Why Comparison Ads Are Good

The most obvious benefit is that given by Google; it allows users to make a quick comparison of different offers and take action easily. Also, for some advertisers, only having to pay once a lead or phone call comes in (instead of paying for lots of clicks that don’t convert) will be a blessing.

Why Comparison Ads Are Evil

Basically, Comparison Ads are evil because this gives Google more power and advertisers less power. Just look at the example that Google put on their own blog. The screenshot shows 9 lenders, all on the same page with their name, APR, fees, two lines of ad copy and call-to-action buttons all lines up in pretty little rows. How does a lender set themselves apart? Are two lines of ad copy enough to convey your competitive advantages?

As a consumer I would look at this page and the first thing I would do is look for the lowest APR (which Google has conveniently bolded and enlarged). Then I would look at the fees and payment info next to the APR. See what’s happening? Pure price comparison. You no longer have landing pages to convey your message. You will always be listed right next to your competitors. This should make AdWords advertisers very nervous.

So What?

I’m interested to hear your thoughts. Hopefully I’ve got you thinking and if I’m wrong I want to hear why because I would dearly like to be wrong on this one.

An EMBA or Executive MBA is a similar program, but one that is shorter in length and meant for executives who have been in the business world for some time and have some experience under their belts. It has its own advantages, but the general perception is that it is tailored to suit people who are already in positions of responsibility.

If you’re wondering which of the two degrees will work for you, take into consideration the following points before you make your decision:

• If you’re fresh out of college, it’s best to go for an MBA. You would not qualify for an EMBA which often requires at least three years of work experience.
• If you don’t have time on your side, you’re better off going with an EMBA. If you cannot take time off from work or if you don’t want to spend two years on a degree course, an EMBA would do just as well as an MBA.
• If your company is sponsoring your degree, you’re most likely going to have to take an EMBA course, because this is often custom-designed for working executives.
• If you want to study a comprehensive course, you’d do well to choose the MBA because the coursework is more detailed.
• Depending on the school you choose, some EMBA programs are very hastily put together and often resemble MBA programs hacked and joined together here and there.
• EMBA classes often have fewer students.
• If you’re a mature adult, you may find an MBA class filled with typical college students who may not be as serious about the degree as you are.

No matter what your choice of degree, ensure that you choose a good school, because at the end of the day, your degree is only as worthy as the reputation and legitimacy of the school you choose to earn it from.

This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of online executive mba programs. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com

Getting Started

To start things off B gave me a call just introducing herself and explaining the general reason why she was calling. We had a good chat and she let me know that she was available as a resource. She also asked me to pick a client’s campaign that they could look at and give suggestions for improvement. I chose a campaign in a tough niche and let them take a whack at it.

B got back to me in a couple days with the suggestions. There weren’t any magic beans, but the advice confirmed some things I had been observing as well as pointing out a couple of additional opportunities. At that point we scheduled a meeting for B and her team to speak with our team here, including the company president.

The call between our team and their team repeated a lot of the information B and I had discussed in our initial call, but this forum allowed for everyone to get on the same page. Our president was impressed with Google’s initiative and enjoyed having a direct contact, so it was definitely a success.

Followup

As you all know, when work gets busy you tend to put your head down and crank (at least that’s what I do.) Therefore I was surprised to see Google come up on my caller ID since I hadn’t reached out to them. The call was from B to check up on how we were doing and ask if there was anything she could assist with. This reminded me that we had a proposal out to a client and that she could get me some stats on the space (# of impressions, keywords suggestions, CPC) to help with the proposal. It was much appreciated.

The Lesson…

I bring this up as a demonstration of a pattern I observed:

1. Initiate The Relationship: Keep it low-pressure, offer something of value and deliver on your promise
2. Reinforce The Relationship: Involve key stakeholders to gain support
3. Follow-Up: Reach out to show you care and again offer something of value

For me, the biggest part is follow-up. This requires you to be proactive and consistent. What are you doing to follow-up with your customers/clients?

ROI: The Pot of Gold or the Man Behind the Curtain?

Many people I talk to believe that ROI is the pot of gold at the end of the PPC rainbow. The higher the ROI the better. Nothing could be better, right?

I mention the man behind the curtain (via The Wizard of Oz) to highlight that many advertisers don’t know what really drives their PPC ROI. They pull levers, push buttons and turn knobs in a desperate effort to make the magical ROI increase. But do you know what all of those levers, buttons and knobs are really doing? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

The Ad

If the image is too small for you, it says “Hideous, obnoxious condos – www.redlodge.com – lousy snow, lame nightlife and surly locals want your cash now”. And yes, my friend did click the ad, which goes to this very normal page about ski lodges. There are two possible reasons for this ad.

Reason #1: A Bold PPC Strategy

My friend clicked the ad because he just had to know what was on the other side of such a negative ad. We are so accustomed to ads that are positive and are trying to sell us something. Want to stand out from the crowd? Write ads that criticize your product. Your conversion rates might not be very good, but the CTR should be healthy.

Reason #2: Disgruntled PPC Manager

More likely is the theory that someone at the Red Lodge made their PPC manager (or someone with access to the PPC campaign) very, very angry. In revenge, they changed the PPC ads. Simple, yet effective at making your old boss pay (literally). So what do you think? Bold PPC strategy or disgruntled employee?

Google Campaign Insights

In short, Campaign Insights is an attempt to attach metrics to impressions in the content network (currently a money black hole for many advertisers) by utilizing the massive amount of search data that Google possesses. These metrics are generated by comparing two groups: one large group who saw your ads and one large group that didn’t. Campaign Insights then compares search behavior and visits to your site to determine if the impressions had any effect on their behavior. That is pretty dang cool.

For those people who worry about privacy concerns, Google only uses data from Google Toolbar users who have opted in to enhanced features. Also, the data is anonymized as well as obfuscated by the size of the groups being analyzed. Translation to all that jargon: nobody knows your search history.

Get Lucky PJs

Honestly, look how happy that guy is to be wearing his very own Get Lucky Flannel PJs. Truly a must have for the holiday season.

Mistakes I Made

The 100th Post/100 Comments ideas was really spontaneous, so as you can imagine I made some mistakes. First, I didn’t have a plan. When I try a similar idea in the future I will have a much clearer idea of what I’m offering, how it benefits my audience and a more specific tactical plan for promotion. Second, I didn’t involve as many people as I could have. At first I thought getting to 100 wouldn’t be that hard, so I didn’t tap some slower moving channels (LinkedIn and Facebook) early enough.

What I Did Right

First, I set a goal that required me to stretch and really work. 100 comments is a lot. More than I realized. But I wouldn’t lower the goal even if I had it to do over. Second, I found out the true measure of my best online friends. When I needed a hand they didn’t just leave a comment, they tweeted it out or told their friends. They went out of their way to help simply because I asked. Lastly, I was able to introduce new people to my blog. I’ve posted regularly since January and have great content. I write new content each week to help my readers learn more about PPC, internet marketing and me.

Again, a big thank you to everyone who commented. I appreciate your time and friendship. If I can ever return the favor, just ask.

PS I’m still hoping to achieve 100 comments on my 100th post, so if you didn’t get a chance to comment (or even if you did) please jump on over and drop a comment.