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AndyTalks with The-J about AdWords and Conversion Rate Optimization

Andy Black

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AndyTalks with The-J about AdWords and Conversion Rate Optimization
Myself and @The-J have PM'd a few times but never talked.

We decided to record our first Skype chat for the benefit of fellow INSIDERS*.


I do AdWords paid search. The-J does conversion rate optimization. We discuss both.

We also discuss how we're both freelance consultants slowly escaping the time-for-money trap.

WARNING: It's 93 minutes long. I'll get it transcribed and we might cut it into smaller sections.

Any feedback appreciated.

We hope it helps!


> Click here to access the recording <


What were your takeaways?

What will you do differently going forward?



(For other recordings click HERE.)




*EDIT: Moved to the outside. It was just a fun call with no end goal in mind other than to help people. Both myself and The-J would like it to help anyone willing to give it 93 minutes of their attention.

Maybe we'll come up with something specifically for the inside.
 
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Last edited:

The-J

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This is long and rambling. You might learn something. I sure did. But yea... it's long. And I stutter a lot.

Thanks @Andy Black for doing this with me, this was a really cool experience.

By the way, let me reiterate: this is the FIRST call we did. Completely ad-hoc, unprepared, just rambling about 2 dudes who do this stuff for people.

I hope people disagree with either of our points, or can spark a conversation. That's what we're really going for: get people talking about this kind of thing.
 

Fox

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Excellent, I love this stuff.

I would love more of people on here getting together, talking about business and recording their thoughts.
 

Andy Black

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Excellent, I love this stuff.

I would love more of people on here getting together, talking about business and recording their thoughts.
Interesting feedback!



Thanks for listening Mr @Fox

Some questions if I may:

What's your biggest takeaway(s)?

What's your biggest advice to either of us?

Who do you think should listen, and what do you think it would help them with?

Any feedback on the format, sound quality, etc? What did we do well and what can we improve?
 
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Andy Black

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How to record, edit and host Skype calls

To record Skype calls to drop into the forum, your blog, or other places, here's what I did (and I was Googling this stuff 5 mins before the call!):

1) Installed www.pamela.biz (the professional version has a 30 day free trial and is only €25 anyway). This can automatically record Skype calls for you.

2) Edited the resulting file with audacity which is free (in this case I just trimmed the chatter at the start and end of the call).

3) Uploaded the trimmed audio file to Soundcloud.com as a private audio (meaning it's not indexed on Soundcloud and only people with the link can access it). This has been free for me so far.


EDIT: I made it a public track on Soundcloud so others can see it.
 

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Some questions if I may:

What's your biggest takeaway(s)?

What's your biggest advice to either of us?

Who do you think should listen, and what do you think it would help them with?

Any feedback on the format, sound quality, etc? What did we do well and what can we improve?

- Your traffic source is a huge, often overlooked, factor of how well your page preforms. Not necessarily your traffic platform but the type of people you are targeting. This ties back into search terms. Why are they coming? What are you proving?

- The Pros and Cons of Split testing. People split testing a page that isn't even set up correctly.
Don't improve small details when you have large overall issues.

- Position yourself in a niche for maximum leverage with a client and then branch out into other areas. They like offloading to their most trusted guy.

Overall I just like listening to the difference in approach from an adwords perspective. Lots of little gems.
 

Fox

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As far as feedback regards production - the quality is good, no issues.

I don't know what your goals are but maybe start a thread and have people ask questions and then answer them every week/month. Depends where you want to go with this.
 
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Andy Black

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As far as feedback regards production - the quality is good, no issues.

I don't know what your goals are but maybe start a thread and have people ask questions and then answer them every week/month. Depends where you want to go with this.
Thanks for the feedback @Fox

We had no goals for the call. You know when you sometimes have a call and then go "damn... wish we'd recorded that"?

We figured our first chat might be interesting, since we were both doing such similar work and since we are both freelance consultants working to escape the time-for-money model.


Myself and @The-J have just agreed to move the call to the outside as we'd like it to help anyone willing to give it 90 minutes of their time.

Maybe we'll come up with something specifically for the inside. I could do a deep-dive into someone's AdWords account, or The-J could look at their funnel. We hadn't really thought about it, but we both agreed in the call that we love this forum and that it's helped us immeasurably since we've been members. It just nice to give back.
 

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"The CEOs wife doesn't like the color" I died lmao

The great thing about audio vs reading it on the forums is getting a sense of other people's free-thinking process. While writing can get to the point much faster, it's often edited and can lose some key points of the process.

So +1 for additional podcasts - would love to hear more about positioning your company as the go to, for service XYZ, instead of you, the person.
 

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I liked the part about the split-testing. They say you shouldn't be split testing unless you're hitting at least 25 conversions a day
 
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Nice listen, I like your method of sending business first and then charging them if they want to continue, the fear of loss is powerful. I have a few questions if you don't mind.

Do you think someone can learn Adwords and ranking websites as a side hobby?

How long do you spend on each website to set up a google rank with a homepage and phone number before it's ready to sell to a local business?

Do you have to constantly update your knowledge of googles algorithm incase it is updated?
 

Andy Black

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Nice listen, I like your method of sending business first and then charging them if they want to continue, the fear of loss is powerful. I have a few questions if you don't mind.

Do you think someone can learn Adwords and ranking websites as a side hobby?

