What was once considered a slap is now becoming a permanent BAN on Google. Has this happened to you recently? You log into your AdWords account only to find something like this: What's worse is that some of these previously "approved campaigns" of yours were run over 6 months ago and set to pause. You thought you were fine right? Since they were approved at the time and to measure your results you decided to 'pause' your campaign....WRONG. Google is pissing off a lot of people these days, by either placing an immediate ban on their AdWords account (without warning) or changing their 'algorithm' enough to cause a major drop in search engine rankings. A friend of mine sent me this email from Google: "The reason your account is suspended is because it violates our guidelines on Landing Page Quality. Your landing page violates our guidelines User Safety, mainly because of misleading and inaccurate claims. In response to multiple complaints received from users and publishers about this category of ads, it is Google’s policy to not accept ads that make inaccurate or misleading claims regarding the product being promoted"

The good old days are definitely gone. Google is now maturing and preferring "pretty" looking sites with relevant and transparent information so expect the move towards 'mini-sites". In fact, affiliate marketing using PPC to drive traffic to squeeze pages are dying because of Google's landing page and site quality guidelines. Now to play by Google rules, we need to decipher Google's guideline so the next part is pretty boring as it's information derived directly from Google however I've summarised the main points for you. What Google Wants: The quality of your site impacts the overall quality of your ads. A good landing page provides useful, relevant and unique information that is easy to navigate. All sites within Google's network (content & search) must offer significant value and unique content. Types of sites that often receive low landing page quality scores and may violate landing policies are:

• Sites which offer little to no unique value or functionality
• Sites that show users more ads than content
• Sites with the primary purpose of driving traffic to other sites with a different domain
• Sites that offer no additional value, because they copy or mirror all or most of their content from another site
• Shopping aggregators that offer only one to three merchants to compare from -- additionally, many of these merchants are shopping aggregators themselves
• Data collection sites that offer free items or other incentives to collect users’ personal information
• Sites that try to trick users into revealing personal information by appearing to be from a legitimate source (e.g. banks or credit card issuers)
• Sites that promote outrageous claims about easily making a lot of money with low risk and minimal effort
• Sites that distribute malicious or harmful software to users through downloads or other sources
• Sites that hide billing terms and conditions or aim to deceive users on pricing or billing
• Sites that make inaccurate or misleading claims regarding the product being promoted
• Site that promote low-quality affiliate advertisements or the sale of free items
• Sites that promote selling counterfeit goods, attempt to deceive consumers into believing the counterfeit is a genuine product of the brand owner, or sell their goods as faux, replicas, imitations, or clones of the original product

In summary, Google is looking for 3 things: 1. Relevant and Original Content 2. Transparency and 3. Navigability. The Things That Affect You As A Marketer: Instead of giving you ALL the details, here are some of the finer points that you must know:

Yup! I'm now Google Individual Qualified!

Continuing on from my last post  " How To Pass The Google Adwords Certification Program", I can now officially say I'm Google Certified by complete the advanced exams in 'Display Advertising'.

With a score of 90% , I"m grinning from ear to ear.

Now some tips for those choosing the Display Advanced Exam:

• It's really only modules 8 & 9 so make an effort to READ every line.
• Use www.ipassexam.com to practice display advertising type  questions - yes I used these practice tests for my fundamentals exam and indeed used it again to prepare for the display exam.
• Know the various display sizes for the display network including youtube, the various types of video ads, difference between automatic and managed placements, optimization strategies for display, which tools can provide you with insights for your campaign's performance etc
• They're all in module 8 & 9 and can be read in one day.

Here are some typical multiple choice questions you might face in the exam:

• An advertiser is running a big display network campaign using text ads only. They are seeing no 'view through conversions' on that campaign at all even though they seeing a very large number of conversions. What is the reason for this?

Answer: View through conversions are not reported for text creatives

• To see data for the placement performance report in your campaigns tab, you need to click on the ?

