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Google’s popular new Tasks application is now available to iPhone users via the browser. Task synchronization – especially for Outlook users – has been one a major downside of the iPhone that can only be solved by cludgey work-arounds.

The brief video below shows how easy it to use Google as a task manager. More details are also available at TechCrunch. I hope they’ll create a Outlook Task Sync application like they’ve done with Google Calendar.

Google has begun testing a new interface for Adwords. A few MCC users have received invites to experiment with the new UI (not me, unfortunately).

It looks like you can request an invite through the Inside Adwords blog.

Here’s a post from Tim Cohn that offers a brief preview with a screenshot.

At first glance, it looks like they plan to integrate more Google Analytics-like charting features and possibly more robust navigation.

Adwords is due for a UX upgrade. The current approach seems to be collapsing under the weight of all the new features. Some things I’d like to see:

• Easier exporting of tables and campaign information
• Better integration of reporting
• More robust integration with Google Analytics
• Improved role management between team members using MCC
• A better campaign or ad group comparison engine

Google made a small change to its report download option that may save SEMs time. You can now download a report graph as a PNG that can be cut and pasted into reports.

In the past, the data had to be pulled into Excel and then graphed. This took up a lot of unneeded effort—especially when drafting a quick campaign report. It would great to see Google support comparison charting and more visualization exports in Analytics.

Chrome, Google’s new open source browser, hit the Internets yesterday with the kind of measured excitement we’ve come to expect from Google releases. After a day of experimenting, I’ve come to the realization that Chrome is the Mini Cooper of web browsers—small and speedy and well designed…but may ultimately probably lacking the “oomph” to get SUV drivers to switch. No one was surprised to see Google launch a web browser, and envisioning Chrome as the core of a web-based OS is by no means a stretch.

Don’t me get wrong, Chrome is pretty cool and they’ve integrated a handful of user experience elements that are surprising in their logic and brilliance. Here are four that struck me.

1. Dragging a tab to the desktop creates a new browser window

One of the new innovations in Chrome is that each tab is treated as its own browser. A nice byproduct of this functionality is the ability to create new browser windows by simply dragging a browser tab Chrome to the desktop. Browser tabs were a great innovation a few years ago, but can be somewhat limiting—viewing two pages side-by-side requires the spawning of a new browser window. Chrome makes a thorny process a lot easier.

2. Maximum Screen Optimization

Chrome barely seems like an application. Extreme care and attention was taken to minimize the profile of browser controls and navigation, opting to dedicate as much screen space to the main window. The top navigation and menu controls have approximately 33% less profile than IE or Firefox (and this at the default settings…no toolbars added). Anyone who works in UX understands how difficult it is to maximize controls without sacrificing usability. Chrome does a great job at this.

3. The Omnibox

The multi-purpose search and URL box might take some getting used to, but overall is a nice tactic for minimizing and optimizing input fields. Although Firefox’s awesome bar has a better experience and is more legible, they still support a separate URL and search input box. I like where Chrome is going with this.

4. Kill Screen

Chrome displays a “kill screen” when it detects an unresponsive page. While this may not be that useful with web pages in general, this could be an incredibly useful feature with application development.

Finally, Chrome is built for speed. While new features and functions are always welcome with web browsers, if they come at the sacrifice of speed they are problematic. At first look, the UX of Chrome seems to be a step back from Firefox and Explorer, but after some experimentation and use it becomes clear that Google is looking beyond features and envisioning browsing as a user’s core computing experience. This minimalist approach may make users uncomfortable at first, but it should not take long for Chrome to gain significant share of the browser market.

Lo and behold! Google has greatly improved its ability to index Flash content.

This improvement has some wide-reaching implications for web developers. The “use of Flash vs. indexability” dialog that is an element of nearly all web projects just may eventually become a thing of the past.

Google’s new Ad Planner product provides useful analytic tools for planning online media campaigns. According to the official announcement, the purpose of Ad Planner is to connect advertisers and publishers—providing media planners with demographic data and insights designed to help them buy targeted media. I was able to get a obtain a beta account and, from my perspective, claiming that Ad Planner is a resource for agencies is an understatement; Ad Planner may now allow smart marketers to bypass media buying agencies all together.

