AdWords Agency Blog

Driving efficient conversions with mobile ads

2009-12-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

The mobile internet has exploded over the past year. If you're new to mobile advertising, it can be an easy first step to extend your existing online campaigns to the mobile platform. As a next step, it's important to analyze what performs best on mobile and to identify ways to optimize your campaigns.

Recently, in this case study, Razorfish shared how they tested different approaches to the mobile campaigns for a Fortune 100 retailer. Here's a recap of what they learned:

To start, Razorfish simply replicated the client's desktop campaigns, focusing on branded keywords, but selected to target mobile devices with full Internet browsers. They then experimented with a few changes to the original campaigns. First, they tried different landing pages to identify which actions their customers were looking to complete on their mobile device. Next, they developed multiple versions of ad text, including a mention of the specific mobile device, and compared performance to the original text.

Overall, the optimized campaign yielded higher conversion rates. According to Razorfish search manager Brian Bartek, "the three new [ad] versions provided over 9.3% lift in conversion rate over the strongest performing copy in their desktop campaigns."

The complete case study is available here. For more information on mobile advertising opportunities, visit http://www.google.com/advertisers/mobile/.

Posted by Meredith Papp, Mobile Ads Team

New ways to optimize Content Network campaigns

2009-12-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

We are often asked about how to maximize the ROI from Content Network campaigns. What type of targeting should I use? How many keywords and ad groups should I have? How can I develop effective creatives?

Behind the scenes of many new product introductions this year, we have developed a set of best practices to answer some of these questions for you. Recently introduced as part of a new initiative called Optimization University, these are now available to everyone through a series of 6 videos and the Getting Started guide. The guide and videos provide a conceptual walk-through and product demos of major steps in executing a Content Network campaign.

Along with simple tips and tricks to improve ROI, we also go over several tools, such as Wonder Wheel, Keyword Tool and Conversion Tracking, that help you be more efficient with the process. The recommendations are based on our analysis of thousands of campaigns, successful and unsuccessful ones, to understand what works and what doesn't. They are easy enough for you to start applying them to your campaigns today.

If you're starting a new Content Network campaign, watch the first video below; you may find it to be particularly valuable.

(click here to view video)

And you can always bookmark the playlist or find all the latest videos on our YouTube channel.

Posted by Aman Govil, Product Marketing Manager, Google Content Network

Four things agencies should know about site testing

2009-12-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

The beginning of the year is a great time to take a step back and to re-evaluate marketing plans for your clients. Of course, one key ingredient in a successful marketing plan is the website.

Over the next couple of months, the Google Agency Team will be blogging about how you can work with your clients to review their website and landing page performance for 2010. Today, we'll discuss how site testing can benefit both you and your clients.

1. Testing is good for PPC management agencies

Whether you specialize solely in pay-per-click management or you also help your clients with website design, the creation and optimization of landing pages for the best possible user experience will help you achieve your performance goals.

We've all seen this situation before: you've already worked exhaustively to ensure that your search marketing efforts are bringing in relevant traffic, but are still not seeing conversion results. The reason? The current format and messaging on the site does little to retain even the most qualified traffic. Remember that doubling your conversion rate is essentially the same as doubling your traffic at your current conversion rate.

(click here to view image)

If you're a design shop, establishing a strong culture of testing will also bring great benefits. As with PPC campaigns, it's best to consistently monitor current site performance and then optimize based on data. Even if you've designed the site yourself, there's no way to predict exactly how it will perform and as a result, there will always be an opportunity for incremental improvements. Build these expectations in with your design clients. Consider also that market and visitor expectations change frequently (e.g. holidays and the recession). The beauty of testing and re-optimization is that you can address the immediate site issues and help the client adapt to any changing conditions.

2. Testing is good for your clients

Often a major concern from clients is the production resources and money necessary to move forward with testing. But it's worth it! We all know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover; but let's face it, first impressions matter, especially on the internet. If users don't like what they see at first glance - even if it's for a superficial reason - they are likely to move on.

