Clickriver Offers Sponsored Search on Amazon.com

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

There is a new option for running online pay-per-click advertising campaigns. Amazon.com, the largest online shopping site and one of the most widely known e-commerce sites on the Web, just launched its own sponsored search product, Clickriver Ads.

The new online advertising program, currently in beta, "allows businesses to place sponsored links on Amazon.com®, next to search results and on product detail pages. Clickriver Ads presents a unique opportunity to advertise services and products that complement the selection on Amazon.com, an online marketplace with tens of millions of active customer accounts."

Sponsored links, simple text ads, will be strategically placed throughout related Amazon product pages. Advertisers only pay if somebody clicks on their link. And because of the ad location, the people who click are most likely interested in your product or service. Sounds a little like the highly successful Google pay-per-click business model.

But that's OK. Google will remain the "Big Daddy" in the search market. Clickriver just offers the opportunity to reach another segment of consumers searching on Amazon and ready to buy.

Copyright 2006 IdeaStar Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Adwords Anybody?

IdeaStar Google AdWords Professionals (L to R): Susanne Svette, Steve Lamb, and Becky Lovejoy.


Need a few good AdWords? IdeaStar can help.

IdeaStar's Spinfield online marketing team now has three Google AdWords Professionals ready to run your search engine marketing campaign. To earn the distinction, each passed the Google Advertising Professionals Exam - a comprehensive test for all things Google ad-campaign related.

They not only know the nuts-and-bolts of running an AdWords pay-per-click program, but some of the more quirky aspects as well, such as:

• What happens with Chinese or Japanese characters in the Ad Title, Ad Text and Display URL.
• What Google Smart Pricing is and how it works.
• What the EU VAT tax is. (Come on Steve. You remember.)

Susanne, IdeaStar's general manager and long-time search engine expert, was first to earn the title several months ago. Steve, who recently joined IdeaStar as online marketing manager, and SEM specialist Becky just passed the test. Three SEM experts at IdeaStar ensures a well-run AdWords campaign.

Google AdWords allows you to advertise your business on Google and its advertising network. The best part is you only pay if people click on your ads. You can't beat that.

If you want to know more about Google Adwords or search engine marketing in general, give Business Developer Laurel Baldwin a call at 216-674-1600 ext. 110. She has a lot of good search engine marketing tips to help your business, and she can put you in touch with our Google AdWords Professionals.

Copyright 2006 IdeaStar Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

Make Them Shop Until They Drop

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

You've spent a lot of time and effort getting people to your Web site. Your pages are all optimized to attract attention, and your pay-per-click program is up and running. You've got a good amount of visitors for you Web site.

But the next - and maybe biggest question of all - is how many of those visitors are buying your product or service? How do you know if those Web site visitors become customers? And if not, why?

The Google AdWords blog recently announced the release of the Google Web site Optimizer to help promote your landing pages. It allows you to test various changes on your pages, such as different headlines, positioning, etc., to see what works best.

So visit the Adwords Web Site Optimizer overview section to see what goodies it has in store for you.

Copyright © 2006 IdeaStar
All rights reserved.