An introduction to Multi Channel Funnels in Google Analytics

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Andy Miller

This week saw the announcement of a long awaited feature in Google Analytics called multi-channel funnels.

Only a few weeks ago a new version of Google Analytics was launched (you may already have access to this now), however this latest feature could potentially change the way we use the tool from now on.

What are they?

Multi channel funnels are in essence a sales attribution tool, allowing you to see the whole conversion path from your website visitors up to 30 days prior to the conversion. The path will show the interaction between all of your media channels, so you can see which traffic sources and keywords initiate, assist and complete conversions.

Up until now, the ad or channel that was last clicked on will be assigned the conversion in Analytics. In reality though, there will have probably been a number of different channels and interactions which contributed to the conversion. Multi channel funnels will allow you to see the whole journey a user takes before committing to a purchase, therefore allowing you to look beyond the “last click”.

A number of reports will be available within this feature, including top conversion paths, assisted conversions and time lag. I’ll briefly explain each of these below.

Top conversion paths

This report will give you an overview of the conversion paths which lead to the most conversions or highest revenue, and you can filter by traffic source and keyword:

You can also group specific channels together and define a set of customisable labels to channels, i.e. brand searches, social media or referral traffic:

Assisted conversions

This report summarises the contributions of all the different channels. You will be able to see first interaction conversions, last interaction conversions and assisted conversions, all of which can be filtered by traffic source and/or keyword:

This kind of insight can be extremely useful, as you may find that specific channels are a lot more profitable than you first thought i.e. if they have more assisted conversions than last click conversions.

Path length

Another report available is path length, which shows the number of interactions which take place prior to a conversion:

The example above shows that there is more than one interaction for 30% of total conversions, in which case you will want to delve into the other reports to find out what these other interactions are.

Summary

We have been using DC Storm on a number of our clients for a while now which covers all of this functionality and more, however this latest announcement from Google is certainly a statement of intent understanding the need for brands to better understand the sales journey in an increasingly complex online and multi-channel environment, and attribute sales accordingly.

No longer can you assume that your customers only interact with one channel during their decision making and purchase process. Therefore, being able to see the interactions between all of the channels has become an essential tool in attributing sales and measuring ROI.

Please note that multi channel funnels are currently in limited pilot, which means that Google is testing the feature before they decide to launch it fully. However, you can sign up to activate them in your Google Analytics here. Let us know what you think…

Google +1 = Facebook Like + Twitter RT

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Ben Adam

On the 30th March, Google announced yet another foray into the social side of the web with the Google +1 button. The Google +1 button is a simple way for people to share and receive website recommendations, “right when you want them” in the search results page.

Below I take a look at the potential implications:

+1 and Paid Search

Google +1 won’t just be coming to Natural Search results but Paid Search ads too. +1ing a search result or on any publisher will impact the way the Paid ad is displayed. Advertisers can opt out using this form but Christian Oestlien, Google’s Group Product Manager for Ads, told SearchEngineLand how the +1 had the potential to significantly increase click through rates (CTRs) from Paid results.

A more Social Google

Google states “relevance isn’t just about pages—it’s also about relationships”. Google +1 is yet another stage of evolution of Google to a more social experience. The recent Social Search update has seen an increase in the number of results ranking based on things your friends in your social circle have shared on Twitter, Flickr and other sites. If your logged into your Google account you can see what Google knows about your social circle based on your contacts and connected accounts.

The Impact of +1 on Search

Google is emphasising right from the start that this is going to influence search results as Tom Critchlow identified in the type of language being used by Google around the launch of +1. Currently you need to have a Google account and be logged in. This already is a limitation to the impact the +1 will have at least initially with Google looking to take capitalise on the approximately 170 million Gmail users. This is however far less than Facebook’s 500 million active users.

Our very own Lucy Freeborn sums up the struggle facing Google

“My main thoughts on it are that, even for Google, it’s fairly ambitious. As Facebook’s like button is universal it’s going to be quite difficult to get people to use another button that, in principle, does exactly the same thing. Also, almost everyone has a Facebook account that they log into everyday where as far less people have a Google account and not everyone is logged into their Google account all the time. As +1 will only work when you’re logged into your Google account I think this could be a big issue for Google.”

