Category: Google News and Information

  • PPC Articles: Costs Increasing, AI Growing,  More Signals Needed

    PPC Articles: Costs Increasing, AI Growing,  More Signals Needed

    A lot happens during a month in PPC advertising. I’ve put together some articles from various sources and hope the are interesting to you.

    A few things stuck out this month:

    1. Costs are increasing YoY  for clicks and total spend. Several articles look at this from different angles.
    2. AI continues to flex. From longer-term with Google openly telling us to get ready for a post-keyword search landscape, to tactical things like customer matchlist requirements dropping to 100 records vs 1000, and AI generated creative playing a bigger role.
    3. Increasing need to refine conversion points and provide unique signals back to Google (extension of more AI influence.)

    May PPC Articles

    Google Ads Costs Rise Again, But Conversions Improve: Report Google Ads costs surged across 87% of industries in 2025, with average cost-per-click rising 13% to $5.26. However, 65% of industries are seeing better conversion rates, with improved ad relevance and targeting offsetting the higher costs. 

    Search Engine Land Read more

    Google Lowered Customer Match List Minimum from 1,000 to 100 Users Google reduced the Customer Match audience requirement for Search campaigns from 1,000 to 100 active users, aligning with Demand Gen campaigns. This change opens powerful audience targeting to smaller advertisers who can now leverage CRM data more effectively. 

    Search Engine Land Read more

    CPC Inflation: How Fast Are Google Ads Costs Rising? Analysis of multiple data sources reveals CPC increases vary significantly by industry, with some seeing 4-6% annual growth while others experience much higher inflation. The research examines three reliable data sources to understand the true cost of rising Google Ads expenses. 

    Search Engine Land Read more

    Google Ad Spend Continues to Outpace Traffic Volume: Report Google search ad spending grew 9% year-over-year in Q1 2025, driven primarily by increasing costs rather than click volume growth. Microsoft Ads showed stronger 17% growth while Performance Max campaigns demonstrated deteriorating performance according to Tinuiti’s latest report. 

    Search Engine Land Read more

    Google Ads Optimization: What to Stop, Start, and Continue in 2025 Expert recommendations for optimizing Google Ads campaigns include shifting from keyword-heavy strategies to audience-first approaches. The guide covers Performance Max optimization, streamlined keyword lists, and embracing AI-driven bidding strategies for better results. 

    Search Engine Land Read more

    Ultimate PPC Campaign Optimization: 6 New Ways To Run Dozens Of Campaigns Discover six automation-friendly methods for scaling PPC campaigns across multiple sectors using AI tools and client-specific strategies. The guide covers smarter targeting, geo-clustering for lower CPCs, and voice-of-customer insights for stronger ad performance. 

    Search Engine Journal Read more

    Google’s VP of Ads and Commerce Outlines 2025 Priorities Google is doubling down on AI-powered ad personalization, shopping experiences, and automated creative optimization in 2025. The company is prioritizing visual and immersive ad formats while shifting focus from traditional keyword-based targeting to intent-driven placements. 

    Search Engine Journal Read more

    Google Updates Unfair Advantage Policy, Advertisers React Google’s updated Unfair Advantage Policy clarifies ad slot dominance rules, allowing multiple ads from the same business in different locations on search results pages. The PPC community is discussing potential impacts on smaller advertisers and Auction Insights reporting. 

    Search Engine Journal Read more

    The State Of Performance Max: How To Optimize Google Ads In 2025 Performance Max campaigns continue to evolve with new features addressing advertiser feedback, including account-level negative keywords and detailed reporting. The article explores optimization strategies and addresses common complaints about limited keyword visibility. 

    Search Engine Journal Read more

    Breaking Into New Markets With PPC: Key Considerations PPC can drive quick traffic in new markets, but success requires understanding local purchasing behavior and market-specific strategies. The guide emphasizes that PPC should complement broader go-to-market strategies rather than serve as a standalone market entry approach. 

    Search Engine Journal Read more

    These articles cover the latest trends in PPC advertising including rising costs, AI integration, policy changes, and optimization strategies. 

    Need help navigating the ever-changing PPC landscape, we’re here to help.