How long do you spend on each website to set up a google rank with a homepage and phone number before it's ready to sell to a local business?

Do you have to constantly update your knowledge of googles algorithm incase it is updated?
Thanks for listening @Goldman snacks.

I don't do SEO (ranking websites). I just do AdWords paid search.

If you want to learn AdWords paid search then check out some of the links in my signature.

Most help you understand AdWords, and The AdWords Jumpstart is a detailed How-To guide that will help you get some skin in the game without losing your shirt.

It's best if you can find someone close to you who needs help. I explain how I got started with AdWords in the radio interview.

Oh, and also check out the Lead Gen for Local Service Businesses thread.

As Google's AdWords algorithms and functionality changes, we of course have to keep adapting and innovating to take advantage and get one over on the competitors that don't.


Good luck!
 

Andy Black

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I liked the part about the split-testing. They say you shouldn't be split testing unless you're hitting at least 25 conversions a day
Thanks for listening @Mac.

I must admit, I never listen to what "they" say, or if I do then the natural contrarian in me automatically wants to do the opposite. Haha.
 
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Andy Black

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"The CEOs wife doesn't like the color" I died lmao

The great thing about audio vs reading it on the forums is getting a sense of other people's free-thinking process. While writing can get to the point much faster, it's often edited and can lose some key points of the process.

So +1 for additional podcasts - would love to hear more about positioning your company as the go to, for service XYZ, instead of you, the person.
Thanks for listening @ApparentHorizon.

Very very interesting feedback. So my stuttering and fumbling around as I am thinking aloud might actually be helpful? (@The-J says he was stuttering but actually he talks nice and clearly and it's me who's mouth can't keep up with my brain.)
 

Andy Black

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Lol, I guessed Jay's voice with 100% accuracy.
Thanks for listening @devine (and your suggestions on improving sound quality in the #AndyTalks thread).

Haha. Yeah... @The-J is very calm and measured.


Hmmm... Does my spoken voice sound like my written voice? I didn't realise I laughed so much tbh...
 

Andy Black

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Andy Black

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- Your traffic source is a huge, often overlooked, factor of how well your page preforms. Not necessarily your traffic platform but the type of people you are targeting. This ties back into search terms. Why are they coming? What are you proving?

- The Pros and Cons of Split testing. People split testing a page that isn't even set up correctly.
Don't improve small details when you have large overall issues.

- Position yourself in a niche for maximum leverage with a client and then branch out into other areas. They like offloading to their most trusted guy.

Overall I just like listening to the difference in approach from an adwords perspective. Lots of little gems.
Great feedback. Thanks @Fox.

They are good takeaways alright.

What difference in approach to AdWords? Doesn't everyone do it this way?
 

Andy Black

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This is long and rambling. You might learn something. I sure did. But yea... it's long. And I stutter a lot.

Thanks @Andy Black for doing this with me, this was a really cool experience.

By the way, let me reiterate: this is the FIRST call we did. Completely ad-hoc, unprepared, just rambling about 2 dudes who do this stuff for people.

I hope people disagree with either of our points, or can spark a conversation. That's what we're really going for: get people talking about this kind of thing.
Yeah, it was fun.

I think it's obvious we both talk a lot. Haha.

Not a bad first ever chat. We covered a lot of ground, and didn't interrupt each other much (as you'd expect of two people who talk to clients a lot).

And what on earth makes you think YOU were the one stuttering?
 

Andy Black

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Very very interesting feedback. So my stuttering and fumbling around as I am thinking aloud might actually be helpful? (@The-J says he was stuttering but actually he talks nice and clearly and it's me who's mouth can't keep up with my brain.)

It was actually fairly structured and concise.

But it's the Facebook effect, and we all do it (the editing and polishing). In reality, even the most successful fumble, have mental blocks and even make random d**k jokes.

Seeing that process in action and overcoming them on the spot provides a new perspective.
 
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Andy Black

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It was actually fairly structured and concise.

But it's the Facebook effect, and we all do it (the editing and polishing). In reality, even the most successful fumble, have mental blocks and even make random d**k jokes.

Seeing that process in action and overcoming them on the spot provides a new perspective.
Ah yes, "The Facebook effect".

(Andy tucks away new phrase he'll use later on to appear smart.)



Seriously though, I will have to think on this and work out what it means.

Thanks @ApparentHorizon...
 

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Keep`em coming, it is just more authentic that it is not rehearsed.

Got some nuggets from both of you !

19muew.jpg
 

Andy Black

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Bump.



Doing anything with a website?

Even just thinking about building a website?

Do yourself a favour and listen to the recording already.
 

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Bump.



Doing anything with a website?

Even just thinking about building a website?

Do yourself a favour and listen to the recording already.


I think if you offer websites in 2016 you need to be smart about it. I have outsourced it 100% and approaching it from a standpoint of saving them expenses OR giving them big value for low price. The end goal is not earning money but earning their trust so I can run ads for the client.

People still earn well on websites alone, but I think the website service in itself becoming a commodity fast and we need to adjust.

After reading TMF I am little jealous of MJ DeMarco who created websites in a time where the demand was so big that he got referrals all the time, but then again now we have so many website builders and templates that we can literally create websites for the price of a beer. So in my eyes it is the biggest and cheapest relationship builders I can think of...
 

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