Online Marketing Blog

This was an open discussion session where users submitted their sites to get the Google ad copy critiqued and the landing page looked over for quality and usability. Tips included:

• Keep important information towards the top of the landing page.
• Be detailed and don’t just assume your visitors know your services.
• Simpler the better.
• Put simple URLs in ads.
• Try sentence caps vs small caps.
• Image quality on landing page matters. Make it look good.
• Whitespace is good.
• Bullet points give a great way for users to scan information. Long blocks are bad.

The vendor spotlight session covered alternatives or additives to going with PPC campaigns from companies like Google and Yahoo. They discussed how pay per call was more effective and available in more areas like TV and print than pay per click was. It also doesn’t suffer click fraud and clients like it more as it’s closer to a sale.

Finding good blogs can be a challege. If you’re into voting for blogs, KBCafe Blog Award Voting is going on between now and Dec 31st. There are several search engine and marketing related categories including:

Best Google Blog
Best Yahoo! Blog
Best Microsoft Blog
Best Webvertising Blog
Best SEO Blog
Best Marketing Blog

This blog, Online Marketing Blog is somehow mentioned in the Best SEO Blog category along with some very good company: 

On Wednesday, December 21 Google is conducting a webinar to present new features with AdSense.

Recently, a better search box has been implemented as well as the option to have AdSense reports emailed to you. 

I was hoping Jen would have more info, at least publicly, but she’s smarter than to give any more info than necessary. I’m not sure if you can still sign up, but if so it would be here.

According to Darren Rowse, of Problogger:

"They’ll be looking at the referrals program, onsite advertiser sign up and section targeting among other things."

Here is the first session I was able to attend at the Chicago Search Engine Strategies conference: 
Earning from Search and Contextual Ads -  A session on how web site owners (content publishers) can monetize their content by carrying search results and contextual ads. Describes programs available and successful practices.

The session was moderated by Andrew Goodman of PageZero

Speakers included: Will Johnson - Yahoo, Scott Meyer - About.com, Jennifer Slegg - Jensense and Satya Patel - Google.

First up was Jennifer Slegg:  Making Money with Contextual Advertising.

Jen started out by comparing Google and YPN: