The New Gray Google Map Marker

Less intrusive, less eye catching, more interactive.

Rolling over the this gray marker will change it blue for pay per click (PPC)  ads on the right, or red for organic listings on the left. Scrolling over markers in the google map section highlights the respective listing markers in the PPC and organic section. You will also get a nice snippet for the local organic listings. No snippets for PPC. It’s also interesting to note that the listings have moved the once red-pins-now-gray-pin to the right of the blended results. Google also removed the triangle pointer they once displayed for the top listing.

Example of Snippet and red corresponding markers for search term Phoenix Pest Control.

Blumenthal alludes to the fact that the move from grey to red might be happening because Google is losing revenues on the local results. So this could decrease traffic to the local listings. But at this point we don’t know how much this will effect traffic to the local listings.

The Local One Box Left-Foot-Shuffle

The One Box moved it’s map to the right, the area usually occupied by PPC ads. … Just a new look?

Searched Bulwark Houston

 Changes to Listing Preview

In the past a listing preview would show a screenshot of the website for both local search results and regular search listings. Now the local search results show a smaller screen shot accompanied by a map, images found in google places, quick glance of categories, business hours, review sites with review count, and a feedback link.

Full Disclosure - I am a pest control guy for Bulwark Exterminating

The feedback link takes you directly to the “Report a problem” screen of google maps.

If the red pin change was due to a decrease in revenues then it might be interesting to note that this preview is pushing Google’s property a little more. Further, the other review sites are now only visible in the extended view. In the past those sites were found under the place page listing.

Local Bug Report

In the image below the cursor was over the map and it was highlighting the first PPC ad for Bulwark Exterminating and not the correct ad for scorpion control. Just a minor scripting error.

Script Error - Mesa Pest Control Search

This happened again in a Houston search. The marker with no number indicates “not on the map”, the marker with the 1 in it on the map belongs to a different Houston pest control company.

Bulwark Exterminating | 10900 Brittmoore Park Drive

With all the recent updates Google has been moving the local map rankings around. And sadly Bulwark Exterminating dropped out of the Houston pest control local pack. Clearly something is wrong. Needless to say, we have found a few bugs here as well. Not simply because Bulwark wasn’t listed, but because Google was listing a cash parked page from Godaddy that’s for sale. Apparently on-site SEO has little to no relevancy in Google’s Local Listing algorithm.

Yesterday's screen shot for Houston Pest Control

Just a few minor bugs google may want to check into. Overall, Google has done a good job with their local search section. Overall, they still have a lot of problems to fix.

But Don’t mind me, Just a pest control guy… and that is the Search Pest Report.

-Thomas Ballantyne III
Director of Marketing for Bulwark Exterminating
Follow me on Twitter —> @Thos003

Maybe I am late to this, but I just noticed a new thing with Google Places. Has anyone seen this before today?  I have not seen anyone talking about it or making mention of it yet.  Anyway,  after you click on the website it has a box pop up that asks you: “Is abcwebsite.com the correct website for this business?”  Looks like they are trying to finally improve the way they link the websites to the Google places pages.

Also, perhaps this will be good to weed out spammer companies like putting weird landing page websites as the place page buiness website instead of the actual page.  (Why do that anyway, seems dumb)

For example: I have seen (not to be mentioned here companies) create websites with the URL (for example) like this:  realbusinessname.nottobementionedcompany.com … Again, I ask how stupid is that to build out landing pages when the company actually has a legitimate website!  Hopefully they are trying to get rid of crap like that by giving us the ability to change it.  Now the only thing I worry about is if the (nameless company doing this) is the one holding all the real companies Google Places login info.

Anyway, I like this new feature.  That is, if its new …

Google May Be Trying To Weed Out More Spam

Google spent years piggy backing off the loyal reviewers of Yelp, and now with everything going down with the law suits etc. they might be getting scared, and could be the reason they are finally making the move.   My guess is Yelp is pretty happy about this.  All those people that are saying Yelp is dead?  Here is why you are so wrong and where Yelp benefits: Without Yelp reviews showing up in Places pages anymore, who has the superior product?  Yelp.  If you are looking for lots of reviews, you are no longer going to see them when using the Google Places app … so you are going to turn to Yelp.  Yelp wins this battle and thus has the superior product.  For now anyway.

