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Its beyond doubt. Google is the leading search engine in the world, by far. Google indexes over 23 billion pages, against Yahoo’s 20 billion and Bing’s 17 billion. They command 89% of the market share in the UK. Google has transcended its own organisation and found its way into common use in the English language – ‘I’ll Google it.’ (more…)
Almost all email accounts use spam filters these days. Filters analyse incoming message content for spam characteristics and send them to spam folders accordingly. Emails marked as spam aren’t seen by the recipient, unless they deliberately visit their spam folder. (more…)
With so many marketing channels driving traffic to your business, how are you supposed to know which one is responsible for pulling in customers? Was it that blog article you wrote six months ago, or the Facebook article you posted last week?
To help you analyse which channel is converting into sales, you need to use a multi channel attribution model.
Attribution models are frameworks that help you determine the value and conversion rate of each touch point in your marketing channel. These touch points are the points of engagement that provide information about your business to the consumer.
The six most popularly used multi channel attribution models are:
Using a multi channel attribution model can help you analyse the performance of your marketing channels, run tests and gather data to better optimise your conversion rates. Let’s take a look at each of the models in more detail.
With the first interaction model (also known as the first-click model), the first touch-point that the consumer interacts with is the one that receives all the credit for bringing in the customer. Any other touch-points that could have been interacted with before the purchase are ignored.
For example, if the customer finds your company through Twitter, this channel will get all the credit regardless of whether they viewed your paid ad two weeks later and visited your site.
Advantages:
Disadvantage:
When to use this model
If your industry has a short buying cycle or you need to bring in a large quantity of top-of-funnel customers.
Similar to the first interaction model, in the last interaction model (also known as the last-click model), the last touch-point that the customer interacted with is the one that receives all the credit for bringing in the lead. Any other touch-points that led up to the purchase are ignored. This point is often just before the conversion.
For example, the customer might have interacted with the company multiple times but the point that will be counted is the moment they go to your website directly and make a purchase. This model is often the default model used by platforms including Google Analytics.
Advantages:
Disadvantage:
When to use this model
The last interaction model is great if your industry has a short buying cycle and there aren’t many touch-points before your conversions. You can also benefit from this if you have a sales funnel that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.
With this model, the interaction that gets the credit is the last interaction before the direct search or the paid ad click. This helps to eliminate any direct traffic before the conversion.
Advantage:
Disadvantage:
When to use this model
If you want a model that’s similar to the last click model and has a lot of direct traffic links for you to analyse. It can be hard to determine how customers that enter via direct traffic knew about you to begin with.
Even Google Analytics and other platforms have trouble identifying the source of direct traffic. Traffic will sometimes be marked as direct if the platform is unable to pinpoint where the visitors came from.
With this model, you split the credit for the conversion equally between all the interactions and touch-points a customer has had with your business.
For example, if a customer bought a £200 digital course through a paid ad and you have 5 touch-points, each would get 20% credit and are valued at £40.
Advantage:
Disadvantages:
When to use this model
If you want a model that is simple and easy to explain to your clients, this will demonstrate the value of each channel.
This is similar to the linear attribution model as it spreads the value across multiple channels but instead focuses on when the touch-point occurred. The point closest to the time of purchase is more valuable than the point furthest away.
Advantage:
Disadvantage:
When to use this model
This model is best if your industry has a long sales cycle such as those with expensive B2B purchases.
This model splits the credit for a customer purchase between the first and last interaction. This has also given it the name “U shaped” attribution. With this model, 40% is given to each of these points and 20% is spread out between the rest.
Advantage:
Disadvantage:
When to use this model
If you want a focused model that still acknowledges the importance of all the touch-points in your marketing strategy.
Each of these multi channel attribution models can be used to determine the ROI for all of the marketing channels you have in place. It is worth noting that there is no “best” model. They all can be used in different circumstances and all come with their own benefits and drawbacks.
The most common difficulty in trying to decide which model to use is that they all have their own flaws, and many focus too much on a single point in the cycle. You will need to decide which point is the most important factor in your strategy and which touch-points you are willing to forgo the value of.
If you are looking to increase your conversion rates and maximise your revenue, it is important that you consider your multi channel attribution models and set your marketing channels up correctly.
As a digital consultancy with 15 years of marketing experience and a focus on conversion rate optimisation and paid ads, we have helped many companies achieve their goals and raise their revenue.
