Google AdWords Call Metrics

In May of last year, Google canceled their call tracking feature intended for Google Audio Ads. But now, Google's bringing it back under the name of AdWords Call Metrics, a combination of Google Voice and AdWords.
Google's goal in this is to show advertisers that AdWords is more valuable than they realize, including driving offline traffic. The feature is available on PCs and high-functioning smartphones with full internet browsers.
For now, the Google AdWords Call Metrics will be a free service, but perhaps down the road a fee will be associated in a "pay-per-call" way. AdWords Call Metrics routes calls from the VoIP tracking number to a designated business number that Google is able to monitor. The metrics will capture the time and length of the call.
While access is currently limited, more and more people will be invited to see what its all about in the near future.

Google Analytics Updates Their Snippet Code

This is pretty interesting. Google Analytics has updated their snipper code. It is a bit longer, but nicely deals with the issue of http vs. https. There are also some new bonuses, you may read about it more at the Google Analytics Blog.

Google Checkout is Still Free!

http://checkout.google.com/ is still free! That means that small, medium, and large businesses can take advantage of using then as a merchant account through the end of 2007 with no fees. In other words if you receive an invoice from Tandem Interactive and want to pay by credit card, I will send you a Google Invoice. If that invoice is for $1000.00, Tandem receives the full $1000.00 in the bank. No fees, no transaction fees, it is awesome. I've personally dealt with setting up merchant accounts, and Google Checkout makes the process painless.

Recently, SFIMA saved over $1500.00 in fees by using Google Checkout to process the attendees for the SoFIE Awards. We used the regular check out buttons, but Google Checkout can also send email invoices.

If you have not already tried it, it is certainly worth using for the remainder of the year. Much like their Free Analytics product (Google Analytics), they should wipe out the competition by providing a superior product to the public for no cost.