Answer: Networks tab

• If ads on the display network are getting little or no impressions, and advertiser should start investigating by confirming the campaign is active, ads are approved, and ads have been marked:

Answer: Family safe

"If your display campaign doesn't seem to be ramping up or is not meeting your online objectives, there are some basic steps you can take to help you identify and solve the issue. If your display ads are accruing little or no impressions:

1. Confirm that your campaign, ad group, and ads are active.
2. Verify that your ads are approved. Ads that are pending approval or disapproved will not run on the Google Display Network
3. Check that your ad has been marked "Family Safe." Most sites on the Google Display Network only accept Family Safe ads.
4. If using managed placements, verify that the placements you're targeting accept display ads in the sizes you have in your campaign. You can do this either through the Placement Tool or Google Ad Planner.
5. Confirm that your bid is high enough for your ads to appear. Regardless of the pricing model you've chosen for your campaign, a bid that is too low will prevent your ad from showing. Remember, your bid for a display ad must be higher than the combination of all of the text ads that would have shown in that ad unit in order for the display ad to show. Consider raising your bids if you want to give your display ads a better chance of winning more auctions."

• One of the factors that affects quality score on the display network is:

Answer: Quality of landing page

The last example question is most relevant to both the search and display network as more and more ads are continually being disapproved or worse, having your Adwords accounts banned due to landing page violations.

Now that I'm done with the exam, I'm going to have a go at running some tests through the display networks and see what sticks!

Oh here's the badge I get to hang on my site :)

 

 

Leadsjet provides a way for Business Owners located anywhere in the world to leverage the Internet into leads and customers for their businesses without having to learn a thing about Internet Marketing (IM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), or Search Engine Marketing (SEM: PPC, Adwords) etc.

Every Business, small OR large has one need in common: A Steady Supply Of New Leads And Customers. And in this day and age, the Internet is the choice of most people when doing ANY sort of "Buying" research- the "yellow pages" are practically a thing of the past. But this can cause a problem for many businesses...

The main challenges facing the business owner in generating new business from the Internet is that typically they have no experience in any of the key areas of web site design, layout, optimization, etc. Even if they do somehow manage to get a site up, and it may look very "pretty", they usually do a dismal job at performing the intended function, which is the capture of qualified lead traffic.

How Can LeadsJet Help My Business?

Getting a web site created that performs the task of supplying new, pre-qualified customer leads is no simple thing- indeed, most professional web designers fail miserably at it- while their designs may be works of art, they don't do the job, and it's not their fault... They just don't GET IT.

There are also many different ways to get traffic to a web site, including expensive and often ineffective advertising, SEO optimization for high placement for related terms in search engines, paying per click via Google Adwords, or similar services. These are all incredibly competitive services, and the business owner usually needs to employ very expensive professional consultants to get high-quality, usable traffic from these services.

With LeadsJet, all that hassle is now a thing of the past! Now, a business person can come to Leadsjet.com, and after a simple, intuitive registration process will immediately be able to bid for and receive highly targeted, local business leads developed by our extensive network of publisher partner's web sites. No website, PPC, SEO, or other marketing models or systems will be required.

How Exactly Does LeadsJet Work?

Once you are registered and active in the LeadsJet System, you will be presented with a brief video tutorial displaying how to use the LeadsJet System and Web site to enhance your user experience. You will then visit the LeadsJet Main Interface and select the category you would like leads delivered to you from, as well as the country / region / market. If your desired category, country, region, or market is not listed in the LeadsJet System, you may then suggest this new region/market to us to be listed.

Once the region/market has been approved by LeadsJet administrators, all of our thousands of web site owners in the system are emailed and alerted to a new customer needing websites to collect leads from. Once a site owner creates a website specifically for this market/region, the business owner (you) is emailed instantly alerting you to the new website that you can bid on and collect leads from instantly.

Once you've selected your desired category/region/market, you will also be shown a list of appropriate websites that you can bid on to collect leads from. Each of the websites will have a live informational link that you can visit to get information about that website, i.e. how many visitors it is getting per month, etc. This enables our business owners to make an informed decision on which sites to bid for leads on.

