Canada: A Vast, Unspoiled E-Commerce Frontier?

Our neighbors to the north have lots of work to do when it come to capitalizing on the many e-commerce opportunities available to them. With the approach of the first ever ClickZ Live Toronto conference in beautiful Toronto springtime, it’s now apropos to remove my pan-North-American and global marketer hat, and definitely time to scale back […]

After April 22, You’ll Be Busy. Because AdWords Is About To Get A Lot Better

Last year, while many other advertisers were holding protests and doing the Chicken Little dance, I decided early on to say something different: Enhanced Campaigns were going to make things… yes…better.A year later, and we’re still living with the pain of something that was taken away: bid control over the tablet channel. What we gained was […]

Why I Hate Ad Extensions

Although there are endless touted benefits to ad extensions, here is a look why they may not be all they’re cracked up to be, with 11 detailed reasons. OK, “hate” is a strong word. If I were appropriately British, I’d probably soften this to “Why Ad Extensions Are Sometimes Found Wanting.” Being Canadian, all I […]

Quality Score Isn’t Actionable. Here’s What You Can Do About It (Traffick)

Everyone in PPC (and related display advertising) today knows that ad rank is determined in part by your bid, and in part by a multifaceted relevancy measure called Quality Score.What many still don’t realize is that Quality Score doesn’t merely determine rank on the page (of the ad listings), but also impression share or the frequency […]

Do “Suspicious Minds” Make the Best PPC Managers?

It’s important to adopt the proper balance between an expansionary approach and a stance of vigilance. In the right proportion, the “suspicious mind” is a sharper campaign manager than the pure optimist, or the “laissez-faire” thinker. Why can’t you seeWhat you’re doing to meWhen you don’t believe a word I say? – Fine Young Cannibals […]

PPC for Start-Ups

A breakdown of three different ways start-ups often use PPC to acquire new customers and a look at which ones have proven to be the most successful. Paid search is the quintessential tool for acquiring new customers. So shouldn’t it be the ideal tool for high-growth start-up companies? Yes it can be, but it often […]

PPC Goes to Cleveland

PPC is still the hardest working channel in advertising. Clients get value they can touch, feel, and take to the bank. PPC gets on the plane. It goes to Cleveland. You’ve heard of the amplifier that “goes to 11?” PPC is like that, only it “goes to Cleveland.” If you follow the high level chatter […]