Look at this screen shot I tool of my favorite place to eat where I live.  26 – 62 … that would be a blowout in an NFL game  Clearly Yelp is winning the battle of reviews:

Yelp Reviews Vs Google Places Reviews

The real battle?  I feel the real battle is going to be in the mobile space.  I am not the only one. See Mike Ramsey’s comment here on this awesome thread on Google Plus started by Mike Blumenthal.  If Google can do a better job with their mobile app, (as Yelp has done) they might have a change.  My guess is they won’t and they will piss their customers off like they usually do.  That seems to be their style.  It is going to be interesting to see what happens over the next several years in this space, I am actually looking forward to it.

The thing you you might forget is people HAD the opportunity to leave reviews on Google all these years, but didn’t for the most part … they used Yelp.  To me, that speaks volumes.  For now, I will be keeping my Yelp app on the iPhone and am sticking with it.

Update:  Wanted to share some good posts about all these changes that I have recently read:

• http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/local-seo-isnt-dead/4631/
• http://blumenthals.com/blog/2011/07/22/google-places-gains-new-ally-in-review-battle-with-yelp/
• https://plus.google.com/106412255733219697839/posts/VaDm6o1LFUx (the discussion on G+ the above post set off)
• http://searchengineland.com/google-overhauls-place-pages-emphasizes-reviews-kills-citations-86914
• http://www.seo.com/blog/news/google-places-page-update-means-googlenative-reviews/
• http://www.seroundtable.com/google-places-reviews-13746.html

How will Google Adwords +1 Button change Internet Marketing? Does it affect PPC? Will it help or hurt CRO? Can it really increase CTR? What’s the Math?

In a recent email from Google Adwords was the following notification:

In the coming weeks, your search results and ads on Google will include a +1 button, which users can click to recommend your ads. You don’t need to make any changes to your account in order to take advantage of them. The final landing page URL of your ads can also appear on the Google profile of any user who +1’s your ad.

That time has arrived.

What this means is that now when your ad receives a +1, Google notes its final landing page URL. When the same URL appears in an organic search listing, the organic listing will include the same personal annotations as would an ad. The ad button also works both ways. Therefore, if a user +1′s one of your organic listings, then the ads Google resolves to with the same final landing page URL will include the same personal annotations. The idea is that this will increase the chance of your ads getting noticed. In theory this will also increase your CTR.

_

Google Question and Answers:

per a Google Adwords Representative

Will a +1 click/vote through a Google Ad cost the advertiser anything?

You will still be charged per click on your ad the same as always — a plus 1 does not count as a click.

Awesome. Adsense +1′s don’t cost extra for the advertiser.

Does this work for  Google Boost Ads as well?

“Yes.

And… Yes. I concur.

Does the +1 affect Adwords Quality Score?

Google Reps response:

+1′s (whatever their source — organic search, ads, or +1 buttons on publisher sites) are a signal that affects organic search ranking, but +1′s do not change quality scores for ads and ad ranking. By adding +1 buttons to your pages, you give your visitors more chances to +1 your content, resulting in additional +1 annotations on Google search results and search ads. Studies have shown that customers turn to advice from people they trust when making purchase decisions, so more +1 annotations could lead to more, and better qualified traffic coming to your site from Google search.

The way we measure Quality Score for your ads has not changed. We continue to use historical AdWords performance information, clickthrough rate (CTR), and other signals to calculate your Ad Rank and cost-per-click (CPC). That being said, if personal annotations from +1′s on your search results, search ads, or website increase the CTR on your ads, your Quality Score is likely to improve as well.

-

So the +1 button does not directly change quality score, but could indirectly change quality score by increasing the Click Through Rate (CTR). This is a good thing for companies that foster customer relations and customer service. Having a higher CTR, increasing quality score, and then saving on the cost-per-click (CPC) means a better ROI for the business. This also turns out to be a better user experience for Google users because they finding those quality companies. This is a win-win-win scenario.

The Problem Pests

The first step in this equation looks pretty good, but this math problem has a few pest issues. ….LANDING PAGES.

We have landing pages for our Google PPC campaign to track our PPC and they are “NoIndex” pages. How will this benefit or hurt us?

In your case, if you have a different landing page for Google PPC, any +1 to your PPC ad won’t also show on your organic listing- but would  +still show on the ad. If you put a +1 button on your Google PPC page and someone +1′s it, then when someone in their network sees your ad, they will see the annotation below it.

