How to ruin your business in one easy step!

I’m guessing you probably already know that I was sued by the FTC back in 2003. After all, I talk about it publicly. But there’s probably a lot you don’t know about that whole story as well. So here’s the dirt.

Let’s talk about the dumb shit I did that got me in trouble in the first place.

Back in August of 2001, I created a product called Instant Internet Empires. I remember this well because I got the idea to create the product while I was sitting in a real estate licensing class.

Why was I sitting in a real estate licensing class you ask? Because I had temporarily been overcome with insanity and thought it might be a good idea for me to get a Realtor’s license.

Anyway, the class was boring as hell so my mind started to wander and I got to thinking about all the Internet Marketing products I’d purchased.

…And I noticed a common theme that was really popular back in the day: MASTER RE-PRINT RIGHTS.

Now, the term “Master Reprint Rights” simply means that you have the rights to re-sell a product and keep all the money …and you also have the rights to transfer that ability to others if you so desire.

It was all the rage back in 2001 and not only had I bought a ton of e-Books with Master Reprint Rights, I’d also noticed they were selling like crazy in the Internet Marketing community.

This valuation tool follows months of development and research by experts in business valuation, accounting, business brokering and website due diligence, and follows a report prepared for Sitepoint.com, the world's biggest site marketplace: The Ultimate Web Site Valuation Guide.

It's based on the realization that the only accurate way to value sites is a comparative valuation using a database of thousands of sales of similar sites. It's the most accurate free online valuation there is.

It's more than just a valuation. Each search provides a detailed report with a lot of business critical information about the target site.

Long List of Less Than Targeted Keywords

You know all those Keyword Tools that are on the market? Offering to find you all sorts of nebulous keywords that will boost your earnings? Thousands of the bastards. That might have worked a few years back but it's largely irrelevant now. Some people use those tools and go completely manic on keywords. That's not going to work. What you need is a short list of highly targeted keywords - what marketers call long-tail keywords - keywords and phrases that people enter into a search engine when they are about to buy. For instance, if someone is looking to buy a sailing dinghy to teach their children how to sail, they might enter something like "childrens sailing dinghy" or "cheap childrens sailing dinghy" or "fibreglass childrens sailing dinghy" - something like that rather than just the generic "sailing dinghy". What you're trying to target is the words or phrases that someone might enter When they are about to buy. And then you need to put these keywords into small, tight groups - not just dump 1,000 generic keywords into a single group - that's the Kiss of Death right there.

Not Identifying Unique Aspects of Your Product or Service

Old-school marketers and copywriters call this the USP - Unique Selling Proposition - the thing that stands you apart from your competitors. Have a look at your competitors sites and/or advertising. What have they hung their hat on? Why is your product or service better? Sometimes its not. But maybe the way you advertise will set you apart.

Lack of Keywords in Your Ad Text

It's kinda the done thing to use your keywords in the headline at least. That can be hard. With Adwords you only have 25 words to do it. If you can squeeze it into the descriptive lines below as well, it's a good thing. You have 35 words per line. And if you can work your keywords into your Landing Page URL, even better. Adwords copywriting won't win any creative awards at Cannes. Its simple and tight and goes for the jugular. Your Sailing Dinghy spot might read -

Childrens Sailing Dinghy
Easy-to-rig Childs Sailing Dinghy.
Buy now and get free life-jackets.
www.ChildrensSailingDinghy.com

And of course Google will bold the keywords in the ad. Some people say the first line of description should be the benefits and the second the features as I've done here. You'll notice I've used a derivative of the main keywords in the first line of description with "Childs Sailing Dinghy" . That's cool - Google likes that.

Directing Users Solely to Your Home Page

So instead of sending visitors (clickers) to my homepage I should send them to a landing page which is headed with my keywords - Childrens Sailing Dinghy. Again, Google loves this and it adds to your Quality Score (more on this later).

Creation of Single Ad Groups

As talked about before, the idea is not to have a single ad group with a million generic keywords but a bunch of different ad groups with relevant keywords. And some of these ad groups may only have a handful of keywords. For instance , "Childrens Sailing Dinghy" and "Fireball Racing Dinghy" are hardly the same.

