Author: Nancy McCord

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How Do You Monitor Google AdWords?

It is shocking, but there are business out there that are spending thousands of dollars on Google each month without any checks and balances in place to monitor the performance of their programs.

Before we start working with an AdWords client we want several things in place. (This is really in the client’s best interest.) We want to have metrics to evaluate the success, or lack thereof,  of their Google AdWords program.

This is what we recommend:

  1. Have a website statistics package installed. AWStats is not enough. We like Urchin and second best Google Analytics.
  2. Have a contact form on the website that when the script is triggered drops the client to a new URL for the thank you page. Contact forms that simply place text on the same page thanking the client for a form submission will never be able to have Google AdWords conversion tracking installed.
  3. Make sure that AdWords conversion tracking is installed on the thank you or order confirmation page.
  4. Have a budget established for $800 to $1,500 per month for clicks to start with. Less than that, you really should not use our services as we will add too much to your program’s overhead.
  5. Consider custom landing pages targeted to your ad group’s themes. Some clients don’t always need this as they may have a page on their website that is a good match, but we never recommend dropping the AdWords clickee on the home page of the website. When we do custom landing pages we always enable a form at the bottom to allow for fast questions and an additional way to capture the lead for further contact.

If you are not using metrics to evaluate your AdWords program, you are just leaving your pocket book or wallet open on the table for Google to grab your cash without accountability. You should only spend on Google AdWords when it is smart for your business.

I’ve seen and made happen some absolutely wild success stories with Google AdWords, but I’ve also told some clients that AdWords is not working for them and they should stop advertising there. If you don’t measure the activity and leads generated by your program, you will simply be guessing at whether AdWords is working for you. You should not be guessing, you should know!

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New Innovations in Web Design

Not everyone can afford our custom SEO-niche based web design services, but for those that need a simple web presence, using website templates can get you exposure fast.

GoDaddy.com has a nice template based simple web design editor that you can set up in under four hours. For a first time web presence this is enough to get exposure fast. I’ve taken their application for a run for a client and I think that their color choices and designs are fine. Once you’ve made your template selection adding content is as simple as typing.

For businesses who need a website and really don’t have the money to pay for services such as ours, this will give you a taste of the web possibilities that are out there.

For mature businesses who have already tasted the Web and now need serious “authority” and better placement, we’re a great match and we invite you to review our services, client ratings, and portfolio. We understand that we are not a good match for everyone, so if you need a quick and nearly free website, GoDaddy.com is a great place to start and do it yourself.

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Some People Should Not Be Bloggers

Well, some people should not be bloggers and although painful for some to hear, it is the truth. I work with developing new blog writing talent all the time and know this to be a fact.

In fact, even more than that, not all good writers will be good bloggers. Some of our blog writers are making an excellent living being professional bloggers. We have some writers who are making around $2,000 a month just writing for blogs in addition to having a full time regular job. That being said there are even more web writers and aspiring writers who want to be bloggers and many simply do not have what it takes.

This is what it takes to be a good professional blogger:

  1. Ability to write on nearly any topic.
  2. Ability to write quickly or to set time limits on research and writing time to stay profitable.
  3. Innate creativity and ability to turn a phrase to make a somewhat dull topic interesting and to draw the reader in.
  4. Excellent proofreading skills.
  5. Strong working knowledge of proper grammar.
  6. Knowledge of how to find writing topics using Google News and Google.com.
  7. Versatility in regards to writing tone and style. Some clients need a more chatty type blog post and others need pure informational or reviews.
  8. Desire to improve and work on their writing craft and not sensitive about constructive criticism.
  9. Dependability, posting at noon means just that not 12:10 or 3:00 PM.
  10. Ability to write for many topics within the same day and to become an expert on many topics quickly through a questioning mind.

Many bloggers I have tried or interviewed have one or several of these attributes, but many with a great style can only write with a personal point of view and so can never write informational pieces. Others only want to write on things they already know about, and still others don’t understand dependability or being on time.

It takes a combination of qualities from my list of ten to make the perfect blogger, but if you have them, you may be able to make an excellent income blogging as a job to supplement your regular job just like some of our writers.

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Best Organic Optimization Plan

From my over eight years of experience with websites and organic optimization, I have found what I consider the best organic optimization plan of attack.

  1. Strong initial and comprehensive keyword research
  2. Good use of source code optimization to include unique title tags, and a meta description
  3. Strong keyword density in h1 and h2 tags in the site’s source code
  4. Inclusion of well-written and engaging keyword dense content with keyword dense anchor text links in the content
  5. Integration of a blog with well written keyword dense blog posts published a minimum of three times per week
  6. Monthly creation of a feature article that is syndicated on various article sites and archived back on the parent website
  7. Quarterly press release on new topics, services or interviews and distributed via PR Web.

With this organic optimization plan you are bound to build “web authority” and over time improve your organic placement.

This process is not rocket science, but must be done carefully and by a knowledgeable team with a strong focus on optimization. I know from experience, as I have performed this process, on a number of websites that this is the very best organic optimization process and will provide results in the long run.

To find out more about our organic optimization services if you need help with your own web visibility, I invite you to review our code optimization process, blog writing services, and press release writing program.

Remember improving your organic search engine position takes time, but this process WILL work for you regardless of what business or service you promote.