Google Landing Page Optimizer - new service

[BoogalooDude]

Google have developed a landing page optimiser which integrates with adwords, this is the link - Website Optimiser (http://services.google.com/websiteoptimizer/index.html) .

They're only taking sign-ups for the beta at the moment, I've signed up, can't wait to see how this works. :weird:

Link to the demo video - demo (http://services.google.com/websiteoptimizer/overview/index.html)

Link to user documentation (https://www.google.com/analytics/siteopt/siteopt/help/overvw.html)

[KuZz]

Nice, I've been meaning to sign up for this.. just did, hope it works

[CBniche]

Thanks for the source Boog!

[Jimboot]

Thanks BD. One of my clients who's account I manage, spends 10K a month with G so hopefully I'll get a gurnsey!

[ArtColombia]

Thanks for the info!
Just what I was needing!

[Miles Baker]

Yes, I am looking forward to using this as I think it's worth its' weight in gold!

[Biff_Tiberius_Farnsworth]

I've often considered buying the PHP version of this but dang! this is gonna be free!

Anyone been accepted yet?

~B

[nexika]

no.... still waiting ;)

[ClayTrainor]

nice, Google definitely knows what the hell their doing :D

[BoogalooDude]

Got this email from Google:

Hello,

Thank you again for your interest in Website Optimizer beta test.

We've experienced significant interest in our beta test, and have already invited our first two sets of beta testers.

Though we weren't able to include you in our initial two lists, please know that we're working hard to open up the test to additional participants soon.

If you'd like to stay informed about Website Optimizer updates, we encourage you to join the Google Website Optimizer Beta forum (http://groups.google.com/group/websiteoptimizer), where we'll announce changes to the product and provide information about participation in the beta. We recommend that you join and enable the daily email option so that you don't miss any updates. To do so, follow these steps:

1) Join the group by clicking the 'Join this group' link

2) Select the subscription type that you would like to receive. The daily email option will send you an email containing the content of any announcement posts we make to the group.

3) Select 'Join this group'

Sincerely, The Google AdWords Team

[BigBadBaZillions]

Got the same email, sounds like this will take adwords to a whole new level.

[basnl]

"Congratulations! You've been selected to take part in the beta test of the Website Optimizer tool."
Just received the mail but it's 0:19 here now, so I'll have to take a look at it tomorrow - can't wait to try it out on a few sites :)

[jmartel]

I LOVE google!

Thanks for that info Boog.

Congrats basnl!... Keep us posted

[tenev]

WOW just great! I will use it for sure :) :) :) :)

[BoogalooDude]

Yeah, I just got my invite too :D

I'll keep you posted.

[Steve S.]

Thanks BoogalooDude. Keep us informed! This new tool should help many affiliates for testing purposes.
However, I don't think this tool will be a big help to improve the overall "quality score". Aren't we all waiting for a tool that does exactly that... a tool that easily shows us what to change on a landing page so that the required minimum PPC really is the absolute minimum (and can't be improved anymore)?

[BoogalooDude]

Aren't we all waiting for a tool that does exactly that... a tool that easily shows us what to change on a landing page so that the required minimum PPC really is the absolute minimum (and can't be improved anymore)?

That's exactly what it does. It's a landing page optimiser tool.

I'll let you know what happens when I start my experiment page.

[Steve S.]

That's exactly what it does. It's a landing page optimiser tool.

I'll let you know what happens when I start my experiment page.

BoogalooDude,

I hope you accept my doubts on this. This tool looks pretty good to test and increase conversions. But I haven't seen any proof so far that it will increase the landing page's "Quality Score",... and... - as a result of that better QS - will decrease the required "minimum bid" to trigger the Adwords ad.

I hope I am wrong on this!

[BoogalooDude]

BoogalooDude,

I hope you accept my doubts on this. This tool looks pretty good to test and increase conversions. But I haven't seen any proof so far that it will increase the landing page's "Quality Score",... and... - as a result of that better QS - will decrease the required "minimum bid" to trigger the Adwords ad.

I hope I am wrong on this!

Are you using it already?

[Steve S.]

Are you using it already?

No,... I am waiting for the first reports... Thanks for sharing!

[Steve S.]

Did a little research....

from Inside AdWords -The official source for information about AdWords : http://adwords.blogspot.com/2006/10/beta-testers-needed-for-new-website.html


quote:
"Using Website Optimizer to experiment with your landing page does not have any impact on your Quality Score, so long as you maintain the existing default landing page for the Ad Group."
end quote

This confirms exactly what I saw in the demo.

But... Google stipulates that... (and I quote) ...
"Once you make a change to your site based on the results (e.g. the results of the Website Optimizer) the Quality Score might change as with any other changes to your landing page. "

Conclusion : this tool is not what many marketers think it is.

[BoogalooDude]

eh? Both those quotes support that it will help your quality score 'using the results of the website optimiser'.

Wouldn't you use an optimising tool if it came from the very people who you're optimising for? They're not going to deliberately hurt quality, it's not in their interests. If this was released by someone else, I wouldn't touch it but it comes from Google themselves!

They want people's sites to conform to their quality score and this tool helps you do it. Why would they waste their time developing something that's not going to help you and reduces the quality of their service?

Why don't you actually try it and see yourself whether it works, that's what I'm going to do.

