First spotted by Kim at AdWords Help Experts Blog, a Google AdWords Help thread has reports that Google is now enforcing the 35 character display URL limit set on AdWords ads. One advertiser asked for an exception, which Google did...
First spotted by Kim at AdWords Help Experts Blog, a Google AdWords Help thread has reports that Google is now enforcing the 35 character display URL limit set on AdWords ads. One advertiser asked for an exception, which Google did...
This site rarely ever has guest posts, but I wanted to make an exception for a long time reader and SEO who often sends me tips and advice. Kasia Bauer, a search marketer from Poland, author of Magiczne SEO &...
The mass AdWords banning that has continued on since late September of this year is just going to get worse. Google told me last night that they are stepping up the account level bans and making them permanent on the...
Google announced last week that they will be expanding their test of the commission based product ads they started testing in June. Over the weekend, many started noticing the new type of ads in the Google search results. A WebmasterWorld...
This is cute, AdWordsPro Sarah posted a note at the Google AdWords Help forum showing that she baked a cake to celebrate the forums birthday. She wrote: A birthday is not a birthday without cake- and while virtual photo cake...
Google has confirmed a bug with region targeting in the AdWords advertiser console at WebmasterWorld. The bug appears to be an issue with when you set the regions you want your ads to be targeted towards and when you hit...
The Google AdWords team posted a photo help session, specifically to give tips on how to use the Google Content Network to the best of your ability. AdWordsPro Sarah, the woman in the middle of the photo above, posted the...
Back in late September, Google began mass banning AdWords advertisers. A couple days later, after pushing Google for a response, they offered somewhat of a lame response. I was hoping to see Google come back to the thread and answer...
Are you getting a message from the Google AdWords console that reads, "The keyword phrase doesn't currently trigger any of your ads"? If so, that might be a sign that your account is under review and you may be banned...
The Google AdWords Help thread has an advertising asking why the Ads Diagnostic tool within the AdWords console is giving off this message: To test this keyword, your campaign must be opted in to the search network. AdWordsPro Sarah, from...
Back in August, Google began testing Sitelinks for AdWords, now it is official. The Google AdWords blog announced it last night, telling us this is a feature specifically designed to provide "users with more options, you can create richer, more...
Google is launching a new ad type that they have been testing for a while, comparison ads within the mortgage and refinance industry. You can actually see it in action, with real data atgoogle.com/comparisonads. Here are some screen captures: Danny...
Google has released new updates to the AdWords API v2009. The biggest addition is that it now supports asynchronous calls, which allows you to make multiple requests (calls) to the API even before your first call is not complete. This...
Recently, there has been a lot of discussion around Google AdWords showing product ads in a plus box (or not) in the search results. This has been going on for a while and we have several posts here on this...
In early August, Google moved the ads closer to the free listings. We had some initial SEO/SEM back observations that this resulted in higher click through rates on the ads. In Google's 3rd Q 2009 earnings release conference call, Jonathan...
Ever wonder what the top ten questions asked in the Google AdWords Help forum was? Well, finally, Google has put together a FAQ list of those top questions. Here they are: Why can't see my ad when I search for...
I am seeing several reports from two forum threads, including Google AdWords Help and WebmasterWorld that some users are having time out or session issues with using the Google Keyword Tool within the AdWords interface. One person said that the...
The Google AdWords API Help forum notifies us that the AdWords API is undergoing unscheduled maintenance since late last night. This impacts users of v2009 of the AdWords API only. Eric Koleda from the AdWords API Team team said: We...
On Sunday we reported that Google was banning AdWords advertisers in the masses for "poor quality landing pages." In some cases, Google was sending out stern warnings to advertisers that they will be banned and in other cases, they just...
About a week ago, we reported that Google AdWords accounts were hit with "Low Share of Voice" notices from Google. These notices appeared in their reports and it shocked and upset many advertisers who have been optimally running their campaigns...
The Sydney Morning Herald reports "in the coming weeks Google will put logos for fast food chains, coffee shops, hotels and travel agents on its popular maps site." A WebmasterWorld thread has one member asking if this is just going...
Threads at both WebmasterWorld and Google AdWords Help report that many advertisers are getting automated emails from Google with notifications or warnings that they have submitted too many "poor quality landing pages" and will be or have been permanently banned...
Google is apparently testing a new AdWords keyword Tool. You have to be logged into your AdWords account and click on the keyword tool feature to see it. Then when you get there, you will see the old keyword tool...
Yesterday, many advertisers have been complaining in the Google AdWords Help forums that many of their keywords and campaigns now have the warnings, "Low Share of Voice." Here is a screen capture of the warning: We have many threads on...
Big ad news today from Google, they have officially made a big push into display ads through DoubleClick ad network they acquired a two years or so. The DoubleClick ad network will be directly integrated into AdWords. This expands the...
There is an interesting Google AdSense Help thread on the topic of specific words that seem to cause Google to show PSA (public service ads) that do not earn the publisher money. One example I can show you is a...
On Friday we ran a poll asking Would You Allow Google to Manage Your AdWords Account? I am honestly not surprised by the answer, where an overwhelming majority of the responses were basically, "no way!" In short, people feel that...
There is some confusion in a WebmasterWorld thread, where advertisers are asking where the Tools tab in the AdWords management console went. If your tool tab is missing, it is likely because you have been included into the new beta...
A WebmasterWorld thread asks if anyone has experience with allowing Google to manage their AdWords accounts. There are many stories in the thread, all not too positive about their experience with having Google manage their account. To take a step...
A Google AdWords representative posted a thread at the Google AdWords Help forum. In that thread, Bindu, the Google rep, said that the recent marketing blitz from VistaPrint had the wrong coupon codes on them. If you received a VistaPrint...
A Google AdWords Help thread has an advertiser from India who is threatening to kill himself, if Google doesn't respond to him in the next few hours. Now, suicide is no joking matter, but in this case, this advertiser did...
