Haven’t seen it in action yet, but I believe this will really help us understand cause and effect of the optimizations we perform:

Change History tool enhancement: Charting
In the coming weeks, we will be updating the My Change History Tool to include a helpful new addition: Google Finance-like graphs that map change events to account performance metrics such as impressions and clicks. These graphs will give you greater visibility into event causality and arm you with insight into how the changes you make impact your account’s performance.

Just thought you guys should see what this looks like.  By the way, what client’s do we have that would want to advertise on “sexually suggestitive content”? None, right?

Now if you are not a retail site, you can only advertise on Clickriver by keyword category…not keywords.  The current list is below if you are considering it.

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To use category-keywords, create a new ad and add the most relevant category-keyword from the table below to this ad’s keyword list.

For best results, we recommend creating a new ad with creative text that is well-tailored to the category-keyword you plan to use, and then bid on the category-keyword.

All of the category-keywords are highly competitive. Make sure to pair the category-keyword with your most compelling creative, and a high bid.

Since AdWords is a clicks-driven product, we record a user who clicks on your ad and visits your conversion page as a new conversion. If the user later visits your conversion page multiple times within a 30-day period without having clicked on your ad, these visits are seen as multiple ‘transactions.’ 

For example, an additional conversion page visit from a converted user who returns to your site via a browser bookmark would be a transaction.

However, if he or she were to click on your ad again and visit your conversion page, they’d be reported as a new user, and a new conversion.

Thanks Lisa for this!

Here’s a really interesting post on SEOmoz about a recent suit brought against the major players.

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/class-action-trademark-and-anticybersquatting-lawsuit-against-google-and-domain-parkers-gets-the-gre

This is very good news, except it sounds like you still can’t see the performance of individual parked domains in the Google Search network; only the content network:

Parked domains information in Placement Performance reports
If you’ve run a Placement Performance report recently, you know that you can see the individual sites in our content network that displayed your ads. Including the “Special Category” column will introduce line items for parked domains, which are sites in our network utilizing AdSense for Domains. AdSense for Domains allows domain registrars to show relevant ads, rather than empty space, on parked pages.

You’ll now be able to see the specific AdSense for Domains sites that your ads have appeared on, rather than seeing statistics summarized in one consolidated entry. Armed with this information, you can exclude sites that don’t convert well to improve your overall performance on the content network, or you can exclude the parked domains category to prevent your ads from appearing on any AdSense for Domains site in the Google Network.

What’s your SQR IQ? Yes, I know, I know, Google Analytics Bid to Search Term filter does a better job at providing exact query information than the AdWords Search Query Report. However, some of my current and previous clients for various reasons do not/cannot use Google Analytics, so you have to make the most of what you’ve got.

As I’ve promised my colleagues, I would write a blog about the conversation I had with my Google reps last week to drill down what the columns in the Search Query report actually mean. Here are the two most important take-aways for me.

1) Other unique queries - there is not enough data for each query, so they compile and put it in the SQR as “other unique queries” per ad group. Also some search network partners have privacy of information agreements with Google, and won’t/can’t share this information with Google and advertisers. If you see bad performance, you might want to consider turning off Search Network.

2) Match type doesn’t really mean “match type” in the usual sense. The query match type may not be the same as the match type you chose for the keyword that triggered the ad. It really means is the search query in your account - either as a broad, phrase, or exact match type. If it is in your account as any match type, it will be Exact match type on the SQR. If the SQR match type shows as broad or phrase, it means you don’t have the exact query in your account, and you may want to consider adding it to your account either as a keyword or as a negative depending on its performance.

Here’s more info and reminders on how to use the SQR that my rep passed onto me. Hope it helps you!

When you run a search query report (SQR) review the following things:
* Find keywords that are high clicks (these keywords generally cost you more)
* Find keywords that have a high number of impressions and low clicks (your ads are not speaking to the audience)
* Once you’ve identified the above, decide to A) add these keywords into your account to manage bids separately or customize text ads B) add them as negative keywords if they do not match your product offering/services

Finding new keywords and new negative keywords is just one way use this new report. You could also use it to:
* Delete existing keywords and replace them with better targeted keywords
* Create more tightly knit ad groups based on common groups of search queries
* Ensure you’ve selected the correct match type ( i.e. broad, phrase, exact, or negative) for existing keywords

Lastly, it’s important to keep the following points in mind when analyzing a Search Query Performance report:

* The report only includes queries for ads that were shown and clicked on
* The report includes search network data only
* Search query performance data is available from May 2, 2007 and onward

Helpful Links
* SQR FAQs http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=11720
* SQR Match Type (A must read!) http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68074&topic=11720

So, I am sure you all know that Yahoo announced that they are reducing minimum bids below the standard $.10 if you have a good Quality Index score. Here’s what they have not told us:

It’s a roll out.  They started with the “Dating” category and likely wont get to the Finance category until sometime in the fall.  I am supposed to get a list of the categories and when they are going to roll out.  I’ll share more when I know it.

In case they never send me this list: Has anyone seen their minimum bids decrease?

Some notes from various panel discussions at Search Engine Strategies New York City; enjoy: 

• This session was geared towards agencies and smaller SEM’s and gave some great tips on managing clients  search-engine-strategies-managing-pay-per-click-for-multiple-clients.doc 
• In this panel tips were revealed on how to improve link popularity on search engines  search-engine-strategies-link-strategies.doc 
• Heather Lloyd-Martin gave some great tips about to write to both attract search engine spiders and convert traffic search-engine-strategies-seo-writing-strategies.doc 
• Tips and discussion around this technique (link baiting) to increase your SEO ranking  search-engine-strategies-link-baiting.doc

SES Interview about Domain Parking with yours truly

In Google Analytics, if you’re using advanced filters that use custom fields (i.e. for pulling in raw queries), you probably noticed a lack of data over the past few months (we saw it from January 9 - March 10).

We noticed the return of raw query data in our reports on March 11th, so Google has apparently fixed the issue!

Speaking of raw queries, if anyone needs the filters, check out this posting from GA Experts.

For an alternative to creating filters, check out this solution from ROI Revolution. It uses a script instead. This method also allows you to track conversions by raw query, but the downside is that you must use the User Defined Field.

Finally, don’t forget about the Search Query reporting available in AdWords. Since you can track conversions by search query, this can be a useful (although limited in comparison) way to add keywords/negatives.