How to configure Google Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools Configuration

Having a Google Webmaster account is an essential component of conducting business online. Regardless of your website and the eCommerce vertical you compete in, a large portion of your traffic is derived from search engine traffic -- particularly free search traffic from Google. Only through Google Webmaster Tools can you completely monitor and communicate your website’s status and crawlability with Google as well as track your keyword ranking in Google’s search results. (As a side note: this type of data is also available through Bing.com, the Microsoft Search Engine, but this data cannot be piped into Google Analytics).

Setting up and configuring Google Webmaster Tools is the easiest configuration reviewed in this Whitepaper. You will need to create a Google Webmaster account in order to view the proprietary search data relating to your website and then link this account with both Analytics and Tag Manager. If you do not have an account already, navigate to www.google.com/webmasters/ and sign in with the Gmail address to which both Google Tag Manger and Google Analytics are associated with.

Once you sign into Webmaster Tools, you are ready to create your account. Navigate to Home and chose to “Add A Site”

Add your eComm website URL, for this example we are using the ficticious www.myecommwebsite.com you are now ready to validate the site ownership status.

Recommended Verification

There are several ways in which to “verify” and prove your site ownership.

If you have already implemented Google Tag Manager, Clickvoyant recommends that you validate and verify site ownership through GTM. This is the easiest method out of the five possibilities. All you have to do is select “Verify” and then log into GTM, this will prove that you have the capability to place code on your site. This again goes to show how indispensable and agile having Google Tag Manager can be for the eCommerce site owner. Through one initial on-site implementation you gain the ability to add additional tools and capabilities.

Alternate Verification Methods

The HTML will require IT / Developer to implement. This is the most rigorous verification method. It is achieved by creating an empty .html file on your site, with a specific Google Webmaster key code. Once created and posted onto your website, select to “Verify” the key code and site ownership.

If you do not wish to create an empty key code file or your Content Management System will not easily allow it, there are several other methods through which you can verify and prove your site ownership. The three other methods are by adding: an HTML Meta Tag to the header of your homepage (a meta tag only visible to Google, which does not interfere with site layout or performance), through your Domain Name provider, or by accessing Google Analytics code that is already live on your site

Success. You now have access to your own Google-side SEO search data. The next step is to connect this data into your Google Analytics implementation. Piping this off-site search data into GA will give you the ability to see off-site SEO impressions, keyword ranking and click-through rates along your site traffic and key performance indicators. Remain logged into Google Webmaster and open a new tab on your browser. Navigate to Google Analytics and log in. Once signed in click on “Admin” on the top navigation bar. Select “Property Settings” under the appropriate Property, in this scenario we are using the “eComm Widget Store” property we created earlier for Google Analytics.

Scroll toward the bottom of the page, past the other Property configuration settings and select “Edit” under “Webmaster Tools Settings.”

This will enable Webmaster Tools to pass data into Google Analytics. Select the site URL for your web property and click “Save”.

Google will ask you to verify this data association. Click “OK”.

Once you click “Save” -- Google Webmaster tools data is now live and being piped into Google Analytics.

Congratulations!

You have just opened wide a view into your site’s SEO Keyword ranking as well as the ability to correlate SEO impressions, click-throughs and product page ranking opportunities while measuring the impact of free search engine traffic on revenue.

Need help setting up your eCommerce Analytics? We'll walk you through it! Schedule a free half hour appointment.

How to increase international conversions with country optimization

Some of your site's International Traffic varies in converting qualities from country to country. This is due to country or region specific metrics, key performing indexes and qualitative / cultural factors. Your shipping costs and methods are a lead contributing variable when it comes to converting overseas. As are product specific variations based on Geo-global specific visitor location. Lastly, shopping cart factors such as security / authentication verification or international currencies processing capabilities - can all contribute to international website conversion performance.


PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

• Traffic Volume [country specific traffic components: visits or sessions & unique visitors]
• Language Preferences [website language messaging & rendering options]
• Browser Technology [country specific technology and browser adoption levels vary]
• Shopping Cart [shopping cart SSL encrypted payment data collection]
• Payment Processing [capability to process varying international currencies]
• Shipping Methods [shipping costs make or break eComm including shipping mail carriers]
• Product Restrictions [international selling rights can vary product by product]

How to increase targeted country traffic with content management marketing

Certain global country traffic will outperform others either in terms of Revenue Generation, Conversion Rate, Revenue Per Visitor or overall quality of traffic. These are the International Zones in which you should concentrate your online marketing efforts to the point of market saturation and optimal return on investment.

KEY POINTS

• Best performing International areas don't necessarily translate to market metro size or existing quantity of traffic to your site.
• Country segments perform well because of your product assortment, proximity, shipping/tax rates and overall market competition.

