Prior to this, Places listings were only accessible via a search within Google Maps.

In a further update, the Places listing map was moved on the top right hand side of the page – in what used to be AdWords territory!

After this critical alteration in Google’s search algorithm, it is now more vital than ever for every business to have their Places listing claimed, and most importantly, optimised.

So how can businesses take advantage of Google Places?

There are a few things to remember when creating your business’ Google Places listing:

• Claim your listing! This can done quickly and easily by either a phone call, SMS, or your very own post card from Google!
• Fill out as many of the fields as you can, paying special attention to the description and categories. This will have a significant impact on results, so choose these categories as wisely as you choose your website’s keywords.
• Upload photos to entice users to stay on the page and explore the entire listing.
• Encourage customers, friends and business partners to leave reviews on your listing in order to show Google that your listing is an authoritative source of reference.

Finally, and most importantly, a link back to your website not only shows your visitors where to go, but also provides a healthy link in Google’s eyes.

Google Places listings also offer a personalised dashboard which provides similar traffic statistics as Google Analytics, through which you can view:

• How many people have checked your listing;
• which keywords they have used to find it;
• and various tips and hints to maintaining your listing.

So there go. A quick guide as to the basics of Google Places listings!

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!

How might this affect your ads?

Firstly, in order to actually have the links embedded as your ad text, the Sitelinks you set up need to match or be similar to what’s in your ad. Google will then automatically use your ads text to link to the specified pages of your website, rather than displaying the Sitelinks underneath the ad.

Google believes that embedding the links in this way will entice more users to click on your ad. The reason being that potential customers can simply click on the part of the ad that they found to be most relevant to their needs, which consequently may not always be the headline.

However, one advantage to the basic Sitelink format was that when they are displayed below your ad, the amount of space your ads have on the search engine results page is increased. This can ultimately lead to standing out from your competitors with an extra element to the normal ad format.

Why the change?

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, we believe that Google is attempting to improve the look of paid advertisements. This is evidenced through the many changes ad formats have undergone lately such as the first description line of your ad displaying as part of the ad headline, destination URLs displaying only in lowercase and automatically including “www.” in every destination URL to make ads look more like organic results.

And now, Sitelinks will be embedded within ad text. It will certainly be interesting to see how embedded Sitelinks will affect click through rates and overall campaign performance.

Stay tuned!

Just follow the three simple steps below in order to achieve this in Google Analytics!

STEP 1: Set Up a New Filter in Your Google Analytics Settings

STEP 2: Wait For Data

Next, you’ll need to wait for some data to build up as this filter is not retroactive.

STEP 3: Voila!

After a day or so, check back on your top referring pages by clicking through to Visitors > User Defined on your left hand analytics panel (as it appears in June 2011).

You should be seeing the full referral URLs now:

Feel free to leave a comment if you were successful in setting up your filter. Otherwise, let us know if you need a hand!

But rather than summarise the last decade of innovations, in this article I gaze into the crystal ball to see what search could be like in the next decade.

A challenger to Google?

Quite probably. I doubt that anyone will be able to catch Google’s monopoly-like market share, but there are a few contenders that will surely give them a shake.

The most obvious choice is the Bing/Yahoo combination (or Binghoo!). With pooled resources and a greater focus on delivering features comparable to AdWords, marketers and consumers alike may see the benefit of switching.

But realistically the development cycles at both Microsoft and Yahoo are too slow to keep up. Google’s massive innovation budgets and focus on NPD (new product development) keeps them ahead of the game.

The real challenger is actually Facebook. The way they have infiltrated the web with ‘Like’ functionality paves the way for a search engine to be based not on links (like Google’s PageRank), but on likes, creating a social-powered search engine.

Of course, this is conditional upon Facebook maintaining its own popularity for the next decade (which I have some doubts about – but that’s an article for another day).

The big caveat to Google maintaining its supremacy is the top three; Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt. Whilever those three remain Google is unlikely to lose top spot. The danger for Google is a shift in approach that alienates users (like charging for search or other services that have traditionally always been free) and that won’t happen while those guys are still there.

TV

Television is the next big medium for search. Google have already started to dabble in it with Google TV and broadcast rights on YouTube. Yahoo and Microsoft have been teaming up with networks for years (think Yahoo!7 and Ninemsn in Australia).

However, the big stumbling block for Google TV at the moment is the opposition of the major networks and media buyers.

AdWords already lets you buy TV ads on major commercial networks in the US, and Google TV aims to allow free-to-air shows to stream via the net. The big problem the networks will have in trying to oppose Google TV long term is that the push for Google TV is likely to come from the advertisers themselves (and their million-dollar budgets).

By allowing anyone to buy TV ads through AdWords (eliminating traditional media buyers) and streaming shows to a wider audience, advertisers have the potential to reach more people for less money.