Explore the possibilities with your client. We have an extensive library of success stories with Google Website Optimizer that showcase some of the increases in conversion rates for businesses that have done landing page testing. Higher conversion rates mean more sales and/or leads at the same cost. If the client already is doing PPC and has an understanding of the opportunities in online marketing, the importance of providing visitors with the right on-site experience for their goals will be easy to demonstrate. Your client will appreciate your expertise in helping to develop this crucial piece of their marketing plan.

3. You likely have the data to identify site problems

If your client has web analytics data, you can begin to identify site and landing page weaknesses today. In Google Analytics, the "Content" section houses some of the most useful reports.

Start by looking at Top Landing Pages. If the bounce rate of these pages is higher than or close to the site average, you may want to examine possible issues with these pages that would cause a user to leave the client's site.

To see if visitors are proceeding down the expected path, set up a funnel if you haven't already to find out if there is kink in the trajectory to conversion (i.e. if visitor volume is dropping off at any point in the process). You can then open your Navigation Summary to see where those visitors are actually exiting out of the funnel.

4. You can test with Google Website Optimizer for free

Remember that while Analytics may help identify issues with the site or landing page, a website testing tool can help you find the solution. With Google Website Optimizer, you can quickly set up a A/B or multivariate test. Website Optimizer can work with almost any site infrastructure or type. It's free and easy to get started, and a great way to add value to your existing client services.

Be sure to check back soon when we explore more ways to use your Analytics data, industry-specific challenges, and testing strategies. Happy Testing!

Posted by Michael Giannotti, Agency Team

New resource for display advertisers on the Content Network

2009-12-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

In the last 18 months or so we have made significant changes to the Google Content Network to deliver better performance for advertisers and agencies and to simplify the process of serving ads across a range of websites. As we roll out more features, we want to make it easy for you to keep up and understand what best fits your needs. To this effect, we've just launched a new Content Network brand channel on YouTube.

The site is stockpiled with videos, links and downloads about the full suite of features and solutions on the Content Network. Structured into four key sections, you can learn about various products across the campaign execution cycle and how they help you achieve your various advertising goals. Case studies and research papers from various industries show what the most successful advertisers on the Content Network are doing. And if you need help getting started, please contact us (response times will vary).

And last but not the least, we've also introduced a new creative direction for our videos, to add some color and fun. Enjoy the first 5 videos below, and let us know what you think by sharing your comments on YouTube.

(click here to view videos)

And you can always bookmark the playlist.

Posted by Aman Govil, Product Marketing Manager, Google Content Network

Location Extensions - Understanding the Local Opportunity

2009-12-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

Research into consumer shopping habits has shown that consumers are shopping locally and are researching purchases online before heading to the store. A popular industry study reports that 80% of consumer spending occurs within 50 miles of home. A joint Nielsen and Webvisible study shows that 50% of consumers head to search engines first when researching local businesses¹. Another study, carried out by TMP Directional Marketing and comScore, finds that nearly 4 in 10 consumers visit a store in person after researching it online².

Based on this data, it's easy to think that local advertising is just for local businesses. Local ads can also serve, though, as a powerful vehicle for national businesses to establish a local presence and to reach consumers where they're shopping. For clients who are interested in tapping into the local opportunity, we offer a feature in AdWords called location extensions. Location extensions work by allowing you to dynamically return relevant business addresses with your clients' text ads based on a user's location and search terms.

There are a number of benefits to location extensions. With location extensions, you can offer more information about your business to customers who are close enough to visit your business, or who are already searching or browsing for information related to your business. Location extensions attract user attention by displaying an address as another line of text on Google.com and with a custom icon on Google Maps.

Perhaps the most important benefit of location extensions for larger accounts and agencies is the ability to create and edit ads at scale. For each text ad you create, AdWords can automatically generate muliple ad variations by dynamically matching your ad with relevant business addresses you've uploaded to the Local Business Center. When you edit an ad, your addresses will be displayed with the new ad text immediately.

There are three steps for getting started with location extensions and they all take place on the Settings tab in your account.

1. Use local targeting to select the locations you'd like to target

2. Select the option to "show relevant addresses with my ads" to enable location extensions

3. Sync your Local Business Center account with your AdWords account:

If you update or add an address in your Local Business Center account, it will automatically update in AdWords
If you don't have a Local Business Center account, you can sign up here. You can also manually enter addresses into AdWords, but with this option, there is a nine address limit per campaign.

