The Challenge Is On!

We’re happy to inform all of you that Team JIIT finally started its ad campaign on May 1, 2008. We submitted the pre-strategy report on April 28 and decided upon the final strategy to implement.

It’s been four days since the campaign begun and are getting a low CTR’s of around 0.25%. Our team is trying the best to optimize the ads and their keywords to achieve a CTR of about 3% by the end of the 21 days.

Some of our challenge are increasing the website traffic by about 20%, achieving a CTR of 3%, optimal use of the US$200 for each day and maximizing the brand awareness of the firm in its to be tapped markets.

While we hope to perform well in the challenge, any suggestions to help would be gladly invited! :-)


Nilay

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Tips for Running a Highly Successful AdWords Campaign (Yeah we’re back! :) )

Yes we’re still there in the challenge! It’s been so many days since we updated this blog. College’s been keeping us pretty busy with work and projects (with most of us reeling under the pressure of 4-5 technical projects and submission days nearing now! ‘:O’ ) leaving us with no time to really keep this blog updated.

We’ve had a chat with Bliss Ayurveda and have created a roadmap for the ad campaigns. Submission of the pre-campaign report will be done in a day or two and also starting with the 21 days long campaign.
Here’s an article given on Google Adowrds Help site which we feel every Adwords user should be reading and following for a successful ad campaign.
Tip for Success
[https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/static.py?page=tips.html]
With Google AdWords, it’s all about results. Optimization means taking steps to get the results you want by improving the quality and performance of your account – without raising costs. These seven optimization strategies help achieve success with advertising campaigns.
1. Identify advertising goals.

The optimization strategy depends on the objectives that one defines for their campaigns.

With specific goals in mind, you can work strategically to achieve your objectives, track your performance, and make the modifications necessary to get the results you want. Here are some typical objectives and sample focus areas for each goal:

“I want to get more clicks.”
Focus on keywords and placements. Increase your ad exposure by adding keywords and site placements to your ad groups. 

“I want to increase my clickthrough rate (CTR).”
Focus on ad quality. Attract more clicks by refining your ads, and eliminate extra impressions by choosing highly targeted keywords and placements and using negative keywords

“I want to improve my return on investment (ROI).”
First, focus on your ads and your keywords and placements to attract the right audience. Then focus on your website. Be sure your landing page and site are set up to let users find what your ad offers.

2. Organize account for maximum effectiveness.

A well-structured account is easy to manage and allows you to effectively target your audience. 

Organize your campaigns by topic. 
Create separate campaigns for each of your product lines, resources, or brands. This helps you monitor your advertising more easily and make the necessary adjustments to improve your campaign performance. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with each campaign. Then structure your campaign based on this goal.View a diagram and learn more about the structure of your account. 

Target the right languages and locations. 
For each campaign, you can choose to target your ads to particular languages and locations (plus choose your budget and other settings). Be sure to target only the languages and locations that are relevant for your business. For example, if you ship your products to locations within a certain distance of your business, target the country, territory, region, or city related to the area, instead of to ‘All Countries.’ 

Create highly specific ad groups.
As with your campaigns, each ad group should center on a single product or service to ensure your ads reach the most qualified users. Build a list of keywords orplacements, then separate them into related ad groups. Create ads that pertain directly to that list. For example, if you sell mp3 players, and you’ve organized your campaigns by brand, create multiple ad groups based on the models of each brand. 

Avoid duplicate keywords across ad groups.
Google shows only one ad per advertiser on a particular keyword, so there’s no need to include duplicate keywords in different ad groups or campaigns. Identical keywords compete against each other, and the better-performing keyword triggers your ad.

3. Choose relevant keywords and placements.

The more relevant your keywords and placements are to your goals, the more easily you can reach your potential customers. 

Keyword-targeted campaigns

Choose your keywords carefully. 
Include specific keywords that directly relate to the specific theme of your ad group and landing page. For optimal ad visibility, include relevant keyword variations, along with singular and plural versions. If applicable, consider using colloquial terms, alternate spellings, synonyms, and product or serial numbers. The Keyword Tool can help generate lists of possible keywords. 

