PPC Traffic

[packrat]

Seems to be some interest in arbitrage so I'll start with this question about
Adwords - do you have to have at least one active keyword for search in order for your ad to be displayed on the content network.

 

[Avo19]

Seems to be some interest in arbitrage so I'll start with this question about
Adwords - do you have to have at least one active keyword for search in order for your ad to be displayed on the content network.

No. Think about it. You can run CN only campaigns.

 

[packrat]

No. Think about it. You can run CN only campaigns.

OK - Thanks. I didn't know that. Are CN campaigns generally cheaper??

 

[tonyfloyd]

yes.....a lot less actual clicks...but the cost can be cheaper....correct me if i'm wrong...

 

[Avo19]

yes.....a lot less actual clicks...but the cost can be cheaper....correct me if i'm wrong...

If you mean actual clicks i.e higher on AW, then no, I see much higher on CN then SN, even though lower CTR. This is because of higher impressions on CN.
If you're referring to Parked CTR, I often see 100%+ (due to multiple clicks) on Parked.

 

[netmeg]

I can't really advise on arbitrage, I don't know that much about it as yet.

I do, however, know from AdWords and AdSense issues.

The best resource for learning about AdWords is the AdWords Learning Center. It breaks down all or most parts of AdWords into easy lessons, that you can either take in a flash-based CBT mode (with accompanying audio) or else plain text lessons. At the end of every section, there is a quiz, if you want to take it. It gets updated all the time with new stuff - much more often than the AdWords Help files themselves. It was created as a preparation tool for those of us who became Certified Google AdWords Professionals, but anyone can use it. It'll take you a couple hours to go through the whole thing; only you can decide if it's worth the time. I think it is, in fact, I'm a GAP twice over, and I still go through every lesson and quiz at least three times a year, just to keep fresh. (There is some stuff in there that won't be useful, like invoicing in other countries, and VAT if you are US based, but you can ignore that stuff if it doesn't apply to you) It's FREE, all it takes is your time. Use it.

http://www.google.com/adwords/learningcenter/

The other very useful thing is the Google AdWords Seminar. If one comes to your area, GO. It'll be the best $300 (the price the last time I took one) you ever spent. I got all kinds of information I would never get from Google themselves; I started using what I'd learned THAT SAME DAY and made money from it. Heck, if they come back to Detroit, I'm going again.

Also, when you sign up for a seminar, they give you a $50 credit voucher for your AdWords as well, so it's really only $250 (or at least it was - check the site for latest pricing)

To find out if there is a seminar planned near you, or to request notification if they come to your area, go here:

http://services.google.com/ads_inquiry/awseminars

 

[HiSoC8Y]

netmeg,

again, thanks

 

[rickkumar]

How do you run a CN 'only' campaign in adwords?

Is it by leaving the "default search CPC" box empty, and only entrying bid in the 'content CPC box'?

Please advise.

Thanks.

 

[netmeg]

No, you have to modify the campaign settings. If you're logged in to your AdWords account, check the box next to your campaign, and go into Edit Settings. On the right side of the page, under Networks, uncheck Google Search and Search Network, and check Content Network (and Content Bids, if you want)

Note - for the Content Network, you can set everything to broad match - the match types aren't used for Content, because there's really no searching. They just use your search words as a guide to knowing what your site is about.

Also note that for the Content Network, the name of the ad group is extremely important in determining what your site is about and which sites it will appear on. So you may want to pay more attention to how you name your ad groups in the Content Network.

One other hint - when I'm dealing with the Content Network, unless I'm particularly targeting that demographic (which I never am) I immediately add myspace.com and youtube.com to my negative sites list, so that my ads don't appear there. I usually don't want my ads on ebay, but I think they're in the Search Network, so if you are specifying Content only, you shouldn't appear there.

 

[mrizos]

I immediately add myspace.com and youtube.com to my negative sites list, so that my ads don't appear there. I usually don't want my ads on ebay, but I think they're in the Search Network, so if you are specifying Content only, you shouldn't appear there.

Any reason why you exclude these site?

 

[rickkumar]

No, you have to modify the campaign settings. If you're logged in to your AdWords account, check the box next to your campaign, and go into Edit Settings. On the right side of the page, under Networks, uncheck Google Search and Search Network, and check Content Network (and Content Bids, if you want)

Note - for the Content Network, you can set everything to broad match - the match types aren't used for Content, because there's really no searching. They just use your search words as a guide to knowing what your site is about.

Also note that for the Content Network, the name of the ad group is extremely important in determining what your site is about and which sites it will appear on. So you may want to pay more attention to how you name your ad groups in the Content Network.

One other hint - when I'm dealing with the Content Network, unless I'm particularly targeting that demographic (which I never am) I immediately add myspace.com and youtube.com to my negative sites list, so that my ads don't appear there. I usually don't want my ads on ebay, but I think they're in the Search Network, so if you are specifying Content only, you shouldn't appear there.

Great suggestions.....Thanks.

Is it also possible to setup a Content only campaign using 'Adwords Editor' and then just upload it directly to adwords account?

Regards.

 

[netmeg]

Yep. You just set up the Networks in the Campaigns tab. Moreover, with AdWords Editor, it's real easy to just duplicate an existing Search Campaign, make some changes, set it to Content only, and upload it.