Using Broad Match Only

Broad matches are less targeted than exact and phrase matching. The default on Google Adwords is Broad Match. This means your "Childrens Sailing Dinghy" keywords will be served up with all sorts of shit you don't want - like "racing dinghy", "rowing dinghy", "fishing dinghy" etcetera etcetera. You're better off using Exact Match - put your keywords in inverted commas to match the phrase or square brackets to exactly match the word. Good idea to use Negative keyword option as well (and more on this later).

Broad match-
Default option:
Childrens Sailing Dinghy

Phrase match-
Surround the keyword in quotes:
"Childrens Sailing Dinghy"

Exact match-
Surround the keyword in square brackets:
[Childrens Sailing Dinghy]

Negative match-
Place a negative character before the keyword:
-Racing Dinghy

Not Tracking Results

You must track your results. Get rid of the ads that don't work and stick with the higher CTR ones. Use the tools that Google provides. Use Google Analytics.

Entering The Content Network Without Modifying Bids

Generally, set lower bids for the content network compared to that of the search network.

I've only really touched on how to make money from Google Adwords here. To learn more...to become a master of the art...you need to go read this book...this Bible of Google Adwords - Perry Mason's...uh...I mean Perry Marshall's "The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords".

Click on the thumbnail of this amazing Hudson Plane Crash yesterday. The Hudson River, New York. That's gotta be the News Shot of the Year don't you think? It came from JKrums Twitter stream.

The US Airways plane crashed into the Hudson River in New York after apparently being hit by birds.

All of the 148 passengers, two pilots and three cabin staff on board the Airbus A320 aircraft survived although New York's Fire Department said 78 people were injured.

"The flight took off at 3.26 eastern time. We believe it was airborne for three minutes after take-off when it crashed into the Hudson River. The reports of bird strikes come from eyewitnesses on the ground,"

The somewhat lucky survivors waited on the wings of the plane until they were picked up by ferries and other vessels.

A passenger on the plane, Jeff Kolodjay, said -

"About three minutes into the flight, the left engine blew just in front of where I was sitting. There was a lot of fire coming out and we dropped 100 feet or so very quickly."

The pilot warned passengers saying -

"you guys have got to brace for impact"

Now how can I optimise this? I know...I'll see if Google Adwords will run it...with the keywords "Hudson Plane Crash" and "New York Plane Crash" targeting United States. Or perhaps I should just target New York?

Hmmm...maybe I should go back and read Perry Marshall's iconic (is that the right word?) bible of Adwords The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords
This is, after all, a blog about Adwords and Pay-Per-Click Marketing.

Hey...Hudson Plane Crashes in New York aside, there is still plenty of money to be made on Google's Adwords Pay Per Click program. Have a look around this site for Adwords Tips and tweaks. ;-)

Oh Yeah...the Pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger – "Sully" - was hailed a hero for managing to land the plane flat in the freezing waters of the Hudson, rather than crash-landing into the city.

Sullenberg is a former US Air Force pilot and has been flying with US Airways for 29 years.

Click on this image of the plane before any rescue craft arrived. The survivors - everyone aboard, were brought ashore on both sides of the Hudson River. Most were treated for exposure to the brutal cold: 18F degrees in the air and about 35F degrees in the water - about 1.5° Centigrade. Experts say that serious hypothermia would have set in after five minutes of being in water that cold.

Yeah Perry Marshall - the absolute King of Adwords PPC. Click on that link and he'll send you a bunch of free stuff on How to make Money From Adwords (yes even in this economy). How did you find me BTW? Did you click on an Adwords spot or did you find me through organic Search Listings?

Update: Somebody just sent me the link to Captain Sullenberger's site - SafetyReliability.com

"Our Mission: To utilize our expertise to apply the most effective methods to your organization to achieve the highest levels of safety, performance and reliability."

They Laughed When I Sat Down At the Piano...But When I Started to Play!

They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Computer...But When It Started to Pay!

Picture Caption: "Does it really pay?" a girl whispered. "Heavens no!" Arthur exclaimed. "He's wasting his time."

