Has machine learning created a new model for SEO ranking?
When Google introduced RankBrain into its ranking algorithm, many wondered how that might impact SEO. Columnist Larry Kim theorizes that it has placed greater importance on user signals.
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Larry Kim's latest articles
Attention search marketers: ALL keywords are branded keywords!
Columnist Larry Kim explains how brand affinity impacts both paid and organic search performance -- and how you can use this information to bolster your SEO and PPC campaigns.
Infographic: 11 amazing hacks that will boost your organic click-through rates
Got great content and rankings, but still not getting clicks from organic search? Columnist Larry Kim shares tips and a fantastic infographic on how to improve your organic CTR.
What’s the Google AdWords Health Score and how is it different from existing tools?
AdWords recently released a Health Score feature that 'grades' your account, but is it just a rip-off of an existing free performance grader? Columnist Larry Kim compares.
How to conjure big PPC profits with a few hundred dollars
Search engine marketing for generic terms in competitive industries can be costly, but columnist Larry Kim has a better way. Learn how to combine RLSA with social ads for high impact at a low cost.
5 brilliant headline hacks for crazy high organic click-through rates
Just say no to low CTR! Columnist Larry Kim explains his tactics for improving click-through rates on organic search listings.
New benchmarks: Google AdWords cost per acquisition across 20 industries [study]
Are you a PPC Unicorn or a PPC Donkey? Columnist Larry Kim shares data on CPA averages by industry so you can see how you measure up to the competition.
Google’s right-side Adpocalypse: What really happened (DATA)
When Google changed its SERP display last month to eliminate ads in the right rail, many search marketers panicked. Now that the change has been live for a while, columnist Larry Kim looks at the data to determine what, if any, damage occurred.
Google’s New SERP Layout: The Biggest Winners & Losers
What has been the impact of Google's new desktop ad layout thus far? Columnist Larry Kim uses data to show who has benefited and who has suffered from the change.
Costs Per Click Around The World & Tips For Smart Global PPC Strategy
Columnist Larry Kim shares insights gleaned from WordStream's research on global CPCs and explains how you can use this data to power your international search advertising.
Most Googled Products On The Planet In One Epic Map
What do people search for most around the world, and how can this help you in your own keyword research? Columnist Larry Kim explains.
3 Incredible Social PPC Hacks For Crazy Engagement & ROI
Awesome at paid search, but struggling with paid social? Check out columnist Larry Kim's tips for getting the most out of your social PPC initiatives.
3 Crazy PPC CRO Hacks To Boost Conversion Rates Right Now
Columnist Larry Kim debunks common misconceptions about best practices for paid search ads, then explains what you should be doing instead to really boost your conversion rates.
Using PPC Marketing to Make Content Go Viral: Here’s How It Works
Still spending hours upon hours pitching journalists and influencers the old fashioned way? Stop! Columnist Larry Kim outlines a better way to get your content out there using PPC.
4 Super Smart Rising Stars In PPC Marketing To Read & Follow
Many of us are familiar with the big names in SEM, but columnist Larry Kim has called out four relative newcomers that you should be keeping an eye on: Luke Alley, Erin Sagin, Maddie Cary and Keri Boerner.
The Hardest AdWords Quiz You’ll Ever Take
You think you're an AdWords expert, but we're betting you can't score 100% on columnist Larry Kim's quiz!
Looking Back At The Top 13 PPC Marketing Articles Of 2014 (So Far)
Yes, it’s that time of year again already. You haven’t even sat down for Thanksgiving dinner with friends or family, and already everybody is clamoring to compile their “Best [insert topic here] Articles of 2014” lists. Well, this round-up of 2014’s best paid search articles is worth checking out, because these posts offer tips, tricks, and […]
3 Small Paid Search Optimizations With Huge Impact
Columnist Larry Kim explains how a few PPC optimizations can make a big difference in your bottom line. It's the little things that count.
Review: BuzzSumo Ups The Ante In Content Analysis
Contributor Larry Kim concludes that SEOs can save time and extract important insights with a new pro tool.
In PPC, Low CTR = Low Profits
In my column today, I’ll be talking about a PPC strategy that I first presented at SMX Advanced. Hopefully, it will convince you that pursuing a low click-through rate (CTR) is generally a losing bet. A few years ago, the low CTR strategy might have worked out very well for you — in fact, I’d […]
What Marketers Need To Know About The New AdWords Quality Score
By now, you’ve probably seen (or at least heard about) Google’s recent video and new white paper about Quality Score in AdWords. In fact, when I first heard about the updated Hal Varian video, I was a bit surprised, given that Google hasn’t bothered to update it for about five years! Whenever Google officially communicates […]
The Most Popular Presentations Of SMX Advanced 2014
SMX Advanced this June was, as usual, rich in forward-thinking strategy and tactical advice from experienced leaders in SEO, social media, PPC and mobile marketing. Expert marketers and industry insiders including Bing’s Anna Hughes, Bigdoor’s Joanna Lord, Disney’s Jeff Preston and even yours truly took the stage, each to share their unique experience and knowledge […]
7 Conversion Rate Truths That Will Change Your Landing Page Strategy
Much of what marketers have learned about landing page conversion is wrong. Worse, the optimizations promoted across industry blogs, courses and at conferences as game changers are really just best practices every marketer should have implemented already. Tweaking headline and body copy, adjusting line spacing, repositioning buttons, playing with fonts and colors – all of […]
Search Marketers: Keep Calm, Carry On
Everybody loves progress, but nobody likes change. This adage is particularly true any time Google announces major upgrades to AdWords. If recent comments on Twitter are any indication, Google this morning was gearing up to pull your hair, throw sand in your face and take your lunch money. None of this is true. The Sky Is […]
10 Surprising Facts About “Keyword (Not Provided)” For Paid Search
Earlier this week, everyone went bananas over a rumor that paid search query data was disappearing and that third party tools providers would be slammed. In my article, I’ll clarify fact from fiction. Here are ten things you need to know about the Keyword (Not Provided) for paid search issue: 1. Can I Still Access […]
Still Newsjacking For Links? Forget That, Make The News Instead!
