Google Technology
for Better Content
By Adam Howitt
content design & access tools & technologies content development &
management

Overview
Build a site around a goal
Measure the results
Tweak your content
Understand conversions
Drive more traffic to your site

Pick a Goal
Event Registrations – sign up
Leads – register
Sales – buy something
Readership – subscribe
Be more specific
– Don’t just buy something, buy this
• Most profitable or
• Underdeveloped

Build a Site
Quickly – launch fast and learn fast
80% perfect
Goal driven content
Omit anything not driving the goal
Your site can always improve

Garden Metaphor
Start barren
Plant seeds
Constant care
Things die
Things get moved
Things just don’t work

Main Street Store
Goal 1 – Get them inside
– Catchy Window
Goal 2 – Get them to buy something specific
– Avoid Distractions
– Shelf placement and signage
Goal 3 – Get them to buy more items
– Carefully position related items
Goal 4 – Get them to come back
– Coupons, mailing list

Website Equivalent
Goal 1 – Get them inside
– Landing pages in Google
– Should communicate end goal
Goal 2 – Get them to buy something specific
– Easy next step for the goal
• Prominent
• Eye catching
Online is
• Scannable
• Desirable
Like Offline
Goal 3 – Get them to buy more items
– Give them a next step after the goal
• Turn thank you into please continue
Goal 4 – Get them to come back
– Get them to subscribe
• Coupons, mailing list, fresh content

Measure your Goal – Google Analytics
Demo of Google Analytics
Demo of Page Views
Demo of E-commerce
Demo of Drilldown
Demo of Funnels

Google Analytics Dashboard

Top Content

Ecommerce Overview

Funnels

Measure Your Goal
Funnels
Predict the path to the goal
Make predictions and quantify
Compare goal paths vs. actual
Look for patterns
Look for peaks
Drilldown – understand your peaks

Tweak
Establish your baseline
Create a target zone
Brainstorm ways to convert lows to highs
Think about product manufacturers
– Produce several variants
– Run focus groups
– Review feedback and numbers
– Optionally refine
– Launch

What if you could…
Produce candidate copy
Run focus groups with some of your traffic
Review the results
Identify the best candidate
Launch the winner

Google Website Optimizer
Design your experiment
Set a goal
How much traffic to test
Prepare candidate copy
Identify a winner

How Optimizer Works
X % of your traffic see the experiment
Measures conversions of each combo
– How many impressions
– How many conversions
– Conversions deviation
Initially distributes combos evenly
As leaders emerge traffic is weighted
Google declares a winner
Original copy can sometimes win!

Create an Experiment

Create experiment

Add Code to Pages

Is it there yet?

Create Variations

Review Settings and Launch

Experiment Results

Testing Notes
Test one thing at a time
A/B testing minimizes external influences
– Publicity, campaigns, seasons
Only A/B testers count to experiment result

Refine
Make the change
Monitor the results
Did you reach your target?
– Yes – Set a new one and design a new experiment
– No – Create a new experiment OR new candidates

Review your Handout
Pick a page on your website
Think about the content
What would you like to change?
Does anyone have an example we can review together?

What to Test?
Images – demographic, color balance
Text – tone, audience, pace, length, emphasis
Colors (text, buttons, backgrounds)
Position of page elements
Navigation
Fonts – spacing, flow, words per line
Promotions
Pricing
Limiting distractions

So you Understand Conversions
Establish a value for your goal
– Use profit after costs e.g. $100
Calculate visitors per conversion
– 10% conversion rate = 10 visitors
If I spend $100 for 10 visitors I break even
– Less than $100 for 10 I make money
– Max cost per visitor should be $10

Google AdWords
Sign up for free Run your campaign
Choose your max pay per Monitor conversions
click
Run candidate ads
Set a daily budget
Refine market
Design an ad
Refine ads
Pick a market
Refine price per click
– Keywords
– Sites
– Geo-location

Summary
Build a site around a goal
Measure the results
Tweak your content
Understand conversions
Now it is time to drive more traffic to your site

References
Google Analytics, Mary E. Tyler & Jerri Ledford
– ISBN: 0470053852
Google Analytics
– http://analytics.google.com
Google Adwords and Optimizer
– http://adwords.google.com
WalkJogRun running site
– http://www.walkjogrun.net