If you are not logged in and you click the +1 button, you won’t be able to recommend (you’ll be asked to sign up or login). However, without a Google profile you may still be subject to the influence of the +1. On Google’s official +1 post:

And even if none of your friends are baristas or caffeine addicts, we may still show you how many people across the web have +1’d your local coffee shop.

So even if other peoples +1s don’t affect rankings when your logged out (which I would expect they will) CTRs will potentially see a similar boost as is expected with the Paid Search ads.

+1 and Spam

A lot of comments around the launch of +1 have been about how easy it will be for people to manipulate. However, the nature of the Social Circle means Google has a lot of information from your connected accounts to help confirm your humanness making it potentially very hard to game.

What to do next?

Be prepared, get ready to add +1 buttons to products, blog posts etc. think about how they might best fit into your site design. There aren’t any

Currently only a small number of searchers on Google.com in the US will be able to see the +1 buttons automatically, but if you’re keen for an early preview you can enable it in Google experimental search. Just make sure your on Google.com for the moment.

Depending on whether Google is willing to share statistics related to users there is potentially a huge amount of demographic data available. Google has hinted at this in its Privacy Policy:

“We may share aggregate statistics related to users’ +1 activity with the public, our users, and partners, such as publishers, advertisers, or connected sites. For example, we may tell a publisher that “10% of the people who +1’d this page are in Tacoma, Washington.”

It’s still early stages and it’s very hard to guess the uptake of +1. Google has historically struggled with its attempts at being social so far (remember Google Wave and Buzz?)

At the moment it’s a wait and see.

Google’s Panda Update and the importance of strategic link development

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Lucy Freeborn

Last month the SEO blogosphere was awash with hype and concern about Google’s latest algorithm update; Panda (otherwise known as the ‘Farmer’ update thanks to Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land). This update is Google’s latest attempt at removing low quality content from their search results by devaluing websites that both produce and host huge volumes of low-quality, often keyword-stuffed content, sometimes known as ‘content farms’. The rational being that users are finding these sites in their search results but the content they provide does not always match expectations. The problem is arguably Google’s own doing as website owners are creating content simply in the pursuit of links, a key factor in how Google ranks one site over another. The big problem is that content is being created purely for the purposes of garnering links at the expense of quality.

Over the years, Google has regularly updated it’s algorithm with the objective of providing the most useful and relevant search results for it’s users. Google will continue to do this which means tactics that add value today may not add the same value tomorrow, with ‘content farming’ a prime example.

From everything I’ve read online (and in print) most commentators seem to be working themselves into a fit of worry about how the update is going to affect their rankings. Of course, this is something we’re constantly monitoring and looking into, but for me, the main point to take away from the whole process is the reinforced importance of a varied approach to link building, but with a particular focus on editorially driven link development strategies. It has become the norm for Leapfrogg to approach link building from an editorial angle; we create content that is of genuine and relevant interest that adds value to the experience of the reader both on-site and elsewhere. However, it seems many others have been over-reliant on techniques that focus on quantity over quality and thus are concerned by the impact of the Panda update.

To ensure your link building efforts deliver the best results possible, you must think strategically about what you’re doing. Focusing all of your energies and time into one tactic, regardless of the value of that tactic, is not sensible. Unsurprisingly, Google like to keep updates to their search algorithm under wraps until they are ready to be launched. What this means is, that unless you’re lucky enough to own a crystal ball, there really is little chance of knowing what Google will do next. So in order to cover yourself for new updates that might be around the corner it’s crucial to ensure your link development activity includes a wide array of different techniques and tactics. Carrying out different link development tactics like this should hopefully result in a varied and colourful back link profile. This is a really important point because if Google’s next update devalues a certain type of link the impact to your rankings will be limited if the update only devalues 25% of your links rather than 80% or 90%.

Essentially what I’m trying to say is that putting all of your eggs in one basket is never a wise move. If you separate your eggs, or links, into different baskets the impact of damage to one basket will not hurt you as much as it would if all of your eggs were in that damaged basket. So think strategically and plan your activity around a range of tactics rather than simply looking for the quickest win. As a simple rule of thumb when it comes to any search based activity, think…

Users first, search engine’s second

If you are currently creating content purely for the purposes of gaming search engines, stop. Not only are you failing to add value to the experience of your website visitors by providing content that is genuinely useful, you also run the risk of Google placing little or no value on this content. Which in short, makes it a complete waste of time and resource.