Body Copy:
Arthur had just shown everyone his (doctored) Clickbank earnings. The room rang with applause. I decided that this would be a dramatic moment for me to make my debut. To the amazement of all my friends, I strode confidently over to the computer and sat down.

"Jack is up to his old tricks," somebody chuckled. The crowd laughed. They were all certain that I didn't have a clue.

"Does it really pay?" I heard a girl whisper to Arthur.

"Heavens, no!" Arthur exclaimed "He's wasting his time. He's never taken a trick in his life...But just you watch him. This is going to be good."

I decided to make the most of the situation. With mock dignity I drew out a silk handkerchief and lightly dusted off the computer keys. Then I rose and gave the revolving stool a quarter of a turn, just as I had seen Bill Gates do one time.

"What do you think of his keywords?" called a voice from the rear.

"They're crap!" came back the answer, and the crowd rocked with laughter.

Then I Started to Log In to Adwords

Instantly a tense silence fell on the guests. The laughter died on their lips as if by magic. I showed them my ClickThroughRate of 10%. I heard gasps of amazement. My friends sat breathless - spellbound!

I checked through my stats and as I did I forgot the people around me. I forgot the hour, the place, the breathless watchers. The little world I lived in seemed to fade - seemed to grow dim - unreal. Only the Stats were real. Only the CTR and the money it brought me. Visions as beautiful and as changing as the wind blown clouds and drifting moonlight that long ago inspired the master marketers. It seemed as if the master marketer himself Perry Marshall was speaking to me - speaking through the medium of keywords - not just any keywords but my keywords. Exquisite high-paying keywords!

A Complete Triumph!

As the last clicks of the keyboard died away, the room resounded with a sudden roar of applause. I found myself surrounded by excited faces. How my friends carried on! Men shook my hand - wildly congratulated me - pounded me on the back in their enthusiasm! Everybody was exclaiming with delight - plying me with rapid questions... "Jack! Why didn't you tell us you could make money like that?"... "Where did you learn?" - "How long have you studied?" - "Who was your teacher?"

"I have never even seen my teacher," I replied. "And just a short while ago I couldn't find a keyword."

"Quit your kidding," laughed Arthur, himself an accomplished pay-per-clicker. "You've been studying for years. I can tell."

"I have been studying only a short while," I insisted. "I decided to keep it a secret so that I could surprise all you folks."

Then I told them the whole story.

"Have you ever heard of
The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords I asked.

A few of my friends nodded. "That's a best-seller, isn't it?" they exclaimed.

"Exactly," I replied. "They have a new dynamic method that can teach you to make money from Adwords in just a matter of days."

How I Learned to Make Money From Adwords

And then I explained how for years I had longed to make money online and be my own boss.

"A few months ago," I continued, "I saw an interesting ad for
The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords - a way of learning Adwords which only cost a few cents a day! The ad told how a woman had mastered Adwords in her spare time at home - and without a teacher! Best of all, the wonderful new method she used, required no laborious work - no heartless exercises - no tiresome practising. It sounded so convincing that I filled out the coupon requesting the Free Ebook."

"The free ebook arrived promptly and I started in that very night to study the Demonstration Lesson. I was amazed to see how easy it was to play this new way. Then I sent for the course.

"When the course arrived I found it was just as the ad said - as easy as A.B.C.! And, as the lessons continued they got easier and easier. Before I knew it I was starting my own Adwords campaigns. Nothing stopped me. I could pick whatever keywords I liked and I soon got hooked on CTR!"

Play Any Pay Per Click Program

You too, can now teach yourself to be an accomplished Pay Per Click Marketer - right at home - in half the usual time. You can't go wrong with this simple new method which has already shown hundreds of thousands of people How to Make Money on Adwords. Forget the old-fashioned idea that you need special "talent." Just read the book, pick your keywords, write your ads and get ready to bank the cheques. And bear in mind no matter which Pay Per Click program you choose, the cost in each case will be the same - just a few cents a day. No matter whether you are a mere beginner or already a good online marketer, you will be interested in learning about this new and wonderful method.

