Keyword Tool updated with search volume data

Based on advertiser feedback, and our commitment to provide useful tools and information for our advertisers, we've now added search volume data to the Keyword Tool. Now, when you use the Keyword Tool to search for relevant keywords to include in your keyword list, you'll be able to see the approximate number of search queries matching your keywords that were performed on Google and the search network. These approximate numbers are intended to provide better insight into keywords' monthly and average search volumes than previously provided by the tool.

Here's a screenshot of the updated Keyword Tool:

(Click the image for a full-size version)

You can view the new statistics by looking at the Keyword Tool's Approx Search Volume columns. Search volume data can be useful to you in several ways, including:

• Account structure: You may want to create a new ad group around high-traffic keywords that you find particularly relevant. Closely target ad text and a specific landing page to the small, narrowly-focused set of similar keywords you've found through the Keyword Tool.
  
  
• Budget planning: See how much traffic is available to your keywords so you can better plan your budget.
  
  
• Keyword choice: Search for and select the relevant keywords most likely to return quality leads within your budget.
  

Remember, the Keyword Tool also provides several other keyword-related metrics that can help you select highly relevant keywords to improve the overall performance of your campaigns. You can easily view data on advertiser competition, search volume trends, estimated average CPCs, and estimated ad positions for keywords.

To learn more about using the Keyword Tool, please see this article from the AdWords Help Center.

Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Inside AdWords crew

Upcoming traditional media webinars

In preparation for the upcoming back-to-school season, our Traditional Media team will host two free webinars specifically for retailers gearing up for the Fall shopping rush. During the sessions, we will provide some insight into who is shopping, and how you can target back-to-school consumers with any of our three traditional media products: Print Ads, Audio Ads, and TV Ads. For more detailed information on the webinars, you can visit the Traditional Media blog.

The first session will be this Thursday, July 10th, at 10:00AM PDT, and the second will take place Wednesday, July 23rd -- also at 10:00AM PDT. To sign up for either session, visit the webinar registration page.

Posted by Heather Lane, Inside AdWords crew

My Mac Genius and My Personal Banker

I have fallen completely in love with the Apple Store and all of the Mac Geniuses that work there. Then I found myself wondering why I don't feel that way about my bank (weird, I know, but I am always thinking of ways to make my bank and my clients even more successful!).

For my birthday, I bought myself a Macbook laptop and am using it for everything. But that's not what this is about. When I made the purchase, I was given the option to also purchase 52 sessions of one-on-one "Personal Training" with a Mac Genius. It was $99 and I bought it. I am now able to go to the Apple Store once a week for a one-hour personal training session for A FULL YEAR to learn about everything from how to get started with my Macbook to how to take better digital pictures (and edit those no so great photos!).

It got me thinking about us bankers and the jargon we use. Do you really think that your typical consumer understands this conversation:

"Oh, you want a HELOC? Well, let's take a look at your LTV and see if we can't decrease the percentage first."

HUH? He-lock...Is that what you call the armed guard at the door? And LTV...I don't want an off road vehicle. And why on earth would I want to decrease anything at a bank...except a loan rate of course.

You and I have been doing this for a long time and understand the terminology. But do our customers understand it? NO. I would argue that most of our customers don't understand what we do outside of checking accounts, savings accounts and mortgages. And that's not even the cool stuff.

Many of you have staff whose title is "Personal Banker." But what does that mean? To me, that means that there is one guy claiming to be my account manager that I can ask for when I walk in the front door. He does not know my name and doesn't understand what I do because he doesn't ask.

So, as an industry, what if we got into personal training? Helping our customers understand what we do.

What if we committed one hour a week for a full year to each of our customers...or maybe just those who opted for it by purchasing the right account or paid for the service?

It should be by appointment only, and if you don't come this week, the session is lost...you can't get it back or come twice next week. It gives our customers a reason to be faithful, make better financial decisions, better understand their financial needs and set some longer term goals.

This could be the opportunity of a lifetime to create the perfect customer. It may seem like a huge undertaking, but really, many of you already have the staff in place with the appropriate titles. Why don't you make them live up to it?

Go to an Apple Store and ask them what they do. Ask about the Genius title and how they earned it. If the banks that experience the most success are modeling their service standards after Disney, Ritz-Carlton and Starbucks, why not consider the Apple Store as well?

Go for it. Take a risk, and improve financial literacy along the way!