So what does Ad Planner do?

Ad Planner allows you to research, create, and export targeted placement-targeted campaigns. A simple demographic filter is used to create a targeted and sortable list of sites within the Google network that meet target user criteria. In addition to general demographics (gender, age, education, income, etc.), you can enter similar matching website to narrow the list.

The list of target site can also be filtered by network and ad format. After the filtering and targeting is completed, you simply check the sites you want to target and they’re added to you media plan, which can be exported to CSV for integration into your accounts via the online tool or AdWords Editor.

What are the cool bits?

Integrated into Ad Planner is a powerful demographic and performance report that allows you to gain a comprehensive understanding of website demographics. This is the most useful aspect of the tool. While similar tools exist that provide similar (and sometimes more extensive) data, Ad Planner serves it up so it’s useful and actionable.

Some of the data is clearly pulled from Google Trends, but the amount of data available is far more wide-ranging. The demographic profiles also show similar sites that fit the profile allowing you to “branch” and add sites to your media plan.

How does it integrate with AdWords?

Other than exporting and cutting and pasting, there is no real connectivity with AdWords, although it’s not difficult to see this coming in the future. The data available is useful for uses outside of AdWords integration though—it is useful for publishers and advertisers who simply want more insight into their site users. It’s a powerful analytical tool and—I imagine—will give many publishers insights into their users that they’ve never had before.

Summary

Bravo Google! You’ve provided yet another great research tool for online marketers. While there are already a number of questions about the integrity of the data and where it’s sourced, I imagine the quality will only get better. I wonder how much of the data is pulled from Google Analytics?

Ad Planner offers sophisticated marketing tools for the masses and if you are a media placement firm I would be getting nervous. This tool allows savvy online marketers with unchecked access to your turf.

Earlier this month Google rolled out a new search feature that displays an additional search box in the results set.

According to the Google Blog here’s why and how the additional box is generated:

This feature will now occur when we detect a high probability that a user wants more refined search results within a specific site. Like the rest of our snippets, the sites that display the site search box are chosen algorithmically based on metrics that measure how useful the search box is to users.

You would think that Google would limit this service to directories and informational website. Think again. Here are a number of business websites that return search-within-a-search results.

• Northwest Mutual
• Boeing
• UBS
• Cisco
• Microsoft
• National Semiconductor

It’s important to note that searches performed in the additional search box are returned at Google, not at the website associated with it.

This is a smart and useful feature. When and how will Google offer it as a premium service for advertisers?

Thinking through your campaigns like an information architect is a useful way to plan and optimize your search marketing campaigns.

Like websites and applications, campaigns are more effective when they follow a logical flow. Solid IA is not only helpful when planning and classifying campaigns, it’s also useful in structuring the reporting framework. Logically ordered campaigns support more practical reporting and can help search marketers to optimize campaigns.

PPC campaigns follow a strict hierarchy. The top node, Account, contains the billing and administrative information for the account’s owner. Campaign is the next level. Google allows for up to twenty-five campaigns per account. Campaigns are structured around a specific product, concept, or theme. Meta data and setting like geographic targeting, language, and budget are set on the campaigns level.

A campaign may include dozens of specific Ad Groups. Ad Groups contains the components of campaigns, including ad creative (text, Flash, video, etc.) and the keywords and search phrases that will spawn the ads. Ad groups represent the campaigns sales concept. Consideration must go into their structure and organization—properly structure ad groups are the heart and soul of successful PPC campaign.

The lists below illustrate the high-level IA for two campaigns that are focused on the same concept: New England Patriots memorabilia. In the first instance, the ad groups are organized around the players and the memorabilia type constitutes the creative and keywords.

The second campaign structures ad groups around the memorabilia type with player names functioning as creative.

While I can’t say which approach would be more effective, ad group structure clearly plays a major part in campaign approach and, ultimately, the success of the PPC program.