  • Why is it so hard to get a Verified Google Business Profile?

    Why is it so hard to get a Verified Google Business Profile?

    Looking to get your new business verified on Google or an existing business reverified? Everything from opening a business to changing a phone number or location can lead to a new verification process. Until it’s complete, you will have no information or (perhaps worse) the wrong information appearing on Google. It is critical to a well-rounded SEO program.

    What is A Google Business Profile?

    First, let’s discuss a Google Business Profile. Over the years, Google has recognized that people are searching for local businesses, and much of the information about the name, location, and phone number (known as NAP) varied and was incorrect. So, Google created business profiles that appeared on the search results as a separate ‘panel’ on the side of the desktop search results. We’re going back 15+ years.

    To populate the results, Google would scan the Internet and use its search technology to determine a business’s correct NAP. An entire industry was dedicated to spreading NAP information around the Internet so that Google’s spiders would be more likely to pick up the right information rather than the wrong information. There are remnants of that industry, but it is less about Google than getting the right information to where people may be looking.

    Then Google opened up the ability to provide NAP directly to the search engine. But it still used its spiders to determine whether the submissions were correct. At the start, there wasn’t a real verification process. You could submit the right information, but it did not appear if the contradictory information was too prevalent.

    Introducing Business Verification

    Google opens the verification process for local businesses. At the time, virtual or remote was not a big part of the scene. So, the process was developed around brick-and-mortar businesses. Simply put, Google would send a postcard to the location, and on the card was a verification URL and a code. Log into your Google account, go to the URL, and enter the code… you were verified. 

    This allowed businesses to fully control the NAP that appeared on their Google business information. The name changed over the years to Google Business, previously Google My Business. Along with the NAP, Google added the ability to manage hours, services, messaging, and more. But, at the heart of it all, it was about the Name, Address, and Phone Number.

    So, what changed that makes it so difficult now?

    Two major factors have forced Google to make the verification process more vigorous. 

    Fake locations 

    For various reasons, fake business locations were appearing. Remember that Google Business is about local businesses. Using its algorithm, Google determines how close a business needs to be to the person searching in order to be considered “local.” 

    If you want to get a call from people in a target geographic area, you must have a location near enough that Google would show your results. The closer, the better. So, use a fake location (mailbox locations, virtual office centers, etc.) to receive and forward the verification postcard Google sends, and you’ll be verified. 

    For businesses where the customer always comes to the location, the phantom location process simply does not apply. But, think of regional or national service chains with a fleet of technicians that can travel long distances to their customers. A fake location makes it more likely that you will get the call. 

    To help businesses that serve an area and travel to the customer, Google provides the ability to designate an area no more than a 100-mile radius from the location. For most small businesses, this is adequate. Most Business profile appearances are much less than 100 miles away.

    But for regional or national players, the economics are better if they can have a single real location and create multiple phantom locations, even within the 100-mile radius. They’d be more likely to show up in the search results.

    Growth in No-Premise Businesses

    Over the past 5+ years, the number of small businesses operating out of a home has increased. Professional services like accounting, legal, and consulting have gone remote/virtual. Small businesses for home services like plumbing, electrical, or contractors grew and are virtual as far as their offices are concerned. They still serve a local community, but they don’t have a physical location (other than a home) that can be verified.

    With the growth and acceptance of virtual meetings, people have become much more comfortable with the no-premise business model. Google has struggled with a method to verify these types of companies.

    How are Businesses Verified in Google?

    Google has moved to a video verification process. Unfortunately, the foundation of this process is still based on the brick-and-mortar model. 

    Business owners are asked to take a video of their location that includes:

    • An outside view of the premise with the address clearly visible. Usually, a street sign and build number.
    • Clear signage with the business name.
    • An interior view of the business to demonstrate that it is operating.

    More details on Google business verification are here.

    But what if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar storefront to verify?

    You will still need some kind of NAP information, but you toggle the profile not to show the address and mark you as an area’s service provider.  You will set your area in the profile. There is a good chance that you will need to request a verification call even after you submit a video, but the video will be a required first step. 