If you need help with setting up your marketing channels in a way that maximises your returns, get in contact with us today.
Depending on whether you are a B2B or a B2C business, some marketing models may be better at attracting customers than others.
This means you need to carefully consider the way you market to them, the platform your business generates content on and whether you use B2C or B2B sales funnels in your sales strategy.
Social media is now a prominent force in the marketing sphere, and ignoring it can be detrimental. It is standard practice for businesses to have social media accounts, but the social media channel you use should differ depending on your business.
For B2B marketing, the best platform to use is LinkedIn, with its 630+ million members and 260+ million active monthly users.
LinkedIn is a professional network that allows business executives and specialists to connect. Marketers can use this platform as a means to connect with influencers and decision-makers in the business world.
With B2C marketing, the best platforms to use are Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with their 330+ million, 2.38+ billion and 1+ billion active monthly users respectively. This is because consumers can be found following their brands on pretty much every platform.
The reason to use these three is that they are the largest, so creating content on them will allow you to reach a bigger audience.
Just because these platforms are the best to use, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to stick with them. You can use any platform to target the right customers regardless of whether you are operating on B2B or B2C, so long as your content matches the platform and your message relates to your audience.
One of the fastest ways a business can generate quality traffic to their website is through the use of paid advertising. This is when you pay to have an advertisement shown to a targeted group of people. In the digital world, this can be through social media, banners or with PPC Google ads.
The strategy you decide to use will differ greatly depending on whether you are attracting customers or businesses. They might both be purchasing from you, but they need to be treated differently because they have different goals and priorities.
With B2B marketing, your best strategy is to use LinkedIn ads, Facebook ads and PPC to attract customers.
You need to be where your customers are, and when businesses look for products or services, they are very unlikely to use social media to search for them. Instead, they will be trying to utilise their professional networks or Google for their search.
For B2C marketing, your best strategy is to do the opposite and instead build up a relationship with your audience via social media and blogs on Google. Engaging with your audience and raising awareness of your brand should be your top priority.
This also means that you have the freedom to choose any of the social media platforms to pay for display ads and utilise paid search. Your paid ad budget should be allocated to Twitter ads, Facebook ads, Instagram ads and paid Google search.
Sales funnels are the bread and butter of every business, allowing you to convert your visitors and potential leads into customers.
There are many different types of sales funnels that you can use, but it is important to pick one that is relevant to your customers.
With B2B marketing, a company might use the typical B2B sales funnels. This is likely to include three stages:
The advertisement – LinkedIn ads are the top choice for these types of businesses. Studies show that 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn, with 94% of B2B marketers using this platform to distribute content.
The booking page – When clicking an advert, the lead will then be directed to the company website. This is where they can book a free consultation to help them with their business problem.
The sales close – The lead will then be passed on to the sales team where they will try to close the lead via a phone call and get them to purchase their product or service.
With B2C marketing, a company will use a completely different approach. Phone marketing will rarely be used unless it is an expensive purchase because this approach can be seen as too intrusive.
The B2C sales funnels will adopt a softer approach, especially with an inbound marketing method. For example:
Social media post – A company will put out an Instagram post with the description that explains a concept and tells the customer to check the bio for more information. Instagram marketing can be highly effective, with 78% of B2C marketers creating content on this platform.
Redirect to the blog post – This post expands on the social media post, explaining the concept in-depth with a call-to-action at the end that directs a customer to the lead magnet.
Lead magnet – A freebie that is given in exchange for a visitor’s email and contact info.
Promotional up-sell – After a few nurtured emails, a promotional offer is then sent where the customer can buy their product or service.
Building the perfect sales funnel that complements your business model takes time to thoroughly test. It also requires the knowledge to tweak your funnel to increase conversion rates.
Highly optimised lead funnels can be a great way to generate revenue, but without the knowledge and experience, you can spend a lot of time shooting in the dark.
As a digital consultancy with 15 years of marketing experience and a focus on conversion rate optimisation and paid search, we have helped many companies achieve their goals.
If you need help with creating and setting up your B2C or B2B sales funnels in a way that maximises your returns, get in contact with us today.
Deciding whether to outsource your marketing or do it yourself can be difficult. Should you pay for someone else to run ads for you, or should you just do it in-house? What kinds of services do you even need?
There may be thousands of questions running through your mind about PPC advertising in particular. Let us help you out by explaining exactly when you should make the jump and start outsourcing.
There are a number of reasons why businesses may choose to do their PPC in-house, such as cost, the stage of the business or wanting to have complete control over their campaigns.
Here are some of the key reasons you might be averse to outsourcing:
Many companies choose to do PPC themselves because they believe it costs too much for a quality service. Perhaps they have a low budget or are just starting out in the business world.
If you don’t have the money or you are a new business it is a better idea not to hire an expensive agency for PPC management services. You can still get the same results for less money if you opt for a consultant instead.
Perhaps you are the type of person who prefers to have complete control over every aspect of marketing. By doing everything in-house, you can decide how your paid campaigns are run and where your money is being spent. Also, there will be no last-minute delays because you are in charge of getting your ads up and running and are not relying on a third party.
If you choose to pay for PPC management services, you are likely to be asked for detailed and potentially sensitive information about your products or services. This is so a consultant or agency can market your offerings better.
This could potentially open your company up to confidential information leaks. By avoiding using any external services, you can better protect your company. However, no one is entirely safe from cybercrime, and there are ways to minimise the risks involved – such as working with a trusted provider with robust security systems in place.
No one knows your business and the vision you have for it better than you. Doing PPC in-house makes it easier to bring a campaign back on track if it starts to veer off course, as you have full control over the project.
The problem with hiring an agency is that they are never going to be as invested in your vision as you, and this only starts to compound if they are managing multiple clients at a time.
On the other hand, there are many reasons why a company may choose to outsource, such as:
Paying for PPC management services can give you the upper hand and help to elevate your campaigns to the next level.
The main reason for this is that these agencies and consultants specialise in running successful campaigns and have a proven track record for doing so.
Not every business has the time to continue running their own campaigns and may benefit from getting a third party to do it for them.
This essentially leaves them with extra time in which they can focus on hitting other important business targets.
By outsourcing your PPC, you take out the guess-work. High-quality agencies and consultants have access to valuable tools that you would otherwise be unable to access.
This means that they can collect data and generate reports. Every piece of new data can then be used to increase the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Despite the reasons why you may opt to do your PPC in-house, there comes a point where every business is no longer in a position to continue on the same path as time and resources start to become limited.
The golden rule when deciding to outsource is making sure that the monthly management fee never exceeds 40% of the total business ad spend.
For example, if you are looking for an agency to run your PPC and they charge you a monthly management cost of £500, you should be budgeting at least £1250 for your total ad spend.
If you are not able to budget this much, then it is probably a better idea to start looking at other options. This could be using a consultancy rather than a larger agency.
Depending on the type of PPC management service you are looking for, your time commitment and your total budgeted ad spend, you may be looking for a different type of service.
The two most common PPC methods are full ad management and those that offer a monthly check-in.
This is a service that is often provided by large agencies at a higher cost.
The agency usually takes full control over your ad spend with a large team of professionals that continually optimise your campaigns.
This service is typically provided by small-to-medium sized consultants and is usually cheaper than full management.
This option can vary greatly and could either be provided in the form of a monthly call with reports and analysis or even on-site depending on the commitment of the consultant.
Creating the perfect ad that converts requires lots of time and rigorous tests.
Paid ads can be an excellent way to engage with your audience and encourage them to pay for your product or service. However, if done wrong and without the proper knowledge, you can waste a lot of effort and time.
As a digital consultancy with 15 years of marketing experience and a focus on paid ads, conversion rate optimisation and more, we have helped many companies achieve their goals.
If you need help with creating and setting up your PPC in a way that maximises your returns, contact us today.
There are many ways to promote your business online, but the method we will discuss here involves Google Display ads.
As the largest search engine in the world, with over 92.62% market share in June 2019 and a whopping 63,000 searches a second, it’s no wonder companies are turning to Google to promote their services.
Google Display is a platform that allows companies to pay to create an ad that targets specific prospects. With Google Display ads, you can use different targeting options to strategically show your message to millions of viewers.
These ads are then displayed on a vast range of websites, including blogs, news pages and other Google sites including Gmail and YouTube.
There are many reasons why you might decide to use Google Display ads to promote your business. By following the best practice for Google Display ads in this guide, you could reap the following benefits:
1) Build brand awareness
Google Display ads target visitors on different websites who are unlikely to know you exist. This is because you are targeting visitors on sites that are relevant to their search history.
