Karissa Bell says, “As promised during Google I/O earlier this year, the first Android apps for Chromebooks have arrived. Machines running Google’s Chrome OS can now run the Vine, Evernote, Duolingo and Sight Words Android apps on their desktops. The first class of apps are part of Google’s App Runtime for Chrome (beta), the project that Google’s head of Android Sundar Pichai first revealed earlier this year during Google I/O. The project is part of Google’s broader effort to make Android and Chrome OS a more unified experience”. Google Reveals First Wave of Android... [...]

Ben Barrass says, “Benchmarking, for those that were in the know, was once a fantastic feature of Google Analytics. Discontinued in 2011, and then followed by the removal of Adplanner the following year, meant it became a lot harder to contextualise the great work marketers were doing and get valuable market information. Alternatives for benchmarking have always been available, based on toolbar tracking or proprietary stats vendors for example, but those that used Google Analytics benchmarking reports loved the feature for its simplicity, the fact that it was perceived to be well informed, and... [...]

James McCormick says, “You’ve heard us saying a thousand times: the buzz about big data isn’t about the amount of data you’ve collected; it’s how you digest that data and turn it into actionable insights. With the revamp to Google Analytics’ (GAs) benchmarking, Google is taking the next steps in allowing us common folk to process data in a platform with a simple UI, built to enable you to draw insights to catalyze actionable improvements to your marketing program. Google’s vision is there. GAs extended benchmarking capability  – available to free and premium users – offers... [...]

Amy Gesenhues says, “According to Google Analytics, it will be rolling out new Benchmark Reports over the coming weeks for any users who have opted in to share their data anonymously with Google. The new reports pull industry acquisition and engagement metrics from 1,600 industry categories, 1,250 markets and seven size-buckets, allowing users to analyze data by channel, location, or device category dimensions. Also included is a heat map feature which Google Analytics claims will identify areas that could use more attention. Along with the announcement, Google Analytics included comments... [...]

Jim Bilello says, “In the world of web marketing, I have found there is so much confusion in client reporting that unless you are a Google Analytics and PPC pro it is easy enough for your agency to position the data in ways that are confusing at best and downright misleading at worst. You have a dashboard you say not just spreadsheets? OK—but does your dashboard report on the items discussed below? How do you really know if your Google Pay Per Click or AdWords campaign is performing well against the competition? This brief post is in no way meant to be exhaustive in scope, but it will give... [...]

Ben Barrass says, “Benchmarking – for those that were in the know – was once a fantastic feature of Google Analytics. Discontinued in 2011, and then followed by the removal of Adplanner the following year, meant it became a lot harder to contextualise the great work marketers were doing and get valuable market information. Alternatives for benchmarking have always been available, based on toolbar tracking or proprietary stats vendors for example, but those that used Google Analytics benchmarking reports loved the feature for its simplicity, the fact that it was perceived to be well informed,... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “Google has announced its latest play in the product search arena: AdSense for Shopping. The new product brings Google’s image-based product listing ads (PLAs) to third-party retail and commerce sites. Walmart.com is among the limited number of retail sites using AdSense for Shopping. The sponsored ads show related products along the left-hand side of the search results on the site”. Google Expands Product Ads Footprint With AdSense For Shopping Marketing Land  [...]

Kendall Allen says, “Despite our fascination with it, many of us are suspicious of what I once liked to call the Math State — the ascendance of mathematics and algorithms that has occurred in the advertising industry as real-time bidding (RTB), pioneered by search marketing and now rising in programmatic display, has taken hold. We wondered what this development would do to strategic collaboration between brand, agency and publisher. We worried that it would bridle our creativity. We worried that it would dumb down our talent, as we all relied — one way or another — on the algorithm... [...]

Samantha Winchell says, “When you hear the name “Matt Cutts”, the head of Google’s webspam team, do you break out in a nervous sweat? For most, this is not the case, but for some, the mere thought of a Google penalty keeps them up at night. The fact of the matter is, Google is very clear about what is and is not acceptable under their guidelines of use; so if you’re one of those people who breaks out in a sweat when you even see the word algorithm, it’s time for a wake up call. Google is constantly evolving their algorithm, and if you’re doing anything shady, it’s... [...]

Adam Dince says, “These days, marketers are doing everything they can to leverage non-paid marketing channels to increase operating income and decrease spend. One of the most impactful areas of non-paid marketing is search engine optimization (SEO). However, many businesses tackling SEO are only focusing on content marketing and social media while ignoring technical considerations important to Google and Bing. Yes, there’s an echo chamber out there proclaiming that content marketing and social are the new SEO, but that couldn’t be any farther from the truth”. Top 10 Tips... [...]