Hmmm, that doesn’t sound so good.  Would an Extreme Canonical Trick help?

+1s are tagged currently at the URL level. So, if you have a landing +page just for Google PPC, then if someone +1s that ad, you will only see the +1 annotations below that ad and not on the organic link. If the same URL is used for both PPC and Organic listings, then any +1s to that URL (whether on the landing page itself, on the ad, or the organic link) will show up for all links to that page.

While I am sure that there a few geniuses out there that have this problem already solved the rest of us like to create separate landing pages to track Google Adwords, and to improve conversion rates. Optimization of landing pages was one of the benefits that Google Pay Per clicks offered without the hassles of including SEO. Many search engine marketers (SEMs) enjoyed the flexibility of design available within the safe haven of pay per clicks. Because search engine rules demand webmasters show the search bot spiders and the human users the same page, this +1 adwords creation is going to bite into landing page and conversion rate optimization. This seems to be more than a little problem, in my professional pest control opinion, this is an infestation waiting to explode!

Gaming the +1s to increase CTR?

Per some spammy emails  you can buy Google +1s, doesn’t this open up a new black market?

According to Googler Fredrick Vallaeys, “No, Google +1 only influences your circle of friends/connections.”

Don’t mind me, Just a pest control guy… and that is the Search Pest Report.

-Thomas Ballantyne
Director of Marketing for Bulwark Exterminating
Follow me on Twitter —> @Thos003

How is it Promoted?

• Email to Subscribers
• Google shopper app.
• Google network

Businesses can Limit the offer:

• Limit how many offers sold
• Limit Redeemable by date
• Limit on Areas Serviced*
• Limit Uses Per Customer

*important for pest control guys

Offer runs for a 24 hour window.

http://google.com/offers

The primary way they will promote the offer is via emails to subscribers. Email, according to social media studies, is still the most used social media vehicle. (*CMB Consumer Pulse 2010 ) If the local business makes the offer juicy enough then the business can anticipate that coupon lovers will forward the deal out to their friends and family. This method is ideal for local businesses as the consumers are spreading it by digital word of mouth and are pre-qualifying the target audience for the local business.

It is important to note that Google Offers does not appear to be promoted anywhere in search results for that local business. The offer does not even show on the advertiser’s place page. So promotion through the “Google network” remains unclear and may or may not include content network ads.

Google Offers  is indeed very similar, almost duplicate content similar, to Groupon. And rumor has it that a Google Offers Manager left Google to go to Groupon. So the rivalry between the two is even more heated. And one extra juicy tip, Groupon Reviews show up on local search in the business Google Places Page. Google has not stated that they will be soliciting reviews from new customers aquired through Offers. Local businesses that use Google Offers should note that customers that come through the Offers deal will be using Google checkout. Which means Google is sharing their valuable users with you.

Business Splits Deal with Google

Similar to Groupon, the advertiser’s deal must be approved, which means a 50% to 60% discount on services or products. According to Googler Rep based in Logan Utah, Google takes a chunk of that money upon check out. The advantage for businesses is advertising that is producing quantifiable results. If it does not produce a buyer then there is no cost to the advertiser. The business only takes a hit on profits to get people through the door. It is very similar to giving away free samples in the hopes that the consumer will buy more, and more, again and again. In fact, the Offers outbound call center is targeting local businesses with positive online reviews hoping those businesses will understand the value of retaining a customer.

Bonuses for Local Businesses

How would you like to be a business with a 360 degree view of the interior of your shop? Yes, the Google Offers team is making it happen. Check it out now: Look inside

Google 360 Interior Images now showing in Offers.

Google 360 image in offers, and bonus they upload the images to your Google Places page. Although they are not uploading the 360 to place pages yet. Check out the photos section on the Sultan Cafe’s Place Page The photo author is Google. It was sometime ago when rumors of Google taking interior photos began. In order to jump in line for the interior photos you’ll have to test the Google Offers. If you want more info then you can watch the Google Offers for Business Promo Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQFDRaKvcvQ

Where is Google Offers headed Next?