Putting your ads on different sites will boost your visibility. It also increases the likelihood that a single person will see or hear about you multiple times. As a result, people are more likely to buy from you since they are familiar with you and your brand.
2) Create powerful visual ads
Rather than leveraging standard written content, Google Display ads tend to be visual graphics or animations, which studies have shown to be far more engaging.
If you couple the visual element with the correct placement on a relevant site, you will likely see an increase in click-through rates and conversions from these ads.
3) Re-market to potential customers
Google Display ads allow you to re-market to customers that have previously shown an interest in your product or service. This refers to anyone that has visited your site or taken an incomplete action, such as abandoning a shopping cart.
With a re-marketing strategy in place, you can use Google Display ads to reach these people and nurture them into purchasing from you. By encouraging customers to return to your website, and by keeping them informed about your promotions, you are also helping to create loyalty and solidify their connection to your brand.
Now you know what Google Display ads are and why they’re valuable, here are some best practice tips to help you attract visitors.
1) Triple-check your work
You are representing your company, and even the slightest error you make will reflect badly on your brand. This means you should check for typos, grammar mistakes and image misalignments.
Always have a small team dedicated to checking, preferably with multiple stages, as this will help to eliminate human error.
2) Draw attention to your brand
The purpose of a Google Display ad is to attract attention while clearly displaying a branded message. As a visual marketing method, pulling visitors in using strong imagery should be your main goal.
You also want to reduce the barriers for the visitor understanding your key message and this means using striking high-quality images and easy to read fonts.
If you have used dull colours or an illegible font, the audience will not be drawn to your ad, and you risk losing their attention in the first few seconds.
3) Don’t cut corners
High quality should always be your top priority when creating ads, regardless of their size and scope. This means you should always use high-resolution images and brand elements that are clear enough to be read even at a smaller size (i.e. on a phone screen).
One thing to note, however, is that Google Display has a 150 KB file limit, so you should keep this in mind when choosing an image for your ad.
4) Keep it relevant
Everything on your ad needs to be representative of your brand and its voice. This means that the language you use, the colours, the style and font should relate to your brand image.
This diligence helps to ensure consistency in your ads and builds brand recognition and loyalty. Your customers need to be able to recognise your brand without prompt.
5) Include a clear call-to-action
There should be a clear call-to-action directing the person viewing your ad to the next step on their journey. This might be to contact you, subscribe to your feed or complete a purchase.
Without a clear path for people to follow, it is easy for them to ignore your ad. It also means that you miss the chance to redirect visitors towards the action you want them to take. Put simply, having a call-to-action increases conversions.
6) Use data to construct your ad
Research and collect data on your audience from your other channels and on related prospects. You need to watch out for the kind of language they use, the elements they respond to better and the components they liked or disliked about previous ads.
By including these elements into your design, you are able to help your audience relate to you better and encourage them to engage with you. People are more likely to interact with companies they feel understand them.
Using Google Display ads can be extremely effective in increasing customers and revenue. Failing to do it correctly can lead to a large amount of money lost for a mediocre return.
As a digital consultancy with 15 years of experience and a focus on paid search, conversion rate optimisation and more, we have helped many companies elevate their business to the next level.
If you need help and guidance with setting up your ads in a way that maximises returns, or if you need more in-depth Google Display ads best practice info, contact us today.
Many companies debate whether or not to work with a marketing agency.
This article explains some of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and will help you decide whether the decision is right for your business.
Working with a reputable agency can be a great business decision, especially if you don’t have the time and resources to manage your marketing in-house. However, it can also have some downsides.
1) High quality comes at a cost
The amount that you will be spending is dependant on the expertise and size of the marketing agency.
If you want good quality work, expect to be paying between £6,000 to £20,000 per month for a top agency.
2) Initial learning curve
When you start to work with an agency, the beginning will be slow. They may need extra time or guidance to learn about your company, its values and internal business processes.
The project could have a delayed start if the agency does not have much experience or knowledge about your field, or if you operate in a niche industry.
3) Issues with communication
Trying to have an open line of communication with the agency can pose a problem. With an in-house marketing team, you have the convenience of being able to walk in and have the conversation directly to discuss any problems.