(click to view image)

While the Local Business Center was designed for primary business owners, non-business owners, such as agencies, can still sync AdWords with Local Business Center as long as they are a representative for a given business. (Note: The Local Business Center is still not intended for aggregator use). If you are representing a business with more than ten locations, you can submit a bulk upload to the Local Business Center. While bulk uploaded data is not verified and may not show up on Google Maps, the addresses can be used for location extensions. Bulk uploading will not require verification by a phone call or postcard with a PIN.

[1] 'Great Divide' separates small biz, online consumers, www.marketingcharts.com

[2] Wave 3: Local Search Usage Study, TMP Directional Marketing and comScore, 10.8.2009

Posted by Alexandra Kenin, Product Marketing Manager

Upcoming Webinar: Google Site Search

2009-12-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

Last month we shared an update with you on Google Site Search, a hosted search solution that brings on-demand indexing, customizable, ad-free search results, and multiple refinement options to any website's search engine.

If you'd like to learn more about Google Site Search, register for an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, December 9 at 10:00 am PST. Visit google.com/sitesearch for more information.

Hope to see you there!

Posted by Anna Bishop, Enterprise Search Team

New search ads formats, an overview

2009-12-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Last week Susan Wojcicki, VP, Product Management, shared an update on some of the new search ad formats we've been testing. Knowing that you're knee deep in holiday campaigns and 2010 planning, we wanted to share an overview of these formats with you so that you may consider them for your strategies. As you'll see, each of the new formats aims to provide additional information, delivered in the most useful format (whether it be images, videos, or maps) to help users make better informed decisions.

Ad Sitelinks: In early November we launched Ad Sitelinks, a new AdWords feature that allows you to extend the value of your existing AdWords ads by providing additional links to content deep within your sites.

Product Extensions: Similar to Ad Sitelinks, product extensions enrich existing AdWords ads with additional relevant information - in this case, information on products included in an advertiser's Google Merchant Center account.

Location Extensions: For advertisers with a brick-and-mortar presence, Location Extensions enable them to dynamically attach business addresses to ads.

Comparison Ads: Comparison Ads, which are currently being tested by a limited number of advertisers in the mortgage/refinance space, will enable users to specify what they're looking for and compare prices in a single space.

For more information on the new search ad formats, visit the Official Google Blog or the Inside AdWords Blog.

Posted by Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

AdWords & Analytics Sessions at SES Chicago

2009-12-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Next week on December 7th and 8th, you can catch presentations by the Google AdWords team at SES Chicago. We'll be offering practical tips on how to quickly improve your search and display ads performance in the following sessions:

What's New and Exciting with Google Analytics: the latest tools and reports from our Analytics platform.
Getting the Most Out of AdWords Optimization Tools: improve your campaigns with recently added AdWords features like the Opportunities tab, new data segmentation options, and custom alerts.
The Next Generation of AdWords Bidding: Conversion Optimizer: learn how the Conversion Optimizer tool can help you achieve double digit percentage increases in conversions without increasing the cost per conversion.

Finally, if you want to learn more about AdWords optimization tools, you can also watch a video walkthrough of the improvements we've made to AdWords this year. Ariel Bardin, the lead Product Manager for the AdWords web interface, will take you through the major new features and give you tips on managing your campaigns more efficiently.

Posted by Miles Johnson, Inside AdWords Crew

[Note: this post has been reprinted from the Inside AdWords Blog]

WPP-Google Marketing Awards Celebrate Academic Research

2009-12-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last year, Google and WPP launched the Marketing Research Awards Program to improve industry and academic understanding of online marketing strategies and the relationship between online and offline media. University professors received unrestricted gifts to conduct their projects, as well as access to relevant marketing data to aid the creation of new and creative theories and methods of empirical analysis.

Last month, the award recipients from 13 universities across the U.S. and China came to the Google offices in NYC to discuss their findings. We learned how marketing on a map affects consumers' decisions as well as how online advertising affects in store sales. We even spent some time digging into a neuroscientific study designed to determine what consumers find most relevant. Many of the award recipients are still analyzing their data, but the preliminary results made it crystal clear that we all have a lot to learn.