We all know that Google frowns upon trying — in any way, shape or form — to get links (they’re serious, guys). Yet, links still play a very large role in determining SERP rankings. If you can’t ask for or chase down high-quality, authoritative links, what’s a marketer to do? You have to earn them. […]
Can Bounce Exchange Reduce Site Bounce Rate? A Tool Review
Like many of you, I’m always on the lookout for cool new ways to drive conversions and leads on my site. When it comes to finding genuinely useful software tools to help my business accomplish this, it can be tough — after all, new products launch almost daily, and it’s difficult (not to mention time-consuming) […]
The Real Reason AdWords Isn’t Working For Many Small Businesses
By now, you’ve probably read the New York Times piece that’s been making the rounds lately. If not, here’s the upshot: it concludes that Google AdWords isn’t practical for small businesses. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time the Gray Lady has gone after AdWords, nor is it the first time that the paid search community […]
3 Surprising Benefits Of Retargeting
As retargeting becomes more widely used and better understood, its reputation is improving. Marketers are learning to avoid creeping people out through better targeting and less intrusive messaging. Early adopters now have a year or two (or more) of experience to share, which is exactly what I intend to do today. At Wordstream, we’ve been […]
Meet Bing Ads Express: The Auto-Pilot PPC Solution For Small Businesses
When it comes to marketing for small businesses, PPC is among the most leveraged and most profitable marketing channels out there. With smart PPC insights and some time spent on ongoing optimization, PPC can drive a ton of valuable leads and sales! Unfortunately, that’s also the challenge. With so many new PPC features being released […]
New AdWords Ad Ranking Formula: What Does It Mean?
AdRank in AdWords is a key AdWords marketing concept that plays a huge role in determining how prominently your ads are displayed in a SERP and also your cost-per-click. So, when Google quietly announces huge changes on how AdRank is being calculated, you should definitely pay attention! In my column today, I’ll explain in detail […]
New Data Suggest AdWords Enhanced Campaigns Actually Work
Nearly two months after the forced roll-out of Enhanced Campaigns in AdWords, at least one key question remains unanswered: are we better off today than we were before? In my column this week, I’ll try to answer that question using some data-driven analysis — but first, I thought it would be fun to take a […]
Hacking Quality Score: How One Advertiser Got A Quality Score Of 8.8/10
In previous articles, I’ve discussed why I believe that Quality Score is so critical to PPC success. To illustrate the point in a more concrete way, I want to present a detailed case study of a WordStream client that is absolutely crushing its AdWords Quality Score. In this case study, I’ll reveal exactly how they did […]
What The Heck Is AdWords Quality Score And Why Does It Matter Anyway?
Last month, Google announced some changes in how Quality Score is being reported. While it’s been described as just a reporting change (as opposed to a change in how Quality Score is calculated), some of my respected colleagues have pointed to the news as evidence that Quality Score somehow doesn’t matter any more! I respectfully disagree […]
All Hail Quality Score – King Of The AdWords KPIs!
[youtube]https://youtu.be/obYtQaquTFU[/youtube] The high-level relationship between Cost-Per-Click and Quality Score is well known: the higher your Quality Score, the lower your cost per click. Earlier this year, I published some research data showing how, as average Quality Scores have drifted lower over the years, the cost-per-click savings associated with above-average Quality Score keywords is today worth […]
Hey, PPC Managers: Stop Being So Lazy!
When I do PPC webinars, I always like to open with a quick poll. In a recent webinar, I asked attendees to fess up to how much time they spend working on their AdWords account every week. The results were very promising: Almost 9 out of 10 (87%) of respondents said they do at least […]
Didn’t Win The Powerball Or Mega Millions Jackpot? Try Your Luck At The AdWords Jackpot!
Chances are you didn’t win this past Friday’s $190 million Mega Millions drawing or Saturday’s $600 million Powerball jackpot. However, the great news is that if you’re an SEM account manager, you can still try your luck at winning the AdWords Jackpot! What’s An AdWords Jackpot? An AdWords Jackpot happens when all of the paid […]
How to Use The Keyword Planner — The New Keyword Tool From Google AdWords
Last month, Google quietly began rolling out the AdWords Keyword Planner to select AdWords accounts last month. In typical AdWords fashion, one of the biggest overhauls of the Google Keyword Tool ever went almost unnoticed! This new keyword tool combines elements of two existing keyword tools, the Google Keyword Tool and the AdWords Traffic Estimator, adding a […]
How Adwords Enhanced Campaigns Can Be Used To Promote Your Mobile App
There’s been a lot of confusion among paid search marketers upset about the lack of device targeting in Enhanced Campaigns. This article will tell you how to advertise your mobile app using AdWords while checking out the new app promotion ad format in AdWords. One of the most common hypothetical use cases for device targeting […]
The Real Reason Why Google Is Dropping The Tablet vs. Desktop Distinction? It’s The User Context, Stupid!
There’s been some grumbling among PPC marketers over the last few weeks about a few specific changes in Enhanced Campaigns – in particular, the loss of tablet vs. desktop segmentation, which was previously a best practice for mobile advertising strategy. One of my well-respected colleagues put it bluntly: Now, if you’ll forgive my attention-grabbing headline […]