Analysing mobile traffic in Google Analytics

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Andy Miller

One of the hottest topics in multi-channel retailing over the past 12 months has been the growth in mobile commerce. As sales of smartphones continue to rise, so too does the percentage of people browsing the Internet through their mobile device and indeed purchasing products.

My role at Leapfrogg involves delving in and out of Google Analytics on a daily basis. One of the best segments in Analytics is the mobile traffic segment, which can provide you with extremely interesting insights.

Google Analytics now has a default segment for mobile visitors under ‘Visitors > Mobile > Mobile Devices’. You should be able to see a trend of traffic from mobile devices, rather like below:

The screenshot above is a comparison in mobile traffic from January 2011 to January 2010 for one of our clients. The number of visits from mobile devices has increased by 558% in just one year, indicating the pace at which this sector is growing.

From this screen, you can also find out answers to the following questions, all of which can help to formulate your mobile strategy:

What percentage of your overall traffic is from mobile? How has this figure grown in the past few months?

What operating system have they come from, i.e. iPad, iPhone, Android or Blackberry?

If you have goals set up, what actions are mobile visitors performing on your site? Are conversion rates higher or lower from mobile users than other traffic sources?

If e-commerce data is set up, how much revenue have you obtained from mobile? How does this stack up against other traffic sources?

If you are finding a high proportion of traffic is coming via mobile but conversion rates and revenue are low, you may want to think about advertising to these users with specific mobile-only paid search campaigns. Another way of improving conversion rates would be to invest in a mobile optimised site, something which a lot of big brands have put time and effort into this year.

Alternatively, if you receive a high proportion of traffic from a particular operator, (i.e. iPhones), you may already have a market for your target audience in which you could develop a mobile app. There are pros and cons for developing apps as oppose to optimising your site for mobile users, the subject of a blog post at a later date…

Hopefully this will give you an idea so you can at least start to think about a mobile strategy for your business. How has your mobile traffic grown in the past year?

The importance of optimising your Google Place listing; a quick case study

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Ben Adam

Since Google integrated its Place results into the standard web results, claiming your listing has been a quick win to climb the search engine results page (SERP), helping many local businesses leapfrog the competition.

However, even if you’ve claimed your Place page it might not be fulfilling its true potential. Using an example from one of our retail clients, I’ll explain how.

What we did

We took a number of local stores and added some key store information to improve and optimise the listings both content wise and visually thereby making them more enticing to users. We…

Added listing to relevant categories
Added optimised descriptions
Added store specific information including

Parking availability
Disabled access availability
Ranges available
Brands available
Any extra store info

Added 10 product images that directly relate to stores range and best selling products

The results

Here are the great results we’ve seen in the last few months:

Note

Impressions = how many times users saw your business listing as a local search result
Actions = how many times users showed interest in your business listing

Store 1

Store 2

Store 3

Conclusion

A well optimised, enticing and informative Place page resulted in many more people interacting with the listings, sending increased traffic levels to the site.

Therefore be sure to optimise your Place page and add as much relevant and useful information as possible!

Strategic planning for remarketing campaigns – Part 1

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Andy Miller

With average cost per clicks (CPCs) rising steadily, as saturation in the paid search listings increases, advertisers are looking for new, innovative and cheaper methods of driving traffic, and increasing conversion rates.

In my opinion the absolute best way of doing this is via a “remarketing” or “retargeting” campaign. I am not alone in this view. According to NMA’s 20th January edition, All Saints, Game, Karen Miller & New Look are amongst retail brands investing in ad retargeting and seeing significant returns. Ad retargeting is set to be a key drive in display advertising’s resurgence in 2011.

So, why I am talking about display advertising when I manage paid search campaigns? Well, Google AdWords now offers remarketing functionality on its Display Network.

For those that are new to remarketing, it is a tool that allows you to serve adverts across Google’s Display Network to users who have previously visited your site. Here is a great short video by Google which explains the ins and outs of remarketing. The beauty of the Google AdWords remarketing functionality is that it can be really simple or vastly complicated depending on the rules you set.

