Archive for November, 2010

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Google Places: Google?

November 10, 2010

With the recent launch of Google Places, I have become more interested in learning what is any differences exist between Places and Google’s other local search engine property – Google Maps.

While I am still in the research phase, I have found one puzzling result in both Google Places and Google Maps – a search for “Google” itself.

While Google Places and Google Maps use a searchers IP address or Google account to determine a searchers address and intent, neither property has yet figured out how to properly deliver the correct search results for “Google”.

Google Places Google

Google Places Google

This same search result error occurred for several years in Google Maps and now seems to have made its way over to Google Places.

Google Maps Google

Google Maps Google

To Google’s credit, searching for Google directly from Google Maps doesn’t appear to produce this type of search result any longer.

However, the errors do occur after searching on Google.com and then clicking the Places or Maps tab which Google apparently interprets as a new search for local results.

Regardless, I don’t think searchers or Google the brand are expecting these types of search results for the keyword Google in either Google Places or Google Maps.

Do you get the same results in Google Places and Google Maps at your place or is this just a one off search results error?

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Posted in Google Maps, Google Places, Local Search Results, Search Result Error | Leave a Comment »

Technical Issues With The Google Certification Program

November 9, 2010

The Google Advertising Program’s transition to the Google Certification Program  has not been made without technical difficulties.

I received the following email from the GCP team today.

Hi,

As you may know the Google Advertising Professionals Program ended on October
31st, and was replaced with the new Google Certification Program, which introduces a broader curriculum and tougher exams that demonstrate expertise in search, display and reporting & analysis.

Unfortunately we experienced some technical issues on migrating over to the new program. During this migration some of our previously qualified ‘Google Advertising Professionals’ partners may have received an email in error stating they have just become a ‘Certified Google Advertising Professional’.

This was a legacy issue with our system and as the ‘Google Advertising Professionals’ program no longer exists, this is unfortunately not the case.

To become certified under the new program, and take advantage of a more in-depth knowledge of AdWords, partners will need to become certified under the new program criteria as your Google Advertising Professionals status will no longer count as an official certification with Google.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and look forward to partnering with you in the future.

The Google Certification Team

1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

Email preferences: You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your AdWords product or account.

I for one am glad to have received this email.

As I wrote here previously, its unclear to me what term if any the Qualified Individual designation will be replaced with let alone whether it still exists.

Presently in my Google Pro Center, my Google Certification Program designation is referenced in three ways –

1. “Google AdWords Qualified Individual”

2. “Individually Qualified”

3. “AdWords Individual Qualification”

Google AdWords Qualiified Individual

Google AdWords Qualiified Individual

It would be helpful for those of us in the program if the Google Certified Partners team would publish a centrally located overview of the program’s qualifications and terminology.

Ideally the Google Certified Partners team would also create a “Google Certified Partners Community” tab on their home page to establish a dialogue between both AdWords Partners and those Googlers charged with overseeing them.

Google Certification Program Community

Google Certification Program Community

 

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Posted in Google Advertising Professionals Program Retiring, Google Adwords, Google AdWords Certified Partner, Qualified Individual, Technical Issues With The Google Certification Program | 1 Comment »

Rich Media Ads 10% Of Display Ad Serving Volume

November 8, 2010

From The Nielsen Company:

During Q3 2010 rich media ads rose to 10% of display advertising ad serving volume up from 6% during 2008.

Rich Media 10% Display Advertising

Rich Media 10% Display Advertising

Will rich media volume to continue to grow at the expense of Flash Ads as more advertisers seek out the benefits of incorporating video and interactivity into their display advertising campaigns?

 

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Posted in Flash Ads, Rich Media Ads 10% Of Display Ad Serving Volume | Leave a Comment »

Places: All The Rage

November 7, 2010

To begin to crack the place code you must first ask – How do you locate a point in space?

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Posted in Places | Leave a Comment »

Crowdsourced Writing In Google Docs

November 6, 2010

In this video, a student overcomes writer’s block and kickstarts his campaign by working with his friends in Google Docs.

