GWA Business Understand Customers M1 Student Guide

Reach and Understand
Your Customers
Student Guide
Module 1: Understand Your Customers
Student Guide
Copyright
This work by Google Web Academy is made available under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). You
can change it, transmit it and show it to other people; just always give credit to Google
("Attribution"). This license does not cover use of the Google Brand Features, which requires
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Trademarks
Names marked or and other company and product names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective vendors or organizations.
Publication Information
Printed: October 2012
Information in this guide is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a
commitment on the part of Google Web Academy. It is supplied on an as is basis without any
warranty of any kind, either explicit or implied. Information may be changed or updated in this
guide at any time.
Student Guide
Reach and Understand

Your Customers
Student Guide
Student Guide
Contents
Course Introduction
Course Description
Google Web Academy Online Professionals Track
Course Objectives
Introduction to the Case Study
Course Format
Course Guidelines
Module Introduction
Module Objectives
Lesson 1:
Google Customer Research Tools
Lesson Introduction
Lesson Objectives
What Are Keywords?
What Are Your Customers Searching For?
Googles Free Customer Research Tools
Knowledge Check
Lesson Summary
Lesson 2: What Is Google Insights for Search?
Lesson Introduction
Lesson Objectives
What Is Google Insights for Search?
How Will Sin-A-Mon Use Google Insights for Search?
Live Demonstration: Use Google Insights for Search to Research a Market
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Enter Search Criteria

Examine Interest over Time
Examine Regional Interest
Examine Top Search Terms
Lab Activity: Use Google Insights for Search to Research a Market
How Does This Apply to Your Business?
Where Do You Go from Here?
Knowledge Check
Lesson Summary
Lesson 3:
What Are Google Alerts?
Lesson Introduction
Lesson Objectives
How Google Alerts Works
How Will Sin-A-Mon Use Google Alerts?
Live Demonstration: Create and Modify a Google Alert
Create an Additional Alert
Review Alert Results
Edit an Alert
Delete an Alert
Lab Activity: Create and Modify a Google Alert
In-Class Activity: How Can You Use Alerts?
Knowledge Check
Lesson Summary
Student Guide
Module Summary
Student Guide
Course Introduction
Course Description
Welcome to Google Web Academy and to the course Reach and Understand Your Customers.
When you are operating your own business, the most important thing you can do to ensure
success is to reach potential customers. If you dont understand your customers, how can you
reach them? No matter how wonderful your product is, if no one knows about it, your business
will not succeed.
Google provides free online tools that you can use to research who potential customers are,
where they are located, and what words they are most likely to use to search for your product.
After you know what your customers are looking for online, you can design a plan to reach them
just at the time they search for your product. In this course, youll learn how to develop
advertising goals and an online marketing plan. Youll then use Google AdWords to create
online ads that are targeted to your customers.
In addition to online advertising, an important way to get the word out about your product and to
retain your customers is through social media. In this course, youll also learn how you can
reach your customers with Google+, YouTube, and Google Blogger.
Finally, youll learn how to use AdSense to earn advertising money from your own website by
Student Guide
displaying advertising from other companies.

