Laws Of Display Advertising physics

I am a bit close to physics and when I saw the post about physics and advertising, I was a bit intrigued!
Recently Android Team made headlines for being closer to the outer limits of our galaxy and the Google Advertising, not to be out done, created this "Big Bang" of their own.
So they laid out these three "laws of display advertising physics" in relation to the display advertising;

1. The Theory of Relativity: The distinction between different advertising technologies (like ad networks and demand side platforms) is blurring. Each of these technologies provides similar ways to achieve your marketing goals, depending on how you want to manage your campaign.
   
   
2. Fusion Theory: There’s a few different ways to deliver ads to people. Each on their own is powerful, but combining these different ways unlocks the best results.
   
   
3. The Law of Perpetual Motion: New technology is driving rapid change in display advertising—which is constantly improving marketers’ creative palettes and the way that ads are bought and sold. Embracing new media and technology provides a key way for marketers to differentiate and grow their businesses in a new universe.

Great but I think Android Team still got the edge! :)

Official Google Blog: The three laws of display advertising physics

100 links or fewer per page, Google Guideline, Is It Still Valid?

Google Webmaster Help Channel and Matt Cutts explained why the 100 Links per page limit does not hold value now. He also explains why you should have thousands of links and how that could affect the page rank. Mr. Cutts answered a question from "Blind Five Year Old, from San Francisco California. Short but very valuable informative video.

Groupon + ShopSavvy = Deals Near You!

ShopSavvy, the app that everyone use to do comparison shopping near the location where one is or online is getting a new partner today, Groupon!
Shopsavvy help you to find the best deal by analyzing the barcode you scan and doing a product lookup to find comprable deals on products nearby or online. ShopSavvy  Groupon partnership will help the app to push further in to the Geo Location arena and to offer Shopsavvy's over 10 million users the ability to see relevant local deals in its “Deals” tab.

“ShopSavvy plans to enhance Groupon’s value for our users by sending them only the deals we know they will be interested in, based on their shopping history, location and preferences,” co-founder Alexander Muse confirmed.

Via TechCrunch

Coke Sends "Happiness Truck" To Rio

Following up on Coke's successful Happiness Machine video, Coke has created the new video, Happiness Truck, with an international flavor.


Somehow I like the Happiness Machine!

Ad Blitz Best Super Bowl Ad : Eminem Chrysler Ad

Even though it is two weeks ago we were glued to TV with beers in our hands, the super bowl excitement still goes on. The YouTube contest to find the best Super Bowl Ad continued and You tube now has announced the winner of best Super Bowl Ad, it is the Eminem Chrysler Ad below. Alas we liked the Volkswagen Super bowl Ad. I guess cuteness has no place in this rapper world perhaps out of place, like the Groupon Chinese Curry! It seems Cars dominated the Superbowl ads anyway.


YouTube Blog: Ad Blitz winner revealed

AdSense eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions): Explained

effective Cost for Per thousand iMpressions, sounds pretty technical but in simple words, it is the amount of revenue one can expect to earn from AdSense, per every 1000 impressions shown on one's site.
eCPM could be helpful in many ways to a site owner or a publisher. it is a fine example of how your site and advertisements on it are performing. ( If you were looking for eCPM on your AdSense control panel, you will not find it. But what you will find is the RPM, Revenue Per thousand iMpressions, which means the same as eCPM.)
On the control panel, one could check performance data, broken down in periods and you will see the RPM based on those period. day, yesterday, last 7 days, last 30 days and so on. Longer the period, more accurate the data will.be.
Now that we know what it is, the obvious next question is "what are the factors that govern the eCPM? and another sure fire question, "what could one do to improve and earn a high eCPM?"
But the good people of AdSense have come to our aid and have kicked off a two part video series to explain and inform all about AdSense eCPM.
The first part of the series, AdSense Manager, Matthew Carpenter Arevalo introduce us to the basics of how eCPM is calculated and explain how to analyze the causes behind any changes in your eCPM.


There is more information on eCPM at the help center as well.
Understanding your eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions): Part 1 of 2 - Inside AdSense

Chrome 10 Beta A Supercharged Browser

Faster browsers will turn the internet experience a complete and smoother one. Such experiences can only result in better profits for business'. Chrome seem to be doing a fine job in providing us with browser that get  faster and faster, in months not years.
Don't take my word for it, just look at the chart below which shows the latest iteration of Chrome, Chrome 10 Beta is 66% faster than the Chrome 9, in the V8 Benchmark Suite. You can pitch your current browser against Chrome and see to performance.