Campaign: Patriots Memorabilia (V1)

• Ad Group One: Tom Brady Memorabilia
  • Ad Creative: Tom Brady Hats, Tom Brady T-Shirts
  • Ad Keywords: Tom Brady Keywords
• Ad Group Two: Randy Moss Memorabilia
  • Ad Creative: Randy Moss Hats, Randy Moss T-Shirts
  • Ad Keywords: Randy Moss Keywords

Campaign: Patriots Memorabilia (V2)

• Ad Group One: Hats
  • Ad Creative: Tom Brady, Randy Moss
  • Ad Keywords: Tom Brady Keywords, Randy Moss Keywords
• Ad Group Two: T-Shirts
  • Ad Creative: Tom Brady, Randy Moss
  • Ad Keywords: Tom Brady Keywords, Randy Moss Keywords

Taking some time to map campaigns using basic information architecture can help advertisers structure their campaigns more effectively. At RDVO, we sketch out our campaigns using a basic hierarchical template that helps us visualize the information relationships in our campaign. By visualizing campaigns using an information architecture approach, we can better structure campaigns and ensure that the campaigns are logical and optimized. This technique also helps us communicate campaign strategy to clients.

Try it for yourself! You can download our PPC information architecture template:

• PPC IA Worksheet VSD
• PPC IA Worksheet PDF

I was reading a report that predicted that online advertising will hit $44.6 billion in 2008, approximately 10% of total advertising spending. At these numbers, online ad spend will overtake radio this year and magazines in 2010.

All in all, online advertising increased 25% this year and has nearly doubled in two years—all without the Olympics or election year traffic that we’ll experience in 2008. 25% growth may be a conservative estimate. My first prediction is an easy one: it’s going to be a huge year for online advertising.

Increased online advertising spend clearly trickles down to the search engine marketing firms and consultants. Someone has to help companies effectively spend their money.

2. Search engine marketers get more credibility

Look for search marketing to grow as a field in 2008. SEM and paid search firms have traditionally been looked down upon by the more established online marketing disciplines. However, as organic positions become even harder to obtain, companies are going to be looking to paid search to maintain competitiveness and ensure their brand is positioned. The process of planning, creating, and managing paid search campaigns will likely become even more complex and competitive, putting search marketers into high demand.

Search marketing should grow in prominence in 2008 and firms that offer those services should have a great year. Traditional advertising agencies and digital firms who haven’t branched out may get a rude awakening in the coming months.

3. Better tools and applications

In 2008 we will see better tools, applications, and platforms that will improve the ad management experience for both large-scale SEMs and small, individual advertisers. Look for more desktop tools like Adwords Editor or helpful Excel add-ons that make it easier to plan and manage campaigns. Users will continue to find the online applications slow and limiting. There will be some major advances in tools that will be readily embraced by online advertisers and may—over time—help to demystify the process.

4. We begin to see the benefits of the Google/DoubleClick and Microsoft/Aquantive acquisitions

These acquisitions were big news this year. It will be interesting and exciting to see how Google and Microsoft integrate them into their offering. For Google, DoubleClick gives them a huge boost in their traditionally weakest area: display ads. The marriage of DoubleClick’s ad-serving platform and Google’s targeting engine could help Google dominate in an area they’ve struggled with in the past.

The tangible benefits of Microsoft’s purchase of aQuantive are a bit harder to pin down. aQuantive arms Microsoft with a number of new tools, clients, and expertise that may help the company continue to grow its online advertising division. Traffic and search volume may the most immediate benefit of the buy; now Microsoft has a global offering and ad platform. aQuantive may give Microsoft enough leverage to overtake Yahoo as the number two online ad platform.

5. Google loses some marketshare

Google is clearly the dominant player in the paid search market, locking up nearly 90% of the market. 2007 saw a few chinks in the market, however, and it’s feasible that Google could lose some marketshare in 2008. For one, Google has become increasingly more expensive. Cost of keywords has amplified along with competition. Small advertisers can no longer hope to compete with large companies for top placements. Faced with growing costs and competition, more advertisers will begin to look to other platforms and providers. It is still relatively inexpensive to advertise at Yahoo.com or Microsoft’s sites. Microsoft should get a nice traffic boost based on its recent Facebook deal.

It should be an interesting, banner year for online marketing…