Category Archives: Google

A beginners guide to: real time search (part 1)

Posted on by admin

In my recent quest to introduce you to the latest developments shaping how search engines display their results I have already talked about personalised search and social search. This time, I’m turning my attention to perhaps the most exciting (and potentially game-changing) development; real-time search.

What is real time search?

First off, ‘real time’ refers to something that occurs immediately. In the online world, the most obvious example of where content is published in real-time is Twitter. Compare how long it takes to write and publish a tweet compared to say, a blog post. With the latter, it takes minutes, hours or possibly days to research, write and publish an article to a blog. With Twitter on the other hand, content is written, published and visible within seconds.

The benefits of real-time information from sources, such as Twitter, have not been lost on the major search engines. In recent months, both Google and Bing announced agreements with Twitter to include tweets (real-time data) in their search results.

This means that for certain searches carried out on Google or Bing, users will be presented with search results that contain information published just minutes, or even seconds ago. This is very different to how search engines traditionally display their results where there is a reliance on spidering content, storing it in a database and then presenting it back to searchers. This process takes time meaning information can be out of date quickly.

How are results featured?

There is a difference between the two search engines and their integration of real time results into their respective search engine results pages (SERP’s). If a user wants to view Bing’s real time results they go to www.bing.com/twitter. However, Google is different in that real time information is incorporated right into its normal search results, and often at the top of the page.

It is important to note that you won’t see real time results on Google for every search you carry out. Real time search is only triggered if Google believes information in real-time will be seen as valuable to searchers. A great example is the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Searchers want the latest information on what is happening. They cannot wait for Google to spider content in the traditional fashion (although Google is pretty quick at doing so these days). Instead, searchers want the very latest news as it happens.

Check out the screenshot below for an example:


As you can see, Google considers the volcanic eruptions to be a “hot topic” (I imagine all those people stuck in foreign climes unable to get home would agree!) due to the mass spike in information being published online. Therefore, in the “Latest results for volcano news” section you can see a scroll of real-time information, from sources such as the Guardian and most notably Twitter.

Why has real time search been introduced?

In theory, real time search means that both Bing and Google can provide their users with the most up-to-date information around a search query, therefore increasing the relevance and usefulness of their search results.

It means that when searching for information on key events, such as the Icelandic volcano, users can see what happened minutes or even seconds ago. And this information is present right where searchers want it to be; incorporated into the search experience.

This is obviously fantastic for accessing news as it happens but what about the impact on brands. If, as expected, real-time search continues to move beyond news related items to be more widespread, a disgruntled customer venting their anger on Twitter, may not only be seen by their followers on this specific social network but their tweet may also feature in Google’s actual search results…and all in real-time!

Next time, I’ll be looking at this issue in more detail, as well as the other means by which real-time search impacts your digital marketing efforts. Until then…

Google AdWords Search Funnels: how they can help your paid search campaigns

Posted on by Andy Miller

Hi I’m Andy, currently on an internship at Leapfrogg but due to join full time. I haven’t got a profile quite yet but that hasn’t stopped me contributing to the blog with a look at one of Google’s latest releases, Adwords Search Funnels…

Google is on fire at the moment. Not only have they recently added exciting new features aimed at improving the quality and relevancy of their search results, such as social search and personalised search, they are now launching a new reporting feature in their paid search advertising platform AdWords, called AdWords Search Funnels.

What are AdWords Search Funnels?

AdWords Search Funnels are a set of reports which show all of the keywords and impressions in Google that assisted in leading up to a conversion (such as a purchase). Up until now, Google could only show the last keyword before a conversion action.

How do they work?

When someone clicks on your ad in Google, a funnel is created. The funnel data will then track any Google AdWords paid search activity for 30 days thereafter in relation to your ad, from impressions, keywords and clicks. If the user clicks on one of your ads again and then converts within this 30 day time period, a search funnel report is created.

The search funnels consist of a number of useful reports, including a Top Conversions report, Assisted Conversions, First and Last Click Analysis, Time Lag (the average number of clicks and impressions prior to conversion) and Path Length (the amount of time it takes a customer to convert after seeing or clicking on your ad for the first time).

How useful are they?

Search Funnel Reports will provide a clearer picture of the performance and true value of your paid search campaigns, ad groups and keywords.

During the shopping cycle, people tend to perform multiple searches before making a purchase. For example, let’s imagine someone runs a search on a generic term such as ‘mobile phones’ and clicks on your ad (a funnel is created). It is highly unlikely they will convert first time round, so they go away and research other sites.

