The Google Publisher Toolbar – The Lowdown

Webmasters value the ability to gauge specific metrics about their site without having to worry about complex and time-consuming methods. One of the best ways in which webmasters can gain valuable information about their websites in real time is the Google Publisher Toolbar. This add-on works directly with Google Chrome to provide various details in-browser while you are viewing a particular page or site. What features can the Google Publisher Toolbar offer you in regards to maintaining and optimizing your website? Continue reading to find out about all this Chrome extension has to offer.

Account Overview

This broad feature can be accessed directly from the browser; it will display any and all Google-related data about your site in real time. Included in this are updates regarding your estimated account earnings (with ranges for today, the past week, month and year). You will also be able to see any custom channels (up to five) and can sort them by the amount of revenue each has earned. There is also the option to view your total lifetime revenue. This area is also the place from which you can enable ad overlays on your site. You will need to authorize your websites to be used with the Google Publisher Toolbar prior to using these features.

In-Site Ad Overlays

As previously mentioned, you can enable in-site ad overlays to display various data about the campaign using the Google Publisher Toolbar. Much in the same way that pinging Yahoo and other search engines with updates works, the Google Publisher Toolbar will ping revenue information and campaign details directly to the in-site ad overlays, showing you comprehensive details about the revenue you are earning without having to go into your settings or account details to see it. You can also use this feature as a way to block inappropriate ads from appearing on your websites.

In-Page Alert Bar

While logged in with the Google Publisher Toolbar, you can add other sites you own to the program while also seeing any new alerts or pop-ups pertaining to information about any of your sites. You will want to make sure that in-site ad overlays are already enabled in order for this to work as intended. The alert bar will show the number of eligible ads for overlays that are on any of your websites; by clicking the ad overlay notification button on the toolbar, you can then begin adding overlays to those ads. Simply agree to the notification that appears and all of your ads on that particular site will now display overlays.

Conclusion

While pinging Yahoo, Google and other major search engines is a great way to expand your reach, all webmasters need internal data to properly manage their websites. The Google Publisher Toolbar offers the ability to view comprehensive data about your website and the ads which are displayed on it, giving you more control over the revenue generation and appearance of your websites. Best of all, it is easy to install, does not cost anything and integrates well with any and all existing Google services.

Does Your Website Have an FAQ Page?

When we consider all of the different types of information to include on our websites, we may attempt to create numerous amounts of items, pages and modules in what we consider to be a simplistic, self-explanatory summary of the product, service or cause that the website is designed to represent. One thing that is observed on many blogs and websites is the lack of an FAQ page. When covering a particular subject or process, it is immensely valuable to have a section that is both easily found and addresses some of the main concerns and questions people will have when they visit your website.

Improve Your Efficiency

Whether you are selling a product or advocating for a cause, an FAQ page can help eliminate some of the repetitiveness that comes with being a blogger or content creator. Rather than having to answer the same questions from people continuously pinging your blog or inbox for answers, you can take the most common inquiries and summarize said information on the FAQ page. Besides saving customers’ time, you will also be reducing the amount of time you have to spend on answering the same few questions every day. This will give you more time to otherwise be productive.

Increase Your Conversions

Some companies have adopted an approach that keeps certain information vague in order to either encourage the potential client to contact them or to be able to work out individualized quotes for each client. For an online presence, however, it is not the best solution. Use this as another opportunity to promote your contact information, though, so that individuals whose questions have been answered will see it before leaving the page. By providing the maximum amount of information in your FAQ page, you will make each reader or potential client feel more comfortable, leading to more interactions, dialogues and conversions.

FAQs for FAQs

Most people who consider creating FAQ pages ask, “what topics should I include on the page?”. Depending on the subject of the site and the type of audience pinging your blog, there can be an array of vital answers to provide. For direct sales, it makes sense to include your contact details, quotes, methods of payment accepted and shipping information. When advocating for a cause, you would want to summarize the stance and mission of the website, how to get involved and where else additional information can be found. The best way to determine this is by asking several people to view your website and pose any questions they may have to you directly; this is a great way to brainstorm and determine what information is optimal for inclusion.

Conclusion

The primary existence of a website or blog is to provide content, offer services and items, and convey opinions. The common denominator is that they exist to inform. It makes sense to create an FAQ page not only for the benefit of your readers, but it can also save you time and increase the likelihood that your visitors will engage with your blog or site in the way you wish them to do so.