Some of the team from Google, who have been running the recent Getting British Business Online campaign in and around Wales, have set-up a Juice Bar in the Liberty meeting room today.

The one-off event has been designed to advise small businesses on the various Google products, and how they can be used to promote a website. Business owners we have recently met and who had questions about search engine marketing were invited along to have a chat with the guys from Google.

At the Juice Bar, attendees are learning how to target local businesses with Google Places, how to use Google Analytics to understand the traffic on a site, and how Google AdWords and Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising works.

It is great to be one of the few agencies that has been invited to put an event like this together with Google. As one of the first Google Engage agencies in the UK, we have long worked with the search engine to keep ourselves fully trained and able to best advise clients.

The advice sessions will be running for a few more hours, so if you are in the neighbourhood, pop in.

No matter how savvy and on-the-button your Google AdWords consultant may be, if your website isn’t up to scratch, all that hard pay per click (PPC) work will be for nothing when the visitors your PPC campaign brought to your website disappear without a trace.

In fact, if your website isn’t going to convert PPC visitors into buyers, the time, money and energy you and your Google AdWords consultant/agency/team have ploughed into a great PPC campaign may be for nothing...

Of course, not every visit is going to convert into sales, but there are literally hundreds of ways that you can boost your conversion rates. In this post we’ll be looking at just three of the most fundamental changes you should consider if you’re hoping to become a conversion champion and squeeze every last drop out of your PPC!

(A quick note: Although this article covers website conversions from a PPC/AdWords angle - after all, you don't want to have to pay for traffic that doesn’t convert! - a lot of this could equally apply to traffic arriving to your site from non-paid search, too!)

Clarity
The first and most important thing you need to learn and never forget is that human beings are fickle and impatient creatures. The sheer accessibility of information on the Internet - at the click of the button - only makes matters worse. Visitors are not going to hang around if you do not give them strong, clear messages about who are you, what you do and what you’re selling, so be clear and don’t overcomplicate!

Keep your homepage short, sweet and to the point. Include strong images which show visitors that they have come to the right place for what they’re looking for but absolutely do not overcomplicate matters. However, if a better page is available as a landing page then make sure it’s the landing page!

By ensuring that your visitors know exactly what they’re looking at you’ll keep the ones you want and lose those you don’t.

Keep track of stats
Your Google AdWords person should be keeping their beady eye on your data in order to constantly improve your campaign and boost traffic, but these stats can also help you tweak your website into conversion perfection. Data from enquiry forms and shopping baskets will tell you which PPC ads brought visitors to your site and which ones converted into sales.

As an example, imagine you’re selling your clairvoyance service through your website (although if you can actually see the future, you’re probably not going to need a consultant’s help)! One of the keywords your campaign is targeting is “cheap clairvoyance service” but unlike your other keywords, that particular keyword just isn’t converting into sales, yet it is bringing in tonnes of traffic and your service really is cheap.

In all likelihood, your website isn’t making it clear enough just how cheap your service is. Highlight the key sales points that lure in visitors and you’ll turn even more visitors into customers.

Hand-holding
Visitors might be fickle, but they also need an awful lot of attention. Make sure you provide clear, helpful guidance to walk them through the sales journey on your website and you’ll find that your conversion rates soar. Make contact information easy to see and easily accessible, so they don’t end up leaving frustrated if they can’t find your phone number...

At Liberty Marketing, our PPC and Google AdWords consultants are experienced online marketing experts, who can advise you on how to boost your conversion rates whilst bringing you all the traffic you need to make your business a success on the Internet. Fill out an enquiry form today or get in touch on 029 2076 6467 or at info@libertymarketing.co.uk to learn more!

The world of SEO does not sit still for long. One of the biggest changes to the digital landscape and addition to the tools available to inbound marketers is the implementation of on-page data mark-up languages such as Schema.org.

The aim of on-page data mark-up is to increase the amount the search engines actually understand about the information they are categorising, ultimately leading to more accurate search results.

Thus back in 2011, as a result of collaboration between the search engine superpowers Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, Schema.org was created to improve the search engines ability to understand the web by creating a structured method of microdata mark-up. By sharing a microdata mark-up vocabulary, webmasters are able to ensure their efforts are properly rewarded.

As is often the case in the field of SEO, a simple process has been made to sound more complicated than it actually is. Hopefully an example will clear up any underlying confusion:

When using a search engine, people have a primary understanding of the information they are viewing. Until now it has been impossible for search engines to replicate such an understanding. For example, if as your header 1, you have the word ’Flipper’, there is no information to tell you what the text string actually means – Flipper could of course refer to the popular film about a 12 year old boy who befriended a dolphin, or the popular swimming aid. This can make it difficult for the search engines to display content relevant to the user.