After spending some time researching mobile phones, they run a new refined search a few days later on the term ‘iphone.’ They end up back on your site by clicking on your ad and eventually make the purchase.

The search funnel report is now created (as long as your ad is showing against the term ‘iphone’) and will show that the term ‘mobile phone’ assisted in the conversion.

This kind of reporting provides great insight into the behaviour of your consumers and can really help you to make more informed decisions on your campaigns, ad groups and keywords.

Limitations

It is important to note that the tool will only report on keywords that your ads are showing against, as a result there could be potential hidden keywords that would convert for you which are not selected in your campaign.

Another consideration is that the reports only relate to Paid Search ads in Google therefore no natural search activity is tracked in the funnel. Finally, the search history tracks a maximum of 30 days – meaning any buying cycles (from first click to conversion) which take longer than 30 days will not be included in the reports.

How can I set it up?

As this feature is only available in your AdWords account, you must have either AdWords conversion tracking set up or import your goals/transactions from Adwords from your Google Analytics account for it to work.

This exciting new feature is gradually being rolled out into Adwords accounts over the next few weeks, so make sure you keep an eye out for it. Until then…

A quick review of the Sheer B2B retail conference

Posted on by Ben Potter

Last Thursday and Friday, I attended the Sheer B2B event in London; a marketing conference specifically for luxury and premium retailers. Like many of the companies in attendance, the event had a boutique feel to it with around 150 attendees on each day. With around 10 people each sat on a round tables the event lent itself to meeting lots of new people with time set aside for introductions and discussion around key topics.

Even as a seasoned digital marketer I found the vast majority of the talks very interesting. Day 1 began with a keynote speech from Neil Saunders from Verdict Research looking at the future of retail. Neil outlined how the retail boom is over. Our insatiable appetite for goods, serviced in the main by mounting debt, was not sustainable and so it has proved with consumers changing their purchasing habits in the last couple of years. We are now moving into a phase of ‘considered consumption’ where consumers are streamlining their lifestyles and seeking greater value. The good news for premium retailers is that value does not necessarily mean seeking cheaper alternatives; instead consumers will continue to invest in premium products but with much greater consideration. Self indulgence remains important but consumers are now more price aware, value driven and looking to avoid risk. In particular, consumers are making purchases driven by health and well-being. As a result retailers need to consider that the next 5 years will be concerned not with the organic growth in sales experienced in the past but instead on strategies aimed at stealing market share.

Next up was Kevin McSpadden from More2. He focused on the traits found in successful retailers. A man after my own heart he explained to the audience how having a competitive advantage is integral to building a successful brand. Retailers must focus on what it is that makes them unique, what it is they stand for and why customers should choose them. The mistake I see companies make time and time again is assuming that by having a website or throwing enough money at Google sales and growth in their business will just happen. Not so. In an increasingly competitive and complex marketplace companies must seek competitive advantaged to survive and prosper. Kevin reiterated my own views.

Other talks included Katie Lee, founder of Shiny Media discussing social media for retail brands and an entertaining introduction to customer feedback forum Feefo.

Day 2 started with a keynote speech from Michael Ross founder of eCommera and co-founder of Figleaves, looking again at the future of retail. He explained how we will continue to see the rise of online superstores such as Amazon and Tesco; big powerhouses continuously expanding their product range, which in turn makes them a growing threat to even the most niche of retailers. An added threat is that brand owners will sell direct, rethinking their wholesale and retail distribution channels, as well as retailers becoming brand owners with the likes of Boots and John Lewis marketing their own product lines. These developments were enough to strike fear into even the most resilient of premium retail brands but luckily Michael also sees a growing demand for niche specialists who can offer a level of service and expertise larger operations will find difficult to compete against.

Michael says that ‘proposition is the new location’ as consumers increasingly turn to the web instead of the high street. To compete online, niche brands must therefore ensure they have a compelling offer, a great website, strong marketing strategy and nimble operations. Competitive advantage can be gained in each of these areas.

Next up was Martijn Bertsen from Google who introduced the audience to a number of their free tools. With respect to Martin it felt a little too much like a sales pitch for Google’s many products, albeit free ones. However, there is always a feeling with Google that they are subtlety pointing you towards their cash cow, Adwords. I couldn’t help but feel a few people may go away to try Adwords off the back of the talk without the right level of planning and execution needed to make it work effectively.