Over the last couple of months some fantastic posts have been written about remarketing. On the whole these posts give a lot of information on actual implementation and optimisation. In this post I would like to delve into the importance of the initial planning stages, and how spending time at this point will ultimately lead to far more successful campaigns.

Before you begin your remarketing campaign you must firstly consider what your objectives are, for example…

a. Do you want to increase conversion rates?
b. Do you want to increase repeat orders?

You must then decide which segment of visitors you are going to target and how you are going to ‘remarket’ to them. It is largely acknowledged that you should use some form of incentive in remarketing adverts to maximise click through rates (CTRs). Most companies use a ‘% off’ offer. Be cautious with incentives, as they will be counted as marketing ‘costs’, and will ultimately impact ROI. Therefore, try to think of innovative, ‘cheap’ incentives, which will be relevant to your chosen demographic, whilst maintaining a healthy profit margin.

Which audience to target?

If you are new to remarketing my first recommendation would be to start slowly. Do not try and create bespoke remarketing lists for every product on your site. There will be so many rules that you will not be able to control and optimise the campaign. Any success you have will likely be more luck than judgement.

The usual “rule” for campaigns of this nature is to serve adverts to visitors that have not generated a sale on their first visit to your website.

To identify which audience to target, I would recommend looking at your Analytics data. Based on the ‘start small’ methodology, identify pages and/or products which have high checkout abandonment rates (visitors to your site have added a product to their online basket, but not bought it). This will ensure that you are advertising to visitors with the highest conversion-intent.

Further down the line when you feel more confident with remarketing & potentially have more budget available, you can widen the net in terms of the number of products you remarket to customers.

How to remarket?

When was the first time you noticed a remarketing ad “following” you around the internet? Most people feel that remarketing is a little big-brother-like, and this feeling of anxiety will in no way help increase to conversion rates.

For this reason it is important to test at what level your ads remarket to visitors.

You have three main choices of advertising:

a)   At the product level
b)   At the ‘product-you-might-like’ these level
c)   At the category level

What does this mean? Well, if a visitor looks at pair of blue suede boots on the Office website, for example…

a) a product level strategy would serve an ad featuring those exact blue suede boots

b) a ‘product-you-might-like’ strategy would serve an ad featuring the exact boots that the visitor was looking at, together with a number of other similar boots that may be of interest

c) a category level strategy would serve an ad featuring an offer on all suede boots

To see which level works best with your customers, you should test each.

Product level remarketing ads can work very well, but can also cause anxiety in visitors. In order to minimise this anxiety you should place a frequency cap on the remarketing ads, which limits the serving of ads. Our Google rep recommend that we capped the frequency to 5 impressions per month per ad group. Again, it is best to test these settings to find what works best for your audience.

Next week I’ll explore, remarketing campaigns tasked with increasing repeat orders.

What we’ve learnt in 2010 (and what we look forward to in 2011)

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Ben Potter

With contributions from various members of the Leapfrogg team, we take a look back at what we’ve learnt this year in digital marketing and online retail. We also look forward to 2011; what we’ll be keeping an eye on and how we expect 2010’s developments to evolve.

Google continues to innovate but at what cost?

Leapfrogg’s natural search team, Suzanne and Ben Adam, comment on the significant changes Google has made to both its back end architecture and search experience:

“2010 saw Google roll out its new indexing system, ‘caffeine’, which updates their search index on a continuous basis and therefore should provide more up to date results to users. The Mayday update, placed more emphasis on authority sites for long tail searches. Sites that create fresh, useful, original content, in a range of formats (i.e. images, video) and optimise for long tail searches will benefit most from these updates. These are good practices that we’ve been advocating for many years so from our point of view the changes have had little impact on the recommendations we make to clients.

The typical Google searcher would probably understand little of ‘caffeine’ and ‘Mayday’ but 2010 has seen an unprecedented number of changes to Google’s search engine results page (SERP) that certainly would not have gone unnoticed, most notably Instant Search, Previews, the somewhat pointless blue arrows, and Google Places.