Take advantage of keyword matching options.
With some keywords, you’ll get more ad impressions; with others, you’ll get fewer impressions but potentially more clicks. By strategically using keyword matching options, you can reach the most appropriate prospects, potentially reduce your actual CPC or CPM, and increase your ROI. For example, use negative keywords to reduce irrelevant ad impressions and increase your Quality Score. 

Use unique keyword URLs.
Keyword destination URLs send users to a specific landing page, ensuring your customer arrives immediately at the most relevant page for the keyword that triggered your ad. Edit individual keyword URLs by clicking ‘Edit Keyword Settings’ above your keyword table. 

Placement-targeted campaigns 

Choose your placements carefully. 
Include websites and other placements that are relevant to your products or services, and be sure to choose enough of them. The more relevant the placements you target, the better the chances your ad will show. We provide four ways to choose site placements: list URLs, describe topics, browse topics, or select demographics. To create the most effective list, we strongly suggest using all four methods

When using the Placement Tool to find and select websites, pay attention to the Ad Formats column in the list of available sites. If you run only certain kinds of formats — for instance, image ads only, or text and video ads only — make sure you select sites that run the kinds of formats you have to offer.

4. Create straightforward, targeted ads.

The content of your ads should capture users’ attention and set your business apart. 

Include keywords in your ad text (for keyword-targeted ads).
Include your keywords in your ad text (especially the title) to show users that your ad relates to their search. If your ad shows when a user searches on a keyword in your ad group, the keyword will appear in bold in your ad text. Also, users tend to search for products and services, so avoid using your company name in the ad title unless your goal is brand/company name recognition. 

Create simple, enticing ads. 
What makes your product or service stand out from your competitors? Highlight these key differentiating points in your ad. Be sure to describe any unique features or promotions you offer. 

Use a strong call-to-action. 
Your ad should convey a call-to-action along with the benefits of your product or service. A call-to-action encourages users to click on your ad and ensures they understand exactly what you expect them to do when they reach your landing page. Some call-to-action phrases are Buy, Sell, Order, Browse, Sign up, and Get a Quote

Test multiple ads in each ad group. 
Experiment with different offers and call-to-action phrases to see what’s most effective for your advertising goals. Our system automatically rotates ads within an ad group and shows the better-performing ad more often.

5. Optimize website for conversions.

Ultimately, your website determines how well your ads convert, so be sure it’s designed to let users complete the action you want them to take. 

Point users to the right landing page.
Typical internet users decide quickly whether to stay on a website or move on to another. When users click on your ad, they should arrive at a landing page clearly displaying the information or product offered in your ad. If users don’t immediately find what prompted them to click on your ad, they’re more likely to leave your site without converting. 

Test your way to effective site content.
Rather than just guessing what webpage content will lead to the most conversions, we encourage you to try Website Optimizer. This tool enables you to test different versions of text, images, and layout on your landing page or any other webpage. The results will show what’s most effective in increasing conversions on your page and boosting your return on investment.

Evaluate your site design.
Take a close look at your site’s overall layout and functionality. Sites that are attractive, easy to navigate, and informative tend to be more profitable. You might consider using Google Analytics to get a better idea of how well your site is working. 

Keep the user experience in mind.
As you design or redesign your landing page and website, make the user experience a high priority. For example:

  • Place important information and images on the top left, where the eye naturally goes first.
  • Help people get what they want in three clicks or fewer.
  • Cut out popups and popunders.
  • Create a simple process for users to complete transactions.
6. Track account performance.

Monitoring your results allows you to ensure you’re getting a good return on your investment. 

Check your account statistics.
Your CTR, minimum bid, and keyword status are good initial indicators of how well your ads are performing. Your account statistics are reported at the campaign, ad group, and keyword or placement levels. They include clicks, impressions, CTR, average CPC or CPM, cost, average position, conversion rate, and cost-per-conversion. 

Create reports. 
You can create custom reports that tell you exactly what statistics you want to know, from the campaign level to the keyword or placement level. 

Use web analytics.
Google Analytics helps you analyze what people are doing on your site. Detailed information about user behavior can help you create more targeted and effective landing pages.

7. Test and modify campaigns to get the results.

Optimizing your campaigns regularly will help you keep up with users and market trends and ultimately reach your advertising goals. 

