Google Launches Google Calendar
Posted on 13. Apr, 2006 by admin in Google
Google has expanded their empire a little bit more with the introduction of Google Calendar. The calendar is still in beta, but it’s early features show that it is quite a good system. Sharing your Google Calendar is a snap, either as a public or group calendar, and adding on holidays, both religious and regional is just as simple.
The calendar can be configured to be integrated right into your Gmail account, for easy viewing of your events and upcoming holidays.
To test out the new Google Calendar system, find it here.
YSM Tests ‘New’ Ad Model
Posted on 11. Apr, 2006 by admin in Yahoo
Yahoo Search Marketing has been testing a new Ad Model, code name ‘Project Panama’, that includes “ad relevance” components that are similar to Google’s.
The initial article reporting Yahoo’s new Search-Engine ad model appears in Forbes Magazine.
Yahoo hopes a new ad model will result in an overall greater click through rate and therefore greater revenues. It will be interesting to see what Google’s response will be in terms of potential patent infringement.
Google Adwords To Add Bid Management?
Posted on 04. Apr, 2006 by admin in Google
Things definitely don’t move slowly at Google. There are rumblings in the online SEM community about Google Adwords adding additional “bid management tools”. This news, no doubt, has bid management software makers shaking a bit.
It seems this new feature will help you determine the position of specific keywords in your Adwords account. You will be able to activate each campaign and decide for each keyword, where you would like it to be placed. This feature brings Google’s operating methods closer to that of Yahoo.
The cost for bidding on a specific position will be based, as with Google’s typical structure, on the keyword, the position you choose, your maximum bid and, the all-important, Quality Score (more on that later).
Why is this feature necessary? Well, it’s not, but it is useful to those who are interested in holding their position. For instance, if a company wants to hold the 3rd position for their keyword, and are willing to pay for that privelege. If your bid is higher than required to get your ad in 3rd place, Google will lower your bid automatically…which will put you in 3rd position and save you money. In the opposite case, where your maximum bid does not qualify you for the position you desire, your ad will not show, because Adwords rules still apply and thus the Quality Score is of utmost importance.
In addition to specifying a single position, you can specify a range of preferred positions. Again, each keyword is monitored separately.
Our advice is to be careful when using this new feature. Google’s representatives warn that setting your position preferences errantly can contribute to a sharp decrease in your impressions, as your ad might not show in many circumstances. If you find your impressions have drastically reduced using this option, try to broaden your preferred position range and consider making changes to your keyword and your ad, to improve your quality score.
Google Adwords Goes Local
Posted on 04. Apr, 2006 by admin in Google
As many of you may have seen, Google Adwords has very recently added a new Adwords ad format – sponsored local business ads within Google Local. These local business ads appear in google local as a highlighted ad in the results column as well as an enhanced map marker that expands to display your business’s details.Google displays up to three sponsored local business ads per search result page. The highlighted listing contains the business name, address and URL as well as two user-inputted description lines. The map marker denotes the location of the business using an icon that can be chosen (from 11 possibilities) during ad creation. The info window that expands from the map can display the business information in the listing as well as a phone number and 125×125 pixel image/logo.
Having your ads appear on Google Local when a browser enters a relevant query is one way to reach even more customers look for your product or service in your geographic location. Ekamtech has begun to incorporate Adwords Local campaigns into its clients SEM portfolios with excellent success. If you would like more information about how Adwords Local can benefit your business please contact us.