Send for Our Free ebook Demonstration Lesson

Thousands of successful students never dreamed they possessed marketing ability until it was revealed to them by a remarkable "Marketing Ability Test" which we send entirely without cost with our interesting free ebook.

If you are in earnest about wanting to Make Money on Adwords - if you really want to gain happiness and increase your popularity - send at once for the free ebook and Demonstration Lesson. No cost - no obligation. Right now we are making a Special Offer for a limited number of new students. Sign and send the convenient coupon now - before it's too late to gain the benefits of this offer.

The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords

]]>http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/rss-comments-entry-2849379.xmlMalcolm LambeWed, 14 Jan 2009 16:01:03 +0000http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/2009/1/14/how-to-get-laser-targeted-traffic-from-your-adwords-keywords.html305447:3156279:2844741If I had to give a brief answer to How Do You Make Money on Adwords or any other Pay-per-Click program I'd answer with this. Success boils down to three very important things - Targeted Keywords, Landing Page, Tracking. Did I mention landing Page? I'll talk about that later. But let's presume you are just starting out. You've found your keywords. Now all you've got to do is load them into Adwords (or whatever) and away you go right? Wrong. The default setting for your keywords is set by Google to "broad" - that's how they make their money. But it's not how you make your money. I think I'll get the Adwords Expert Perry Marshall to explain it from here. This is from a thread on his 4 Man Roundtable Coaching Program of just a few weeks ago? Check this out -

Perry, over the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to increase my overall search campaign CTR (which is +3%!) by continuously pausing the high impression - low CTR keywords from my campaigns. I figured: OK, take out the dogs that are not a good match for my market, and shoot for 6%, just
to see if I can do it.

What I have found is, I can’t do it, no matter how many .5% or less high impression keywords I cut.

I am still in the 3-4% range. My theory: Broad Match Keywords are the cause.

Since Google is loosening it’s standards, our broad match keywords are showing up more and more to the unwashed masses, where they are less relevant, in order for them to keep their click income up. It’s like they are taking our search keyword campaigns, and throwing them into the content network.

The more keywords you have in a broad match long tail, the easier it is for Google to justify doing this.

I am going to pause my broad keywords completely in some of my campaigns to test it.

Any other theories???

John

~~~

John,

I think that is a very sound theory actually. I should blog about this…. I can’t think of any other explanation.

Strategy, then:

Broad match in a separate ad group. Makes a lot of sense actually…..

Perry

~~~

Perry,

Early test results show that we were right. CTR is soaring on the exact and phrase match words. Some broad match keywords have a very high CTR, while the rest tank.

Google Broad Match = The new Content Network-rebranded, since they weren’t able to make that fly the way they intended to.

Here’s to the poor unsuspecting fools out there who are making Google rich.

Talk to you later today…

John

You get it? Because of the current recession advertisers are spending less with Google. So what does Big Brother Google do? It adjusts its ad formula algorithms. It's fiddled with the Broad Match Keywords. So your ad gets served to Searchers who may or may not be looking for what you've got.

For example let’s say you sell Blue Widgets.

What you need to do is bid on

[blue widget] (exact match only)
”blue widget” (phrase match)

Don't bother with the Broad Match option - it is over-ridden and triggered by the other two anyway. If you just put blue widget your ad will show for all sorts of nebulous stuff - “blue widget used”, "blue widget with extra battery" and other stuff that is sort of, kind of, could be, related.

So what you need to be doing is Tracking - watching the CTR (Click Through Rate) and working out your ROI (return on investment - there's no use spending $10 to make a $1 sale. More on this later). And you need to be constantly adjusting your bid.

Most of the bozos out there are just bidding on the broad match and they're getting all sorts of junk traffic. You can track this with the free Analytic Code that Google Adwords supplies. You want to watch the Bounce Rate - if it's high you know your visitors aren't interested in what's on that Landing Page.

