The AdWords team brings its Ad Innovations to Search Engine Strategies New York

It’s that time of year again - the AdWords team is making its annual pilgrimage to New York for Search Engine Strategies. If you’re planning on attending the conference, we’d love you to stop by and meet the team. We’ll have senior AdWords and DoubleClick executives presenting our newest ad innovations as well as a booth full of knowledgeable Google staffers to answer your questions.

Here are a few Google sessions to put on your SES agenda (for the full Google schedule, refer to the SES website):

DoubleClick Search V3 Preview
Tuesday, March 22, 1:30-2:30pm

Over the past few months, the Google team has been hard at work on an upgraded version of DoubleClick Search - a tool that allows you to manage search campaigns across the major search engines in one interface. With significant improvements in speed, intuitive design, and new features, DoubleClick Search V3 is being built to make your life as a search marketing professional much easier. See how we’re innovating in this area and get a preview of the upgraded product.
Speakers:

• Ariel Bardin, Director of Product Management
• Scott Silver, Director of Engineering

Ad Innovations
Wednesday, March 23 1:00-2:00pm

Search funnels and site links and and call metrics - oh my! Take a crash course in the latest AdWords innovations. Discover new ad formats, tools to simplify and automate account management, new ways to scale your ads across the Google Network, and more. For a sneak preview, visit: www.google.com/ads/innovations/
Speakers:

• Jeff Gillis, Product Marketing Manager, Search Funnels and Analytics
• Dan Friedman, Product Marketing Manager, New Ad Formats
• Aleandra Kenin, Product Marketing Manager, Opportunities tab and ACE
• Jessie Marmon Haines, Group Product Marketing Manager, Mobile

Ads in a Quality Score World (Panel)
Wednesday, March 23 3:45-4:45pm

More and more, ranking well in paid search listings is less and less about how much you pay and more about the "quality" of your ad campaign. But what goes into making up your quality score? In this panel, we'll take a closer look at quality factors and give tips on increasing the perceived relevancy of your campaigns.
Speaker:

• Frederick Vallaeys, AdWords Evangelist, Google

We hope to see you in New York. If you can’t make it to SES in person, join in on the fun by exploring our new features on our Ad Innovations site or by keeping up with the AdWords Facebook page and @adwords Twitter account. We’ll be posting ad innovation-related information to these forums frequently over the course of next week.

Posted by Dan Friedman, Inside AdWords crew

Spring is in the air...and motivation is all around us!

I look around and see people going for walks, kids outside playing, plants and flowers starting to grow, birds chirping, the grass is starting to get green - It's that time of year to get active and motivated! It's time for rebirth, renewal and regrowth.
















There is no better time of year to get a fresh start, spawn fresh creative and ideas, refresh your mind and energy. Its amazing what some fresh spring air will do to clear the mind and dust off the cobwebs of winter. We all get the winter blues - get burnt out on the cold air, gray skies and the mucky mess outside. The change of seasons is a great motivator. Take the opportunity and extra spark that Spring brings to finish the lingering projects you have been putting off, tie up those loose ends, back-up files, update your systems and get things tidy and in order for a new quarter.

A quick list of simple things you can do to really get motivated and get an exciting fresh start for the season:

• Back up all of your files
• Clear your desk
• Open your windows and let some fresh air in
• Do any cleaning or equipment maintenance
  
• Get out, enjoy something active, feel the warmth of the sun
• Pack up your snow boots and winter coat
• Go out on the town, be social

Until next time,
Jeremy

Things to Consider Before You Name Your Business

I don't know about you, but I love a good checklist! I suppose you may have figured that out, since I love to make lists! Goal lists, dream lists, to-do lists, etc. I'm sharing my list of "Things to Consider Before You Name Your Business" as my "Tutorial Thursday" post today. Although it's not technically a tutorial, I think a checklist qualifies!  

Even a few years ago, most people were doing a good job if they were checking GoDaddy.com to make sure their biz name URL was available before selecting their business name.  Today, there are a few other important things to consider, thanks to the importance of social media and the way folks are using it. 


Things to Consider When Naming Your Business

1. Determine the top search terms/trends related to your business category.  Do you know what search terms people are using most often when searching in your business category? Google has an amazing tool to help with this, called Google Insights for Search! Use Google Insights for Search to track search trends and top search terms.  It's also super-helpful if you're aware of your biz category overall, but are not so sure about the popularity of niches within your category.  For example, if you're starting a blog/website about cooking, it will be helpful to be aware of search trends related to cooking and recipes.  Did you know the most-searched recipe-related search terms are: "chicken recipes", followed by "food recipes", then "easy recipes", and then "cake recipes".  Great information to know! Even if you already have a biz name, site and blog established, this tool is great for brainstorming about future blog topics / web pages.

2. Is the web domain available for your (new) company name? www.Godaddy.com has a tool to provide you with this information. Very handy!

3. Will the company name fit into 15 characters or less for a Twitter handle? For example, the wonderful Jacqueline Whitmore uses @etiquetteexpert as her Twitter handle.  It's a perfect 15 characters! If your biz name is wordy, it may not fit well.  Sure, you can abbreviate a word, but you don't want to have to do this for every word in your biz name!

