http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/ Our Latest Updates en jerfe@silverbackstrategies.com Copyright 2010 2010-08-30T16:31:57+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/facebook-stops-ie6-support-and-say-goodbye-too/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/facebook-stops-ie6-support-and-say-goodbye-too/#When:15:31:57Z Is your Internet browser up-to-date?   Google already started phasing out Internet Explorer 6 support on March 2010.  Facebook announced that it is ending support as well, a shift away from the almost decade old/outdated browser that refuses to go away.  How can I tell if my browser is outdated? 1.  Sometimes you'll notice that some websites look a little off; images and text might render differently, maybe tables merge together, etc. This is a quick indicator that you are probably running an older version of Internet Explorer. 2.  Another way to check if you have an older version is by going to the help section of Internet Explorer and clicking on the "About Internet Explorer" tab.  If you are still running on Version 6 (2001) or Version 7 (2006), upgrading to the latest version IE8 will fix a lot of the visual issues with most current Web 2.0 sites.   3.  Other websites like YouTube for example provide pop-up messages that state: "We will be phasing out support for your browser soon.  Please upgrade to one of these modern browsers. Google Chrome, Firefox 3.6, Internet Explorer 8."   So why is it important to upgrade your browser? Besides the aesthetic rendering of websites, older web browsers also have outdated security.   "The primary concern with IE6, though, isn't compatibility with Web 2.0--it's security on an increasingly insecure Web where attackers have determined that the browser is often the weakest link and the easiest point of entry into the network. Internet Explorer 6 was designed a decade ago, and it was designed to protect against decade-old security concerns. IE6 is missing key security controls like DEP (Data Execution Prevention) and PMIE (Protected Mode IE) that make it more difficult for attackers to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities, and limit what an attacker can access or exploit even if they gain control of the IE process." - Reuters  To read more of the article:  Click Here       2010-08-30T15:31:57+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/google-real-time-search-launch/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/google-real-time-search-launch/#When:16:50:27Z It was almost one year ago to this day that Google announced their involvement with Twitter and began working on including real-time search resulsts on their search results page.  Today Google has taken this commitement with real-time search to a whole new level with their announcement of a dedicated Real-Time Google Search Page. Google lists three main features to help real-time searchers find the information they are looking for: Geographic Refinement: this feature allows searchers to narrow their search results to a specific region or in their immediate vicinity.  Maybe you want to know which bands are playing around you tonight, or how much damage to expect from that killer storm in your area? Conversations View: by utilizing the "full conversation" feature, users can expand a single twitter or facebook post into the entire conversation surrounding that post. "Updates" on Google Alerts: users can now set their Google Alerts up to alert them if the term targeted is mentioned in a conversation This is just another sign pointing to the future of social media and real time results. 2010-08-26T16:50:27+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/yahoo-bing-merge-search-engines/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/yahoo-bing-merge-search-engines/#When:20:12:32Z Yahoo Now Serving Up Bing Results: We tested the term "Football" on both search engines. Yahoo Top 10 listings now pretty much serve the same content as Bing's Top 10. Check out the footer for Yahoo! Search as well, which now states that it's "Powered by Bing."   2010-08-18T20:12:32+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/yahoo-microsoft-search-alliance-update-straight-from-the-horses-mouth/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/yahoo-microsoft-search-alliance-update-straight-from-the-horses-mouth/#When:16:45:40Z A lot has been going on in the offices of Yahoo! and Mirosoft.  As we already heard, Yahoo! and Microsoft are going to be joining forces to "improve the Web search experience for users and advertisers."  The two companies have done quite a bit to try and clarify what, when and how the multiple steps necessary for such a merger will take place (see the official merger site www.SearchAlliance.com and watch the video below for a brief introduction to the merger), and today we received an update on the exact timing of some of these changes. The two main comnponents of the search engines are Organic Listings, and Paid Listings.  Last month, Yahoo! began the testing of displaying organic search listings from Microsoft on Yahoo! search result pages.  Later this week, Yahoo! announced that they will begin the final back-end transitioning for Yahoo! to display Microsoft organic listings, and will update us when it is complete. As for the paid listings, Yahoo! will begin to test displaying Microsoft paid ads on Yahoo! searches later this week, a transition they hope to complete by the holiday season. But what does this mean for Pay Per Click Management companies, SEO management companies, and even more importantly, businesses?  Well, a lot.  It's time to start (if you haven't already) keeping close track to those organic rankings and paid search performance on Yahoo!.  