Paying Your Way To The Top – Google Adwords Change In PPC

Written by Pablo Palatnik on August 12, 2007

INSIDE ADWORDS ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK a change in formulating top ad spots in paid search. PAY YOUR WAY TO THE TOP. Of course Google doesn’t come out and say that but that seems to be the change. Quality score will still apply in terms of relevancy, etc.

“The key change to the formula will be how we consider price. Today’s formula considers an ad’s Quality Score and actual cost-per-click (CPC). The improved formula will still heavily weight Quality Score, but instead of actual CPC, it will consider an ad’s maximum CPC. Here’s why:

Actual CPC is determined, in part, by the bidding behavior of the advertisers below you. This means that your ad’s chance of being promoted to a top spot could be constrained by a factor you cannot influence. By considering your ad’s maximum CPC, a value you set, you will have more control over achieving top ad placement.”

More control to the advertiser…that’s how it should always be. The changes should be implemented in the next coming weeks and you will see changes occurring to your ad positions if you are in the top spots for certain keywords.

“Your actual CPC will continue to be determined by the auction, but subject to a minimum price for top spots. The minimum price is based on the quality of your ad and is the minimum amount required for your ad to achieve top placement above Google search results. As always, the higher your ad’s quality, the less you will pay. And you will never be charged more than your maximum CPC bid.
How might this affect me?
We anticipate that most of your ads will continue to perform as they have in the past. In some cases, you may see that ads previously shown alongside search results are now shown in top spots, and vice versa. As a result, you may see a change in the average number of clicks and average CPCs for impacted ads.
Be sure to check your stats regularly and adapt your campaigns as you see fit. Here are some quick tips:
• If you don’t want ads that usually appear in high positions alongside search results to appear above search results, check that their maximum CPCs are not dramatically higher than the actual CPCs you normally pay.
• Continue to make routine quality optimizations to keep your costs down and your performance high.”

Google Launches GoogleTV- Does It Already Exist?

Written by Pablo Palatnik on August 10, 2007

Ok, this is my vision (it’s Friday and I think this is a great idea)…is this really going to happen? I think so. Sure, YouTube is the most viewed website to watch videos, but let’s face it, nothing online has replaced television. There is speculation this is already out, if it is, I havent heard of it (my idea deff isn’t) but that GoogleTV does in fact Exist. At the bottom, please see video I found on YouTube doing some research on it.

The Idea?

Google to make a channel available through paid cable or digital cable. Google will make shows like NBC, CBC, FOX, etc.

The Process?

When person subscribes to channel, an email address will be required to activate the channel so product placements and other promotional and scheduled shows can be emailed directly to you.

The Money & Advertisements?

Google can capitalize more on this than any other way I think. Make shows interactive being able to click through the remote control on objects and Google sending you links to your email to the products you are interested in shows. (product placement).

Through the Adwords platform, advertisers will also be able to upload their commercials and bid for commercial spots.

Also, advertisers can bid for top product placement item such as video camera, clothing, basically anything that can sell online.

Why Google?

I believe the largest powerhouse on the web will find the technology and the money to fund a project of this magnitude. We can’t avoid it, the internet and TV will merge more and more as time goes by. We’ve seen a little bit of that with the democratic CNN-YouTube debates.

Clinton, Obama, & Paul at The Top of Their Game Online

Written by Pablo Palatnik on August 9, 2007

Hitwise this week released a its 2008 Data Election Center which reveals which candidates websites are visited the most.

This study will also continue through the election by Hitwise but shows Clinton, Obama, and Paul are leading the race online with traffic volume to their websites.

Top Democrats Websites:

Top Republican Websites:

Top Search Terms:

New York Times Acquires A Blog

Written by Pablo Palatnik on August 9, 2007

And who said blogs are just a phase? This is just proof that the blogosphere is here to stay. The New York Times has just acquired Freakonomics.com. Freakonomics is a blog which began as a continuation to the book, which was released in 2005.

A blog purchased by a big media player is a great sign for the blogosphere and will spark attention from other media sources as well.