This version brings GPU accelerated video and I am sure we will see a significantly less CPU usage, now we experience with any browser. Synchronizing saved passwords, which could be encrypted, is added to syncing bookmarks, preferences, themes and extensions. So now you can do seamless transitions between computers and have all the tools at your fingertips.
You can find Sync capabilities under "Personal Stuff" under Chrome's setting dialog.



Google Chrome Blog: Faster than a speeding rabbit: speed, sync, and settings

AdWords Automated Rules, Every Advertiser Can Use Them Now.

Google announced today that all AdWords advertisers could use the AdWords automated rules. Last December Google AdWords allowed some of it's advertisers to use and test the AdWords automated rules, which automated changes to the AdWords account based on specific criteria.
It is very advantageous for AdWords advertisers who change their accounts a lot like stopping and starting their ads based on certain times, adjust bids and other such tasks.
To get started, Google has a lot of help at AdWords Help Center, where you could learn how to use the feature. If you are a user of the feature you also can provide feedback to compliment or point out ways to improve the program by filling up this survey.
Automated rules now available to all advertisers - Inside AdWords

Valentine Day, Shoes of Prey, And A Lot Of Analytics, But No Cocolate.

Google Analytics blog alerted us to the JAPAC article (Link Below) how Shoes of Prey using Google Analytics and Google Alerts to be informative about blogs and websites that generate traffic and of course sales.

The company keeps tab on referrals and other traffic sources and using Google Analytics Intelligence Alerts to single out most valuable of the lot, the converting traffic.
In addition to Google Analytics, They also use traffic patterns and other information to stay on the top.
Best of the article is that they explain the techniques used in their method, follow the link to find out.

So where is the Valentine? yes just like Jeff Gills and Vinoj Vijeykumaar, I am sure Matt Cutts would have ordered these shoes instead of Heart shaped Pizza. ( I gave her a nice dinner and I got Chocolate)
JAPAC: Shoes of Prey Stay Alert to Positive Buzz Via Google Analytics Blog: Happy Valentine's Day

Google Chrome Will Let Me Keep My Opt-Outs

Google announced today that it's  Chrome will  let me Keep My Opt-Outs, allowing me to opt out permanently from ad tracking cookies, like Adobe Supercookies (But I wonder if embedded flash on Chrome does it or we have to shut the doors on Adobe ourselves, like described in the preceding link).
The  Keep My Opt-Outs is available as an extension for download in Chrome.
The reason behind the Keep My Opt-Outs is the FTC's interest in protecting US consumers from AD tracking companies, with "Do Not Track" initiative. The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) formed by a group of advertising companies already let people opt out of personalized tracking for the purposes of personalizing advertisements. There are also many online advertisers and trade associations have also joined a major self-regulatory effort to enforce a uniform privacy icon for ads, as well as opt-out guidelines.
The Google's Keep My Opt-Outs is filling the technical void that exists today to just that, The extension alleviate most of the problems of opting out from these ads and yet allow regular ads to appear.
You can read more at Google Public policy blog.

Dirty Little Pennies, Google Algorithm And BlackHat SEO

It looks like the first failed and the second works. The third, BlackHat SEO worked for a while and failed when it was discovered.
I just finished reading an article on NYTimes on Dirty Little Search Secrets, directed to by a tweet by Google Spam Guru Matt Cutts. Blackhat SEO, can backfire sometimes, like it did in the case of J.C.Penny;

J.C.Penny has managed to come through with $17.8 Billion dollars of holiday sales, for the first time since 2001. So even though Penny denies it, experts think the blackhat SEO helped J.C.Penny amass some cash through link love. Links that can bring you up in the Google searches, back down when Google or it's algorithms detect the fact. J.C. Penney just experienced both;

   At 7 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, J. C. Penney was still the No. 1 result for “Samsonite carry on luggage.”

    Two hours later, it was at No. 71.

    At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Penney was No. 1 in searches for “living room furniture.”

    By 9 p.m., it had sunk to No. 68.

    In other words, one moment Penney was the most visible online destination for living room furniture in the country.

    The next it was essentially buried.

It is a very good article, 5 pages long with a lot of information.

NYTimes.

