8 google tools
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This document provides an overview of 9 tools from Google that can help with marketing effectiveness: Google AdWords, Google Docs, Google Keyword Tool, Google Alerts, Google News, Google Reader, Google Places, and Google+. It describes each tool's purpose and how marketers can utilize them, such as using Google Docs for content collaboration, Google News to find story ideas, and Google Places to improve local search visibility. The overall message is that these free Google tools can help marketers improve inbound marketing when used strategically.
8 google tools
- 1. 8 t s to Improve Your Marketing Effectiveness
- 2. Table of Contents Introduction.....................................................................3 Google AdWords.............................................................5 Google Docs...................................................................8 Google Keyword Tool.....................................................11 Google Alerts.................................................................14 Google News.................................................................17 Google Reader..............................................................20 Google Places...............................................................23 Google+…………...........................................................26 Common Questions.......................................................29 2
- 3. Introduction Although Google serves as the go-to search engine for many Internet users, there still seems to be a large unawareness for its other tools. Here at HubSpot, we feel it’s important to discuss Google’s various tools as they fit in nicely within the type of marketing we and our customers practice: inbound marketing. As you have noticed, traditional marketing activities have hit the back burner, establishing a stale and ineffective method of reaching consumers. As a response to this changing environment, we need to shift our focus to attract people who are actively searching for products online. That's where inbound marketing comes in. Inbound marketing accurately conveys the challenges your consumers are facing and what types of solutions they are looking for. It takes advantage of the way people communicate and do research. We are using search engines, reading blogs and tapping into our social networks to find answers to questions and make purchase decisions. Companies can utilize these different channels to better target their marketing activities and bring in more sales. 3
- 4. Introduction Inbound marketing is easy to measure, allowing you to see your return on investment, whereas with traditional marketing techniques, it’s much harder to tell whether the money you spent is actually turning into sales. One of the key players in this rapidly evolving landscape is Google. While there are numerous search engines out there (Yahoo, Bing, AOL, etc), Google remains the dominant destination people land on for research and reviews. However, Google is not only a search engine. It also owns a range of assets that provide marketers with social networking and content creation opportunities. This is what this eBook is all about. Hope the tools we cover here will help you become better at inbound marketing! 4
- 5. Tool 1 Google AdWords 5
- 6. 1 Google AdWords Google AdWords is a provider of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads. It allows businesses to create ads and target specific keywords. As people search for these keywords, the paid ads appear in Google paid search results. Does that sound confusing? Let’s break it down. For example, let’s do a search for a dentist in Cambridge, MA. As you can see in the screenshot below, there are two types of results that appear in results: Sponsored links 1) Organic search results: These search results are earned by accumulating a lot of inbound links and SEO authority. 2) Sponsored links: These are search results you pay for in order to rank for a specific keyword combination. 6
- 7. 1 Google AdWords “ 75% of searchers click on organic search. Only 25% of online searchers click on paid results . Google AdWords Offers Contextual Targeting As part of the Google Display Network, Google partners with hundreds of websites, news pages and blogs that can feature your ads. “And similar to how it works with Google Search, your keywords determine where your ads are shown on the Display Network,” Google’s Step-by-Step guide reads. When you create a specific ad, Google can match it to a website it relates to. For example, if you’re a bakery and your ad is about a cake, it will fit in well with the Dining and Wine section of The New York Times. This is called contextual targeting. In order to create engaging display ads, Google will also provide you with a free Display Ad Builder tool. GET STARTED: Go to adwords.google.com 1) Select a well-performing offer (a whitepaper, report, etc.). 2) Create a Google ad. 3) Design a call to action. 4) Launch and monitor performance. 7
- 8. Tool 2 Google Docs 8
- 9. 2 Google Docs Google Docs are free online documents that can be accessed from anywhere, shared with your team and edited by invited collaborators. What Types of Google Docs? you to edit the users who can have There are five types of documents access. All you need to do is enter you can create: names/email addresses. 1. Word documents 2. Spreadsheets 3. Presentations 4. Drawings 5. Forms Sharing & Full Access After creating a document, you can share it with anyone who needs to view, edit or manage it. Once you are in the document, a share button in the upper right corner will allow . Scheduling & Efficiency Google Docs helps you become efficient at calendaring and scheduling content. For instance, at HubSpot, we use Google spreadsheets to keep a running list of our blog post ideas, email marketing sends and upcoming webinars. In this way, we ensure everyone on the team is aware of our activities and can help out as necessary. 9
