The Web Authority – Page 6 – From McCord Web Services – Google Partner and Web Visibility Experts

May 24, 2023

AI Surfaces as the Hottest Topic of the Era

AI is leading the way in changes for digital advertising.

The new Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) brings the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) directly into Google’s search results. These AI generated snippets of text will now appear above the search results pushing organic listings even farther down the page.

During Google’s May 2023 I/O Conference, Google announced this new search experience but did not provide a date for when the service would be released. However, it is important to know that a new experience is coming and that the format and information may change the way users interact with Google Search tools and may continue to impact the importance of organic search results and where they appear on the page.

Microsoft has already integrated ChatGPT into its Edge Browser using a flyout right side panel which is accessed by clicking the Bing Search icon. Or ChatGPT can be accessed directly from the Bing.com website. Microsoft has the edge over Google right now by integrating AI search tools so quickly while Google struggles with their own AI Search vision. We do continue to consider advertising on Bing.com, using the Microsoft Advertising platform, an excellent addition to your marketing mix. Ask our team for more information on testing the platform.

It appears that for both search engines AI generated information is now king; reshaping search in ways we have never seen before. It is an exciting time for advertisers, as we wait to see if these two search engines will utilize sponsored ads and creatives in AI generated search results.

May 3, 2023May 3, 2023

The Value of a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional

Nancy McCord is a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional.

We have just certified as a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional. Why should this special credential be important to you as a business owner as you look for an Internet Marketing firm and Microsoft Advertising account manager?

Here are some important considerations:

Microsoft Advertising Certified Professionals are experts in Microsoft Advertising solutions who have passed an online multiple-choice test with a score of 80% or more. They have proven their expertise across Microsoft Advertising solutions by passing all three certifications and receiving the highest-level status: The Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional (MACP).

Working with a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional can provide you with many benefits such as:

• Cost-effectiveness: Microsoft Ads is typically cheaper than Google Ads and offers more opportunities to target specific audiences with relevant ads at a lower cost per click.

• Detailed analytics: Microsoft Ads provides detailed analytics that are easy to interpret, making it easier to track ROI and refine campaigns over time.

• Real-time data: One of the key advantages of using Microsoft Advertising is the ability to analyze your campaign’s performance metrics. The platform offers real-time data on clicks, impressions, and conversions, which can help you make more informed decisions.

• Professional Service Ads: Professional Service Ads typically apply to verticals with advisors, agents, and consultants. According to internal data from Microsoft, advertisers experienced more conversions at lower costs with Professional Service Ads than text ads.

• Access to beta features: Microsoft Advertising Certified Professionals have access to beta features that are not yet available to the general public. This means that they can help you stay ahead of the curve by testing new features before they are released.

In summary, working with a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional can provide you with many benefits such as cost-effectiveness, detailed analytics, real-time data, access to beta features, and Professional Service Ads.

The Internet Marketing team at McCord Web Services is ready to help you get started advertising on the Microsoft Advertising network. Check with us today to see how we make it easy for you to get started.

May 3, 2023May 3, 2023

New Website Project Tutor with Carol

We’ve just completed a new web design project www.TutorWithCarol.com and are glad to share it with you.

This site designed for Carol Macina a professional math and reading tutor for K-8 grades uses our Pixelarity themes and is a quick and inexpensive way to have a search engine optimized website at an affordable price point.

To learn more about our Quick Start web design projects visit our web design page on our website for more information and examples.

April 20, 2023April 20, 2023

Welcome to the New World of Google Ads Tracking – Trust Me, You Won’t Like It

Google is always evolving, and unfortunately we have to evolve along with them. Here’s the big issue – with the implementation of G4, loss of third party cookie tracking, sunsetting of Google UA Analytics around July 1, we are just now starting to really see the new world of conversion tracking for Google Ads – and it is not pretty.

The Issue is Third Party Cookies

The Chrome browser will be retiring third party cookies use next year. More states in the US have been enacting privacy regulations to allow users visiting your website to choose which cookies to allow; which is in effect getting rid of your ability to fully track users to your website. You will now only be able to track the people who allow your first party cookies.

On one site when we allowed users to opt out of marketing and conversion tracking, the recorded activity dropped nearly 80%. The ability of users being able to choose what you, as a website owner, can track is starting to impact Google Ads conversion reporting as well.

Sunsetting of UA Analytics

G4, the new version of Google Analytics, is not easy or intuitive to use. It is hard to find clear revenue and ad spend figures in G4 that have been derived from Google Ads activity. Add to that, the fact that Google puts Google Ads Performance Max and shopping program results in a new channel category called “cross network” and this channel is not marked as results coming from Google Ads clearly.

Cross Network Tracking

Plus, Google and Google Ads have been slow to enable conversion tracking for cross network use. This important metric is still being enabled slowly account by account in Google Ads. We have only one client who has received notice so far, that this feature has been turned on for their account. Once enabled, cross network conversions will provide a modicum of additional information for conversion reporting and raise the current dismal numbers slightly.

The new world of conversion tracking and reporting in Google Ads is a murky one at this point.

Visitors Are Opting Out Not In

Given an opportunity to opt out of tracking and conversion cookies on a website, visitors are opting out and not in. In G4 Analytics, you must manually add cross network activity to the paid search activity to arrive at a somewhat accurate figure for activity be that traffic or revenue.

I am sure that Google will be addressing these issues in the future, but for now G4 is not easy to use, conversion set up difficult, and validity of the data murky.

A Drop in Reported Conversions and Revenue

We are seeing significantly lower conversion and revenue numbers flowing into Google Ads. As a Google Partner and experienced account manager, it is very important to explain to our client/advertisers that this does not mean that Google Ads is not working for them, but rather that all data can simply not be captured and reported as before.

What to Do?

We feel that having our clients watch overall sales, contact form submissions, and review activity against prior years and periods, in addition to information that we can glean from overall site traffic will be important to review in conjunction with Google Ads activity.

Clients should be apprised, in advance, that Google Ads conversions may drop during this transition period and that these lower reported conversion and revenue numbers will most likely be the new reality.

As account managers, we will now have to look at the total sales/leads, if clients will share the data with us, and review actions back on the website, if we have access to their G4 accounts, to get a fuller picture of Google Ads marketing efforts to continue to communicate the value of Google Ads as an investment in our clients’ business growth.

Welcome to the Future

Welcome to the new world of conversion tracking and reporting for Google Ads! However, we are up to the challenge to help you get the most activity possible on Google Ads, even in light of some of these adversities. With more than 15 years of experience on the platform, McCord Web Services is a Google Partner and expert in Google Ads account management.

For more information about our services, we invite you to visit our Google Ads services section and our white label agency services section.

About the Author, Nancy McCord

Nancy McCord is the CEO and Founder of McCord Web Services LLC. She started the firm in 2001 and has been a professional Google Ads account manager for more than 15 years. She is considered to be an expert in Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Search Engine Optimization.