Google AdSense Newsletter - December 2013

Adsense Newsletter December 2013 Publisher ID: ca-pub-1492172262972996 Dear publisher, As we look back on 2013, we'd like to thank you for helping us celebrate 10 years of partnership together; we're looking forward to working closely with you for years to come. In this holiday edition newsletter, you'll find information on: • The Google Publisher Toolbar • Staying connected with the AdSense app • A holiday optimization tip • A/B testing, the easy way • An AdSense success story • Creating high quality sites See you online, Julia The Google AdSense Team Was this newsletter useful? Share your feedback with us. Updates Know your ads with the Google Publisher Toolbar The Google Publisher Toolbar is a chrome extension that gives you a better understanding of the ads on your site. It provides access to your account summary plus the ability to review, control or block any ad on your site. If you're not already using the toolbar, you can download it today from the Chrome Web Store. Unwrap the app The holiday season is a busy time with people typically on-the-go even more than usual. You can access your Adsense account wherever you are with the new AdSense app, which is available to download now for Android and iOS devices. Holiday Optimization Tip With the holidays just around the corner, retailers are spending more on online advertising to promote their products. As a publisher, make sure your ad units are opted-in to show both text and display ads at this time to capitalize on the CPM boost that can come from increased competition. A/B testing, the easy way It's important to use A/B tests to assess the performance of your ad units, but we know it can be a complicated and time consuming process. With that in mind, we've just launched a new self-service A/B testing feature in your AdSense account that can be set up in a few quick steps without ad or page code changes. Case Study Hear an AdSense success story Meet Edinburgh-based couple Cat Morley and Tom Waddington, founders of Cut Out + Keep. The site started as Cat's own craft blog and has now evolved into an online community where over 140,000 members share craft and cooking tutorials. Hear more of Cat and Tom's AdSense story and don't forget to share your own! Program Policies Creating high quality sites The Google Display Network, which includes sites like yours, balances the interests of publishers, users, and advertisers. When publishers provide high quality content, users have a positive experience, and advertisers will bid more for space on those sites. Previously, we've shared some tips with you on creating high quality sites. Check out this blog post which has more information about which types of sites and pages are best suited for monetization. Find out about our different support options. More about AdSense: Inside AdSense Blog AdSense Google+ Page AdSense Forum AdSense on YouTube © 2013 Google Inc.1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 Email Preferences: We sent you this email because you have indicated that you are willing to receive occasional AdSense newsletters. If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, you can opt out by clicking here.

