Introducing the Tech B2B Knowledge Center

Back in February, the AdWords Retail team launched the Retail Knowledge Center to provide retail advertisers with up-to-date industry and product information. Our Tech B2B (that's Technology Business to Business) team is happy to announce a similar resource for advertisers offering business technology solutions. Megan Unyi is here to tell us more:

We'd like to invite advertisers to visit the new Tech B2B Knowledge Center, which features tips for success with AdWords, advertiser case studies, links to recent articles and research, and news of other Google products that may help your business. This site will be updated on a regular basis to keep you abreast of new trends and tools.

If you're looking for even more of the latest industry information and pointers, we hope that you'll check out the latest Technology Business to Business Newsletter. In this issue, we examine the importance of search in the buying cycle, best practices for optimizing landing pages, and the growing significance of blogs and other social media for business technology marketers. We also take an in-depth look at DataMirror, a provider of real-time data integration solutions that used the Google Content Network to increase sales, extend its reach, and boost brand recognition.

We hope you find this information helpful for your business, and feel free to send us any questions or comments you might have.

If you'd like to receive newsletters in your inbox, you can sign up within your AdWords account.

Posted by Trevor, Inside AdWords crew

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Simple tips for tracking campaign performance for offline businesses

While many of our readers may have been using AdWords to advertise their online stores for years, we also recognize that some of our readers may own a brick-and-mortar business for which it is harder to measure the effectiveness of online campaigns. For those readers, it's important to remember that success isn't measured by how many potential customers click your ad, but by what happens after those clicks. Today, we'd like to share with you a few simple tips that can help you assess the effectiveness of your AdWords campaign.

1. Start with the very basics. Ask customers who call or walk through your door, 'How did you hear about us?' This is a quick way to discover how many customers find you through Google. Also, you may try putting a short 'How did you find us?' form (but not a pop-up) on your website. It's relatively easy to do, and the results may surprise you.
   
   
2. Note the number of sales, leads, or calls received before and after you begin using AdWords, and compare the results. Then try the same kind of tracking when you change your AdWords ad text or keywords. If the number of your customer calls rise significantly, then the change was probably a good one.
   
   
3. Create a new business email address or phone number, and place the new contact information just on your website. (Keep using your existing email and phone information for flyers, the phone book, and other offline campaigns.) Start counting the number of prospects who come through the new contact information, and you'll know exactly which customers come from your website. Many email services, including our personal favorite, offer email addresses at no cost.
   

And of course, if you are using AdWords Standard Edition (as opposed to AdWords Starter Edition), you have access to advanced reporting tools that can help you track sales, leads, sign-ups, and other critical business information.

We wish you the best success with your campaign reporting and growing your business!

Posted by Feng, Inside AdWords crew

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Click-to-play video ads available in three new formats

A year ago, we told you about the release of click-to-play video ads and since then, this new ad type has proven to be successful for AdWords advertisers in nearly 40 countries. Starting today, advertisers have three new click-to-play video ad formats to choose from: the 728x90 Leaderboard, the 120x600 Skyscraper, and the 160x600 Wide Skyscraper. These join the original four formats: the 300x250 Medium Rectangle, the 336x280 Large Rectangle, the 200x200 Small Square, and the 250x250 Square.

As you can see in the example below, users will first see a static opening image along with a play button. Once a user clicks the play button, the click-to-play video ad will begin to play within the ad unit. The actual size of the video will be smaller than it appears in the original four formats, but the video will play with the same crystal clear quality.



The new formats offer advertisers more options on how and where they can display their click-to-play video ads while offering publishers more ways to place these ads on their sites.

If you're new to click-to-play video ads, you can find instructions on how to get started here. To view a few examples of existing click-to-play click-to-play video ads, check out the click-to-play video ads demo page as well as the comprehensive click-to-play video ads guide in the AdWords Help Center.

Posted by Judy, Inside AdWords crew

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Posting tips for the AdWords Help group

Just about a year ago, we posted to celebrate reaching 5,000 members in the AdWords Help user-to-user support community. Since then, membership has more than doubled -- with just above 11,500 members assisting each other, 24/7. All in all, AdWords Help is a very useful place to shop for answers to your AdWords questions -- or to just spend some time browsing and reading questions and answers for the fun (and the education) of it.