Furthermore, with real-time Analytics being fed back into the system about individuals viewing patterns, there’s nothing stopping advertisers micro-targeting certain demographics. From a viewer’s perspective, it means that you could be seeing different ads each ad break than the guy in the house next door!

There’s obviously many issues to overcome, and failing an agreement with the major networks, don’t be surprised if Google do an Oprah Winfrey and establish their own TV network. Remember, they’ve already got broadcast rights through YouTube.

The Search Algorithm

Most search algorithms have gone through many changes in the last decade, but there has always been one constant; the number and quality of links. I don’t foresee this changing within the next decade either.

Over time, we may start to see social connections play a bigger role, but these are still a form of link.

New Search Products?

Undoubtedly. What products, you ask? Well, that’s a tougher question.

As society becomes more and more mobile, expect a greater focus on location and geographic based search products. Also expect a greater focus on augmented reality products, particularly in the areas of retail, real estate and maps.

As a general rule, expect to see a Google powered search bar everywhere, from your TV to your fridge, the world is going to become very searchable place.

Update: Two days after posting this, Google announced the launch of Google Wallet, a mobile payments platform (partnering with MasterCard and Citibank) that they’re calling a merge between “mobile” and “local.” Looks like a good start to the decade.

Google Shopping is basically a product comparison search engine with one major difference to all the other competitors in this space – it’s completely free!

True to form, Google plan to earn their revenue through the extremely targeted AdWords ads that appear above the product results:

So what do you need to know about Google Shopping?

How does it work?

Google Shopping is available due to the Google Merchant Center (finally!) being made available in Australia.

The Google Merchant Center is a place where users can submit detailed data feeds of their product listings, availability, sizes etc. to Google so that these products can be indexed in Google product search and across the web. These product listings can be static or dynamic depending on the nature of your inventory.

Submitting a data feed by yourself can be tricky but is definitely doable. However, if you are having trouble, feel free to contact a consultant at Reload Media who can arrange this for you!

How do I access Google Shopping/product search?

To access Google shopping you can either visit Google.com.au/Shopping or just click the ‘Shopping’ tab on your left hand tool bar in Google:

Where will my products appear?

Not only will your products appear in the ‘Google Product Search’ results (as visible in our first example), but you now have the opportunity to extend your AdWords ads with product images, descriptions, prices and direct links to the product page:

Once again, this is a service that Reload Media now offers to our current and future clients!

Why would I want my products to be available in the Google shopping tab?

Although it is still in its infancy in Australia, Google Shopping is an opportunity that should not be overlooked.

The reason?

Google’s newly released product search engine targets comparison shoppers and purchase ready consumers alike when they are in the most tantalising stage of the consumer buying cycle – the ‘taking action’ stage!

Furthermore, the ability to extend your product range to relevant Google AdWords ads will allow you to create more magnetic, specific and higher converting ads!

Need to know anything else about Google Shopping? Leave your questions and comments below!

Our crafty friends at Google have found a way to compete with Facebook’s much loved ‘Like’ button – Introducing Google +1.

Google is making a huge push into social with +1, a similar feature to Facebook’s ‘Like’ button.

Starting next Wednesday, users can opt in to taking part of the +1 experiment. Essentially, the aim of +1 is to add a ‘public stamp of approval’ to search results. According to Google, using the +1 feature will result in your name becoming associated with a link, an ad, a search result or anything where you think “this is pretty cool” across the web.

Google does however face a steep uphill battle against Facebook’s ‘Like’ button. Over 2 million sites and counting have the Facebook ‘Like’ button installed.

Ad experts seem to be split on whether Google’s +1 will take off, however if it does, it’s likely to further an existing move toward marketing transparency.

Voicing the most pessimistic view on +1 was David Hallerman, a senior analyst at eMarketer. He notes that search is more a utility than a social activity, making recommendations an odd fit. “It’s not a medium where people spend time,” Hallerman says. “It’s a tool that people use.”

But as DeepFocus CEO Ian Schafer suggests, +1 could make search more social, changing behaviors in the process. “When someone is searching for a piece of information about a product, a review, or insightful commentary, it is typically a very insular activity,” says Schafer. “But being able to place a ‘seal of approval’ next to a search result may have the effect of making a typically insular activity more collaborative – hopefully improving the ‘algorithm’ through the quality of your connections.”

If +1 gains popularity, there’s a strong possibility that businesses will begin trying to collect +1s the way they currently try to accumulate Facebook ‘Likes’. “It encourages that kind of behavior — the gamification of marketing,” says Josh Rose, executive vice president and digital creative director of ad agency Deutsch LA. “This will definitely play into those hands.”

If +1′s aren’t gamed too much, Rose and others see the new recommendation aspect of search as a positive force, holding brands and their advertising more accountable. Leonard points out that if the +1′s contribute to a marketer’s Quality Score, they will pay less for advertising than others with lower scores, giving consumers a new way to, in effect, vote on a brand. A large number of +1s could raise expectations about a product, Leonard says.

