Old Google Bulk Download Template
As a follow up to a previous post about the 3rd Party Conversion tool bug in Yahoo Panama, here is a .csv file if the old Google Bulk Download template header row. Old Google Bulk Download Sheet CSV (.txt)
You can convert the AdWords Editor template to this format then upload it to the conversion utility in Yahoo. It takes a little bit of work to match up the fields and fill in some of the blanks, but it is a huge time savings vs creating a full Yahoo upload sheet manually from Google data.
Technorati Tags: Yahoo Panama, Yahoo, Google, Google AdWords, AdWords, AdWords Editor, Search Marketing, Paid Search, Ironvine
AdWords Editor now available for Mac
Google has gotten around to offering the AdWords Editor for Macs now. This was a very necessary move as they have removed the option to do a bulk download from the web interface of AdWords. As much as I am a PC junkie, this is a big deal for Mac users of AdWords.
Here's a quick update from Lewis L., a member of the AdWords Editor team:
We're excited to announce that AdWords Editor is now available for Mac users. Just like the Windows version, AdWords Editor for Mac allows you to navigate your AdWords account quickly and easily as well as make bulk changes to keywords and ad text. Mac users running OS X (10.4 or later) can download the application from the AdWords Editor website. For a full list of features, check out the release notes section of the website.
Technorati Tags: Google, AdWords, Mac, AdWords Editor, Online Marketing, Search Marketing, Ironvine
Yahoo Panama Third Party Conversion Tool Bug
In Yahoo's new Panama Sponsored Search platform, they have a cool little utility that converts other parties campaigns (Google, MSN) bulk download sheets to the Yahoo format.
This is really cool, especially if you have multiple marketing platforms. You can now keep them matched in keyword updates.
There is a bug though. Google recently retired the ability to do bulk downloads from the AdWords interface. You now have to download the campaigns with AdWords Editor. The Yahoo tool, as of right now, does not work with the AdWords Editor bulk downloads. There are different field names and info between the old Google bulk download sheets and the AdWords Editor downloads.
This causes Yahoo to spit out a "System Error" message when you try to convert the file.
Solution: If you have an old Google bulk download, use that as a template and rework the AdWords Editor file to fit that. Then it will work.
Hopefully Yahoo will catch on and fix this soon.
Technorati Tags: Yahoo, Panama Search, Search Marketing, Paid Search, Google, AdWords, AdWords Editor, Yahoo Search Marketing, Ironvine
Upcoming Changes to Paid Search
There are a couple big changes to both the Yahoo and Microsoft search marketing platforms upcoming in the next 2 months.
Microsoft AdCenter has an expected new release coming out in the next 2 months with new features and updates made from testing and customer feedback. The focus to these should end up being on keyword optimization, video display ads, and support/help. Apparently this will also include a pilot program for Microsoft Content Ads, similar to Google's Content Network.
Yahoo Sponsored Search is rolling out a new ranking model on February 5th. The new model will take ad quality into consideration as well as the bid value. This comes in line with what Google already does, which follows Yahoo's current duplication of services theme. This will allow good quality ads to perform at a lower cost, or bad ads to perform at a higher cost. That will depend on the marketer and the ads.
Here's a quick summary of this important change:
- Both bid amount and ad quality will determine an ad's rank in search results beginning February 5, 2007.
- This will replace the current method, in which ads are ranked by bid amount only (bid-to-position).
- This is designed to allow you to focus less on competitive bidding practices and more on the quality of your ads.
- By improving the quality of your ads and making them more relevant to users, you may be rewarded with a better ranking and/or a lower cost for your ads.
What is "Ad Quality"?
Ad quality is determined by:
- The ad's historical performance - its click-through rate relative to competitors and normalized for position.
- The ad's expected performance - determined by various relevance factors considered by Yahoo!'s ranking algorithms, relative to other ads displayed at the same time.
Overall ad quality is displayed in a graphical form by the quality index.