 

[rickkumar]

Wonderful. Real Easy that way.

Thanks.

 

[packrat]

Netmeg - Glad you're around

Any tips on how to name an adgroup for effective targeting in CN?

 

[netmeg]

I dunno, that's kind of hard to do without knowing a niche. The main thing I was trying to convey is that in the Content Network, ad group names are a lot more important. So that, for example, when I have search ad groups, I might put in little notes in the names like "Needs Work" or "Terms from Keyword Tool" or such - I don't do that for the Content Network.

Also - another neat feature of the AdWords Editor is that it allows you to make comments on everything you do, so you can remember why you did it. Only problem is, every time you completely reload an account, OR every time they update the Editor, you lose all your comments, so you have to export them and then load them back in.

 

[packrat]

I dunno, that's kind of hard to do without knowing a niche. The main thing I was trying to convey is that in the Content Network, ad group names are a lot more important. So that, for example, when I have search ad groups, I might put in little notes in the names like "Needs Work" or "Terms from Keyword Tool" or such - I don't do that for the Content Network.

Also - another neat feature of the AdWords Editor is that it allows you to make comments on everything you do, so you can remember why you did it. Only problem is, every time you completely reload an account, OR every time they update the Editor, you lose all your comments, so you have to export them and then load them back in.

Understood - thanks!

 

[rickkumar]

Yep. You just set up the Networks in the Campaigns tab. Moreover, with AdWords Editor, it's real easy to just duplicate an existing Search Campaign, make some changes, set it to Content only, and upload it.

Hi Netmeg,

Ok, I am setting up my 1st Content only Campaign using AdWords Editor.

Q1: So 'under' the 'Search Network' section --> select 'none' --> then check both the fields called 'content network' and 'content bids'? Right?

Q2: What happens if I do or don't select the field 'content bids'?

Thank you.

 

[netmeg]

Q1: So 'under' the 'Search Network' section --> select 'none' --> then check both the fields called 'content network' and 'content bids'? Right?

Right

Q2: What happens if I do or don't select the field 'content bids'?

Thank you.

Actually, if it's a Content Network only campaign, it doesn't matter. That field is really only used if you have a single campaign delivering to BOTH the Search and the Content Networks, and you want to set separate bids for each network. So it doesn't really matter if the Content Bids one is checked or not - if I implied otherwise, I misspoke myself.

 

[rickkumar]

Thank you Netmeg.

Just did exactly that. Great help

 

[Kenny]

I hope you all gave netmeg her props/pos rep for her invaluable help on this.
She would never ask for it, but she sure deserves it.

 

[rickkumar]

I hope you all gave netmeg her props/pos rep for her invaluable help on this.
She would never ask for it, but she sure deserves it.

Agree 100%.

Somehow system is not letting me add any rep points
:td:

 

[netmeg]

(you're welcome!)

 

[goatish]

yes.....a lot less actual clicks...but the cost can be cheaper....correct me if i'm wrong...

I've found that traffic performance very much depends on the particular domain/niche/keywords/phase of the moon. I have some campaigns in both Search and Content, and the traffic and revenues via Content far outnumber that for Search. And for other domains, the converse is true.

Whether the cost of a Content campaign is cheaper than Search depends greatly on how well-targeted are all aspects of your campaign -- make every effort to avoid ambiguity or generalizations, as those types of adverts are more likely to attract non-conversions from the Content arena because your Content campaign is already diluted by how Adwords delivers ads for Content.

Because Content is much more loosely targeted than Search, I have found that the more specific my keywords/niche/ad copy/domain name, the better it performs in Content. For example, employing the more explicit keywords "hummingbird feeder" in ad group/adverts/keywords will perform better in the broader Content net cast by Google than will promoting the more generalized keywords "feeding birds."

Google Adwords advises that "best practices" are to set up separate campaigns for Search and Content for each domain. However, in my experience, I have seen better performance when I originally set up a single campaign ad group for both Search and Content if I know from the start that I want to run both types of campaigns for a domain. Adding Content later in a campaign, or setting up a new Content-only campaign after a Search-only campaign has been running for a while, has not performed as well as launching both from the start.

When considering if you want to run both Search and Content, remember that even if a keyword for Search goes inactive because the bid is insufficient to compete with the current market, that keyword may still remain active for Content if you have both Search and Content running for a campaign. Subsequently, unless I determine for a variety of reasons that a particular keyword is in fact negatively impacting a campaign, I do not delete or pause any keyword if it drops out of activity -- I have had many instances where such keywords have continued to generate traffic/revs via Content, and also have "come out of hibernation" for a resurgence of traffic/revs via Search when the bid market changes in my favor.

Plan ahead, research carefully, prioritize targeting. Start off on as optimally-targeted a basis as possible, and resist the urge to continually tweak or change tactics midstream. Give Adwords the opportunity to do their part to optimize your campaigns over time. Patience is key.

And as in all things Google Adwords, things may appear quite differently in your own rear view mirror. That's part of the adventure.

 

[rickkumar]

I have just finished setting up a campaign using AdWords Editor and then successfully loaded it to Goog. Everything was just ok...no problems. :sold:

When I do my next campaign, can I then just copy the settings of this campaign to save some time? Is it possible to do so in AdWords Editor?

Thank you

 

[NPKJB]

Thanks Goatish!! Great post! Rep added.