(Per their drop down menu)
• NYC Downtown
• NYC Midtown
• NYC Uptown
• Oakland / East Bay
• San Francisco

Beyond that the public doesn’t know where or when Google offers will hit next. Again, rumor has it that due to the manager leaving Google the future locations and launch dates of those locations is very tight lipped. Hopefully Austin, San Antonio, and Houston will hit before the summer pest control season is out. Then Bulwark Exterminating can really dig in and see how successful a Google Offer campaign can be.

YouTube Video Preview in Google Search

Google update: Youtube gets video previews in Google’s Universal Search.

Google recently added the website previews. Now Google is adding video previews. Not all video results are getting this preview. Those that do get previews include Youtube videos, 5min.com and Discovery videos. But sites like MetaCafe.com, videojug.com, and break.com, while still being found in the video section, are not getting the 4 framed previews.

Video Previews and Click Through Rates

The four framed previews actually show 5 second clips of the video. For the Superbowl commercial of the StarWars kid you can get a quick jest of the short commercial. But for the short 30 second video of Rene Higuita and the Scorpion kick (AWESOME VIDEO) you might get most of the clip, but sports move so fast that you may want to click through and see the whole thing. Ultimately the video preview might be enough to satisfy or enough of a taste to leave you wanting more. And careful, these videos do have sound enabled. Sound could be bad, as it is often a discouragement on websites. You can turn it off by clicking on the speaker, which I did as to not annoy my office.

4 Frame Divide

What we have not established is how Google is dividing up these videos. My initial thought was that they were breaking up by the video’s “Hot Spots”, which would be awesome.  Youtube insights will give you video hot spots. Getting previews of hot spots would help CTR. So I went to a video that has hot spots and with which I am familiar. Scorpion Myth Video AZIMA- Does alcohol make scorpion sting itself to death?

Ignore the guy in the scorpion pest control video.

Yes, please ignore the silly scorpion pest control video.

Liquor is not an effective scorpion control method…. it doesn’t kill em.

But… Not the case. It is not hot spots. The videos are not broken up by hot spots. After studying these more in depth, the video breaks seem to be in a range based on the length of the video. All the first frames hit about 4 to 5 seconds into the video. On 4 minute videos the second frame is about 1 minute, usually over a minute but on occasion under a minute. Below you will find the exact percentages, the range is pretty consistent at about 25% intervals. It may be swayed slightly on scene changes. It may be based all three, scene change, time frame, and hot spot. This will take some additional research and some more insights. Any additional info would be appreciated. But overall it falls tightly at the 25% intervals.

Rock me like a Hurricane… These video previews are cool.

Announcement:

Retiring the position preference setting

In early May, we’ll be removing the option to set position preferences. Learn more about what this means for your campaigns.

“I don’t know how long it will take Google to de-index the post, but it should get de-indexed at some point (and if an SEO wizard is reading this, tell me what, if anything, else I can do to get it de-indexed). Below is a screen shot of my WordPress backend showing the post is set to noindex/nofollow.”

It is in reference to this page: http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/a-follow-up-to-my-lones-group-v-rothamel-article/

Since I know a thing or two about SEO, I thought I would help this guy out, and answer his question. I have used the nofollow command in the robots.txt to remove as well as going into my Google webmaster account (removal request tool) and removed pages that way (a site got hacked and I had to request a ton of pages get moved – so trust me, I know it works)

With all that said, Matt Cutts did a great video that really explains EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about the topic.  Hope this helps Jay!

oh and PS – if anyone else knows any other tips or tricks to include, please feel free to add them in the comments!

Local search marketing may be in it’s infancy for Google, but this baby is booming. In two short years they have grown through a 10-pack, to a 7-pack, to a mixed local and organic result. They have further added a revenue stream with Google Sponsored tags (Yellow tags) and most recently they added Google Boost. Google boost has been active for about 6 months now, so time for a review of the latest GEO/Local adverting package from Google. To Boost but not to boast.

What is Google Boost?

Google boost is a new pay per click (PPC) advertising push from Google that is being promoted through Google Places. This ad is unique in it’s style from other PPC ads because it features a blue pin drop and is only offered to local businesses that have a local physical office.