- 10. 2 Google Docs Content Creation & Collaboration Google Docs helps with brainstorming new content ideas and collaborating within the actual creation process. Maintaining these docs, you can eliminate unnecessary meeting time and be more efficient. Calendars & Meetings Lastly, Google calendars also provide you with a helpful platform to stay organized, create reoccurring events and remember deadlines. At HubSpot, we even use them as a way to keep track of when our team members will be away from the office. GET STARTED: Go to Docs.Google.com 1) Select a content series (blog articles, webinars, videos, email). 2) Create a document around that content 3) Share document with co-workers. 4) Collaborate, modify and publish. 10
- 11. Tool 3 Google Keyword Tool 11
- 12. 3 Google Keyword Tool Google’s Keyword Tool helps you create a solid keyword research strategy. While it’s part of Google AdWords, you can also use some of its capabilities without being enrolled in a PPC program. Why Keywords Matter? People enter keywords into search engines in order to find information and entertainment, conduct research and make purchases. As a business, you want online searchers to find you and your company’s website when they make queries relevant to your product or service. That’s why doing the right keyword research is essential and can help you attract more qualified traffic to your site. How Google’s Keyword Tool Works You can do two things by going to the website: 1) Enter keywords and the Keyword Tool will return synonyms of those keywords. 2) Enter a website and the Keyword Tool will suggest keywords used within that website. 12
- 13. 3 Google Keyword Tool Image credit: Matt Powell How Competitive Keywords Are In addition to suggesting keyword ideas, Google’s Keyword Tool will also tell you how competitive these phrases are. Generally, you don’t want to choose highly competitive keywords, but you The Long-Tail Keyword Strategy want to focus on the ones you can There is no way we can discuss keyword realistically start ranking for. strategies without mentioning the importance of the long-tail keyword. It Monthly Searches Help Strategize refers to the usage of narrow and specific Google’s Keyword Tool will also inform keywords rather than going for the broad you on the monthly searches for terms. The latter are highly competitive keywords (approximately 12-month which, as Matt Powell noted in 2008, average of user queries). When you “ means big costs and also low specify a country or a language in your conversion rates.” An example of a long- search, you can also look into the local tail keyword strategy would be to target monthly searches. So if you’re a local the phrase “ youth education program company or a company looking to Massachusetts ” instead of just the expand nationally or internationally, this generic term “education.” strategy will work to your benefit. GET STARTED: Go to GoogleKeywordTool.com 1) Enter a keyword you want to be ranking for. 2) Find out synonymous keyword combinations. 3) Choose one low on competition & with decent monthly traffic. 4) Write a blog post around it. 13
- 14. Tool 4 Google Alerts 14
- 15. 4 Google Alerts Google Alerts is a free tool used by marketers to monitor brand name, key industry terms and competitors. Why Receive Alerts? Generally, Google Alerts are useful Google Alerts enable you to easily to marketers who don’t have the monitor the Web for desired keywords, time or resources to be proactive sending you email messages when these about monitoring the Web for terms are being used. specific mentions. Google does the searching for you! As an example, For example, we use Google Alerts to see below a Google Alert for “social monitor the word “HubSpot” along with marketing content.” “inbound marketing” and “Internet marketing.” It’s one way to stay on top of news related to our industry and brand. 15
- 16. 4 Google Alerts Don’t Worry, You Can Filter the Alerts “ More email? That ’ s the last thing I want,” are probably the thoughts running through your mind while you are reading this. But don’t worry! There is a way you can filter the email alerts. When signing up for Google Alerts, you can select the type of content you want Google to look for (e.g., blog post, news articles, video, etc) and how often notifications are sent. Let ’ s say you choose a popular topic which is basically popping up 24/7. You might not want to be alerted every single time it gets a mention. Luckily, you can opt for daily or weekly alerts. GET STARTED: Go to Google.com/Alerts 1) Pick a few industry terms. 2) Set up Google Alerts for each. 3) Monitor your presence. 4) Create content around newsworthy stories. 16
- 17. Tool 5 Google News 17
- 18. 5 Google News Google News helps you leverage the buzz around fresh news stories and instantly follow up with recent events. Generate Content Ideas Be an Industry Thought Leader Google News provides you with a Writing about recent industry great platform to find news relevant to trends and events will turn you into your industry and generate content an industry thought leader and a ideas from the results you see. Take go-to resource for online advantage of a story’s timeliness and searchers. piggyback on its newsworthiness. Remember to offer your unique For instance, in the query below, we perspective on the topic you are looked for news matched to the covering, and even include quotes phrase “inbound marketing.” One of from experts in your organization. the results Google News returned If you are feeling especially was an announcement of a survey passionate about the issue, posted only an hour after our query consider creating a video about it! was made. This is the perfect Once you nail down the topic, you opportunity to write a blog post! can choose from a range of content formats (e.g. video, blog posts, ebooks, press releases, etc). 18