A New Year & A New Mobile Strategy

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A New Year & A New Mobile Strategy Posted: 17 Dec 2013 02:09 AM PST With 1 in 5 Google search queries now being executed on mobile devices and mobile website traffic across all industries growing at a rate of 3.5% per month (Televox), there is a huge demand for mobile optimisation. During 2014 mobile search queries will continue to increase, so working towards a mobile search strategy sooner rather than later is imperative. Our mobiles rarely leave our sides. They're a person's nucleus for communication. We use them for social networking, messaging and e-mailing. We also use them for many other purposes, including checking the news and weather, taking photographs, recording appointments, killing time and simply checking the time or date. With this growing reliance on our mobiles and an increase in Wi-Fi availability, there is a strong opportunity for mobile search advertising. Is mobile for me? Obviously, the demand for paid search advertising on mobiles will vary according to the nature of your business. For example, if you are providing a product/service that involves extensive consideration time, mobile advertising isn't likely to result in high conversions. In comparison, if you are providing a product/service that involves little consideration time, mobile advertising is more likely to result in conversions. With that being said, people will often use multiple devices during their research phase, particularly for a purchase that involves extensive consideration, so paid search advertising on mobiles is still valuable in terms of high-consideration products/services. A paid search advertisement on a mobile device may not result in a direct conversion, but it is very likely to contribute to a conversion that may later be generated on a desktop.  Additionally, it is always important to increase exposure and reach, and optimising your campaign with a mobile search advertising strategy will certainly assist this.   Mobile Search vs. Desktop Search It is important to differentiate between search queries made on a desktop compared with those made on a mobile. The difference in search queries by device can be attributed to the behavioural requirements, intentions and motivations of the search user. In order to understand how the characteristics and behaviour of the search user differs when searching on a mobile device, we should outline when people use their mobiles to search: When on public transport/travelling When dining out When shopping When in front of the TV When bored/killing time When looking for some inspiration When at work When socialising     So… what do we need to do to create an all-encompassing mobile strategy? Create a mobile responsive site In order to create a successful mobile strategy, users must be able to view and use your website on their mobile. Mobiles have smaller screens that are usually responsive to touch, so the design of the website needs to account for this. The user's experience whilst on your website depends on how responsive the website is to mobile devices. If the website is optimised for mobile search, the user's experience on the site will be a lot more positive. People searching on mobiles are likely to be on the go and, due to this, will be looking to retrieve information quickly. Therefore, the website should be easy to navigate, be quick to load and have shorter, more visual content. Ensuring that your website is mobile friendly is pivotal in developing a successful mobile strategy. It is all well and good targeting mobile traffic, but if the user reaches the website and cannot view it or navigate around it easily, people will leave the site and the traffic will be wasted.   Mobile bid adjustments Mobile bid adjustments allow you to manage bids in relation to the device being used, so you can tailor your campaign to multiple device platforms easily and efficiently. You can set mobile bid adjustments in any enhanced campaign setting, and these adjustments can be made at both campaign and ad-group level. The bids can be set from -90% to +300%. In order to determine what your mobile bid adjustment should be set to, you can segment your existing campaign data by device to see how mobile performance compares to desktop performance. Mobile bid adjustments should be continuously monitored, reviewed, and tested, especially because mobile search is experiencing prominent growth. It is regularly the case that only one or two paid ads are shown per web page on mobile devices. This means more competition, so the higher the bid adjustment, the more chance your ad has of achieving a slot in one of the top positions.   Keyword Research To create a relevant set of keywords for a mobile paid search campaign, it is vital to determine which keywords perform well on mobile devices, and in order to do this you must take into account the needs, intentions and motivations of an individual performing a search on their mobile. Search queries performed on mobile devices are likely to encompass shorter terms as people are looking to acquire information rapidly, whereas search queries on desktop devices are likely to cover more long-tail terms. It is important to take into account that short terms are more competitive to rank for, so bids need to reflect this. Mobile search is known to convert into action faster (depending on the product/service that you specialise in), so the keyword list should reflect this action-intent behaviour. To determine which keywords perform well on mobile devices you could study the Search Query Report and segment the data by device. This will give you an insight into the pattern of search queries made on mobiles.   Mobile Ads To make your campaign more targeted and tailored to mobile search users you should create specific mobile ad creatives, designed with the context of the search user in mind: Shorter, snappier & more engaging information: Mobile search users generally have less time on their hands and so intend to find the answer to their search query as quickly as possible. With this in mind, the ad creative should encompass short, straight to the point content. A mobile search user is also likely to be more decisive, so engaging information is key. Click-to-call: These can be enabled in call extension settings. Click-to-call extensions are consistent with the behavioural intentions of mobile search users because they provide a quick and easy way to obtain immediate information. Mobile ad sitelinks: Sitelinks are a feature well-suited to mobile search users because they can boldly display additional action-intent information. This information also aids navigation and provides a clear conversion pathway. Local searches: Mobile searches are more likely to present local information and, because of this, optimising your local search strategy is something to consider.   The Future for Mobile Search If your business is performing well on mobile devices, developing a mobile application may be your next step. Creating an app for mobile users will further improve a user's experience on your website, which will in turn maximise return on investment.   Mobile PPC campaigns will adjust with the development and use of new technologies, such as voice search. This will lead to longer search queries on mobiles, which is likely to result in the movement from short term keywords to long tail keywords. Thus, it is important to establish your position in mobile search advertising now, but continue to adjust as the behavioural trends of the mobile search users also adjust.     Let me know your experience with, and thoughts about, mobile PPC advertising in the comments below or on twitter @hollymartin__. Thank you for reading!   The post A New Year & A New Mobile Strategy appeared first on White Noise.