Recently, some Google AdWords advertisers have been complaining in a WebmasterWorld thread that they were (1) being forced to upgrade to the MCC (My Client Center) section of the AdWords console and (2) after being upgraded, they lost their promotional...
On August 6th, we reported how Google was pushing the AdWords ads nearer to the organic listings in some browsers. I illustrated the change in a short movie, so that it is crystal clear how much of an impact it...
I hate it when I read threads of Google AdWords API users who found out too late that the API they have integrated their software with no longer works and that they either lose money or time due to not...
A week ago, we asked you if Google should use mouse overs to show more ad details. I made a screen shot of the concept, which I will repost below. The poll results are in and some of you want...
Google continues to try out new ad formats for integrating Google Product data from Google Base into the AdWords results. Recently a reader sent Search Engine Land a screen capture of a new form of Google displaying these product results....
My old time buddy, Darrin Ward (founder of SEOChat back in the day), blogged about noticing Sitelinks in the Google AdWords ads. Here is a picture, which I can see myself, for a search on staples.com. Notice the four links...
The Google Advertising Professional program which launched in 2004 had one major flaw. They were assigned to companies and the scores and professional status could not be transferred with the individual who took the test, to the new company he...
A WebmasterWorld member thinks it would be a wise idea if Google added a new level of detail to the AdWords listings. I believe his idea is to display a mouse over control which would open up a more detailed...
A few weeks ago, we reported about the issue Indian advertisers were having with Google being able to charge their Reserve Bank of India RBI credit cards. Google was forced to require these advertisers to fax over their credit card...
Two months ago or so, we reported that some advertisers were being forced into the new AdWords interface. Well, yesterday, I and many other advertisers received the email that we were being forced into the new AdWords interface. A WebmasterWorld...
A few weeks ago, the Apple App store for the iPhone gained its first app to manage Google AdWords campaigns. The app was developed by Webdevs.com and enables AdWords advertiser to manage their campaigns on the go. The application can...
A Google AdWords Help thread reports from several advertisers that even though they have completed and passed the Google AdWords Professional exam, they are not able to retrieve the logo to place on their web sites. This is not a...
A short WebmasterWorld thread has a post from a member that I know, knows his stuff. In short, Google's display ads, the images ads you see typically through the AdSense product on content sites, have a much higher mouse over...
As expected the Google AdWords Professionals who have profiles in the Google AdWords Help forums, now have labels that show they are certified professionals. The easiest place to see the various profiles with that special label is in this Google...
A WebmasterWorld thread has one searcher noticing a new form of Google ads that shows a product image at the top right area, right above the AdWords ads. Here is a picture the reader sent me: I asked Google about...
A Search Engine Watch Forums thread has a member stating he noticed Google began testing moving the AdWords ads (search ads) nearer to the free/organic listings. It is hard to describe, so I created a video below. I illustrated how...
Over the past month or so, there have been wide-spread complaints from advertisers in India with issues on their credit cards not being processed. I am not sure exactly what the issue is, but it seems to be related to...
Google has taken the new AdWords interface out of beta and now advertisers are being forced into the new interface, even though some don't want it. A WebmasterWorld thread has one member who seems to not have the option to...
Seems like in the past 24 hours, more Google AdWords advertisers are seeing the bid simulator tool that Google has been testing for a few months now. I am personally seeing it in my account, but not in some of...
WebmasterWorld moderator, eWhisper, created a thread at WebmasterWorld on something he spotted recently with the Google AdWords quality score. He believes that AdWords has adjusted hows they handle proper names. eWhisper said: I'm seeing some odd results for names in...
AdWordsPro Sarah, an official Google representative, announced in the Google AdWords Help forums that they want to give Google AdWords Professionals, those that are certified by Google, special logos or labels under their profile names in the forums. Sarah said:...
The Google scams have been an issue since early this year. They got a lot worse last month and finally Google began banning advertisers who are promoting these Google scams. Google has taken this to the next level by blogging...
On June 29th we reported that the Google scams were getting worse. In short, people have been promoting fake Google payout systems, such as Google Money Kit or Money System, along with dozens of other names, to convince people that...
On June 30th, Mozilla released Firefox 3.5. On June 30th, we had the first complaints at Google AdWords Help that the Google AdWords interface was not supported in Firefox 3.5. The error message being displayed to AdWords advertisers was: Support...
We knew Google was going to discontinue the 800# call tracking feature "shortly after May 5, 2009." Well, it seemed to have continued to work, until yesterday. A WebmasterWorld thread reports from one advertiser who religiously used these free 800#s...
Yesterday Google announced the latest version of the AdWords API, version v2009. This is an upgrade from AdWords API 13 which was released in October 2008. There are major changes between v2009 and version 13 and Google wants you to...
Some AdWords professionals who manage their customer campaigns via the My Client Center (MCC) are having technical issues with the AdWords console. A WebmasterWorld thread is reporting that these advertisers are being booted out of the individual campaigns and back...
Google recently launched Google Export Advisor a tool that uses "Google translation and search data to provide an estimate of market opportunities across the world." Search Laboratory has an excellent post looking at how it works, but I'll do something...
Google is offering a free webinar to educate advertiser on the new AdWords interface. The webinar takes place tomorrow, Friday, June 26th at 11am (PST). To register, go to this URL and sign up. This webinar will teach you how...
Update: This is not something Google is testing. The WebmasterWorld member sent me a screen shot and it has been that way since at least 2004. So ignore this post. A WebmasterWorld thread reports one person seeing the display URL...
Google Blogoscoped and Wall Street Journal are reporting on a new beta advertising product from Google named "Google Product Ads Beta." The new beta is invite only and seems to be a new way of advertisers paying for their ads,...
A WebmasterWorld thread complains that the AdWords management interface at adwords.google.com does not rendered on the iPhone (and possible Android). In fact, I tried it and it booted me out after several seconds. I managed to take a screen shot...
We know that Google is forcing AdWords advertisers into the new AdWords interface sooner then later. Besides for all the complaints about the interface, some are complaining that Google is encouraging advertisers to sign up for courses on how to...