In 2011, it will be interesting to see if the increasingly cluttered Google results page turns users off OR will the changes to back end architecture counter this by reducing the amount of spam and therefore making search results more relevant and fresh? With Bing increasingly offering a viable alternative to Google, will we see users jump ship? Or is ‘Googling’ just too synonymous with the act of searching in the mindset of most search engine users? 2011 is shaping up to be a pivotal year in the search engine wars, not to mention the threat posed by the big social networks, such as Facebook”.

The growing influence of social signals on search engine rankings

Social Media and Content Executive, James Mortimer, comments on the continued convergence of search and social:

“2010 has seen Google and Bing confirm that tweets and Facebook ‘likes’ have an influence on search rankings. In 2011, I expect to see the continued convergence of search and social. This will demand that companies take a much more holistic view of SEO; an approach where traditional activities, such as keyword optimisation and link building are combined with more contemporary tactics in social media marketing, an approach we’ve been advocating for a long time. I am sure more and more companies will adopt this more holistic approach now that the major search engines have confirmed a direct relationship between search engine rankings and social media activity, particularly on Twitter.

If, as suspected, one of the factors the search engines focus on is the number of followers on Twitter, will we see an increase in the use of auto-following tools to artificially inflate followers? Personally, I refuse to follow anybody who has an unnatural looking Twitter profile (i.e. following 23,984 people with almost the same number following them back!) but will the search engines be able to spot this kind of activity?

The importance of having a local ‘footprint’

Analyst, Andy, and Client Services Director, Greg, have been paying particular attention to the growing importance of local search:

“In October, Google updated how it displays local search results; they are no longer restricted to a specific section at the top of the SERP. Instead, local results on Google are now integrated into the main ‘natural’ listings. With Google placing more and more emphasis on local listings, we expect 2011 will see an increase in online shoppers entering phrases such as “designer dresses” and being served results that includes listings for nearby retail stores (regardless of whether they use a location term within their search query).

What we find most interesting about this change is the potential impact it has on retailers without physical stores, for example ASOS. Herein lies a somewhat ironic dilemma for online retailers in 2011 – an online brand could start to suffer in the search results because it DOESN’T have a physical store(s)”. Do not be suprised to see brands that have traditionally traded online, for example ASOS and Amazon, develop some form of high street presence in 2011 (note; this will not be necessarily be purely as a result of Google’s change to local listings).

Joining the dots

Paid search manager, Amelia, saw huge benefits in the use of software and advanced tracking tools to measure the success of multi-channel marketing campaigns:

The growth in mobile highlights the key challenge faced by brands; ¾ of consumers use two or more channels to browse, research & purchase products. Not only does this demand that brands have a presence where consumers expect them to be (online, mobile, the high street and so on) but it makes analysis and optimisation of the path to sale absolutely essential. We’ve really seen the value of investing in software to better understand the user journey. The ability to measure the first click to the final sale visit (whether this is online or in-store) is crucial when evaluating the returns from digital marketing activity. We have been amazed with some of the insights we have found when looking at sale journeys, particularly for retailers where the path to sale is more likely to involve a number of channels over a period of time. Seeing the overall sale path journey enables us to quantify the success of specific keywords which contribute to sales via brand terms or via different traffic sources”.

The year mobile finally took off

MD, Rosie, comments on how the year when brands finally saw some measurable returns from mobile commerce:

“It seems that every year, for as long as I can remember, analysts have claimed that ‘this will be the year mobile commerce’ takes off. Well 2010 might just be the year that this claim was finally justified. Smart phone adoption still represents a relatively small percentage of the overall market, however, the number of people subscribing to smart phones this year has been significant enough for a number of brands to finally see tangible benefits of investing in mobile enabled websites and applications.

2011 will see this trend continue as more and more brands learn from the early adopters and invest in mobile commerce. However, it is vital that marketers understand the difference between the conventional browser and mobile experience. With mobile, there is an even greater emphasis to give people exactly what they want as smaller screens make it difficult for functionality, such as dynamic merchandising, to work effectively. Keeping things simple will be key to success for mobile websites and applications”.

Don’t run before you can walk

Head of Social Media and Content, Lucy comments on the need to ensure tactical execution is linked back to commercial objectives:

“Everyone seems to have embraced Twitter and Facebook this year, but we’ve sometimes pushed back on briefs because we didn’t believe social media was really going to deliver to a brands commercial objectives. It’s all too easy to jump on the social media bandwagon. However, when a marketing team has limited budget, often the more tried and tested direct marketing or more quantifiable and measurable link building and online PR activity can be proven to deliver more.