    So, if you don’t have a storefront, what are you showing Google on the video/call?

    Keep in mind that Google is not intentionally making it difficult to verify. It is trying to prevent fraud and fake locations. With this in mind, the following is a pain but not unreasonable.

    1. You still need to show a physical location to verify that you are in the area. Provide the street and number of your home or apartment.
    2. The space where you work. Should be an “office-like” environment and clearly a place where you are working on business. 
    3. A business card with the company name. Show both sides. Other marketing materials can help as well.
    4. Your face in the video.
    5. You access your business accounts on the computer. These can be a Google Business profile, business email, etc. 
    6. A vehicle. This can get tricky if you don’t have one. But, a video of the outside with the tag visible (state license plate), and you get into it and start it with the dashboard in view.

    Here is where Google is a bit behind. It gets difficult if you don’t have transportation because you operate virtually or you are in a city and use public transportation to visit customers. Your best bet is to get a video call set up as early in the process as possible and talk to a Google representative.  They may be able to help with an exception.

    Here is a screenshot of the current Google video process.

    steps for Google business video verification

    Using a different verification process

    Google’s documentation shows various methods for verification, but not all are available to each business profile. Going through the help section and diving deep, you can get to the point of “contact us.” While this should not be your first step, once you’ve submitted a video that gets rejected, and perhaps one revision, getting a direct contact is a good next step.

    Verification can take some time and patience. But, it is worth the effort to be present when people search for your services on Google.

  • An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Google Business Profile

    An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Google Business Profile

    The Ultimate Local Marketing Tool for SMBs

    There aren’t many marketing tools that provide more value to both customers and local businesses than Google Business Profile. Whether you’re a local service provider like a plumber or moving company or you run a brick and mortar business like retail or restaurants, Google Business Profile can be an immensely powerful tool for bringing customers to your business.

    In this article, we’ll provide a quick overview on how to setup your profile and leverage it for maximum returns!

    I. What is a Google Business Profile (GBP)?

    A Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free profile that businesses can create to showcase their services and products on Google’s platform. It includes information such as your business name, contact info, hours of operation, website address, reviews, and photos. 

    By creating a GBP, businesses can appear when people search for terms related to their services or products. There are two primary places where GBP appears in rankings: the Local Pack and Google Maps.

    SERPs and the Local Pack

    The local pack section appears at the top of search engine result pages (SERPs) when someone searches for a specific type of product or service in an area they are located in or they have specified in the search query. These are the all-important “X near me” queries.

    This is particularly valuable because it increases visibility at the top of SERPs. Companies don’t need to break the top 10 organic search results in order to appear on the first page of the search results, providing more opportunities for customers looking for goods and services nearby to see them first.

    GBP on Google Maps

    Google Business Profile results are not limited to the Local Pack. Users have the option to search from or click through to Google Maps where your profile can appear even if you’re not in the top 3 Local Pack results. 

    This user-friendly interface allows users to gauge how close businesses are to their location, read reviews, see images, and more, all from the Maps interface. 

    II. How to Set Up and Verify GBP

    Step-by-step process of setting up the profile

    1. Login to your Google Account and go to create a profile. 
    2. Enter the name of your business or select from the list of suggestions.
    3. Choose your business category
    4. Input your business location and whether you have a brick and mortar location customers can visit.
    5. Select your service areas by city or zip code.
    6. Input your business phone number, website, and any other information.
    7. Finish!
    8. Now it’s time to select the verification options. 

     Verification process

    You’ll be able to verify your business through a few different methods and it may require more than one method to complete. Google breaks it down into “standard” and “instant” verification methods.

    Standard verification can take up to a week and can be done by phone call, video call, video recording, email, and postcard.

    Instant verification is less common and requires your website to be connected with Google Search Console.

    III. Ongoing Profile Management 

    Keeping an updated and accurate profile is important for potential customers searching for local businesses online because they need reliable information at their fingertips when trying to make a decision.

    Managing Reviews and Feedback

    Why Customer Reviews Matter

    Reviews matter to local businesses for several reasons. First, reviews can greatly impact a business’s online reputation, which can influence potential customers’ decisions to choose that business over its competitors. 