All this stuff is outlined in Perry Mason's...I mean Marshall's excellent The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords

]]>http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/rss-comments-entry-2844741.xmlMalcolm LambeWed, 14 Jan 2009 07:36:02 +0000http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/2009/1/14/google-cash-scam.html305447:3156279:2843163I'm getting a lot of visitors coming here looking for information on GoogleCash and this Chris Carpenter dude (that's supposedly him on the left). Here's all the info you need - it's just another scam. But I must admit they have a very seductive landing-page. Makes you want to believe all the hype - how you can make thousands a month sitting at home in your underpants writing Adwords spots. Dream on. Let's have a look at some of their claims -

How to to become a Super Affiliate: This is where the big money is ... and I will show you exactly how to get there (and how to stay there!)

Discover the 'Secret Weapon' That Makes Or Breaks Your Campaigns:
This is crucial to your success. This information is worth 10 times the price of the ebook! It's a proven set of techniques, that allows long-term success ...

Learn how to choose money making keywords: There's a definite art to this ... and I will show you how. Just follow my easy, step-by-step instructions.

Learn how to create profitable advertismenets: Writing Google Ads is the key to getting lots of clicks, and if you don't know what you're doing, you can waste time and money. I will show you how to write persuasive advertisements!

Discover the secret of filtering expensive keywords: This strategy is critical to staying on budget. It's super powerful, and a lot easier than you might think.

Learn why you should NOT be placed in the #1 position in Adwords:
The top spot is not always the best. I will show you where to rank, and why!

Find out how to test your Ad before you even launch your campaign! Testing is simply a must, and this process helps you accelerate online profit, while also lowering your costs. These tips will save you thousands of dollars ...

Learn how to tap into the lucrative overseas market: Quite possibly the best kept secret in Adwords today. Most people don't want to mess with it, but my system shows you how to take full advantage of this enormous gold mine.

Learn how to find keywords with ZERO competition: Talk about a treasure chest! Profitable keywords are ripe for the picking... if you know where to look.

Sounds just the ticket doesn't it? But there's nothing new here. I suspect its all been rehashed from the Bible of PPC -
The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords

BTW I have my doubts whether this Chris Carpenter character even exists. I suspect the headshot of the buffed and bronzed guy standing on some tropical beach at sunset is just a stock photo. And of course the snapshots of his supposed Clickbank earnings don't impress me at all. You can doctor your own shots here.

Hey if you want a copy of the shitty Google Cash just send me an email and I'll give you the pdf file. But I gotta warn you, it's very basic. You're not going to learn anything earth-shattering about making money with Pay-Per-Click. In fact they should be calling it GoogleCash4CompleteIdiots.

]]>http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/rss-comments-entry-2843163.xmlMalcolm LambeTue, 13 Jan 2009 16:16:45 +0000http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/2009/1/13/what-is-this-yahoo-glitch-anyway.html305447:3156279:2840602I've been looking all over the net for the much celebrated Yahoo Glitch which these idiots claim to have exploited to make zillions on Yahoo Search Marketing. And for the life of me I can't find it. I've found plenty of references to a Yahoo Glitch being responsible for blatant overcharging - one woman was slammed $41,000 and had to wait ten days to get it back - but there's nothing much about a glitch that makes you heaps of money on their sad Pay Per Click program.

One of the most recent posts concerning a Yahoo Glitch is this one from a WebmasterWorld Forum -

I have never been more mind-boggled by a change in the T&C's of a major corporation as I am by the recent change in YSM, which I shockingly have not seen reported in WebmasterWorld?

First, READ this:

"OPTIMIZATION. In the U.S. only, for those advertisers not bound by an Insertion Order, we may help you optimize your account(s). Accordingly, you expressly agree that we may also: (i) create ads, (ii) add and/or remove keywords, and/or (iii) optimize your account(s). We will notify you via email of such changes made to your account(s), and can also include a spreadsheet of such changes upon your written request. If you would like any of such changes reversed, please reply to such email within 14 days of the change(s), and we will make commercially reasonable efforts to reverse the change(s) you specifically identify. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you remain responsible for all changes made to your account(s), including all click charges incurred prior to any reversions being made. It is your responsibility to monitor your account(s) and to ensure that your account settings are consistent with your business objectives."

So let's summarize here. Yahoo now has the ability to ADD keywords, MODIFY ads and make overall optimization changes to your account, at any time, and it is YOUR responsibility to pay for the charges incurred by these changes.

