As you read this, your AdWords stats from last week or the week before may have changed since you last looked at them. No, this isn’t some form of AdWords trickery. It has to do with a little known fact that recorded conversions are applied to the date of the ad click, and not the date of the conversion. So if you … Read More
Why AdWords is better than the casino
When I was a student I didn’t have much money. But once in a blue moon, some friends and I would go for a night out at a Casino. We didn’t expect to walk out with more money in our pockets than when we went in, but it was a good night, and we enjoyed ourselves. Broadly speaking, you get … Read More
Why shouldn’t I trust Google?
I love Google; it has become an integral part of my life. But I don’t trust Google. Especially when it comes to AdWords. The reason? A bittersweet yet subtle mix of cunning and disinformation, fuelled by ignorance and trust.
Q: Why is Google AdWords so complicated?
A/Q: Why do you think? Everyone knows that Google make most of their money from AdWords. And anyone who uses AdWords knows that it’s a seriously powerful system. Like many powerful systems, it has a lot of options. Here’s where I get to the point. Almost every single default is in Google’s favour and not yours. A new campaign will … Read More
Google are naughty – but not evil
The problem with Google’s “don’t be evil” approach is that it often seems to bite them. The other problem is that it sets the stage to be black and white – with no grey. Good and bad. I don’t believe that Google are evil, but they’re undoubtedly guilty of questionable behaviour. The latest bee in my bonnet lies in their newly … Read More
Google get deceptive
You may have noticed that ads displayed on Google are starting to look a little more discrete. In days gone by they were pushed to the right hand side of the browser, were clearly marked as Sponsored Links, made heavy use of mixed case in the display URL, and the few that were placed above the organic listings were clearly … Read More
Conversion fraud – another AdWords thing that makes you go hmmm
As an Adwords Certified Partner, we spend a major chunk of our week handling client’s AdWords accounts. A part of our process involves looking for anything that stands out as unusual. Try this for unusual. One of our clients saw an unusual increase in conversions. As much as we’d like to think this was a direct result of our efforts, … Read More
AdWords customised date range options expanding?
Is it just me or has the list been getting longer? It’s a shame they don’t offer a “Last 28 days” option. I suppose that would be too useful.
Certification and the futility of not selling out
Thought 1: Bodybuilding has always struck me as an odd activity. At a very basic level, it’s about people wanting to look good and feel good about themselves.? taken from wikipedia Most young (and not so young) men would be happy to look like that. But if the aspiring bodybuilder decides to take it to a more competitive level, odd poses, … Read More
Google Instant – an AdWords disaster?
I’ve just seen Google Instant for the first time. It’s a simple idea. As you type your search term, the results appear in real time. It’s also a really bad idea. As you type your search term, the ads also appear in real time. Imagine I’m interested in finding a hotel in Londonderry. As I start typing the word hotel, the results … Read More