Other highlights on day 2 included Julia Reynolds from Figleaves discussing various aspects of their online strategy; what has worked for them and what hasn’t. She finished by warning attendees to ‘mind the heroin’; in other words don’t become addicted to attention grabbing techniques such as Paid Search, that can all too easily suck budgets dry unless the right analysis and strategy is put in place.

David Smith, Director of Operations at IMRG and Russell Morris of Warehouse Express also provided an insightful look at how to expand retail operations internationally. I was blown away by just how much there is to consider when looking to target an overseas market; cultural, legal, technology, fulfilment, payment methods and marketing are just some of areas that need to be thoroughly investigated before committing to an international expansion strategy. An oversight on even the smallest detail can lead to disaster.

All in all, it was a conference very different to others I have attended. Smaller and highly focused made it much more valuable to attendees compared to larger, less personal events. Oh, and the sandwiches were great too!

I met some great people and look forward to speaking with them again in the future. Next time, I hope Leapfrogg to be more actively involved in the event. Watch this space.

A beginners guide to: Social Search (part 2)

Posted on by admin

In part 1 I provided an introduction to social search and explained why it has been introduced. In part 2, I explain what it means for your digital marketing efforts.

To put it in simple terms, social search cements the need for companies to reach out to their target audience by increasing their use of, and therefore visibility across, social networking platforms. By being better ‘connected’ to your prospects and customers through a social network you stand a better chance of appearing in a user’s social search results. Creating and maintaining a Twitter account, a Facebook page and a decent blog for your company is of paramount importance. If these platforms are being utilised correctly then there is already a good chance that you are part of your audience’s social circle and therefore, in time, could feature in their social search results.

Another way of making your brand more discoverable in social search results is to create a Google profile. We recommend you create a Google profile not only for yourself, but also for your company and encourage your employees to each create one which works in part to improve brand awareness for the business. By actively encouraging your employees to create profiles and adopt social media tools, such as Twitter, you are extending the reach of your brand. (As a side note, the use of such tools should be backed up with a robust set of guidelines and policies to ensure consistency in messaging, etc.)

Going back to your Google profile, once it is created you will need to do the following:

  • Add links to content you want to share, such as your blog or YouTube channel
  • Publish additional web content and make sure it’s all linked to your Google profile
  • Add your connections

You can see our profile here. It’s a work in progress but you get the idea!

(It is worth noting that when you add new links to your profile it may take a couple of weeks for your social search results to take new contacts and content into account.)

There is speculation that social search results from our social circle will start to be given a boost in the ‘normal’ search results for certain queries. This assumption is based on the logic that brands we follow on Twitter or are fans of on Facebook will be more relevant to us than brands not deemed to be part of our social circle.

In the last couple of weeks, Google have introduced Buzz, a new way of sharing information, such as photos, with your network of contacts (as determined by your Gmail account). For an introduction to Buzz, take a look at this video. It’s early days for Buzz so the implications on search engine results are still not entirely clear. However, what is obvious is that because your Gmail contacts are the first people listed in your “social circle” Google is very likely to draw content from them to populate social search results. And another move by Google into the world of social media reinforces how search and social media are increasingly converging making a holistic search strategy integral to the success of your business.

So, in summary it is important that you are making attempts to increase your followers on Twitter, subscribers to your blog and fans on Facebook to be in with a chance of appearing in the social search results being displayed to your target audience. Even though this extra effort will involve more internal resource, those that manage it are likely to reap the rewards not just in terms of search engine rankings but also extended reach, website traffic and ultimately, sales.

Hopefully this introductory guide to social search has cleared up any confusion you may have had and also helps turn your thoughts towards actions you need to take in order to ensure your brand makes the most of it.

Next time I’ll be looking at real time search. Until then…

A beginners guide to: Social Search (part 1)

Posted on by admin

In my last post, I introduced you to personalised search. In the second of this series of articles, aimed at helping you understand the latest developments in search, and what they mean for your digital marketing efforts, I’m turning my attention to social search.

What is social search?

Google’s social search feature allows you to see search results from friends and others in your social circle, as determined by your network of contacts. Social search helps you find content created and shared by people you know and trust.

For example, if you searched for a particular hotel, reviews written by your social contacts may appear more prominently in your search results, assuming they have stayed at the hotel in question and written a review about it. This information is then included in your search results allowing you to read reviews from people you trust. In turn you can make a more informed decision on whether to book at the hotel based on this information.