Once you have chosen a widget to collect leads from, you are presented with the minimum bid amount needed to have these leads emailed to you.

If at a later point in time a user outbids another user, the losing bidder will be emailed alerting them that they have been out-bid, and they can then return and increase their bid accordingly (or decline).

Upon a successful bid submission, the Small Business owner will have the opportunity to place a text message (of up to 150 characters) that will be displayed below the lead capture form on the web sites, e.g. "Use this coupon code to save 10% on our best price by entering your details above".

How Much Do Leads Cost?
Short answer is, whatever the market decides they are worth. During the bidding process, you set the maximum you are willing to pay for leads. If you are outbid, you will be notified and given an opportunity to either increase your bid or decline. The default bid for leads starts at USD$1.00

How Do I Pay For Leads?

During Registration and creation of your profile, you'll create what's called a "Pre-approval Agreement" and click on a link confirming that you agree to be billed by LeadsJet for each lead collected. Each time you are supplied a lead, your Paypal account is debited the amount you bid for that lead instantly. There are NO minimums or ongoing commitments of any kind- you can turn your LeadsJet on or off at will!

Why Is Your Default Bid A Buck? I Can Get Adwords For 5 Cents A Click!
Right... A CLICK. A LeadsJet Lead is NOT a "Click". It's a LEAD- A Real, Live Human who has filled out a form requesting that you contact them- that would be like comparing a roller-skate to a Lamborghini...

OK SO HOW DO I GET STARTED?

Head to http://leadsjet.info to sign up for FREE and get live leads immediately.

See you later

Aimee

Just wanted to let you know that I passed my Google Adwords Fundamental exam and scored a pass mark of 90%! If you're  looking to update your search skills and would like to become Individually Qualified in Google AdWords,  you will need to pass both the Advertising Fundamentals exam and one advanced-level exam either in 'search', 'display' or 'analytics'. Here are some tips to pass the first exam - the Google Advertising Fundamentals exam:

• Read all the relevant notes in the Adword's Learning Centre
• Consider paying £15.00 and practice answering the multiple choice questions at Ipassexam.com. There are over 300+ exam style question to help you be better prepared. This was extremely helpful in preparing me for the exams.
• Study Modules 4, 13 and 15 of the Adwords Learning Centre.
• There were a lot of questions on the various Adwords targeting and placement formats (Module 4), know how bidding and pricing (CPC & CPM) is calculated/measured and location targeting options.
• Know your Google tools and the reports you can generate and what it's useful for.
• Review your notes again, practice makes perfect :)

There are 113 multiple choice exams and you're given a duration of 3 hours to complete it. You will need to purchase an exam through an independent third party and use your Google Candidate ID to register and sit for the exam. You will need a score of 85% to pass the exam. Once you've passed, take one more advanced level exam (search, display or analytics) and then you will be Google Individual Qualified. I'm now studying for the 'display' exam so one more to go and then I'll be Google Qualified :) Good Luck and if you have any questions, drop your comments below and I'll be more than happy to help out. Chat Later Aimee

I have a confession....

I've ran a few Adwords campaigns and blogged on Google Adwords but am not Google Adwords certified.

So as part of my new year's goals for 2011, I will be blocking out this week to study for the exam and hopefully become officially accredited by Google within 2 weeks time.

In case you don't know what the Google Adwords Certification Program is all about, here's a brief synopsis:

Professionals looking to update and demonstrate search skills to employers can study and certify to become Individually Qualified in Google AdWords. To gain qualification, exam takers must pass both the Advertising Fundamentals exam and one advanced-level exam.

I'm currently revising the fundamental exams as we speak and will aim to sit for the advanced level exams in search and display advertising once I've passed the fundamentals.

Once qualified, individuals receive a Google-branded certificate and can add their Individually Qualified status to their CV to showcase their AdWords skills and knowledge.

