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Google Alerts ping you every time new occurrences of the keywords you track are found by Google’s search robots. This is great for reputation management (tapping into what’s being said about you, your brand or your competitors online) but it’s also a handy tool for keyword research.

For example, I’m subscribed to Google Alerts for the Vancouver 2010 mascots Quatchi, Sumi, Miga and Muk Muk. We’re buying these terms in Google Adwords and using the broad match type so it’s important to do exhaustive negative keyword research. Even though these are fairly specific terms, and we’d like to think all searches including these keywords are looking for merchandise — truth is there are a lot of other reasons someone might include “sumi” or “miga” in a search engine.

Over time I’ve discovered negative matches that my keyword research tools missed:

• Andrew Miga (journalist)
• Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd
• White Snow Sumi Brushes
• Sumi Ink Painting
• MUK: Muk (EP)
• MIGA-World Bank
• Western Sumi Student’s Union
• Sumi Salad

Negative matches: -andrew -motherson -systems -white -snow -brush -ink -painting -world bank -western -students -union -salad

The tough one is Muk, the self-titled album by the artist MUK. Negative matching “muk” to “muk” won’t work unless I phrase match the keyword “Muk muk” or -ep -album.

It only takes a couple minutes a week to stay on top of this small list. Certainly you wouldn’t want to be alerted every time someone mentions “iPhone” or “skinny jeans” - but for unique terms this works well.

You may also like these similar posts:

• PPC Tip: When to Use Negative Exact and Negative Phrase Match
• PPC Myth Week Pt 3: Kill Keywords That Dont Convert
• How To Apply Google Search-Based Keyword Research
• Negative Keyword Research Tools & Tips
• PPC Myth Week Pt 2: Bid Higher to Appear Higher

Original post by Linda Bustos

This is Part 3 of our PPC Myth series. Please check out Organic Search Traffic is More Qualified Than Paid and Bid Higher to Appear Higher if you missed them.

There’s a lot of PPC experts out there who will tell you to look at your PPC keyword reports and get rid of keywords that don’t convert. Sounds logical, right? Why spend money on losers when you can spend more on winners? Especially when you’re under pressure to show strong ROI (or ROAS - return on ad spend) or are working with a tighter budget in these tough economic times.

But nixing “non-performing” keywords is not always a good idea.

Attribution

Most analytics reports (including your Adwords report) credit the last keyword clicked before conversion. For example, your customer searched for “kids bedroom furniture” on Monday and found a Cars movie race car bed on your site. The customer searched Google for “Cars movie racecar bed” on Tuesday, clicked your paid or organic search listing and completed the purchase on your site. “Cars movie racecar bed” is credited for the $400 while “kids bedroom furniture” registers as a non-converting click. Because the credited keyword is “long tail” - perhaps that click only cost $0.50 while the more competitive “kids bedroom furniture” costs $2.50 - certainly one appears more “profitable” than the other.

Multiple keyword searches and site visits are not uncommon. According to a 2005 comScore study, people perform an average of 13 searches before converting — leaving 12 keywords out in the cold in conversion reports. (Though these keyword searches may lead a customer to other sites, not just your own). Craig from ClickEquations shares some actual data on visitor behavior on his blog.

There is much debate whether philosophically the first or last click should be credited - or credit be divided across keywords. And there are tools like Omniture SiteCatalyst that allow you to use “linear” allocation (again, Craig shares an example).

But this post does not attempt to solve the attribution/allocation dilemma. Because allocation/attribution is not the only thing messing up your keyword reports! Other reasons keywords may not receive the credit they are due:

• Orders placed by telephone. There are ways to track telephone orders, but it is not default in any analytics package.

• Cookie deletion. The customer clears cookies, uses another machine or browser or returns to your site after the original cookie expired. Any of these would fail to correctly credit a keyword. (Some estimates suggest 30% of web users regularly clear cookies)

• The broad match type. For example, the “kids bedroom furniture” keyword may be matched to a search for “kids bunk beds” which you don’t sell. A high volume of searches for “kids bunk beds” and other searches that cause your ad to appear will boost a keyword’s impressions and will either dilute your click through rate (if your ad is not specific to the search term) or your conversion rate (your landing page doesn’t match the search term). If you use broad match - always use the broad match keyword exposure filter.

Before you hit delete…

1. Add this Google Analytics filter so you can see what exact searches trigger ads from your broad match and phrase match keywords. Anything irrelevant gets added as a negative keyword at the Campaign level (to prevent ads from other Ad Groups from appearing).

The benefit will be a better click-through rate (less clicks but far less ad impressions). You’ll have a lower absolute spend because you’re not paying for irrelevant keyword matches anymore, and your higher click-through rate means a lower cost-per-click. Hurrah!

2. Play customer on your own landing pages. Think about search intent - certain keywords are more “informational” than “commercial.” Would someone using the keyword in a search engine hope to find information or a product page? How can you improve your landing page to connect with that visitor? Does this keyword need its own Ad Group with its own landing page?

