What This Means For You:

Certified By Google
Adam has passed the official Google Analytics Individual Qualification test, demonstrating a thorough knowledge in all areas of Google Analytics.

More Expertise
Adam completed Google’s analytics training course, and now has even more expertise to help you robustly track your website visitors and make accurate business decisions based on complete and accurate data.

How You Can Benefit
Adam can help you use web analytics more effectively, through training, consulting and/or implementation. Contact us for help with anything from basic Analytics training to help creating advanced segments or custom reports!

Of course, we will continue to use Google Analytics for conversion optimization to aggressively track traffic and conversion data.

Although it is true that Google personalizes search results based on the user’s search history (and now you don’t even have to be logged in to Google for this personalization to take place), the differences between personalized results and non-personalized results are relatively minor. Check for yourself. Get in the habit of re-running your queries — the second time adding &pws=0 to the end of Google SERP URL — and observing how much (or how little) everything shifts around.

I’m not sure about that…

I recently did several searches for keywords related to Florida travel, and clicked through to visitflorida.com several times. Then I searched for “travel” and got this:

Note that visitflorida.com is ranked #2. After turning personalization off, however, this website did not appear anywhere in the first 200 results! That’s a pretty huge jump in rankings based on personalization.

Stephan may have meant that most of the 10 websites ranked on the first page remain there, regardless of personalization. That’s true – usually personalization only substantially changes the rankings of a few websites. However, the changes can be drastic for the websites that are re-ranked.

Hello Zach,

Thanks for emailing me to link a client account (Customer ID xxx-xxx-xxxx) to
your MCC ( xxx-xxx-xxxx). You weren’t able to link the
accounts because the would-be client account is using a beta billing
interface, which makes it unable to be managed by an MCC. The new
interface is being tested on just a limited number of new accounts, and
we’re working to give them full functionality as soon as possible. I’m
sorry for the inconvenience, and I wanted to offer you a couple of
options. Please reply to this email and let me know which you’d prefer.

Zach’s Notes: This new interface (at least the version in my clients’ account) only offers post-pay billing. However to spice up the menu, the interface offers a new payment option for post-pay billing: an automatic withdrawal from a checking account.

OPTION 1: You can create a new account through the link in your My

Client Center

Use the link in your MCC to create a new account, which ensures that the
client account will have the compatible billing interface. Then, close the old
client account. I’ll be happy to send you step-by-step directions for this, if
this is the option you choose.

– This can be done immediately so you get the new account running as
soon as possible.
– We will apply a credit for the $5 activation fee.
– This is the preferred option if your agency creates client accounts
itself and just happened to have created this one outside your MCC, or if
you need to link accounts to your MCC quickly.

OPTION 2: Ask us to move this client account to the previous billing
interface

We’ll switch the client account to the MCC-compatible billing interface.
This will take 1-2 business days. We’ll email you when the switch is
complete, after which you can link the client account to your MCC using
the regular method.
– This process will delete the billing information in the client account,
and the account will stop serving ads until you or the client signs in and
enters new billing information.
– This is the preferred option if you need to keep the same sign-in
email, or if the account has already been serving ads and you’d like to
keep its historical data.

Please let me know which option you’d like to take, and we’ll continue
from there. Thanks for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Jessie B.
The Google AdWords Team