Here are some of the benefits if you decide to be Google certified as well:

• Improved knowledge & practical application of AdWords tools
• Globally recognized stamp of approval certifying essential AdWords knowledge
• Showcase specialist knowledge through advanced exams covering search, display, reporting & analysis

I guess I want that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with such a grand accomplishment and besides, I really want this fancy logo on my websites  :P

Stay tuned, I'll update you in 2 weeks time once I've completed the exam and provide tips for those considering to undertake the program.

Chat soon

Aimee

What better way to kick off a fantastic journey for 2011 than my FIRST cruise to the exotic Caribbean and setting sail from Port Everglades Ft Lauderdale in Florida to the beautiful locations Grand Turk, Catalina, Curacao and Aruba. The organizers of the Internet Marketers Cruise didn't fails in over-delivering and promising such an amazing cruise, and I want to personally thank the organizers Mike Filsaime, Donna Fox and of course our Captain Lou Edwards on organizing a million-dollar mastermind vacation of a lifetime! With post card locations and fine dining on board, such an array of fun filled activities the cruise has exceeded my expectations and i would definitely recommend the cruise for anyone starting out as an internet marketer. During the 8 days on board the ship, I decided to take the time to not only meet amazing people but also reflect on the year 2010 ....and what an amazing year it has been! I've had some unforgettable experience on the cruise some i will treasure for the rest of my life and some memories i will cherish for many years to come. Here are some of my favorite memories from Internet Marketers Cruise 2011… [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="449" caption="The Mavericks & Me"] [/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="320" caption="Meeting Mike Filsaime!"] [/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="304" caption="Famous copywriter Mike Morgan!"] [/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="Frank & Caryl Sousa (Creator of TrafficGeyser)"] [/caption] [caption id="attachment_452" align="alignnone" width="311" caption="Katie Joy, Deborah Cole Micek, Veronica Montelongo, Tom Beal, Simon Leung, Joanna Kinsman, Aimee Vo"] [/caption] There are so many more  memories captured and I would encourage you to visit my Facebook page to see all the photos posted from fellow cruisers of this amazing vacation… Remember, you too can experience this amazing life... check out next year's 2012 Caribbean Adventure: http://aimeevo.com/go/marketerscruise/ "Whatever the mind conceives, It will Achieve"! Wishing you all a prosperous 2011.

My business associate Peter Drew is launching Leadsjet. Watch this video as Pete discusses how he developed this amazing system and how you can automate customer leads for your local business without having to know anything about SEO or Google Adwords.

Click the play button now!

Yes I know... it's been a long time but I've been really busy  - excuses I know :) Due to popular demand, I'm will be incorporating videos from on my blog from now on. I'm all about list building and since a friend ask my help in creating a squeeze page for her blog, I thought I take the time out to show you how to do this. Lots of love & have a fab day! Aimee [pro-player width="500" height="305"]http://siteproweb.com/_u/video/26974_0_wordpresssqueezepage.mov[/pro-player] Blank template (Right Click, Save As & Download, Then Extract file)

Whether you have an online business or a bricks and mortar business, starting and growing your business requires time and dedication. Think of the reasons why you went in business in the first place. More often than not you started the business because it was a means, a vehicle, to give you the lifestyle that you want and if you are smart enough to automate your business, it will give you time freedom. Time to spend with your family, time to travel and time to enjoy the money you made. I have seen people start a business simply because they were bored of their existing job or wanted to do something 'different'- they are simply buying themselves another job.

Motivation and focus is the key. The 7 ways to growing your business is not based on random marketing tips, it is a small business blueprint to automating and expanding your business. The system I am about to explain is very simple yet effective. The key lies in systemizing each area of your business so that it runs without you.

There are 7 areas of your businesses that you should have systemize (this applies to both online and offline - so you don't remain directionless):

1. Defining Your Business:

• Do you have a quality product or service and does it solve a problem?
• Determine your Unique Selling Point (USP) by asking yourself what makes your business, product or service different and what is it that you do that other people do not do?

