Google shares new research about changes in local search behaviour and how to use extensions to deliver relevant local ads
Importance: [rating=2]
Recommended link: Google's preview of new mobile ad extensions
Google has responded to changes in users' searching behaviour as more people look for local services using their smartphones. In the introduction to this new feature, Google gives the example of changes in search behaviour...
"Google search interest in "near me" has doubled since last year,1 with 80% coming from mobile".
Google's research shows that in these 'moments', consumers have heightened expectations for immediacy and relevance — 4 out of 5 say they want search ads to be customized to their city, zip code or immediate surroundings.
The new ads shows three or four different businesses for location-related searches like “nearby auto repair.” As the example below shows, each ad unit will feature click-to-call and directions which can be easily followed-up on, for example by calling your…
Who are the winners and losers since Google's mobile update?
If you're involved in using SEO to drive traffic, you’ll no doubt know the hype of the build up to Google’s mobile friendly algorithm update since it was initially announced in the autumn of 2014 and finally rolled out a month ago today on April 21st, 2015. Many predicted major changes as a result of the update, with Google’s Zineb Ait Bahajji saying at SMX Munich that the upcoming mobile-friendly algorithm update would 'impact more sites than their Panda or Penguin algorithms'. Even the mainstream media picked up on it, dubbing it 'Mobilegeddon'...
So one month on what has the impact been? Has it impact been like that of a zombie apocalypse, or is it more a case of Business as Usual for most? In this post I'll look at insights from different studies which show the impact of effected websites. I'll also look at how you…
How to add Calls-to-action to your Facebook business page and ads
Importance: [rating=4]
Recommended link: Facebook Help: Enhanced Calls-to-Action for your Adverts
Another day, another update from Facebook.
Today it's a relatively minor ad change.
But an opportunity to remind you about the similar, but more significant change relevant to all page owners, i.e. the ability to add organic call to action button options from your home page which was introduced earlier in 2015.
For example, here is the Smart Insights Facebook page with a 'Sign-up' Call-to-action (CTA) selected.
To learn more about how to implement these company page CTAs, see this Facebook help advice.
Now brands are now given the ability to promote the CTA with an ad. The benefit of this is that you can more prominently drive business outcomes rather than page likes.
Open up Facebook and you'll likely see this:
…
A tutorial on creating ads in Facebook comparing Power Editor to Facebook's self-serve Ad Manager
Most people I meet on training courses who advertise on Facebook, naturally start with Facebook's Ad manager since they don't know about Power Editor. In this tutorial I will explain the ad creation process using the self serve tool and I'll show you how much better it is with Power Editor.
If you don't know it Facebook's Power Editor is a Chrome application which I'd strongly recommend for anyone creating ads in Facebook. It's pretty essential for big, regular advertisers, but what you may not realise is how many benefits there are even in a single ad.
First: go to the Ads Manager
You'll see something like this. Select "Create Ad".
Step 1: choose your campaign objective
Now compare the approach in Power Editor…
How to tap the potential of Google’s search Suggest for multilingual search and better understanding of online search behaviour
As SEO has evolved, so too has the process of keyword research/analysis. The days of relying solely on Google’s Keyword Tool (now the Keyword Planner) to generate simple target keyword lists has long gone with the emergence of semantic search, Hummingbird and more longtail search opportunities. SEO is becoming ever more sophisticated and therefore keyword research must do so, too.
Whilst Google’s Keyword Planner is still an effective tool, a number of other free tools can be used to understand consumer search behaviour. And now we can add a new tool to this list: Keywordtool.io.
A reminder about Google’s search suggest
As with other tools like Übersuggest, Keywordtool.io uses Google’s Autocomplete engine to generate a variety…
10 things you need to know about Search Analytics - Google's new tool for Keyword Ranking reports
Rating of value of tool: [rating=4]
Recommended link: Google's announcement of Search Analytics launch
Have you seen Google's new Search Analytics tool? It's an important free tool to help with SEO since it shows how well your site is ranking for different keywords and where visitors are landing.
We've been using it during Google's Beta review and it's now available to all users of Webmaster Tools. In this post we'll explain the main features and where it fits in with Google's other analytics tools to support SEO. Here's how the new tool looks:
What do I need to know about Google's Search Analytics?
1. Search Analytics is a free tool to show how your keywords rank and the…
How do your prospects really search? New research shows the need to go beyond simplistic keyword lists
This new research from Blue Nile is aimed at helping marketers better understand how people search online and to understand the patterns in how they formulate their searches through questions. For example, do they search using single words or short phrases or through longer questions including words such as 'How', 'When' and 'Which'? The research found that such question-based queries were common:
'27% of respondents phrased their query in the form of a question, with ‘How’ being the most commonly used prefix.'
Can the Google Keyword Planner be misleading?
When using Google Keyword Planner, you need to seed the tool with one keyword or a short phrase. But the results returned often don't include the questions since they are diverse and their volumes are relatively low. So if you limit your understanding of search behaviour to this tool you could be missing out on…
Research study tests show brand awareness lift in 12 different sectors
Simulated search experiment research from Google and IposMediaCT reminds us that search ads are not only about driving direct response for lead generation, but that they can also develop brand awareness. By measuring brand metrics and reviewing test Search Results (SERPs) with control groups, the study showed the impact of search ads across 800 consumers.
Ads across 12 vertical sectors were tested and proved that 'search ads' placed their brand at the forefront of a consumer's mind, lifting awareness by an average of 6.6 points.
How search ads lifted awareness
Respondents were asked which brand first came to mind when thinking about a specific category keyword. An average of 14.8% in the Test group named the test brand, while just 8.2% of the…
A tutorial showing how to use the keyword insights now available from Google Search Console and Google Analytics
Earlier this Autumn, as shown in this Smart Insights alert, Google made the step that many SEOs and digital marketers were fearing: the encryption of all organic search traffic. The dreaded (Not Provided) had already been creeping up steadily, but now it's approaching 100% making it impossible to see in the original SEO reporting in analytics which keywords from Google are driving visits and converting.
May 2015 update: Google has now renamed Google Webmaster Tools to Search Console.
Whilst we can argue about the rights and wrongs of this change, it means that we can no longer access organic keyword-level data in our web analytics solutions, such as Google Analytics and Adobe Sitecatalyst. This data is extremely valuable to digital marketers, since it allows us to:
Find…
Examples of using social media to promote your personal blog
Blogging without social media is now the digital equivalent of stranding yourself on a desert island. To promote yourself effectively and get the results you want, you need to find and connect with people who share similar interests and goals. The best social media strategy entices people to follow the link back to your main blog and check out your main content posted there.
Developing a personal brand using a blog together with social media has a slightly different approach depending on your niche and subject matter. Researching some basics about your target audience is an essential early step, and thankfully each of these social platforms has user-friendly search tools to help you. The essentials to note are average age groups and interests among the followers you want to target as potential blog readers.
Starting up a Personal Blog
The definition of 'personal' has become rather…