In order for social search results to show up you must be logged into your Google account. Once logged in you will see these results appear at the bottom of the search results page, in a section labeled’ “Results from people in your social circle for name” as shown in the example below:

As you have to be logged into your Google account to use social search the results are custom tailored to individuals, therefore no one but you will see your social search results because those results are presented according to your network of friends, colleagues and contacts.

However, people connected to your contacts (that you may not actually know or be connected to directly) may show in your search social results, since Google assumes a connection of sorts.

So now you’re probably wondering how Google determines your social circle is in order to produce relevant results from only people you know. Well, people who make up your social circle are gathered from:

  • People you’re connected to through social services that you’ve listed in your Google Profile, such as Twitter and FriendFeed
  • People in your Gmail contact groups and Google Talk chat lists
  • Websites you have subscribed to in your Google Reader account

Therefore, social search makes it easier to find relevant, public content from your social circle, such as the following:

  • Websites, blogs, public profiles, and other content linked from your friends’ Google profiles
  • Web content, such as status updates, tweets, and reviews, from social services that your friends have listed in their Google profiles
  • Relevant articles from your Google Reader subscriptions

Why has social search been introduced?

The aim of Google social search is to help you find more relevant content from your broader social circle. So with the new social search feature Google has taken further steps to improve the relevance of search results for individual users. Our results are already increasingly being tailored thanks to the recent universal roll-out of personalised search but social search means we can also opt-in for them to be tailored still further.

The introduction of social search also has to be considered in terms of the broader changes in online behaviour we have witnessed in recent years. In buying products, services, booking holidays, restaurants, choosing a local dentist and just about anything else that involves parting with cold, hard cash, web users look for recommendations, referrals and reviews to aid them in their decision to purchase. And in doing so, who’s word do we trust more than anybody else? The people we know of course. So Google is extending the familiar features of websites such as Trip Advisor, where customer reviews, often from people we do not know, dictate our decision to book a hotel…or not as the case may be.  But instead of relying on reviews from people we may not know from Adam, social search allows us to see information from people we are likely to share more in common with and therefore who’s word we trust. Clever eh?

In Part 2, I’ll be looking at the impact this has on your digital marketing efforts. Until then…

A beginners guide to: Personalised Search (part 2)

Posted on by admin

Last time I introduced you to the concept of personalised search, explaining what it is and why it has been introduced by the big search players, namely Google. In this follow up post I explore some of the things you need to consider and actions you need to take to ensure your digital marketing strategy remains relevant in light of personalised search.

One of the main outcomes of personalised search is that, in theory, no two people will see the same set of search results when searching using the same query. To cite an example; two members of the Leapfrogg team could be sat in the same location (our office) conducting the same search. But because they are on their own computers, with their own patterns of search behaviour recorded by Google, they could each be presented with different search results.

As it stands, Google will not disclose the degree to which results differ from user to user. Neither will they disclose the percentage of listings on the actual results page that are personalised in some way. However, Google has said that it wants to keep some results similar between users. Product manager Johanna Wright said:

“We want diversity of results…this is something we talk about a lot internally and believe in. We want there to be variety of sources and opinions in the Google results. We want them in personalised search to be skewed to the user, but we don’t want that to mean the rest of the web is unavailable to them.”

It remains the case that searchers want variety in their search results. So it’s not necessarily a case of having one or two favourite sites, or themes of sites, that simply show up over and over. This means Google’s other ranking factors will still be considered, so as far as we can tell at this early stage.

So now to the question we all need to be asking…is there anything we need to do in particular to ensure our sites perform well in light of personalised search? Well as luck would have it, below we provide a list of actions we recommend you consider:

Ditch rankings as a means to measure success

Personalised search effectively makes it impossible to report rankings with the same degree of accuracy as pre-personalised search. By its very nature personalised search means there is no longer an absolute position; a website ranking number two for one person may not even be on the first page of results for another.

So if you measure your search engine marketing efforts on ranking data alone it really is time to move on. You cannot calculate ROI or make informed decisions on how to improve the user-experience of your website using basic ranking data. Therefore, if you are not already, personalised search should be the catalyst to assess your search marketing efforts against metrics that really matter.

Remember, the end goal of your search marketing strategy is not to rank number one on Google for a specific search term. The end goal is to convert the traffic that ranking generates into sales. Once you have established sales targets (or leads, downloads, newsletter sign ups, etc) you can combine Google Analytics with other tools (telephone tracking, for example) and good old fashioned CRM to calculate the most important metric of all; ROI.