This then becomes your business motto or elevator speech. For example "We help small to medium business owners get more customers online and offline using direct response and internet marketing strategies"

2. Set Your Goals and Objectives:

• What are your financial goals for the business? People often ignore goal setting however be specific about your goals and state the time frame for achieving this goal.
• What are your business objectives: consider this as your exit strategy, do you want to expand, franchise, sell or float the business? Know where you want your business to be in the future.

3. Select and Target:

• Who are your prospective buyers or another words, what's your target market?
• Are they of a certain demographic, location, culture, online or offline?

4. Setup Monitoring and Measuring:

• Implement measuring and measuring systems. If your business is online you should have access install Google Analytics to see the number of visitors you get to your site and set up different tracking ids. If you're business is offline, have reports in place to track and measure your advertising campaigns.
• Consider this area as your key performance indicators determine what is working and what is NOT working for your business.

5. Generate Interest and Leads:

• Creating an irresistible offer: One that gets people opting-in to your list (if you're online) or and getting people to try you out in you have a physical store. Sometimes the best way to get someone to know you is to give it away for free.
• Offline methods: Ads, fax, letters, emails, outbound calls, walk-ins, cold calling, direct mail, workshops etc
• Online: Social media (Twitter, Face book, You tube), PPC advertising, SEO, Affiliate Programs etc

6. Make the Sale and Up-sell:

• Training: Once you get clients in your door, have you trained your staff well enough so that they know what to say and what to do to create a great first impression?
• Training videos: Film the training with you carrying out your staff's role and have them model it
• Ask your prospects to buy once you have serviced them and explained the features and benefits
• At the point of sale, up-sell on complimentary products/services that would add value to your client's initial purchase

7. After the Sale and Repeat Sales:

• Follow up now that they are clients
• Build a relationship and keep in contact with them consistently by newsletters, emails.
• Send them gift baskets, thank you notes and birthday cards
• Encourage referrals and reward your clients with VIP card (with discount offers) for their ongoing loyalty

Make sure you record everything you do so that you can automate the process when outsourcing.

By step 7, you should have a repeat customer who values your business and is happy enough to refer their friends and family. That is the system that you want to guide your clients through and your client's referrals will go through the same system that your client experienced. By having business systems in place for both online and offline businesses, you business will grow in leaps and bounds.

I no longer see small businesses as small - with the ever increasing online outlets to market products and services, the traditional small business owner now have the opportunity to become big. Building relationships is key to developing your brand name and securing your place in the online world. Effective marketing of your brand increases familiarity and connection with your targeted clientele. Consequently, this makes them more likely to pick you over the competition. The widespread popularity of social media now makes it one of the best marketing mediums available. The internet has become relevant and instrumental to almost every aspect of our lives. Going beyond an information provider, social media is a source of entertainment, a means of social networking and an outlet for creative expression.  Given its vast impact of our lives, it holds all the more potential as a vehicle for influencing impressions and creating niche markets. What social media marketing does is introduce your small business to a community of potential customers. The various marketing tools and strategies work together; to raise the profile of your business and increasing its standing and credibility in the eyes of the target market. It also serves as a platform for you to learn more about your niche clientele and how to best go about pleasing them. You do not need a degree or top notch computer skills to come up with your own online marketing strategy. There are simple and easy to implement options that even the most unskilled beginner can make use of. Fundamental to the success of your online marketing plan, is identifying your niche market and learning more about the wants and needs of these would-be customers. This knowledge will equip you with the ability to package your goods and services in a manner that will best serve your potential clients needs. Simple social media marketing tools range from blogging, tweeting, facebooking, to forum posting and youtubing are now paving the way for business owners. Not only are business owners developing relationships but they're also establishing themselves as an expert in the particular field. Furthermore, creating backlinks and increased traffic back to their website. These day's business owners are abandoning the traditional website and taking on blogs to market their wares. Blogging is a fresh and fun way of displaying new content online instead of the regular catalogue style of advertising while, banner advertisements go a long way towards raising your business profile. The internet offers the small business owner a vast array of options to market his products and services. When effectively used, social media marketing can not only generate income but raise a better profile and connect businesses to their targeted customers.