The "historical performance" should be easy enough to understand, but the "expected performance" will be the mystery value that we can only guess at that Yahoo will be able to monkey around with.
Results of the changes TBD...
Technorati Tags: MSN, Microsoft, AdCenter, Yahoo, Sponsored Search, Search Marketing, Content Network, Paid Search, Ironvine
Google AdWords Update Site Exclusion Tool
Here is an update about the AdWords site exclusion tool, which allows advertisers to block web sites where their ads could show up. This could include competitors sites, unwanted spam pages, and now they allow you to block as many as you like. Wouldn't it be handy to have the reverse ability, only allow your ads to be shown on specific sites and no others...
Here is the official post from Inside AdWords.
As we've mentioned in the past, the Site Exclusion tool provides you with more control for your campaigns that are targeting the Google Content Network by allowing you to exclude your ads from showing up on particular sites or sections of sites (such as the sports section of an online newspaper).
Today, we'd like to let you know about a recent change: you can now exclude an unlimited number of sites. We hope you'll use the Site Exclusion tool to improve your ROI and refine your targeting across the network. And, as always, we'd like to remind you that excluding a site (or a section of a site) from one of your campaigns will prevent your ad from showing on all of the pages of that site (or section). Therefore, to ensure you don't miss out on any potential customers, we suggest that you review a site carefully before deciding to exclude it from your campaign.
Posted by Sarah, Inside AdWords crew
GoDaddy Promo Code .ORG Sale
Here is a special offer from GoDaddy domain registry.
gdm0125b: $5.99 .ORG Domain name Sale at GoDaddy -- Expires: 1/31/07
BONUS: Register or transfer 3 or more domains and get FREE Private Registration
Find more GoDaddy Promo Codes on our special GoDaddy page.
Technorati Tags: GoDaddy, Promo Codes, GoDaddy Promo Codes, Domain, Ironvine
The PayPal Security Key
Key fobs anyone?
PayPal has announced its latest effort to combat security and phishing issues, the new PayPal Security Key. Having this small physical device is probably the securest way of protecting your transactions online without having to use any of your own personal data (ie. fingerprints, eye scan, photo identification).
The only issue is, if you lose it or cant find it when your eBay BuyNow auction is 1m from expiration then you are in trouble.
You can read more about the PayPal Security Key and order it online now at https://www.paypal.com/securitykey. You can read more comments and reviews about it at the ChannelAdvisor blog as well.
Technorati Tags: PayPal, eBay, Security, auctions, online security, ChannelAdvisor, Ironvine
All Wikipedia Links Are Now NOFOLLOW
All Wikipedia Links Are Now NOFOLLOW -
It looks like Wikipedia has disabled all linkbacks from their pages due to spammers and some world series SEO competition. From what I read on the Wikipedia site (not the article linked above) this could just be temporary, but as of now it applies to basically the whole site. Ouch on the search engine value...
I have mixed feelings on this as I do believe that valid links from correctly designed pages should not be no-follow. Wikipedia is supported by its content and user edited and valued support. Now, what to the content owners or contributers have to gain in any plausible way?
Yes, Wikipedia is an information site, but it's design and fame are such that it has become a reliable source of verifiable content. Search engines, marketing experts and regular internet users value the content in Wikipedia as almost like a published encyclopedia. Now, with the NOFOLLOW tags enabled the traceable value of the content and the outbound supporting resources are nil. That is what I don't agree with. Personally I feel that spammers need to be devalued certainly, but most major search engines are already implementing the technology to filter this out.
Maybe Wikipedia should implement a similar technology instead of punishing the so-called "valued" contributers it relies on.