Although we love it when our brands want to experiment, we always need to ensure campaigns deliver to the bottom line. If you’re selling to a target audience that isn’t highly active in social media, then sometimes it is not the right medium to use. But even if it is, we very much advocate that clients get the basics right before they start investing in social media, for example. Very much a case of learning to walk before you run”.

Agencies need to evolve

Sales and Marketing Director, Ben, comments on how the role digital agencies need to take with their clients:

“In 2010, I’ve seen a noticeable shift in what clients expect from their agency partners. Clients are looking for much more than tactical delivery…and so they should. We’ve really seen the value of more closely aligning digital strategies to a client’s commercial objectives and completely changed the language we use to communicate with prospects and clients as a result.

It highlights to me how the SEO industry needs to evolve in 2011 beginning with a rebrand. SEO is a dated term that fails to represent the remit of the job undertaken by forward thinking agencies. The convergence of search and social, the need to be creating useful and unique content, and the strategic and analytical value added by an agency is much more than SEO. In 2011, I’d like to see less emphasis on somewhat dated language such as ‘rankings’, and especially those agencies still making ‘guarantees’, to instead focus on messaging that more closely reflects the landscape and the expectations of clients”.

What were you key lessons from 2010? What are you going to be keeping a close on in 2011? We’d love to hear from you?

Google Place Search – the potential impact on retailers without physical stores

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Andy Miller

Last week, Christos explained a number of changes to how Google displays local search results. Following on from his general observations, I take a look at what it might mean for retailers, particularly online-only retailers, who by their very nature do not have a physical store, or ‘local footprint’ if you like…

No ‘local footprint’? No problem!
Bluntly, not having a physical store might not matter that much. As Amazon’s success proves, there are millions of people who are perfectly happy to buy certain types of products without the need to touch, taste or smell the product, and will continue to do so. We assert that Amazon’s brand loyalty will not be threatened by Google’s developments, simply because we anticipate customers and prospects go to Amazon directly (either because they are already saved in favourites, or their brand is so familiar people type in the URL directly so are more likely to bypass search engines in the first place).

No ‘local footprint’? Might (might!) be a problem…!
Take a different sector though – let’s consider clothes retailing. How do brands such as ASOS or Boden respond to these developments from Google? As with Amazon, one can imagine ASOS enjoy good levels of direct traffic. Their eCRM programme is an established and increasingly sophisticated tool that keeps their customers and prospects informed, with direct routes back to the core brand and transactional site. However, we believe search engines play a more important role for ASOS or Boden within the clothing sector than for Amazon with books and DVDs, and therefore generate a relatively greater proportion of traffic for these online-only retailers.

With Google placing more and more emphasis on local listings, online shoppers will enter phrases such as “designer dresses” and increasingly be served results that includes listings for nearby retail stores (regardless of whether they use a location term within their search query). This is good news for retailers with physical stores such as TopShop, New Look, Next and the like. Not so good for their hitherto almost untouchable online-only competitor.

So, what’s to be done?
Much will depend on the relative weight of local searches within search engine’s algorithms. But as recent coverage suggests this weight will be heavy, it seems to us that digital brands such as ASOS or Boden have a number of options, which aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive;

1. The first option is to continue to innovate all elements of their digital content, both on their core site and ‘off the page’, in the hope that these innovations can offset the power of local search results. For example, it was announced only last week that ASOS would be trialling a new service called Me_tail, a virtual online fitting room service where visitors can create their own customised 3D model to match their own body shape and size before trying on different clothes and accessories. This kind of pioneering innovation is likely to appeal to online shoppers and keep pouring thousands of direct visitors back to the site on a regular basis.

2. The second option would be to evolve and expand their business model. If local search results become the dominant factor within searches, Boden could begin to suffer if they DON’T have a physical footprint. If they start to lose prominence in search rankings, it places greater importance onto their eCRM programme for sure, but whether this can offset their lack of visibility within Google remains to be seen.