The Blue Pin drop is a Google Boost Ad but this shows a Truly Nolen location w/ no reviews

Google Boost with Sponsored Tag and pest control reviews

The Pros to Google Boost

Pro #1 – Location, Location, Location

One of the key P’s to any marketing strategy is the “Place”.  Clearly there is  a certain appeal to doing business with a company that feels like a neighbor. Having a blue pin drop on a familiar local map adds a nice warm fuzzy to the consumer. Plus they are now supporting the local economy. So the new ad layout is fantastic.  I am drooling over the simplicity. Plus the clear message that says, “Do Business with your Local Pest Control Guy. Good’ole hometown heroes.”

Pro #2 – 5 Star Reviews

The best comeback in any sporting event when the fans start cheering, “We’ve got spirit yes we do” is “we’ve got more check the score!” The reviews make this Google Boost the cream of the crop pay-per-click option, if you have the reviews to boast about your company. But honestly, no one simply believes all the pretty text you have on your website promoting your service.  Your website will never tell the customer what potential problems they could face. Reviews on the other hand are raw and real. The bad reviews show your company weaknesses, which is okay, because every company has some problems. But, the overall rating is the real punch. If your ration of good to bad reviews is good then those little yellow stars become a Gold Star min.

Pro #3 – Phone Number

I must admit that having a phone number included on the ad could potentially get an advertiser phone calls that they are not directly paying for.  This is a pretty hefty bonus buy which could make or break the value of the Google Boost program.

Pro #4 – Easy to set up and runs automatically.

When you log into your Google places you will see convenient link  Create Boost ad Click on it and you will come to a very simple fill out forum like this one:

Set-UP From Google Places

Hit Continue. Read some legal jargon on the next page,  agree to pay, and you are on your way to a hassle free automatic Pay per click system. For the average business owner, this system could work well. There will be no overhead for a PPC management firm. There is nothing more to do. Just sit back, relax, and let the leads roll in. I mean… “Pay only for success You only pay when potential customers click on your ad.” http://places.google.com/boost Sarcasm aside, this may truly be a benefit for a busy business owner.

The Pests/Cons to Google Boost

Having test driven the new Google boost system for a couple of months now, I have come across a few bugs.  Yes, I am pest control guy so bare with the pest/con switch-a-roo.

Pest # 1 – Automatic Keyword Selection

Hmmm… This poses several problems, some of which could be monumental depending on your “Category”. Specifically, with pest control there are several different types of pests an exterminator may or may not control. Pests, like rats, snakes, pigeons, require different treatment options that not all pest control companies will offer. More specifically, as of late, bed bugs have become a huge concern, and not all pest control services treat for bed bugs.  Further, some of these pests, like termites, require specific licensing. Potentially moving Google boost advertisers into a red zone for violating state laws.

Google does offer an option to “Provide feedback on these keywords”, but I’ve yet to get any feedback on the feedback that I provided. And some of those terms, “Bulwark Exterminating”,  are still showing in my keywords. (Sorry, but if they are requesting my company by name then I have already done my marketing job and paying for that click is money wasted.) So there is no way to exclude keywords from your campaign. In my professional opinion this is a HUGE PEST PROBLEM.

Pest #2 – Automatic Bidding

So let’s hand over the hen house keys  to the fox. Do some simple math of the numbers they lay out in the sign up and here are the numbers from the ranges they outlined above:

Granted Google Boost didn’t max out the cost per click in my campaign. But those prices per click are much MUCH higher than our adsense average. Those are premium prices, and from that list of keywords above, not all of those keywords are premium competitors. And if these Google Boost ads work in conjunction with the other adsense ads then Google has it’s own horse in the bidding races effectively raising the prices on all other pest control clicks. But hey, at least I don’t have to worry about Quality Score anymore.

Pest #3 – Lack of information.

Despite the link at the top that suggests you can dig deeper if you’d like, that link for More Details takes you to a support page. So there are no lists of additional keywords they are bidding on. And if you want to calculate the click through rates of your ads you will have to do it manually. The math for numbers above, CTR=0.5%.  If you want that CTR to improve you will need to log and monitor your own dates of changes made to the ad.

Pest #4 – Tracking

The advertiser cannot insert a call tracking number. The advertiser cannot even insert a custom landing page. So all the advertiser is left with is their Google Analytics. Yes they do provide a report under adwords specific to Google Boost. Although they named it: Places Ads_2g55663ebe1687_1. We will assume it’s one in the same. But left only with this as a measuring stick the numbers are not looking too good. Average time on site is lower than the Adwords average time on site. Although page views are up… probably because they are having to search for the information they want.

