Nancy McCord – The Web Authority

December 19, 2024

Reporting Payments to McCord Web Services for 2024

Our mascot Bandit McCord agrees you need McCord Web Services for Google Ads.

For our clients that report payments to us on the 1099-NEC form, it is important that you review what you report this year.

All credit card payments you have made to us are reported by our credit card processor Paya to the IRS.

You should not report on your 1099-NEC any credit card payments. You should report only check, Zelle, and EFT bank transactions via BILL.com.

We have had a situation recently with the IRS for the year 2022 where clients reported on a 1099-NEC credit card payments to us and then these same payments were reported to the IRS by Paya. The IRS then received documentation of erroneously reported double income.

These problems are a hassle to resolve and we encourage any clients who will be doing a 1099-NEC for us for the year of 2024 to not include any credit card payments they have made to us as they are to reported via the 1099-K by Paya our credit card processor.

If you do report credit card income on your 2024 1099-NEC, we will ask you for a revision to prevent audit issues with the IRS for the year 2024.

Better yet, ask us before the year end to print out your 2024 customer ledger from our Accounting Software and we can show you the detail of what to report on your 1099-NEC and show which transactions will be reported by Paya on the 1099-K so double income reporting is not done to the IRS.

For more information on reporting of 1099-NEC and 1099-K we encourage you to read this article on why you should not report credit card payments on your 1099-NEC.

Read the article: Clarifications and Complexities of the New 1099-K Reporting Requirements

December 3, 2024

Google Ads Shows Year Over Year Click Cost Increases

Search Engine Land, one of the pay per click industry’s top online magazines, has just published its statistical data analysis for Google Ads performance. Read the full article online.

They identified the following information for 2023 vs. 2024.

Search campaigns:
ROAS up 2% YoY
CPA down 3% YoY
CPC up 22% YoY
Conversion rate up 21% YoY

Performance Max campaigns:
ROAS: Up 1% YoY, from 609.77% in Q3 2023 to 616.36% in Q3 2024
CPA: Up 8% YoY, from $13.92 in Q3 2023 to $15.15 in Q3 2024
CPC: Up 6% YoY, from $0.50 in Q3 2023 to $0.53 in Q3 2024
Conversion Rate: Down 3% YoY, from 3.56% in Q3 2023 to 3.47% in Q3 2024

Shopping campaigns with PMax:
ROAS up 4% YoY
CPA down 15% YoY
CPC down 10% YoY
Conversion rate up 5% YoY

What we find is that while most of our advertisers saw modest year-over-year gains in return on ad spend (ROAS) and conversion rates, the rising cost per click cost cut into those improvements.

For some clients knowing that the cost per click has increased 22% from 2023 to 2024 is not news to them, but to others, seeing the actual data broken down my campaign type may be illuminating.

Although no one likes to have to increase their Google Ads spend budget just to stay competitive, the data points out that ad spend budgets should be reviewed regularly to keep your business competitive in the Google Ads auction.

For existing clients, we are offering a free analysis in December to plan a 2025 Google Ads spend budget by month; allowing you to compete effectively in this changing landscape. Please let us know to add you to our 2025 budget planning session by December 10th and receive a free Google Ads budget plan by month.

If you are not a client yet, you can get a two year analysis and a 2025 Google Ads spend budget by month for $250. Please contact us by December 15th with payment.

November 22, 2024

New Certifications for Our Team in Digital Advertising

Microsoft Advertising Certified Expert Badge

We are proud to announce that our team has worked hard to receive new Microsoft Advertising credentials- the Microsoft Certified Advertising Expert, the Commerce Certification, and the Retail Media Certification.

You can visit our certification page on our website to view all of the professional certification badges we carry in addition to these newly received credentials.

By studying to receive the Retail Media Certification, we qualified for the new Microsoft Advertising Commerce Certification. This two exam certification is new with Microsoft this year.

The Retail Media Certification is based on the new Microsoft Advertising platform called PromoteIQ. This very innovative approach to brand and consumer advertising is unusual and has tremendous possibilities for brands to advertise on third party sites and leverage additional sales using sponsored banner ads and product listing ads on-site and off-site.

You can learn more about PromoteIQ by visiting the Microsoft Help Desk page on this new innovative product.

November 22, 2024

Navigating the US Antitrust Trial Over Google Ads

Team reviewing a proposal from McCord Web Services.

On September 9th, Google faced a new antitrust trial centered on allegations of monopolistic behavior in digital advertising. This trial raises several concerns among our clients—chief among them being the trustworthiness of Google, the fairness of advertising costs, and the potential breakup of Google Ads.

While the trial unfolds, it is crucial to understand that any resulting changes will be implemented gradually, ensuring that your advertising costs remain transparent and competitive. Google’s defense argues that the digital advertising landscape is far more complex and competitive than depicted by the federal government. However, for those concerned about the potential impact on Google Ads, consider exploring alternative platforms like Microsoft Advertising and Facebook Ads.

Rest assured, we are committed to maximizing the value of your ad spend and will keep you updated on any developments affecting your advertising strategy.