Best practices are called such because in most cases they work. In the PPC world, they are a set of processes or layouts for which conventional wisdom has concluded they are the best method for creating or managing accounts and landing pages. Conventional wisdom is an idea that is widely accepted because it is usually true. Just because it is usually true does not mean its correct for you. You should question conventional wisdom to see if it holds true for your situation. In today’s article, I will examine some cases where conventional wisdom was inaccurate so you can start to j [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Paid Search

There are reports coming out of China that Apple will add Baidu as a default search option on iOS. The angle some are taking argues this is further evidence of Apple's efforts to marginalize Google on iOS. However a better explanation is that it's a rational move to offer access to China's largest search engine. Baidu has greater than 80 percent search market share in China. If accurate Apple's decision is very analogous to when the company introduced Yahoo and Bing as default search options on the iPhone a couple of years ago. Indeed, it would be strange for Apple to exclude China's most p [...]

Related Topics: Baidu | Channel: Mobile | Google: Android | Google: Mobile | Google: Outside US

The Japan Times reports Google has been ordered to turn off its Autocomplete search suggestion feature in Japan after being sued over some of those suggestions. However, Google says it's only being ordered to remove specific suggestions, not to turn off the entire feature. The man's case was adjudicated on March 19th. He said he found out he lost his job several years ago and was rejected for new jobs due to the suggestions offered by Google. Specifically, when you typed in this man's name, Google Autocomplete apparently suggested the man's name along with criminal acts. The Tokyo Distr [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Legal | Google: Outside US | Google: Suggest

The battle between Google and those trying to artificially manipulate its search results is an ongoing battle. Google on March 19th took down one of those blog/link networks named BuildMyRank.com. BuildMyRank.com confirmed Google has deindexed an "overwhelming majority" of their network as of March 19, 2012. The management of BuildMyRank.com has decided to immediately shut down their service and provide refunds to customers. BuildMyRank.com thought that Google would allow their network since they felt they provided "better quality service," which was a "bit different from other networks. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Features: Analysis | Google: SEO | Google: Web Search | Link Building: Paid Links | SEO: Spamming | Top News

Several years ago Universal Business Listing sought to become the "one stop shop" for local business listings syndication. The dream was that small businesses and their surrogates could sign up in one place online and ensure their data were in all the right places across the internet. While that has not fully come to pass, the company has taken a step closer through a deal with former competitor Yext. Yext began as a pay-per-call network and shifted last year to focus on local listings syndication. Yext works with small businesses but also brands with multiple locations. Emulating the no [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Search Engines: Maps & Local Search Engines | SEO: Local

Marin Software has released "The State of Mobile Search Advertising." It provides yet more evidence of how the search and paid-search markets are being profoundly affected by mobile devices. In almost every category there's triple-digit growth according to the report, which projects that smartphones and tablets will combine to generate 25 percent of all Google's paid search clicks in the US by the end of this year. Marin also estimates that nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of "Google’s US paid-search spend [by December 2012] will come from mobile campaigns." These are remarkable statements [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords | Google: Mobile | Search Marketing: Mobile | Top News

Google has announced the latest in its ongoing updates to the Panda algorithm that targets low-quality websites. And they've taken the somewhat novel approach of using Twitter to make this announcement: Panda refresh rolling out now. Only ~1.6% of queries noticeably affected. Background on Panda: goo.gl/mTKCH— A Googler (@google) March 23, 2012 As the tweet above says, Google estimates that about 1.6 percent of queries are affected by this "Panda refresh." I'm calling this Panda update 3.4 primarily because we don't know how substantial the update really is beyond the 140 [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Panda Update News | Top News

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Move Over, Wikipedia: Amazon May Be The King Of Google RankingsWhile the SEO industry has spent years decrying how well Wikipedia seems to dominate Google’s rankings, it may be that Amazon.com is the real king of visibility. For most of the past 18 months or so, Amazon has shown up on the first page of Google search results more often than Wikipedia and currently lands [...] AdSense Ad Review Center Gets OverhaulGoogle has revamped the Ad R [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

While the SEO industry has spent years decrying how well Wikipedia seems to dominate Google's rankings, it may be that Amazon.com is the real king of visibility. For most of the past 18 months or so, Amazon has shown up on the first page of Google search results more often than Wikipedia and currently lands on page one about 40 percent of the time, compared to just over 30 percent for Wikipedia. That's according to new research from SpyFu, which was published this week in response to our coverage of a Conductor study on Wikipedia's Google visibility. As you can see in the chart below, Am [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Features: Analysis | Google: SEO | Google: Web Search | Search Engines: Wikipedia | Stats: General | Top News