This course provides the basic knowledge and skills you need to get started with a
comprehensive online marketing plan that includes multiple ways to reach your customers.
There is lab time during which you can create online ads, from simple text ads to ads that
include images and videos. Youll also create your own YouTube channel, link your Google+
page to your ads, and create a blog.
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Google Web Academy Online Professionals Track
This is the third course in the Google Web Academy Online Professionals Track.
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Course Objectives
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Introduction to the Case Study
In this course, we will use a business called Sin-A-Mon as a case study for demonstrations and
for lab activities for students who do not have their own business online. Occasionally well look
at other businesses as well. Here are the details about Sin-A-Mon.
Based in Bangalore, Sin-A-Mon:
Offers delicious baked goods such as muffins, cakes, and focaccia bread.
Teaches people how to bake in group classes in Bangalore.
Monika, the business owner, is an entrepreneur who was able to build her own website in one
day, creating an online presence for her business and opening up new markets.
In this course, well analyze the markets and create an online marketing campaign for the Sin-AMon site that was created in Course 2, Create an Online Presence.
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Course Format
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Course Guidelines
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Module Introduction
In this module, you will learn about two Google tools that you can use to analyze where your
customers are and what terms they use to search for your product. You can then use this
information to stay informed about the latest news regarding your business or your product.
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Module Objectives
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Lesson 1:
Google Customer Research Tools
Lesson Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn about two free research tools that you can use to understand more
about your customers.
Well also look at why it is important to understand your customers and how this understanding
can benefit your business.
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Lesson Objectives
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What Are Keywords?
In this lesson, we will use the term keywordwords and phrases that customers search forin
the following ways:
To research what words and phrases are most effective to market your product
To research where global and local markets for your product exist
To identify trends about what words and phrases are becoming increasingly
popular
This information will help you determine not only how to market your product but also which
product lines you might successfully expand and which new products you might want to
introduce.
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What Are Your Customers Searching For?
An important part of planning is understanding who your customers are, where they are, and
what they are searching for online.
No matter how great your product is, if you dont reach potential customers, your business may
fail. Customers search online using specific terms, or keywords, when they are looking for
products; you can target these keywords in your branding and marketing plan. The words that
customers search for vary by region and by language. By finding out what keywords your
customers are searching for, you can expand your market.
You may have an idea of who your customers are based on your own experience, but by using
Google tools and examining what customers all over the world are searching for, you may be
able to open up new markets for your product. Your marketing plan should include the entire
market potential for your product.
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Googles Free Customer Research Tools
You can use Googles free customer research tools to analyze what keywords customers are
searching for and where customers are located.
Use Google Insights for Search to discover:
What keywords related to your product people search for most frequently
What region of the world they search from
Over what time period they searched for those keywords
What keywords are increasing in popularity
Use Google Alerts to monitor anything on the web and to automatically send emails to yourself
when Google finds new resultssuch as web pages, newspaper articles, or blogsthat match
a search term or keyword.
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Knowledge Check
1. What is a keyword and why are keywords important?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. What are some keywords customers might use to search for your product?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. If you want to receive emails automatically whenever an article is posted about

your product, which Google tool would you use?
___Google Insights for Search
___Google Alerts
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4. If you want to find out which keywords are searched for most frequently in your
area, which Google tool would you use?
___Google Insights for Search
___Google Alerts
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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned that:

A keyword is a search term that your customers use to locate your product
online.
Google tools help you understand where your customers are located and what
keywords related to your product customers use.
In the next lesson, you will learn how to use Google Insights for Search to discover what
keywords potential customers are searching for.
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Lesson 2: What Is Google Insights for Search?

Lesson Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn about Google Insights for Search and how to use it to research your
customers.
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Lesson Objectives
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What Is Google Insights for Search?
Google Insights for Search shows:
What keywords people search for

What part of the world they search from
Over what time period they searched for those keywords
Use Google Insights for Search to:
Identify trends.
Find out what people around the world are interested in.
For example, use Google Insights for Search to determine the volume of searches on:
Your product, for example birthday cakes, to see what areas of the world to
target
Your brand, for example Sin-A-Mon, to see where your brand is recognized and
the effectiveness of your current marketing campaign
You can also use Google Insights for Search to find out what keywords people are using in a
specific area over a specific time period, including:
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Your product in a specific location, for example, a country, a region, or a city

Marketing terminology in different regions, for example, the regional differences
in how people search for information about birthday cakes.
How Will Sin-A-Mon Use Google Insights for Search?
Monika, Sin-A-Mons owner, wants to use Google Insights for Search to research whether or not
she should branch out into teaching cooking classes or to share some recipes on her Google+
page. She also wants to research which of the products she already offers are the most popular.
She specifically wants to find out the following information:
What food items are most popular in the Bangalore area?
This information can help Monika determine what products to promote and give her
ideas about what new products she might successfully offer.
What keywords do people in the Bangalore area use when searching for bakery
items?
This information can help Monika determine what words she should use to promote her
business so her website appears more often in search results.
Are any keywords related to bakery items rising in popularity?
This information can help Monika plan for the future and increase her offerings for these
products or decide to offer new products. In addition, when she creates online
advertising for her business, she can use these specific words to attract online
customers.
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Live Demonstration: Use Google Insights for Search to Research a Market
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Enter Search Criteria
To begin, access Google Insights for Search at www.google.com/insights/search.