As the algorithm shifts from Yahoo!'s to Microsoft's, changes are sure to occur. 2010-08-17T16:45:40+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/enhanced-cpc-smarter-bidding-for-increased-roi/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/enhanced-cpc-smarter-bidding-for-increased-roi/#When:13:54:19Z Today Google announced their newest feature for Google AdWords, Enhanced CPC.  According to Google, this new tool is designed to help automate the keyword bidding process while improving a campaigns ROI.  Enhanced CPC utilizes the historical data of a keyword to automatically adjust the CPC (up to 30% above max CPC) of that keyword based on the likelyhood that it will convert.  Spending more money on keywords that convert and less money on keywords that don't convert should lead to one conclusion, increased ROI. How It Works Here is an example: lets say you are bidding on the keywords fast widgets, very fast widgets, and widget speed, all with a max CPC of $1.00.  Because it has a historically high conversion rate, when the keyword very fast widget triggers an ad AdWords will automatically recognize the conversion history and increase the bid up to $1.30 for this search.  Additionally, when a keyword which has not converted well in the past, widget speed, triggers an ad, AdWords may lower the bid to as low as $0.70.  By adjusting keyword bids based on their conversion history, campaign can achieve more conversions at a similar if not lower average CPC. Here are a few examples of what Enhanced CPC can do: Adjust your bid depending on how well a particular search or display network partner site in the Google network has converted for you in the past Recognize when specific words within a keyword (e.g. 'kits') convert well and adjust your bid when users search on variations of these terms (e.g. 'model airplane kits for children') Detect attributes such as the user's location, language settings, browser, and operating system and analyze how these attributes may impact the likelihood of your ad converting Will It Work? Google is consistently introducting and tweaking their AdWords platform.  Just like any change google makes, I am certain this new feature has gone through some pretty serious testing.  It will be interesting, however, to give this new feature a try.  Within the next month we should start to see the results coming in as Pay Per Click managers begin to test this feature.  Only time will tell. Industry News 2010-08-17T13:54:19+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/the-new-google-adwords-keyword-tool/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/the-new-google-adwords-keyword-tool/#When:19:36:36Z Monday, August 9, 2010 Today Google revealed some new changes to their well-known and widely-used Keyword Tool.  Google says they have been listening to the suggestions and feedback of its users to come up with ways to help businesses and pay-per-click management agencies use this tool more effectively.  Although the new Keyword Tool is currently in beta, by the end of august Google will complete the transition form the old versions and all users will be using this new tool.   The Keyword Tool: What is it? According to Google: "The Keyword Tool allows you to build extensive, relevant keyword lists from one simple interface. Generate keyword ideas, review traffic estimations for existing and new keywords, and add keywords directly to your ad groups." When you enter a word or phrase you are interested in, the keyword tool mines its own keyword data for keywords that are similar and relevant to your keyword, and displays these to you along with a bunch of other statistics (competition, estimated cost per click (CPC), etc...).  This tool is great when you are looking for variations of a keyword to help build a more extensive keyword list.  This tool can also give you a glimpse into the competitive landscape of an industry (level of competition, cost, etc.). What Did They Change? Google has added numerous features to the keyword tool.  Here are a few of the most important: Flexible search options: Search by any combination of keyword, website/URL, and category (where available) and receive a single set of results Easy keyword refinement: Filter results by word or keyword match type Advanced options: View statistics for mobile search and use data filters based on local searches, search and ad share, and more Removing Duplicate Keywords: When you access the Keyword Tool from within an ad group, keywords that are already in that ad group will appear with an “Already in ad group” message next to them Adding Negative keywords: Now, you can easily add keyword ideas as negatives right from your keyword idea list. Just click on a keyword and use the drop down menu to select and save your negative keyword For those who use this tool on a daily basis (myself included) these features are great!  They will allow me to filter out the data that I want to see, the data that can help me make informed descisions about my clients accounts and keyword lists.  But what does this mean for the rest of the world?  Everyone can sleep a little more soundly tonight knowing that AdWords Advertisers can spend less time navigating through piles of keyword data, and more time optimizing their accounts. As an PPC Marketer and AdWords user, it is always reassuring to see Google making user friendly changes to their tools and products.  