3. Chop at the Ad Group level. If you need to save money on PPC, figure out which product/categories are low margin, under-performing or are too expensive per click to keep bidding on and pause or delete the entire Ad Group, rather than killing individual keywords.

Again, deleting individual keywords within Ad Groups may not improve your results, because these keywords may not be getting credit for all the “assists” they’ve made to conversion. And your ads may still appear thanks to the broadness of broad match if the same search just gets matched to a similar keyword. If you do remove a keyword, be sure to add it as a negative keyword at the Campaign level.

You may also like these similar posts:

• PPC Tip: When to Use Negative Exact and Negative Phrase Match
• PPC Myth Week Pt 2: Bid Higher to Appear Higher
• Should You Remove Keywords With Low Click Through Rates?
• PPC Myth Week Pt 1: Organic Search Traffic is More Qualified Than Paid
• Dont Miss These Holiday Keywords Next Christmas

Original post by Linda Bustos

Luxury retailer Cartier recently launched a MySpace presence for its Love by Cartier campaign. But it faces an interesting reputation management issue: since MySpace already has hundreds of profiles that use the name Cartier (it is a surname, after all).

If you type in “Cartier MySpace” in Google, this is what you get:

If someone really wants to find the page, they may head over to MySpace and use it’s site search box, and still not find the official page:

You have to type “Love By Cartier” in Google or MySpace to get the link to the Cartier MySpace page (at time of posting, algorithm changes or incoming links to Cartier’s page may change that).

Yahoo’s algorithm does select the right page for “Cartier MySpace”:

Though you can’t control how Google matches pages to the search term (duplicate content filter in action), you can build links to the page you want to rank well to help boost its “Page Rank” which may cause it to beat out other pages in the search engine’s index. (If the search engine indexed 500+ pages from MySpace relevant to the term “Cartier”, it only picks 1 to show in search results, 2 if it uses an indented second result).

Cartier could also nag MySpace to tweak its internal search to rank its page tops for “Cartier” searches, especially since this is an advertising partnership between the two.

This is also an example of why brands should really claim their social network profile names / domains / Facebook Pages and Groups proactively, even if they just sit on them. It’s easy for net citizens to beat you to the punch which makes it harder for you to be found in search engines and social network searches.

3 Things to Die For: Web Analytics Unleashed

Free webinar: July 17th, 2008, 9am PT/12pm ET
Guest Panelist: Avinash Kaushik, Author & Analytics Evangelist, Google
Register to Attend…

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Original post by Linda Bustos

Ed Whiting from Travel Remark put together this eye-opening video about Facebook travel applications. Just for fun, take a guess how many travel-related Facebook applications there are before you click play (the grand total will be revealed at the end).

And this is just one category of commercial applications, folks.

When Facebook applications were launched last year, first movers in ecommerce included Blue Nile’s Wish List and Backcountry’s Steep and Cheap. I give credit to these retailers for giving it a shot. Unfortunately, almost a year later you can count the number of daily users for these apps on one hand.

Other social shopping applications like StyleFeeder and Polyvore get a few thousand daily users - not bad, but they are definitely the exception.

Challenges in Social Shopping Facebook Application Marketing

1. Application Aggro - Requests to add applications from friends are no longer trusted. Much worse, in fact - it has turned friends into perceived spammers and prompted many Facebook statuses along the lines of “stop sending me [radio edit] applications!

2. Saturation - At this stage in the game, there are so many applications that to get popular, you have to be remarkable. You have to provide so much value that people will add your application and risk losing friends to evangelize your app with invites.

3. Commercialization - Judging by daily average users, it’s clear that Facebookers would rather buy and sell each other than buy real products.

4. App ADD - Even if someone adds your application, that person has to be really motivated to use it on a regular basis. Otherwise it will inevitably be removed.

5. Co-dependency - Many apps depend on a sufficient number of your friends’ participation for there to be any practical value (Facebook being a social network, after all). If a user doesn’t have mutual friends with the application, he can get no utility out of it.

Given these conditions, I don’t think there’s a future for e-tailers to win at this game. What do you think?

3 Things to Die For: Web Analytics Unleashed

Free webinar: July 17th, 2008, 9am PT/12pm ET
Guest Panelist: Avinash Kaushik, Author & Analytics Evangelist, Google
Register to Attend…

You may also like these similar posts:

• Juicy Facebook Rumors - Social Ads & More
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Original post by Linda Bustos

Choosing a profile picture is a self-branding exercise. There’s no right or wrong way to present yourself online but many avatars are boring, forgettable. Here’s a gallery of 99 remarkable, creative, funny and memorable social media avatars. Why did we pick these pics? Check out how to choose an avatar to find out.

