Google recently lifted their restrictions on trademarks meaning advertisers can now include previously restricted brands in their ad copy. People, in general, tend to identify with brands. CTR (Click-through rate – read the definition at Wikipedia here) is in most cases higher on more targeted ad copy. Previously AdWords would disallow these trademarked terms completely.If your client allows it, all trademarks can now be used in ad copy, provided the website provides a product or service associated with the trademarked term. The question is, have you done it? As a copywriter in charge of multiple accounts I have been surprised at how many adverts have been running without brands and hence have been running as the ‘generic’ alternative.

It can also be a lengthy procedure as doing a manual analysis of the existing copy is the only way to ensure that you don’t miss the lesser-known brands as opposed to focusing on the more obvious such as “iPod” or “Nike”. However, only by taking a second look will you discover the generic adverts that can now run as more brand specific (and hence targeted) copy.

You can read the full Trademark Policy for Google AdWords & AdSense online here.

Microsoft recently re-branded their search platform as Bing, originally codenamed ‘Kumo’. What was Live Search is now Bing and there is a lot to be said for the effort Microsoft has put into its ‘new’ search platform.
What do you get with Bing? All the usual search platform related stuff including Bing Travel, Maps, Shopping, Images, […]

Vinny Lingham (read his personal blog here), the founder of Clicks2Customers, started a company called Synthasite after leaving Clicks2Customers operationally. If you don’t know, Synthasite is an innovative initiative in Web 2.0. Synthasite gives anyone with the minimum of design skills, the ability to create their own website or blog for free. It’s easy to […]

Google recently (and quietly) introduced a new match type in it’s Search query Match Type Report that gives advertisers a bit more insight into a user’s search behavior. For a long time Google has been personalizing the adverts shown to a user based on the other (previous) searchers that user made during a session. Although […]

I’d like to talk about the conversion funnel.
Firstly, what is ‘the conversion funnel’? Well, the conversion funnel is the steps which a website visitor has to complete in order to fulfill your desired goal, whether the final outcome is a lead or a sale. Each step in this process is vital. After all, if a […]

After its CEO publicly endorsed Barack Obama, Google is now urging Adwords advertisers to get out and vote in the upcoming elections (see screenshot below). Personally I doubt Adwords users will be swayed by Google’s call to action and I even find it slightly annoying that the company uses this platform for non-Adwords related messages. […]

When Google launched Chrome last week, I noticed a download link on its homepage. I didn’t think too much of it and assumed it was a launch stunt. But more than a week later, the link still occasionally appears. Given Google’s resistance to putting a privacy link on its home page, I wonder why they […]

When the gorilla in the room develops a new web browser, you cant help but pay attention. That Google was working on a browser was not really a secret, they already hired a lead developer from Firefox nearly 3 years ago. Nevertheless the entry of Google into this market is bound to ruffle a few […]

When Google introduced the concept of a minimum bid into the Adwords platform, I guess few advertisers and perhaps not even Google realized the effect it would have on their business.
Publicly, Google always maintains that relevance and user experience take priority over revenue generation and so the minimum bid was introduced to ensure that search […]

What do I want from Google? There is one thing that I have ALWAYS wanted for as long as I can remember and it is a simple little thing.
A RANDOMIZE BUTTON next to search results. Not the crumby “I’m Feeling Lucky” button that makes me think “I‘m Feeling Like Kicking Your…” . Instead when I […]