Keep it up Google! Industry News 2010-08-10T19:36:36+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/google-announces-the-new-modified-broad-match-keyword-match-type/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/google-announces-the-new-modified-broad-match-keyword-match-type/#When:14:50:13Z Wednesday, July 14, 2010 Google has announced it's newest addition to the three existing keyword match types (exact, broad, and phrase).  This new match type, named modified broad match, is designed to give advertisers and businesses more controll over the queries their keywords are displayed for, while still giving Google some room to match their keywords with relevant variations. Keyword Match Types: Explained Keyword match types are considered one of the most important tools in limiting your Cost-per-click (CPC) while maximizing your Return-on-Investment (ROI).  However, match types also tend to be one of the most misunderstood topics in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Management.  Match types are utilized to help Google determine what search queries should be matched with the keyword you are bidding on.  For example, if you are bidding on "shoes," Google might assume that you are interested in search queries such as "men's shoes," "children's shoes," and "women's shoes."  It is up to the advertiser to help Google direct the correct search queries to the correct keywords. Before the addition of this new "modified broad match type," there were three distinct match types available, broad match, phrase match, and exact match. Exact Match: These keywords act just as you would expect.  If you have a keyword utilizing exact match, only search queries that appear exactly like the keyword you are bidding will be shown.  Example: only search queries that are "shoes," with no words before or after it and with the exact same spelling will trigger the exact match keyword [shoes].  This will not trigger "men's shoes," or "where can I buy shoes?." Phrase Match:  These keywords give the advertiser some controll over what search queries trigger a keyword.  If you have a keyword utilizing phrase match, search queries must contain the exact phrase that you are bidding on, but are allowed to have anything before and after that phrase.  Example: if you are bidding on the phrase match keyword "tennis shoes," it will be triggered for ANY search that contains the phrase "tennis shoes," in that order, somewhere in the search query.  The search query "best tennis shoes" or "womens tennis shoes in CA" will both trigger the phrase match keyword "tennis shoes." Broad Match: For many, this match type is the most difficult to completely understand.  Here is Google's official description of the broad match type: "With broad match, the Google AdWords system automatically runs your ads on relevant variations of your keywords, even if these terms aren't in your keyword lists. Keyword variations can include synonyms, singular/plural forms, relevant variants of your keywords, and phrases containing your keywords."  For example, if you are bidding on the broad match keyword "tennis shoes," your keyword will be triggered for search queries such as "blue tennis shoes," "running shoes, and "tennis shoe photos." Modified Broad: Broader than Phrase, Phrasier than Broad The modified broad match type has been created to provide more reach than phrase match and more precision than broad match, a happy middle ground.  While broad match keywords allow google to replace your keywords with relevant search queries, modified broad match tells Google that certain words must be in the search query, but Google can replace them with "misspellings, singular/plural forms, abbreviations and acronyms, and stemmings," but not synonyms.  This diagram by Google helps to vizualize this concept. By utilizing modified broad match type keywords in conjunction with other match types, advertisers have yet another opportunity in Google AdWords to lower their CPC's while increasing their ROI. Industry News 2010-07-16T14:50:13+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/silverback-strategies-achieves-google-adwords-certified-partner-status/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/silverback-strategies-achieves-google-adwords-certified-partner-status/#When:20:32:38Z Silverback Strategies, a premiere, full service Internet Marketing Firm, is proud to announce that it has been granted the status of Google AdWords Certified Partner by Google. Although Silverback Strategies has been a Google AdWords Qualified Company for years, Google has recently revamped their certification program.  According to Google, the new certification program was developed to "offer better training and more rigorous certification in AdWords proficiency, and to lower costs for those who help advertisers and businesses get the most out of AdWords."  When Google announced this change, all previously qualified companies were required to re-qualify for this status. The new Google AdWords Certified Partner Logo, presented only to the agencies that meet the new certification criteria. As the Internet Marketing industry has grown and evolved over the past several years, Google has looked to give their advertisers the most up-to-date and relevant information to aid Advertisers and Marketers with their Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns.  