Listen to some of the researchers and program chairs talk about the program and discuss their preliminary findings.

Posted by Janine Gianfredi, Agency Marketing Manager

December webinar schedule

2009-12-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

We're pleased to share the current webinar schedule for December 2009, ranging from account security tips to industry research and strategies. The schedule is listed below, and class descriptions can be found on the Google Training site.

ThinkHealth - Online Video for Health Marketers
Tuesday, December 8th at 10amPST / 12pmCST / 1pmEST
Register here

Driving Brand Engagement among Social Media Users
Tuesday, December 8th at 11amPST / 1pmCST / 2pmEST
Register here

Google Account Security: Tips & Best Practices
Thursday, December 10th at 11amPST / 1pmCST / 2pmEST
Registration password: agency1
Register here

Google and Compete Present: Refining the Travel Search Process
Tuesday, December 15th at 10amPST / 12pmCST / 1pmEST
Register here

Also, if you missed out on past sessions such as Display Week or the Holiday Webmaster Webinar, be sure to check out on-demand recordings of them here.

Posted by Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

Prepare your AdWords accounts for Black Friday

2009-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

It's the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and all you're probably thinking about right now is "I need to defrost the turkey, pick up another can of pumpkin filling, and vacuum before family arrives." That, and "are my clients' accounts ready for Black Friday, the busiest retail shopping day of the year?"

To ensure that you and your clients have a successful Black Friday, we wanted to use this Holiday Campaign Countdown post to share some quick last minute tips from our Optimization Specialists.

While Black Friday typically refers to in-store traffic, the retail industry has seen dramatic year over year increases in e-commerce sales and searches¹. Analysts have also pointed to significant spikes in online shopping on Cyber Monday. The Monday after Thanksgiving yields sales spikes for e-commerce retailers² and is fueled by promotions such as percent off sales, free gifts, and free shipping.

Our suggestions for any retail accounts (or others that might see this seasonal spike) before you leave the office for the Thanksgiving Holiday are:

Promotions - Be sure to highlight any promotions you have in your ad text whether they are Black Friday specific or not. If you have a discount on shipping or it is free, highlight this.
Budgets - Increase budgets across all campaigns to a comfortable level knowing that traffic spikes will be likely. Make sure ads keep showing when a user searches.
Bids – Modify bids on top performing and generic keywords knowing that competition on Black Friday/Cyber Monday will increase. Use the Bid Simulator to see what results you may get with different keyword maximum CPC bids, and consider using Conversion Optimizer to get as many profitable clicks as possible.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[1] MarketingVox
[2] National Retail Federation with BIGresearch, Black Friday Weekend, 12/2/08. *Excludes Cyber Monday.

Posted by Ben Sheldon, Agency Optimization Strategist

Just in time for the holidays: Google Commerce Search

2009-11-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we announced a new tool designed to bring the power, speed, and relevancy of Google search to retail websites. With Black Friday (and Cyber Monday!) right around the corner we wanted to use this Holiday Campaign Countdown post to arm you with information for retail clients who may be shopping around for a new website search solution (pun intended).

As a hosted product, Google Commerce Search (GCS) installs quickly, scales effortlessly, and provides sub-second response times, even during seasonal traffic spikes. With advanced search features like spelling correction, automatic stemming, and custom synonyms, users will find what they're looking for without unnecessary clicks. Finally, Google Commerce Search is powered by the retailer's Google Merchant Center feed, streamlining implementation. Check out the full list of features in this overview video:

(click to watch video)

GCS provides visitors with an improved shopping experience, which can drive higher visitor-to-buyer conversion rates. While the conversion rates of most retailers is around 3%¹, the best-performing sites have been able to achieve much higher conversion rates – even reaching double digits. Google Commerce Search can help bridge the gap between user expectation and on-site technology, while freeing retailers to do what they do best, creating and selling products.

To learn more, be sure to sign up for an upcoming webinar on December 3rd. If you're unable to make it, you can learn more at google.com/commercesearch.