    Positive reviews can serve as social proof that a business is trustworthy and provides quality products or services, while negative reviews can harm a business’s reputation and deter potential customers.

    Second, reviews can also impact a business’s search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Google’s algorithm takes into account the number, quality, and relevance of reviews when ranking businesses in local search results. 

    Therefore, businesses with a high quantity and quality of reviews are more likely to appear at the top of search results and attract more traffic to their website.

    Finally, reviews provide valuable feedback and insights for businesses. By monitoring and analyzing reviews, businesses can gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses and identify areas for improvement. 

    Responding to reviews can also demonstrate a business’s commitment to customer service and help build trust with customers.

    How to Get Reviews

    There are several ways that a company can encourage customers to leave more reviews. Here are some effective strategies:

    • Ask for reviews: Simply asking customers to leave a review is often an effective way to get more reviews. This can be done in person, through email, or via social media.
    • Make it easy to leave a review: Provide clear instructions on how to leave a review on your Google Business Profile or other review sites, and make the process as simple and user-friendly as possible.
    • Follow up with customers: After a customer makes a purchase or uses your service, send a follow-up email asking for feedback and encouraging them to leave a review.
    • Display review prompts: Display prompts on your website or in-store encouraging customers to leave a review. You can also include review links in your email signature or social media profiles.
    • Engage with customers: Engage with customers on social media and respond to reviews, both positive and negative. This shows that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent customer service.

    Remember that it’s important to encourage genuine and authentic reviews. Avoid incentivizing customers to leave positive reviews or posting fake reviews, as this can harm your reputation and violate review site guidelines.

    Engaging with Feedback

    Business Profile owners have the ability to respond to customer reviews. Engaging with reviews is an important part of reputation management for businesses. Here are some best practices for engaging with reviews:

    • Thank customers for positive reviews: Respond to positive reviews by thanking the customer for their feedback and expressing your appreciation for their business.
    • Address negative reviews: Respond to negative reviews by addressing the customer’s concerns and offering a solution if possible. Be empathetic and avoid getting defensive or confrontational.
    • Keep it professional: Maintain a professional tone and avoid engaging in arguments or negative interactions with customers. Remember that your responses are public and can be seen by other potential customers.
    • Encourage further communication: Invite customers to contact you directly if they have additional concerns or feedback. This shows that you are committed to resolving any issues and improving the customer experience.
    • Respond promptly: Respond to reviews as soon as possible, ideally within 24-48 hours. This shows that you value customer feedback and are committed to providing excellent service.

    Google Business Profile Optimization 

    While Google reviews have been demonstrated to have an impact on local SEO, there is an ongoing debate within the digital marketing sphere over what extent we can influence our Business Profile rankings. 

    Regardless of the answer, staying on top of your business profile management and engaging with customers helps to establish transparency and trust, which not only can impact a business’s search engine ranking and visibility, but it can influence potential customers’ decisions.

    Wrapping Up

    Setting up and managing a Google Business Profile is an important step in helping your business grow. With the right tools and strategies, your profile can be optimized to drive visibility, conversion, and growth. Creating a well-curated profile will help customers find relevant information quickly and easily. 

    Remember to update your business listings regularly to stay ahead of changes in local ranking factors, as this can have a big impact on how successful you are in achieving business goals. With the right setup, a Google Business Profile can become a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes.

  • Google Automated Campaigns…use with caution

    Google Automated Campaigns…use with caution

    Google Ads is a great advertising tool for businesses of all sizes. From international organizations to local car repair shops, Google Ads can drive revenue. With the push into automated campaigns, it may be easy for businesses to set it and go simply. In our experience, that would be a mistake.

