About Equiniti-ICS.com

Equiniti-ICS is one of the fastest growing IT and software and services companies in the UK and Ireland. They provide HR and payroll services, complaints management, document and record solutions, infrastructure and hosting solutions, Expert Microsoft solutions, advisory services and accounting software.

AdWords Training

Search Scientist has delivered several AdWords training sessions tailored to Equiniti-ICS’s marketing team. Please see below for a testimonial for the Eqiniti-ICS Head of Marketing, Clare Patterson.

Louise was involved in training the marketing team in Equiniti ICS just before Christmas. Louise explained the process in a clear, concise manner that was simple to understand. We had wasted thousands of pounds on Google Adwords and with training from Search Scientist we are now able to create Google Adword campaigns that target the customers that we want at a fraction of the cost. I would have no hesitation in using Louise again. Her training is very insightful. Even if you think you understand Google Adwords, Louise will always show you something you didn’t know before.

- Clare Patterson, Head of Marketing at Equiniti-ICS

GOOGLE SEO TIP: Have Relevant Text Above The Fold

If you want your page to rank well on Google for a certain search term, make sure there’s content related to that term above the fold on that page.

Google’s recent algorithm change is penalising pages that don’t have the content the user wants above the fold on the page they’re brought to. Perhaps your homepage previously ranked well for one of your main terms, but above the fold on your homepage doesn’t actually contain the content that users are searching for. It’s possible that you can then go from having a strong ranking (e.g. on the first page of Google), to being bumped down several pages.

There appear to be two main types of pages being affected by this:

1. Text above the fold not focused on the main search term you want to rank on.

As above, where you’ve been working on driving traffic to one main page of your site (e.g. homepage), but it doesn’t actually contain text above the fold related to the search query you want to rank on. An example of this is the page below.

This page, until recently, ranked highly on searches for ‘Ableton Tutorials’ as that’s the main purpose of the site. However, there’s not much text content on the homepage specific to Ableton tutorials, and so the ranking on this term dropped.

2. Too Many Ads Above The Fold

Other sites penalised by this algorithm change are those with lots of ads above the fold. Now, while it’s common practice to place ads above the fold and it’s understood that they can perform well and generate money for the site owner, it’s those sites with too many ads above the fold that it’s coming down on. So, you’re fine with a normal amount, but if there are too many, it could hurt your ranking on Google.

So what brought this on?

User experience

Where this change stemmed from is basically users complaining that if they click on a search result and it’s difficult to find the actual content, then it’s a poor user experience. Rather than scrolling down the page past lots of ads or irrelevant content, they want to see what they searched for straight away. Seems fair enough really.

So what now?

Update affected pages

Do you have any pages on your site that match the above descriptions? Do you think your page rank for those pages has been affected by this algorithm change? If so, then update your pages so that there’s relevant text content above the fold on those pages that matches the search query that you want to rank on.

Basically, if you have a phone number within your AdWords ad text, it will now become clickable from mobile phones.

That is, if a mobile phone user clicks on the phone number within your ad, they’ll call you directly. Previously, they would have just been brought through to your site. You can read the full details in the email from Google pasted in below.

If you’ve any questions, please comment below.

“Dear AdWords Advertiser,

If you currently have a phone number in your ad text or have plans to start adding your phone number in an ad, this is an important notice that in the coming weeks, we will be launching a new enhancement to AdWords ads that will impact charges on clicks to these numbers.

To help our mobile users connect more easily with advertisers, all non-clickable phone numbers displayed in AdWords ad text will be automatically converted into a Click-to-call number.  Currently when advertisers enter a phone number directly into their ad text instead of using Call Extensions, the phone number is not clickable and will not generate a call. This can be a frustrating experience for mobile users who attempt to initiate a call to this phone number.

The new Click-to-call enhancement ensures that all phone numbers shown in AdWords ads are clickable and allows users to easily place calls from their mobile device. If your ad text includes a phone number, you will begin to receive clicks and calls on this number once the enhancement is enabled in your account. As with phone calls placed via a Call Extension, you will be charged for clicks on your phone number that result in a call.

Please note that AdWords policy does not allow for phone numbers to be inserted into ad headlines. As with all Click-to-call ads, advertisers will be charged when a user either clicks on the headline or the phone number listed in the ad. Please see below for additional information regarding this change.

