The positives are that it ought to save time as you won’t have to keep clicking to load up each and every different search term.  Also, it should make it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for as you’ll be able to see any relevant pages in the SERPs as you keep typing.  On the other hand though, there are plenty of negatives.  A computer that’s already slow could struggle while Google loads page after page of results as well as being irritating and distracting having information flashing and changing.

The impact on SEO?

This could be a SEO’s dream or our worst nightmare!  Either way, it’s sure to have an effect on the way that people search.  I anticipate that few people will bother to go beyond the first page or perhaps even look below the fold as they can simply type in longer, more relevant search terms.  As a result, it’s vital to be on the first page of results for long tail keywords.

Other things to consider are Google Maps, Videos, Shopping, etc.  When these sections appear in the standard results, they often take up a fair amount of space above the fold, so it’s imperative that companies get themselves listed in Google Places, get products in the Product Search database, tag up videos and images accordingly and so on.

I guess it’s just a matter of time before we find out whether or not this is deemed worthy enough to be rolled out to us regular searchers. In the meantime, get ready for part two – the PPC perspective, coming soon.

Following on from our recent blog discussing the new Google Trademark Policy, this session will run through how to benefit as a reseller, and prepare for the increased competition as a brand. This change increases the importance of generic sales, and we’ll consider the metrics that really matter and discuss how to increase your chances of targeting the right areas of growth first time.

The event will be held at The Hospital Club between 9-11am on 23rd September and includes three insightful presentations:

• IMRG – Overview of online retail
• How to grow your search activity without compromising your ROI
• How Google’s new Trademark Policy impacts brand strategy

If you would like to attend please e-mail breakfast@minutesteak.co.uk and we look forward to seeing you there.

23rd September 9-11am
The Hospital Club
24 Endell Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9HQ

We know the importance of staying one step ahead of the competition and our monitoring solution enables you to not only monitor competitor changes to PPC activity, but also gain insights into market share, special offers, brand mentions and more.

The solution is a keyword research tool that provides insight and reports into the activity of competitors and affiliates as well as monitoring selected keywords and trademarks – perfect for developing online strategies. There is a monthly set-up cost and ongoing monitoring costs are based on the volume of keywords monitored. The recommended set-up monitors 10 keywords with a set-up cost of £210 and ongoing monthly cost of £250.

Our training days were developed after numerous requests from clients in search of a training day tailored to their own needs and web-site. Some had spoken to us of their frustration at trying to get sign-off for online strategies by someone who didn’t have an understanding of PPC and SEO. Others had a basic understanding but wanted to develop their own and their team’s knowledge to a more advanced level. Whether it is starting from the beginning or providing a more advanced training solution, our flexible and bespoke training days will ensure you get the maximum benefit out of the day.

We’ll keep you posted on more enhancements to the Minute Steak offering expected later this year.

To continue with the knowledge-sharing theme, today I had a look at the recently launched Google AdWords “Small Business Corner”. This space was developed by Google to enable their AdWords users to share tips and ask questions. In the forum, Small Businesses using PPC can discuss best practice and other topics. The suggestions offered by Google to start the ball rolling include:

• Choosing the right tools to measure results
• How to write great ads
• Finding the right frequency to sign in to AdWords

Users are also able to create a profile, describing their business. Presumably this will serve for similar small businesses to share advice or look for topics relevant to their needs.

Will this have any implications for agencies? I don’t believe so; larger businesses that have the available funds will still look to agencies for their expertise and full time management. The Small Business Corner will provide an online space to share knowledge and experiences of AdWords. I think this will be most useful for businesses wanting to start running their PPC activity on a smaller scale or before investing in full-time professional management via an agency.

“…advertisers include resellers, sellers of component, replacement or compatible parts corresponding to the trademark and informational sites”

The last major change to their trademark policy in the UK was in May 2008 when Google allowed advertisers to bid on trademarked keywords.

This shift in trademark policy mirrors that of the change made in the U.S last year. Opinion was split on this decision, with many resellers happy that they were able to promote the brands that they sell, whilst trademark owners were concerned that this might take traffic away from their official sites and even increase the amount of fakes on sale.

To address these concerns, Google state in their post that:

“…competitive, critical, or negative uses of the trademark in ad text continue to be reviewed and removed per our trademark policy”

Will this be a positive change for e-commerce sites in the UK? If Google can police their new policy properly and keep the unauthorised sites out it should lead to more competition and better choice for the consumer. If not, we may see confusion and lack of trust from buyers and anger from trademark owners.

It’s so far worked in the U.S – but only time will tell for us here in the UK.

Google replaced its GAP program earlier this year with the new Certified Partner format. Each candidate must pass two exams; Search Fundamentals and Advanced along with managing client spend in Adwords.  The Google Advertising Fundamentals exam covers the most basic aspects of AdWords and online advertising, including account management and the value of search advertising whilst the Search Advertising Advanced exam covers intermediate-to-advanced best practices for managing AdWords campaigns

This makes it 2 for 2 in search qualifications for the PPC team, as the Google qualification sits alongside the Microsoft Ad-Excellence company program which recognises Minute Steak’s expertise in managing accounts on Microsoft’s search engine: Bing.

]]> http://www.minutesteak.co.uk/ppc-team-earn-new-google-qualification-298/feed/ 0 http://www.minutesteak.co.uk/the-running-of-the-minute-steak-bulls-294/ http://www.minutesteak.co.uk/the-running-of-the-minute-steak-bulls-294/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:12:03 +0000 camilla http://www.minutesteak.co.uk/?p=294 This Sunday some of the team are mad enough to be representing Minute Steak & Steak in the British 10k London Run. We’ll be celebrating the event’s tenth anniversary, and enjoying/enduring one of the most iconic and historic routes through the capital.

This year the runners are supporting Friends of Young Carers. Young carers are children aged 5 to 18 who have caring responsibilities in their home. The person(s) being cared for may have a physical or mental illness, a long term health condition or a terminal illness, or have problems with alcohol or drug misuse. There are over 175 young carers registered with the Young Carers Service locally, and the following examples, outline just some of the issues they face (details amended to protect privacy) -

• Mary, 10 years old, cares for her mum who has physical disabilities and has just learnt she has womb cancer.
• Henry, aged 16, cares for his mum who has a crumbling spine and is in severe pain constantly. He also cares for his sister who has severe mobility issues, and his brother who has asperger syndrome.
• Susan, aged 10, lost her mum to cancer and is now caring for her dad who is terminally ill.

Please support the running bulls of Steak this year and give generously at http://www.justgiving.com/Team-Steak and try to get down to the race and cheer on the team!

Thanks for your support!

We’ll be there on both days offering insight, discussing search with the industry types and generally being friendly. Whether you’re looking for advice on PPC or are struggling with your SEO, come and say hello and we’ll be happy to help.  Find us at stand A214 where we’ll be alongside our award winning sister company Steak who will be doing very much the same for those of you with more substantial budgets.

If you’re going to be at OMS 2010, drop by our stand or send us an email to contact.us@minutesteak.co.uk and arrange a chat.

Alongside details of our search solutions you can check out our case studies to see the results we’ve achieved and what our clients have to say about us.

The new web-site also includes our new blog where the team will be providing insights on digital developments and including top tips on search.

We’d love to hear your comments and feedback, and if you like what we’ve got to say then why not join our Facebook Fan Page and follow us on Twitter @MinuteSteak.