Much has been said about A/B testing techniques and the value that Website Testing can bring to website owners. In this article, I will not discuss what to test or how to do it, but how to analyze what you have already done. I have written in the past about the differences between A/B and Multivariate Testing and how to choose between them. Back then, I wrote that one of the advantages of multivariate tests is that you can analyze each and every interaction between elements in a much deeper level. However, one of the points that I missed is that A/B Tests are easier to be analyzed using [...]

Related Topics: Advanced | Channel: Analytics | Google: Analytics | Google: Website Optimizer | How To: Analytics | Search & Analytics

There are two different security issues around Google products over the past 12 hours or so. The first is with Google Website Optimizer where there was the potential of an Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack. The second is with people using Goo.gl, Google's URL shortener, within Twitter to grab your Twitter passwords. While the second one, goo.gl is not really a Google issue, the Google Website Optimizer XSS issue is. Google sent out an email to Google Website Optimizer users saying: Dear Website Optimiser user, We are writing to inform you of a potential security issue with Website [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content | Google: Security | Google: URL Shortener | Google: Website Optimizer

Have you made the move beyond SEO to conversion optimization? Haven't heard of it? According to Wikipedia, "Conversion optimization is the science and art of creating an experience for a website visitor with the goal of converting the visitor into a customer." While this seems to me to be a fairly accurate description of the process, it's also important to note what conversion optimization isn’t. It isn’t making a website "better/look nicer/rank better" It isn’t concerned with current customers. In fact some of the processes can stand at odds with best practices for retaining [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: Analytics | Google: Website Optimizer | Search & Analytics

Five years ago, few people paid any attention to conversion rate optimization. Today, everyone is jumping on the conversion optimization bandwagon. I believe that there were two main factors that changed search marketers perceived value of conversion optimization: Google Website Optimizer. In October 2006 Google announced the release of its website testing tool, Google Website Optimizer. While the tool is not as powerful as some of its commercial counterparts, it allowed the average smaller to mid-size website to integrate some sort of A/B and multivariate testing into their marketing init [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: Analytics | Google: Website Optimizer | How To: PPC

In a previous post, I discussed the importance of using behavioral targeting to increase your conversion rates. I also wrote about how to use Google Analytics to understand personas of the users who visit your site. This post will present a fast and easy way to get your behavioral targeting (BT) process up and running. Although any discussion of BT can sometimes turn into a PhD-level conversation, it is really important to pluck some low-hanging fruit to convince executives that it is a worthwhile journey. If you do, your path will likely be paved with gold. Recently, BTBuckets, a free [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: Analytics | Google: Website Optimizer | How To: Analytics | SEM Tools: Web Analytics

It can be important to segement your conversion rate tests to see how they perform for different kinds of users of your site. I’m going to show you a few ways of gathering GWO data in Google Analytics in order to bring the full power of the GA platform to your GWO testing.

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: Analytics | Google: Website Optimizer | Search & Conversion

If you asked some of the best online marketers in the business what one piece of advice they can give you to help make your site better, stronger or more profitable, I bet most would say "test your pages, test your techniques, and test your theories." The one constant in search engine marketing is change. Things that worked a few months or even years ago don't work today. Conversely, things that work today maybe didn't work 2 months ago. Learning what is best for you and your site takes a lot of patience, research and testing. If you're a do-it-yourself website owner—or run your [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Search | Google: Website Optimizer | Search Marketing Toolbox

There are quite a few testing techniques available in the market. In this post I will dwelve into the two commonest testing methods: A/B tests and Multivariate tests. What is the difference between them? How can you choose which one best fits your needs?

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: Website Optimizer | How To: SEM | Search Marketing: Landing Pages

Why is it that some web sites are golden, compelling visitors to buy while similar web sites, perhaps even offering the same products at similar prices, fail to make the grade? It may be dumb luck on the owner's part, but a more likely explanation is that the golden site is the result of careful design, testing, tweaking and testing yet again. Testing has grown into a core search marketing activity, but strangely, it's also an activity that many search marketers either choose to avoid or don't even consider at all. And that's a mistake. Good testing can not only help you get rid of stinker [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content | Features: Book Reviews | Google: Website Optimizer

Google has announced that AdWords is no longer a requirement for Website Optimizer. In fact, you can now go to google.com/websiteoptimizer and register for free to use Website Optimizer, even if you do not have an AdWords account. Now, you can use Website Optimizer to not just A/B test your AdWords landing pages, but also test your Yahoo landing pages, your banner landing pages, and different elements throughout your web site to improve conversions and desired actions from your users. If you already use Website Optimizer within your AdWords account, you can continue to do so. The data and [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content | Google: Website Optimizer

Google Website Optimizer, a tool that allows you to easily test different page layouts, is now available to anyone with an AdWords account. Previously, it had been out in limited beta since last October. It remains unclear whether using the tool would be considered cloaking, which is against Google's webmaster guidelines. The Good Cloaking, Evil Cloaking & Detection article from Stephan Spencer here on Search Engine Land looked at this issue last month. Threadwatch has a recent discussion also going. I'll explain more about the situation below, and I'm checking with Google for the offici [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: SEO | Google: Website Optimizer | SEM Tools | SEO: Cloaking & Doorway Pages | SEO: Spamming