Google Boost Review

To sum it up. Google Boost has the makings to be the cream of the crop for local advertising. The Boost ad is simple, sleek, and powerful for those companies that provide quality local services. But can the added style and design compensate for the lack of control? Do the Pros really out weigh the Cons? Do you really want the fox guarding the hen house? Theses few cons may bug  internet marketers to the point that Google Boost isn’t anything to boast about.

Moderator: Matt Van Wagner, President, Find Me Faster

Q&A Moderator: James Zolman, CEO, semvironment

Speakers:

Addie Conner, Director of Search Marketing, Course Advisor Inc.
Craig Danuloff, President, ClickEquations Inc.
Nicholas Fox, Business Product Management Director, AdWords, Google Inc.

NOTES:

Addie Conner, Director of Search Marketing, Course Advisor Inc.
Topic: Fact vs. Myth with Google Quality Score

1. There is a different CPC forumula if you are the only advertiser on the page? Fact.
2. Quality score is lost once you  make changes? Myth, QS is changed, but not lost.
3. Match type impacts QS. Myth.
4. Conversion rate impact QS? Myth.
5. Ad Rank QS included landing page quality? Myth.
6. Certain tuypes of site/business models carry a quality score penalty? Fact.  There is a Google FAQ about this.  There is a penalty, but not a blacklist.
7. Long tail keywords are given lower quality scores? Myth.
8. It takes two weeks for Google to determine quality score? Myth.  QS is a real-time factor and QS is determined really based on the amount of clicks your campaign is getting.  A campaign getting 10 clicks a day takes longer to build a QS compared to an account that gets 100k clicks a day.
9. Absolute CTR is the most important QS metric? Myth.  CTR relative to others is the most important QS variable.  You need to compare relative to other in the auction at that rank, this accounts for 95% of your QS rating.
10. QS is carried over to a new account if kw/creative all stays the same? Fact.
11. Landing page quality score is tiered? Myth.  Landing score QS is binary.
12. Quality score is the most important optimization method? Myth, what really matters is ROI.
13. You can help gain higher QS though high bidding? Fact.  Bidding high can put your ad in a position to increase your QS, but bidding high in and of itself will not help.

End Addie.

Craig Danuloff, President, ClickEquations Inc.
Topic: Quality Score (QS) (duh)

Ad rank formula: Bid x QS = Ad Rank.  Working quality score is just as important as raising your bid.  Having a high quality score will allow you to rank righer while paying less, thus netting you a greater ROI on each and any campaign.

Check out the campaign impression share report in Google to get an idea of how bad your ads are within the target search market.  If your ads are not showing 70% of the time, than people typed keywords that you have bought specifically, but your ads are not showing because your QS is so bad.

There are many Quality Scores and QS is figured in real-time during a search:

1. Keywords QS.
2. Ad Group QS.
3. Account History QS.

What QS should you start to shoot for: seven (7).  Seven is the mark showing that if you are below seven you are probably penalized, while above seven you are probably benefiting from QS.

Final thoughts:

1. QS is very important.
2. There are clear steps you can take to improve QS.
3. Advertisers should demand more clarity.

End Craig.

Nicholas Fox, Business Product Management Director, AdWords, Google Inc.
Topic: What Makes a Good Quality Score?

Defining Quality:

1. Relevant
2. Reputable site
3. Honest page
4. Specific page
5. Fast loading page
6. Trust for landing page

The bulk of quality is the CTR.  Click through tells them that everyone that looked at that ad thought it was this % important.  We try to capture things beyond the CTR, but it by far matters the most.  Quality score is then combined with the advertisers bid to rank that ad in PPC.

What we can do as advertisers:

1. Key point is to focus on the user and think about what users would want.
2. Keywords:
   1. Thing about what the user would search for.
      1. Diamonds is better than diamond for jewelers.
   2. Keep keywords to 2-4 words in length.
   3. Don’t use to many keywords: 10-15 per ad is about right.
3. Creative:
   1. Invite the user to do something; be compelling!
   2. Be specific.
   3. Be transparent about what he user will get.

Match types have no effect on quality score (QS), ad position does impact quality score, QS does not suffer when your ads are not showing, ad conversion rate does effect your QS.

Summery: Focus on your users and your customer (come on, please get more specific then that!)  Go to: www.google.com/domorewithless