For our next webcast, Paid Search Testing & Experimentation: Optimizing for Superior Results, we invited viewers to submit questions in advance to Chris Sherman. Here are just a few:

Q. How do you benchmark positions results knowing that within Google AdWords there is a gap between the position within Google ( web) of the add and what you see within the dedicated page of Google sponsored listings

Chris Sherman: The position of a search result is just one variable among many to consider in a well-designed ad test. There are many other factors that are equally, if not more important to consider – especially if you’re doing a complex multivariate test that looks at hundreds or possibly thousands of variations of your ads. A well-designed test will also help you pinpoint the ads that ultimately perform the best, regardless of their ranking, apparent quality score or other factor – and that’s the bottom line reason why testing and optimization is so crucial for success.

Q. On sites where the goal is not converting on a landing page but rather ad impressions which translates into maximizing pageviews / visit or reducing bounce rate, how would you test the user experience across multiple pages? What tools would you suggest?

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Q. Can Chris talk to the metrics he has seen used for assessing the sucess of optimization programs in media companies? (ie; where you are not driving actual transactions).

Chris Sherman: In both of these cases, it’s useful to think of conversion as a process with several variables that can indicate success. In the webcast, I’ll talk about creating a “conversion funnel” that helps you visualize and measure conversion when you’re dealing with less tangible success metrics.

Join us this Thursday, July 10 at 1 PM EDT for more from Chris Sherman. Registration is still open – it’s free!

Thanks to iProspect for sponsoring this webcast.