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Seth's Blog : What's attention worth?

 

What's attention worth?

Marketers that fail are often impatient and selfish.

Impatient, because they won't invest in the long-term job of earning familiarity, permission and trust.

And selfish, because they get hooked on the erroneous belief that merely because they have money, they have the right to demand attention. And selfish because they believe marketing is about them, not the person paying attention.

We call it "paying attention" for a reason. It's worth quite a bit, and ought to be cherished.

       

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Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

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• Congress Base Pay $174,000: House Working Days 155 (Adjourned): Senate Working Days 146 (and Counting): Bills Passed 57 vs. 40-year Average of 242
• Rich Pay All The Taxes (Yes, Including Payroll Taxes, Social Security, Medicare) Take II
• District Court Judge Rules NSA Phone Taps Likely Unconstitutional; 68 Page Ruling Cites "Orwellian Technology" and Unreasonable Searches
• Majority Hate Their Job but Only 25% Looking; How to Find Your Way to an Authentic Career
• Sharp Decline in France PMI; Private Sector Employment Drops 21st Time in 22 Months

Congress Base Pay $174,000: House Working Days 155 (Adjourned): Senate Working Days 146 (and Counting): Bills Passed 57 vs. 40-year Average of 242 Posted: 16 Dec 2013 05:41 PM PST Inquiring minds may be asking "How much do our representatives make, and where do there spend their time?" Those are good questions, and here are some answers. While You're Working, Congress Isn't Please consider six factoids plucked from the Yahoo!Finance report While You're Working, Congress Isn't Congressional Base Pay is $174,000 per year Retirement benefits and other perks worth up to $110,000 additional per year more Congress passed 57 bills in 2013, compared with an average of 282 passed bills per year from 1973 through 2012 The House recently adjourned for the year after being in session for only 155 days in 2013. The Senate has logged 146 days in session so far this year. In Congress's first year, 1789, members were in session for 168 days. They got paid $6 per day, the equivalent of a $26,000 salary today, and when Congress adjourned that fall, many members went home to help run the family farm or business. That group of part-time legislators, perhaps the most important Congress ever, passed many of the laws that formed the framework of the U.S. government for the next 220 years. Article author Rick Newman states "In 2013 members of Congress worked less, got paid a lot more and struggled to produce anything of significance. If America really is in decline, it starts on Capitol Hill." Indeed! Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

Rich Pay All The Taxes (Yes, Including Payroll Taxes, Social Security, Medicare) Take II Posted: 16 Dec 2013 02:59 PM PST In response to Rich Don't Pay Most of the Taxes (They Pay All of Them); Reflections on the "Almost Rich" several people complained that I am ignoring payroll taxes such as Social Security and Medicare. They are wrong. Here is a repeat of the key facts, followed by an addendum. Buried inside a Congressional Budget Office report this week was this nugget: when it comes to individual income taxes, the top 40 percent of wage earners in America pay 106 percent of the taxes. The bottom 40 percent...pay negative 9 percent. The key table is in Box 1 on PDF page 11 (report page 7) of Distribution of Household Income and Taxes. The report was released in December 2013 but data is for 2010. Highlighting is mine. Key Facts The bottom 20% had average income of $8,100 but received $22,700 in annual assistance, netting $30,800 in after-tax income. The second quintile had average income of $30,700 but received $15,200 in annual assistance, netting $43,400 in after-tax income. The middle quintile received a bit more than they paid out, with $2,600 in annual assistance to be precise. That money had to come from somewhere, and it did. The highest quintile paid $52,500 more in taxes each year than they got back. The second-highest quintile paid $8,800 more in taxes each than they got back. Wells concludes ... Fair or not, I will let you be the judge. People who make more should pay more, generally speaking. In America, they are. Yes, the rich (and almost rich) are getting richer. When it comes to individual income taxes, they're also covering the entire bill. And leaving a tip. Addendum: Several people stated the above statistics ignored payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare). That claim is easy to prove wrong, from the very page I cited! Here it is, spelled out as noted above on PDF page 11 (report page 7) of Distribution of Household Income and Taxes. Source: Congressional Budget Office. Notes: Market income is composed of labor income, business income, capital gains, capital income (excluding capital gains), income received in retirement for past services, and other sources of income. Government transfers are cash payments and in-kind benefits from social insurance and other government assistance programs. Federal taxes include individual and corporate income taxes, social insurance (or payroll) taxes, and excise taxes. After-tax income is the sum of market income and government transfers, minus federal tax liabilities That should not have been too hard to find, but it was, because the subject keeps coming up. And while I am at, may as well discuss multiple disputes regarding "the top 40 percent of wage earners in America pay 106 percent of the taxes."  Numerous people said that was impossible, even though the very next sentence explained how: The bottom 40 percent...pay negative 9 percent. It nets out to 100% if you do the actual math. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