This Saturday, on June 13th, between 10am to 2pm (PST), Google will be performing system wide maintenance on the AdWords platform. The Inside AdWords Blog wrote: On Saturday, June 13th, 2009, the AdWords system will be unavailable from approximately 10...
In April at Search Engine Land I reported Google agreed to settle on an AdWords case for $20 million. The case was over the daily budget feature and how many advertisers may have exceeded that budget by 120% on occasions....
A WebmasterWorld thread has discussion around why the display URL differs in the "More Sponsored Links" section, when compared to the normal ads on the search results page. WebmasterWorld's Preferred Member, Rehan said: The first thing to realize is that...
Some advertisers are noticing a new feature in Google AdWords. The feature is named "bid simulator" and it shows you what number of impressions and position you can expect if you increase or decrease your bid. A Search Engine Watch...
In April Google began pushing advertisers to test the new AdWords interface. As it turns out, most advertisers dislike the new interface but that is not stopping Google from now forcing the new interface on some advertisers within 30 days....
The other day, we polled our readers asking if you trust Google's keyword suggestion tool. We received a lot of responses, well over 200 and I wanted to share them with you. The majority, 76% said they do not fully...
About a week ago, we asked our readers if they like or dislike the new AdWords trademark policy. The new policy gives some advertisers the ability to use trademarked terms in the ad copy. We asked our readers if they...
Google has quietly announced in a Google Groups thread that they have finally added the impression share columns to the AdWords API. The new columns, currently visible in the API documents are: exactMatchImpShare which is the Exact Match IS (measure)impShare...
Google provides a very popular Keyword Suggestion Tool that many SEMs rely on. But a HighRankings Forum thread questions how trustworthy the tool is. Many SEMs use the tool because it is convenient and Google provides the estimated search volumes....
A WebmasterWorld thread has several AdWords advertisers complaining about the site exclusion feature in AdWords. With the new user interface to manage campaigns, advertisers are confused how the exclusions work. Does the exclusion block domains in the search network or...
A couple days ago, Google announced that they will now show all queries that resulted in an AdWords click as opposed to grouping some of the less popular keywords in a category called "other unique queries." This clearly provides more...
I rarely share funny threads, but I seriously need to lighten things up today, due to the lack of sleep I have been getting. A Google AdWords Help thread has a sad story of someone who was scammed for 1,000...
While my wife was giving birth to our baby, Google sent me an email telling me they have made a serious change to their AdWords trademark policy. The AdWords blog explains that now, in the US, advertisers can use the...
We know Google allows products in AdWords now and we even know a way to make it happen for your ads. An anonymous reader just sent me screen captures of Google testing a new way of displaying those products. Here...
Google began aggressively testing the new AdWords interface the other week. I heard many complaints from advertisers on the new AdWords interface, so I figured I would poll our readers to see what their thoughts were. The 144 responses are...
eWhisper, WebmasterWorld moderator said that he sees a new feature in his AdWords account. The new feature allows him to link up his AdWords account with his Analytics account and bring in the tracking conversion data from AdWords directly into...
Jeffrey Posnick, AdWords API Team posted an announcement in a Google Groups thread about budget optimizer changes that AdWords API users might need to know about. If you are an AdWords API user and you use Budget Optimizer, then you...
Google has been testing click to call features for a while, but the true value to having Google Audio Ads, which was discontinued recently, was to get the toll free and trackable free phone feature. In fact, many AdWords customers...
When Google Ad Planner launched I was really in shock and awe. Google has added a new feature to Google Ad Planner named the Google Ad Planner Publisher Center. It basically gives publishers a way to add more details about...
A Google AdWords Help thread has a sad story from a new Google advertiser who seemed to have accidently run up a bill from Google that got out of control. On day one, the advertiser set up his/her campaign and...
Since March, we have been reporting about some Google AdWords ads that appear to be displaying above the 25 character title limit. Back in March, I was told by Google that this is a bug, but Google was wrong. At...
Google is currently running a survey asking AdWords advertisers if Google show make the Google Advertising Professional exam and certification harder. A Google AdWords Help thread has a post from AdWordsPro Sarah asking AdWords advertisers to take a survey on...
A week ago, Google started to seriously push the new AdWords interface onto AdWords advertiser's screens. Many folks have already activated the new user interface, but not all are happy. I was hoping to poll our audience to see if...
Google released a whitepaper titled "CPA Performance Trends on the Google Content Network." The whitepaper has the following findings, all very positive about how Google AdSense performs: Ads on the Google Content Network are likely to be as cost-effective -...
A reader, Brad from Set Solid, sent me new information about Google showing products in AdWords ads. We covered this topic a few times, reporting on seeing such ads in Google several times in the past. Here is a screen...
Starting yesterday, many Google AdWords advertisers began noticing a message in the AdWords console asking them to give the new user interface a try. Google began beta testing the new AdWords UI in November 2008 and expanded the beta in...
A Google AdWords Help thread reports that an AdWords advertiser has been notified that using the word "gay" in his search ads are seen as offensive. This advertiser was offended that Google would consider the word "gay" as offensive. Here...
Late last week, Google AdSense had an issue where publishers were unable to login to the site and manage their ads. The reports began coming in on April 10th and some earlier reports came in on the night of the...
A couple weeks ago, we polled our audience asking if Google should add time zone preferences to their AdWords feature list. Yahoo recently launched day parting, but gave advertisers the option to day part based on either the advertiser's time...
ShoeMoney Sues Google Employee For AdWords Violations from TechCrunch shows how Jeremy Schoemaker (aka ShoeMoney) has filed suit against a Google AdWords employee for allegedly bidding on his trademark and possibly for stealing his keywords. TechCrunch explains that Jeremy found...
A few weeks ago, we reported Google was testing fav icons in AdWords results. The fav icons was a confirmed test by Google, that is still running to this day. In Japan, they seem to be really pumping up this...
