Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Google Insights: Web Trends


Google has launched a new Google Trends like service called Google Insights for Search.
The service allows you to specify a couple of terms and let Google show you the search volume for these mapped over time (from 2004 to this year), with search frequencies displayed on a world heat map.
Does it sound like just another Google Trends like program? Indeed it does, and you get to wonder why Google is rolling out a secondary product in this area instead of simply upgrading the existing google trends. Google’s VP of Search, Marissa Mayer once talked about the San Angeles strategy to merge existing initiatives and services of Google wherever possible to make it easier on the user. But right now this doesn’t really represent that approach. However near in the future these two programs may be merged eventually.
At the moment, Insights for Search may be slightly more targeted towards advertisers with Google according to Google AdWords blog. Google Insight has something called categories (a.k.a verticals) to restrict your terms to a certain niche market. It also shows top searches and top rising searches in the neighborhood of keywords you enter. Overall, this seems to be a huge extension to Google Trends, Google Ad Planner, and the tools available within AdWords to advertisers.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Google Analytics Is Re-Launched: Do These Five Things First In V2

Google announced the launch of Version 2 of Google Analytics today. Over the next few weeks Google will upgrade current GA users to the new version. Many of the most frequent GA users (big or small) already have access to V2 as of this morning (please log into your account and check).
Version 2 is so radically different and provides such a compelling value proposition to users of web analytics that I am excited to write a blog post about a product (the first time I have done this in 11 months of existence of this blog).
I am also the Analytics Evangelist for Google but you’ll see that I am so excited about GA V2 not because I consult for Google but because I believe that v2 is a leap forward for all of its current users and a new standard for the industry when it comes to interacting complex web analytics data. Please share with me what you think, at the end of this post.
Also while this post is about GA V2 it contains examples of the best practices I have talked about on this blog frequently, I have just tried to do those with GA here. So if you use Omniture or WebTrends or WebSideStory or HBX or Visual Sciences or ClickTracks or indexTools or NetInsight or any other piece of web analytics software (and care only a little about GA) you’ll still find tangible examples of analysis you can do to find actionable insights. You can follow along and replicate these with your web analytics tool.

Monday, August 18, 2008

What is Conversion Optimizer?

Conversion Optimizer is an optional feature within AdWords. When enabled, Conversion Optimizer can automatically adjust your bids to maximize conversions at the minimum price. This feature relies on a site's conversion data to operate, and is already available to AdWords Conversion Tracking users. We plan on rolling it out to Google Analytics customers soon as well, but for this feature to function with your Analytics data, you must first opt to share your data with Google. Then, activate Conversion Optimizer in your AdWords account once the enhanced version of this feature becomes available for you to use with Analytics.

Monday, August 4, 2008

10 Most Basic SEO Copywriting Rules

  1. “SEO Services SEO Company India Search Engine Optimization (SEO) India” as a title, are you kidding me? I’m not a bot , I won’t click that, use a page per keyword ideally. Especially if your closest competitors are “SEO Company India, SEO Firm, SEO India, Search Engine Optimization and Link Building Services India” and “SEO India, SEO Services India, SEO Company India, SEO Services, SEO India”
  2. Do not call yourself a “SEO Expert” I won’t believe you anyways. If you’re one others will tell me.
  3. Make sure to write a little about the place you’re from and the SEO market there if you insist on “Search Engine Optimization Los Angeles, SEO Los Angeles, Los Angeles Company SEO”
  4. Are you offering “SEO, SEM and PPC“? So why the hell should I hire you instead of the myriad of others who offer exactly the same stuff? Offer something unique or at least use a different angle in describing it.
  5. Do not overload your page/s with copy. My eyes hurt! Make it scrollable, hide and show (I don’t mean “hidden text”) on demand.
  6. Use images and text otherwise I will bounce.
  7. SEO, SEM, PPC, ROI, WTF? Don’t use more acronyms than the average spy.
  8. Use a memorable slogan like “An SEO Services Provider You Can Trust“
  9. Mention real people with real names instead of anonymous “SEO experts” or cool sounding company and brand names. People trust other people unless you are the Coca Cola of SEO.
  10. Remember that SEO etc. is the means not the goal. So do not focus on what you do but what the outcome will be and try to convey the message. Btw, what is the goal of SEO? Rankings? Traffic? Conversions? Sales? ROI? It’s higher profits.

This should suffice for the beginning. I’m afraid most SEO copywriters won’t learn very fast though. So support these rules by not paying attention to those who fail to abide by them.

On a side note, if you’re looking for “SEO Company UK, SEO Firm, SEO UK, Search Engine Optimization and Link Building Services UK” you might try as well SEOptimise