 GET MORE TRAFFIC

• Go after your top performing international country segments

• Your options for increasing traffic from these area's include Paid Search, targeted SEO landing pages, Local Listings and Geo Metro specific Off-line marketing channels
• Paid Search Strategy = bid up your top performing keywords in these high performing countries by creating geographic specific ad groups with a lower ROI threshold, so that you can increase bid prices, get more traffic, convert at a higher rate then the rest of your site, and make up the difference in lower ad spend to sales ratio on your increased revenue from traffic you normally would have lost out on.
• SEO Landing Pages = SEO is a great way to get free traffic from international zones, by creating landing pages on your site that are keyword heavy (in your on-page copy as well as in the page title, page description, H1 & H2 tags) for these countries, that use terminology, slang, colloquialisms or jargon specific to these zones (think of Baby Carriage vs. Stroller vs. Buggy or Perambulator or Pram vs. Pushchair, etc. you get the picture)
• Local Listings = these are very specific country centric online publications and can be a treasure trove for the aggressive online marketer, because ads are very targeted, usually very affordable, can have long  runs or flights (make sure to add UTM Tracking Parameters and build entire campaigns as well)
• Geo Targeted Offline Marketers = these are affiliates or professional bloggers who only blog or promote in a certain country
• Social Networks = the wisdom of the crowds is very targeted and often yielding high volume traffic, this can be tricky to convert, since it is disruptive advertising, but if funneled into their own campaign, new international awareness and even be re-targeted, these services are readily available through Facebook or especially Twitter
• Traditional Offline Advertising = this method will work best with online marketing when you know which international markets work for you, and since you have a proven list of countries to target you can advertise offline with higher than average return on investment rates and the ability to monitor localized success from traditional methods such as billboards, bench ads, local TV Spots, local Radio Stations, newspapers, direct mail or door hangers, by utilizing Vanity URLs or Country Specific Website Versions. 

And yes in the UK they are still called Perambulators or Prams :)

How to increase conversions with Geo-targeting

You have high traffic volumes from specific Geographic Metro Areas or Countries. This large traffic segment is consistent in volume, but it doesn't convert well for you. The problem is not your site, it isn't the traffic and it is not the marketing channel. The problem is the site entry point and the first impression along with the product assortment. This is a common problem and optimization opportunity for eCommerce Stores who's websites carry very geographically dependent products, such as "Snow Shovels" or "Cowboys NFL branded products".

KEY POINTS

• High Traffic from a specific geographic area
• Poor conversion rate and low RPV (revenue per visitor)
• Use a 3rd party targeting service to serve site-wide relevant content like (Optimizely)

How to turn site search keywords into paid search PPC keywords

Conducting PPC Keyword research is not easy due to all the potential sources for keyword generation. One of your most successful sources comes right from your site. High volume converting site search keywords.

These words are generated by your site visitors either because they are searching for a product specifically or because they want a faster way to navigate your site. Regardless the reason they are converting on your site for these keywords, due to your site's relevancy for the words or products they are searching for.

How to target and market to geographic areas

Certain geographic metro areas will outperform others either in terms of Revenue Generation, Conversion Rate, Revenue Per Visitor or overall quality of traffic. These are the metro areas in which you should concentrate your online marketing efforts to the point of market saturation and optimal return on investment.

KEY POINTS

• High performing Geo Metro areas don't necessarily translate to market metro size or existing quantity of traffic to your site.
• Metro segments perform well because of your product assortment, proximity, shipping/tax rates and overall market Geo-demographic fit.

 GET MORE TRAFFIC

• Generate a list of your top Target Online Marketing Geographic Metro Areas
• Use Google Analytics to benchmark incoming traffic to those areas then sub-segment each of your top target metro areas into traffic source marketing channels 

• Your options for increasing traffic from these area's include Paid Search, targeted SEO landing pages, Local Listings and Geo Metro specific Off-line marketing channels
• Paid Search Strategy = bid up your top performing keywords in these high performing metro areas by creating geographic specific ad groups with a lower ROI threshold, so that you can increase bid prices, get more traffic, convert at a higher rate then the rest of your site, and make up the difference in lower A to S ratio on your increased revenue from traffic you normally would have lost out on.
• SEO Landing Pages = these are a great way to get free traffic from these metro areas, by creating landing pages on your site that are keyword heavy (in your on-page copy as well as in the page title, page description, H1 & H2 tags) for these metro zones, that use terminology, slang, colloquialisms or jargon specific to these zones (think of Baby Carriage vs. Stroller vs. Buggy or Perambulator or Pram vs. Pushchair, etc. you get the picture)
• Local Listings = these are very specific local centric online publications (a very famous example is TheStranger from Seattle or Slice in central OK) and can be a treasure trove for the aggressive online marketer, because ads are very targeted, usually very affordable, can have long  runs or flights, you can usually add UTM Tracking Parameters and build entire campaigns as well
• Geo Targeted Offline Marketers = these are affiliates or professional bloggers who only blog or promote in a certain geographical market, utilizing services such as Yub or Amazon Associates
• Social Networks = these services that are based on wisdom of the crowds, very targeted and often yielding high volume traffic, can be tricky to convert, since it is disruptive advertising, but if funneled into their own campaign can build, new geo metro market awareness and even be re-targeted, these services are readily available through Facebook or Yelp 
• Traditional Offline Advertising = this method will work best with online marketing when you know which metro's work for you, and since you have a proven list of geo metro's to target you can advertise offline with higher than average return on investment rates and the ability to monitor localized success from traditional methods such as billboards, bench ads, local TV Spots, local Radio Stations, newspapers, direct mail or door hangers 

And yes in certain circles (as the price indicates) they are still called Perambulators or Prams :)

Need help setting up your eCommerce Analytics? We'll walk you through it! Schedule a free half hour appointment.