Technorati Tags: Wikipedia, SEO, Search engine optimization, Search marketing, links, nofollow, Ironvine
ChannelAdvisor’s Catalyst Conference 2007
Research Triangle Park, NC– January 18, 2007 – ChannelAdvisor, the leading provider of channel management solutions (CMS), announced today they will host their annual ChannelAdvisor Catalyst Conference on March 19-21 in Pinehurst, NC. The invitation-only event will provide critical information for eCommerce retailers of all sizes, and take the place of ChannelAdvisor’s very successful Marathon and Summit conferences. ChannelAdvisor Catalyst 2007 will help retailers sort through the numerous existing and emerging online locations consumers can now shop and help them develop a true multi-channel strategy for selling product.
ChannelAdvisor Catalyst will bring together leading retailers, marketplace sellers, representatives from eBay, Google, Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Overstock.com (NASDAQ: OSTK) and Amazon.com as well industry analysts to discuss best practices during three days of interactive sessions, relevant panel discussions and real-world solutions. Confirmed ChannelAdvisor Catalyst speakers include:
* Davis Ridley, retired Senior Vice President of Southwest Airlines on “Customer Service from the Inside Out”
* Alex Brutin, Strategic Partner Development, Google on “The Evolving Market of Online Retail”
* Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America moderating “The Power of Three” – Commerce, Payments, Communication” with panelist Todd Rath, COO and CMO, Rock Bottom Golf and Herman Sperling, Group Vice President, Marketing, Harman Consumer Group
* Rob Chesnut, Senior Vice President, Trust and Safety, eBay on “Fraud – The “Big Bad Wolf” of the Internet”
* Steven Davis, Senior Vice President, Partner Services, GSI Commerce moderating “Alternative Payment Options – Can They Really Drive More Sales?” with panelist Vince Talbert, Vice President of Marketing, I4 Commerce (Bill Me Later) and Andrew Manson, Strategic Partner Manager, Google
* Brian Smith, Analyst, ComparisonEngines.com on “The Future of Comparison Shopping”
* Anthony Noto, Managing Director, Global Investment Research of Goldman Sachs and Jeetil Patel, Managing Director of Deutsche Bank Securities will provide a view from Wall Street on the size and direction of the online marketplace opportunities
* Shar VanBoskirk, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research on, “What’s Next for Search Marketing?”
* Diane Rinaldo, Senior Director, Retail Category, Yahoo! Search Marketing on “The Social Networking Buzz: Asset or Hype?”
* And many more
ChannelAdvisor Catalyst 2007 Platinum Sponsors include eBay and PayPal. Silver Sponsors include Google and CyberSource. Gold and Silver sponsors are still available.
The three day conference will be held at the world-famous Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, NC, home of the 1999 and 2005 US Open. ChannelAdvisor will be hosting the annual ChannelAdvisor Catalyst Golf Tournament allowing attendees to enjoy the legendary golf course at Pinehurst. For more information or to register for Catalyst, please visit http://www.channeladvisor.com/catalyst.
- Press Release from ChannelAdvisor (http://www.channeladvisor.com)
Technorati Tags: ChannelAdvisor, Search Marketing, Online Marketing, Catalyst, Google, eBay, Yahoo, Ironvine
Top 10 Blog Usability Factors
This is a good article about what to focus on when preparing a blog and what harmful effects you can face due to poor design and preparation. I will hilite some of the key points and if you need more feel free to read the whole article from the link below.
SiteProNews: Top 10 Sins of Blog Usability
Top 10 Sins of Blog Usability By Linda BustosThe following is a list of ten things that can hurt your blog's usability.
