Righteous Marketing

Perhaps I’m a little slow on the uptake here, but why does Google have three different keyword tools? The oldest of the three (to my knowledge) is the External Keyword Tool here. This is the tool I’ve had bookmarked in Firefox for years. However, a while back Google launched the Search-Based Keyword Tool. This represented a branch in the product development more than evolution since the search-based tool was intended to take “actual Google search queries” into consideration when looking at a URL or list of keywords & phrases. Then, a couple weeks ago I saw a tweet mentioning a new Google keyword tool that was only accessible from a link in AdWords. I have been using it quite a bit over the last couple weeks and I’m quite impressed.

The New Google Keyword Tool

Understand that I use the term “new” liberally because the official AdWords blog post about this if from September. So it’s new to me (in my defense, they say it’s in beta, so I like to think my account just didn’t get access until recently). You can read the official post for the details, but here is why I think this tool is too cool for school.

• Great Filtering – On the left sidebar you’ll see that you can check/uncheck the different main keywords to weed out less relevant threads. You can also display broad, phrase and exact match searches AT THE SAME TIME!
• Sorting – Now that you can actually display all 3 match types together, sorting by total search volume, or average CPC, will quickly give you a high-level snapshot of the opportunity.
• Competitor Research – Here’s a little trick for you to try. Take the URL of a competitor and put it into the “Website” box. Include all match types and then sort the list by relevance (drop-down box above the keyword list, right side). This will show you what Google thinks are the most relevant keywords on your competitor’s site and how much search volume they’re potentially getting.
• Self-Analysis – Now put your own URL into the tool and run the same process as above. Are you sending Google the right message?

P.S. When you first bring up the tool you’ll only see columns for Keyword, Competition, Global Monthly Searches, Local Monthly Searches, and Local Search Trends. The “Views” drop-down box will show you the other 9 columns of info you’re missing out on.

As you can see, I’ve been using some of my available time these days to read more. Today’s review is of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.

What is the tipping point?

The main idea behind the book is that for anything to become an epidemic (and epidemic here is used for everything from actual disease outbreaks like syphilis to fashion trends like Hush Puppies to crime in New York City’s subway system) it must achieve a certain critical mass before it really “takes off.” This critical mass is what Malcolm refers to as the tipping point. If something doesn’t reach a tipping point if just fizzles out and dies. However, once the tipping point is reached, it explodes.

The 3 Rule of Epidemics

1. The Law of the Few – As you may have guessed, reaching the tipping point often requires special types of people get involved. There are three main types of people that are important:
• Connectors – These people know a lot of people and can quickly convey a message to other circles. Paul Revere was a connector and therefore knew who to tell “The British are coming!” These people have large networks and are constantly putting people in touch with other people. And they don’t know just anyone, they know other well-connected and influential people in other circles. Thus they can spread an idea into new circles and environments.
• Mavens – These are people who copiously collect information and love to share that information with other people who are in need of their information. Once these people get hold of information they’ll share it with anyone who will listen, and because of their reputation as a maven, people act on their information.
• Salesmen – These people do exactly what it sounds like, they persuade people to buy into the epidemic. They are masters of human communication both verbal and nonverbal.
2. The Stickiness Factor – In order for an epidemic to start, the idea must be memorable and motivate people to action. Otherwise it just gets thrown into the back of a person’s mind.
3. The Power of Context – Lastly, successfully reaching the tipping point often requires the right set of circumstances, or context. For example, Paul Revere made his ride at night, so he was able to find people at home and didn’t have to go out into the shops and fields. However, before despairing that this is out of your control, Malcolm points out that often it is small changes in our control that can make a huge difference. How did they reduce crime in New York? They controlled graffiti, public disorder and aggressive panhandling. How did they fix the subway system? They stopped fare jumping and painted over graffiti within hours, before anyone ever saw it.

Takeaways

Even though this book was written in 2000, I think it provides an excellent framework for internet marketers who are seeking the elusive “viral” hit, especially in social media. Consider the following questions:

• Who are the Connectors/Mavens/Salesmen in your industry?
• How can you get your idea to them?
• Does your idea need a fresh context?
• Is the idea memorable?
• Does it motivate people to action?

What’s your $0.02 on the book/topic? I’d love to hear from you.

Back in September I wrote about the paradox of testing vs. granularization and got some great insights from my readers. Today I would like to hear how you PPC managers & companies with PPC management deals handle the paradox of PPC vs. Conversion Optimization/Landing Page Optimization.

The Paradox

Tell me if this story feels familiar:

You take over management of a PPC account and make a lot of changes that quickly improves CTR, lowers CPC and brings up the overall QS of the account. All these indicate that you’re doing a good job of improving their account. However, the client isn’t very happy because they’re paying you a lot of money but haven’t seen a bunch more sales.

Herein lies the paradox. PPC management in it’s purest form involves choosing relevant keywords, setting appropriate bids, writing compelling ad copy, sending that traffic to designated pages and testing constantly. You’ll notice this definition doesn’t put you in a position to directly affect the number you’re being judged by: sales. At the end of the day, to justify yourself you need to show that your efforts are contributing to the bottom line, but your efforts are getting filtered through their conversion funnel and/or sales process. So what do you do?