About a week ago, many Google Analytics users and Google AdWords advertisers began noticing that the AdWords cost data was no longer being sent to the Google Analytics reports. We said that Google sent a warning that this may happen,...
Amazon announced starting May 1st, they will no longer pay affiliates for sales sent to them via paid search. That means any leads through search ads on Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, Microsoft adCenter and other search ad programs. The...
AdWords API users out there, you may have noticed that Google is returning errors for some of your operations and calls. Reports came in on April 1st at a Google Groups thread, which has been confirmed by Google. Googler, Jeff...
There is a thread at WebmasterWorld and several in the Google Analytics Help forum with complaints that Google Analytics is no longer tracking Google AdWords data properly. The WebmasterWorld thread has this complaint: In two of my analytics accounts for...
Google began beta testing a new AdWords interface about 6 months ago. Recently Google expanded that beta test and is going as far to encourage AdWords advertisers to sign up for the beta, in order to get accustomed to it...
A DigitalPoint Forum thread has a collection of "weird" or "funny" ads people spotted through Google AdSense or AdWords. I thought I share them in text format, but feel free to see the thread to see screen captures. AdSense shows...
A Sphinn thread reports that in some cases, unpausing a campaigns in an AdWords account can even activate campaigns that have been deleted. Gab Goldberg summarized the story, saying: Google AdWords ripped off this firm for $3200! When they restarted...
Last week, Yahoo announced enhancements to their search marketing platform. Part of that announcement was that they added the day parting option, giving advertisers the ability to say they want to show their ads on specific days and different times...
Yesterday we reported that there was an Google AdWords API Usage Reporting Glitch. In short, Google wasn't telling AdWords API users how many API calls they were making, and since Google charges some advertisers for API calls, it can become...
There are two different threads at WebmasterWorld that show publishers, advertisers and affiliate's concern over a new proposed tax law in California. The law, as understood in the thread, would potentially tax any seller who using AdWords to market their...
There are reports in the Google AdWords API Google Groups that the Google AdWords API is reporting inaccurate data from the usage tool. First reports came in on March 19th, where an AdWords API user said: We have just rolled...
Yesterday, for the second time this month, we reported that Google's Keyword Tool Getting To Broad. I guess it is the time of the month where SEMs do their keyword research because many more threads popped up on this issue...
Threads at WebmasterWorld and Search Engine Watch Forums have webmasters complaining about Google's keyword tool. The complaint is that the keyword suggestions are too broad. Here is one of the reports: Anyone notice more broad terms being included in their...
A DigitalPoint Forums thread has discussion over a new trademarked term that made it into Google's trademark policy list. The word is "MySQL" and is the name of one of the more popular open source database systems. Yesterday, I received...
Friday, we reported at Search Engine Land that Google is testing favicons (the icons you see in the URL bar) in Google AdWords ads. The test seems to be limited to the European market. Here is a screen shot taken...
Just a heads up to you Google AdWords API users. If you are running development tests off Google's sandbox environment, do not that it is having technical issues for the past day or two. A Google Groups thread has confirmation...
Google Gets Into Behavioral Targeting, Launches “Interest-Based Advertising” Beta at Search Engine Land is a must read on this story. In short, Google is testing behavioral ads on the content network, using what they call "interest based categories" and "previous...
Over the weekend, I heard some reports of issues with Google's keyword tool. I received a Twitter from @dalka, I spotted a Google Groups thread from the AdWords API forum and a Google AdWords Help forum thread with complaints. They...
Rimm-Kaufman posted data that shows how their are less people searching for products and services to buy, leading to less sales, which impacts the overall PPC budgets. Yes, all related to this global recession. I laid out the key points...
There is an interesting thread at WebmasterWorld forums on the topic of saving Google AdWords accounts. You know how Google has this quality score component to AdWords? ;-) Well, sometimes an ad or ad group or account has a very...
Over the past couple months, I have been seeing thread after thread from AdWords advertisers with complaints that their competitors are showing over the 25 character limit in the Google AdWords title of the ad. Google says there is a...
There is an important change coming up for those Google AdWords users who use Google Analytics to track their campaigns. Brad posted this information yesterday, but just in case you missed it, here it is again. This is the email...
Outstanding news for marketers of all kinds, Google has quietly opened up Google Ad Planner to everyone, or at least, that is what it seems. Go to google.com/adplanner and give it a try, you should be able to sign in...
We reported earlier that Google AdWords is sunsetting the AdWords API version 12 on February 23, 2009. Google has been forced to extend that deadline to March 9th, due to the Perl library not being updated until recently. The Perl...
By nature, people are often more likely to write a complaint about something than to write a positive letter of encouragement for a job well done. I recently spotted a positive note left by a Google advertiser in the Google...
I often see a post here or there, on a daily basis, of an AdWords advertiser complaining their quality score has significantly dropped and they have been "Google Slapped." But in the past few days, I have seen an influx...
A search in Google News for santa cruz storm brough up a fake Google News item via the Google AdWords ads for some searchers. Here is a picture sent to me by a reader: Google started showing ads in news...
According to a DigitalPoint Forums thread, Google has updated their AdWords policy to require that all ringtone ads contain pricing details directly in the ad copy. I tried to find any official updated documentation from Google on this new policy,...
Over the weekend, there were hundreds of posts and dozens of threads with complaints from both Google AdWords advertisers and Google AdSense publishers. The complaints were that the reports were not being updated. Google has confirmed the issue in Google...
I am shocked to see this! Google seems to be testing part of SearchWiki, Google's way of promoting and removing results, to be spotted in the AdWords or sponsored ads section of the Google search results. Some people are noticing...
I spotted an interesting exchange of words in a Google AdWords Help forum thread. An AdWords advertiser who had his account suspended due to terms of service violations asked if there was a way to reverse that. Google's AdWordsPro Sarah...
Google started testing audio ads back in December 2006. In May 2007, they launched it to the masses and we saw some early feedback on those ads. But yesterday, we got news that Google will discontinue those ads and will...