Saying all of this, it is worth running regular ranking reports especially if Analytics shows a large hike or drop in traffic. Although ranking data is less reliable it at least acts as an indicator as to whether Google is favouring your website, or otherwise. For example, if your rankings appear to be remain pretty consistent but traffic from search is on the up it may suggest personalised search is working in your favour. Therefore, analyse data from your Analytics account alongside the use of ranking tools to keep track of how your site is performing in the aftermath of personalised search.

Build your brand with a holistic strategy

Some are concerned that personalised search will reward big ‘brands’ who have already received an apparent boost from Google as a result of the Vince update last year. If Google is favouring branded sites is it not inevitable they will feature in search results more prominently and as a result receive a higher proportion of the clicks?

If this is the case, you need to learn why Google favours these brands (often regardless of how well their sites are actually optimised). They tend to be looked upon favourably because they are well-established and trusted. Google is also beginning to pay attention to factors such as how often a brand is mentioned across related websites, blogs and forums. The more ‘buzz’ that exists around a brand, the more important the website is deemed.

You too can build an online brand by implementing a holistic digital strategy that combines traditional SEO activity with paid search, social media and content. So, an action point for 2010 would be to start thinking about SEO as part of a wider set of activities; a strategy that is focused on building a sustainable and reputable online presence with reach far beyond search engines.

But remember the basics

Personalised search is all about delivering more relevant results. Google will determine how relevant a result is to a user based on their behaviour i.e. when presented with a set of results, Google will analyse the sites clicked on and even how long the user spends on the site once they get there. In simple terms, if a user clicks on a site they see as relevant and then spend a reasonable amount of time on that site Google will think, ‘hey, that’s a site the person found useful – I will therefore serve that site next time…or sites that are similar’.

This being the case you need to ensure your search engine listing is highly relevant to a users search query. How do you do this? Well, by going back to the very basics of SEO; ensure your title and description tags are well written and engaging. By doing so, you may encourage users to click on your listing over and above your competitors.

User experience

In order to ensure visitors stick around once they click through to your website you need to ensure the user-experience and content is top notch. You have a small window of opportunity to grab the users’ attention so ensure your content is relevant and calls to action clear. This is integral to establishing user trust and encouraging return visits. If users enjoy their experience on your site then they are not only more likely to convert into enquiries/sales but they are also more likely to return. Therefore a goal for 2010 should be to evaluate and improve upon your site usability and build on ways in which to engage visitors.

Another interesting method of increasing your site’s visibility in personalised search has been put forward by Marty Weintraub in his article ‘How To Exploit Personalised Search For SEO’. In this article, Weintraub suggests that “the solution to optimizing SERPs, which are customized based on an individual user’s affinities, is to influence that user’s offline behaviour”. This includes tips such as asking prospects and customers to search using specific terms (presumably that you know you are going to appear for!?) and click on your website. Definitely worth a read if you have the time.

In conclusion, personalised search may cause a decrease in traffic for some sites, but in theory users will be getting more useful and relevant results. Could this lead to increases in relative conversion rates? On this note, I believe a safe assumption is that the future of search is not about rankings or even traffic volumes but more about keeping better qualified visitors on your site for longer by providing great content to engage users and encourage them to return.

Hopefully, this introduction to Personalised Search has cleared up any confusion you may have had and also helps to turn your thoughts towards actions you need to take in order to ensure your site makes the most of it.

Next time, a lesson in social search. Until then…

A beginners guide to: Personalised Search (part 1)

Posted on by admin

As you may have noticed in recent times, when conducting searches across the major engines the results you are presented with are looking very different to those of a few years ago. Thanks to the innovative attempts of big players such as Google and Bing to provide the richest, most varied and in particular most relevant results to their users, we are increasingly seeing ‘blended results’ that incorporate rich media content, such as images and video, as well as real-time information, from social networks such as Twitter. Results can also vary depending on factors specific to the searcher, such as what they have looked for in the past.

So in a series of articles I am going to give you the lowdown on three significant developments shaping how search engines present their results. I’ll be covering Personalised Search, Social Search and Real-Time Search to ensure you can distinguish between them and understand their likely impact on your digital marketing strategy.

You will learn that these developments demand that you make it a priority in 2010 to combine tactics in social media and content with you search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. SEO can no longer operate in isolation. Instead, an integrated strategy is needed to maximise your reach and therefore targeted traffic.

So with that in mind, let’s begin with a look at personalised search…

What is personalised search?