[1]Trends 2009: US Online Retail, Forrester Research, Inc., April 2009

Posted by Anna Bishop, Enterprise search team

New resource: Product guide for media buying and planning

2009-11-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

We know that media buyers and planners are challenged daily to stay up to date on the products, tools, pricing models and ad formats for the myriad of media companies with which they work. To make Google's tools and products more accessible, we developed Creative Canvas: A guide to Google media solutions. The guide features the Google media products and tools, such as YouTube ad solutions, APIs, and OpenSocial, that have brought to life some of the most innovative and creative campaigns on the Google platform.

We've organized it by the categories planning, placing, extending and measuring to make it easy to find the right resource to get the job done. In addition, if you know exactly what you're looking for, you can find it in the index.

You may download the guide here. Have questions or feedback? Email sandbox@google.com.

Posted by Katie Wasilenko, Agency Team

Upcoming webinar - Google Account Security: Tips & Best Practices

2009-11-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

For most, the holiday season is about giving; for some, though, it's unfortunately about taking - through scams, identity theft and more. With the holidays approaching, many of you are beginning to update your ads and content for a busy marketing season. Are you also checking that your systems are updated with the latest security patches? Do you know who has access to your account(s)? Is your account information/passwords strong and secure?

As part of our holiday campaign countdown series, we're pleased to bring you a webinar on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 11amPST highlighting account security best practices and tips to keep your campaigns running smoothly during this busy time. In this training, we'll cover common security techniques, review ways to identify suspicious internet behavior and suggestions on the best ways to protect your computer and your personal information. Additionally, learn about an existing Google feature that allows you to better manage your account and thus improve your account security.

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 11amPST / 1pmCST / 2pmEST
Register here

Posted by Nina Hoang, Account Security Team

Google Content Network Blast delivers a big bang for your buck

2009-11-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

If you live in the New York area, you may have heard or seen the so-called "Google surge," or Google Content Network blast that NY Mayor Bloomberg used to impact voters' decisions in the final hours of the mayor's reelection race. An increasing number of advertisers across industries, including auto, retail, and entertainment, have also used Google Content Network blasts to drive awareness of a new vehicle launch, viewer tune-in for a show, or traffic to an online contest with great success.

The Google Content Network blast entails serving up an advertiser's ads on multiple Google Content Network sites over a specific period of time, blanketing a particular geographic region, audience segment, or high traffic sites, depending on the advertiser's goal. On average, blasts can deliver 100 million ad impressions in 24-48 hours. But you're probably wondering what is special about Google Content Network blasts versus your typical portal homepage buy?

Google Content Network blasts deliver your message on a larger universe of sites than a single portal homepage, thereby reaching more of your customers. In a recent Google and TNS Compete study for a large automaker¹, we found that Google Content Network blasts reach 58% of online auto buyers, which is 20% more than a top portal homepage², and 23% of buyers were reached exclusively on sites available only on the Google Content Network². In addition, 30% of auto buyers never went to one of the major portal homepages 6 to 9 months prior to purchasing their vehicle³. And the best part of all is Google Content Network blasts require no advance booking and deliver relevant ads at a much lower CPM than portal takeovers.

So, as we enter the peak holiday shopping season, consider how you're getting the word out on your merchandise and holiday offerings. Want to make a last minute big impression? Visit The Google Content Network site to learn more, and try out a Google Content Network blast for yourself.

1 Google, Inc. and TNS Compete study for large automaker, May 2009
2 Reach is based on a custom GCN site pack using a parameter of 2% buyer composition mix per site
3 Based on observed clickstream behavior of buyers

Posted by Keiko Tokuda, Google Content Network Marketing Team

Leave no website un-searched!

2009-11-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

Most of us can't imagine the web without search, yet when it comes to on-site search, the majority of websites are lagging behind. According to industry research, 85% of site searches don't return what the user sought¹, and 22% of site searches return no results at all². For clients who may have site search quality issues, leading to site abandonment, we have a cost-effective solution for you to share with them.

Google Site Search is a quick and easy way to add or improve website search capability. Hosted in Google's network of data centers, Google Site Search brings the speed, quality, and relevancy of Google search to sites with no on-premise hardware or software. Administrators can control the look and feel of the search engine, including optional Google branding and an XML API that allows for complete customization. New features like rich snippets, metadata refinements, top result and date biasing, and on-demand indexing make for a powerful search experience.

