I hope the previous post of this series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) have served you well. My goal was never to create an Excel manual for everyone, but rather to highlight specific tips and tricks to help out the search engine marketer who is toiling away in the tool hours every day. Even […]
In this continuing series (part 1, part 2), I’ve shared some tips and tricks specifically for the search marketing professional using Microsoft Excel. The feedback has been great (thank you!), so I’m going to expand these posts to not just include tasks associated with SEM, but into a mini-Excel training course for search marketers using […]
In part 1 of this series on Excel for search engine marketers, I started off by applauding the tool and pointing out how important it is to our industry. This week, before I get into the tips and tricks, I’d like to talk a little about training. Excel, like any sophisticated tool, can be dangerous […]
Ever since Microsoft Excel beat Lotus 1-2-3’s butt to become the world’s preferred spreadsheet solution, it has never looked back. It’s hard for any search marketer to think of a world without Excel. I tell rookies new to the industry to move themselves a tiny bed into cell A1 because they’re going to be practically […]
Most search advertisers are familiar with this organizational structure: Account -> Campaign -> Ad Group -> Keyword That’s the way paid search was logically set years ago and it made complete sense at the time. Targeting/budgeting at the campaign level with keywords grouped with creative at the ad group level is an easy way to […]
Sometimes my colleagues ask me why I’m always requesting demos of new marketing technology. The answer is that I find major creative inspiration from the tools. As vendors compete in the marketplace, they’re forced to innovate to differentiate themselves from their competitors. For example, a few years ago, Yahoo developed “assists” in their search marketing […]
Generally, I’m not much of a note taker at conferences. I will jot down the occasional URL to check out later, but I’d much rather pay full attention to the speakers and their presentations than miss things as I’m trying to write down what they just said. However, at last month’s SMX Search Analytics conference […]
On the anniversary of Google’s revolutionary PigeonRank enhancement, rumors were flying today about the potential impending launch of three new match types within Google’s flagship advertising platform. Match type is a feature that allows advertisers to control ad delivery based on the relationship to the query string searched by a user. The most common match […]
Google’s free search based keyword tool has given advertisers access to Google’s data to help leverage the relationship between organic and paid search campaigns. Last year, before the release of Google’s search-based keyword tool, my Google rep sent me a very insightful report on one of my clients. It compared, side by side, the keywords […]
“So, how much should we spend in Search?” Years ago, when I was a siloed search engine marketer, that answer was unequivocally: “As much as you can spend!”. Return on Investment was through the roof and paid search was setting the standard for transparent measurement. “You only pay when someone clicks and they have to […]
As Search Engine Marketing grows as an industry, it’s inevitable that new technology will evolve to fill in the gaps where current solutions fall short. Case in point is WordStream, a new SEM tool that specifically helps raise productivity for handling, assembling, and segmenting your keyword list. The main value that I see in WordStream […]
Okay, so it’s not curing polio or splitting the atom, but winning my fantasy football league this year was a fairly rewarding experience. Week after week, I racked up the points and left my circle of friends in the dust. My secret? Search marketing training.
One of the power-packed tools inside AdWords is the Conversion Optimizer, which will help you reach Cost Per Action (CPA) goals using Google Conversion Tracking on your account. One of the best features of Conversion Optimizer is how easy it is to engage and manage. To start, go to your campaign settings and choose “Change […]
In The Trenches is a spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. My SEM Wish List: All I Want For Christmas is the Perfect Search Tool, Continued In my last column, I explained how much I want a new […]
In The Trenches is a spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today’s in-depth look: Creating a SEM Super Tool and a contest for search engine marketers: Calling all search geeks: PPC management tool vendor Marin is running an […]
In The Trenches is a spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: news from the search engines, today’s double feature is Pre-Click: Conversion Attribution 101 and Post-Click Q&A with web analytics guru with Eric Peterson, who shares his […]
In The Trenches is a spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: news from the search engines, today’s in-depth look: a guide to taking over an existing paid search account, a tip to look above the funnel to […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: news from the search engines, today’s in-depth look: search stats you need to know (September 2008), Google’s new, free display ad builder, and this week’s […]
Today’s news briefs: Google AdWords Editor update, Yahoo Search Marketing content upgrades, and upcoming features for Microsoft’s adCenter. An in-depth guide to some great Firefox plug-ins for search engine marketing professionals, followed up by the free tool of the week: Google’s Conversion Optimizer.
Today: Tools from Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing that may not be news to everyone, but are definitely worth a second look. An in-depth guide to understanding the principles of The Long Tail and the practical application of it in SEM, followed up by the free read of the week. Google AdWords: daily budget […]
Today: thoughts on this week’s news about the Yahoo-Google Ad deal and adCenter updates; in-depth look: the 95 character poet: using variations in ad copy; and “do you hate checking boxes? ” in this week’s free tips and tools.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: news from the search engines, today’s in-depth look: search stats you need to know (August 2008), not-so-light reading: the bible of the search industry, and […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “web analytics for (SEM) dummies part 3: online resources to learn more, a free tool to double-check […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Q&A With Google’s Insights for Search Senior Product Manager” and this week’s free tips and tools.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, Web Analytics for (SEM) Dummies Part 2: Three Real-World Situations, Setup Excel for Character Limit Counting, and […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, Web Analytics for (SEM) Dummies Part 1: Basic Terminology, a Free Geocoding Tool and this week’s free […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, Banners for (SEM) Dummies, and HTML That Every Online Marketer Should Know.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, The Ultimate Guide to Search Marketing Optimization Part 4: Ten Vital Tech Resources, Compete.com, and this week’s […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, The Ultimate Guide to Search Marketing Optimization Part 3 – Self-Service SEM Optimization Class, The Top Marketing […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, The Ultimate Guide to Search Marketing Optimization Part 2 – Reference Guide, SpyFu competitive research tool, and […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines and today’s in-depth look, The Ultimate Guide to Search Marketing Optimization Part 1, and To Broad Match or To Not […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Dynamic Keyword Insertion Pros and Cons,” and this week’s free tips and tools.
I always like to see what types of link building things people talk about and/or present. Based on some basic tips provided by Roger Montti in the “Blow Your Mind Link Building Techniques” session at SMX Advanced, this post will expand upon those to describe a specific link building plan that nearly any site can […]
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Tracking Your Conversions on the Engines,” and this week’s free tips and tools.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Google Tools, Part 4,” and this week’s free tips and tools.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Google Tools, Part 3” and this week’s free tips/resources.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: Search engine accreditation programs, today’s in-depth look, “Google Tools, Part 2,” and this week’s free tips and tools.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Google’s Tools Section, Part 1 – Intro,” and this week’s free tips and tools.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “The Single Best Report in SEM,” and this week’s free tips and tools.
In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Geo-Targeting On The Engines,” and this week’s free tips and tools.