Recently, I attended the Search Marketing Expo (SMX) Advanced conference in Seattle, Washington. The three-day conference was jammed packed with new information marketers needed to know in the ever changing world of search marketing. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid search were the primary focus so here are some highlights from the conference:
Enhanced Campaigns are Changing Everything about PPC
Everything you may have known about paid search is changing. Pay per Click (PPC) search marketing will move from bidding on separate paid search campaigns for desktops, tablets and mobile devices to bidding on one campaign for all devices. While you’ll no longer be able to bid on a mobile, tablet or desktop only campaign, here are a few recommendations from the search marketing conference:
- To bid on a mobile device campaign: set the mobile bid modifier at 300% and set low keyword bids for desktop/tablet.
- To bid on a desktop/tablet campaign: set the mobile bid adjustments at -100%. The ads will display approximately 80% on desktop and 20% on tablet.
For more insights into bidding strategies, download the Google Enhanced Campaigns Whitepaper which provides formulas on how to determine bid modifiers for mobile, location and day-parting.
To run paid search campaigns more efficiently, you may want to consider running a remarketing campaign. By placing remarketing tags on your website, your ideal target audience can be shown specific PPC ads specific when they search your terms using Google. By optimizing bids for targeted audiences, many marketers have seen better campaign performance and lower CPAs. Learn more by referencing the Google Adwords Remarketing Lists Ultimate Guide.
Latest SEO Factors to Stay on Top of Organic Search Rankings
With so many elements that you can focus on when optimizing your website or blog, the search marketing conference introduced the latest SEO elements that matter most to the search engine algorithms. The SEO Success Factors Periodic Table not only displays the On-Page and Off-Page factors to optimize, but each element has a rating so you can prioritize what is most important. Download the full-version of the updated Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors from Search Engine Land for future reference.
Google’s Matt Cutts talked during the Q&A session at the conference about the increasing importance of mobile. Desktop web pages that redirect to mobile may not rank well as mobile optimized pages. Consider using responsive design that adjusts the web page to the various device types.
Sunny in Seattle
Thinking about traveling to Seattle? Summertime is by far the best time to visit. During my recent trip, it was sunny every day. Daylight lasted until 10pm so there’s plenty of time to explore this city. Some must see places include the Space Needle where you get 360-degree views of the downtown and surrounding areas. The Chihuly Garden and Glass museum was also a nice surprise to view hundreds of individual glass pieces that create artistic outdoor landscapes, chandlers and sculptural towers.
You can’t visit Seattle without visiting Pike Place Market. To avoid the crowds, go during a weekday especially if you want to go into the very first Starbucks coffeehouse and see flying fish. To try something different, take a break from the city and board the state ferry to Bainbridge Island. The island feels like a world away and you’ll get the best photos of the Seattle skyline.
There are so many great seafood restaurants in the Seattle area. I dined at Anthony’s Pier 66 where you can get a four-course meal for under $20 during the weekdays. If you have time to drive outside the downtown area, explore Queen Anne, Ballard and Green Lake Park which offers unique restaurants, shopping and outdoor activities. Whether you have two days or an entire week, there’s plenty to do and see in Seattle.
What other Search Marketing or Seattle travel tips would you recommend?
SEO Success Factors image source: searchengineland.com
Cynthia Gedemer is a Digital Marketing Strategist and Business Coach with over 15 years of experience in growing revenue with innovative marketing programs for Financial Services, Insurance, Retail, Telecommunications, and Healthcare industries. Cynthia is also a contemporary artist and enjoys Stand Up Paddle Surfing. Connect with Cynthia on Google+, Facebook and Twitter.