This Week’s Industry News
Compiled by the Rocket Clicks Team
Top Stories
Google Now Showing Live Data in “Popular Times”
Knowledge panels for local businesses are now showing live data in the “Popular times” section. This data is shown as a pink overlay on the traditional blue bar graph. It looks like Google is testing or at least still tweaking the feature as some users have been ask to confirm the live data via a link labeled “Correct?” Source: The SEM Post
Home Service Ads Launched in Mobile Search Results on Google
Recently, home service ads have begun to make an appearance in the mobile search results on Google after appearing on the desktop search results for some time. The mobile version appears in carousel format and show a service area for the business. In addition, a new “Google guaranteed” check-mark has also been added to these home service listings. Source: The SEM Post
Removal of Sitelinks from Search Results Unintentional
When news first started trickling out about sitelinks missing from the search results, Google’s Gary Illyes was skeptical that the change was intentional. Fast forward to a couple of weeks later and sitelinks are back along with confirmation from Google that the removal was due to a bug. Source: The SEM Post
Google Adds Reports for Distance & Store Visit Performance
Announced via Google+, Google will be adding new reports to help advertisers close the gap between AdWords ad and store visit. The Distance Report will show store visits based on a user’s proximity to a store when they are searching. Google gave an example of how you can apply targeting around a certain radius “if your store visit rate is highest within 1 mile of a store”. The Store Visits report, according to Google, will allow advertisers to see “which geographic areas are driving the most ad clicks that result in a store visit.” Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Additional Commentary
Setting Your Priorities for Your PPC Account
PPC Hero Rachael Law offers some advice on how to prioritize your PPC tasks and spend your time wisely. She states that, in some cases, the task that takes the most time may not always have the greatest impact. So, always weigh account impact vs. time commitment. The author also notes the importance of delegation if you are lucky enough to have a team to help you. Law believes that straightforward tasks like SQRs and ad copy are perfect for delegation. If you’re strapped for time, someone else may be able to troubleshoot any issues faster. Source: Rachael Law, PPC Hero
5 Takeaways from Earning Links in 130 Countries
In this guest post for Moz, Kerry Jones explores the mysterious and oft-overlooked world of international link building. Jones begins by pointing out that building links internationally becomes much easier after you’ve earned them domestically. Then, she explains that the best way to overcome language barriers is to focus on creating unique, visually appealing content. Finally, Jones found that the most successful content doesn’t necessarily have to have some sort of “global angle”, but it should appeal to “universal human interests” like drugs and alcohol, health and fitness, travel, and the like. Source: Kerry Jones, Moz blog