A HighRankings Forum thread has discussion around a topic I have never seen before. Should you ever consider using abbreviations in a title or description of your search ads? Here is the question from the advertiser: I'm writing a PPC...
Disgruntled Google AdWords advertisers noticed a few days ago that Google automatically turned on "automatic matching" on their campaigns. The first reports seem to have come in at WebmasterWorld on Thursday. Here is one post showing their distaste for such...
In the Google AdWords forum, Google posts various tips every couple weeks or so. The latest tip, I found to be very interesting and thought some of our readers would benefit from it. It is on the topic of how...
This is a warning to anyone still using version 12 of the Google AdWords API. Google has announced in a Google Groups thread, amongst other places, that they will stop supporting it on February 23, 2009. AdWords API version 13...
Conduct a Google search for mens or luggage or hard drives and you might see, like I see, in the AdWords are a plus sign for "show products from [site name]." Here is one of the examples: When you click...
A Google AdWords Help thread has a short question and short answer on how to deal with slanderous or negative Google ads about an individual or company. The question was, "How do you remove a false statement posted about an...
A reader, Kasia Bauer, informed me that Google AdWords is testing out a new tool to expand the Google diagnoses or analysis tool. Typically, if you want to see the quality factors of a keyword, you hover your mouse over...
On Sunday, we reported that Google will now be requiring one domain per ad group as part of their new display URL policy in the AdWords program. In short, what this means is that you cannot advertiser for rustybrick.com and...
Confirmed reports at a Google AdWords Help thread show that if you use the XML format for Google AdWords reports, you will be missing decimal values in the report. The advertiser who reported this noticed the discrepancy when he generate...
Back in November 2008, we reported Google was testing a new AdWords interface. It seems like we are getting more reports from blogs and WebmasterWorld that more advertisers are now able to see this new interface. It is an opt...
An advertiser notes in a WebmasterWorld thread that Google's Learning Center module has an interesting piece of content, under the section 3D, Targeting/Keyword Targeting. It said: Note: Partner sites don't recognize keyword matching options. Therefore, all keywords on these sites...
In October, we reported that both InsideAdWords & Microsoft adCenter are Twittering. But it now seems like more Google AdWords representatives have joined the Twitter bandwagon. Both AdWordsPro Sarah & AdWordsPro Stephen are now on Twitter. You can follow them...
A Google AdWords Help thread is a myth busting thread on the topic of blacklisting AdWords campaigns. Two Google representations confirm that Google will not blacklist or ban AdWords campaigns due to have a low or poor quality score. One...
A pulled WebmasterWorld thread has reports from some advertisers that Google is sending out notifications to them that they have changed their display URL policy again. This change is that you can have only one display URL domain in an...
We have been covering the consequences of a site getting hacked from the SEO perspective, time and time again. See our hack tag for more articles on that. But it also may impact your Google AdWords campaign. A AdWords Help...
Since 2005, we have reported signs of Google placing ads on their image search service. In May 2008, Google said they would run ads on image search and then signs of text ads on image search back in December. But...
There is an interesting paid search thread over at WebmasterWorld on the topic of using match types. For newbies, match types basically give you the ability to tell how specific or broad you want Google to match your keywords. So...
In mid November I wrote about YouTube Sponsored Ads but back then it wasn't working for me. I recently had the opportunity to get a client up and running with YouTube ads, so I figured I walk you through the...
Advertisers sometimes fret about each and every click they get on their search ads. Some clicks cost a few pennies, while others can go well over $10 or more per click. In these recessionary times, each click really matters. It...
About a week ago, we broke the news that Google AdWords has a voting tool to allow advertisers vote on the most important features they want added to Google AdWords. It has been a week and now that many votes...
We have confirmed reports of Google beta testing a new AdWords budgeting option. The budgeting option is named "Timeframe" and gives advertisers the ability to budget by month or by day. The help document explains this a bit better. The...
Just a quick heads up that the Google team has posted a notification at Google Groups that the AdWords team will be conducting maintenance this Saturday. Both the AdWords login console and the API will be offline between 10am and...
A week ago, we reported that the Google Mobile team is using a new tool to track and monitor how popular feature requests are. Well, it seems like Google AdWords started their own similar tool, using Google Moderator. A AdWords...
You don't hear the word "penalty" come up much when you are talking about Google's AdWords program. I hear it all the time with Google's web search algorithm, but rarely when it comes to Google's AdWords quality score algorithm. In...
A WebmasterWorld thread reports that advertisers are having to login twice to the Google AdWords console to gain access. I have confirmed the issue on my Mac running Firefox. In short, you go to adwords.google.com and type in your username...
Google AdWords has a newish (October 2008) feature that some AdWords advertisers have the option of giving a try named Smart Positioning (BETA). I looked back and I don't believe we talked about Smart Positioning (BETA) here, so I thought...
On December 17, we announced Google's plans to push out a data refresh for the Sandbox due to some issues and bugs that users have been encountering. The initial Sandbox refresh was scheduled for December 19th. Apparently, though, Google has...
On Friday, a number of Google AdSense publishers reported that AdSense was down. The cause was unknown and Google officially never actually volunteered more information about it. Google AdWordsAdvisor was able to provide the publishers with information -- mostly ensuring...
So, we all know Google AdSense is cutting off holiday gifts this year. There were many insulted publishers. So, I figured Google would at least send out e-cards before the holidays. And some are now receiving these e-cards. But those...
Yesterday, we reported that Google Quietly Released AdWords Editor 7.0. We thought they did it quietly for a reason, but it turned out - they blogged about it soon after and people began installing it. I was hoping they wouldn't...
For you big AdWords API users, you should know there that on the 19th, Google is pushing out a data refresh for the Sandbox and that there are continued Sandbox issues and bugs. Sandbox Database Refresh is to take place...
I don't believe I have seen any announcement around the fact that Google has released version 7.0 of the AdWords Editor, but they have. The release notes document many of the changes, including: First page bid estimates: AdWords Editor now...