By using the Schema.org vocabulary, it is possible to tell the search engines that this information describes a specific movie, place, person or video, helping to tidy up the search engines understanding of your content.

So, will Schema.org help your website to work its way up through the rankings? Well no; as yet mark-up is not used for ranking purposes. However, there is still a huge benefit to implementing Schema.org to your website.

Google has slowly begun to roll out rich snippets within the search results for those webpages that have used microdata such as Schema.org, to help display authorship, videos and review data.

There are many different kinds of snippets Google supports, and the number keeps growing. Rich snippets are having a tremendous impact on a visitors click through rate within the search results with some webmasters reporting a 30% increase in CTR after implementing rich snippets.

Applying the mark-up isn’t a difficult process on small sites and there is a great guide for getting started with Schema.org at: http://www.schema.org/docs/gs.html

Once you have implemented your microdata mark-up, use the rich snippets testing tool to make sure that Google can read and extract your marked-up data, and enjoy your improved CTR.

You may be aware that EU regulations governing the use of cookies on websites are changing. As of 26th May 2012 you’ll need to have given some thought to how you’re going to change your approach to using cookies on your site. The new regulations were laid out on 26th May 2011 and the one year ‘grace period’ is about to expire. It’s now time to implement your new cookie policy.

Whether you are up-to-date with the ICO’s (Information Commissioner’s Office) new guidelines or don’t know your cookies from your shortbreads, you can find out all you need to know here to help you plan for your future.

So what are cookies?

Let’s start from scratch. Cookies are small text files which are sent from your web server to your visitors’ web browsers. These files are then used to collect information from your visitors and store it so it can be used later.

What’s the problem?

The key problem is that very few users understand what cookies are or what they do. This means that the vast majority of websites are essentially ‘taking’ information from visitors without their knowledge or permission. The percieved morality of this depends on whether or not the information taken is being used for the visitors’ benefit or for the benefit of the website’s owners. 

For instance, some cookies are used to help guard against forgery. They can help users assemble and save a shopping basket or remember settings that users have chosen. These types of cookies are clearly in the user’s interests.

Whilst many cookies are helpful to users, others are very helpful to advertisers and website owners. Cookies can be used to show users targeted adverts that follow surfers across the net based on their previous browsing, leaving some to feel like their privacy has been invaded. These are the main types of cookies the new regulations are legislating against.

Google Analytics and cookies

Whilst some cookies are clearly helpful to either visitor or website, others fall into a grey area. One of the biggest problems with the changing regulations is just how helpful cookies can be for both parties. They make it possible for websites to assess performance, improve usability and boost business too. With Google Analytics on your side you can keep track of:

• Where people view your site from
• What technology people use to browse your site
• How often visitors return
• Areas of most interest on your website
• Along with so much more

Over 60% of the top 10,000 websites make use of Google Analytics, and it has been suggested that in excess of 15 million other sites make use of the tool. As Google Analytics relies on cookies to gather information about website usage, the change in EU regulations is a big worry for a vast number of sites. SEO and Pay Per Click teams are especially reliant upon good analytics to create effective online marketing campaigns for your website.

Are my cookies ‘good’ or ‘bad’?

The type of information cookies collect and how this information is used varies and will affect how you need to roll with the changes. Below you’ll find the different categories that cookies broadly fall into. Some of these are integral to the running of your website and these will not be regulated. Some cookies, however, are not essential and the new regulations will affect how you use them.

• Category 1: Strictly Necessary

These are cookies used for vital parts of websites. This includes information like anti-forgery tokens, shopping basket references and user account sessions. The new regulations will not affect the way that these are used and you will not need to have the consent of visitors to use them.

• Category 2: Performance

These cookies are used to assist performance. They help with tasks like showing a particular version of a site to the relevant visitor. Although you’re unlikely to need consent, these cookies need to be mentioned in the terms and conditions of your site.

• Category 3: Functionality

Analytics is the big one here. These category 3 cookies store information from visitors to your website which can be analysed to gauge usage and develop your website accordingly. This is the category you should be most concerned with when it comes to SEO and Pay Per Click advertising. These cookies will also remember customisable user settings like font and colour preferences. 

ICO states that you should have the consent of users before these cookies are downloaded to their browsers.

• Category 4: Targeting/Advertising

These cookies are one of the main reasons people are nervous about cookie usage. They track visitors from site to site, collecting information which makes it possible for websites to display specific, personally tailored adverts – this is known as targeted advertising and many people are uncomfortable with it. You must notify visitors if you want to use category 4 cookies. You must also obtain each user’s consent before downloading them to any browser.

What’s changing?