Starting at $100 per year, it's easy and affordable for clients to add Google Site Search to a blog or website of any size. To learn more and sign up, visit google.com/sitesearch today.

(1) "Enriching Search: Efficiency Without Additional Spending," Jupiter Research
(2) "Unpuzzling Search: Best Practices from Mondosoft Study," IDC

Posted by Anna Bishop, Enterprise Search Team

Google Ad Planner and DFA updates provide more data, more ways

2009-11-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

The latest enhancements to Google Ad Planner and DoubleClick's DART for Advertisers (DFA) bring new ways to help streamline your online display advertising workflow. With the newly launched DFA Analytics beta and beta integration of Google Ad Planner into the DFA platform, you'll now have a singular, seamless portal for planning, executing, and measuring campaigns -- with just one login. This unified set of tools, all accessible through the DFA platform, bring more efficiency to the campaign management process, saving valuable time and resources.

Beyond access enhancements, both DFA Analytics and Ad Planner also provide you with more data and more ways to analyze it. We've summarized the changes to each product for quick reference below, but be sure to check out the official DoubleClick and Ad Planner blog posts for full details.

The new DFA Analytics beta helps you:

Gain insights quickly. Interactive reports mean easier navigation through your accounts and data. You can model data in charts and graphs, as well as drill up and down through criteria such as advertiser, campaign, or targeting settings.
Get your reports faster. Reports update frequently - every few hours - and the new user interface enables you to access your data quickly.
Use new types of reports. Pull geographic delivery data. Additional reports show delivery data by bandwidth, browser, and operating system.

And Ad Planner's new capabilities now enable you to:

View subdomain data. See data including traffic estimates and demographics for the largest ten subdomains of any top-level domain. Once you identify subdomains to add, you can do so easily in Ad Planner.
See available ad placements while researching sites. You'll also be able to search for ad placements alongside domains on the "Search by audience" tab and see traffic and demographic estimates for each placement
Visualize audience data easily. Quickly compare reach and relevancy of sites you select with a new interactive graph.
Access more granular publisher data. With publishers now able to opt-in their Analytics data, you'll receive more accurate and specific information about their sites.
Use Ad Planner within DoubleClick DFA. Log in to your DoubleClick DFA account to access Ad Planner and have one tool for campaign planning, trafficking, and measurement. (Note: This feature is rolling out to all users over the next couple weeks)

If you haven't yet tried Ad Planner, give it a go at www.google.com/adplanner. And for more information on DART for Advertisers, visit DoubleClick.com and fill out an inquiry form.

Posted by Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

Think2010 - we've been thinking about you

2009-11-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

Earlier this fall we launched Think2010 - an aggregation of resources highlighting perspectives on the changing face of marketing and strategies to help you prepare for 2010 and beyond.

It's been a few weeks since the Agency Blog team brought you an update on this initiative, so wanted to highlight some of the Think2010 resources now available:

Blog series - each week the Inside AdWords Blog team will be devoting a post to data, trends and tactics you can use to craft your 2010 strategy. Most recently, it featured an interview with Rick Carpenter from the agency DDB who shared the importance of focusing on the customer. Check out the blog series here.

Fast.Forward. - we're continuing to expand the volume of thought leader videos and consumer trend data on the Fast.Forward. channel, a joint effort between Google and the Wharton School. Watch highlights from our Think{Industry} events series (under "Videos" > "Industry") and use The Barometer (accessible from the "Trends" tab) to understand consumer sentiment on a daily basis.

Webinars - in addition to videos, we wanted to bring you opportunities to hear directly from industry leaders, such as Bonita Stewart, Managing Director US Sales, and Avinash Kaushik, Analytics Evangelist, via in-person webinars. Upcoming events and links to past sessions can be found on the Inside AdWords Blog as well as the Think2010 site.

Posted by Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

Place Pages now in Placement Performance reports

2009-11-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

You may remember that earlier this fall we announced the launch of Place Pages for Google Maps, which are web pages for every place in the world. Interested users can find relevant information, photos, directions, and reviews for their favorite places. Users will also see contextually targeted ads, and with the inclusion of Place Pages in Placement Performance reports, you'll now have insight into whether your clients' ads appeared on a Place Page and how they performed.