    Issues with Google’s Automated Paid Search Campaigns

    While using Google Ads’ fully managed/optimized settings can be beneficial for some advertisers, there are also several potential drawbacks to consider:

    • Limited control: Using fully managed/optimized settings means that you are giving up some control over your campaigns. Google’s algorithms will make decisions about which keywords to target, what ad copy to use, and how much to bid for each click. While this can be convenient, it can also lead to missed opportunities or suboptimal results if Google’s decisions do not align with your business goals.
    • Higher costs: Because fully managed/optimized campaigns rely heavily on automated bidding strategies, they may end up costing more than campaigns that are manually optimized. This is because automated bidding algorithms may bid more aggressively than is necessary to achieve your desired results.
    • Less transparency: Fully managed/optimized campaigns can be less transparent than manually optimized campaigns. With less control over your campaigns, it can be difficult to understand how Google is making decisions and what changes you can make to improve performance.
    • Limited customization: Using fully managed/optimized settings means that you are limited to the options and features that Google offers. This can be a disadvantage if you have specific campaign requirements that are not supported by Google Ads.
    • Potential for misalignment: Google’s automated algorithms may not always align with your business goals or audience preferences. This can lead to wasted spend or missed opportunities if your campaigns are not reaching the right people or driving the desired results.
    • Overall, fully managed/optimized settings can be a good option for some businesses, especially those that are new to Google Ads or have limited resources for campaign management. However, it is important to weigh the potential drawbacks against the benefits before deciding whether this approach is right for your business.

    What type of program is good for fully optimized campaigns

    To get the most out of a fully automated campaign, you need to provide valid input for Google’s algorithm. The best is e-commerce/sales with a Shopping campaign. While we’ll still manually edit titles and descriptions, letting Google manage the bidding and placements usually provides good results. The returning revenue data back to Google, the algorithm has a direct metric against which to optimize the campaign.

    Campaigns that should be managed manually

    On the opposite end of the spectrum are programs where leads and calls are generated, but there is no quality indicator. A spam lead counts as much as a prospect. Google may optimize the spam sources because they are getting more leads. It almost becomes a game of generating more traffic rather than qualified leads.

    How to Approach Paid Search Campaign Settings

    Before launching a fully automated campaign, advertisers should create and manage campaigns manually. Even after the automated campaigns run (if you decide to do it), you may want to set up a manual campaign periodically to learn about the landscape. To understand the metrics you see in an automated campaign, approach the manual paid search campaign in the following way.

    Search Query Reviews

    Check on the queries where Google is showing your ads. Do these make sense? Should they be negatives or have their own ad group? This is a typical manual management program. 

    Since Google is basically ignoring your target search term match types, and even venturing pretty far afield in the queries where they show your ad, this gives you an understanding of how Google will treat your ads in a fully managed campaign. This is one of the best ways to see what will happen. It can also help you set up the rails you want to apply to the automated campaign where possible.

    Paid Search CPCs

    Get a handle on the cost per click for a search campaign that is managed manually. Assuming well-structured ad groups with built-out negatives, you will have a good idea of what the competitive landscape looks like. Having this information will provide an understanding of your CPC for the automated program.

    We’ve seen automated paid search campaigns with CPCs that were 1/10th the manual campaign. Knowing the details of the category through manual bidding, we knew that Google was not showing the ads in the best way. This proved out with the quality of (or lack of) the leads; a lot of spam. Learn where your CPCs need to be not just to drive traffic and form fills but to gain quality leads.

    Set Geos for observation

    Each area of the country has a different competitive environment. This may impact search results. The CPC may be different, or the conversion rate may be different for the various search terms. You may also see that copy performs differently.

    With this understanding, you may decide to be more aggressive in certain areas. With a fully automated campaign, Google will likely push your ads to where it is the least expensive. On the surface, this may seem fine. But, you lose the opportunity to penetrate more competitive areas. 

    Depending on your category, there may be other metrics that are important for you to understand before starting a fully automated paid search campaign on Google. Configure your search campaign settings in order to gather the data. Once done, you’ll have a better idea of how well the automated campaign is performing.

    As Google pushes for advertisers to adopt its AI (fully automated campaigns), it will be tempting to let Google have your budget and run with it. Avoid doing this. Adopt a cautious approach to using AI, and gather information so you will understand the results. Absent the basic information about paid search performance in your category, you will not be able to tell if the automated campaign is performing as well as a campaign can.

  • Google My Business is Now Google Business Profile

    Google My Business (GMB) is going to be seeing some changes in the coming months.