After you access Google Insights for Search, there are many ways to search:
Use Compare by to select how you want to see the results:

The default is to compare results by search terms, or keywords, in
which case enter multiple keywords.
Compare results for up to five locations that you select, or for
specific time ranges, in which case enter only one keyword.
If you select Search terms under Compare by, then enter the keywords, or
search terms, that you wish to examine:
After you enter a search term, click Add search term if you want
to add another one.
Enclose your keywords in quotes if you want to search for the
entire keyword. For example, if you enter birthday cakes without quotes, each
word is searched for individually, so Google Insights for Search includes results
for the word birthday and additional results for the word cakes. If you enter
birthday cakes (including quote marks), Google Insights for Search displays
results for the entire keyword, birthday cakes.
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Further refine your search in the filter area:

Search the entire web by selecting Web Search, which is the
default. Select another optionImage Search, News Search, or Product
Searchif you want to see specific results.
Select a region/country and a subregion if you want to see results
for a specific area.
Use the default time range, 2004-present, or select another time
range.
Select a category, such as Finance, Food & Drink, or Games, to
narrow your search results to only that category.
After you enter all your search criteria, click Search to view the results.
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Examine Interest over Time
Once you have some results, scroll down the page and the first thing youll see is a graph
showing interest over time. The numbers on the graph reflect how many searches have been
done for a keyword relative to the total number of searches done on Google over time:
The results are shown in different colors for each keyword you entered.
When there isnt enough data, 0 appears. The numbers next to the search terms
above the graph are summaries, or totals.
Hover your mouse over the graph to examine different points on the graph.
Dotted lines on the graph indicate predicted future results, but are not actual
results.
If there are letters on the graph, they indicate when the news stories cited on the
right side of the page appeared.
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Examine Regional Interest
Scroll further down the page to view regional interest. The top regions using the search terms
are listed here:
If you searched for multiple keywords, each one is indicated by a different color.
Select another keyword from the Regional interest list at the top of this area.
Click the link for any location to see results for just that location.
Use the map to visualize the search terms popularity by region.
Colors indicate interestthe deeper the color the more interest there is in the
keyword in the region.
Hover over a region to see more details, or click the region to see results for just
that region.
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Examine Top Search Terms
Scroll down further and youll see a list of the top search terms.
The Top Searches area shows the keywords you searched for, related keywords, and how
frequently they were searched for:
This information can indicate what keywords you should use in your marketing
campaign or what products are popular in the area that you selected.
Click any of the links to see the results for that search term (keyword).
The Rising Searches area shows search terms that have experienced significant growth in a
given time period in comparison to the preceding time period:
For example, if you're comparing data for a search term during 2012, the time
period serving as the basis of comparison is 2011.
Similarly, if you're comparing searches for that term during May of 2011, the
basis of comparison is April of 2011.
When you see Breakout listed instead of an actual percentage, it means that the
search term has experienced a change in growth greater than 5000%, a significant
amount.
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Click any of the links to see the results for that search term (keyword).
A good strategy is to determine which breakout keywords apply to your business

and click the link to search on them.
What keywords do you see in the demonstration that Sin-A-Mon should continue to research?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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Lab Activity: Use Google Insights for Search to Research a Market
In this lab activity, youll use Google Insights for Search to investigate several keywords. In this
activity, you will investigate keywords related to solar cookers so you can see all of the features
Google Insights for Search provides. You can then work on your own to investigate keywords for
your own business, or, if you dont have a business of your own, you can investigate keywords
for Sin-A-Mon.
You will record the best performing keywords. You will use them again in the next lesson and in
the next module.
See Module 5, Lab Activities, for instructions for this activity.
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Work in small groups to answer the following questions. Be prepared to share responses with
the rest of the class.
1. What keywords do you want to research for your business?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Is there any other information, such as locations or trends, that you want to
research using Google Insights for Search?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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Resources available to help you get started using Google Insights for Search include the
following:
Online help is available by clicking various links in Google Insights for Search.
The start page for help is located at support.google.com/insights/.
Video presentations about using Google Insights for Search are available on
YouTube.
See Module 6, Resources, for more information.
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Knowledge Check
Please answer the questions below.