Anyone may browse in this group and read the questions and answers that others have written -- although you'll need to become a member in order to post your own questions. Happily, membership is both free and easy, through Google Groups.

Should you decide that reading questions and answers posted by others is not enough, and that you'd like to post your own question, here are a few tips to assist you in getting a quick and targeted answer:

1) First, it's a good idea to make sure the question has not been answered already. Thousands of messages have been posted since the community started -- and many of the most common questions have already been very ably answered. A quick search (using the search box at the top right of the group) may help you find the answer you need in just seconds. If not, then it's time to post your own new question.

2) Start off by selecting the category that best describes your question. Look for the "+ post your question" link and write a very brief (yet very specific) subject line. Avoid 'mysterious' subject lines that could refer to just about anything.

Here's an example: let's say you have been surprised by the timing of a billing for AdWords clicks. You expected to billed monthly, but were actually billed sooner than that. You'd like to know why, and also wonder when you will be billed next. Here are are a range of possible subject lines for the post (which would of course be in the "Billing and Payments" category), working from not-so-good to very good:

Not so good -- 'HELP!!!'

Better -- 'Why billed?'

Even better still -- 'When am I billed - not monthly?'

3) Now, let's move on to the post itself: since you will want a complete answer to your question, be as clear as possible about exactly what information you're looking for. Here are three possible posts regarding our sample billing question, ranging from the not-so-good to the very good:

Not so good -- 'I was billed! Why?'

Better -- 'I was unexpectedly billed today. How come?'

Even better still -- 'I thought I was going to be billed monthly for AdWords -- but I was billed today, and I only started my account three days ago. Can anyone explain how AdWords billing works, or point me to some information about the billing cycle? I especially want to know when am I likely to be billed next.'

4) Usually, you will get a better answer if you ask only one (or a very few) questions. Many AdWords Help members are busy professionals who manage AdWords accounts for others - and while they might want to answer each of the six questions another member has asked, they typically won't have that much time. However, they'd be pleased to tackle one or two.

5) Be polite. After all, this is a community of peers assisting each other, for free -- and, besides, everyone likes to be treated with kindness and respect. (And, if you get an especially useful answer, a brief thank you is never out of place!)

6) Please avoid ASKING YOUR QUESTIONS IN ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS AS MANY FOLKS THINK OF THAT AS THE ONLINE EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING -- and thus counter to tip #5.

7) The ideal question is both brief and complete, so shoot for those elements. Extremely long posts tend to get passed over, as do questions which don't give enough detail to allow for a meaningful answer.

Well, that's probably enough information for one day. If you like participating in large communities that encourage sharing knowledge, we hope you'll take a look at AdWords Help and perhaps even join the community. We'd be pleased to have you with us.

Posted by Blake, Inside AdWords crew

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Case study: Using video advertising to engage your customers

Last week, we posted about an opportunity to get started with video advertising with the help of an ad creation specialist from the Google Ad Creation Marketplace. If this post left you wondering about how video ads can work for you, we'd like to share with you the experience of Evan Shofron, who has been using AdWords video ads to sell his product through his company's website, Actiontuners.com.

Evan wanted to increase sales of his product the String Master, a robotic guitar tuner that uses computer technology and a gear motor to tune a guitar to perfect pitch. Because it was difficult to convey the features and benefits of the String Master through text ads, Evan decided to experiment with video ads, which allowed him to demonstrate how the product works.

You can watch the String Master video ad here:


After creating his video ad, Evan distributed it to potential customers by selecting sites across the Google content network. He chose sites that were most related to his business, such as those offering online guitar lessons and music. Since Evan believed that potential customers would be more likely to buy his product if they spent time learning about it, he focused on number of plays his video ads received and the time viewers spent watching his ads, rather than on clickthrough rates. He then optimized his campaign by focusing his ads heavily on sites and placements that were performing well on these metrics, and removing them from sites and placements that were not.

Evan had been running AdWords text ads in both keyword and site-targeted campaigns, and saw a 15% increase in sales as a result. However, when he launched a video ad campaign and optimized the sites he was running on, Evan saw increased sales by 40% in just a couple of months. He also had a significant increase in requests from potential distributors. Evan concludes, "AdWords video ads are a great tool for small advertisers who can't do expensive ads. It was the least expensive and among the most effective commercials I've ever made."