Which phone number shows?

If you are currently using both Call Extensions and a phone number in your ad creative, only the newly clickable phone number in your ad creative will show. This is designed to help reduce user confusion from seeing two potentially different numbers.  If you would like your Call Extension number to display, simply delete all phone numbers from your existing ad text by following these steps. You’ll also receive an additional line of ad text displaying your phone number if the Call Extension is used.

Measuring results

You’ll be able to review how many calls you receive on the clickable phone number listed in your ad text for each campaign, ad group, keyword and ad on the ‘Campaigns’ tab in your AdWords account. Just select the ‘Click-type’ option under the ‘Segment’ drop down and view your report.  Please note that since these are not calls generated from a Call Extension, they will not be reported in the Extensions tab reports.

Recommendations for featuring a phone number

You can simply leave your phone number in your ad text and benefit from this change which will automatically make your phone numbers clickable and enable users to call you. However, to get the most value from click-to-call, we recommend that you remove your phone number from your ad creative and create a Call Extension with your phone number directly.  This has several benefits. With a manually created Call Extension your number will appear as an additional line of ad text which frees up space in your ad creative for other promotion. In addition, when you create a Call Extension, your phone number appears on a separate line in the ad, and you’re able to take advantage of other powerful enhancements such as Vanity Numbers, Call-only and Call Metrics reporting.

We are committed to providing our users with the best mobile web experience and encourage you to learn more about Call Extensions by visiting our Help Center.

Sincerely,
The Google AdWords Team

© 2011 Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043″

I just came across this site which offers free Facebook Ad Coupons. May be worth a look if you’d like to test running a Facebook advertising campaign. I’ll apply for one now and let you know how it turns out.

The site is http://www.adcouponcode.com/blog/free-giving-away-100-x-100-google-adwords-voucher-1/. Hope you find this helpful.

About Algram.co.uk

Algram has been trading since 1958, selling everything from small gifts (such as Emma Bridgewater and Nicholas Mosse pottery) to large household furniture (such as sofas and beds). Their website, www.algram.co.uk hosts many of their products, complementing their 20,000 square feet store in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

AdWords Management & Training

Algram came to Search Scientist to optimise their Google AdWords advertising, to increase sales and cut costs. Search Scientist optimised their AdWords account, leading to an immediate improvement in performance. We also delivered AdWords training to Algram’s staff, allowing them to optimally manage their AdWords account in house themselves. Please see below for a testimonial from Algram.co.uk.

Previously we’d worked with another AdWords consultant, and from that we saw a drop off in sales. This time we wanted to do things properly. We had Louise from Search Scientist optimise our AdWords account, provide us with £80 AdWords credit and deliver training to us to allow us to manage the campaigns ongoing in house. This has worked out much better for us. We’ve seen an increase in sales through the initial optimisation and we can now manage and expand on our campaigns ourselves. Very worth while doing. I’d recommend Search Scientist for Google AdWords consultancy.

- Darius Graham, Algram

Google + Brand Pages are now live and ready for you to promote your company. See below on how to create your own Google + Brand Page.

How to Create a Google + Brand Page

1. Go here to get started - https://plus.google.com/pages/create

2. If you don’t already have a personal profile, you’ll need to create one first.

3. If you do have a Google + Profile already, it’s very easy!

4. You’ll be walked through the steps. Enter your Phone Number (this will automatically import your Google Places page content).

5. Add followers to your circles, e.g. add Search Scientist - https://plus.google.com/110247468317814784007 and click ‘add to circles’ (see below)

Add Search Scientist to your Circles for Online Marketing Tips

The Search Scientist Google + Brand Page has just been created. Please add us to your circle to follow our useful posts on Online Marketing Tips. Just click on the red Google + image above and when you arrive on the Search Scientist G+ page, click the red ‘add to circles’ button in the top right corner. Done.

Feel free to share the link to your Google + Brand page in the comments below below. Let’s connect.

Let us know what you think. How does it compare to Facebook Business Pages?

Excuse my geekery, but this is exciting stuff!

The new version of Google Analytics allows you to see stats in real time. View people on your site as they arrive. See which page they’re on right now, stick with them as they move to other pages. See if they’re a new or returning visitor. See where they came from, what term they searched on and where in the world they’re based. I think this is all pretty amazing. Find out more below, including where to see all this within your Analytics account and what practical uses it may have.