Google’s personalised search considers a user’s search history to deliver them with (what Google hopes to be) more relevant and useful results. So, in a nutshell, Google delivers results based on your previous search queries and the sites you’ve visited. By analysing what you search for and the links you click on the search engine results page (SERP), over time Google builds a picture of the types or themes of website you favour. Therefore, it is likely that these sites will appear in your search results more often for particular search queries. In essence, it means search results are being custom tailored for each individual.

Personalised search in itself is not a new concept. When it was first introduced users only received personalised results if they were logged into their Google account. However, Google has now updated their algorithm to deliver personalised results to all users worldwide, even those who aren’t logged into their Google account. The result is that more and more often we will each see different results when we conduct a search, even for the same query.

For example, let’s say you regularly conduct searches for the term ‘eagle’. Without personalised search Google is unlikely to tell whether you are a fan of the large flying bird, the rather beautiful Jaguar E-type or perhaps even the band of ‘Hotel California’ fame. However, you’re a bird lover, so with personalised search, over time, Google will begin to put two and two together as you click on listings that are bird related. As a result of this realisation, the bird related content you are interested in occupies more and more of the search results, sifting out, or moving down the page, information on Jaguars and the band that you have shown no interest in through your click patterns.

Therefore, personalised search has the potential to serve you very different search results than you would have received before its introduction.

If you would rather that your search results are not personalised in this way then you do have the ability to opt-out completely. You can do this quite easily by clicking on the “Web History” link positioned to the top right of the search results.

You will then be presented with the following page. Once on this page click on the “Disable customisations based on search activity” link and hey presto your results will no longer be affected by your past search history.

However, even if you do opt-out of personalised search, Google will still log what you search as it always has done. The only difference is that it won’t personalise your search results using that information.

Why has personalised search been introduced?

So why has Google rolled out personalised search to all users worldwide? The most obvious reason for this development is that Google is trying to serve individual users with tailored results which prove to be more relevant. Therefore users are more likely to see listings in the results which satisfy what they were looking for. This in turn increases their satisfaction with Google’s search experience, increasing the likelihood that Google will be first choice for their next search.

On an official level Google says:

“When you search using Google, you get more relevant, useful search results, recommendations, and other personalised features. By personalising your results, we hope to deliver you the most useful, relevant information on the Internet.”

So that’s personalised search and how it works. In part 2, I’ll explore what means in terms of your digital marketing efforts?

Until then…

Froggblog top posts of 2009

Posted on by Ben Potter

As we draw towards the end of 2009, we thought it would be useful to compile a list of the most useful articles from the Froggblog written by our team of experts over the course of the last 12 months. It is by no means a definitive list of the key events of 2009 (there have been just too many for us to find the time to write about all of them!). However, there has been some really useful advice shared by our team this year, so with that, here we go…

Strategy

Looking to succeed online? Be guided by these three words

Acquisition, conversion and retention should be at the centre of your digital marketing strategy. Ben Potter explains why.

Digital marketing snakes and ladders

Client Relations Manager, Christos, provides some great advice on developing and maintaining a fruitful relationship with your agency.

All good things come in threes; search, social media and content is another

Ben Potter explains the intrinsic relationship between search, social media and content-based marketing techniques and why they need to work together as part of an integrated digital marketing strategy.

The importance of customer care ‘after the click’

Dan Richardson endured a frustrating afternoon with a customer services rep; this got him angry and he blogged about it with advice all brands should take heed of.

Website Optimisation

Pretty websites do not automatically win popularity contests

Website optimisation executive, Claire Mason, looks at why a successful website has to do a lot more than simply look good.

Quick tips to increase your online conversion rate

It’s one thing getting visitors to your website but quite another turning them into customers. Suzanne Taylor offers some quick tips aimed at increasing those all-important conversion rates.

Improving your bounce rates…Jump to it!

More advice on making your website more sticky!

The case of SEO ‘Boondoggle’ – Leapfrogg’s view

Search guru Jill Whalen wrote a thought provoking article earlier in the year debunking many of the SEO myths that agencies and individuals, in the worse cases, hoodwink their clients into believing are more important than perhaps they actually are. Claire Mason gives her view.

Logical URL structure that benefits users and search engines

The structure of your website sets the foundations for how search engines spider and index your content, and also the ease by which visitors navigate the site to reach the point of conversion. A logical site structure is therefore integral to the success of your digital marketing efforts. Suzanne Taylor explains more…

Google Caffeine – SEOs feel the buzz!

