April 10, 2012 – The focus at this month’s SEMpdx event was pay-per-click ads.  Ryan Campbell, from Amplify Interactive, guided us through a few quick and easy ways to set up a campaign on Google’s Display Network.  Tips included selecting 5-20 keywords per ad group and allowing Google to identify relevant websites for a larger net of possibilities.  After the campaign is launched and bids have been adjusted (based on the average cpc), check the automatic placements report.  If you sort Read more [...]

“A crowded street An empty train A fool for love You cry in vain”…Bryan Ferry ‘Fool For Love’ It had been 6 weeks since Jackie and I broke up. And, I admit, I wasn’t doing too well. Everywhere I went and everything I experienced, I found some way to connect it back to when we were still together, making me feel real sad. Going to the mall was particularly painful since Jackie and I frequently went there either for dinner or to see films. I had avoided the mall for about Read more [...]

Landing Pages 3.0 Susan Delz of LiveBall Conversion rates are  the same today as they were in the 1990's. 10 Landing Pages Conversion Optimization Tips and Best Practices Relevant--You have to be relevant with each landing experience. Create optimized landing pages for keyword groups. Sometimes you can create individualized pages by search engine. Create localized versions of landing pages. If you don't know where someone is coming from, ask them. Interactive--Create cool creative Read more [...]

Retargeting: What is it & How Can I Use it? Joanna Lord of SEOmoz:  The search and info discovery process has become so fragmented (every morning you're inundated with facebook links, twitter links, spread across multiple sites) so marketing has changed. Re-targeting is the answer to the new way people search and discover information. Display advertising of yesteryear: less was expected (old model): Acquisition: generate traffic and improve brand awareness Conversion: produce Read more [...]

    Speakers: Dan Sundgren- Intelius Tim Mayer-Heddle Moderator: Dane Wiseman- Ethology Summary:                 Intermediate-to-advanced best practices for managing PPC campaigns. Learn to research with competitive tools, gain insights into search trends and achieve your performance goals through expert-tested strategies. Understand the key elements of any optimization and overarching performance tips that will lead to better return on ad Read more [...]

This is a guest post from Jeremy Mayes, Account Executive at PPC Associates. For many years now, a lot of discussions in the SEM space around the topic of mobile advertising have been about being prepared for the onslaught of mobile users and traffic. The real challenge over the last few years has been trying to justify additional expenditures – time, employees, resources, etc. – in an area that, while growing and surrounded by high hopes, had not yet quite materialized. Pre-2011 I often Read more [...]

February 13, 2012 – In full spirit of Valentine’s Day this week, SEMpdx celebrated on Monday night with its own version of speed dating.  This month’s event proved invaluable to all who attended as we had a rare opportunity to sit down with some of the industry’s leading internet marketers and gain insight and answers to specific questions.  Table topics ranged from pay-per-click to International SEO and everything in between.  We even had a special visit from Google.  Amanda Janney and Read more [...]

Speakers: Joanna Lord, SEOmoz Dan Sundgren, Intelius Today’s major search networks are constantly introducing new relevancy requirements and technical features, which means that you have to stay ahead of the curve. This advanced session features insight into the latest PPC strategies for Google Adwords, Microsoft AdCenter, and others. Joanna Lord: Google... You So Silly + Disclaimer - skipping the basics + Things have changed, so many new features and tests rolling out and being added Read more [...]

My initial user experience with LinkedIn Ads was quite negative and I voiced my displeasure on social media. Andrew reached out to me with news that LinkedIn was to soon upgrade their ad platform and that he would graciously allow me to be one of the first to use it. I did and it is a considerable improvement over the old model. Andrew graciously agreed to answer a few question for our blog. 1) Please give us your background and tell us what you do for a living. I’m the marketing lead Read more [...]

November 9, 2010 – This month’s event began with Tom Hale, of Thomas Creek Concepts, sharing some of his Google AdWords expertise.  He recommends thinking of AdWords as a matchmaking tool.  Know your value, understand your target market, and be honest and engaged.  In return, you’ll find the relevant keywords, ad copy and landing page content needed for a successful campaign.  You also need to be aware of the different traffic to your website and understand what type of “shoppers” these Read more [...]