10. Sending Mixed Messages
The focus of your blog should be decided before your first post and then committed to. Random blog entries about a melee of topics might work for a personal blog read by friends and family, but is not a good approach for a serious, professional blog. The lifeblood of any blog is in its loyal subscriber base. And readers are more willing to subscribe to blogs that talk about their area of interest on a consistent basis. [...]9. Making It Hard to Subscribe
Because subscribers are such an important part of blogging success, you need to make it easy for users to sign up. Since not all users understand and use RSS feed aggregators like Feedburner (http://www.feedburner.com) and Bloglines (http://www.bloglines.com) (also called newsreaders), offer both email and RSS options. [...]8. Inconsistent Posting
Now that you have a loyal fan base who are notified of every new post, don't disappoint them with time lags between posts. Pick a posting schedule that's realistic for your time schedule and stick to it. If you can't think of anything to post about, blog about someone else's post related to your topic and include a link back to that post. [...]7. No Contact Info
Some blogs can pull off the mystique of an anonymous posting. But if your website is for business, it's hard to have a two way dialogue when you make it impossible to contact you. Transparency is fundamental to building trust on the web. And you don't want users to mistake your reputable blog for a "splog" or spammy blog that scrapes content from other sites. [...]6. Not Moderating Comments
Allowing anyone and everyone to post whatever they want in your comments section is asking for spam. Not only is this annoying to your readers, but it really takes down the professionalism of your blog.5. Excessive Advertising
It's fine to monetize your blog or use affiliate links, as long as they are not intrusive to users and overshadow useful content. When ads appear all over the page and even in the middle of posts, the user experience suffers. [...]4. Not Linking to Posts
When you're referring to something that can be found on the Web such as a news story, another business, person or other blog post (whether on your own or someone else's blog), allow your reader to check out the background info. Linking back to previous entries also builds page strength for those posts and can help you with search engine rankings. [...]3. Dark Background, Light Text
What's been a general usability rule for years certainly applies to blogs. Anything that makes your blog harder to read should be avoided. Remember, it's harder to read online than offline. [...]2. No Search Box
Returning visitors may not remember a post that's not intuitive to find through your navigation menu or tag system. Regular readers might also want to find their own comments, so make that possible by placing a search box somewhere in your layout.1. Hiding Navigation
Most blog software comes with a variety of lovely templates to skin your site. But not all of these templates are optimal for usability. Templates that require users to scroll right down to the bottom of the blog to find navigation are not the best choice. Stick to conventional left column or right column navigation.Conclusion
Taking some time to evaluate your blog, wearing the hat of your reader, can greatly improve the user experience. Considering what makes a user-friendly blog before you begin blogging helps you plan for optimal usability right from the start.=========================================
Linda Bustos is the Marketing Director for Image X Media, a Vancouver web design (http://www.imagexmedia.com) and Internet marketing (http://www.imagexmedia.com) firm. She also writes for the Smogger Social Media Blog (http://smogger.wordpress.com).
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Technorati Tags: Blogging, Blogs, SEO, Web Design, Marketing, Search Marketing, Online Marketing, Ironvine
Ebay 20c Listing Day Jan 18th
20¢ Auction-Style and Fixed Price Listing Day Tomorrow, January 18
eBay is once again having a special price listing day. They recently had one in the UK and are now getting the special deal over to the 'colonies'. Take advantage of the special listing prices tomorrow only - January 18, 2007.
As a special offer for our sellers, we are pleased to announce a one-day promotion for www.ebay.com where the insertion fees for Auction-style and Fixed Price listings will be 20¢!
The 20¢ Insertion Fee Sale starts on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and ends that same day, Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 23:59:59 PT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds). Listings which were created prior to January 18, 2007 and scheduled to start during the promotional period will also be eligible for the special promotional rate.
For full promotion details, please click here.
We hope you enjoy the 20¢ Insertion Fee Sale!
Technorati Tags: eBay, eBay promotion, auction, marketing, selling online, Ironvine
GoDaddy Promo Codes and Coupons
Have a look at a new page here on Ironvine Search Marketing. It is strictly dedicated to providing readers here GoDaddy Promo Codes and savings. These promo codes include expiring as well as NON-expiring codes you can use an unlimited amount of times!
GoDaddy Promo Codes
I will update this frequently to keep the best savings coming through! If you have codes you would like to share please feel free to comment!
Technorati Tags: GoDaddy, GoDaddy Promo, Promo Codes, Ironvine, Domain Codes