Back in August, all the talk was about a new faster Google with better indexing capability, speed and accuracy of search results. Claire Mason carried out some early testing.

How to optimise your site for Bing

Another big story in 2009 was the release of Bing; Microsoft’s new search engine. Claire Mason investigated whether this new engine required anything different to the traditional methods of optimising a website.

25 things to remember when launching a new website

Mistakes made when launching a new website are all too common and can have some pretty dire consequences. Account Manager, Laurence West, well experienced in these matters provides an extensive checklist of things to consider when taking down your old website and launching a replacement.

Copywriting

How to sell your web copy

Some quick-tips from in-house copywriter Matt Crick on creating great web copy.

Syndicating content without losing authority

Publishing content, such as articles, online is a great way of extending your reach and gaining links. But you want to ensure that you are credited with being the originator of this content. Some tips from Suzanne on how.

How to create and formulate an effective blog schedule

Blogging in undoubtedly an important tool for the vast majority of online marketers. But all too often writers are stuck for ideas. If this is the case, you need to create a blog schedule for those moments where inspiration is not forthcoming. Matt explains how.

Social Media

Social capital, getting among the buzz, and what this all means

A good overview of social media and what it all means from in-house consultant Catherine Pryce.

Video: Social media tools you can start using today, for free!

Earlier this year I delivered a seminar on the beauty of free social media tools. Unbeknown to me the whole thing was recorded!

Twitter – A Quick Start Guide

If they handed out an award for social media tool of the year, Twitter would get it. There has been a huge amount of buzz around it and even I was converted! Some useful tips on how to get started.

Paid Search

Top tips on setting up your Google AdWords campaign for maximum ROI

Advice from Paid Search extraordinaire Amelia Dawson on setting up your Paid Search campaign to ensure maximum ROI.

Top tips on optimising your Paid Search campaign to maximise ROI

Part two of Amelia’s mission to stop you wasting money on Paid Search; this time, how to optimise your campaign on an ongoing basis.

How the Yahoo-Microsoft deal will affect SME paid search campaigns

Another major news story in 2009 was the Yahoo – Microsoft deal. Amelia went straight to work investigating what this means for those currently advertising across both networks.

Paid Search; bidding on competitors brand terms…the why’s and wherefores

Just because Google now allows you to bid on competitor brand names, it doesn’t mean you should! Amelia explains the pros and con’s.

That just leaves me to thank our team for some useful and insightful articles over the course of 2009 and to you, our readers, for tuning in. Expect the Froggblog to continue evolving next year, especially in light of a new niche offering we will be announcing during the early part of 2010.

Merry Xmas and a prosperous New Year!

Paid Search; bidding on competitors brand terms…the why’s and wherefores

Posted on by Amelia Pratt

In running Paid Search campaigns for our clients a frequent question we receive is whether a) they can bid on their competitors brand terms and b) whether they should.

Back in June 09, Google announced a major change to its trademark policy which meant that keywords (in a search query) could not be protected by a trademark.  This effectively allowed competitors to begin bidding on previously trademarked keywords without causing an investigation by Google (and subsequently being removed).

Whilst you can now bid on trademarked terms you are still not allowed to use trademarked terms in advert copy unless you have authorisation from the trademark owner.

So, yes it is not “illegal” to bid on your competitor’s terms.  Your ads will not be taken down by Google as long as your adverts are clearly marketing your own business and not impersonating the brand you are bidding on.

Now, let’s analyse the “should”…

As I always tell my clients, the choice of bidding on your competitors brand terms depends on the goals and strategy of your business.  Yes, bidding on competitors brand terms will increase your brand visibility and drive quality leads that may not have found you previously, but I would ask you to consider the possible negative effects:

1. As you would be bidding on another company’s brand term, your website would have a very low relevancy to that search query.  Google would therefore penalise you with a low quality score, meaning that your first page minimum bids would be very high.  This would not be cheap traffic, and will negatively affect the quality score of your overall campaign.

2. If you begin bidding on a competitors brand term, it would be a natural reaction for them to start bidding on your brand term.  You need to think about the potential reduction in visitors and conversions this may have where you are listed in the natural listings for your brand term.

3. If competitors begin to bid on your brand term you will need to (if you have not already) start bidding on your own brand term to ensure that you are protecting your brand, and losing as little traffic as possible to your competitors advert.  This may mean that additional budget would need to be allocated to paid search.

