly advanced especially over the last six years where affiliates have grown from the “back bedroom” operations of the past to corporate businesses that have spent years developing and promoting websites enabling a larger reach. But just as Affiliates have grown so have internet shoppers who have all become a savvy bargain hunting nation looking for the lowest possible prices.

These “lemon squeezers” spend hours surfing the net for discount vouchers and other deals such as a two-for-one offer at a pizza restaurant, free delivery codes or limited-time discounts. Unfortunately there are also a hard core of internet users looking to exploit the many loopholes out there and Affiliate Marketing is no different. It’s easy to get stung if you don’t fully understand the world of Affiliate Marketing. You have probably already heard of things such as “brand bidding” and “cookie dropping” where individuals are looking to make easy money on your natural traffic but there are many other pitfalls which we have to be aware of in order for an affiliate programme to fully succeed.

With experience we can build up knowledge of the pitfalls that advertisers can suffer. One example of this is taking advantage of misspelt URLs. If you take a look at the WHOIS for a domain listed as wwwretailer.co.uk (missing the leading period) for example, there is a good chance you will find the domain is registered to an individual who more likely than not will use an affiliate link to re-direct the user to the retailer site. It’s very simple and can easily be missed if you don’t look out for it. Things like this are very preventable and you could save thousands by taking certain steps when launching an Affiliate Programme. Read more…

Thinking of joining a successful and fast paced PaidSearch team? Want to work with some of the world’s biggest brands? See yourself creating cutting edge media campaigns and developing a career full of potential?

If so, you might be asking; “just what does make a good Paid Search professional?”. Well in the paid search team at iCrossing we look for eagle eyed, creative thinkers, who know the numbers, have a way with words and most of all are ambitious.

If this sounds like you, then you might also find these tips on securing a job in PPC a bit handy.

• Know our work.

In the Paid Search team, we love being told how good our work is. Check out the case studies on the iCrossing site and find out why our passion for Paid gets recognition. Be ready to discuss what interests you about the clients and campaigns the agency you’re applying to work on.

• Develop a hunger for ROI.

If we love anything more than accolades, it’s ROI. The beauty of PPC is that we arguably have visibility on more metrics than any other channel in the industry. This means our clients expect tangible results and strict targets. Developing a passion for the figures, will keep you one step ahead.

• Think about the future.

Show that you not only see yourself developing your career in PPC but that you have a vision for where you see the industry and yourself progressing.

• Be prepared to get schooled!

Bringing an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and demonstrating a willingness to learn is vital to making the cut and progressing within the team.

• Be prepared to school!

Part of what keeps us at the top of our game, is constantly challenging each other. This is not to say that we are competing against each other but demonstrating instances where you have gone against the grain and helped to improve a process or best practice, will go a long way.

Google + has recently been launched in an attempt (so it seems) to declare war on Facebook.

If you use Google, you already have your mail, calendar, documents and photos together. Google Plus adds to this and is essentially the potential replacement for Facebook in the sense of sharing.

So what does this mean for display?

First off when you set up your account you are given the option to opt out of targeted advertising. This would suggest that Google foresee the “Plus” platform as an opportunity for the search giant to deliver targeted display advertising to users.

What will also be interesting is how this incorporates the display acquisitions of AdMeld, Invite Media and DoubleClick. Potentially they will use these platforms to deliver more scale to their “Plus” platform. The use of +1 essentially shows that people are interested in recommending things they like; this kind of environment is possibly more welcoming to targeted display advertising.

Read more…

According to Brand Republic Google is rolling out a performance bundle for its display network, including four free measurement tools to help advertisers to judge the effectiveness of display advertising campaigns.

First off I think that this is a very smart move by Google, they’re trying to bring greater visibility to display media campaigns run across the Google Display Network (GDN).

This is definitely a USP as to why more display media budget should be run across the GDN versus the rest of the display ecosystem.

Their aim is to bring a greater level of accountability to display media, something that you do not get from buying with Ad Networks and Exchanges outside of the Google Display Network.

This underlines Google’s on-going commitment to being a major powerhouse in display (alongside buying Yield Optimisation tool AdMeld yesterday, Invite media and DoubleClick a few years back).

However I do not necessarily feel that this approach is appealing to the more sophisticated display planner/buyers, it feels as if Google are targeting the more occasional buyers of display media or search agencies that do not specialise in display.

Google clearly want the wider display community to take them more seriously but until they start joining up all of their different product offerings into one easy to use and accessible suite we will not know
how good their offering is against the rest of the very fragmented eco-system.

Time will tell but they are certainly placing themselves in a very strong position regarding display as the future of digital advertising. What do you think?

Let’s get something straight from the off, my role at iCrossing is Senior Display Planner/Buyer. My sole focus is to plan, buy, manage and deliver display media campaigns for iCrossing’s clients, I am biased and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I have 6 years’ worth of experience managing, implementing, strategising and innovating in display, and never in its fledgling history has there been as much scrutiny aimed at deconstructing the value of the medium.

Yet, it is odd that now is the time of scrutiny – display ad spend grew 20% between 2009 and 2010 (IAB UK 28^th March), the industry is abuzz with talk of demand side platforms, real time bidding, ad exchanges, yield optimisers, retargeting and the like so why criticise a channel that has now found a way to drive value for its advertisers?

Why is display media under such scrutiny?
We now live in an age of austerity, every penny of marketing money spent must be accountable, this is where agencies such as iCrossing have stolen a march on the traditional media buying agencies. iCrossing live and breathe the results they drive for their clients and at the same time marketers want more return from their marketing budgets – a perfect fit!

The rise of PPC & SEO and the continued growth of affiliate marketing has seen the prominence of the “Last Click Wins” (LCW) model being adopted by marketers the world over. This has meant that Display has taken a back seat to these channels, as well as Mobile.  Display fell to the bottom of the pile because marketers are prioritising LCW channels and more innovative emerging platforms over the “old lady” of digital marketing.

Display’s role has always been push (and will always remain in part) whilst PPC, SEO & affiliates are pull. Marketers are scrutinising Display because it rarely delivers last click conversions, however display has never been about LCW, it’s always been about brand. With recent technology innovations in the market, display is now combining brand with direct – another perfect combination! Read more…

Google announced last night the roll out of their new Plus One (+1) button. This has got the digital community buzzing about what this means to search and brands.

The button now appears at the end of the web listings on both Paid and Natural results. You can see Google’s video around the product here:

Plus One – what are the implications?

• The first thing to understand is that this has only been released on Google.com, for English searches and only when you are logged in.
• iCrossing US offices are monitoring the impact of this and as we have further information around this further insights will be shared.
• “The primary benefit is that search gets better. It gets better in the user interface immediately, and we’ll look at it as a potential signal to improve search quality as well. I find social search extremely useful, especially with the recent updates. This change continues the evolution of social search, and it’s a natural progression to improve the search experience,” said Matt Cutts. Read more…

When browsing for a new pair of specs yesterday, I noticed that Google seem to be trialling another visual tweak for their ads in a bid to boost click-through rates.

Following a return to the yellow background, punctuated and non-punctuated extended headlines it looks like spaces are now being added to display URLs. It appears the presence of a space is determined by whether the keyword being searched is in the display URL or not.

I quite like this one, as it goes, it seems to add an extra degree of legibility to the listings.

Anyone else seen this?