While an even more refined eCRM programme should guarantee keeping the customers they already have, it doesn’t itself feel like a strategy for growth. Herein lies a wonder of this evolving business and communications world in which we live – a digital brand could start to suffer because it DOESN’T have physical shops. Lastminute.com have had their ticket booths for a while now – will we see Boden on the high street in the next year or two…?

3. Thirdly, if digital retailers choose to remain digital-only, it will be interesting to see how these retailers evolve aligning their increasingly rich content with YouTube (a hugely influential search engine in itself), something French Connection have already started to explore with ‘Youtique’. The ongoing evolution of how these retailers leverage dialogue through core social media properties such as Facebook and Twitter will also be fascinating.

Watch this space!

Google Place Search and how it affects your SEO efforts

Posted on November 5, 2010 by admin

On the 27th October Google updated how it displays local search results. In summary, no longer are local results restricted to a specific section at the top of the page. Instead, they are integrated into the main ‘natural’ listings.

It is clear that this is a major shift for Google and users alike. It is one that some are celebrating as a triumph whilst others condemn as a step too far. So what does it mean for website owners and what will be the impact?

Normal search results are pushed out of the top 10
Firstly, and most importantly, because the local (now known as Google Place results) are integrated into the natural listings, they inevitably push natural search results down the page. Take the screenshot below as an example, searching for “driving instructor Brighton”:

You will notice that the closely packed local search results (known as the ’10 pack’ and then subsequently the ’7 pack’) traditionally found at the top of the page are gone. Instead, the local (or Google Place) results are now integrated with the normal, natural search results. In essence, there is no immediately obvious distinction between local and the normal search results.

In the example below, the Place results not only dominate the top of the search engine results page (SERP) but they are actually taking the place of “natural” search results that would have traditionally appeared. The result is that just four natural search results actually make it onto page one of the SERP. This is really good news if you have your local search listings in order. However, it is bad bad news if you don’t have a local presence and have instead worked hard to get your site ranking naturally in the main SERP’s.

Adwords ads pushed down and obscured by the new map
You will also notice the map on the right hand side. Not only does this map push ads in the 4th spot further down the page it also obscures them as it moves down the page as you scroll. This makes it much harder for users to notice and access your ads if you are not bidding for a top 3 spot. This will inevitably make it more competitive and expensive for paid search ads to appear in the top 3 in what some consider to be an already over inflated market.

However, its not all doom and gloom for paid search as the new format keeps users on the main SERPS page (previously when clicking on a local result you would be taken to the map page that contained limited real estate for paid ads). This may mean a higher number of ad impressions but only time will tell if this negates the impact of the map.

Customers reviews are more prominent
You will notice that customer reviews are now a more prominent feature with the new listings. These reviews may be pulled from a variety of sites including Yelp, Thomson local and Tripadvisor to name a few.

It is acknowledged by most experts that click through rate is one of the many factors Google adopts in its ranking algorithm. A strong local listing with plenty of positive reviews is therefore likely to attract clicks, highlighting the need to encourage customer reviews on relevant websites (ensuring they are likely to be positive of course!). In theory, positive reviews = more clicks = better click through rate = better rankings.

Local results showing for non local search terms
Google also appears to have a greater understanding of intent. From what we have seen over the last few days Place results are featuring more regularly for searches that do not necessarily contain a location term (even though Google claim this not to be the case).

This will mean that general search results may be cannibalised or improved based on which side of the fence you sit on.

What does this all mean?
Google have confirmed that local and general search algorithms have been merged, which essentially means there is no going back. Google Places, and the change to SERP layout will be here to stay. It is therefore essential that you have your local listings in order as soon as possible. We recommend the following action points:

1. Make sure you have a Google Places listing set up for your business. If you already have a Google Maps / Local listing set up within a Google account you should now notice it is called Google Places – you may need to reclaim it and certainly you’ll be able to add more information about your business, including relevant keywords.

2. Review the placement of your paid ads and adjust your bidding strategy accordingly if you find you are receiving fewer clicks.

3. Ensure you are monitoring your online reputation. With customer reviews being more prominent, you need to both encourage reviews but also monitor what is being said about your products, services or brand.

Have you noticed any changes to your search engine rankings, paid search performance or traffic as a result of this change? Get in touch and let us know.

Leapfrogg

The digital marketing agency for premium brands and retailers

Category Archives: Google