Solutions?

At my last gig we attacked the paradox by helping design better landing pages and providing conversion optimization consulting as part of the package. We did this to protect the contract and add value, but unfortunately we were probably leaving money on the table by not seeking additional compensation for our additional efforts. Yes this created some very loyal customers (who wouldn’t be happy about a 20% increase in their conversion rate and thousands more in revenue each month or twice as many leads from the same click budget?) So how do you deal with this situation?

Last Friday I had the opportunity to hear Seth Godin speak about his new book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (affiliate link). To some extent yesterday’s post about proper perspective was motivated by hearing what Seth had to say. So, without further ado, here is what I thought of Seth’s presentation:

How the Current Situation Is Broken

Since so many people have the “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, Seth began by pointing out why he thinks the system is broken. He points out that ever since Henry Ford perfected the factory, virtually every industry has converted to the factory method of production. The factory requires that both parts and people be totally interchangeable as well as a giant fear. You fear getting fired (since you’re totally replaceable) and therefore you blend in. Do what you’re told. However, this just makes you even more forgettable, ignorable and replaceable. A bad situation indeed.

He also asked if the following statement describes your job: Show up on time and do what you’re told. If that describes your job, you’d better start looking for a new one because there will always be someone willing to show up and do what they’re told for less money than you!

How To Fix It

First, you have to recognize the “lizard brain” as Seth terms it. This part of your brain is driven by fear and is intended to keep you alive out in the wild. However, it also is a large hurdle to success because it loves to be busy and avoids risk. Once you recognize the lizard brain’s voice, you should do the exact opposite. It says to just be busy, you slow down and think strategically. It says to wait on that big move, you go for it. Get it?

Second, you need to become an artist. Not in the painter, musician, Bohemian sort of way we use the word, but in the sense that you create, invent and give. You give gifts without expectations of reciprocity. You’re not afraid of getting a D, because you know that you’ll have many Ds before you make that masterpiece.

Lastly, today’s economy will reward the individuals who are able to choose the right course of action when hundreds of directions are possible. You can’t simply choose a good direction, you need to choose the best direction.

Quote of the Presentation

“Anxiety is the experience of failure in advance.”

If you were there I’d love to hear your takeaways in the comments. If you weren’t there, what is your favorite Seth Godin quote?

Many of you may think I mixed my metaphors in this title, because I did. I decided it was a little bit of “Head in the Clouds” and a little bit of “Above the Clouds.” The inspiration for my mixed metaphor came while skiing at Pebble Creek Ski Resort in Inkom, Idaho yesterday. Most of the day had been cloudy, but toward the end of the day we started to see a little sunlight. On the last run of the day I snapped this picture from the top of the mountain.

Perspective

I had a great day skiing, even though it was cloudy. I could still see far enough down the run to pick my lines, avoid rocks and have a good time. However, I needed to get above the clouds to see just how clearly I COULD be seeing things. The same goes for our businesses and lives. We plug along, making the best decisions we can with the limited sight we have. We are successful and think everything is okay. However, we COULD be seeing much more clearly if we took the time to periodically head above the clouds.

For me, I read books to get a better perspective. Seth Godin is one of my favorite authors for this purpose, but there are many others. Occasionally I’ll read a blog post that produces a similar effect. No matter the method, the point is to get up high enough to where you can see clearer. How do you do it? What works for you?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to tune in for a fantastic webinar featuring Tim Ash, author of the book Landing Page Optimization. With a title like “Conversion Ninja Toolbox” I couldn’t resist signing up and Tim didn’t disappoint me.

What’s in a Conversion Ninja’s Toolbox?

1. CrazyEgg.com – Need to gain some insight into what your users are doing on the site? Have a pretty limited budget? CrazyEgg is dead simple to use and very affordable (as low as $9/month for up to 10,000 visitors across 10 pages).
2. Clicktale.com – While they offer the same heatmaps that you get from CrazyEgg, you also get video replays of how user see and interact with your site. This allows you to see how long they look at content, when and if they scroll down, how long they spend filling out forms, and where their mouse pointer goes. This basically amounts to a poor man’s eye-tracking tool because some people point their mouse where they’re looking. They even have a free trial to give it a test run.
3. UserTesting.com – Want to know how “real” people look at your site? What they’re thinking? UserTesting will put your site in front of users who will go about any task you assign, talking you through their thoughts the whole way. It’s a usability lab on the cheap.
4. CrossBrowserTesting.com – This is exactly what the name implies. You can see what your site will look like on any combination of browser (Firefox, IE, Chrome, Safari, Opera) and OS (Windows, Apple, Linux), including different versions. An easy way to make sure your site functions and looks right to all your users.
5. AttentionWizard.com – Be aware, this is one of Tim’s creations, so you could say this is a little self-promotional, but the value is undeniable. AttentionWizard is a software that analyzes a mockup or live page to tell you where the user attention will be directed. No more waiting until hundreds of people have actually looked at (and hated) your site before fixing it. You can get virtually instant analysis and make changes BEFORE putting it in front of hundreds of prospects.