8 http://www.propeller.com/
7 http://multiply.com
7 http://www.folkd.com
7 http://tumblr.com/
7 http://www.blinklist.com/
7 http://www.connotea.org/
7 http://claimid.com/
6 http://www.kwoff.com/
6 http://www.spurl.net/
5 http://spotback.com/
5 http://www.gabbr.com
5 http://linkatopia.com/
5 http://mobiseer.com/
5 http://www.fcc.com/
5 http://buzzup.com/
5 http://www.stumpedia.com/
5 http://web2list.com/
5 http://www.agglom.com/
5 http://www.abrexa.co.uk/
5 http://freecodemomma.com/
5 http://searchles.com/
4 http://www.a1-webmarks.com/
4 http://www.medical-articles.net/
4 http://www.wagg.it/
4 http://quadriot.com/
4 http://contentpop.com/
4 http://www.dekgigg.com/
4 http://www.therealpassport.com/
4 http://www.websapiens.net/
4 http://www.oyax.com/
4 http://www.stylid.org/
4 http://www.memfrag.com/
4 http://www.mylinkvault.com/
4 http://www.bookfizz.com/
4 http://www.totalpad.com/
3 http://www.b2blocal.net/
3 http://www.cylive.com/
3 http://www.chaamp.com/
3 http://www.th3scoop.com/
3 http://afunpark.com/
3 http://www.cadillactight.net/
3 http://www.bestofindya.com/
3 http://www.googletop.net/
3 http://www.bookmark4you.com/
3 http://www.blogbookmark.com/
3 http://youmob.com/
3 http://fuzzfizz.com/
3 http://www.joseluispretto.com
3 http://www.addictionaire.com
3 http://citijournalist.com/
3 http://www.informednetworker.com
3 http://sacratings.com/
3 http://earthfrisk.com/
3 http://www.iarocketry.org/
3 http://www.mycartel.co.uk/
3 http://mikeswire.com/
3 http://www.webmaster911.com/
3 http://www.ciudadlaberinto.info/
3 http://www.faqpal.com
3 http://newsgarbage.com/
3 http://rssmedia.org
3 http://www.webbiru.com/
2 http://www.business-planet.net/
2 http://paie.cn
2 http://newskicks.com/
2 http://tagza.com/
2 http://www.ziki.com.au/
2 http://www.easymash.com/
2 http://www.iorkut.net
2 http://www.societyweb.info/
2 http://subbmitt.com/
2 http://clixwlix.com/
2 http://www.kabuls.com/
2 http://www.adusum.org/
2 http://www.tedigo.net
2 http://www.wedelia.com/
2 http://tagqu.com/
2 http://bookmarks.directory-list.com/
2 http://www.financigg.com/
2 http://www.kkball.com/
2 http://bukmark.net/
2 http://goboom.search4i.com/bookmark-details
2 http://www.jackool.com
2 http://www.mimeetings.com/
1 http://socialitect.com/
1 http://markpad.org/
1 http://tagzio.com/
1 http://tungaw.com
1 http://www.linkvote.com/
1 http://listyoururl.com/
1 http://plugnutz.com/
1 http://beamark.com/
1 http://www.kabulis.com/
1 http://www.pinoyglobe.com/
1 http://dugstories.com/
1 http://jetmarks.com/
1 http://www.bloob.net/
1 http://feeltheweb.net/
1 http://dig.gr
1 http://www.indianbytes.com/
1 http://www.bookmark-tag.com

If you are aware of any other PageRank 1+ do follow social bookmarking sites, please post them below to help us keep this list up-to-date! Gracias!

You are in luck, because we are offering 100% free, comprehensive conversion rate optimization services to two webmasters. This service would usually cost between $500 and $1,000, but we are giving it away free – and you could win!

Here is what we will do for your website or landing page:

1. Do a complete conversion analysis to identify areas for improvement.
2. Write new sales copy wherever needed for your site.
3. Create new design elements as needed for your site.
4. Design and implement split test(s) to maximize your conversion rate.

How to get FREE conversion optimization for your website:

We will choose 2 websites to receive free conversion optimization. To enter to win, you just have to do two things:

1: Post on your blog, twitter, or facebook about this contest (include a link to the blog post).

2: Leave a comment on this blog post or email adam@rypmarketing.com with the following:

1. Your name
2. Your website URL
3. What do you consider a conversion? (sale, newsletter signup, etc.)
4. What is your current conversion rate?
5. How are you currently promoting your website/landing page?
6. How many unique visitors does your website/page get per month?
7. Why should we choose you to win free conversion rate optimization?
8. Where have you posted (i.e. your blog or twitter url) about this giveaway?

We will choose the winners no later than September 1st, 2009. Winners will be notified by email.

1: Check Your Headline!

When someone first visits your website, you literally have only a couple seconds to capture their attention and convince them that they need to continue looking at your website. If you don’t do this, they will be off browsing to another website faster than you can say “conversion rate”!

A great headline needs to capture a visitors attention and compellingly present the benefits your website (or product/service) offers them.

2: Check Your Call To Action!

Just as your headline must grab your site visitors’ attention, your call to action must tell them what to do – and convince them that they want to do it. Your call to action must be:

• Compelling (present the benefits you’re offering!)
• Prominent (make it big and hard to miss!)
• Easy (make it as easy as humanly possible to respond to your offer!)

Let’s say for example, that your website’s goal is to generate leads that are interested in purchasing a home in Atlanta, GA. You are offering a free 30-minute consultation to help people get started finding the home they need/want. Just having a link in your navigation that says “Contact Us” won’t work – it is not compelling, prominent, or easy. However, having a prominent link at the bottom of each page that says “Click here to schedule a completely free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation with an Atlanta real estate expert” would be much better.