    Namely, Google My Business will now be branded Google Business Profile, and the Google My Business app will be retired in 2022 in favor of direct profile editing in Search or Maps.

    Google My Business is Now Called Google Business Profile

    First, it was simply called Google Local before a rebrand changed it to Google Places. Then, they doubled back, in a way, and it became Google+Local. They changed their minds again, returning to Google Places until about 2014 when Google My Business became the tool we all know and love (or simply tolerate; it’s not too often you see people with strong opinions on GMB).

    Now they’re opting for a more direct branding approach with the informative, if unimaginative, Google Business Profile.

    Yes, Google loves their rebrands almost as much as I am indifferent to them.

    Will This Rebrand Affect Your Site or Business?

    Almost certainly not. This appears to be nothing more than a name change will which likely go unnoticed by the vast majority of users.

    However, if your site relies on content with a “GMB” focus for traffic, it may be worth considering an update to reflect this new branding. Just keep in mind that while this change is immediate, it will take years before this rebrand will become the norm. Users will be searching for “google my business” for a long time to come.

    Google My Business App to be Discontinued

    Perhaps more impactful is the discontinuation of the Google My Business app.

    Those used to accessing their GMB profile through the app will need to rethink their workflow once it loses support. For a while, Google has been pushing profile managers to make edits or interact with users directly on search or map results.

    In short, these are minor changes which should not have an impact on SEO or how most businesses interact with Google My Business.

  • Google Ads: Another AI/ML Move To More Data-Driven Automation

    As Google continues down the path of AI/ML-driven “everything”, advertisers are left with blind spots. The latest push came when Google announced that last-click attribution will be replaced by data-driven as the default for Google Ads. This, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad. What it means to you depends on your program. 

    One challenge inherent with AI/ML is that it requires consistency with the inputs. And the inputs encompass everything involved: user behavior, your program parameters (budgets, geo, and any setting not fully controlled by an automated part of Google Ads), as well as your website with UX/UI, goal parameters, and more. If there are regular changes to any portion of these, then the system has to relearn what “optimized” is.

    Where we see the biggest challenge is in the area of client-side decisions. If the landing pages are in constant flux or the definition of a goal changes, these throw off the inputs Google uses. Maintaining consistency is a key element in leveraging Google’s automation.

    As we stabilize programs and the AI/ML process maximize Google Ads programs, we must determine what’s next. 

    Optimize what is rather than being able to decide what should be

    Another challenge in the AI/ML-driven world (currently at least) is that, while these are great at doing what you tell them to do, they are not great at figuring out what should be done. 

    When it comes to paid search, sometimes the spark of an idea comes from diving into the data detail. The more Google automates and removes our visibility, the fewer opportunities we have to gain insights based on intuition or have an “ah-ha moment” from some querk in the data.

    This becomes particularly acute when we see what Google is doing with ads. Soon, Google will lock Extended Text Ads and force all new ads to be responsive. Unless there is much more transparency in the Responsive Ads reporting, we will lose visibility into the nuance of copy that drives action. 

    Google will optimize the combination of inputs, but not allow us to “force” inputs in order to see what is actually happening beyond not converting. 

    Are certain phrases leading to more site-search, or navigation to other pages, or are they more likely to simply bounce? What other behavior are we not seeing because we can’t control our copy? What do these behaviors tell us about our understanding of the prospects? The more that is controlled (and hidden) by automation, the less chance we have of understanding why things happen.

    It’s not new

    Years ago we use to build paid search programs that were targeting long-tail searches. In fact, it was one of the strategies that Google Reps encouraged. Then, Google stopped allowing long-tail strategies by designating that the searches had “low volume,” no auction would be created. Not only did this take away a key cost-optimization path, but it also blinded us to the best ways to communicate with prospective customers. 

    But, we still had the query report. While we couldn’t necessarily create ad groups around the queries we saw, we could nuance our ad groups to force them to trigger certain ad groups and not others. In 2020, Google removed a great number of those queries from the SQR under the guise of privacy. They recently reintroduced greater visibility into the search terms as SEMs were fairly vocal about our disappointment in their decision. 

