Google Adwords have released an update on how their audio advertising programme – discussed late last month - is coming along. It’s a US only based initiative at the moment but will be rolled out across Europe should it prove successful.
It’s been a while since Pay per call was launched, yet there doesn’t seem to be much movement on this side of the pond. But now a US based vendor, eStara, has just released information which suggests that things aren’t that much easier in the United States, even though consumer support is persuasive.
The report found;
84% of users said they were “more likely” to contact a business with click to call than one without the service, while 80 percent indicated the service enhanced their internet yellow pages experience and are using click to call for a number of reasons:
– 14% used it to make a purchase;
– 28% to schedule an appointment or reservation;
– 33% used click to call to get more information about a product or service.
We all know that phone leads are a proven way to build customer relationships and open and close sales. Research has also shown that telephone sales discussions have a greater propensity to lead to upselling, mainly as a result of the creation of one to one relationships between the firm and the consumer. But with use still very slow on the uptake, is it adoption of the technology rather than customer interaction with it that is the issue?
A recent survey by Pike & Fischer suggested that privacy concerns, lack of industry support and bandwidth constraints may push the technology into obscurity, but with research showing just how effective it can be, is it time that the industry took responsibility for this woefully underused advertising avenue?
Yahoo have gone ahead with their planned change to the Sponsored Search Manage Bids page, designed to ensure that all advertisers have equal access to the same relevant bidding information, the changes mean that Yahoo no longer .
According to Yahoo, some of the information on the Manage Bids page will no longer be available in early December. The “Top 5 Max Bids,” “Position” and “Your Cost” columns from the current account interface will be removed, as well as the View Bids tool to make way for two new columns of information;
Estimated Average Position
an estimate of the average position, based on your bid and the current bids of other advertisers.
Bid Range for Top Positions
the current range of bids other advertisers are willing to pay for top positions
The more Google like bidding system will take into account your bid, on site content and click through rates to rank adverts.
Yahoo explained the reasons for the change saying;
“We are making this change in order to provide advertisers who have not yet upgraded to the new Sponsored Search with accurate bidding information.
As you may know, we’ve begun inviting U.S. advertisers to upgrade their accounts to the new Sponsored Search and invitations will continue to be sent in stages to U.S. advertisers over the remainder of the year and early next year. Given the way bid information is currently displayed, as advertisers upgrade to the new Sponsored Search, their bids would no longer be visible in the current system. By making this change, we are able to provide all advertisers with consistent and accurate bidding information, regardless of whether they have upgraded their accounts yet or not.”
For more information check Yahoo’s FAQs page.
Following months of speculation, Google finally seems to be just about ready to kick off audio ads, although the log-in pages are a little flaky at the moment.
Back in July, Eric Schmidt, Google CEO discussed audio ads, saying: “We are in the process of introducing AdSense for radio, which is essentially the integration of the dMarc Console and management tools into our advertising network.” Behind schedule it may be, but it seems that a Google Audio Ads beta version will be available by the end of the year.
Created following the acquisition of dMarc Broadcasting in January for $1bn (£580m), Google Audio Ads allows advertisers to connect directly to radio stations through an automated ad platform, making it easy to track campaigns.
Expanding its role in online advertising into the offline world probably isn’t going to be a smooth ride, so it makes sense that Google have spent time trying to perfect the product, but with the company hiring large numbers of radio ad sales people, it seems as though Google Audio Ads won’t be long in coming.
Digital Micro-Markets has posted some images that explain how Google Audio Ads will work, bridging the gap between advertisers and consumers, how ads will be delivered to radio and what reach the ads will have.
While the beta product will only be available in the US at the moment, Google will rolled out across other territories should it prove to be successful. The launch could also be beefed up as Clear Channel, the US’ biggest radio station operator which controls around 20% of the market, is debating a possible sale of the company. Rumours are rife, but at the moment Google remains tight lipped.
Google’s new Adwords landing page quality score algorithm has been causing a bit of a fuss over the past few day. Grant has taken a look to find out what’s going on with the world’s largest advertiser.
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Earlier this week, we reported that Google will be launching a new landing page quality score algorithm for AdWords ranking and pricing. It has now been released and Google AdWords advertisers are speaking up. It appears, like in the past, this update is forcing many advertisers to bid higher for their keywords, in order to realize top placement and clicks on their ads. There are a ton of good write ups already on this topic, so let me show you just some of the ones I found.
(1) Steve Bryant of eWeek was the first to post on this, he named his post Google: Screwing Advertisers Over Before Christmas? and goes through a story of one particular advertiser’s thoughts on this.
(2) Then came graywolf’s post on Threadwatch named Adwords Quality Update II = Price Gouging Round II where he shows some very revealing statistics to back this title. There are over 20 comments at his post, with feedback on his post.