If you're interested in running video ads, you can read about how to get started here. And if you're concerned that you don't have video ad creation expertise and would like professional help, sign-up for the Ad Creation Marketplace to find a specialist who can create your ad.

Posted by Feng & Vivian, Inside AdWords crew

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AdWords system maintenance on May 19th

Here's a quick heads up from our tech team:

Last weekend’s regularly scheduled AdWords system maintenance was postponed at the last minute. Therefore, we've rescheduled this month’s system maintenance period to occur from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT on Saturday, May 19, 2007. While you won't be able to log into your accounts during this time, your campaigns will continue to run as usual. And, as always, we apologize for any inconvenience caused by our scheduled maintenance.

Posted by Blake, Inside AdWords crew

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Try Google Ad Creation Marketplace for video ads

You may have read about the AdWords click-to-play video launch or have heard that online video can result in higher engagement with your potential customers -- meaning that they are more likely to remember your ad or product. Have you ever wondered how you can get started with video ads if you don't have any previous experience? Here's Ann-Lee Chou from the video ads team to give a quick update on a new feature we're testing that can help you get started with video ads.

We wanted to make it easy for any advertiser to try out video -- even someone who doesn't know anything about video advertising or video ad creation. So, we've developed the Google Ad Creation Marketplace, accessible right from your AdWords account. The Ad Creation Marketplace is a resource for advertisers who are interested in running video ads but don't have experience creating video ads and want customized help from a professional.

In the Marketplace, you can find video production professionals to create high-quality video ads at a budget you set. These professionals are not Google employees but industry specialists who provide a full suite of services including concept, script-writing, voice-over, editing, and production.

We're currently looking for advertisers in the U.S. who are interested in using the Marketplace to get help on creating video ads. If you are interested in participating in this beta, you can sign up here.

You can also check out best practices and tips for running an effective video ad campaign. Stay tuned for our follow up post, when we will share with you the experiences of one of our video advertisers.

Posted by Feng, Inside AdWords crew

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New version of Google Analytics

Today, the Google Analytics team announced the latest version of their free web analytics reporting tool, which will be activated in all current Analytics accounts over the next few weeks. Here from the Google Analytics team is Jeff Gillis to tell us more about the new version:

As you might know, the Analytics tab in your AdWords account gives you access to a powerful web analytics reporting tool. Since we released Analytics, we have spoken with numerous users to learn how they analyze their website's success and their marketing ROI. We focused our development efforts on this user feedback to make Google Analytics more collaborative, more useful, and easier to use, while continuing to provide the same comprehensive data. In short, our goal for this new version was to redesign Analytics reports for a better user experience.

Here is a screenshot of part of the new dashboard report, with the new over-time graph showing number of visits and scorecards of key statistics. (Click the screenshot for the full-size image.)



The new version of Google Analytics has a more intuitive look and feel, with greater clarity in the navigation between reports. In addition to the new interface, we've added many new features including a customizable reports dashboard, scheduled emailing of reports, improved geographic map view, and over-time graphs for at-a-glance analysis.

For more information, please see the Google Analytics homepage, or take a multimedia tour of the new features.

Posted by Trevor, Inside AdWords crew

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AdWords system maintenance on May 12

Here's a quick heads up from our tech team:

On Saturday, May 12th, the AdWords system will be unavailable from approximately 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT due to system maintenance. While you won't be able to log into your accounts during this time, your campaigns will continue to run as usual. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Posted by Judy, Inside AdWords crew

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Introducing AdWords Editor 3.5

AdWords Editor is our free, downloadable application for managing your AdWords campaigns. Today, we've released version 3.5 which includes support for image ads, campaign targeting by region and city, and a drag-and-drop feature that makes it easier to move items from one location to another. Version 3.5 is available now for Windows and will be ready for Macs within a few weeks.

If you haven't yet downloaded AdWords Editor, visit our website to get the latest version. If you're already using AdWords Editor, you'll be prompted to upgrade automatically. To avoid losing unposted changes or comments, export an archive of your account before upgrading. After you've completed the upgrade, download your account, import the archive file, and find your account information intact.

For a full list of AdWords Editor features, check out the release notes.

Posted by Judy, Inside AdWords crew

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AdWords Optimization Tips: Part 6 - Ad Text

Over the past few months, Stephanie Lim from the Optimization team has offered tips for assessing your business and goals and optimizing your account structure and keywords. In the final post of this series, she offers suggestions on optimizing your ad text in order to help you achieve your campaign goals.

