Tips Guides

There is a fine line between running ads for enough keywords in your paid search account to generate sufficient traffic and running so many that you generate junk traffic - that is, unless you only use exact match (or the equivalent). If you are competing in an environment in which there is excess available keyword inventory, then you can probably get away with only using exact match keywords. In fact, if you can, we recommend it. However, this is usually not the case.

Often, due to strong competition for the top keywords, you will need to use a more broad strategy. This opens you up to the possibility of having your ads displayed for non-relevant searches. But there is a way to fine tune the traffic your ads draw without missing relevant searches.

It’s done by using negative keywords.

Negative keywords are keywords you specify that should not be included in search queries that trigger your ad. A common example is the word “free”. If you sell a product but you do not want ads for your product being displayed to those looking for something free, then you could set a negative keyword of “free” to prevent it.

For example, let’s say you sell an ebook about dog training. You might run paid search ads for search phrases like “dog training”, “how to train a dog”, “dog training information”, etc. But if you don’t want your ad to be displayed for a search of “free dog training information”, then you would set a negative keyword of “free”. In reality, you might want to target that traffic anyway in order to give the visitors a free sample of your work, which will hopefully generate a sale. But that is a topic for another article.

Another example would be if you offer language translation services for documents written in Chinese. If you run ads for the broad match keyword “Chinese translations”, chances are very good that you will generate a lot of traffic from people looking to have words translated into Chinese symbols for decorative purposes such as tattoos. If you translate business documents for a living, it really doesn’t do you much good to spend your time doing one character translations. So a good negative keyword in this instance would be “tattoo.”

You can probably think of some negative keywords at the start that make sense, but as you run your campaign, it really helps to know what keywords people are actually using that trigger your ad at inappropriate times. In Google, you can generate a search query report that will show you exactly what phrases have triggered clicks to your site. As you look through the report, if you see keywords that are not appropriate, then those are keywords that you should add to your account as negative keywords.

Using negative keywords is a way for you to fine-tune the traffic that you drive to your web site via paid search without limiting yourself by using exact match keywords. It is a strategy we definitely recommend you look into because it will improve your campaign return on ad spend by focusing your marketing dollars on more relevant keywords.

Jerry Work is president of Work Media, LLC, a pay per click management and search engine optimization firm based in Nashville.

I was sitting here looking out the window at the beautiful sunset and into my mind I had a vision of the Amalfi Coast in Italy. I could hear the melodic Italian language and see the houses with their bright colors trailing all the way up the mountainside. Tour busses can hardly make the tight turns along the road overlooking the coast. Talk about a picturesque sight. This is it. As you drive long the coast and gaze down at the azure blue colored ocean and up at the brightly colored homes on the hills surrounding the coast. This is one of the most picturesque trips I have ever taken.

If you decide to take this trip you may want to learn a little of the Italian language. This will help you get around better and endear you to the local population. There are many good courses on the market. You might consider learning some of the Italian language before your trip. If you also want to learn to write the Italian language then I would perhaps get a Linguaphone course. Or if you want to sit at your computer and learn then I would get a Rosetta Stone CD-rom course. It will make your trip a lot more fulfilling to be able to speak the Italian language, even if it is just a little.

Start getting excited about your trip today. Go to your local Travel Agent and book your trip. Think of the warm sandy beaches, the blue, blue ocean as you look out over the Gulf of Amalfi, the range of the Monti Lattari (Lattari mountains) with the colored houses that harmonize with the beauty of the landscape and listening to the Italian language all around you. Think of the Italian food at the quaint restaurant looking over the beautiful coast. You will see the beauty of rich history, culture and folklore with statues around every turn.

I found that there are a variety of places to stay. Take your pick of a luxury hotel, a unique restaurant, bed and breakfast, or a villa. Go by yourself, take a friend, or take all of your family. This is an experience of a lifetime.

We all need a dream. Like the song “Happy Talk” says in the musical South Pacific, “Talk about things you’d like to do. You got to have a dream, If you don’t have a dream, How you gonna have a dream come true?” Motivate yourself with a dream. I had a dream as I looked out my window thinking of a beautiful place I had traveled to in the past and wanting to go back. That dream took me places in my mind and made me want to purchase a ticket to Italy and stay on the Amalfi Coast again.