Where to find the Real Time Stats in Google Analytics

1. Sign into your Google Analytics account here - www.google.com/analytics

2. If you’re not already defaulted into the new version of Analytics, then click on the ‘New Version’ link in the top right hand corner.

3. Select your Analytics profile (i.e. your website name)

4. You’ll default to arrive on the ‘Standard Reporting’ tab, click on the ‘Home’ tab beside it.

5. In the left navigation, click on ‘REAL-TIME (BETA)’ and Select ‘Overview’

That’s it! Browse around from there.  This is what you’ll see…

Practical uses of Real Time Site Stats

1. Measure Immediate Social Media Impact

As soon as you post on your Facebook page, send out a Tweet, send out an email newsletter, or have a TV/radio ad air you’ll instantly see visitors to your site and can observe where they go, what they do and where they come from. Previously in Analytics you had to wait until the next day to really get feedback, but this is instant. From these stats you can choose how to interact further. As you see hype fizzle out and traffic die down from one Tweet, perhaps it’s time to send another?

2. Check that your Tracking is Working

Previously, if you added tracking, you’d to wait at least 24 hours to check that it’s working ok. Now you can find out in seconds if you’re getting the data you’ve just set up tracking for.

If you have any handy uses for real time, please share them below. Thanks.

The new ‘Analyze Competition’ tool allows you to see how your AdWords performance compares to your competitors’.

It compares your AdWords clicks, impressions, click through rate and average position to other advertisers within the same category as you. This tool is now available to all AdWords advertisers, worldwide.

Find out more about the AdWords Analyze Competition tool by watching this video:

Here’s where to find it:

Within your AdWords account, go to the Opportunities tab and click on ‘Analyze Competition’. Have a play and let us know what you think.

About Partytable.co.uk

Partytable.co.uk supplies stylish, great value decorations for themed parties. Themes include: Pirate Parties, Princess Parties, Vintage Tea Parties, Parisian Parties, Halloween Parties, Bridal Showers, Weddings or Engagement Parties and Peter Rabbit Parties.

PartyTable have searched far and wide, high and low to bring you a choice of stylish, design-led, great value, good quality partyware that will make your event extra special.

AdWords & SEO Management for PartyTable.co.uk

PartyTable contacted Search Scientist for help in promoting their new website, partytable.co.uk. We worked with them on their online marketing strategy, developing their search engine optimisation and building their AdWords online advertising campaigns. Please see below for a testimonial from PartyTable.co.uk’s owners.

Louise was instrumental in helping us to launch our web-site in September. As well as designing and organising our Adwords campaign, she offered us a wealth of ideas and information to help increase sales through social media and more traditional marketing methods. We are extremely pleased with the results of Louise’s hard work and with the improvement in our Google ranking.

- Naomi & Elaine, owners of PartyTable.co.uk

 About BailiesCoffee.com

Bailies Coffee Company was founded in 1993 by Russell Bailie, who recognised the growing demand for quality freshly roasted and traceable coffee amongst an increasingly knowledgeable consumer base in the UK and Ireland. Bailies supply to both trade and individual customers. Not only do they produce and sell Award Winning Coffee, but they also offer barista training and a full range of coffee supplies such as coffee machines, coffee ancillaries, coffee starter packs and even tea! Check out their Stump Teapots – great for individual cups of tea. Let’s just say that if you’re looking for great quality, award winning coffee and all you’ll need to make and serve it, BailiesCoffee.com is the place to go.

Online Marketing Consultancy & AdWords Management 

Bailies contacted Search Scientist for help with promoting their new website. We supplied consultancy to Bailies Marketing Manager, advising on website changes, testing, research, online advertising and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). We built and managed their AdWords account and saw some great results very quickly. Please see below for a testimonial from this client.

“Louise has been great to work with; her attention to detail has allowed us to make vital changes to our new website in order to make it work throughout the Ad words campaign. Louise’s experience and knowledge in the online marketing field means her expert help and advice has been essential to our company in order of moving forward. I really enjoyed working with Louise, she has been extremely supportive and we all appreciate the hard work she has put in for Bailies Coffee Company. Thanks Louise”.

- Brigid McLean, Marketing Manager of Bailies Coffee