Google has created yet another tool to assist advertisers with optimization of their Google Adwords campaigns. Recently, Google rolled out the Opportunities tab within the new Adwords interface. The Opportunities tab is intended to help advertisers discover new ways to improve their campaign’s efficiency.

Google automatically lists their suggestions within the Opportunities tab. Listings alert advertisers that they have recognized suggestions from Google that may benefit your account. The Opportunities tab is a central location for keyword and budget optimization ideas across the Google Adwords account.

The two types of opportunities that the tab currently suggests are keyword and budget ideas. Keyword ideas are linked to ad groups and can help advertisers receive more impressions and clicks. This new tool analyzes the volume of Google searches that could be captured with new keywords; if those keywords are added, the campaign has more ad exposure and gains the attention of more potential customers.

Budget ideas show the amount of ad traffic available and are only visible for campaigns that are meeting or exceeding their current budget. Google reviews how many searches your ad could appear on and then recommends a budget amount that could help you reach that potential.
Since the Google Opportunities are automated, it’s possible that you will see some suggestions that may not be pertinent or do not suit your business objectives. All optimization “opportunities” should be reviewed thoroughly before implementation.

Do you often wonder what your friends are up to or maybe the exact location of your husband/wife when they claim to be “working late”?   With the recent launch of Google Latitude, technology is getting closer.

Google Latitude is a new feature in the Google Maps application that allows you to keep tabs on your friends and family by knowing their exact location and status at all times.   Latitude is an opt-in-only feature. No one will be able to see your location, or vice versa unless both parties agree to participate.  To avoid appearing creepy, Google incorporated easy-to-change privacy settings so that locations can be automatically detected, manually entered or completely hidden from other people. If you choose to opt in, you always have the option to sign off or opt out of Latitude altogether. Once opted into Latitude, you can share, set, hide, or even display only a city-level location with certain friends. You can also choose allow your location to automatically update every several minutes while you are on the move. 

Depending on your mobile specifications, Latitude either uses GPS satellites,  cell-tower locations, or WiFi to determine your physical location.  It currently works on Google’s G1, most Blackberry’s, and some other smart phones.  According to Google, the iPhone, iPod Touch, and many Sony Ericsson devices will support Latitude soon.  People who have compatible mobile devices must either upgrade their current version of Google Maps, and/or install Google maps for the first time in order to use Latitude.  
Along with their locations, friends can also share other information on Latitude by uploading a status message and/or a personal photo, which appears as a tiny representative icon on a map (see image below).  Changes to one’s status or picture will be reflected in the map, as well as in Google Talk. The technology also allows users to communicate with participating friends via: text messages, instant messages, or phone.

If you don’t have a compatible phone mentioned above, or don’t carry your phone to the office, Google Latitude will work on your PC as well.  You can share your location manually with the iGoogle gadget, or use your computer’s WiFi location. 

Even though it isn’t the first of its kind, Google Latitude appears to be relatively accurate and user friendly at first glance.  If you choose to opt in, keep in mind that the results are not 100% accurate, and Google is working hard to constantly improve the application.

Google announced last week that advertisers can now display their text and image ads on the iPhone, G1 and other mobile devices with full internet browsers on Google Adwords.

In the past, mobile advertising has not been well-received because advertisers were required to create unique landing or mobile pages. With the dramatic rise in the popularity of mobile devices with full internet capabilities, such as iPhones, mobile advertising is on the cusp of exploding. According to an article on SearchEngineWatch.com, around 95% of all mobile searches are conducted on the iPhone. AdWords offers the option to run your ads at the campaign level, which means that you can create specific campaigns for mobile devices. This also means you can allocate a budget for mobile advertising, create custom or local targeting and view performance reporting that is unique to your mobile campaigns. Perhaps the most exciting dimension is the ability to tailor your ad copy solely for users on their mobile devices. The mobile user may also be closer to a decision making point in the buying cycle. For example, if a mobile user is looking for restaurants in Chicago, they are most likely deciding where to eat right then and there. Having a presence for that type of search is crucial because you can capture that potential customer almost immediately.

Don’t discount the power of a mobile advertising strategy. Having great ad copy and even a great promotion to get customers to your brick and mortar store are essential. It is also important to include an enticing call to action. Using my previous example of someone searching for restaurants in Chicago, you might want your ads to say “Get 10% off your entire check. Find out more now.” On your landing page, you can offer a promotional code word for mobile users to get their discount. The possibilities are endless. You just need to think outside the box, get creative and have some fun.