Headlines that caught our eye recently:
Ready, set, verify. Starting in June 2015, Google says all phone numbers used in call extensions and location extensions will have to be verified. There’s a three-step verification process; ads with unverified phone numbers will be disapproved.
We know where you are, customers. We loved these tips for local businesses on using geolocation to reach a desired audience. They’re mostly common-sense-meets-marketing-strategy: Spend less during school breaks and summers if you’re running a campaign for a club that caters to college students, for example.
Color counts. Anyone who runs display or remarketing campaigns, take note: According to a RocketFuel study, red backgrounds in display ads drive the most conversions, as do male faces, animations and logos in the lower left corner. Gray backgrounds performed the worst.
All about that bid. Former Googler Frederick Vallaeys lays out the best bidding strategies in The essential in-depth overview of PPC bid management. “There is no such thing as a bad keyword; there are only bad bids,” says Vallaeys.