3 Google Updates for AdWords, DoubleClick Advertisers

Google has released a trio of new updates for AdWords and the DoubleClick network that advertisers should be aware of.

1. Changes to AdWords Conversion Tracking

Google AdWords is changing the way conversions are counted. Although Google hasn't publicly mentioned this change, a large number of advertisers received an email from Google regarding the changes. The new conversion changes will take place this month, but it's likely we will see a more detailed update from the Google when it does actually go live.
Google's email said the changes are meant to make it flexible for how advertisers track their conversions, and specify how to count different conversion actions within their account:

For example, you can choose to count all instances of certain conversion actions (such as sales) while counting only unique instances of other conversion actions (such as leads).

Google is also making changes to how the conversions are represented within the account. The Conversions (many-per-click) column will now be replaced by a new "Conversions" column with additional functionality. This column will count the conversions, based on how the advertiser wants each conversion action to be tracked and counted.
Google's email included a detailed description of how the new conversion tracking will work.
Acme Corp uses AdWords to drive two important conversions: sales of their online tax software and leads for their in-person consultation service. They notice that people often make multiple purchases of their tax software – perhaps separate purchases for state and federal taxes. However, people also fill multiple lead forms. While Acme would like to count every sale as a conversion, they would like to count only unique leads.
If a click on their AdWords ad led to two sales and two leads, the previous conversions (many-per-click) would count four conversions whereas conversions (1-per-click) would only count one. Acme would like to see three conversions: one for each sale, and one for the unique lead. Now with flexible conversion counting, Acme can see the right number of conversions for each conversion action they measure in AdWords.

2. New Search Funnels Attribution Modeling Tool

 

Google announced the new Search Funnels Attribution Modeling Tool. Google said this tool is designed to help advertisers identify keywords that may be actually play a significant role in converting, even if they aren't necessarily the last click prior to conversion:
These reports are called Search Funnels. "Search," of course, refers to people searching on Google. "Funnels" refers to the series of steps your customers take before completing a conversion. Think of it as a passage (or funnel) through which your customer reaches the conversion.
Search Funnels can give you more detailed information about ads, clicks, and other elements that are part of your online campaign. This gives you a better sense of your customers and, ultimately, the effectiveness of the ads and keywords you've created.
The tool examines five different common attribution models in AdWords: last click, first click, linear, position based, and time decay.

3. New DoubleClick Search Commerce Suite

DoubleClick has announced its new Search Commerce Suite. This set of tools is designed to help advertisers easily create and update text ad and PLA campaigns. It includes additional functionality to help advertisers create dynamic product listings.
Today, we're excited to introduce the DoubleClick Search Commerce Suite, a robust toolset offering a smarter, faster, product-centric layer to search management. The suite is comprised of solutions that help you automatically create and update text ad and PLA campaigns based on your product catalog, leverage real-time data to optimize against your product or category-level business goals, and measure it all with flexible, product-based reports.
We designed the DoubleClick Search Commerce Suite with products at the core, letting you efficiently build, manage, and optimize campaigns by seamlessly integrating with your existing product investments. As the only platform directly integrated with Google Merchant Center, we make your product inventory visible and accessible within DoubleClick Search – meaning there's no need to navigate a separate interface, manage a manual upload, or wait for a separate team to deliver product feed data. Instead, anyone on your marketing team can act on live updates, as they happen.
This is also the only product that is directly integrated with Google's Merchant Center.

Article Source: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2328568/3-Google-Updates-for-AdWords-DoubleClick-Advertisers

Google Analytics Updates Remarketing UI & Builds Out List Import Options

Catching up with its segmentation updates from last year, Google Analytics announced today a

refresh to its Remarketing UI and new Remarketing list import options.

Along with the new UI, users can create Remarketing lists based on origin, demographics and behavior.

The Remarketing list builder now allows users to import existing segments, including custom segments previously created or segments imported from the solutions gallery.

According to the announcement, the new features will be rolling out over the next two weeks. For anyone wanting to take advantage of the new updates, the Google Analytics blog post points users to its Remarketing Starter Pack.

Article Source: http://marketingland.com/google-analytics-updates-remarketing-ui-adds-list-segmentation-72432

2014 Google Update Predictions – New Strategies

Last year was an incredibly eventful year for Google when talking about updates. After Google destroyed any black hat SEO technique with its Panda, Penguin and Humming Bird algorithms, in 2014 we are going to watch the change of the SEO definition.

Prior to 2011, SEO was all about ‘link building’ and ‘keyword stuffing’, afterwards Google came with updates that valued more the content and the originality.  Now, in order to remain in Google’s results, you must offer a great user experience. In other terms, natural link building is highly encouraged.

Next, we will try to answer 2 questions that each and every online business owner is interested in:

1) What does Google prepares us for 2014?