District Court Judge Rules NSA Phone Taps Likely Unconstitutional; 68 Page Ruling Cites "Orwellian Technology" and Unreasonable Searches Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:21 PM PST In a rare victory for constitutional freedoms, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon, ruled NSA phone program likely unconstitutional. A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency program which collects information on nearly all telephone calls made to, from or within the United States is likely to be unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon found that the program appears to run afoul of the Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures. He also said the Justice Department had failed to demonstrate that collecting the so-called metadata had helped to head off terrorist attacks. "Plaintiffs have a very significant expectation of privacy in an aggregated collection of their telephone metadata covering the last five years, and the NSA's Bulk Telephony Metadata Program significantly intrudes on that expectation," wrote Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush. "I have significant doubts about the efficacy of the metadata collection program as a means of conducting time-sensitive investigations in cases involving imminent threats of terrorism." "I cannot imagine a more 'indiscriminate' and 'arbitrary invasion' than this systematic and high-tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen for purposes of querying it and analyzing it without judicial approval," Leon added. Similar lawsuits challenging the program are pending in at least three other federal courts around the country. Digging into the 68 Page Ruling Those wishing to read the entire 68 page ruling can do so at Legal Times. Unfortunately the PDF is in image form. Here are a image clips of sections not mentioned elsewhere by others. Click on any image for sharper view. Leon Blasts Government for "Wanting It Both Ways" - page 38 Plaintiffs Are Likely to Succeed on Merits of Their Fourth Amendment Claim page 42 "Collection and Analysis of Telephony Metadata Constitutes a Search" page 43 "Almost-Orwellian Technology" - page 49 "Significant Likelihood Searches are Unreasonable" - Page 56 On the same page Leon notes "As a general matter, warrantless searches are per se unreasonable under the fourth amendment". On page 61 Leon stated "The government does not cite a single instance in which analysis of the NSA's bulk metadata collection actually stopped an imminent attack." Government Barred from Bulk Data Collection You have to love the end! On page 67-68 Rare Victory This is a rare victory for common sense and the constitution. However, the ruling is subject to review from a higher court. Expect Obama to fight hard to maintain unreasonable searches. Thank Snowden We can thank patriot and true American hero Edward Snowden for this important victory. In contrast, House speaker John Boenner stands with President Obama in making a constitutional fool of himself. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