[Steve S.]

eh? Both those quotes support that it will help your quality score 'using the results of the website optimiser'.

Wouldn't you use an optimising tool if it came from the very people who you're optimising for? They're not going to deliberately hurt quality, it's not in their interests. If this was released by someone else, I wouldn't touch it but it comes from Google themselves!

They want people's sites to conform to their quality score and this tool helps you do it. Why would they waste their time developing something that's not going to help you and reduces the quality of their service?

Why don't you actually try it and see yourself whether it works, that's what I'm going to do.

BD,

No harm meant. Really! I like your posts. But if Google says that "Using Website Optimizer to experiment with your landing page does not have any impact on your landing page's "Quality Score", than that's exactly what they are saying.

[BoogalooDude]

BD,

No harm meant. Really! I like your posts. But if Google says that "Using Website Optimizer to experiment with your landing page does not have any impact on your landing page's "Quality Score", than that's exactly what they are saying.

No Steve, that's not what they're saying, read it again:

"Using Website Optimizer to experiment with your landing page does not have any impact on your Quality Score, so long as you maintain the existing default landing page for the Ad Group."

In other words, if you make no changes to the default page, it doesn't change your quality score, for obvious reasons. If you make changes based on the results of the website optimiser though, then it does change your quality score, which is exactly what they want.

They want us to improve our site quality, according to the their own rules, nothing else makes any sense., but they're still not going to make it too easy.

[basnl]

No Steve, that's not what they're saying, read it again:

"Using Website Optimizer to experiment with your landing page does not have any impact on your Quality Score, so long as you maintain the existing default landing page for the Ad Group."

In other words, if you make no changes to the default page, it doesn't change your quality score, for obvious reasons. If you make changes based on the results of the website optimiser though, then it does change your quality score, which is exactly what they want.

They want us to improve our site quality, according to the their own rules, nothing else makes any sense., but they're still not going to make it too easy.
I haven't read anything, but I highly doubt the Google Website Optimizer will increase your quality score. Here's what I know:

1) The Google Optimizer is meant to increase your CTR/CR on the landing page your testing
2) The Quality Score is not solely dependant on the CR of your landing page (Google normally has no data about any CTR/CR of a webpage).
3) In fact, it depends on a lot of other factors which have nothing to do with CR

Quality Score != CR Stats ==> Using Google Optimizer alone won't really change your Quality Score.

The only way it could influence your Q.S. is if Google would link the stats of the Google Optimizer to the Q.S. algorithm. I doubt that's the case, at least for now as the system hasn't even gone public yet. On the other hand, it would be a nice marketing trick of Google to link the stats of the Optimizer to your Q.S., to stimulate Adwords advertisers to use the Google Optmizer. Then again, that would go against their 'Do no evil', as you would basically be forced to use the Google Optimizer, instead of some other (and maybe even better) landing page optimizer solution...

Crap I'm confusing myself now :confused:

Let's cut it to a possible conclusion:
* Nobody can know for sure (unless you're a Google Engineer) if and how the Google Optimizer will influence someone's Q.S. - Simply test it
* Even if it would influence your Q.S., it will only be to a small degree. As #1 quality is not only about CR data (fooling the Google Q.S. would be pretty easy otherwise) #2 it would be pretty unfair for any other langing page optimizer solutions, as they would simply be more or less forced out of the market (at least when it comes to Adwords advertisers)
* So you better not solely let your website optimization, when it comes to increasing your Q.S., depend on the Google Optimizer

[BoogalooDude]

Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.

There's a lot of negativity about this tool from people who've never actually used it yet.

[basnl]

Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.

There's a lot of negativity about this tool from people who've never actually used it yet.
I'm not negative at all about the Google Website Optimizer tool! On the contrary: I just created a new experiment and it looks very promising so far. Very useful and it's huge time saver for optimizing your landing pages :)!

The only thing I was trying to add, because of the never ending discussion in this thread about the Q.S. between you & Steve :p, is that I personally doubt that you can use the tool to increase your Adwords quality score, Adwords minimum bid pricing,etc...
Now whether or not this is the case, the tool remains very useful as it allows you to increase your on-page Conversion Ratio. So even if the Q.S. would remain the same you would still be able to increase the overall profits & ROI of your Adwords campaign :).

[xxmwxx]

Thanks for the heads up... I myself registered and still waiting the acceptance email..

About everything in this thread:
From what I can gather this tool will affect the Google PR because it should tell you how to improve your web-page and its layout etc. so it only seems logical that if were to follow these "guidelines" that the tool with give you, you will probably improve your PR as I assume Google takes that stuff into consideration while determining your PR.

[marketstrat]

thanks for links buddy..........

[Biff_Tiberius_Farnsworth]

I'm using it. It has increased my revenues by at least 25% on everything that I tried it on. I'm learning that image ads in the middle of content are kicking ass and I never would have guessed that.

Thanks Google!

~B

[BoogalooDude]

I'm using it. It has increased my revenues by at least 25% on everything that I tried it on. I'm learning that image ads in the middle of content are kicking ass and I never would have guessed that.

Thanks Google!

~B

Interesting to know! Thanks for your feedback Biff old bean.

After all the hoopla, I've hardly had cause to use it but I'm planning to run a couple of tests over the next couple of weeks.