With an agency, there is an inherent barrier if they are not working on-site, as you may have to schedule a phone call or Skype video call.
4) You may not be a priority
The typical marketing agency works with 15+ clients simultaneously and, therefore, cannot solely focus on the work they are doing for you.
Another of the agency’s clients could be paying more than you, resulting in them being prioritised. This shouldn’t be the case with a reputable marketing agency, but it may well be true for those who are new to the business or don’t have a proven track record managing big and small clients.
5) Detachment from your business
Since it is not their money they are spending, marketing agencies are more likely to experiment and push the boundaries of a project. While risk-taking can pay off big time if it’s done right, it could also tarnish your brand if done incorrectly.
It’s also worth noting that it’s not always possible for an agency to understand and be able to reproduce your vision exactly as you imagined it.
Many companies outsource their marketing work successfully, resulting in more qualified leads, higher sales and long-term relationships with clients or customers.
Here are some of the key advantages of working with a marketing agency:
1) Inspiration and a fresh perspective
In-house marketing teams are only working for one brand, which can be limiting. They may fall into the trap of producing the same kind of content over and over again, leading to stunted creativity.
The advantage of bringing a marketing agency into the mix is that they can provide you with fresh ideas and perspective.
2) Years of experience and varied expertise
Full-service marketing agencies tend to have a team with a wide variety of expertise and marketing backgrounds. These agencies are constantly updating their knowledge and keeping ahead of the trends.
This means that these agencies can help you fill in any skill gaps or perform tasks that one person alone may not know how to do. Depending on the size of the agency you work with, they may even have whole departments with expertise in differing fields of marketing.
Those who work for an agency already have a good relationship and can work well with each other; they already understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses and workflows, so they tend to be able to perform tasks efficiently.
3) Relatively low cost
Hiring a marketing agency is often cheaper than recruiting full-time staff. The cost of hiring a key marketing member in-house can sometimes equal the cost of an entire outsourced team.
Besides having to pay a high salary for a whole in-house team of marketers, there is also the hidden cost of having to advertise for a candidate, interview and train them. Outsourcing to a marketing agency is much more cost-effective.
4) Saves precious time
Saving money is important for any business, but saving time is another priority. By hiring an agency to do the marketing for you, there is no long-term commitment like there is when you hire a new team member.
This means you can scale up in your own time and focus your attention on growing your business, forming valuable corporate relationships and expanding on your vision.
5) Good work ethic
Marketing agencies have a reputation to uphold. Therefore, an established agency is likely to produce consistently high-standard work. They will also be looking to retain you as a customer and will typically do everything in their power to provide you with a quality service.
After all, a happy customer is one that is likely to give them a good review and may also refer them to other potential customers.
Now you know the advantages and disadvantages of working with a marketing agency, here are two important questions you should ask before choosing to work with one.
1) How many clients can they handle at once?
The answer to this question will provide you with great insight into where the agency’s priorities lie and how far they spread their resources.
It also gives you an indication of how much time the agency will allocate to your business. This provides insight into the quality of work they could be producing for you.
2) Who are their previous clients?
Look at some of the agency’s past work or the companies they have previously worked for. This will give you an understanding of whether they are familiar with your industry or not.
This is especially important if you are in a relatively unknown field or where in-depth knowledge and expertise is required.
If you are looking to generate traffic and grow your business, we would love to help. As a digital consultancy with 15 years of experience and a focus on paid search, conversion rate optimisation and more, we have helped many companies elevate their business to the next level.
To find out more, please contact us today.
Are you wondering how to turn your traffic into paying customers? Did you know that different types of lead funnels are required depending on the type of product or service you offer?
Many companies make the mistake of using a one-size-fits-all approach when there are hundreds of different lead funnels that they could use to achieve different goals.
Let’s take a closer look at choosing the most optimal lead funnel for your business.
Similar to a regular kitchen funnel, a lead funnel acts as a tool for leads or potential customers to go through. The aim is to turn interested visitors and prospects into long-term paying customers.
Not every visitor that goes through your funnel will end up buying from you, and people drop off at different stages of the funnel. As a marketer, your job is to test and tweak your funnel with minor changes to increase your conversion rate.
The main reasons why leads fall out of the funnel include a lack of interest, needs not being fully met or not being able to relate to your brand.
All business models require different funnels that are built in differing ways.