2) What online marketing strategy should we have, how can we be prepared for these Google updates?

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Ok, let’s start with a few things expected any day now.

1

Google Helpouts

Google Helpouts results will start appearing on the top of organic search results. If you haven’t heard of this project before, it’s a new way to help users with web problems. It’s like a community where you can sign up to help others. Google won’t display links anymore, but will get you in touch with professionals from all over the world through scheduled video conversation.

You will have the ability to communicate directly with experts in your area of concern and get the best answers in the shortest time.

2

The king is dead, long live the king! Content.

Focusing on content it’s going to be more and more important. As told before, Google will value more the user’s experience and valuable content will place you on top of its results. The best thing to do is having fresh and quality content that sounds more and more real. Also, you should be careful with the spelling and grammar. Content Driven SEO will take its place in top SEO strategies.

3

Mobile optimization. Responsive web design.

As mobile devices’ popularity grows, the websites need to adapt. Not only that you won’t get the best of your website, but Google is estimate to penalize websites that aren’t mobile friendly or load slow on mobile devices. In 2014 mobile site speed will become an independent SEO factor, so if the website is not built right it will not rank high in smartphones search engine results.

Get in touch with a team of highly experienced online marketers who can help your online business grow in 2014.

Contact Us

4

Google Plus and Google +1

Even though Google Plus isn’t as popular as Facebook or Twitter, its importance to SEO is already well known. Beside that, in 2014 we will see a higher value added to the content that has Google Plus reviews and +1′s. Even more, a great SEO factor is to tie up your blog to your Google Plus account and establish Google authorship on your content. Maybe Facebook and Twitter will generate more traffic, but Google Plus will place you higher in Search Engine Results Pages(SERP).

5

Smaller organic search results space

AdWords is soon expected to start using “Visual Search Ads” in order to achieve a higher click through rate. Due to this fact the space of organic search results is going to shrink so the first and most wanted position on the SERP is going to be lower on the screen.

6

Blogging and guest blogging

Google wants us to share more and more information of any type (text, image, video), so original and engaging blog posts will gain more importance and will bring authority to your website.  The optimal length of an article is still disputable, it’s really about the subject. On a research made on the most viral news in 2013, we discovered that short stories have up to 500 words and a more-in-depth article has more than 800 words but includes analytical features and case studies. Basically it’s a V line with the lowest point in the 500-800 interval, which is to avoid.

7

Social Media Moderation

Social Media is probably the latest most important SEO factor and everyone wants a piece of it. You probably noticed new websites that have all the social media pages possible with thousands of  fake followers and less than 20 posts. Google will do its best to disconsider the websites linked to those pages. Why? User experience! How could hundreds of fake reviews help you buy the product you need or give you the right answer?

8

Improved semantic searches

If you don’t know that yet, since Hummingbird, Google wants to understand your needs. The results are based on your latest activities, places you visited, current location so the semantic searches will be optimized probably to prepare the growth of voice search. It aims to change words into entities, that have both a meaning and attributes.

9

The future is based on Knowledge Graph

Google is permanently making improvements to the Knowledge Graph. Your website must be well structured and prepared with rich snippets so you can stand out of the crowd and take your place in the Knowledge Graph. This could be one of the most significant improvement brought by Google that will boost your business. Although it was launched in 2012 it had a subtle appearance and it’s expected to rise this year. On a local term, having good reviews and ratings from trusted sources will bring you on top. Imagine how could that benefit your business. Anyway, it is a rumor that Google will insert Ads into the Knowledge Graph so we can expect that in 2014.

10

What you’ve learned in 2013 is still applicable, you just need to update

You must prepare your new SEO Strategies for 2014 because although Google seems harmless , its updates will have a major role in SERP’s. The best thing to do is to hire professionals to keep you safe and updated all the time. You should not try to trick Google, it may work at the beginning, but it surely won’t last because of the permanent changes they bring.

Here are some tips you should consider for your online marketing strategy in 2014:

·         - Refresh your content, write genuine and engaging articles, use pictures and videos to keep the user interested.

·         - Optimize the website for mobile searches, in 2013 the mobile searches had a growth of 125% when desktop searches had only 15%.

·         - Try to stay updated to the Google news, you may have an opportunity to get highlighted on the SERP.

·         - Invest more money in SEO and PPC activities because they will have a major role in your business.

·         - Do not try gathering a great number of  backlinks from untrusted domains. Fewer and better is the right way to do it.

·         - Stay active on your social media pages, especially on Google Plus, but keep it natural.

Looking back, we can all see which directions the trends are heading to, so we can adjust our strategies for the years to come. Hopefully, with white hat strategies and proper attention to our priorities we can improve our online visibility for 2014 and maybe further.

Article Source URL: http://seoresearch.com/2014-google-update-predictions-new-strategies/