Google has added a helpful feature to its search results pages. After you enter your #1 keyword into Google, scroll down to the bottom of the results to find a table of links labeled “Searches related to:“. Each of those links is a whole new Google search.

These search suggestions weren’t generated by any genius Google code. They are based on real searches that actual people perform. The suggestions are the most common ways people refine their searches when they’re looking for your keyword.

Here’s an example. Say you search “train parrot.” At the bottom of the listing, you should see something along these lines:

In the related searches, you can see that new keyword ideas are bolded. This gives you a great idea of what searchers — and therefore Google – are looking for when it comes to relevance.

So if you wanted to make your parrot training page shine, you might consider adding:

• keywords that describe the species your techniques have worked on (Indian Ringneck, African Grey, Quaker)
• your methods (clicker training)
• behavior you can fix (feather plucking, potty training)

ANY of these will increase how relevant Google believes your page to be for the keywords “train parrot.” So try incorporating some “Searches related to” in your copy and see what happens.

For Some Advertisers, Google Slap Means Plummeting Revenues 

Now Google is arguing that the plummeting click-through rates on its ads are a good thing.

The major change Google made in early March to its AdWords algorithm is resulting in a double whammy for some advertisers: The rates they’re paying for ads have rocketed while conversion rates for those ads have dropped.

Disgruntled advertisers have dubbed the move the "Google slap."

"If it were just a rate increase, I would have tolerated it. But my ad rates have doubled and I’ve got no business," says one longtime AdWords advertiser, "Sam," who doesn’t want his real name published for competitive reasons. He says he runs a very specialized niche service, and doesn’t want his competitors to know about his current business crisis.

Google has argued that the recent drop in paid clicks on its advertisements is intentional. The logic is this: If Google serves fewer but more relevant ads for any given search query, it can potentially increase click-through rates and ultimately raise ad rates. That should be beneficial for advertisers, who may get fewer but better quality leads from their ads.

The affected advertisers say it isn’t working according to plan. "Sam" says he got about 100,000 impressions on ads served for two keywords in February (which resulted in $250,000 in revenue), and in March that number dropped to 20,000 impressions and essentially zero revenue. To compensate for lost sales, he says he started buying advertising from Yahoo and Microsoft.

It’s not clear exactly how Google altered its algorithm, but many online marketers believe the company adjusted advertisers’ quality scores, based on the content of the landing pages on their websites.

You can read the rest of the story at Wired Mazine…