Retail Advertising, Tips and Tricks From Google Retail Advertising.

Google AdWords team managers will be writing a series of articles focusing on tips and tricks for online adverting for particular industry. It kicked off this month with initial blog post "Tips and tricks for Financial Services advertisers" focusing on Financial Industry.

This weeks article focuses on Retail Industry and seasonality! Seasonality is a common thread for all retail business, be it a Mom and Pop shop selling products, small travel business, tiny service company and say a clothing store.
Your product and services will change with the seasons and so should your advertising.
Just say instead of feel the heat to stock up on swimsuits, use available tools to find out actually when people are looking for swimsuits and the search volume. One way is to use last years information, to visualize insights into swimsuits, like above. The pattern is obvious but have a look at how the search volume changes over the time, and by state. Perhaps Local Business could learn some thing there. In any case, year over year, you can see that swimsuit search starts early as January (People going Hawaii or other warmer climes?) . So the trick of advertising as early as possible, will bring in those customers to your business.
But something I learned is "Remarketing Tool", A Google Ad Innovation. See the video below for an introduction. It allows you to keep a track on your customers and offer your products as times change. Like people who purchased flowers from you on Valentine day might also be interested on your Mother's day specials. (For more information on holiday sales, checkout www.google.com/thinkholiday)
Either way keep optimizing your advertising. Continues attension will lead to a very well shining advertising vehicle. Start with going places with Google Places.



Google Retail Blog: Tips and Tricks for Retail Advertisers

Click-to-Call For Smartphones Are Calling Advertisers,

Google Click to Call for smartphones are in a swing and swinging advertisers their way. So are the users, who realize the value of having a click2call number included in an advertising campaign. According to the two posts below, Click-to-Call for smartphones has come a long way, with a little push and support from Google. But the Click-to-Call ads on both search and the Google Display Network are generating millions of calls every month on mobile phones and driving strong performance for advertisers.
If you are an advertiser, it is pretty easy to add Click-to-Call for smartphones to your campaigns;

• Location extensions -- display your local business phone number to nearby users on mobile devices with full browsers. View instructions for enabling location extensions.
• Phone extensions -- display your national or vanity phone number to all users on mobile devices with full browsers. View instructions for enabling phone extensions. 

Official Google Blog Via Click-To-Call For Smartphones, How Googlers Do It

Is Volkswagen Super Bowl Ad, The Best Super Bowl Ad?

The Volkswagen super bowl ad pulled a good one here, the cute factor has almost makes you forget about the taroubles we have, even the car, almost

Groupon Super Bowl Ad, China Does Not Like The Fish Curry!

looks like Groupon got noticed, at least their super bowl ad got noticed, (we are talking about it now) perhaps not in a very good way.
The ad which ends up Timothy Hutton eating fish curry in a Chicago based Himalayan restaurant did not curry flavor with China, perhaps because,

"The Tibetan people are in trouble, Their culture is in jeopardy," Hutton tells us with beautiful music against even more beautiful Tibetan backdrops and people.

Everyone, well almost everyone, (except the likes of Groupon's ad agency) know China is sensitive about Tibet and specially when a company like Groupon plans to expand in to China, the need to walk a fine line, when dealing with it. The ad was to generate support for The Tibet Fund, an organization that aims to preserve Tibetan culture.
Hutton continues, "But they still whip up an amazing fish curry!" with the commercial switching to Hutton sitting in a Chicago-area Himalayn restaurant.He continues to talk about a 50% discount he and other Groupon users got at a Himalayan restaurant in Chicago.
There were mixed reactions, Chinese people were not very happy with it, the owner of the Himalayan Restaurant in Chicago is not happy with it and even the Ad executives who praises the shock value of the Ad asks people to stay away from politics.
Groupon has reacted ""Like standing too close to a rainbow, viewers' hearts are warmed" by the Super Bowl ad.via Twitter. I am all for supporting Tibetan and many other people who are suppressed, but Groupon can help to keep its value up by playing a bit different, when socializing local business, you need to act better and try to catch every one, say like the Volkswagen ad! The best super bowl ad!
CNN

Deprogramming : Hyundai Super Bowl Ad

Which Super Bowl Ad is Better? #youtubeadblitz

Talk about your favorite commercials Just make sure to use the hashtag #youtubeadblitz
http://www.youtube.com/adblitz

