Smart Goto Gambits
By John Gergye


Feeling gouged by Goto.com?

A pawn in a game of Gotcha?

Need a game plan as to what to do next?

I've seen a lot of angry spleen venting over the recent changes in GoTo.com's pricing policy. Problem is, going postal won't change it. That's the way it is. Like Yogi, we've now got to be smarter than the average bear. So, I wanted to offer some resources for improved Pay-Per-Click (PPC) efficiency.

For starters, I don't want to rehash the obvious. I mean I could tell you not to touch those one cent bids (well, duh!) as they are grandfathered in until September 1. Or that you should make your bids work harder with better titles and descriptions. Or suggest checking out other PPCs to lower your average cost per bid. Still...

==> GoTo Gambit #1

Here's a useful tool to see what keywords might run you in other PPCs. Just plug in keywords and a maximum bid for each. By return email you'll discover where your proposed max bid would slot you in the bidding hierarchy. Pretty slick, huh? Makes it easy to find the lowest cost PPC deals.

==> GoTo Gambit #2

Put on your thinking cap and come up with relevant two and three-word phrases. Why? Efficiency. Phrases have fewer total searches. Bids for those top spots cost less. And they usually give you better click-through rates.

Stuck? The best tool I've found for coming up with phrases is the new and improved keyword wizard. Just eliminate one word suggestions and in a matter of minutes you'll have tons of search phrase possibilities.

==> GoTo Gambit #3

How much can you afford to bid? Don't know? Well, it all comes down to three letters: ROI. Return On Investment. There's a handy form that was specifically designed to help you find out how much you can bid profitably.

Once you know that, head over to the Goto.com Keyword Interrogator and enter a keyword. It returns a list of search terms along with the number of searches and the Top 10 (or however many you want) bids for each. Bid away after checking here.

==> GoTo Gambit #4

Make every click count. If a visitor doesn't buy, do you use a pop-up box to ask them to sign-up for your ezine or a mini course as a fallback? You would at least get something out of the click.

==> GoTo Gambit #5

I assume you know which keywords send you the most traffic? Guard those puppies like a junk yard dog! Don't know how? Piece of cake with this next FREE tool. It shows you where you can save money by keeping you on top of bid gaps. That is, where you can lower your bid and still not lose your position. I mean, why over bid it you don't have to?

Or you can pay to automate this task using PPCBidTracker or Keyword Bid Optimizer (KBO). Pricing may favor KBO. Especially with multiple domains.

==> GoTo Gambit #6

Ever consider optimizing your site for GoTo's default search engine, Inktomi? You might want to. That way, if a search term at GoTo.com doesn't have enough (or any) bids, it pulls in results from Inktomi. Top positions there could mean free traffic from GoTo. Don't know much about Inktomi? No problem. Get help at this forum.

==> GoTo Gambit #7

Finally, while not really a gambit, a FREE piece of software I can't live without since GoTo's suggestion tool is down too much, is Good Keywords. It works great and is a big help in getting the most from the PPCs.

Hopefully these suggestions will save you time and/or money. And make the pain of the recent pricing decrees at Goto.com easier to swallow.

About The Author
Is Your eBook as Silent as a Mime? Well, Make It Talk! Digital publisher John Gergye has more ideas like these, as well as a clever way to make your eBook stand out from the crowd! Find out how at MakeYoureBookTalk.com.