Overall, there is exciting times ahead with the movement into social search. Would you be more likely to click on results that your friends have recommended? Let us know your thoughts below.

You can view ‘Everything You Need To Know on Google’s +1 here.

Google has recently unveiled its latest creation – Google Hotpot.

Google Hotpot serves as a recommendation platform for restaurants, clothing retailers and more. It essentially allows you to connect with your friends and share your recommendations for others to see.

The most interesting thing to come from Google Hotpot will be it’s integration with Maps,  Places, mobile apps and of course, organic search engine rankings. It is extremely likely that  Hotpot will contribute to the newly updated Social Search expected to be re-launched by Google soon in Australia whereby search results will be influenced by your online contacts and friend lists. There’s plenty going on over at Google!

Google have updated their AdWords blog to announce that they have changed the headline format of their AdWords ads.

Now, if your first description line of your ad is a complete sentence and your ad is showing amongst the top 3 ads, your first description line will appear in your headline!

This is yet another in a spate of recent ad format tweaks by Google who, in our opinion, have a long term goal of blurring the lines between organic and paid search results.  These changes however,  now mean that many AdWords accounts will require rapid and strategic optimisation in order to take advantage of the new format.

So, without further adieu, below we have provided you with the low down on how to get your head around this new ad improvement from our good friends at Google.

How do you know if your ads will be affected?

The best way to estimate which of your ads will change over to this new appearance is to analyse your ad positions and the first two lines of text for any of your top position ads.

Ads where the first line of descriptive text ends with a punctuation point and are in top 3 positions will need to be optimised.

It will also become good practice to ensure that your headline and first two lines of ad text have an element of fluency between them. For example, if your ad headline is repeated in your first line of descriptive text, optimisation will be necessary.

Unfortunately, if you are unhappy with the change there is no option to prevent this happening to your ads as the change is applicable to all Google domains globally.  However, if you dislike the appearance or are unhappy with the performance of your new elongated headlines, you can change your description fields to communicate one whole sentence across two lines in order to revert your ads to the original format.

But why would you want to?

We believe Google is trying to improve the look of paid advertisements by having them look increasingly similar to organic links. This will, most likely,  result in higher click through rates for ads shown with the longer headline and, in turn, generate more ad revenue for Google! A win-win situation. It also gives the consumer a greater amount of information as they enter your site, leading to higher qualified traffic to each website or landing page being advertised.

All of these rapid fire ad format changes do beg the question though…

If Google are happy to keep tinkering with their tried and true ad format (which have been partly responsible for most of their annual revenues to date)

Then what in the world will be next!?

Google have updated their AdWords blog to announce the change of display url appearance. From now on, your primary domain will be in lowercase but your tail at the end can still be capitalised. See some examples below:

Time to put those w’s back in!

To read Google’s official statement, click here.

[Previous Post - December 17th 2010]

About two weeks ago I noticed on my computer that all AdWords display urls on the Google search results pages were showing up in lowercase.

I did a quick whip around the office to check to see if anyone else was seeing what I was seeing but to no avail.

However, I am now convinced that Google were testing a new ad format on a limited sample of users.

My ads have gone back to normal for now but another blogger identified the same phenomenon last week.

Why do I believe this was a deliberate test by Google:

1. For some reason, my PC has been included in other Google trial runs in the past. This included access to Google Instant prior to launch and the appearance of the new purple AdWords background colour a week or two before the full roll out.

2. It makes sense for Google to try & make their sponsored links look as similar to their organic search results as possible in order to blur the lines between paid and organic results. This would help to increase the CTRs of the top three paid ads and, therefore, increase revenue for Google.

3. We have seen other efforts on Google’s behalf to try and get advertisers to aim for the top 3 ad positions in recent times. The most significant change has been the new places map overlay which now covers up ads on the side of the screen when a user scrolls down the page:

Conclusions

Google don’t appear to have announced anything yet so they may have just been doing a limited test to see what would happen in terms of click through rates. However, if there were to be widespread changes to display urls in the future, many advertisers would need to:

• Rethink display URL capitalisation tactics (e.g ReloadMedia.com.au vs reloadmedia.com.au)
• Perform new www vs non www split testing. Currently, in most split tests, non www ads perform better than www ads. However, this is likely due to the extra capitalisation that is allowed in AdWords display urls (e.g. ReloadMedia.com.au ads will generally have a higher click through rate than www.ReloadMedia.com.au or www.reloadmedia.com.au ads).
• Amend every ad in every campaign in order to harness the results of aforementioned split testing.

As mentioned, this may have just been a case of Google experimenting with AdWords results to see what would happen. Only time will tell if this new Ad format will be rolled out and how they will affect current AdWords campaigns. However, considering the rapid rate that Google have been making changes to their search results pages lately, I would keep a close eye on this one!

If you’ve seen these lowercase urls in YOUR search results or would just like to discuss the implications further, feel free to comment below.