Learn more about how to crowdsource a writing project with Google Docs @ http://docs.google.com/demo

Google Docs Demo

Google Docs Demo

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Embedding Tweets In WordPress Blogs

November 5, 2010

WordPress has enabled a new feature that allows Tweets to be embedded in blogs like this one.

My first embedded Tweet follows –

http://twitter.com/#!/TimCohn/status/721109909512192

Cool feature!

If you are a WordPress blogger and don’t know how to get the specific url of a Tweet, simply go to the update on Twitter.com and click on the time stamp to be taken to the Tweet’s web address.

 

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Posted in Embedding Tweets In Wordpress Blogs, Tweets, Twitter, Twitter.com | Leave a Comment »

Search Marketing Communications Kindle Edition

November 4, 2010

Shortly after the Amazon Kindle blog publishing program was announced, I enrolled this blog.

I had long since forgotten about the Amazon program until I came across the following tweet from the Kindle_Blog.

Tweet Kindle Edition

Tweet Kindle Edition

Clicking the link took me the Amazon Kindle edition of Search Marketing Communications.

Search Marketing Communications Kindle Edition

Search Marketing Communications Kindle Edition

I like the idea of information automatically self-propagating.

If self-propagating information was a business category, Amazon would be its king.

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Posted in Search Marketing Communications Kindle Edition | Leave a Comment »

Yahoo Search Marketing Accounts Are Now “Read Only”

November 3, 2010

All Yahoo Search Marketing advertisers are now greeted with the following message from Yahoo:

Yahoo Search Marketing Accounts Read Only

Yahoo Search Marketing Accounts Read Only

What will Yahoo do with all of their Search Marketing account management intellectual property and code?

Will it soon be permanently mothballed?

 

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Posted in Yahoo Search Marketing Accounts | Leave a Comment »

Coming To Google AdWords Phone Extensions: AdWords Call Metrics

November 2, 2010

AdWords has introduced call metrics, a new feature that lets advertisers measure the number of phone calls generated by their AdWords campaigns.

This new AdWords Ad Extension is in BETA and will gradually become available to more advertisers over time.

Adwords Call Metrics

Adwords Call Metrics

What Call Metrics Is:

AdWords call metrics is a new feature that lets advertisers measure the number of phone calls generated by their AdWords campaigns. Using the technology behind Google Voice, call metrics creates a unique phone number for each AdWords campaign which is automatically inserted into an ad when it appears on Google.com, on both desktop computers & high-end mobile devices.

When a potential customer calls the number in an ad, AdWords notes that the call took place. Then, when an advertiser views their AdWords reports, they’ll see the number of calls they received and other metrics, including call duration.

Why should AdWords Advertisers Use Call Metrics?

With insight into how many calls their ads are generating, they’ll get a better understanding of the value that AdWords is bringing to their business. At the same time, featuring a phone number in an ad will give potential customers another way to reach advertisers.

More about Google AdWords New Phone Ad Extension – Call Metrics.

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Posted in Advertiser, AdWords Ad Extensions, AdWords Call Metrics, Call Metrics, Google Adwords Campaign, Google AdWords Phone Extensions | Leave a Comment »

Google AdWords Professionals Program Officially Retired

November 1, 2010

As promised as of October 31, 2010, Google has officially retired the Google Advertising Professionals program.Google Advertising Professionals Program Retired

 

Google Advertising Professionals Program Retired

While I am not sure what the previous “Qualified Individual” designation will be replaced by, the previous company level certification – the “Qualified Company’ has been replaced with the Google AdWords Certified Partner status.

Google AdWords Certified Partner

Google AdWords Certified Partner

Google Advertising Professionals who had not yet renewed their qualifications under the new Google Certification program’s terms and guidelines may find their old Google Adwords Partner status has taken early retirement.

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Posted in Google AdWords Certified Partner, Google AdWords Professionals Program Officially Retired, Qualified Company, Qualified Individual | 4 Comments »

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