    With each step Google takes to advance automation, we lose some visibility & insight into the users.

  • Why Utilizing PPC Media is Key for Your Business

    Why Utilizing PPC Media is Key for Your Business

    If you want to grow your business, increase brand recognition, and get a great ROI from your marketing dollars, then PPC media is a great way to go.

    As agency people, we are in the business day to day and sometimes have to remind ourselves that our terminology is not always understood or known. Once in a while, we have to take a step back from our work in digital marketing and start at the beginning. So…

    What is PPC media? It’s a marketing tool called pay per click (PPC) that allows a business to advertise digitally and only pay for that ad when someone clicks on it.

    This simple tool allows you to reach your audience and specify your investment only into your customer leads, or people that are actually interested in your business enough to click on your ad.

    This advertising method is so popular, in fact, that more than 96% of Google’s total revenue comes from paid digital advertising. All that money spent means it works, but it also means there’s a lot of competition out there so you have to do it right.

    In this article, we’re breaking down the benefits of great PPC media and how you can use PPC media to increase your bottom line.

    Why PPC Media Is So Valuable and How to Make the Most of It

    PPC media is a great way to cast a wide net for free, (minus the cost of design), and only pay for the fish you catch.

    If you want your business to succeed, you can’t just rely on a quality product. You have to seek out customers and convince them that your product is better than the competitions. In some cases, you just have to get there before the competition. Here’s how.

    1. It’s Simple

    The world of digital marketing is complicated and can be intimidating.

    Many other content marketing strategies can require a lot of time and effort before the results of increased traffic and more sales are seen. Plus, these results can be very hard to track.

    Thankfully, this is not the case when it comes to PPC media. Especially when you find a great PPC agency to get you ten steps ahead with their years of experience.

    With PPC, you have the ability to target the exact customers you want, through the use of specific keywords.

    It’s a very simple system with easy to track results. This will provide you with valuable data that can help you get to know your target customers and market to them most successfully.

    Since you agree on a set price for each person that clicks, the goal is clear. To profit, you must bring in higher sales dollars per click than you are spending, even though not all of those customers will convert.

    2. It’s Worthwhile

    PPC’s outdated step-sister, CPM (cost per impression) would charge advertisers per view, rather than per click.

    That just means the ad loaded on the site they were viewing. They might not have even looked at it!

    With PPC, you know you’re getting your money’s worth because you only pay when customers engage with your ad by clicking on it.

    This means less money wasted and it puts you a step ahead in the sales funnel.

    Your goal is to draw in customers and then seal the deal by providing an excellent customer experience on the page they click through to.

    3. Pinpoint Your Customer Base

    The digital age has brought advertisers more information about their customers than ever before.

    Think, for a moment, about the pre-internet world.

    If you wanted to advertise your guitar lesson business, you would be wise to post a flyer in a coffee shop with a popular open mic night.

    Hopefully, the inspired audience members would notice your flyer while waiting for the bathroom, take a tab, and call you up to learn! This might reach a handful of customers a month and bring in healthy business for you.

    In this digitally dominated age, now those “flyers” can be posted on hundreds of places where your client base might gather.

    You can find these “coffee shops” through social media interest pages, keyword searches, and even more specific criteria such as time of day, proximity, and type of device they are using.

    4. Specific Targeting Options

    Expanding further on #3, let’s talk for a moment about keywords.

    With PPC media, you have a lot of control over how your keyword targeting works. With Google AdWords, specifically, you can optimize your PPC media for broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords.

    • Broad match keywords will display your ad for any combination or order of the keywords you choose, plus misspellings, synonyms, and similar searches.

    For example, if your broad match keywords are “noise canceling headphones,” alternate search words such as “sound proof headphones” or “headphones with noise cancel” will still trigger your ad to show up.

    Phrase match keywords will display your ad for any searches that include that specific phrase, even if there are additional words before or after.

    This means the ad will show up so long as your chosen phrase or a similar variation of that phrase is included in the search. For example, if your keyword is “women’s running shoes” the ad will display for a “buy women’s running shoes.” It won’t show up, however, for a “women’s shoes” search since one word in the phrase is missing.

