The Inn Blog Reviews

Last week Susan Wojcicki, VP, Product Management, shared an update on some of the new search ad formats we've been testing. Knowing that you're knee deep in holiday campaigns and 2010 planning, we wanted to share an overview of these formats with you so that you may consider them for your strategies. As you'll see, each of the new formats aims to provide additional information, delivered in the most useful format (whether it be images, videos, or maps) to help users make better informed decisions. Ad Sitelinks: In early November we launched Ad Sitelinks, a new AdWords feature that allows you to extend the value of your existing AdWords ads by providing additional links to content deep within your sites. Product Extensions: Similar to Ad Sitelinks, product extensions enrich existing AdWords ads with additional relevant information - in this case, information on products included in an advertiser's Google Merchant Center account. Location Extensions: For advertisers with a brick-and-mortar presence, Location Extensions enable them to dynamically attach business addresses to ads. Comparison Ads: Comparison Ads , which are currently being tested by a limited number of advertisers in the mortgage/refinance space, will enable users to specify what they're looking for and compare prices in a single space. For more information on the new search ad formats, visit the Official Google Blog or the Inside AdWords Blog . Posted by Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

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New search ads formats, an overview

We're pleased to share the current webinar schedule for December 2009, ranging from account security tips to industry research and strategies. The schedule is listed below, and class descriptions can be found on the Google Training site. ThinkHealth - Online Video for Health Marketers Tuesday, December 8th at 10amPST / 12pmCST / 1pmEST Register here Driving Brand Engagement among Social Media Users Tuesday, December 8th at 11amPST / 1pmCST / 2pmEST Register here Google Account Security: Tips & Best Practices Thursday, December 10th at 11amPST / 1pmCST / 2pmEST Registration password: agency1 Register here Google and Compete Present: Refining the Travel Search Process Tuesday, December 15th at 10amPST / 12pmCST / 1pmEST Register here Also, if you missed out on past sessions such as Display Week or the Holiday Webmaster Webinar, be sure to check out on-demand recordings of them here . Posted by Agency Ad Solutions Blog Team

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December webinar schedule

It's the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and all you're probably thinking about right now is "I need to defrost the turkey, pick up another can of pumpkin filling, and vacuum before family arrives." That, and "are my clients' accounts ready for Black Friday, the busiest retail shopping day of the year?" To ensure that you and your clients have a successful Black Friday, we wanted to use this Holiday Campaign Countdown post to share some quick last minute tips from our Optimization Specialists. While Black Friday typically refers to in-store traffic, the retail industry has seen dramatic year over year increases in e-commerce sales and searches 1 . Analysts have also pointed to significant spikes in online shopping on Cyber Monday. The Monday after Thanksgiving yields sales spikes for e-commerce retailers 2 and is fueled by promotions such as percent off sales, free gifts, and free shipping. Our suggestions for any retail accounts (or others that might see this seasonal spike) before you leave the office for the Thanksgiving Holiday are: Promotions - Be sure to highlight any promotions you have in your ad text whether they are Black Friday specific or not. If you have a discount on shipping or it is free, highlight this. Budgets - Increase budgets across all campaigns to a comfortable level knowing that traffic spikes will be likely. Make sure ads keep showing when a user searches. Bids – Modify bids on top performing and generic keywords knowing that competition on Black Friday/Cyber Monday will increase. Use the Bid Simulator to see what results you may get with different keyword maximum CPC bids, and consider using Conversion Optimizer to get as many profitable clicks as possible. Happy Thanksgiving! [1] MarketingVox [2] National Retail Federation with BIGresearch, Black Friday Weekend, 12/2/08. *Excludes Cyber Monday. Posted by Ben Sheldon, Agency Optimization Strategist

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Prepare your AdWords accounts for Black Friday