Goals and ECommerce Tracking With Google Analytics - Web Analytics TV #16

The Google Analytics is one of the best sites to measure your web site performance. Be it a one hundred thousand page views per year or over a billion page views per month (Reddit, uses Google Analytics to measure / analyze humongous visitor statistics) all have the same capabilities. Like some analytics sites, which give you a taste to lure you in and charge you for the best information, Google Analytics does not do that. You get a lot of information about your sites.
As vastly informative as it is, you need some good training to get the best out of Google Analytics. Of many help and support avenues available for Google Analytics, one that stands out, Web Analytics TV.
Web Analytics TV is an interactive in some sense as you and me get to ask questions from Google Analytics team. You can also vote on your favorite question if someone has already asked the question. All this is done at GA Moderator site. The chosen question are answered by Avinash Kaushik and Nick Mihailovski, usually with a guest expert.
They also present "Analytics Ninja of the Eepisode" and gifts like copy of Web Analytics 2.0.
So start the learning process by watching the latest episode, #16. The discusion agenda with the time line is below the video and so is the link to the Analytics blog.

* (0:34) Detecting new local search engines in Google Analytics
* (1:11) Effects of browser Do Not Track features on Google Analytics
* (2:50) Is there anything you can do to reduce sampling in reports
* (4:56) Measuring visitors who have visited one page for more than 30s
* (5:50) Is passing a random visitor id in a visitor level custom var allowed?
* (7:03) Tracking Google Places paid ad referrals
* (8:18) Using jQuery to track outbound links
* (9:18) Ways to filter or segment on the day of week
* (10:05) When will Google Analytics work on devices that don’t support Flash
* (11:06) How to track e-commerce and goals that happen on a 3rd party site
* (12:37) Unique visitor metrics now available through the API
* (14:38) Tracking Ecommerce transactions in one web property in different profiles
* (15:45) Is it OK to track the name and email address with Google Analytics
* (16:23) Can you use events to track outbound links on your site
Google Analytics Blog: Web Analytics TV #16 - Goals and ECommerce Tracking Edition

Reduce Your SEO Work. Get To The Top On Google, And BING Will Automatically Put You On Top, Two For One.

May be BING needs tarsorrhaphy, as they have denied the fact they are getting Google results, perhaps they can't see, due to drooping eyelids!
I think folks at Microsoft thought they were smart when they started using Google search results. You say What? Yes I too said What gives? Yep, all crawlers to a network can fetch the same data, right. Yes so Google folks did some clever stuff, like creating until I saw this post by even smarter Google folks.
They have known that Bing was binging on Google results with a discovery of which started with a search on tarsorrhaphy, misspelled "torsorophy" and set out to dig evidence.
Next few months, they noticed that results for all kinds of queries: popular queries, rare or unusual queries and misspelled queries appearing on Bing, including results that Google thought mistakes of it's own algorithms.
In late October 2010 when Google noticed Google’s top search result appeared at the top of Bing’s ranking for a variety of queries in increased numbers.
So from then on the game was on; they created [hiybbprqag] and inserted page from Google's results which had nothing to do with the word.

We gave 20 of our engineers laptops with a fresh install of Microsoft Windows running Internet Explorer 8 with Bing Toolbar installed. As part of the install process, we opted in to the “Suggested Sites” feature of IE8, and we accepted the default options for the Bing Toolbar.

We asked these engineers to enter the synthetic queries into the search box on the Google home page, and click on the results, i.e., the results we inserted. We were surprised that within a couple weeks of starting this experiment, our inserted results started appearing in Bing. Below is an example: a search for [hiybbprqag] on Bing returned a page about seating at a theater in Los Angeles. As far as we know, the only connection between the query and result is Google’s result page (shown above).

Yes the results appeared on Bing pointing to the same result with had nothing to do with the query. This happened many a times it seems, according to Google Fellow Amit Singhal.
I like the following result, which queried [delhipublicschool40 chdjob] (Google inserted a credit union as a result to this query. You can see the result below.



Nice, all you SEO types, only need to work with Google, you will be automatically promoted to top in BING!
Google thinks, these experiments confirms their suspicion that Bing is using some combination of:

• Internet Explorer 8, which can send data to Microsoft via its Suggested Sites feature
• the Bing Toolbar, which can send data via Microsoft’s Customer Experience Improvement Program

Official Google Blog: Microsoft’s Bing uses Google search results—and denies it