A few of the benefits of this new certification include: Up-to-date, comprehensive, strategy-focused training and certification on the latest tools and best practices for managing AdWords accounts New training materials to help agencies better understand recent changes in search marketing and AdWords functionality, available via webinar series, learning center, or on-site training at Google More challenging certification exams to test practical application of knowledge and best practices (rather than simple recall of knowledge) About Silverback Strategies Silverback Strategies partners with businesses large and small to provide state-of-the-art web design, search engine marketing and pay-per-click campaign strategy, consulting and execution. Silverback Strategies is made up of an obsessively focused team of online marketing strategists, SEO specialists and elite Web designers – all Google-certified and as experienced as they come. One thing they all have in common is a commitment to understanding our clients’ businesses inside and out. Some clients choose Silverback Strategies for turnkey SEM solutions. Some look to them for consulting to support their internal SEM efforts. But every client stays with Silverback Strategies because they deliver hard-data results.   Silverback News 2010-06-30T20:32:38+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/keep-a-close-eye-on-your-competition-with-the-new-analyze-competition-tool/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/keep-a-close-eye-on-your-competition-with-the-new-analyze-competition-tool/#When:20:34:34Z Marketing 101 – Understand Your Competitive Landscape It’s one of the first things taught in any intro marketing class; one of the most important aspects of your business is where you stand in relation to your competitors.  Who competes with you for your customers’ time and money?  How do you perform in comparison to them?  These questions are essential when preparing effective marketing strategies. These questions and others like it are just as crucial for Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketers as it is for traditional media marketers.  In the past, however, there have been very few tools to assist PPC marketers with their competitive analysis.  The most they could do was manually enter in the keywords they were bidding on to see their competitor’s ad copy, or use the Traffic Estimator tool to gauge potential traffic and Cost-Per-Clicks (CPC’s) of individual keywords. To help fill this gap and assist AdWords advertisers and business owners in understanding their competition, Google has recently released the new Analyze Competition tool.   Analyze Competition – What It Does Here is Google explaining the Analyze Competition tool in their own words: There are three key benefits of the Analyze Competition tool: Understand whether your performance is in the normal range for advertisers like you. Identify areas of your performance that might be improved by optimization changes. Explore new opportunities to grow your account and become more competitive in your market. Essentially, by making this data readily available, this tool will allow advertisers and businesses alike to save weeks, months, and precious advertising dollars on costly market testing.   Analyze Competition – How It Works The Analyze Competition tool takes all of the guesswork out of understanding your competition.  It's simple, graphical interface allows you to get the data you want in a form that will make sense.  There are three steps to using the Analyze Competition tool: Choose A Metric:Currently, Google allows advertisers to compare four key campaign metrics with their competitors: impressions, clicks, clickthrough rate (CTR), and average position. Review The Categories:By crawling your web pages and AdWords campaigns, Google determines which categories (50 top-level categories made up of 7000 total categories), or themed groups, that generally describe the subject of your advertising.  This allows you to compare your performance against that of other advertisers who advertise similar products or services. Review the Data:Google provides two types of data.  The first is the “competitive range,” represented by the bar broken into five sections, of which you belong to one in each category.  This range places you into one “bracket” of advertisers, from lowest to highest.  The bar graph allows you to see how you compare with your competitors within your competitive range.   Conclusion – Get A Leg Up On Your Competition Google has added yet another intuitive and informative tool which should be included in any PPC Marketing strategy.  In conjunction with the several other tools and reporting options Google has developed, the Analyze Competition tool allows advertisers to see information and data which would have normally taken much longer to attain.  The correct analysis of this data will no doubt create new and recently unseen opportunities for advertisers and businesses to refine and optimize their PPC campaigns.     Industry News 2010-06-24T20:34:34+00:00 http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/silverback-strategies-invited-to-the-2010-google-content-network-seminar/ http://www.silverbackstrategies.com/blog/silverback-strategies-invited-to-the-2010-google-content-network-seminar/#When:13:38:27Z Last month Silverback Strategies was one of only 14 companies in the country to be invited to the 2010 Google Content Network Seminar at Google's NYC Office. The 2010 GCN seminar offered a full day of hands-on workshop sessions covering how the Google content network can be used to generate more traffic and more conversions for advertisers (as if the free lunch from the Google cafeteria wasn't enough).  As the worlds largest advertising network, the Google content network not only offers a unique opportunity for boosting online exposure but also a 6% lower cost per acquisition than the search network. With a new Google study attributing 20% of the median advertiser conversions to the Content Network, it's looking as though Google's 3.1 billion dollar Double Click acquisition is starting to pay off. Industry News, Silverback News 2010-04-15T13:38:27+00:00