1. If you see the word Breakout after a keyword in the Rising Searches area, would
you consider using that keyword in your marketing campaign?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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2. If you search for a keyword but it does not display in the search results, what
does that tell you? What can you do to find information related to that keyword?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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3. If the country you are interested in selling your product in is not listed in the
regional interest results, what does that mean? What can you do to see results for that
country?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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4. If interest over time for a keyword is trending down, what does that mean? What
can you do to find other keywords?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned that you can use Google Insights for Search to:
Examine how frequently keywords are used, where they are used, and if the
interest in the keywords is rising.
Identify keywords that could be useful in your businesss advertising campaign.
In the next lesson, you will learn about Google Alerts and how to use alerts to keep track of
recent developments related to specific keywords.
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Lesson 3:
Lesson Introduction
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Lesson Objectives
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Google Alerts are emails sent to you when Google finds new resultssuch as web pages,
newspaper articles, videos, discussions, books, or blogsthat match a search term. Use
Google Alerts to monitor anything on the web, for example:
Find out what is being said about your company or product.
Monitor a developing news story.
Keep up to date on a competitor or industry.
Get the latest news on a celebrity or sports team.
Find out what is being said about you or your business.
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How Google Alerts Works
With Google Alerts, you indicate where you want Google to check for results: news articles,
books, videos, blogs, and discussions. You can select all the sources or any combination of
them.
You also indicate how frequently you want to be informed: immediately or once a day.
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How Will Sin-A-Mon Use Google Alerts?
Monika really wants to keep up to date with trends in baked goods. For example, she recently
read an article on the web and learned that more and more people are choosing cupcakes for
birthday parties rather than traditional birthday cakes.
Monika wants an email sent to her every day about trends in baked goods so she doesnt miss
anything.
What are some keywords Monika could monitor in Google Alerts?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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Live Demonstration: Create and Modify a Google Alert
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Create an Alert
If you sign in to your Gmail account or another Google account before creating the alert, the
Google Alert will automatically be sent to your Gmail address.
To create an alert
1. Access Google Alerts at www.google.com/alerts.
2. Enter a keyword or keywords.
The right side of the Alerts page shows current results in the Google Alert for today area.
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3. For the result type, select Everything to see all results, or select the types of
results that you want to keep informed about: News, Blogs, Videos, Discussions, or
Books.
4. Indicate how often you want to receive alerts:
If you want to be updated with the latest information, select As-ithappens. This is useful for developing news stories or trends that are vital for
your business. You will receive an email whenever an event occurs related to the
keywords youre tracking.
If you want to receive just one email every day, select Once a
day. You will receive an email each day related to the keywords you are tracking.
This is useful for information that you want to keep track of, but when you feel it
is not necessary to receive the latest news all the time.
5. Indicate how many events you want to keep informed about:
Select Only the best results if you just want to see the top
Select All results if you want to see everything related to the
stories.
keywords.
6. Click Create Alert.
After you create an alert, even if you select As-it-happens, there is a lag time before you
receive the first alert email. However, you can see current results on the Google Alerts page.
Create an Additional Alert
Use another keyword to create an additional alert.
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Review Alert Results
1. Access your Gmail account to see if an alert has been posted.

2. Click any result to go to the source of the alert and read the article.
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Edit an Alert
Over time, you may find out that some alerts give you the information you need and other alerts
need to be changed. Or you may find that you want to receive alerts only once a day instead of
as they happen.
To edit your alert
1. Do one of the following to access your alert:
Click the Manage your alerts links in an alert email.
Access Google Alerts, and then click Manage your alerts.
2. Check the box next to an alert, and then click Edit.