Awareness and consent are at the centre of the new EU e-Privacy Directive’s regulations. Extensive research has revealed that very few people actually understand how cookies work, what they’re for, what they do or how to opt out of using them. For instance, one study commissioned by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, revealed that 37% of respondents had heard of cookies but had little or no understanding of how they work or what they do.

With this in mind, the EU has stated that websites must make all visitors aware of any cookies used and obtain user consent for any cookies of category 3 or above. If websites fail to do this, they risk being lumped with a civil penalty of a maximum £500,000 per cookie. Ideally the ICO would like to see an ‘opt-in’ policy, where users must actively choose to use cookies instead of an ‘opt-out’ policy, where users must actively disable cookies themselves.

What does this mean for my website?

If you’re using anything higher than Category 1 cookies on your website then it is time to rethink how you use them. To be compliant with ICO guidelines you will need to do some of the following:

• Inform visitors immediately that cookies are in use on your website
• Give visitors the option to opt out of using cookies before proceeding
• Provide visitors with thorough information about which cookies are in use, what they do and how they are used

Although these steps will ensure that users are fully aware of and complicit in your use of cookies, there may well be some negative effects. For example, it is likely that many users will not opt-in and choose to use cookies when presented with the choice, particularly if they are unsure about a cookie’s purpose. If many people fail to accept your cookies, you could start to see flawed Google Analytics statistics and may find you are forced to work in an entirely new way.

Many experts advocate split testing a few pop-up options in order to design an informative, cookie opt-in service with a high opt-in rate which causes the fewest bounces from your site.

What should I do?

Here at Liberty we aren’t legal experts; if you want to be absolutely positive you are sticking to the letter of the law, get your solicitor to look over the ICO guidelines. That being said, the ICO regulations document has the following to say about Analytics cookies:

“The Regulations do not distinguish between cookies used for analytical activities and those used for other purposes. We do not consider analytical cookies to fall within the ‘strictly necessary’ exception criteria. This means that in theory websites need to tell people about analytical cookies and gain their consent.

In practice we would expect you to provide clear information to users about analytical cookies and take what steps you can to seek their agreement. This is likely to involve making the argument to show users why these cookies are useful. Although the Information Commissioner cannot completely exclude the possibility of formal action in any area, it is highly unlikely that priority for any formal action would be given to focusing on uses of cookies where there is a low level of intrusiveness and risk of harm to individuals. Provided clear information is given about their activities we are highly unlikely to prioritise first party cookies used only for analytical purposes in any consideration of regulatory action.”

As you can see, this is a very flexible statement which appears to state that those using cookies for purely analytical purposes are very unlikely to face any type of formal action, provided they supply clear information on their site about which cookies are being used and why.

If you are using cookies which are more intrusive, it would probably be wise to ensure you are completely compliant with the regulations. However, if you are using analytics cookies, you are very likely to be safe as long as you update your terms and conditions to ensure:

• Your users have easy access to information about which cookies you are using
• Your users understand which cookies are at work on your site and why
• Your users know they have the option to turn cookies on and off
• Your users know how to turn cookies off if they so choose

This is the way Liberty intends to progress; how you decide to work with the guidelines is entirely your call. 

Another consideration is the fact that many experts are of the opinion that it is only big names and persistent, aggressive ‘regulation-flouters’ who are likely to face heat from the ICO. Many people from within the web industry believe the ICO is likely to make an example of a handful of large internet presences that make no effort to comply as well as those that repeatedly and unconscionably flout regulations and use invasive, aggressive cookies without warning visitors. 

These regulations are going to be extremely difficult to enforce across the internet so, unless a direct complaint is made against you, a good, honest information policy regarding cookies is likely to stand small-to-medium enterprises in good stead.

What’s everyone else doing?

There have been a range of different responses to the changing cookie law across the internet. Some sites have done nothing at all, whilst others have expanded their terms and conditions to include an explanation of the cookies used on-site. Meanwhile, some sites have taken a more direct approach to ensure they are fully compliant with the new regulations. By and large it is the big brands and big names who have taken compliance most seriously.

BT, for example, have taken it to the extreme. If you look in their footer menu, you will see they have provided a clear, thoroughly informative pop-up and toolbar which gives each visitor all the facts they need as well as the opportunity to opt in or opt out of using cookies. They even allow visitors to decide whether they want to turn specific cookie types on or off. This gives users the choice to use any combination (or no combination) of:

• Strictly necessary and performance cookies
• Functional cookies
• Targeting cookies

Meanwhile, websites like the BBC and John Lewis have opted to meet the ICO halfway by providing very thorough help sections on the cookies used on their website. This at least shows willing, which is much more than many sites are doing. 

Should I panic?