(3) It is always great to hear from Andrew Goodman on these changes. Over at his Traffick blog, he wrote Lack of Editorial Transparency a Nagging Concern with AdWords in a Quality Score World where he explains;
Somehow, in spite of the advantages to Google (and potentially Yahoo) of hiding the details of algorithms, more transparency needs to be injected into the editorial side of what leads to an extremely low quality score.
(4) I wrote at the Search Engine Roundtable a post named Google AdWords Advertisers Up In Arms Again Over New Algorithm where I pull out reports from advertisers at WebmasterWorld forums on the new algorithm change. I pulled out six reports of price gouging and one report of a happy advertiser.
My thoughts? Never do such a big update to the landscape right before a big holiday season! Give people a way to prepare for this change. Yahoo is doing this right now with the Panama update. I trust that advertisers will learn to adapt to this new algorithm, eventually and I hope that Google helps them along. I just think this is all bad timing, right now.
In fine time to help us all spend as much money as humanly possible, Yahoo! has launched a range of new features on Yahoo! Shopping. Having had a bit of a face lift the site is looking good, and with features such as the new Bargain Centre, buying guides and integrated Yahoo! Answers section, the site is geared to make the Christmas shopping experience as easy as possible.
Sadly this updated version of the site is US only at the moment, with the UK version, Kelkoo shopping on Yahoo!, offering users the usual interface. Fingers crossed that the new features are brought to the UK soon.
Currently only trialing in the US, Google has invited 100 advertisers to test ad placements in 50 US newspapers including New York Times and Washington Post. The 3 month trail could be extended to other US advertisers before moving abroad if successful, offering newspapers a new revenue channel that could help offset an continuing drop in print advertising.
Google spokesman Michael Mayzel said; “For advertisers, it gives them access to a network of newspapers through an online interface and the ability to potentially reach a new customer base.”
While Google began print ad tests in 2005, uptake was slow but as this trail sees advertisers holding greater control of advertising options, it is envisaged that the trial will be successful. While the system is free during the trial period, Google plans t o take a ‘modest’ commission should it prove successful.
Rather than reselling ad space, advertisers will log in to their Adwords account, selecting newspapers and available ad space before uploading their artwork. Publishers will retain financial and creative control and can decide whether to accept offers or not.
Google’s foray into print advertising sees the company expanding into almost every on and offline channels, with plans to run radio and video ads already underway. Video adverts currently run on Google’s ad affiliate network, while radio ads are set to trial by the end of the year.
Online ad revenue continues to impact on traditional media sales as Channel 4 issues a warning that it is likely to be overtaken in ad revenue by Google this year.
Set to earn £900 million by the end of the year in the UK market alone, Channel 4 will see their £800 million figure topped by the search engine.
Google is set to take more than $4 billion by the end of the year, roughly a quarter of the $16 billion predicted internet advertising spend for 2006.
In an interview with FT.com, Chief Executive Andy Duncan explained
“People need to wake up and realise that this is not just a cyclical issue. There is deep structural change taking place. If we want to protect the fantastic legacy of UK broadcasting, we need to wake up to this sooner rather than later.”
Channel 4 has entered negotiations with Google to discuss the possibilities of making its programming content available online, but as internet spend continues to rise while TV ad spend falls, the threat of online seems set to cause TV bosses concern fro the foreseeable future.
Amazon.com’s A9 Search division has launched Clickriver, a PPC advertising service which allows advertisers to buy sponsored links through Amazon.com next to search results and on product pages.
Currently in beta, the service will allows products and services which compliment those sold on Amazon.com, allowing the company to lower product prices being supported by ad revenue. The Clickriver Ads beta provides tools allowing ad campaigns to be created, optimised and tracked on the site.
Amazon.com plans to carry on displaying sponsored links from third party ad networks on the site, but describes the network as an opportunity to reach millions of customers.
It is likely that Clickriver Ads will block competing retailers from purchasing advertising on product pages. Amazon.com is describing the network as an opportunity for advertise to hawk services and products that complement its own products, which reach tens of millions of active customers.
According to an article at the Search Engine Watch blog, a case taking place in New York Federal District Court at the moment Rescuecom v. Google, has seen the Judge allow a motion to dismiss on Google’s behalf, finding that keyword advertising isn’t a use in commerce.
Essentially it seems thnat the federal court doesn’t see the sale of Google Adwords including a trademark as a use in commerce. This has all recently been entirely contradicted by a New Jersey Federal Court which does consider the purchase of Adwords including a trademark as a use in commerce.
Have a look at the article and see if you can figure this one out – and please let me know if you do!