4. Is the Facebook Business page name available? For example, visit www.facebook.com/yournewbiznamehere and see if someone else has already taken the name. This is something you'll want to know, and will be helpful when considering your business name. 

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005.  If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or  RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

Looking towards the future of Google Analytics

Today at the Google Analytics User Conference in San Francisco, we shared a look at a new version of Google Analytics. We’ve also reached out to a small group of Analytics users to participate in the testing. If you’re part of this group you’ll see a link to the new version in your Analytics account. We’re starting small, and we’ll gradually roll the new version out to everyone.

Our goals for the new version are to make it easier and faster to get to the data you want and to enhance the Google Analytics platform to bring you major new functionality. Many of the changes in the new version are the result of your feedback. For example, you can now view multiple advanced segments without needing to also use All Visits. You’ll find some of the other most requested features like multiple dashboards in the new version as well.

We’ll be sharing many more details about what’s new along the way with a new series on the blog focused exclusively on the new Analytics. In the meantime, if you want to be considered for the test, visit the beta sign-up page. Using the new version won’t change how Google Analytics reports your website traffic, and you can continue to use the current version while testing the new Analytics.

As you start using the new Google Analytics, you should also check out the updated Google Analytics Help Center and the Report Finder, which will show you where to find your favorite reports in the new version. We’ve also set up a new category in the Help Forum where you can ask questions and discuss the new version.

This release wouldn’t have been possible without your feedback. Please continue to send us your feedback as you start using the new interface.

Happy analyzing!

UPDATE: 3/17/11 1:40pm PST, we fixed an issue that prevented us from collecting sign-ups. If you signed-up before 1:40pm PST, please sign-up again: beta sign-up page.

Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Google Analytics Team

What an 6 year old can teach us about customer motivation.

My 6 year old daughter took up Irish Dancing about 6 months ago (she's the redhead in the photo). For 6 months she's been practicing every day and learning new steps. Finally, last week, she had her fist recital and did great!

She loves her Irish Dancing, but since her recital, she can't stop talking about it.

Stay with me, there's a banking point here ... recognition!

Just a little recognition or reward can help to motivate a consumer.

• A congratulations notice when a customer hits savings milestones
• An "your almost there" notice when a loan is paid down to a limit
• Hand written thank you notes when someone opens a new account or makes a large deposit

Think about how you can do the little things to recognize your customers and reignite the spark of interest, excitement or fun that they felt when they first walked into your branch.

Have a blessed and safe St. Patty's day - a day when we're all Irish Dancers.

Take care,

Eric

Tsunami/Earthquake Tweets and Making a Difference

Today’s “Twitter Tuesday” will be focused twitter accounts/tweets helping to spread the word/make a difference in reference to the Japan tsunami/quake disaster. 

There are several hashtags being used on Twitter for the Japan tsunami/quake, including:

#helpJapan

#tsunami

#Japan

#prayforJapan

#earthquake

@AlertNet, the world’s humanitarian news site, set up a page to pull together the various tsunami related tweets/photos tweeted in LIVE time.  Visit the page: http://alertnetlive.trust.org/Event/Japan_earthquake_and_Pacific_tsunami

If you haven’t already, please consider texting REDCROSS to 90999 from your mobile device.  You’ll get a text back right away asking you to confirm your $10 donation.  Your donation will automatically come out of your next cell phone bill.

Counting Our Blessings...

Laura

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005.  If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or  RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

Winners...and 2nd Place

March...

The beginning of spring, warmer weather, flowers and BASKETBALL!

As we noted with our March Madness blog, the college basketball phenomenon that is about to grip the country starts in t-minus 2 days...with the First Four being played in our hometown of Dayton!

This time of year reminds me of the Winners and 2nd place.  What is the difference?  Many times it is timing of good play, a lucky run, a hot shooter, or a coach that simply can elevate his team.

However, I recently read a Sports Illustrated article on predictions based on statistics.  In the Tourney run, the better the season strength of schedule, the more rebounds, the higher the turnover-generated margin, and the better the 3-point conversion rate...the better the proven chances of winning.  Each of these play an important role in the regular season, but collectively greatly impact the post season.

The lesson?

The regular routines are what will get you to the dance, but the focus on the little things are what will get you the "WIN!"

Routine service and strong operations get you to the dance....but the life stage focused solutions, extra service efforts, and value-added products are what get you the win.

Review your process today...score yourself:

• 1-point for having a service measurement program
• 1-point for measuring % of channel usage (branch, ATM, debit card, etc.)
• 2-points for having a marketing dashboard
• 2 points for having monthly "share and compare" meetings
• 3-points for having a Service Champion award
• 3-points for creating an internal "great idea" submission process
• 4-points for having a semi-annual product review process
• 10-points for monitoring 5 mission critical ratios that move your business

If you score 10 or more points, you are on your way to the Sweet 16!

Have fun with March...and let's look forward to a productive 2nd quarter!

Cheers!

Bruce