As Andy Beal (MarketingPilgrim) commented, "Can you imagine if your investment adviser started buying stocks on your behalf or switched your portfolio from bonds to hedge funds?"

I am in SHOCK right now.

From what I can gather, the word on the (online marketing) street is that Yahoo is going down the tubes. They've lost further market share to Google for starters - 16.1% to Google's 64.1%. I guess the scuttling of the proposed deal with Google didn't help the bottom line either. They were set to rake in $800M on that deal alone. Anti-Trust anyone?

Aaron Wall of Seobook reckons Yahoo and the smaller search engines can work for some niche keywords. But he's adamant that you need to be on Google. Here's an interesting video he made called Pay Per Click 101 - there's some good stuff on there. It annoys the crap out of me the way his voice sounds like he's asking a question at the end of each sentence (like some Australians and they tell me the Brits are starting to talk like that too after watching "Neighbours" on television.) but the content is good.

Which brings me to the YahooCash4Idiots scam. That's right - scam. Scam, Scam, Scam. It's built around the premise that Yahoo Search Marketing has a glitch you can exploit to rake in the big bucks on Pay Per Click Marketing. And of course once you buy the frigging thing you discover it's just a re-hash of existing PPC marketing books. Here's what one PPC marketer on the Warrior Forum had to say about it -

there isn't a single thing in this book that anyone but a rank, green, just off the street newbie wouldn't already know. They make it sound like using misspelled words is some earth shattering discovery. That's really about as meaty as it gets. They talk about their 2 brilliant strategies all through the book. But when you get to that section, it turns out that the two strategies are using search and using the content network. But nowhere is there any "Yahoo Glitch" of any kind discussed. Just the stuff the rawest newbie probably already picked up in this forum.

So don't be fooled by the slick marketing. The Landing Page sucks you right in with all sorts of spurious claims -

By accident I discovered something that would skyrocket our profits even more...a secret Yahoo glitch that no one knows about or has access to. So profitable but at the same time so simple. It took us months to perfect, but now it's so ridiculously easy to use - even a complete idiot could do it.

Step this way complete idiot...

Look, there is only one place to go to learn how to use Adwords properly. And that's
Perry Marshall's "The Definitive Guide To Google Adwords". That is the bible of PPC. Perry Marshall's best-selling books on Google advertising are easily the most popular on the planet. Google it. He's quoted by USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and Entrepreneur Magazine and other journals.

Why pay $77 for a crappy rehash on stuff about Yahoo PPC when you can go to the source and get "The Definitive Guide to Google Adwords" by the King of PPC Perry Marshall for just $49?

Update: I notice they are flogging that YahooCash4idiots for $39 now. What does that tell you? I checked its refund rate on CB Engine recently and saw it was enormous. Seems quite a few happy campers haven't been particularly thrilled with the famous Yahoo Glitch.

Oh yeah. The first Perry Marshall book was "Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords" but the newest is "The Definitive Guide to Google Adwords" which includes sections on the Latest Developments - the notorious "Google Slap", Google's new Minimum Bids and Landing Page Quality Scores. BTW when you start your Google Adwords account be sure to use the new Website Optimizer tool. That's invaluable. Not sure if it's still in beta.

Malcolm Lambe is an Australian married to a French paediatrician and living in Paris with their two small children. He makes a living online writing about Internet Marketing and other stuff. He thinks Clickwank is just one giant affiliate fraud site busy taking money off gullible people who get conned into buying crap like "Water4gas", "Google Clicks Free" and "Enlarge Your P*nis".

]]>http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/rss-comments-entry-2840602.xmlMalcolm LambeTue, 13 Jan 2009 12:53:26 +0000http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/2009/1/13/make-your-own-adwords-video.html305447:3156279:2839947Want to whack up a video on Adwords quickly and easily? SpotMixer have just signed a deal with Google. They've been appointed the first official "authorized reseller" of Google's AdWords service for videos.

To create your video, simply select a template, upload your own photos and video (or use some of ours), add some text and you're done. If you want, you can even record a voice-over and select different music.

