Working More Effectively With Google Content AdvertisementsThere is no question that Google AdWords is one of the best ways to market an online store. Google offers three different options for displaying AdWords:
1) Keyword Targeted based on Search
2) Keyword Targeted based on Content
3) Site Targeted
Most merchants are familiar with Keyword Targeted Search Ads which display when someone searches for a specific phrase in Google or one of their search partners. If well executed, this is the largest traffic generator of the three ad types. Keyword Targeted Search covers such a large scope and has been widely covered in numerous books and articles. Therefore, this article will attempt to provide insight on how to utilize Keyword Targeted Content Ads and Site Targeted Ads effectively. Like Keyword Targeted Search, Content and Site Targeted Ads, can be very successful if monitored and fine-tuned.
If a merchant creates an ad and opts to display it in Google's Content Network, the ad may appear if Google believes that the content of the page is relevant to the phrase that the merchant is bidding on. While this is great in theory, it doesn't always work perfectly. Let's say that a merchant sells pistachio nuts. It's quite possible that the ad could appear on a site that discusses people who are nuts. Consequently, Google provides the merchant with a means to opt out of specific sites with Content Ads. Until June 2007, the only way to determine where an ad was displayed was by looking at referrers in your web logs. Fortunately, Google has recently created a new report that allows marketers to research where their content ads are being display and how well the ads are converting. In Google AdWords this report is called the Placement Report.
After executing a Placement report, a merchant can examine the cost per conversion of the different sites where their ads were placed. If the cost per action is too high the merchant might choose to exclude that site from the respective content campaign. Doing so will improve the ROI for the entire campaign by eliminating the dead weight. Another option is to modify the ad to determine if better results can be produced. There are two main options; First, modify the ad to better relate to the audience. Second, modify the ad to more accurately describe the site, product or offer being advertised.
Modifying the ad to become more relevant to the audience should attract more click volume and more qualified clicks. An example would be appealing to customer emotions or purchasing decisions. If a modified ad receives less clicks overall, consider creating another ad relevant to the customers that may have been excluded during the previous modification. Google will show both ads and decide which should be displayed in varying scenarios. Each ad may perform better on different websites.
In order to receive clicks most likely to convert, the ad should accurately convey the product, website or offer being advertised. For example; Assume a customer is trying to purchase a music CD by searching for a band name. The customer clicks on what appears to be a relevant ad and is taken to a site that sells the band's ring tones for cellular phones. The customer will most likely leave and not convert into a sale. Why? Didn't the customer have the means and the desire to purchase music by that artist? Yes, but the consumer's expectations when viewing the ad were very different from the merchant's. Most times specifically describing the merchant's site will lead to more quality clicks and conversions. Even though overall clicks may decrease, those clicks were costly, did not result in sales and are a bad performing investment. Consider this money saved that can now be spent on better performing campaigns.
Site Targeted Ads simply allow the merchant to select which sites it would like to place ads on. These ads can be textual or images. Google essentially has a "catalog" of sites for merchants to choose from. If a merchant sets up a Site Targeted Campaign, it is fairly easy to see which sites are delivering a solid return and which ones are bringing down a campaign by looking at an ad group's Sites tab. Eliminating the sites that aren't producing a solid return will again improve the ROI of the total site targeted campaign. The same ad modifications above should also be performed on Site Targeted Ads before assuming the audience is the problem. It is also a good idea to visit the site with which you are considering advertising. If you choose to represent your brand professionally in the real world, it is safe to assume the same care should be taken online. Lastly, note that Site Targeted Ads run on a CPM (cost per thousand impressions) basis. Consequently, impressions are the primary factor when setting up bids. A starting point may be calculating the CPM from ads already created through one of the Keyword Targeted campaigns. However, when measuring results, it's still best to look at cost per conversion.
Google continues to empower marketers by improving its AdWords platform. Online marketers need to stay up to date with its new reports and campaign settings. Successfully leveraging the tools Google provides will results in a greater return on investment.
