Archive for January 2, 2012

Need to Know: Google’s Ad Preferences Explained

| January 27, 2012 | One comment

Late last year Google rolled out their latest feature, Google Ad Preferences. You have probably seen it already without even knowing it, Google added a simple hyperlink in paid search ads that says ‘Why these ads?”.

Google Ad Preferences

Google’s Ad Preferences manager gives you the ability to view and edit the information that Google uses to determine which interest-based ads to display in your search results and web browsing. Interest based ads are found on many websites, the most common example of where you can find these types of ads can be found news and article websites.  Google records your search habits in an advertising cookie, it uses this information to determine which ads to show you.

This process is designed to show you more relevant ads, exposing you to more information that you are interested in. You are able to access your settings through the Ad Preferences Manager through your Google account. From there you are able to see what assumptions Google has made about you based on your searches, such as your gender and age range. You are able to adjust all of this information, as well as add and remove interests from your list. Not into Google interfering with which ads are displayed? No problem, you have the option of Opting Out of the tracking. These cookies are browser-specific, meaning that when you clear out your cookies or change browsers, the settings will go away and start over again.

These ad preferences have an effect on Google’s Paid Search Results as well. From the Ad Preferences Manager you are able to see the exact reason why each paid ad showed up during your search. In the screenshot below you can see the options available to you on that screen. I conducted a search for “Google Ad Preferences” and I was able to see the reason why this ad showed up (This ad matches terms similar to the ones you entered), and from this screen I am also able to make the decision to ‘Block this Advertiser’. This gives me a little more control over what shows up in my paid search results.

This new style of tracking is still in the early stages, but it represents a new frontier of online advertising. The ads that you see online are going to be more directly targeted to your interests. This is beneficial to consumers because they will be exposed to ads that are related to their interests. The benefit for the advertiser comes from their ads being shown to an audience that has already expressed an interest in their products, which gives them a higher chance of consumer interaction.

 

Additional Resources:

https://www.google.com/ads/preferences/html/intl/en/about.html

Google Explains Ad Preferences: http://youtu.be/zoEXifWBtAs

What is a Cookie? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eDcWwUHmd0&feature=relmfu

 

Category: Articles, Need To Know, Pay Per Click

PinPoint Local Announces New Pay Per Click Platform

| January 24, 2012 | One comment

We are proud to announce the integration of our new platform to increase the ROI of our custom Search Engine Marketing Campaigns! For over 10 years we have excelled at building and managing Pay Per Click Campaigns designed to fit individual business goals. Now we are improving upon our already successful program by introducing our analytics software designed to increase your online advertising results.

Our cutting-edge software features in-depth information on Web Leads, Call Tracking, Social Media Tracking and more. You will have access to metrics from all of your marketing accounts from one convenient location, and you will be able to log in directly from PinPointLocal.com!  It features an easy to use dashboard that is optimized for use on your mobile devices such as your iPhone or iPad, so that you can see your results no matter where you are.  You’ll have real time access to your spending, ROI and Calls.

Our multi-level metrics reporting allows you to track Google & Bing/Yahoo campaigns at the same time. You will also be able to see detailed information from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and really see how your Social Media pages are performing! It offers easy to navigate reports, showing you all of your ads and metrics on one page. You can even drill down deep enough to see exactly which keywords are generating your business and sales, from both Web Leads and Calls!

Perhaps one of the features we are most excited to offer you is the powerful call tracking system. Call Tracking for your online advertising is the best way to get a full picture of your true ROI. Our new system will allow you to harvest hang-ups so that you can turn lost leads into sales. It also records each phone call for easy playback, so you can improve customer service.

Click here to have a PinPoint Local Pay Per Click Specialist Contact you about our new and exciting platform!

Category: Announcements, Articles, Pay Per Click

Utilizing Google’s Ad Preview & Diagnosis Tool

| January 20, 2012 | 5 comments

Would you purchase a magazine ad for your company and then never actually check to see whether or not your ad was printed? No, of course you wouldn’t. If you spent the money on a printed ad, you would check the printed material to make sure your ad was running properly. So why aren’t you doing the same with your pay-per-click ads?

One of the most common questions we receive from our Pay Per Click customers is “How can I tell if my ads are showing up?” Google provides it’s advertisers with a FREE Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool to check on their ads. This tool creates a mock Google search so you can test out any searches and keywords to make sure that your ads are showing up where you want them.

This tool is essential to your success with Google Ad Words. If you do a search directly on the main Google page and your ad shows up, your search will count as an impression. And if you click on your ad, it will count towards your daily budget. So then why can’t you just search on Google and not click your ad? That’s free, right? NO! That is possibly the biggest mistake you could make with your ads. Google cannot decipher the difference between you and any other searcher, basically what Google sees is your ads showing up multiple times and getting no clicks. When this happens too many times Google will determine that your Ad is irrelevant and it will no longer be displayed.

PinPoint Local strongly urges all Google Pay Per Click advertisers to make use of this free tool to make sure you get the most out of your advertising campaigns.  Try Google’s tool here: http://www.google.com/AdPreview

Category: Pay Per Click

Can I replace my Website with a Facebook Page?

| January 2, 2012 | 4 comments

Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are growing rapidly in popularity and size, and in most cases, Social Media reigns supreme. 60% of online consumers actively use Social Media sites (Source: HubSpot) .  It is becoming increasingly important for businesses to have a strong presence on social media websites. So the question often arises, why do I still need a website? Perhaps a short pop quiz will help answer that question for you.

Please fill in the blank with the most appropriate response:

I just saw an ad for this company, and I want to know more about it, I better go _______ it!

  1. Facebook
  2. Twitter
  3. Google

The correct answer is of course, C. The truth is that people still search Google (and Yahoo or Bing) for information. Recent surveys show that of the nearly 50% of people who use the internet to research information about businesses, 36% of them use a search engine to find information, while a mere 1% use social media. (Source: Pew Internet & American Life) What’s the bottom line? If you want to get found online, you still need to show up in Search Rankings. You can’t rely on one or two social media page search results to get you traffic. Don’t forget, while these sites are easy to use, they also take away your control of how visitors see information, how much information they can get, and where they go to get it. Having a company website shows your customer that you have stability, and that you are a solid company to invest in. Social Pages are free and you can delete and create hundreds of them in a day. Social Search is growing, but search engines and websites are still the go-to place for consumers to obtain your business information.

PinPoint Local offers a wide array of Digital Solutions, including Web Design and Search Engine Optimization, so you can succeed in building a powerful online presence.

Category: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Solutions