The Key to PPC for Online Retailers
Free webinar: May 15th, 2008, 9am PT/12pm ET
Guest Panelist: Ryan Gibson, Director of Marketing, The Rimm-Kaufman Group
Register to Attend

Original post by Linda Bustos

Are you in a mono-”logo”s relationship, or play the field when it comes to social network avatars?

Many of us take a number of images for a spin before we settle on “the one.” Some have joined themselves to one and will never look back. While others seem to have a new photo every week.

If you’re tired of the avatar-scene and are looking for a long-term commitment, perhaps it’s time to settle down with a single avatar. Or if you feel your avatar is going nowhere - maybe it’s time to break up.

Decisions, decisions. There are a few questions you must ask yourself:

• Is this just a relationship of convenience? Maybe you selected your profile from the social network’s default. You really gotta believe there is a better avatar out there, even for you.

• Is it purely sentimental? Have you had the same avatar since 2001? Familiarity is comfortable, but you may have outgrown your avatar. I mean, I’ve had many lovely walks along the beach with my Discman, but come on.

• Is your avatar a cheat? It seemed all fine and dandy when you turned yourself into a South Park character, but now you see your picture in other places, wearing other clothes, and with slightly different hairstyles…and you’re beginning to get suspicious.

• Does your avatar share your interests and future goals? An avatar is a personal brand, don’t waste your time if you’re not compatible. Eventually there will come a time when you will inevitably move on.

• Do your friends like your avatar? In a way, your avatar is a reflection of you - your avatar shouldn’t be boring or rude. In fact, if you have an outgoing avatar, it can introduce you to a LOT of new people.

• Can you bring your avatar home to mother? I think this is self-explanatory.

• Is your avatar high-maintenance? Does your picture need constant fussing and resizing for it to look good every time you take it somewhere new?

If you answered yes or no to one or more of the above questions, you may or may not need to break up with your avatar. But if you’ve read this far, please read on for some tips on what makes attractive, long-term avatars:

Logos

Logos are a great way to brand your blog or business, for obvious reasons. If you’re familiar with a blog or company, you’ll recognize the logo as a representative of that brand right off the bat. The risk here is there’s always a possibility you change jobs / careers and your avatar or user handle becomes outdated.

Examples

SEMvironment and Ecogeek’s logos communicate the green focus of their businesses. If your avatar somehow ties into what you do, that can be even more effective.

Another downside of using your logo is if your company has multiple people, it’s confusing if more than one person uses the logo. Who gets to use the logo? How will others in the company brand themselves?

I have yet to see this, but think it would be a neat idea if a company that gets its team to take similar avatar photos. Perhaps all wearing funny hats, tuxedos, team jerseys, doctor’s uniforms or even bobbleheads…

Characterize Yourself

I don’t mean Simpsonize yourself. I mean create a persona like The Mad Hat, Fantomaster, Slightly Shady SEO, Google Tutor, Incredible Help, OnReact or John Cow:

Caricaturize Yourself

Chris Hooley, Rohit Bhargava, Joost de Valk, Barry Schwartz, Andy Sernovitz, Shawn Collins and Jeffrey Zeldman are a few examples of personal caricatures.

Brand Yourself as a Celebrity Character

If you’re lucky enough to share a name with a popular cartoon character like Sebastian or Duff Man, you can go this route.

If you don’t have a name-connection, it’s less effective just to borrow a character. Chances are there are six or seven or eight others who had the same bright idea.

Use an Unusual Headshot

Black and white headshots can stand out because they’re less common, but stand out more with any interesting angle of your head. Examples from Bill Slawski, Muhammad Saleem and Shana Albert.

Bright colored backgrounds work, too. Examples from Ciaran Norris and Lyndon Antcliff:

Lyndoman also uses a half-head, a great technique shared by Wiep Knol and Matt McGee:

Or turn your head, touch your face, rotate your photo, paint your face…or use a prop!

Combine Logo with Photo

Best of both worlds. Robert Raught and Stefan Juhl do this well. Their choice of white background also makes it easier to see. In Robert’s case, you also know his occupation without clicking through to his profile page.

Adopt a Pet

Advertising execs know you can’t go wrong with baby animals. In social media, monkeys are particularly effective (perhaps because they’re almost people?) The pros are that animals are memorable and often funny. The downside is an animal doesn’t say anything about you or your business, unless it ties in with your name (maybe your name is Cat or your nickname is Bart the Bear).

Use an Inanimate Object

Attention-grabbing, stands out amongst the sea of faces and easy for people to remember, a single object can be a good avatar choice. Robert Gorell goes retro with a cassette tape (although this will alienate anyone born after 1985), Wendy Piersall has her red stillettos (would be neat to where those to the conference!) and “Wingnut” has his…wingnut.

Want more inspiration? Check out more amazing avatars.

The Key to PPC for Online Retailers
Free webinar: May 15th, 2008, 9am PT/12pm ET
Guest Panelist: Ryan Gibson, Director of Marketing, The Rimm-Kaufman Group
Register to Attend

Original post by Linda Bustos