SpotMixer charges a minimum of $49 per month for access to its online tools. I made the video here with it. Took me 5 minutes.

The vids on their site were pretty cheesy. I gotta take a closer look but I'm sure I can make a better one with my Canon HV20 HD video camcorder.

]]>http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/rss-comments-entry-2839947.xmlMalcolm LambeTue, 13 Jan 2009 10:33:01 +0000http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/2009/1/13/how-to-get-boned-by-google-adwords.html305447:3156279:2839769Yes that's a photo of Herr Hitler checking out a model of the prototype people's car - the first Volkswagen. Nothing to do with Google Adwords or Making Money With Pay Per Click Marketing but hey...I like it. Now where was I? Oh yeah. Big Bad Adwords.

I just read an interesting story on another internet marketing blog about how they moved their established Adwords campaigns across to a new account and the traffic went berserk - in the wrong direction. I'd give you the link but I don't want to lose you to these sharks so I'll just paraphrase -

Everybody knows that Google gets tons of traffic so why is it that lots of new Google AdWords advertisers fail?

We did a radical test last week to get to the bottom of what is going on.

We had been running a couple of very successful campaigns for one website for over one year.

We paused the campaigns on our existing Google AdWords account and created a new Google AdWords account. We then launched the identical campaigns on a new Google AdWords account.

The results after the first week were nothing short of devastating!

Our new Google AdWords account got crushed! Our average daily click count basically dropped to zero and we got hardly any impressions. However, nothing changed!

In total, we moved over 200 Ad Groups across 10 campaigns and the results are the same across the board.

What can explain this? The only difference is History!

Everything was kept constant except moving campaigns from an existing Google AdWords Account to a new Google AdWords account. Seems when you move accounts you lose its history.

Have you had an Aha moment? Me too. Google puts a lot of credence in history. Its the same with their Search Engine. They tend to favour domains that have been around for awhile. And, apparently, they tend to favour domains that are registered for years ahead. Do you do that? I don't. I have heaps of domains but I only register them for a year at a time. If I felt really strongly about a killer name I might buy five years registration. But it starts to get expensive doesn't it? Hundred bucks here and a hundred bucks there. Back to the story -

Why is history so important? * In Google, everything is based on the Quality Score which is a combination of how your ads have been performing over time relative to ads of the competition.
* Ads with a higher quality score will get surfaced more often and have a dramatically lower required bid minimum. When we drilled into the new Google AdWords account we saw bid minimums that far exceeded the maximum bids that we used previously. So, if your account has no history, you might have to spend extra to establish a good history by bidding high just to get started.

You've heard that before haven't you? Bid high to start and then tweak your CPC after you have position. Sometimes it's painful. I've just started an Adwords PPC Campaign for this blog and I've had to bid €3 to get first page position on some of the keywords. Ouch! About $4.50. I hope I don't have to pay that. It soon eats into the daily spend. I would have to pick a bunch of expensive keywords.

* We also know that ads with a higher click-through-rate will have a higher quality score and that ads that start appearing in a higher position will have a higher click-through-rate because people click on more links that appear higher on the page. So, once again, new Advertisers will have to spend extra to quickly drive up the Quality Score.

So what they are saying is Go For the Jugular when you start your campaign. Try and get Good Quality Score and Good Position before you start trying to save money.

If you haven't a clue what I'm talking about you need to scoot over to Perry Marshall's site and pick up a copy of his PPC Bible ($49 or something) - The Definitive Guide to Google Adwords. (And that my friends is a shameless affiliate link - I gotta eat too)

BTW I just noticed Google has indexed this site already. That was quick. Two days. I think it's a combination of several things - * I'm buying Adwords spots that link here. * I'm on Squarespace which Google seems to love, * I'm linking here from my main blog which has history and good juice and * I'm using Google's Webmaster Tools Tracking Code embedded in my Header so apparently I must pass muster with their Crawling: Does Google know about your site? Can we find it? Indexing: Can Google index your site? Serving: Does the site have good and useful content that is relevant to the user's search?

Hip Hip Hooray for Google!

]]>http://www.yourinternets.com/journal/rss-comments-entry-2839769.xml