A few weeks ago, we announced a new tool designed to bring the power, speed, and relevancy of Google search to retail websites. With Black Friday (and Cyber Monday !) right around the corner we wanted to use this Holiday Campaign Countdown post to arm you with information for retail clients who may be shopping around for a new website search solution (pun intended). As a hosted product, Google Commerce Search (GCS) installs quickly, scales effortlessly, and provides sub-second response times, even during seasonal traffic spikes. With advanced search features like spelling correction, automatic stemming, and custom synonyms, users will find what they're looking for without unnecessary clicks. Finally, Google Commerce Search is powered by the retailer's Google Merchant Center feed, streamlining implementation. Check out the full list of features in this overview video: ( click to watch video ) GCS provides visitors with an improved shopping experience, which can drive higher visitor-to-buyer conversion rates. While the conversion rates of most retailers is around 3% 1 , the best-performing sites have been able to achieve much higher conversion rates – even reaching double digits. Google Commerce Search can help bridge the gap between user expectation and on-site technology, while freeing retailers to do what they do best, creating and selling products. To learn more, be sure to sign up for an upcoming webinar on December 3rd. If you're unable to make it, you can learn more at google.com/commercesearch . [1] Trends 2009: US Online Retail , Forrester Research, Inc., April 2009 Posted by Anna Bishop, Enterprise search team

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Just in time for the holidays: Google Commerce Search

I am positive you shall be trying to make as much bang per buck in terms of $ as possible during this holiday season using PPC and nobody is really going to blame you for trying! Simply make positive that the "beat" you hear is that of the money register ...

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How Not To Go Broke Using Google Adwords

For most, the holiday season is about giving; for some, though, it's unfortunately about taking - through scams, identity theft and more. With the holidays approaching, many of you are beginning to update your ads and content for a busy marketing season. Are you also checking that your systems are updated with the latest security patches? Do you know who has access to your account(s)? Is your account information/passwords strong and secure? As part of our holiday campaign countdown series, we're pleased to bring you a webinar on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 11amPST highlighting account security best practices and tips to keep your campaigns running smoothly during this busy time. In this training, we'll cover common security techniques, review ways to identify suspicious internet behavior and suggestions on the best ways to protect your computer and your personal information. Additionally, learn about an existing Google feature that allows you to better manage your account and thus improve your account security. Date & Time: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 11amPST / 1pmCST / 2pmEST Register here Posted by Nina Hoang, Account Security Team

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Upcoming webinar - Google Account Security: Tips & Best Practices

If you live in the New York area, you may have heard or seen the so-called "Google surge," or Google Content Network blast that NY Mayor Bloomberg used to impact voters' decisions in the final hours of the mayor's reelection race. An increasing number of advertisers across industries, including auto, retail, and entertainment, have also used Google Content Network blasts to drive awareness of a new vehicle launch, viewer tune-in for a show, or traffic to an online contest with great success. The Google Content Network blast entails serving up an advertiser's ads on multiple Google Content Network sites over a specific period of time, blanketing a particular geographic region, audience segment, or high traffic sites, depending on the advertiser's goal. On average, blasts can deliver 100 million ad impressions in 24-48 hours. But you're probably wondering what is special about Google Content Network blasts versus your typical portal homepage buy? Google Content Network blasts deliver your message on a larger universe of sites than a single portal homepage, thereby reaching more of your customers. In a recent Google and TNS Compete study for a large automaker 1 , we found that Google Content Network blasts reach 58% of online auto buyers, which is 20% more than a top portal homepage 2 , and 23% of buyers were reached exclusively on sites available only on the Google Content Network 2 . In addition, 30% of auto buyers never went to one of the major portal homepages 6 to 9 months prior to purchasing their vehicle 3 . And the best part of all is Google Content Network blasts require no advance booking and deliver relevant ads at a much lower CPM than portal takeovers. So, as we enter the peak holiday shopping season, consider how you're getting the word out on your merchandise and holiday offerings. Want to make a last minute big impression? Visit The Google Content Network site to learn more, and try out a Google Content Network blast for yourself. 1 Google, Inc. and TNS Compete study for large automaker, May 2009 2 Reach is based on a custom GCN site pack using a parameter of 2% buyer composition mix per site 3 Based on observed clickstream behavior of buyers Posted by Keiko Tokuda, Google Content Network Marketing Team

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Google Content Network Blast delivers a big bang for your buck