In a Google Groups thread, AdWordsPro Sarah offers some nice optimization tips for mobile users. She acknowledges that they shouldn't be ignored; there are 405 million mobile users worldwide, she says. If you want a business presence in the mobile...
Google has recently allowed advertisers to place AdWords ads for hard liquors, beer, and even gambling ads in the UK, but has now banned ads for the keyword phrase, [horse racing]. A WebmasterWorld thread says this ban is brand new....
The Inside AdWords blog mentions that Google is now empowering advertisers to target their normal "desktop" ads to users on the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1, and other mobile devices with full-fledged web browsers. We acknowledged late last month that you...
Disclaimer: Like the previous post on this subject matter, this is a title only that is intended to attract attention and nothing but. (In case you're wondering who the author of this post is, she likes social media and these...
AdWordsPro Sarah is asking forum members about their favorite blogs. There's no end game yet, but it was proposed that if there are enough relevant blogs, it's possible to get a "forum blogroll." Wouldn't that be cool? So, what blogs...
A WebmasterWorld member is surprised Google is allowing ads with the titles "Blackhat SEO" to show up in AdWords ads for searches on seo. Here is a screen capture I took yesterday, but it is still showing up today. The...
AdWordsAdvisor has replied to the WebmasterWorld thread I was tracking on Google sending out holiday gifts to advertisers and publishers. AdWordsAdvisor said Google will not be sending out gifts to advertisers and publishers like they have in the past. Why?...
We're in poor economic times, and Google is looking for ways to help offset the burden. That's why Google has recently announced the publication of this Top Tactics for Tough Times document on how you can work with Google AdWords...
December 1st was Cyber Monday, and a lot of publishers and advertisers have seen increases in earnings per click and even in Quality Score. These are great results for publishers and advertisers, but what exactly could be the cause? Suspicions...
Update: Google has confirmed that they have cancelled gifts for 2008 for most advertisers and publishers. Trust me, you want to click through and read why. It is that time again, Google is sending out holiday gifts to their advertisers...
I am hearing reports from Search Engine Watch Forums that Google is now testing text ad formats for ads on Google Image search. You can see two screen captures of this in action, one at AccuraCast.com and the other at...
Did you know that using accented characters in Google AdWords would mean you need to use both variations? For example, if you advertiser for the keyword [construção], you would also need to advertise for the unaccented version [construcao]. I guess...
There are sometimes where you don't want to show your Google ads to iPhone or mobile users and sometimes where you don't want to show your ads to desktop or laptop users. Google understands this and has finally given a...
Well, officially, tomorrow starts the holiday gift buying season. We all want to cash in on these next two months. That might include Google. I am hearing rumors at Search Engine Watch Forums that Google is expanding the controversial AdWords...
At the new Google Groups, even more wholesome good tips are being offered, this time from users to users. Today's subject is on Location Targeting. Using Location Targeting, advertisers can take advantage of their audience based on the location they...
A new Google AdWords interface may be coming to an account near you. At Search Engine Land, Barry provides screenshots of this greener interface that looks like it's sporting a new green type of Gmail theme. Here are some screens:...
Want some industry information about getting the most of your Google AdWords budget? Check out the Google Optimization Center, which gives you some great strategies depending on the type of industry you're in. PDF files are offered in each individual...
For those Google AdWords API developers, you should be aware that currently any requests sent over the SOAP protocol to the API Sandbox will return an error. A Google Groups thread has one developer complaining and an official Google representative...
Let's say you've geotargeted your Google AdWords ad for Florida. You'd be alarmed if you saw that the ad was being run in Oslo, Norway, wouldn't you? I suppose I would be. Is this a problem with Google? Well, in...
In the Official Google Blog, Nick Fox points out that Google is rolling out "ads in new places." These locations include: Image ads in Google Image Search (SERoundtable coverage and a foreshadowing post) Sponsored videos on YouTube (SERoundtable coverage) Text...
We discussed the Google AdWords policy on a max URL character space of 35 in the past. They recently started enforcing this rule back in June of this year. A new Google Groups thread has an issue where on advertiser...
AdWordsPro Sarah is not done giving Google AdWords subscribers great tips. In yesterday's tip #8 on Google Groups, Sarah tells us about how to take advantage of negative keywords. She explains that if you are using a negative keyword like...
Google's video ads can be an interesting way to drive more traffic to your site. But if you expect video ads to be approved immediately or as quickly as your text ads, don't bank on it. A Google AdWords Group...
On Google Groups, AdWordsPro Sarah is giving us tips on how to engage in the Google content network in such a way that you can optimize that contextual traffic. Recently, she shared a tip on how Google suggests you get...
Google has a requirement -- at least, the site says so -- that you need to be enrolled in the Google Professional Program to be considered for the AdWords exam. But is it really required? AdWordsPro thinks so (but unfortunately...
So, as you know, I am a bit YouTuber. Okay, I am not, but I do have a YouTube channel with weekly videos on search news, that some of you watch, some of you listen to and some of you...
Yesterday, a few advertisers reported at WebmasterWorld that they were unable to see data at the ad group level, after logging into their Google AdWords accounts. They were able to see data at the campaign level, but not at the...
Say you imported hundreds or thousands of keywords into your Google AdWords account. Chances are if you are working with high volume, you may have duplicated your keywords across ad groups. How do you find these and address them? There...
A Google Groups thread reports issues with using the Google AdWords Verify Code option. The verify code tool seems to have been removed. Why? AdWordsPro.Steph said it was removed because it came with the PPA (Pay Per Action) options. Google...
As you know, Google is switching many of their help forums from Google Groups to a new interactive help forum. The AdSense forums, Chrome forums and now the AdWords have all moved over. AdWordsPro Sarah had the honor of posting...
Google is now clearly showing if a keyword is trademarked or not, directly in the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. For example, a search on "iphone" returns a little ™ symbol near the term, i.e. iphone™. Here is a picture: This...