Google has revamped the Ad Review Center for AdSense, aiming to make it easier for publishers to control the ads that appear on their sites. The new Ad Review center will show ads of all targeting types that have previously appeared, and allow publishers to review and block future display of them. If ads are targeted by placement, publishers can review them in advance, before they appear on the site. Ads can be blocked one-by-one, rather than by groups. Google will take the information about ads that are blocked and use it to predict ads that might offend, highlighting them for the publi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Display | Google: AdSense

In this week's Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more. Google Drinks: Source: Google+ Yahoo Soup: Source: Flickr Panda Food: Source: absolutelyfobulous.com Lego Cake: Source: Pinterest +1 That License Plate: Source: Google+ [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Search In Pictures

Glassdoor has released their 2012 survey of best places to work in 2012 and Google has beat Facebook for the first time in four years in that survey. Google scored a 3.9 overall by their employees while Facebook scored a 3.7. In 2011 Facebook scored a 4.2 and Google scored a 4.1. Although Facebook employees earn about $3,000 more on average than Google employees and although the interview process is harder at Google than Facebook, Googlers in 2012 are more happy with their company than Facebook. Googlers seem to complain less about long hours and work/life balance issues than Facebook. I [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Strategy | Google: Employees | SEM Industry: General | Stats: General

In the ongoing wake of Search Plus Your World, there has been a lot of piling on the ‘beat down Google’ bandwagon. Much that has been written has been fair criticism of the search giant, but more than a small portion has been a gratuitous ‘piling on’ frenzy. I myself admittedly took part in some of it in the aftermath of the SPYW announcement. Given more time to reflect, I want to offer up what I hope will be a constructive line of thinking around SPYW and the appearance of social results in the SERPs (snarky title of this article aside). Google Introduces Us To Contextual Marketin [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Search & Analytics

Today's Google Logo is to remember Spanish painter known for his work in Cubism art with a Google logo resembling the art he helped innovate. Juan Gris was born 125 years ago today and died 40 years later from renal failure on May 11, 1927. He was born on March 23, 1887 in Madrid, Spain. The Google logo today is in the form of the Google logo but has strong resembles of several of his works in one logo. You can see more of his selected works and his biography at Wikipedia. Other Google Logos: Akira Yoshizawa Google Logo – Modern Origami Google Wave Logo For 155th Birthd [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Logos

Google says it's tired of squeezing display advertising into an interface made for search, so it's giving display its own tab within the AdWords interface. Given that display was launched almost as an afterthought to AdWords' core search ads business, it makes sense to start from scratch and give display its due. The new interface is built to run display campaigns and enable advertisers to bid, target and optimize display campaigns in one place. The new interface also features visual displays that show how reach is impacted by combining multiple targeting types. An important part of [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEM | Google: AdWords

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Firefox To Use Google Secure Search By Default; Expect More “Not Provided” Keywords To FollowThe popular Firefox browser is on track to use a secure method of searching Google by default, a change that will help prevent potential “eavesdropping” of what people are searching for. It will also further reduce the ability for publishers to know how people find their sites in Google — except for Google advertisers. A [...] [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | SearchCap

Whether you are about to issue an RFP or are six months into a year-long engagement with your digital agency, now is the time to ensure you know how to get the most out of your agency partnership. Learn about the vital issues to keep in mind to create agency success for your organization. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Sponsor Messages

SEOmoz has announced the SEOmoz Industry Survey is now open and ready for you to take. You can take the survey online over here. The last time SEOmoz ran this survey was two years ago, you can see the results of that survey over here. The survey has 54 questions and should take you about 20 minutes to complete. The question topics include: Your Work in the Industry Questions for Consultants, Freelancers, and Agencies Learning and Improving Internet Marketing Skills Internet and Inbound Marketing Scope and Process Inbound Marketing Tools and Tactics SEO Tools and Tactics [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Strategy | SEM Industry: Community | SEM Industry: General | SEM Industry: Stats

This article is all about the lies we tell. I know everyone loves when a post starts this way, but SEO is not dead, or dying for that matter. At least I certainly hope that’s not the case, considering I and many others reading this make a livelihood working in it. But SEO is certainly changing, largely because of the lies we tell. And as it continues to evolve it will undoubtedly look very different than it does today. In fact, if we think about the core goal of Search Engines, it has always been to give the best possible user experience. The search engines have done a fantastic job t [...]

Related Topics: All Things SEO | Channel: SEO

The popular Firefox browser is on track to use a secure method of searching Google by default, a change that will help prevent potential "eavesdropping" of what people are searching for. It will also further reduce the ability for publishers to know how people find their sites in Google -- except for Google advertisers. A loophole in Google Secure Search continues to provide them with this data. "We are currently testing the change to use SSL for built-in Google searches in our Firefox nightly channel. If no issues are uncovered, it will move through our Aurora and Beta release channels befor [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Features: Analysis | Firefox | Google: Chrome | Google: Secure Search | Google: Security | Google: Web Search | Top News