3: Think Like A Critical Ignoramus

Most websites are written by someone who is an expert in the products/services/information on the website. Quite frankly, many websites are only clear and compelling if you already know what is on them. Look at your website as if you were a prospect. Visit your website and pretend you’ve never seen or heard of it. Then ask yourself these questions:

1. What does this website offer? (you should be able to figure this out without much effort in just a few seconds – if you can’t you have problems!)
2. Why should I stay on this website instead of going to another? (does the website offer something free, have some content that looks like you’ve gotta read it, or offer a great discount?)
3. What am I supposed to do? (if you can’t pick up right away on what you are supposed to do on the website (what is available for you to see and what the call to action is, you’ve got a problem!)

Conclusion

Many websites can improve low conversion rates by just addressing these super-basic issues. If you need help with improving your low conversion rate, check out our conversion optimization services. Check out the website that we boosted conversion rates on by 191%!

I am writing this post to be a super-basic guide to Google Adwords – after you read this article, you’ll need to start learning about the issues I’ve covered in more depth. The purpose of this article is not to teach you everything you need to know about Google Adwords, but to get you started in the right direction.

Steps to Google Adwords Success:

Step 1: Learn From The Experts

The world of Google Adwords can be very confusing at times – if you want to really succeed in this world, you’ll need to start with expert advice. We would suggest that you either hire a Google Adwords consultant, or that you obtain training material from an expert such as Perry Marshall.

Several years ago, it was easier to get started in online marketing – there was less competition, and the rules were simpler. Today’s search marketing world is much tougher, though. I’ve seen too many people get started without proper training and help, only to lose lots of money because they didn’t do it right. It’s very important that you get expert guidance if you want your Adwords campaign to succeed.

Step 2: Get Your Site Right

We’ve seen way too many website owners skip this step – with devastating results. BEFORE you start advertising, make sure your website is ready to be advertised. Is it well designed and easy to use? Does it clearly and compellingly present your business, products, or services? Does it have clear conversion funnels with strong calls to action? A website with a poor conversion rate will only serve to waste advertising money.

Step 3: Pick Your Keywords

The keywords you select are the heart and soul of your Adwords campaign. When selecting keywords, you need to ensure that they are relevant and have the correct commercial intent.

Choosing relevant keywords is pretty simple – if you are selling blue widgets, you should choose keywords like “blue widgets” and “buy blue widgets”, not keywords like “blue horses” or “firefox widget”.

Choosing keywords with the correct commercial intent is a bit trickier. Commercial intent is a non-tangible factor that refers to what people intend to do when they search for a keyword. Start by asking yourself: “When someone searches for this keyword, what are they looking for and can I give them what they want?”. Then ask, “Is someone who is searching for this keyword looking/wanting/ready to purchase my products or services?” If the answer to either question is no, don’t use that keyword. For example, if you sell blue widgets, you probably would NOT want to advertise under these keywords:

blue widget scam
widget insurance
free blue widgets
sell my blue widgets

Note: Oftentimes, determining correct commercial intent is very difficult – sometimes the plural and singular versions of the keyword may even have different commercial intent. In some cases, you just have to test and see which keywords work and which don’t.

Step 4: Watch Your Quality Score

Google applies a Quality Score (QS) to every keyword in your advertising campaign; the score for each keyword can change over time. Quality score is extremely important – Google uses Quality score to help determine if your ads will displaym how high they will be ranked, and how much you will pay per click. If you want your campaign to be a success, you will need high quality scores. A quality score of 7 is a good minimum to aim for.

If you want to learn more about Quality Score, you can start with Google’s article: What is ‘Quality Score’ and how is it calculated?

Step 5: Measure Everything

The difference between a good marketing campaign and a great marketing campaign is testing, or analytics. You need to test everything – which keywords drive conversions, which pages on your website perform well, and even which variations of website sales copy perform best. There are 3 free tools from Google you can use to help you correctly test:

Google Adwords Conversion Tracking – allows you to track which keywords, ads, and ad groups drive conversions.

Google Analytics – gives you comprehensive analytics for your website. This offers all the features of Google Adwords Conversion Tracking plus many, many more.

Google Website Optimizer – allows you to split test different versions of your key page(s) against each other to choose the highest converting version.

Our blog will bring you tips and strategies you can use to impact your bottom line. Sound good? Subscribe to our blog and keep reading!