- 19. 5 Google News Appeal to Mainstream Media Following fresh news stories and being able to create content around them is an advanced approach to inbound marketing. Your content may even be picked up by journalists and bloggers seeking information on the same topic. This is the real-time aspect of marketing that companies need to leverage. As David Meerman Scott notes in his book “Real- Time Marketing & PR, ” marketers today need speed and agility to give them competitive advantage. Google News presents a wonderful way to do that, so make sure to try it out. GET STARTED: Go to News.Google.com 1) Enter an industry key term. 2) See what comes up and choose the most recent result that’s relevant to your business. 3) Brainstorm content ideas around the topic. 4) Create a blog post about it. 19
- 20. Tool 6 Google Reader 20
- 21. 6 Google Reader Google Reader is a free tool that helps you stay up to date with what’s going on in your industry. It’s great for coming up with content ideas and engaging with your community in industry-related conversations. Filter Your News to Save Time Be Social in the Blogosphere In today’s attention economy, time is While blogging is important for our scarcest resource. That’s why we establishing yourself as a thought value most the tools that save us time. leader, commenting on other blogs also builds your credibility. Google Reader does exactly that—saves you time by allowing you to quickly filter Following other blogs is especially through news stories, blog posts, videos important if you are just starting out and other content relevant to your with blogging. It enables you to industry. Subscribe to websites, blogs, draw more content ideas, industry leaders and get notifications on participate in important industry their updates. discussions and create valuable relationships. But if you subscribe to hundreds of blogs, when are you going to spare time to read all these article? That is why you want to browse through them using Google Reader. 21
- 22. 6 Google Reader Quick Organizational Tips Choose five or ten top blogs to add to your Google Reader. Check it daily. If you can consistently keep up with this pace, slowly increase the list. Find Competing Blogs Google Reader also allows you to identify who in your industry is prolific and with a large following. It will match your search terms with feeds and show subscriber counts: GET STARTED: Go to Google.com/Reader 1) Subscribe to industry blogs/sites. 2) Follow industry thought leaders. 3) Check Google Reader daily. 4) Draw blogging ideas. 22
- 23. Tool 7 Google Places 23
- 24. 7 Google Places Google Places gets your business found on local search results on both Google Search and Google Maps. Why Google Places? Every Place Counts 1) You gain more visibility. If you don’t work out of an office, you 2) You attract more traffic. are allowed to list your house/home 3) You can level the playing field. office as a business (but, you take the 4) It’s free. risk of letting people know where you live). Any physical location used to If you haven’t done this yet, you need meet customers should be listed in to create your Google Places listing as Google Places. Thus, people located soon as possible. It’s a free way for nearby are likely going to gravitate you to get listed on the first page of toward your business because it’s Google and level the playing field. convenient, easy and on the front When creating the listing, optimize for page of Google. the right keywords and feature images and videos relevant to your business. Let’s Take an Example Let’s say that you are looking to find a moving company. You visit Google.com and enter the search phrase “moving company.” Thanks to your IP address and the advanced search algorithms, Google already knows where you are located. In our case, it’s Cambridge, MA. So even though we didn’t specify a location in our search term, the very first results Google returned are from websites located in the same area. This is the power of Google Places. 24
- 25. 7 Google Places Learn by Example If you have any doubts about how to create your Google Places listing or what to feature on it, check out HubSpot’s Google Place page. Even though we are a B2B software company, we found some interesting content to feature on our page. We highlight photos and links with which our audience can engage: GET STARTED: Go to Google.com/Places 1) Claim your Google Places listing. 2) Optimize for the right keywords. 3) Add images, videos and other media to engage your audience. 4) Provide links to other online assets you own. 25
- 26. Tool 8 Google+ 26
- 27. 7 Google+ Google+ is a new social network that can drive valuable social media and search engine traffic to your business website. Social Networking With Privacy? Use the +1 Button Google+ adds a new take on the Before it even launched Google+, familiar mechanics of social Google launched the +1 button. This networking. The service allows users button allows users to easily share to organize connections into Circles. links and promote results in Google Content can then be shared with one search results. HubSpot analyzed or many circles. So unlike Twitter, data from its 5,000 customers and which involves sharing content with all determined that websites that install of your followers and the public, with and use Google’s +1 button get 3.5 Google+ users can choose who to times more traffic from Google+ than share information with on a message websites that don’t use the button. by message basis. Install the +1 button now! More Than Text Sharing Google+ is more than just Facebook with better sharing functionality. Rather, it allows other ways to communicate. It incorporates Google’s chat feature, which was made popular by Gmail. Additionally, one of the most popular new features of Google+ is Hangouts. Hangouts are group video chats among Google+ users. Hangouts enable a stronger connection when compared to simply sharing links and images in a stream of updates. Google+ also has Sparks, which aggregates content on a specific topic (e.g. “cars”) into an online magazine format for easy information consumption. 27