If your business can a) stomach the high/increased costs and b) take a hit on your natural traffic, then bidding on your competitor’s terms may be highly effective for you.

Whatever your paid search strategy, I would always recommend testing each and every element of it.  Therefore if you choose to begin bidding on your competitors brand terms I would recommend that you test it for a month and then analyse performance.

Key points to remember are:

1. Don’t be disconcerted by small traffic volumes from competitors brand terms.  The traffic volumes are not going to be incredibly high (and the bounce rates most probably quite high) because people are looking for a specific brand/company and not necessarily wanting to be distracted by another company.

2. TURN OFF KEYWORD INSERTION for any ad groups that contain competitors brand terms.  If you use keyword insertion in your ad titles, the competitor’s term will come up in your advert which can get you in trouble for impersonating the brand and/or trying to falsely lead traffic to your site on the assumption you are another company.  Google sees this as both a poor user experience and an infringement on trademark laws.  This is very important – don’t overlook this otherwise you will have their lawyers on the phone!

So, as you can see there is no definitive yes or no answer to whether bidding on competitors brand terms is a good or bad thing.  However, think about the points above and if you choose to begin bidding on competitors terms TEST the results and then analyse the data.

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment below or pop me a direct message on twitter

Improving your bounce rates…Jump to it!

Posted on by admin

What are bounce rates and how do they affect me? I hear you ask…

Well, for starters, Google Analytics defines a bounce as any visit where the visitor arrives on a site and views only one page before they exit. So, in the eyes of a search engine, high bounce rates are a good indicator of a poor site experience or perhaps demonstrate the site’s lack of relevance to the search query entered by the user. Therefore, this means that bounce rates could be a significant factor affecting search engine rankings.

So, the relevance of bounce rates to you, as a site owner, is that not only will high bounce rates potentially reduce your rankings, but it also means you’re losing out on conversions.

But where can I find out how bouncy my site is? (Unfortunately not a particularly technical term but I like it)

You can take a look at bounce rates for specific pages on your site via its Google Analytics account. When investigating bounce rates on your site, keep in mind that in Internet terms, 50% is a moderate bounce rate so a page with a bounce rate below this is good news.

However, if you find that your pages have bounce rates higher than the 50% bench mark then you may wish to take some action to encourage visitors to move past the entry page and peruse the site further.

But how do I improve my bounce rates?

Hey presto! You’re in luck…below I have compiled some points you should consider in order to improve your page bounce rates and ultimately increase rankings and conversions. So sit up straight and pay attention…pens at the ready? Let’s go…

Navigation and Layout

  • Is the navigation and page layout consistent with the rest of the site?
  • Are there links to related pages (or products on an e-commerce site) to encourage navigation through the site?
  • Is the key information positioned above the fold of the page? A gripping image as an eye catcher and a short teaser paragraph are also key for encouraging visitors to stay on the site / convert for you.
  • Is there a sufficient amount of white space? Are there too many distractions putting the visitor off completing a conversion?

Copy

  • Think about the layout of your copy…Is the text broken up? Do you use bullet points? Have you bolded out important words? Think about making your copy as easy to read as possible for visitors.
  • Does the page include visible calls to action encouraging visitors to take a particular action? It is especially important that these appear above the fold of the page.
  • Are titles within your page copy bold and clear at the top of the page so the visitor can clearly see what the page is about?
  • Is there a sufficient amount of optimised content on the page to engage visitors? We usually recommend approximately 150 – 200 words per page. Remember to include relevant keywords in your copy.
  • Is the font a reasonable size making your content easier to read?

General

  • Are your contact details visible on every page in case the visitor has a question regarding your services or products? Can visitors tell how to contact you?
  • Do you provide good quality, high resolution images?
  • Does the site offer a search function in case the visitor cannot find what they are looking for on the landing page?

Points to consider for an e-commerce product page

  • Can visitors tell what to click on to place an order? Is there a “Buy now” button available above the fold of the page?
  • Can visitors find price information on the product?
  • Is there a sufficient description of the product / service on offer?

When considering your bounce rates please be aware that although the lower the bounce rate the better, this does not account for visitors who may be finding your site and contacting you straight away. These visitors may still be enquiring however as they do not navigate through your site, they will also be classed as a bouncing visitor.

All in all, anything which improves the usability of your website will have a positive knock on effect on your bounce rates and will likely increase conversions. Implementing any of the recommendations above is a quick, simple and effective way of improving bounce rates on your site, so what are you waiting for? Jump to it!