Here are three simple funnels that you can use to generate leads:
This funnel aims to entice viewers to take the desired action in exchange for value. There are many different types of lead magnets that you can offer, including checklists, PDF reports, free e-books or a short course. It’s up to you to choose the right lead magnet that resonates with your audience.
The most common order for this type of funnel is: lead magnet landing page into an opt-in page into a download page. Here is a small explanation of these stages.
Lead magnet – The aim is to draw visitors into signing up to your mailing list. Then, you can nurture them with communications, offers and discounts. The benefits should always be clearly outlined on your lead magnet pages and have a call-to-action button in clear view.
Opt-in page – This should have a clear section where the visitors can add their contact details so that they can receive their freebie. It should at least include their name and email address. The best practice here is to ask for as little as possible so that you do not scare them away.
Download page – This is the final page that visitors will see before they can download and receive their free gift. On this page, it is important to thank them so you set a positive first impression and ask them to check their email for further information.
Key tips to remember:
With this type of funnel, you create a short quiz. This gives you information on your leads, allowing you to market to them better. It also helps you to qualify them with micro-commitments. Filling out surveys requires a small amount of time and effort.
The most common order for this type of funnel is: opt-in page into the survey page into a results page. Here is a small explanation of these stages.
Key tips to remember:
This type of funnel is focused around a live event that you host, whether that be a live demonstration or a summit. A prospect can only view this event once they have verified their attendance. It helps to build trust because you can use this opportunity to demonstrate authority and address any questions or reservations your audience may have.
The most common order for this type of funnel is: opt-in page into a webinar page and then into a checkout page. Here is a small explanation of these stages.
Key tips to remember:
The best way to follow up with your lead funnel is to send three emails after they have opted into your email list. This helps to nurture them and keep your company at the forefront of their mind.
There are three email stages you send in order.
Building the perfect lead funnel that complements your business model is difficult. You need the understanding of what makes customers tick and the time to tweak your funnel to increase conversion rates.
Highly optimised lead funnels can be an excellent tool that provide you with an endless stream of revenue. However, without the knowledge, you can spend precious time shooting in the dark.
As a digital consultancy with 15 years of marketing experience and a focus on conversion rate optimisation, we have helped many companies achieve their goals.
If you need help with creating and setting up your funnel in a way that maximises returns, contact us today.
The future is digital. Are you prepared?
There is a skills shortage in the digital sector in Europe. Skillsets can’t keep pace with digital growth, which is opening wide skills gaps in the industry. What’s more, employees at all levels lack the digital literacy that companies need to keep pace with new technologies. In fact, 32% of the EU workforce has low or no digital skills, according to the European Commission. (more…)
Do you feel like your Google listings are like islands in a sea of search results, promoting the same brand but existing separately?
When visitors search your company name, your Google+ page will appear in the Google organic search results. It’s also where you engage with your followers and target audience. Completely separate is your Google Local page, which contains reviews and appears on Google Maps searches. Historically, the two have existed in tandem, without any interaction – social content and follower growth plays no part in your local listing traffic, and vice versa.
It’s frustrating, I know.
Well, in this article, I’ll talk you through how you can merge your Google Local listing with your Google+ brand page, so they can coexist in a more symbiotic way, for better search rankings in the future.
1 in 3 searches on Google is local. Yes, 33% of searches on Google are related to location. That’s why every business should take their place in the Google+ directory of all businesses on the internet to maximise their visibility in search results.
Many business, though, are confused about where they need to be listed and how functions like Google Local and Google Maps relate to Google+. Some are frustrated, too, that they have to create separate but duplicate brand listings on Google Maps, Google Local and on Google Plus, without any interconnectedness between services.
Many brands have more than one G+ page, a local listing that shows in the SERPs next to the main search results, and a seperate G+ page that they setup, with the brand, followers and reviews, and custom URL.
But how can you get these two platforms working together?
Thankfully, Google have announced a new function that will take elements of your Google Local page and combine them into your Google+ brand page. By combining your Google services, you’ll benefit from the localisation of your local page, while maintaining the brand, reviews, followers and custom url of your Google+ page.
Put simply, you’ll benefit from far greater visibility. All reviews, maps and address information can be transferred from your local to your brand pages.
So how do you do it? Well, let me talk you through it. Here’s my step-by–step guide to merging your Google Local Listing with your brand Google+ page.