- 28. 7 Google+ Business Pages Coming Soon Currently, the biggest feature missing from Google+ is business pages. As an individual, you can get started today. Unfortunately, business pages won’t be available on Google+ until sometime in the fall of 2011. Until then, get up to speed on all that Google+ has to offer so you can get a head start once business pages are live. GET STARTED: Go to Plus.Google.com 1) Sign up for a Google+ Account. 2) Set up your Google Profile page. 3) Add connections and organize your circles. 4) Begin sharing content to your different circles. 28
- 29. Q&A Common Questions Isn’t following a thought leader Is Google Reader for RSS feeds, on Google Reader the same as like I see on a website? Do those following them on Twitter? go to a Google Reader account? They are similar, but there are things Yes, exactly. A lot of times when you you can do in Google Reader that you click to subscribe to a feed, you will be cannot do on Twitter: read the content given options, one of which will be right away without an extra click, Google Reader. comment and gain visibility. Also, if you miss a tweet, it just goes away In Google Places, what can I unnoticed. A notification in Google highlight about my company? Reader doesn’t go away until you mark it as read. Bring a human element to it. Portray an image of who you really are, showing So should I follow a thought the faces behind the email addresses. leader via Twitter or Google Reader? I can’t think of a topic for a blog post. It’s your personal preference. If you’re a heavy Twitter user and like to quickly Sort through your Google Reader feed, scroll up and down for news headlines, and start reading stories. Comment on that may be your best bet. If you’d your favorite thought leaders’ blogs, rather dig deep, go with the Reader. and as you do so, you will start But it also doesn’t hurt to use both. generating ideas for your own blog. You can also use these ideas for webinars and videos. 29
- 30. Q&A Common Questions Which Google tools are best Create an ad and try out different for SEO? variations of the offer’s title. In that way, you gauge interest and see what people AdWords complements the way you are gravitating toward. would approach SEO, along with Google Places and Google’s How does buying AdWords work? Keyword Tool. When you launch a Google AdWords How should I research campaign, you’re essentially paying a keywords? cost per click. The campaign varies based on the competitiveness of the Make a list of five or six of the keywords you’re bidding for and how keywords you would like to use and likely someone is to click on your ad. see what Google suggests. If you have a competitor in mind, enter You can set a limit and indicate how their website and see what keywords they’re using. Generally, much you’re willing to pay for a you don’t want to choose keywords specific keyword and how much with a lot of competition. you’re willing to spend in a specific day (or your total budget for the How can I test offers with campaign). AdWords? There is a lot of flexibility, which is AdWords allows you to do really good because it’s all about testing accurate testing of your offers. and figuring out what’s right for your Say you have a trade show, a company. AdWords aren’t for conference or a webinar coming everyone, but definitely worth a shot. up. Before you do more promotion of that event, you can do some testing. 30
- 31. Q&A Common Questions Why do are so many of these What is more, you will want to tools associated with blogging? analyze the results that you are getting and see which marketing Blogging is one of the fundamental efforts were worth the investment aspects of inbound marketing. It and how you can improve. It’s builds long-term assets that help both powerful to be able to use closed- humans and search engines find your loop marketing and tell which business. Successful marketers need visitors turned into leads and sales. to maintain at least one blog that can bring them visibility, traffic and new HubSpot is the only all-in-one leads. marketing software platform that allows you to do all these things— If I’m using these tools for free, create content, SEO strategies, what’s the benefit of using landing pages, calls-to action, software like HubSpot? emails, reports and more! All the tools we cover in this eBook are great for content creation. They will help you draw ideas, produce interesting marketing offers, better organize your activities and get exposure. But content creation alone won’t generate leads for your business. You'll need to introduce calls-to- action, capture the information of your visitors and turn that traffic into prospects. That is why you will need to create landing pages, use lead nurturing and email marketing to remain top of mind for your community and get them interested in your product or service. 31
- 32. Learn More about HubSpot The only all-in-one marketing software platform for small and mid-sized businesses 30-Day Free Trial Get started now! 32