We wish we could give you a definitive answer here, but unfortunately all we can say is ‘probably not’. If you’d like to make sure you’re on the safe side, an informative and helpful guide to your site’s cookies is a very good move. Taking this step will not harm your website and also shows your visitors you are responsible and honest. If you do want to be as compliant as you can be, you may like to look into implementing a pop-up system to give users up-front, immediate information and options, yet compared to the majority of small to medium businesses online, this would be a fairly extreme response.

So how does the cookie crumble?

In summary, before the 26th May you should perform a thorough audit of the cookies you are using on your site. 

• If you decide they are intrusive, either stop using them or (if you just can’t keep your hand out of the cookie jar) implement instant pop-ups which warn and inform users, then give them the option to turn cookies on or off.
• If your cookies are analytical, you might like to implement an instant pop-up strategy, although you are likely to remain compliant without it so long you provide all the requisite information somewhere on the site. 
• If your cookies are for functional, user-centred purposes only, you are fine and can sit back and relax!

Best of luck with your new cookie policy!

As a Pay Per Click (PPC) advertiser using Google AdWords, you can select whether your adverts show for broad searches relating to your keywords or very specific searches that match your terms exactly. By choosing from a range of ‘keyword match types,’ you can tactically enhance your campaigns and improve the quality of the traffic that you attract to your website.

In AdWords, there are five different keyword match types to choose from:

Broad Match

Broad match - as you might ascertain from the name - returns a broad range of results originating from your keyword or phrase. Your adverts will automatically run for keyword variations including synonyms, singular and plural forms, common misspellings and even other phrases that contain the selected keywords. Although assigning broad match to a campaign can help to increase traffic, it may also result in wasted spend, attracting clicks from people looking for products or services your business does not supply.

"Phrase Match"

By placing quotation marks around particular keywords, Google will only display adverts when the search term entered contains the keywords in the same order as they are listed in the ad. For example, when bidding on a keyword which is written in quotation marks - e.g. "car insurance" - you will show for those keywords in that order. However, you will also bid on search terms such as 'cheap car insurance', 'car insurance quotes', 'car insurance policies', etc.

[Exact Match]

Exact match is the most specific keyword match type. By placing your keyword or phrase in square brackets - e.g. [car insurance] - Google will only show the advert for that exact term, without including any variations.

-Negative -Match

Negative matches are an excellent method of reducing the amount of wasted spend your ad campaign generates. The addition of a negative sign shows Google that your ad is not to be returned for any search including that keyword. Using the car insurance example, by adding the negative keyword '-sports', your advert will not be returned for "sports car insurance" searches.

+Modified +Broad +Match

The most recent addition to AdWords, modified broad match allows you to apply a more specific version of broad match. By putting a plus sign in front of a keyword or key phrase, you can tell Google exactly which keywords you would like to bid for, ensuring you show for a range of terms without appearing for those which aren’t related to the products or services you sell. For further information on modified broad match, check out this blog post, when we wrote about its initial launch in the UK.

Done well, pay per click advertising can really help to drive more traffic to a website at a minimal expense. However, unfortunately, we’ve seen many people give it a go themselves, only to set up their campaigns with the wrong keyword match types in place. Our PPC Team have years of experience in setting up and managing campaigns in a plethora of industries and therefore know the do’s and don’ts with Google AdWords.

For more information, please visit our dedicated pay per click advertising page or call 029 2076 6467 today.

Yesterday on the Inside AdWords blog, Google announced a new change to AdWords and the way adverts are rotated.

Advertisers have the option to rotate adverts in three ways. Optimise for Clicks, Optimise for Conversions or Even Rotation. We always test adverts on the Even Rotation setting as it allows you to split test your adverts and find out what copy works. Over time, this can give you very powerful insight into what makes your customers tick. With the other two rotation settings, you don't have this control over testing copy because, as soon as one advert starts getting more clicks or conversions than the other, it starts being shown for more of the time, so skews data.

Unfortunately, Google is making it far harder for us to work in this way because...

"Starting next week, the “rotate” setting for ad rotation will change. Instead of rotating creatives for an indefinite period of time, this setting will only rotate for a period of 30 days. After that, the setting will then optimize to show the ads expected to generate the most clicks. Every time a creative is enabled or edited, the ads in that ad group will rotate more evenly for a new period of 30 days."

This is far from great news for advertisers who like to test out ad copy and see what really works for their markets. They say this is to help advertisers improve the performance of their accounts but we think it's a very bad move and one we can't help but feel Google us putting in place to get more click budget from Pay Per Click customers.

Get ready, as the changes will start taking place next week and "ad groups with creatives that haven’t been added or modified in the past thirty days will see this new ad rotation behavior. Otherwise, this change will begin 30 days after your last creative was enabled or edited."