In the last year, Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC) has become even more integral to a business’s search engine marketing (SEM) strategy. One reason is that organic search results on Google are getting pushed farther and farther down the page, replaced with Google’s paid advertising and other bells and whistles. Even with great organic search rankings, a potential customer might not see your listing before choosing a paid ad from one of your competitors.

So it’s important to continually optimize your AdWords campaigns and stay on top of Google’s best practices. Recently Google rolled out a new AdWords algorithm that changes the rules of the game again.

It’s About Ad Extensions

Previously, Google used its Ad Rank algorithm to decide where your AdWords ad would be placed. Ad Rank was based on a pretty simple formula: your max CPC bid (Cost-Per-Click, how much you’re willing to spend for ad placement) multiplied by your Quality Score (Google’s measure of your ad’s relevance and performance).

Now Google has included ad extensions in the mix – the more extensions you use, the better your chances of ranking higher. What are extensions? Basically, ad extensions are response mechanisms and reviews you can choose to add to your advertisement. A few common extensions are:

• Sitelinks – direct links to pages on your website you’d like customers to view
• Location – your business address
• Phone Number – a button customers can use to call you with a click
• Reviews – positive reviews from customers on Google+
• Seller Ratings – your business rating from Google+
• Apps – links to your mobile or tablet apps

Extensions are only available on Google Search, for now. And they cost nothing to use – unless someone clicks on an extension in your ad. Even then, Google only charges for up to two clicks per impression (when your ad is shown).

How Extensions Affect AdWords Rankings

Ads that incorporate extensions are now given a higher priority in search rankings. The use of extensions can be the tie-breaker between two ads with the same Ad Rank. Why? For one, Google wants to promote its own products. And two, Google knows extensions work, which means a better user experience for customers.

But extensions won’t automatically improve the ranking of an ad that performs poorly. Based on your Ad Rank, Google decides whether your ad is eligible to display extensions at all. Too low, and customers won’t see your extensions.

Once extensions come into play, they create a feedback loop that affects your CPC. They could result in lower CPCs because they’re creating more click-throughs and increasing your quality score. They could also raise your CPC if, for instance, extensions earn you a higher ranking and you face stiffer competition for those spots.

How to Use AdWords Extensions

Google’s goal seems to be making extensions as easy as possible to use. It has automated much of the process, but here’s what you need to know:

1. Consider what actions you want customers to take. You want to choose extensions that support the end goal of your AdWords campaign, not distract from it. Think about customers’ thought processes when they search for and view your ad. What extensions will they find most useful?
2. Add extensions to new campaigns – and old ones too. There is no cost, and you could have extensions up and running with a few clicks. Google even suggests the extensions it thinks will perform best with your campaign, so there’s no guesswork.
3. Let Google work its magic. Google doesn’t show every extension in every ad, every time. Instead, it decides which ones to display based on the search and context. A user on a mobile phone might see your ‘Call’ button, while a user at home on a laptop may see your Seller Rating instead.
4. Track performance. As with any marketing, follow the results of each campaign to see what’s working. Maybe your audience doesn’t much care about your app when they’re searching, but they check your Google+ reviews every time.

Click here to watch Google’s video explaining AdWords extensions.

Have you incorporated extensions into your AdWords campaigns? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

Mobile marketing is one trend with staying power.

The start of a new year is a smart time to reevaluate your marketing strategy, looking back on what proved successful, but also forward to what new trends look promising. Some marketing trends play themselves out in a matter of months, while others stick around for years. Text message marketing is a great example of a trend that faded as technology quickly moved on. Yet social media – not always taken seriously by businesses – has carved out a place in almost every marketing plan.

Either way, businesses that can anticipate where the marketplace is headed can turn trends to their advantage, whether for short-term profit or long-term growth. With that in mind, here are a seven marketing trends your business should consider as you gear up for 2014.

1. Mobile Takes Over

With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets in the last few years, it’s no surprise mobile is poised to become the dominant channel through which people access the internet. By 2017, 87% of internet-connected devices sold will be mobile devices, according to predictions by the International Data Corporation. That means businesses will need to either develop mobile websites, or ensure their websites are responsive – meaning they identify users’ mobile devices and adapt to suit the platform. Expect location-based marketing, mobile advertising and apps to grow accordingly.

2. Content Marketing Goes Mainstream

While content marketing has been around for a while, many businesses haven’t seriously invested in this tactic until recently. This year, Google rolled out a new algorithm called Hummingbird that relies less on traditional keywords and more on context – in other words it does a better job of identifying content that matches users’ needs. As a result, developing relevant and interesting content that meets customers’ needs – from blogs, videos and infographics to traditional content like case studies – will become ever more important in the coming year.

3. Social Media Influence on Search Grows

Social media has become the new word of mouth – people look to their social networks as often as search engines to learn about businesses. So it makes sense that search engines would use social measures to influence search results. There’s some evidence that social likes and shares affect your organic ranking. And this year Google has incorporated elements of Google+ into its AdWords ads, too. So businesses are paying more attention to Social Media Optimization and monitoring their online reputations. If you haven’t been actively managing your social media, this might be the year to start.

4. Segmentation and Automation Become Easier

By now, you’ve probably heard the term “Big Data.” It means there’s more data about markets and consumers available to businesses than ever before, and more technology to manage it. This makes it easier for businesses to segment their marketing messages and develop more relevant, personal messages for their customers. Marketing automation tools are also becoming more affordable, allowing you to automate tasks like email marketing and social media, while better qualifying leads and tracking response. The result is that even small businesses can launch broad marketing campaigns that are more productive and efficient. (Of course, you need good content to make it worth your customers’ time. See No. 2 above.)