    Exact match keywords are just what they say: exact. The ad will only display for searches that match those keywords exactly or are a close variation with the same meaning.

    Exact keywords are perfect for your business name to ensure customers can find your site when they search it.

    5. Free Brand Recognition

    You may have heard that it takes 7 touches to reach a customer. This is called the Rule of 7, and it refers to the fact that it takes several exposures for a customer to recognize your brand as an authority.

    PPC media is beneficial not just when clicked, but also for building brand awareness and recognition within your specifically targeted customer base.

    For this reason, the displays that don’t generate a click are not wasteful in any way. They don’t cost you, and they are even benefitting you if you have excellently designed PPC campaigns.

    There You Have It!

    Fanatically Digital is here to help you with all of your digital marketing needs.

    Questions? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

  • Google Organic Update: Fred?

    They are calling it Fred. That’s the name being given to the Google update that hit on March 8th. It is getting a lot of attention in the SEO worlds, as you can imagine. No one really knows what the change is, but the speculation is that it relates to inbound linking.

    Every time Google makes a change, the speculation goes to “google is going after black hat seo.” I honestly don’t think so. Google doesn’t make subtle changes in order to “go after” anybody. When they want to do that, there is usually a shot across the bow… some kind of post in the blog or announcement. While this change is unlikely targeting anyone in particular, it does have an impact on many.

    Here is our observation based on what we are seeing among our clients. The change seems to be a shift from niche focused inbound links receiving greater weight to more weight being placed on total links to the domain in general. This is something of backtracking on what google did a few years ago where they emphasized the niche content sites relative to the broad content site.

    At that time, if two pages had similar content (all else being equal), but one site was entirely focused on the niche and the other was a broader category site, the niche site won out. At that time sites like answers.com lost out to niche sites.

    The linking profiles seemed to have been similarly weighted. But, that changed this month.

    Most of our clients came through the changes pretty clean. The type of category profiles that did well were:

    1. Niche products / services that did not have a ‘general’ site or broader category site playing in the arena. There was no one to supplant them and the rankings were stable (up a bit actually, but I can’t attribute that to this change)

    2. Large players with a well established, broad linking profile. They were actually beneficiaries.

    The site category that did not fare well was the third:

    3. Niche products playing in an arena where there are broad category sellers who also carry the niche product; they were hit hard. The larger sites (usually much larger companies), have a broad linking profile and a lot more inbound links. Up to this point, the high quality inbound links on the niche site outweighed the total quantity of links for the big players. That changed.

    We are working with our clients affected by this change to adjust our strategy, but wanted to share our observations more broadly.

    The Google Dance continues.

  • reprieve from the unskippable 30-second YouTube ad is on the way

    Looks like a reprieve from the unskippable 30-second video YouTube ad is on the way.

    According to the british site Campaign Live, Google is doing away with the ad format on YouTube.

    Considering Google emphasis on mobile, and their push for advertisers to adapt a mobile first mindset, the unskippable 30-second video is arcane. Though some legacy advertisers and those who really like to watch themselves are unhappy with the move, YouTube’s audiences will very much appreciate it.

    Google recognized the consumer-first approach required this change. While short term this may hurt a but on ad revenue, long term it will keep consumers more engaged.

  • Google Dropped Organic Site Links & Some impressions dropped

    Google Organic Search Metrics
    Google Search Console (GSC)/ webmaster tools provides insights into the way users see your organic Google SERPs. Unfortunately, the dashboard data only goes back 90 days, so when Google makes a change, it is difficult to normalize the data.

    So, here is what changed:

    For some websites, Google displayed site links under the primary listing. So, one search with one listing provided multiple Landing Page impressions in the GSC. Google removed this late last year. So, sites for December and January that had a lot of impressions due to site links, suddenly say their impressions drop. In some cases drastically.

    The good news is that Google dropped organic site links because they were getting minimal clicks. So the actual site traffic should not have been measurably impacted. But if you keep track of up stream metrics, this throws a wrench in your data.

    (google also delivers multiple listings for a site in one search, legitimately creating multiple landing page impressions for one query).