Evaluate your campaign performance and make changes as necessary.
Allow your ad performance to educate you about effective strategies for achieving your goals. As you observe your ads over time, you might notice things that are working especially well (or not so well). For example, if you find users aren’t responding to a particular call-to-action in your ad text, delete that ad and try something else. Learn how to edit your account settings

Try different bidding options.
If your campaign is eligible for the Conversion Optimizer, this feature can help you increase your conversions and decrease your cost-per-acquisition. Or, if you’re interested in managing your costs to an average CPC or CPM, try preferred cost bidding.


Nilay

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Bliss Ayurveda

Finally Bliss Ayurveda!

We reached their working office in Ghaziabad at about 1700 hours and were greeted by Dr. A P Verma. The first thing that catches your eyes is how modern their office is! Dr. Verma briefed us about their firm and what their business is about.

Finally our meeting started a few minutes later with Dr. Nitin Agrawal, Dr. Vikrama Aditya Tomar and Dr. A P Verma. We first briefed them about the Google Online Marketing Challenge and why we selected them. We also showed them a short presentation which we had specially created for them (You can download the presentation from here and use it to show to your participating business). Dr. Agrawal then gave us a detailed information about their firm, Bliss Ayurveda’s markets, their products and information about their website. Dr. Tomar has been looking into and upgrading Bliss Ayurveda’s website these days. While we’ll be giving tips on optimizing and creating marketing strategies for them, Dr. Tomar will be aiding us in creating a marketing strategies for their firm. Bliss Ayurveda has never been into online marketing before and had been contemplating an online campaign since quite some time now. Hence, through this challenge (GOMC that is :) ), they’ll be having the right platform to start with.

We’re very excited about working with Bliss Ayurveda and their team and are looking forward to working in synergy with them.


Nilay

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Business!?

It’s been almost a month since the challenge has begun and teams have been reporting their progress all over the internet through blogs and forums. Our team is yet to decide upon the business to select.

Disha has come up with a firm Bliss Ayurveda. It’s a New Delhi based firm having a business of consulting and manufacturing ayurvedic medicines with a footprint in India and Europe.

We’ve been surfing their website lately and are finding the firm and their website ideal for GOMC and team JIIT. A look at their source code confirms they are not using Google Analytics and thus, most probably, Google AdWords which is what is required to select a business.

Disha has had a talk with her relative (who works in the firm, Dr. A P Verma) and a meeting has been scheduled with them on March 15, 2008. So here we go..!


Nilay

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Google AdWords!

After the initial excitement of participating in the GOMC, the first step is understanding Google AdWords. Luckily, I have some knowledge about it, having previously set up an AdWords account for a firm.

So the first job was understanding the working of Google search and Google AdWords in detail. The booklet, Marketing and Advertising Using Google has been pretty helpful in this case.

Google has been pretty nice by providing some useful documents and tips to students and professors.

The next major task would be deciding upon the business, but more on that later. We’re focusing our initial strategy on analyzing in-depth Google AdWords. AdWords is really a very interesting service provided by Google. The user-interface is the first thing that catches my interest. The cost-per-click (CPC) method of charging and bidding of keywords are some novel ideas implemented in a very user-friendly way. Hats-off to Google for that.

We’ve also received a mail from Google confirming our participation in GOMC and our AdWords account is up and running with US$200 credited to it.

So now that the competition has begun, it’s time to do some real hard work deciding upon business, making strategies to build and optimize ad-campaigns for that business and reporting these details to Google in the end. After all, a trip to Googleplex is not a small an incentive. :)


Nilay

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JIIT @ The Google Online Management Challenge

Hello!

gomc.wordpress.com is a blog to report updates of the Team JIIT on The Google Online Management Challenge 2008 organized by Google Inc. and participated by over 20,000 registered students from 61 countries around the world.

We, students at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, India, will be updating our team’s progress in the Google Online Marketing Challenge through this blog. We’ll try to report most of the strategies used by our team in the spirit of this challenge as this challenge is an academic challenge where everyone will be learning the nuances of online marketing, ways to interact with people and their businesses, to make strategies for online marketing and implementing them efficiently.

We hope to have make this blog enjoyable and informative and also interact with other teams participating in this great challenge.

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