Majority Hate Their Job but Only 25% Looking; How to Find Your Way to an Authentic Career Posted: 16 Dec 2013 10:14 AM PST If you don't like your job, you are not alone. Forbes notes Unhappy Employees Outnumber Happy Ones By Two To One Worldwide. That statistic comes from a Gallup Study that reviewed 25 million responses in 189 different countries. Globally, the study found only 13% of workers feel engaged by their jobs. In the US, the survey shows that of the 100 million people who hold full-time jobs, only 30% are engaged and inspired at work while roughly 20 million (20%) employees are actively disengaged. In short, 30% are happy, 20% are miserable, and the rest are going through the motions, at best. Young and Unhappy? The Huffington Post says Young And Unhappy With Your Job? Just Keep Waiting. Maybe Forever. I assure you there is better advice than the conclusion of the Huffington Post article which ends with "So it may take more than just 30 years of waiting for today's young workers to end up in careers that make them as happy -- and as rich -- as their older colleagues." Twenty-Five Percent Looking A recent Rasmussen Reports survey shows 25% Are Looking for a New Job. Given the level of reported unhappiness, why isn't the number higher than 25%? Undoubtedly some feel trapped, others lack motivation, and many have no idea what they really want to do. Finding Your Way: Book Review For those motivated enough to do something, I suggest reading Finding Your Way to Your Authentic Career by Adam Taggart. I just finished reading the book. It is easy to read and understand, and offers practical steps to follow for those in jobs they don't like. For those who don't know the name, Adam Taggart is president of Peak Prosperity which he co-founded with Chris Martenson. Although the steps are easy enough to follow, some of them are going to take a great deal of time, and more importantly, lots of  motivation. Adam informs me that he did follow all of the steps. He switched from being an unfulfilled vice president at a Fortune 300 Silicon Valley tech giant to working as a business partner with Chris Martensen. His story is much like my own story of switching from computer programming to being an economic blogger and investment advisor for Sitka Pacific. I had an advantage over many. I knew what I wanted to do. I was extremely happy in the mainframe computer world for over 15 years. The next few years were going through the motions until 911 forced me to do something else. The steps Adam outlines to help you figure out what you want to do are time-consuming, as well as the most difficult part of the process. So don't think you will pick up the book and be off and on your way. You won't, especially if you need to follow all of the steps to figure out what it is you want to do. But those motivated enough to see the steps through are more likely than others to find a fulfilling career at the end of the process. Finding Your Way to Your Authentic Career is available in book form or on Kindle. It's good reading for anyone unhappy with their job and motivated enough to do something about it. The book also makes a good stocking-stuffer for parents/grandparents who want to help their kids/grandkids find purpose early on in their careers. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

Sharp Decline in France PMI; Private Sector Employment Drops 21st Time in 22 Months Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:51 AM PST Those expecting an end of the recession in France got another jolt of reality this morning. The Markit Flash France PMI shows Sharper fall in output at French companies in December. Key Points Flash France Composite Output Index falls to 47.0 (48.0 in November), 7-month low Flash France Services Activity Index drops to 47.4 (48.0 in November), 6-month low Flash France Manufacturing Output Index slips to 45.3 (48.0 in November), 7-month low Flash France Manufacturing PMI falls to 47.1 (48.4 in November), 7-month low Both the manufacturing and service sectors signalled sharper reductions in output than in November. Services activity decreased for the second month running, and at the fastest pace since June. Meanwhile, manufacturers posted a marked decline in production, extending the current sequence of contraction to five months. Respondents indicated that lower new orders was behind the fall in output, in turn linked to caution among clients. New business decreased for the third month running. Staffing levels also continued to decline during December. Employment in the French private sector has fallen in 21 of the past 22 months. The solid reduction in December was reflective of falls across both the manufacturing and service sectors and was mainly linked by firms to a decrease in new orders. The rate of input price inflation in the French private sector eased from November and remained much weaker than the series average. Manufacturers posted the slowest rise in input costs in three months, while inflation in the service sector was the weakest since July. Companies continued to lower their output prices during December amid reports from panellists of strong competition for new business. Comment: Andrew Harker , Senior Economist at Markit and author of the Flash France PMI® , said: "The last flash PMI readings for 2013 paint a worrying picture on the health of the French economy. The return to contraction in November has been followed up with a sharper reduction in December, with falling new business at the heart of this as clients were reportedly reluctant to commit to new contracts. Firms will hope that such reticence ends in the new year as they seek to avoid another protracted downturn. " France Finance Minister Says Economy has 'Truly Emerged from Recession' Please recall that on December 10, France Finance Minister Says Economy has 'Truly Emerged from Recession' I discussed his beliefs the same day in French Industrial Output Drops Unexpectedly; France Finance Minister in Complete Denial; Expect the Unexpected The data I had on hand to dispute the Finance Minister's optimism was November Markit Data (released on December 4). Now we have "Flash" data for December representing 85% of the survey samples. Unless the last 15% is an amazing set of numbers, France's Finance Minister, Pierre Moscovici, is off his rocker. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

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