November 1, 2007 – 12:51 pm
Here Tim Breen, Catalyst’s Director of Paid Search, addresses some frequently asked questions about Cost Per Visitor.
Q: What is the difference between Cost Per Visitor and Cost Per Click?
A: Many advertisers aren’t aware that there is a difference between Cost Per Visitor (CPV) and Cost Per Click (CPC). CPC is what you get charged by the search engine – Google, Yahoo!, etc. – when someone clicks on your paid search ad. Cost Per Visitor (CPV) is what you pay for each prospect that clicks on a paid search ad and comes to your site. Someone may click on an ad but move on before they get to your site. You get charged but you don’t actually see a visitor. When you look through your analytics reports you may have more clicks than visitors. It can be a difference of up to 10%. This may have to do with the quality of your ad. A searcher may click but then see something else on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and decide to go there instead. CPC is what you get charged but CPV is what you need to know to determine the true ROI of the campaign.
Q: What are the key factors that influence a keyword’s cost?
A: There are two main factors – keyword competition and Quality Score. The level of competition for a keyword is a primary factor. If you have a lot of people bidding on the same term it can drive up the overall price. Search engines are continually adjusting the bidding process and criteria. You used to be able to see the top five bids of your competitors when you set your bids. You had a good idea of what you should bid and could buy a term by bidding only .01 more than the advertiser in the #2 position. These conditions are continually changing and require daily monitoring to ensure that the advertiser is bidding appropriately.
Q: What is Quality Score and how does it affect cost?
A: Many search engines, including Google, Yahoo! and MSN Live, assign a Quality Score to every ad. Three things determine your ad’s score: ad quality, click through rate, and landing page relevance.
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By Tim Breen
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Posted in Adsense, CPC, Click Fraud, Internet Marketing, Newsletter, Online Advertising, Overture, PPC, Paid Search, SEM, Search Marketing, Text Ads, Uncategorized
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October 1, 2007 – 3:30 pm
Ever wondered why that well planned (and expensive) online or offline campaign fizzled and you didn’t realize your return-on-investment? Well, maybe it wasn’t such a bust after all. But how could you know, either way? The answer is tracking. Well, it’s not all tracking, but it is setting yourself up for success so that the tracking you use can tell you whether or not you are reaching your goals. Here are four steps you can take to improve your campaign tracking, and your ROI.
Step 1: Define Campaign Conversion Events
Step 2: Set Up Campaign-Specific Landing Pages and Unique URLs
Step 3: Use Search to Capture Motivated Consumers
Step 4: Track and Mine the Right Data
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September 13, 2007 – 7:43 am
So the weekly in the weekly links has been subject to a little license of late because of some logistical issues surrounding time management and deliverables. Plus I forgot to do it last week. So here are the search links that carry to most mojo this week. Like a witch doctor. But for SEO. And without the chickens.
- Want to write remarkably creative content? You can either be me, or read this article. (Copyblogger)
- Find out how you score in the SEO Quiz. I scored eleventy billion, loser. (SEOmoz)
- Eleven tips for optimizing your PDF’s online. (SE Land)
- The best way to combat online reputation management is with pure kung fu. Or maybe creative seo. (SEL)
- Grab a big bowl of Technorati meat and potatoes (aimClear)
- Rich people have their own social network now. Guh. (SMO)
August 22, 2007 – 10:07 am
If you’ve come in through search, or feed and you haven’t read the 6 Tips to Boost your Blog then you should start there. Or if you’re just interested in these awesome plugins, then read on.
This is a evolving, regularly updated list of essential Wordpress Plugins, many of which aid in boosting your blog’s SEO friendliness. And who doesn’t want to be friends with a Search Engine? Read More »
August 22, 2007 – 9:52 am
Ok. I know. Everyone has one of these Top [insert number here] lists for optimizing your blog for search engines, and this is by no means reinventing the wheel, but we here at Search Matters thought that we would add our list to the fray in case you missed something. Read More »
August 16, 2007 – 3:14 pm
Hey man. It’s time to let our link love shine. So put on those bell bottoms and the Skynyrd t-shirt and lets groove on down to Linktown in my yellow van. It’s where everybody loves you, mama. Watch out for the man, if you smell like patchouli they get all up in your business. Far out. Make links not war.
- Social Media manipulation is rampant. But if it’s by the people then is it manipulation at all? (SEOmoz)
- Google proxy hacking can get you dropped from the index. A what, what in the wha..? (SEO Fast Start)
- Google is exposing their flank to Wikipedia. Mmmm…flank. (SEO Blackhat)
- White hat SEO tips for bloggers. You mean facists tips. (Matt Cutts) Read More »
August 14, 2007 – 8:34 am
Microsoft completed its acquisition of Aquantive yesterday, which among other things includes Atlas and its media management and tracking tools. It’ll be interesting to watch the reactions of Atlas customers.
Google Analytics receives a cold shoulder from a few large advertisers, on concerns that their tracking partner also happens to be their largest ad network. Some see that as a conflict of interest, and would prefer to deal with independent vendors.
Granted, the Microsoft/Aquantive deal would be perceived as less threatening, if only because MSN/Live’s ad network is so much less significant to a buyer’s overall ad spend. But the general trend of agency/vendor/network consolidation is something to keep an eye on - it may open the door for a new wave of pure-play analytics vendors.
NuqneH. Greetings. Here are the weekly search links, traveler. Qapla’ in all your efforts.
- New data suggests that 28% of people click through on 2nd and 3rd page results in search engines. Idiots. (SEOmoz)
- Create media buzz via video. Bow chicka bow chicka. Wait. Maybe not that kind of video. (SMO)
- SPOCK, the people search engine is alive! And set to live long and prosper. I wonder if they’ll get pon farr? It’s Kobayashi Maru if you ask me. (SE Land) Read More »
This is Part 3 in an 5-part series of posts on a SEMNE session that gave the audience access to a Google staffer who gave useful tidbits of “insider†knowledge. Dan Crow, Program Manager of Crawl Systems was the guest speaker to an audience of about 100 who ranged from SEO novices to industry experts.
In addition to having a functioning, “jazzy†website, Dan emphasized that your site should encompass what the SEO experts already consider “Best Practices†for success with Organic Search not only with Google, but other major search engines. Read More »