3. All the fields are editable. Select any field and change the information.
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Delete an Alert
If you have too many alerts, or if an alert is not working for you, delete it.
To delete an alert
1. Delete an alert from an alerts email that you receive or by going to the Google
Alerts page and selecting the alert.
2. After you choose to delete an alert, you will receive a confirmation asking if you
really want to delete the alert. If you do, click Delete.
After the alert is deleted, you will no longer receive emails about that alert.
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Lab Activity: Create and Modify a Google Alert
In this activity, you will create at least two alerts, either for Sin-A-Mon to keep up to date on
trends in birthday cakes or for your own business to keep up to date on information that you
want to follow. You will then modify one of the alerts and delete another.
Because there is a time lapse from the time an alert is created until you get results, you may not
see emails for the alerts you create during the lab activity. However, be sure to check your email
the following day for the results.
See Module 5, Lab Activities, for instructions.
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In-Class Activity: How Can You Use Alerts?
What types of items can you follow with Google Alerts?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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Partner with another student. Talk about your businesses. Think about what you want to keep
informed about and the keywords that you could use to create alerts. Write the answers in your
student guide. Use this list as a reminder to create these alerts for yourself.
What alerts do you want to create?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________
Online help is available at support.google.com/alerts.
You can learn about advanced options, such as creating an RSS feed, at
goo.gl/MsdQk.
More information is in Module 6, Resources.
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Knowledge Check
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Please answer the questions below.

1. Sin-A-Mon is interested in expanding into teaching cooking classes. What are
some keywords Monika could follow?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Monika wants to teach cooking classes to children. How could she modify her
keywords?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. A competitor, Card-A-Mon Cakes, recently opened up a bake shop nearby. How
can Monika keep informed about what her competitor is doing?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. What kinds of information can you track with an alert? (Select all that apply.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
News articles
Emails
Photos
Books
Blogs
5. If you created a Google Alert that is delivered once a day and youd like to
receive developing news when it happens, what would you need to do?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Edit the alert to change the frequency to when it happens.

Edit the alert to change the frequency to once an hour.
Edit the alert to change the frequency to every second.
Create a new alert with the frequency of every five minutes.
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6. If you created a Google Alert for a keyword and found that you could get better
results by following a different keyword, what would you need to do?
a. Delete the alert, and then create a new one using the keyword you
want to follow.
b. Mark the original alert as spam, and then create a new alert using
the new keyword.
c. Edit the alert and change the keyword to the one you want to
follow.
d. Ask your IT department to delete the original alert, and then create
a new one using the new keyword.
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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned how to use Google Alerts to keep track of information related to your
business and your goals.
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Module Summary
In this module, you learned about Google Insights for Search, which you can use to research
the markets and keywords to use for your business. You used Google Alerts to help you keep up
to date about the latest information in your field.
In the next module, youll learn how to use the keywords you have identified to create an online
marketing campaign and online advertising.
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Reach and Understand

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Reach and Understand

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Enter Search Criteria

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

displaying advertising from other companies.

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Google Web Academy Online Professionals Track

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Introduction to the Case Study

Teaches people how to bake in group classes in Bangalore.

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

What Are Keywords?

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

What Are Your Customers Searching For?

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Googles Free Customer Research Tools

What region of the world they search from

Over what time period they searched for those keywords

What keywords are increasing in popularity

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

1. What is a keyword and why are keywords important?

3. If you want to receive emails automatically whenever an article is posted about

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

In this lesson, you learned that:

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Lesson 2: What Is Google Insights for Search?

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

What Is Google Insights for Search?

Google Insights for Search shows:

What keywords people search for

Use Google Insights for Search to:

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Your product in a specific location, for example, a country, a region, or a city

How Will Sin-A-Mon Use Google Insights for Search?

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Live Demonstration: Use Google Insights for Search to Research a Market

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Enter Search Criteria

To begin, access Google Insights for Search at www.google.com/insights/search.

Use Compare by to select how you want to see the results:

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Further refine your search in the filter area:

Use the default time range, 2004-present, or select another time

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Examine Interest over Time

Module 1: Understand Your Customers

Examine Regional Interest