Yesterday, I had a conversation with Nick Fox of Google about the most recent quality score changes. I posted the extremely interesting question and answer session at Search Engine Land last night. I was honestly shocked by one of his...
Want to buy beer? Until recently, you could search for "beer" on Google and not see any Google ads since it was against the policy. But recently, Taylor Pratt had the desire to get drunk bid on some alcoholic keywords...
A fairly basic but confusing question in the pay-per-click auction space of search advertising is often around the topic of match types and the auction around it. One question asked at a Google Groups thread asks if I am bidding...
In a Google Groups thread, AdWordsPro.Sarah tells us that there will be a new forum opening on November 5th . The new forums will boast user posting incentives, integration with the help center, enhanced user profiles (personalization with social --...
Typically, if you see an ad first, you are more likely to click that ad over the ad you see later. Meaning, in Google, the search ads are listed along the right hand column. If you are in position one...
We have reported time and time again about Google AdWords accounts being hacked into and abused. Typically, the hackers gain access, set up a new campaign, generate tons of ads, pointing to temporary domains and use your credit card to...
If you are a big Google AdWords API user and you have been messing around in the API's Sandbox yesterday or today, you may have been experiencing some issues. Many API users are reporting weird glitches with the sandbox. Errors...
So, your Google AdWords rep invites you to spend the day at Google for optimization tips and tricks. What would you do if you had that opportunity? What would you ask Google? Most forum members are concerned most about the...
There are a few unhappy campers who are a bit disappointed with some of issues that relate to Google AdWords and its tool. In a Google Groups thread, a user discovers that he can't actually "Accept" the terms of using...
First go read Greg Sterling's write up at Search Engine Land named Location in the Browser: What Does It Mean? Now that you read that, you will realize that the implication of Google adding geolocation capabilities to your desktop browser...
Google AdWords: Now With Images that I wrote at Search Engine Land described a newish AdWords interface I spotted. In short, a search for diamonds or other searches that would bring up an ad from Blue Nile, would show a...
AdWords API Advisor informs us via Google Groups that Google AdWords API v13 has been released. Though mentioned in the release notes, the these new features include enhanced geotargeting options, ability to retrieve only active campaigns/ad groups, campaign budgeting suggestions,...
Do you want to become a Google Audio Ad specialist? A Google Groups thread explains how. It's easy, but new specialist positions are not currently available. Still, if you ever want to become a Google Audio Ad specialist in the...
AdWordsPro.Sarah has utilized Google Groups to provide some insights into how to use Google AdWords to prepare for the incoming holiday rush (provided that the recession isn't going to cramp your holiday gift-buying style). Recently, an Inside AdWords blog post...
Ever since Google launched the real time quality score metric, where Google rated keywords between 0 and 10, 10 being the highest, I have rarely seen threads on documenting how to receive a 10 out of 10. Tamar blogged about...
How does the Google Quality Score work? The Official Google Blog explains how Google takes preference for quality score in the display of ads: The quality score gives search engines a way of aligning the incentives of the buyers, the...
Yesterday morning, my friend Sam from Oh! Nuts candy sent me an email asking me if the screenshot below (click for a larger image) was new. After a two-day holiday offline, I wasn't 100% sure, but I also remembered glancing...
Google has added two fields to the AdWords reports section. Those two fields are: Quality ScoreEst. First Page Bid It took Google about a month to add this level details, since launching the new real time quality score calculation. But...
The Google AdWords Blog announced you can now separate out the search traffic between coming from Google.com versus coming from Google's search partners (such as AOL and Ask.com). How do you see it? As I explained, you login, pull down...
Last week, an AdWeek article was published that noted that the iPhone, with its powerful capabilities, is changing the landscape of advertising. Google has reviewed options to make iPhone-only specific channels to target ads to searchers who use an iPhone...
As I reported minutes ago at Search Engine Land, Google UK will now be allowing the advertisement of gambling related products in AdWords. We were one of the first to report the initial ban of gambling ads in the UK...
It appears Google AdWords is going to start using Twitter for communication purposes. AdWordsPro Sarah started a Google Groups thread announcing this as a possibility. So I tried a few Twitter accounts and spotted http://twitter.com/insideadwords that contained some early Twitters,...
Google is on march to make sure to continue monetizing searches in any way possible. This time, Google has added AdSense to Google Maps, in some cases. This was reported at Search Engine Land, Digital Inspiration and Bloggle first. Let...
Yesterday, Google announced the release of AdWords Editor 6.5. I did a detailed post on the new features at Search Engine Land. But, since I posted the second Google released the news, I did not yet get feedback from advertisers...
Jeffrey Posnick from the AdWords API Team announced at a Google Groups thread the AdWords API Local Database Sync Project. The details of this project are located over at code.google.com/p/awapi-local-db-sync/. Here is the summary: The AdWords API Local Database Sync...
If you want to read my thoughts on Ask.com's relaunch, see what I wrote at Search Engine Land named Ask.com Goes Back To 1996 With New Release. Today, I want to take you through some interesting observations from a WebmasterWorld...
Good news for AdWords API junkies, you can now differentiate between negative keywords in your keyword structure reports. According to a post by an official AdWords representative in Google Group, Google has added a KeywordIsNegative column to the Keyword Structure...
We've had a careful eye on the multiple Google AdWords accounts that have been hacked, and this forum representation is hardly all of the accounts that really do get attacked. But again, another hapless victim from WebmasterWorld has suffered the...
A WebmasterWorld member complains that his company, which has been in use for over 10 years, is not able to make its own Google AdWords ads because part of the name is a trademark violation. Is it worth pursuing further...
A Google Groups forum member says that he has installed the Google Translate tool on his web site. He created ads with the translate tool and used the Google-provided URL as the target of the ad. Just a few days...
A Google Groups thread has reports from several Google AdWords API users that Google's report download feature is having some issues. In short, if you use the API to download reports, you may be having issues. Minutes after issuing the...
A WebmasterWorld thread reports that eBay is back at it again, bidding on every possible search term under the sky or rather under the Internet. This is upsetting to many advertisers, who can feel a big hurt from eBay taking...