Step 1: Login to your Google+ account, select ‘Pages’ from the left-hand navigation , choose your Local page and click ‘Manage This Page.’
Step 2: Choose ‘Settings’ and scroll down to ‘Link A Different Page to This Location’. Choose your main Google+ brand page that you would like to connect to Google Maps. Wait for a message confirming that the two accounts are linked. Your Google+ brand page should now display a Verified Local Badge (tick mark) below its main icon.
That’s it…
I strongly recommend merging your Google Local listing with your brand Google+ page as soon as possible. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll notice a major improvement in your online visibility. Still not sure why or how to link them up? Get in touch, today. I’m your outsourced digital director and will be happy to help.
“Product Listing Ads drive traffic and sales to your website or local store by showing online shoppers rich images and details of items you sell.”
Are you ready to start selling your products globally through Google Shopping?
Product Listing Ads (PLAs) are a kind of PPC ad that e-commerce merchants can purchase through Google Adwords to increase the online reach of their products. PLAs feature a high-quality product image and differ from AdWords in that they are tailored towards product categories over specific keywords. They’ll appear on the left hand side and at the top of Google search results and once visitors click on your Google shopping ad, customers will be redirected to your website page to browse further and (hopefully!) make a purchase.
The great part is, you only pay for your ad when Google successfully directs a customer to your online shop!
Deciding whether Google Shopping is the right platform for your products can be difficult. There are several variables that you need to consider before taking the plunge. The first thing to consider is whether you have enough products to warrant Google Shopping. If you have under 5 products, for example, you’ll find it difficult to get any visibility on Google.
The next thing to consider is how competitive your product category is. There is significant revenue to be generated on Google Shopping in categories like toys, automotive, tools and furniture, but you need to be careful of using highly competitive products that generally receive a lot of clicks in your PLA campaign. You’ll be up against some of the most popular products out there!
The next stumbling block is how much you have to spend on your Google Shopping campaign. I understand that advertising budgets vary wildly, but if you want to ensure that your ads show up on Google and that you make a worthwhile profit on Google Shopping, you’ll need to spend at least £250.
What’s more, if you are operating within tight margins, you’ll need to work out what sort of return you’ll get on your investment. This will vary hugely depending on your products and how competitive your market is, and will dictate whether PLAs through Google Shopping is right for your business.
Ultimately, Google Shopping will only work for you if your website is up to scratch. Not sure if yours is?
If you’re planning to sell your products to multiple countries, and are looking to use Product Listing Ads (PLAs) to boost sales, you should first configure your site so that it’s ready to sell on Google shopping.
Google Shopping requires that you list your products for sale in the currency of the country you are targeting. Not only must you list them in this currency, the customer should be able to checkout and pay for shipping in that currency.
For ease, I like to setup a feed per country/currency in Adwords, allowing me to easily set and adjust prices per country. The separate feed per country also allows for better control over what products are available and will make it easier to ensure the correct fields are included according to that country’s specifications. To make product and currency segmentation easier when controlling bids, I suggest adding a custom tag field to each product that will then allow you to filter easily by that currency.
Want to know more? Why not let me help you get product listing ads to work for your e-commerce website with Google Shopping? I am Google Shopping and Adwords certified and in a fairly unique position to help you get the most out of this potentially lucrative channel.
Let’s face it, we’re all looking for ways to improve the quality and, vitally, the relevance of our leads using pay per click (PPC). An extremely effective way to do it is through re-marketing – re-targeting the people who have a proven interest in your website & its products or services.
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Are you disappointed with the click-through rate of your latest PPC campaign?
It could be because you haven’t added negative keywords. Negative keywords allow you to regain control over your PPC campaign and stop showing your ads to the wrong people. In this article, I’ll show you how to effectively compile a negative keyword list, to ensure a better return on your next PPC campaign.
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Are your analytics reflecting strong visitor numbers but poor conversion rates?
We often find businesses confused by what they are seeing on their analytics and disappointed that they are not converting. They’ll often tell us that while they have a great ‘time on page’ metric (usually over 5 minutes or so) and a low bounce rate, they are getting next to no enquires.
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Is your website optimised to appear well in the search engines? Are you optimised for the right search terms?
SEO is about making your website easy for the robots that control search engines to understand. Although SEO is changing all the time, search engines still can’t think the way a human can, so you have to play the game their way.
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