The ad text you use in your AdWords campaigns is an opportunity to tell customers about the products or services you offer and can also serve to differentiate your offerings from your competitors'. While we can offer a few general best practice tips, please keep in mind that you should test and experiment with different ad text strategies until you find what works for you.

• Be descriptive. Since your ad text is your chance to communicate your offerings to the potential customer, start by clearly identifying what you are selling. You can use ad text to describe specific benefits, features, or special offers and set correct expectations for the potential customer who might be clicking on your ad. Ad text composition is where much of the initial research you conducted while assessing your industry comes into play. Try to emphasize unique qualities, such as 'Handmade' or 'Award-winning,' or promotions such as '15% Off,' 'Free Shipping,' or '30-day Returns' that make your product or service stand out from other businesses that offer similar products or services.

• Use proper grammar, punctuation and capitalization. Be sure that your ad text makes grammatical sense and uses punctuation where appropriate. You can use capitalization to your advantage by capitalizing the first letter of every word in your display URL to bring more attention to your company name and brand. For example, 'www.ShellysSeaShells.com' rather than 'www.shellysseashells.com.' Lastly, AdWords ads can contain up to one exclamation point, so use it to help make your point!

• Let your account structure and keywords guide you. Ideally, the ad text that your potential customers see should reflect the keyword they searched for as closely as possible. If someone searches for 'flights to kalamazoo,' then an ad text headline that reads 'Book Kalamazoo Flights' may be more relevant to them than one that reads 'Babson Travel Agency.' An additional benefit of including keywords from your ad group in your actual ad text is that those keywords will appear in bold type when the potential customers view your ad and will help bring their eyes to your ad. Once your ad text reflects what the potential customer is searching for, you can also try setting up destination URLs to landing pages that that are specific and appropriate to the keywords in each ad group. For example, someone searching for t-shirts should be taken to a landing page displaying only t-shirts, instead of a main store page where there are also jackets, sweaters, and pants.
  
  
• Filter out irrelevant or unqualified searches. If your product or service has a geographical element, it may help to include that information in your ad text. Someone who does not live in Texas, for instance, is less likely to click on an ad that is promoting 'Houston Adult Education Classes.' If your product is high-end, you can discourage bargain hunters by describing it as 'Premium Quality' or 'Luxury.'
  
  
• Define a clear call to action. A clear call to action is especially important if your goal is to maximize your return on investment. Offering the user some guidance on what to do once they reach your site -- such as 'Buy Flowers for Mom!' -- may improve your campaign's performance. The call to action should reflect the action that you consider a conversion, whether it's a sign-up, a request for more information, or an actual sale.
  
  
• Test at least two versions of your ad text. For a given ad group, you can test out several versions of ad text to evaluate which one performs the best for your business. Try to emphasize different points, qualities, features, or promotions with each version. You can find out whether potential customers respond better to questions such as, "Need to Refinance?" or to statements like "Refinance Your Mortgage." You may find that a straightforward approach such as 'Treat Skin Disorders' works better for you than a vaguer, catchier phrase like 'Free Your Skin Now.' In any case, it will be difficult to predict what will perform best for you before you actually try it. Do keep in mind, however, that including too many different versions of ad text will make it more difficult to manage and accurately assess ad text performance.

Thanks to Stephanie for all these great tips! For more advice on ad text or general optimization, you can check out the AdWords Learning Center. We hope this series on optimization tips has been helpful in getting you started on optimizing your own AdWords account. Be sure to lookout for more specialized optimization topics right here on Inside AdWords.

Posted by Feng, Inside AdWords crew

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Make the most of Mother's Day

Do you know how much the average American will spend on mom this May 13th? Well, we must love our moms a lot, because according to a recent survey, gift givers will spend an average of about $140!

With only 11 days until Mother's Day, many consumers are shopping online to assure the perfect gift for mom arrives in time. As an advertiser, you can make sure you're targeting those last-minute shoppers by creating a Mother's Day campaign, with specific keywords, that showcases all the wonderful things you have for moms.

You can always get more retail-specific tips by visiting our Retail Knowledge Center. There you'll find optimization tips and suggestions that will help you create successful ad campaigns for Mother's Day, and all year long!

Posted by Heather, Inside AdWords crew

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