How is search engine marketing going to change in 2018? What are the latest trends that you need your agency to be on top of? In this week’s blog post, we examine some of the top stats that provide enlightenment. 60% of Google users are unable to identify the fact that they are looking at a paid ad, rather than an organic listing (Source: Smart Insights, 2017) The average Click Through Rate (CTR) witnessed on Facebook,...
The world of Google AdWords has seen some pretty big changes in the past few years. The system has certainly become more complex over time, meaning that specialist insight has become increasingly valuable. At present, Google are shouting loudly about the emergence of two new tools. We've taken a closer look. The headline news here is that integrations with both Google Optimize and Google Surveys 360 are on their way for Google AdWords advertisers, but what will...
A recent report focusing on market shares of some of the industry’s leading search engines, listed Google’s UK market share highest with an astonishing 88.09% of all queries. Is that number shocking? No, but it is much higher than expected and well beyond Bing’s 7.25% and Yahoo’s 3.48%. Why does Google hold such a strong lead and what has happened to Bing and Yahoo to make their numbers so dismal? The answer is features, effectiveness and...
Reading some stories produced by mainstream UK media outlets this morning throws up some interesting insights into the world of digital marketing. A story in The Guardian caught our eye, with the news that internet ad spending in the UK topped £10 billion in 2016. The figures, which have been extracted from a report by the Internet Advertising Bureau UK, suggest that there has been a 17% increase in a 12 month period. The Guardian also reports...
Have you ever noticed, when searching on Google, that some retailers have ratings next to their ads? When viewing an ad, it may be indicated that you are looking at a 4-star or 5-star retailer. So, how do these ratings come about? Google's Trusted Store program has been running for some years. The basic idea behind the scheme was fairly simple: any retailer could apply for certification via the scheme, as long as they met certain criteria....
2017 appears to be the year of fake news, with the phenomenon capturing numerous news headlines during the first few months of the new year. Google, the search engine giant, have found themselves caught up in the midst of this particular story. With some larger brands pulling advertising and policy-makers taking aim at those publishing content that is seen to be false, or particularly unpleasant, many of the world’s leading search engines, social media companies and publishers...
Do you want your business to be the next Coca Cola or Google? We love it when clients think big, but we’re also endlessly encountering businesses that are finding success targeting sectors that appear to be small. Creating a leading search engine, or an incredibly popular soft drink that can be sold to the masses, certainly provides one route to success. But there’s a lot to be said for being a big fish in a small pond....
There are plenty of businesses, large and small, seeing great results from Adwords campaigns. But it's also true to say that numerous small businesses experiment with Google Adwords, before concluding that this style of advertising simply doesn't work for them. Why should there be different outcomes? Is it possible that Adwords offers a cost-effective approach for some, but not others? Based upon our own experiences, we would say that a number of factors need to be considered...
The Google Penguin algorithm updates have transformed the way in which many SEO providers think about the approach that they take to link building. It's also clear, having read a number of leading forums on the subject, that there's an enormous amount of confusion around. These levels of confusion aren't just associated with small business owners. It's fair to say that many SEO analysts and consultants are struggling to come to terms with Google's changing emphasis. What...
Before launching into this article, it might make more sense to begin by asking: do you know who Matt Cutts is? He's the head of Google's webspam team and is increasingly seen as the public face of Google, when it comes to providing information about SEO. His blog contains notes on what you should be doing, as well as techniques that should be avoided. As a result, he regularly issues guidance on a broad range of issues. There's...