With this update, you can more closely monitor and optimize your clients' campaigns. While placement targeting is not available for Google Maps, you can increase the likelihood of appearing on Place Pages by increasing bids on high-performing keywords or by creating ad groups with highly specific keywords to target Place Pages relevant to your clients' products or businesses.

Posted by Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

Display Week is Back!

2009-11-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

The leaves are changing and there's a chill in the air. Hot cocoa and comfort foods are just around the corner. Get ready to warm up with, you guessed it, Display Week!

On Monday November 9, 2009, we kick off our quarterly Display Week webinar series including 10 Tips for Display in 2010, YouTube Promoted Videos, and some very exciting Ad Planner demonstrations.

Webinar seats are limited so sign up today for the week of display. If you can't make the festivities, don't fret. All sessions will be recorded and posted to the training site after the week wraps up.

See you online!

Posted by Kate Stonich, Agency Team

Upcoming webinar: Reaching auto consumers

2009-11-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

If you work with clients in the automotive industry, join us for our upcoming webinar, Driving International Success: Reaching Auto Consumers Globally.

We've partnered with NetPop to share new research for 17 key markets around the world. We'll explore the trends shaping auto buyer behavior across the globe to help inform and guide your marketing decisions. Register below for one of the upcoming dates.

Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 9:00 am PST
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 7:30 pm PST

Posted by: Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

Maximize coverage this season with Opportunities Tab

2009-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

For the sixth installment of the Holiday Campaign Countdown series, I am happy to share some tips on the Opportunities tab to ensure you're maximizing coverage for your clients this holiday season.

Opportunities tab serves as a central location for easy access to budget and keyword suggestions, as well as other AdWords tools you've used before.

(Click to view full size image)

The 'Budget Ideas' area will suggest you adjust your budget if your campaigns are missing out on valuable traffic due to budget constraints or increased click volume on keywords popular around the holidays. To help you decide, this section will demonstrate potential increased click and impression volume that would result from an increased investment.

The 'Keyword Ideas' area will provide automatically customized keyword suggestions based on your client's website, account information, and actual searches on Google.com. Like the budget suggestions, you will be able to see the traffic increase that would result from including additional keywords. Since some suggestions are based on actual searches performed on Google.com, you may find some cost-effective long tail keywords to add to your client's list. The tool will even suggest specific campaigns and ad groups in which to add these keywords. The best part is - you can add them right from the tab into the campaigns!

You'll also notice that other familiar AdWords tools are available on the Opportunities tab on the lower left hand side of the page.

You know your clients' businesses best - so please assess our suggestions with your clients' goals in mind.

Finally, visit this tab often - we'll be refreshing suggestions every few weeks and adding new features soon!

For additional information on the Opportunities tab, visit the AdWords Help Center.

Posted by Erin McMahon, Agency Team

Retail blog: the gift that keeps on giving

2009-10-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

The snow showers which dusted the Northeast last week were a great (albeit chilly) reminder that the holidays will be here before we know it. To help keep your spirits warm, the fifth installment in our Holiday Campaign Countdown series brings you a gift that keeps on giving - daily holiday posts on the Google Retail blog, which will run through the end of 2009.

These posts will provide you with useful data to better understand consumer intentions and purchase trends so that you may refine your clients' marketing plans accordingly.

For a little taste of what's to come, check out the posts on holiday purchase trends to date and early bird vs. last minute shoppers data.

Interested in having these posts delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Retail blog here.

Posted by Katie Wasilenko, Agency Marketing

Google Website Optimizer API webinar

2009-10-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

You may have read about the recent launch of the Google Website Optimizer Experiment Management API, which allows you to run Website Optimizer experiments without touching a website's code.

If you're interested in learning more about the API, please join the Website Optimizer engineers for a webinar on October 28th at 10AM PDT. You'll learn how the API works and CrownPeak and Blast Advanced Media's Motivity CMS will demonstrate how they've integrated Website Optimizer into their platforms.

Register for the webinar here, and we hope you can attend.

Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Website Optimizer Team