Jenna

Reminder: Trifecta Webinar Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder about tomorrow's free Google webinar, which we mentioned in more detail in a post last week. It's not too late to sign up:

TITLE: The Google Trifecta: Webmaster Tools, Analytics, Website Optimizer
DATE: Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
TIME: 9:00 - 10:00 am PT (Pacific Time)
JOIN US: Register to attend (free)

Get firsthand exposure to Webmaster Tools, Google Analytics and Website Optimizer from Googlers who work on them. We'll talk about each tool individually and also discuss how you can use them together to improve your SEO, SEM and website conversion efforts.

Posted by Jeff Gillis, Google Analytics Team

Google Analytics and Ad Planner

Since the announcements of Google Trends for Websites and Google Ad Planner last week, we've gotten lots of interest from agencies and advertisers excited about the opportunity to expand their media plans to sites that they might have overlooked before. But we've also noticed some confusion as to how Google Analytics data might be used in those products, and we'd like to clear that up.

Google Analytics doesn't share individual, site-level information with Google Trends for Websites or Google Ad Planner. These products gather data from multiple sources, then check the data against anonymous, aggregate, industry benchmarking data within Google Analytics. This helps Google Trends for Websites and Google Ad Planner calibrate category data and correct for under- or over-reporting in certain verticals. The benchmarking data comes from Google Analytics customers who've chosen to share their data in aggregate (see our earlier blog post).

Your data confidentiality is important to us, and we're committed to preserving your trust in us.

You can check out Google Trends for Websites for yourself here or sign up for the Google Ad Planner beta here. More information is available on the Trends for Websites Help page and on the Google Ad Planner Help Center.

Posted by Brett Crosby, Google Analytics Team

Attention to marketing detail

A few days ago I was sorting the mail into "yours" and "mine" piles when I came across an unexpected letter from Compass Bank (no sense in protecting their name in that they were comfortable enough to send these pieces to me in the mail!). Inside the envelope was a florescent-reddish, letter-sized paper with an equally bright lime-green piece inside of it (1/3 page to be specific). Seriously? Are those colors are good for communicating anything other than a garage sale, graduation party or family reunion?

The red page looked like it was created in a standard word processing program and included the headline, "Just imagine what you can do with the equity in your home." It had a good rate. I think the four very tiny-printed (I am guessing 10 point or smaller) paragraphs were probably supposed to entice me to call them ASAP. The typical rules, regulations, compliance, yadda yadda yadda, took up the bottom third of the page. I am a nerd for banking and actually read the disclosures. If I don't get it, the average homeowner won't either.

The funny thing is that there was a space that would probably be considered "white space" in an ordinary ad that had markings for something to be pasted in...about the size of a business card. Instead of pasting a business card to this letter, they simply typed, "Call Misty or Gina" and included a phone number. UGH!

As for the green piece, apparently Misty and Gina can't help me with anything else because Mark is the Mortgage Banking Officer that can save me $300 in closing costs. Here's a list of my rants about his piece:

1. It was 1/3 of a page and wasn't cut straight. If you want credibility, cut the paper straight. If that's too hard, you can always take it to a second grade classroom and ask them for help.
2. The text overlapped the border. If you use text boxes, make sure that when you print the document that ALL OF THE TEXT IS INSIDE THE BOX. Even the above mentioned second graders would notice that someone didn't "write inside the lines!"
3. The border was only on three sides of the piece. Seriously. I am guessing that one of two things happened. Either a.) it got cut off; or b.) the banker couldn't figure out how to make the border go around each of the bottom, middle and top thirds of the page and declared this to be "good enough."

I am going to go out on a limb and guess that there was some kind of internal challenge and incentive for the most HELOCs opened but there was no support from marketing. Maybe marketing didn't know the challenge had been given.

I know I am rambling a little, but here are my ponits:

1. Be involved in every product and service promotion your bank offers.
2. Ask your officers how you can help and what material you can provide.
3. Develop some brand standards and hold all staff accountable for them.

Take the time to make today an extraordinary day! Have a safe and exciting 4th of July!

Jenna

Announcing Google's official traditional media blog

About a month ago, we gave you a quick overview of Google's offline advertising offerings: TV, Print, and  Audio Ads -- all of which fall under the umbrella of what we call 'traditional media'. Today, we're pleased to announce that the TV, Print, and Audio Ads teams have launched Let's Take it Offline, the official blog to help you get the most out of your offline ad campaigns. Our traditional media blog will keep you up-to-date on the latest feature launches, product updates, tips, and industry findings. 

We hope you'll visit the new blog regularly to learn more and stay abreast of our offline advertising products.

Posted by Emel Mutlu, Inside AdWords crew