What is your dream? Where will it take you? An Unknown Author said, “Give a person an idea, and you enrich their life. Teach a person how to learn, and they can enrich their own lives.” We all need to have an “idea” or should I say a “dream.” And then we need to learn from that idea and enrich our lives. Quoting “Happy Talk” again…”If you don’t have a dream, How you gonna have a dream come true?”

Jim Ada has been working in the language industry for over 15 years and has had years of international business experience. He has seen firsthand the need of learning a new language. Take your language learning to a whole new level. Find the language course that is right for you at www.SpeakALanguage.com. Visit our website to hear a free Pimsleur lesson.

Last week, I talked about how the current credit crises evolved. This crisis is the result of mistakes made by the homeowner, the mortgage company, the investment banks and the rating agencies. This week, you’ll see what caused the House of Cards to fall and will learn how this example can keep you from making a financial mistake.

Leverage was used at each stage of the mortgage-chain. Leverage is when money is borrowed so that additional investments can be made. The idea is that more can be earned on the investment than has to be paid in interest on the loan. So the homeowner borrows the full value of the home, the investment banks borrow money so they can buy more loans, etc. While leverage can increase returns, it also exacerbates a decline.

For example, a popular concept these days is to borrow the equity from your home and invest it in life insurance (one that I don’t agree with). Perhaps both spouses work and their income easily covers the additional mortgage payment. The couple only sees the potential profit and doesn’t realize if things don’t work out, this transaction can be very costly to unwind.

Suppose one spouse loses their job and their income falls short of covering the mortgage payment. Or maybe their mortgage payment increases because of interest rates. Unless the spouse can find another job, the couple will be faced with having to sell their home quickly to pay back the mortgage company. If there are lots of other people in the situation, all trying to sell their homes at the same time, the value of a home is going to drop quickly.

Taking this example a step further, if home prices in general have declined 20%, then those who had 20% equity in their home suddenly have none. Now their home is only worth what they owe. Or, they may have a home equity line of credit. The bank is going to reduce the line of credit based on the decreased amount of equity.

That’s basically what has occurred on a national scale at every point in the mortgage-chain. If a portfolio of mortgages is used as collateral and it’s suddenly worth 50% less, the lender is going to want their money.

What should we learn from this? First, examine why so many homes are in foreclosure. Is it because the borrower wasn’t informed about the details of the loan? No, the bank or mortgage company provided lots of fine print for homeowners to sign, explaining every aspect of their loans, including how interest rates would increase payments in the future.

Did banks or mortgage companies illegally provide mortgages to consumers who weren’t qualified? No, not really. Obviously, the mortgage lenders wanted to sell as many mortgages as possible because that’s how they made money. It wasn’t their job to protect the borrower.

It’s the same in the world of investing. You can’t expect the one selling you a product like a mutual fund or annuity to be the one to watch out for your best interests. As a consumer, it is your responsibility to do the research, read the fine print and thoroughly understand any financial contract you sign. A financial advisor isn’t going to say to you, “Hey, this might not be the best investment for you. Your money is going to be locked up for 15 years and the only way you can tap it is by paying a big penalty. Besides, you can earn even more using a balanced portfolio of quality investments.”

Believe it or not, a commission-based broker or agent is NOT legally obligated to do what is in your best interest. They only have to offer investments that are suitable. They don’t have to make sure you understand the fine print you sign. They don’t have to go over all the future consequences of your financial decisions. They don’t have to sort through all your investment options and find the one that fits you perfectly. That’s not their job!

Don’t let fear or greed cause you to defy common sense when it comes to investing. Do independent research, read and carefully parse the fine print and if you can’t understand it then you shouldn’t buy the investment. Don’t let a smooth-talking advisor cause you to skip any of these important steps.

Nationally-syndicated financial columnist and Certified Financial Planner(R) Jeffrey Voudrie provides personal, in-depth money management services and advice to select private clients throughout the USA.

Read more or ask Jeff a financial question at www.guardingyourwealth.com.