Tim also showed demos of his AttentionWizard “attention heatmaps” that had guided landing page redesigns with significant improvements in performance. He also mentioned a new conference this year, Conversion Conference in San Jose this May 4-5. Sign up before Monday and get the double-early-bird rate!

This book review is slightly non-traditional because this book is nearly a historical text (being published in 2002 after all.) However, with the additional discretionary time I now have, I am catching up. So, what did I gather from Tim Sanders’ book, Love Is the Killer App?

The Main Premise

The most effective point of differentiation in business is love. Not the romantic love we see portrayed in romantic comedies, but business love, which he defines as “the act of intelligently and sensibly sharing your intangibles with your bizpartners.” The three intangibles we should share are our knowledge, our network and our compassion. Bizpartners (a term he coined and uses liberally throughout the book) are anyone we come across in our business dealings; bosses to bankers, competitors to clients.

High Points

Philosophically I love the premise of the book. Virtually everyone in the business community would agree with him that knowledge is valuable. That the more knowledgeable you are the further you’ll get. Most people will also agree that the size and strength of your network is also a large contributing factor to your successes. The idea that compassion and kindness are integral to the entire picture…I don’t believe that is as generally accepted. He points out and I agree that some business people feel they must constantly maintain some type of hidden advantage. Some knowledge that can be held in reserve should someone try to get a leg up on you. Knowledge that would be used to place yourself firmly above that person once again. The typical zero-sum game.

However, Tim portrays the abundance mentality. Love is a currency that you can print and print and print without decreasing its value. You share knowledge and connect people not because they are bound to reciprocate, but because you truly care about them and their well-being. I also have read Linchpin by Seth Godin recently and I feel this meshes quite well with Seth’s idea that you need to make yourself indispensable. How better to be indispensable than to share knowledge freely, connect people liberally and show compassion openly?

Areas I Need To Improve

Tim is obviously a voracious reader. I have no doubt that he could recommend a relevant book to anyone in any business situation (and probably in most personal situations as well.) The sheer volume of his mental library is impressive and I was reminded that I need to be a more active reader.

Tim also exhibits definite extroverted tendencies. Much of this may be attributable to the amount of practice and effort he puts forth, but in the world of social ability, he was dealt pocket aces. While I doubt many people would consider me an introvert, I definitely need to put forth more effort to make a connection with the people around me.

For those of you here in Utah, I want to make sure you are aware of this opportunity to hear Seth Godin speak, IN THE FLESH! This opportunity was made possible by Kelly King Anderson of StartupPrincess.com and I already have purchased my ticket. In a nutshell, here is what you get:

• Listen to Seth Godin talk about his new book “Linchpin”
• Box Lunch
• Fantastic Networking

SIGN UP FOR LUNCH WITH SETH GODIN

I have read Linchpin and the content of his discussion should be phenomenal. The ideas in the book are applicable to everyone, whether you’re in a plain, old “job” or you’re an entrepreneur. The main question of the book is “How can I be indispensable?” Given the high rates of unemployment today, this is a great question to answer. Also, proceeds of the event will benefit the Red Cross for Haiti Relief.

Growing up on a farm in Idaho, I was the son that gave my dad the most grief. Not because I was lazy or didn’t possess the ability to help around the farm, but because I always questioned how we did things on the farm. Here is a fairly typical situation:

1. Dad tells me to reset a line of sprinkler pipes from one end of the field to the other. Since this particular line is extra long he reminds me to make two trips with the tractor and trailer.
2. I think to myself, “Two trips? Surely there must be a faster way.”
3. I therefore load the entire line in one trailer load.
4. However, there are too many pipes and I end up creating what appears to be a massive game of “Pick-Up Sticks” with 40-foot aluminium pipes.
5. Lesson? Dad knows what he’s doing because he’s done it many times before.

For most people, this would represent the end of the story. Dad was right, so next time move the line in two trips. However, I knew there had to be a better way. Luckily, many farm tasks don’t require a lot of mental exertion, so I had time to devise a different strategy for next time.

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again

After analyzing my previous failure I realized that two criteria were pivotal to the problem. First, the trailer was a set width and second, the number of pipes wasn’t going to change. With these constraints I decided that I needed to arrange/stack the pipes more efficiently.

The first row went sprinkler heads down, so pipes with long risers would go on the bottom. Shorter risers on top since a third row would need to be lifted over these risers to slide into the spaces. Another opportunity was the riser plates. If you lined up the pipes evenly the riser plates limited the number of pipes you could fit in a row. By staggering the riser plates I was able to get 2 more pipes on each row. So what happened?

Success!

Yes, I was able to get the line moved in 1 trip. However, the careful arranging did take a little more time (though not as much as a second trip) on loading and unloading. So, why do I tell this story? Because in your business today either you or your employees (or both) are doing repetitive tasks. But is anyone asking the question “Is there a better way?”

The Principle

This very simple question, “Is there a better way?”, relates to many of your efforts. You may be getting good results from your PPC, but could you be getting better results? Your site is earning a positive ROI, but with some conversion optimization, could you be getting a higher ROI? What could you do better? Is someone in your organization asking this question?

Photo by Andrew Stawarz