Google Adwords New Placement Performance Report

I have always stayed away from running ads on Google's content network and one reason was that I wasn't able to track this traffic very well or check the the ad placement. Well, at least part of this problem appears to be solved with the new Placement Performance reporting capability just announced. I'm looking forward to testing this out and I will post an update when I do that.

This is what Google says in Adwords Help:
"You can now run a Placement Performance report to view performance metrics for ads that may be running on URLs or domains within our content network.

Google has always provided full online statistical, conversion, and financial reporting for the Google AdWords program. Now with the Placement Performance report, you can gain greater transparency about your campaigns' performance on the content network for the first time. This report is intended as a tool for you to make informed decisions on improving your campaign's return on investment."

This looks promising. I'll keep you posted.

Check Your Backlinks in Google Webmaster Central

Google is now providing (more) accurate backlink information in Webmaster Central. There is now a Links tab that will allow you to check your site backlinks. According to Google , "Now you can use webmaster tools to view a much larger sample of links to pages on your site that we found on the web. Unlike the link: operator, this data is much more comprehensive and can be classified, filtered, and downloaded. All you need to do is verify site ownership to see this information."

Matt Cutts says that the tool is not showing 100% of the backlinks from Google yet, but he expects it to grow. Another point that Matt makes is "Do not assume just because you see a backlink that it’s carrying weight." Since the bold is his and he says this twice, my guess is that this is an important point that he wants to make. :)

This is certainly a welcome addition to the other tools available in Webmaster Central.