A Google Groups thread asks the question on why when a advertisers sets his AdWords campaigns to "Rotate: Show ads more evenly" in the campaign settings, does it not always rotate 100% evenly? The advertiser asked: The "% served" is...
What happens when you're running a search query performance report on Google AdWords and you get the result "2 other unique queries?" What is Google saying here? According to AdWordsPro.Sarah, the issue is that Google's computers are only able to...
As a result of many Google AdWords account hijackings and the false charges that are often associated with such an intrusion, netmeg at WebmasterWorld has suggested some procedures to keep yourself in the clear and away from hackers. The list...
A Search Engine Watch Forums thread suggests that Google AdWords is not monitoring landing pages. Discovery caught a screenshot of a deceptive landing page with Javascript that tried to make a user go to a page that he/she hasn't tried...
With all the hype about the new Google AdWords Quality Score, Google Groups is providing useful tips on how to improve your score and to keep it high. It's helpful, AdWordsPro.Sarah suggests, to do an account cleanup. Look into your...
A Google Groups thread reported a minor scare from some advanced AdWords advertisers. They noticed that Google's AdWords API all of a sudden stopped returning data for the KeywordMinCPC. Advertisers were nervous that they would no longer be able to...
A DigitalPoint Forums thread reports some advertisers are seeing minimum bids in their Google AdWords account as high as £55 or $100 US. Didn't AdWords drop the minimum bids with the new real time quality score? Yes, they did, but...
Over the past month or so, I have been noticing a larger volume of reports of advertisers claiming their AdWords accounts were compromised. Here is a recent thread at WebmasterWorld plus Jeremy Mayes, a seasoned PPC guy, was also compromised....
On the Inside AdWords blog, the Google AdWords team says that the AdWords Site Stats logo is no longer mandatory. The post says that there was a "Google Site Stats" text area that would be displayed when a conversion occurred...
On WebmasterWorld, netmeg did a test with a bunch of blended ads. Other ads, however, weren't as blended in with the theme of the site. Surprisingly, after viewing analytics, netmeg learned that blending hurts: the non-blended ads performed better than...
Want a quality score of 10? Here's an easy way to do it. On Search Engine Watch forums, abbotsys explains the procedure that was attempted. Take a 2 word keyphrase (e.g. word1 word2). Register a domain with word1word2 in the...
Google announced last night that the real time quality score algorithm would be live within days. Many are now reporting that they are seeing it live in their campaigns. I personally logged into a few of my accounts and noticed...
Google Analytics is a good platform for statistics, but you really can't drill down to specifics and get hourly breakdowns of your conversion data. That's okay -- almost -- because there's a workaround that SteveLaLonde presents at Search Engine Watch...
The New York Times has a story about an AdSense/AdWords arbitrageur, a webmaster who makes money off getting visitors to his site through AdWords to have them click on his AdSense ads. The story is named Stuck in Google's Doghouse,...
Tomorrow, between 10AM and 2PM PDT, Google AdWords will be down for maintenance. During this time, you can't log into your account, but your ads will run normally. There's nothing special for this maintenance as far as I can gather,...
Many paid search programs offer a way to geotarget your search ads. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft allow you to specify a radius in X miles, for how wide or small you want to target a specific location. I question many...
A Google Groups thread has confirmed reports that the Google AdWords API image creation feature does not work properly in the sandbox environment. When programmers try to enable the image ad feature in test mode (sandbox), they get an exception...
Just about three weeks ago, Google told us about the new, dynamic AdWords quality score that they are testing out. We saw that some advertisers have seen the new quality score in place, and we posted screen shots of those...
Yesterday, the Inside AdWords blog reported that Google AdWords now gives you a Geographic Performance Report so that you can get "geographic distribution of your impressions, clicks, and conversions down to the ad group level." Here's one screenshot that we...
Back in February, I spotted how Ask.com was showing up to five Google search ads above the organic search results. It only happened when using Internet Explorer on a PC, because (I guess here) the Ask.com team didn't want to...
A DigitalPoint Forums thread led me to the PPC Book blog that has pictures of the AdWords console, with the new quality score system in place. As you know, Google is slowly releasing the new AdWords Quality Score system to...
Google has released a new Java Client Library for the AdWords API. In version 2.1.0, minor fixes have been made which include removing j2ee dependencies, fixing dependencies in build.xml, and reducing the size of the jar by 3 times. You...
About three months ago, we reported that the Google AdWords API Traffic Estimator figures were off. Since then, nothing much has changed, but Google announced that they have made changes that should help stabilize those figures and make them more...
Google's ad serving tool, Google Ad Manager (google.com/admanager/), which launched as a beta in March is now open to all publishers. If you are a publisher using OpenAds, OpenX, phpAdsNew or a similar product, you may want to strongly consider...
Google announced that the quality score metrics are more real time based on a per-query level, now. Not that this has been implemented on everyone's campaigns yet, but it will happen soon enough. Since then, advertisers have been noticing anomalies...
Google has new and important information about the Quality Score, according to the Inside AdWords blog. According to the AdWords team, the Quality Score is more accurate since it will be computed during every single query. Keywords will no longer...
Google AdWords API advisor writes at Google Groups that the Java client library (version 2.0.0) has been released at http://code.google.com/p/google-api-adwords-java/. Version 2.0.0 has some major fixes. It removes support from v11 and updates the default version to v12, and there's...
At Search Engine Watch, member abbotsys notices that the Quality Score for low volume keywords is good -- but if you look closely at the keyword analysis, the ad isn't even running! According to Google, those ads are not showing...
What happens if you're using Google AdWords religiously and suffer some downtime (as a result of an AdWords phishing scam) or have your account under review? What if Google AdWords is your primary source of traffic? In a particular instance,...
A WebmasterWorld member says that somehow his Google AdWords destination URLs are changing, despite the fact that he is only appending tracking information to the URL. Instead, it's using the ad URL but not the keyword destination URL. It only...