5. Branding Is Still a Must

Thanks to mobile, search and social media, consumers today are more informed and have more control when choosing products, services and information that suit their particular lifestyles. At the same time, they’re bombarded with more marketing messages than at any other point in history. This means businesses must continue to work hard to truly differentiate their brands from competitors, while also creating an emotional bond that fosters brand loyalty.

6. Integrated Marketing – No Longer a Buzzword

In our interconnected world, integrated marketing has moved from a trendy buzzword to a marketing necessity. (Of course, we’ve been talking about the importance of integrated marketing for a while.) Your marketing message faces competition not just from competing businesses, but social media, mobile content, email, online photos and videos, games and a thousand other daily distractions. To cut through the fog, your business needs to be everywhere your customers are likely to be, while effectively communicating a consistent message. Keep the message simple, but tailor it to each channel to create a powerful and useful customer experience however they choose to interact with your business. (Different channels also provide different opportunities to gather information about your customers, giving you a more complete picture of their interests and buying habits.)

7. Marketing Paints a Picture

Photo sharing, viral videos, animated gifs – people are increasingly consuming more visual content. And this trend is informing marketing as well. Apps are dominated by simple layouts and large photos. Websites tend toward big images, too, with clean designs that are easy to navigate. Infographics distill complex data into pictures that are appealing and easy to digest. As new formats emerge – like the 6-second ‘micro videos’ on Vine – businesses are adapting their marketing to take advantage of consumers’ fascination with these visual mediums. (For instance, Kmart has tried to capitalize on the popularity of gifs in its new TV commercials.) Keep this in mind as you plan your 2014 campaigns and develop content to attract and inform customers.

What trends do you anticipate for 2014? And which ones will inform your marketing? Tell us in the comments below.

photo: jeff_golden via photopin cc

A sales pitch is an intricate dance. You want to demonstrate your value with convincing proof, but without boring your prospects to death. The clock is ticking, yet rushing will muddle your presentation and lose you the business in record time.

Over at Bplans.com, Tim Berry has a great post called “10 Things I Hate About Your Business Pitch.” If you’ve ever sat through a tedious presentation, you can probably relate to some of his peeves, such as bluster, blaming and slides full of words – not to mention reading slides full of words. If you’ve ever been on the other side of that conference room table, pitching your product or service, you might wince a little if you recognize some of these in your own presentation.

They say good salesmen are born, not made, but I disagree. A little planning and practice can pay big dividends. Berry’s list is a great primer on what not to do in a sales meeting. So here are my ten suggestions for things you should do to improve your next pitch.

1. Invest in sales training.

Years ago, I took an executive sales training course, and it’s paid for itself many times over. Sales training is crucial to honing the people and presentation skills that bring in business. Even a natural salesman could benefit from a little instruction, just like a gifted athlete benefits from a coach who can raise their game.

2. Pre-qualify leads.

Use lead scoring or marketing automation tools (MATs) to evaluate which prospects are a good fit for your business – and which ones actually want to hear your pitch. Screening out unqualified prospects saves you time, focuses your energies and improves your chances of closing the sale. Keep prospects that aren’t sales-ready simmering on the back burner until they are ready to buy.

3. Do your homework.

Conduct research on the company you’ll be pitching, as well as the people you’re going to meet. For one, it will help you better understand their business needs. And gathering some personal or professional information lets you build a natural rapport on your first call – a key ingredient in getting a second meeting.

4. Ask leading questions.

Get prospects talking about their business, their concerns, their obstacles and their expectations. As they talk, you’re learning what it will take to close the sale. Don’t lead with a canned pitch or PowerPoint presentation only to find out you’re selling hacksaws to someone who needs hammers.

5. Summarize and set expectations.

At the end of every call or meeting, summarize what was agreed and discussed. Then clarify with the prospect the expectations for the next meeting. This ensures everyone is on the same page and the next steps in the process are crystal clear.

6. Identify your presentation objectives.

When it’s time to make a presentation, consider what products or features best address the prospect’s needs. Make that the centerpiece of your presentation and sell it to them with a laser-like focus. Likewise, determine what the prospect already knows and needs to know in order to make an informed decision, so when you step in the room, you can skip right to solving the problem that’s foremost on their minds.

7. Provide supporting materials – at the right times.

It’s a good idea to supply an agenda at the start of your meeting to help orient your prospect. But when you’re making your presentation, don’t hand out your presentation or a lengthy document. They’ll easily get distracted looking at your materials and stop not listening to your carefully crafted pitch. However, do leave a copy of your presentation after the meeting if you haven’t closed the sale.

8. Anticipate questions and objections.

What might your prospect ask that you haven’t planned for? (How many people on our team will it take to implement this?) What reasons could they have not to buy? (We’re moving to a new location in three months, so this isn’t the right time.) See it from their perspective and cover all the angles. Having a response ready helps to defuse those lingering doubts and can help save a sale.

9. Know when to close.

Throughout your presentation, take the temperature of the room and ask if anyone has questions. When you think you’ve won the pitch, stop talking and ask for the sale. The longer you go on, and the harder you push, the better the chance you could fumble the sale at the one-yard line.

10. Follow up.

If you receive a firm no, move on. If not, make sure you stay on the prospect’s radar. Look for more clues as to how you might solve their problems. Share relevant sales materials and, when it makes sense, try to set up another meeting. Even after the sale, you should check in periodically to reassess their needs and sell additional services.

What would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments below.

Photo: Beta Soluciones Empresariales