Is Your Interactive Agency Delivering Results?

Many clients are too busy to evaluate whether or not their interactive agency is delivering results, but it could cost you in the long run. If your agency is not testing, measuring, refining, and reacting to your marketing tactics, then they are not delivering results. The ability to improve your marketing results requires continuous evaluation and communication with your agency.

1. Do you discuss your marketing results? This may give your agency quantitative and qualitative results to leverage.
2. Does your agency provide specific information when discussing the progress of your interactive marketing campaign? In general, specificity signals ownership, intention, and a plan of action to drive results.
3. Have you or your agency learned from the marketing and reporting? You and your agency should have details on what works and what does not work. Going forward, this should reduce marketing cost and lead to actions that drive results.
4. Does your agency push for deeper web analytics, continuously test banners and ad copy, and work to integrate interactive and traditional marketing for optimum results?

The only time your interactive agency should cruise or stop seeking better results is when you discontinue the relationship!

Yahoo/Microsoft Search Alliance Update

In late August, Yahoo! completed the transition of the back-end technology for English-language Yahoo! organic search results in the U.S. and Canada. There is now consistency of the organic search results between Yahoo! and Bing. In our opinion, there is still a gap in relevant search results when compared to Google. It’s our assumption that Yahoo! and Bing will make additional modifications to the search algorithm after the holiday season. As for the paid search results, advertisers can start transitioning their paid Yahoo! Search Marketing account to Bing now. The Yahoo! ad serving transition is expected to start mid-October. For additional tips on how to prepare for the search alliance, check out our recent search engine marketing article.

Google AdWords Update

Over the past few weeks, Google has made several enhancements to AdWords or tools used to manage PPC campaigns. Below are a few of these enhancements and brief descriptions.

YouTube Enhancements: YouTube launched features that give select advertisers the ability to voluntarily age-restrict their videos and exclude individuals and channels from your Pay per Click campaigns that advertisers are running.

Free AdWords Webinar: Google recently announced the launch of Enhanced CPC, a new automatic bidding feature designed to increase your conversions and return on investment in your Max CPC campaigns. This webinar will provide detailed information on the features and benefits of Enhanced CPC bidding for your search engine marketing campaigns.

AdWords Editor 8.0.1 Update: AdWords Editor is a free Google application that can help search engine marketers, PPC managers, and advertisers manage their AdWords Campaigns. AdWords Editor has been updated to support locations extensions and some additional panel features.

For additional information on Google AdWords features and benefits, contact your PPC manager. If you need PPC management services, contact a Google AdWords Certified Partner for opportunities to increase your ROI on your AdWords campaigns.