Search Engine Marketing Blog | Tug » Adwords

Dynamic Search Ads from Google

rainelda — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:07:00 +0000

All advertisers have experienced times when new ad copies and keyword lists must be created for new products. The same is with products that go out of stock suddenly and advertisers cannot predict the exact second when to pause keywords and ad copies promoting these products. It is giving hard times for many of us out there but not for long. To help advertisers with these challenges, Google announced that they are launching Dynamic Search Ads – a new way to target relevant searches with ads generated right from your website.

With Dynamic Search Ads Google will maintain a fresh index of advertiser accounts by using the Google organic web crawling technology. When a relevant search occurs, Google will dynamically generate an ad with a headline based on the search query and the text based on your most relevant landing page. The ad will enter the auction and compete normally. However Google will hold it back for any other relevant searches where you also have an eligible keyword targeted ad.

Google says that this new feature will not only complement advertisers, but the users as well. It was often experienced, that a user is searching for something specific and the ad doesn’t completely answer the user’s query. When users click on an ad, they expect to see the products that they were searching for, but it is possible that the product was sold out, so the users get an overall negative search experience. It is more likely that user clicks will convert into purchases, if the ad answers user queries. Google says that they did limited testing for the Dynamic Search Ads and so far they have seen solid performance.

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Google +1 button on your Display ads

rainelda — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:25:45 +0000

Are you running display ads on the Google Display Network? Do you want people to recommend your ads’ landing pages to other potential customers? Then you are in for a treat.

On Monday 10th October Google AdWords announced that the +1 button and personal annotations will start to appear with your Display ads. So if you are seeing the button, don’t be surprised, however it is possible that some advertisers do not see this option as of yet, but Google says that they are working hard to roll out the +1 button to everyone who are using AdWords display ads as soon as they can.

The reason to create this feature was because Google believes that incorporating user personal recommendations into display ads has the potential to change the way people view advertising. Google says that a display ad will become much more powerful when users can see which of their friends and contacts have chosen to endorse it. The +1 button on display ads will work together with +1 buttons on search results, search ads and websites. A single +1 applies to the same content across the web, no matter where it appears. It will be able to include the button to image, animated GIF, Flash, Display Ad Builder ads and also on Double Click Rich Media ads.

Google is looking forward to add the +1 button and personal annotations to all eligible inventory over the next couple weeks, as they are confident from their experience with the button on search, that it will be a great addition to advertisers’ Google Display Network campaigns.

Since the introduction to the +1 button on search results and search ads, it has been installed over a million websites across the web with over 4 billion impressions daily, so no wonder Google decided to add it to the display ads as well.

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Tracking Phone Calls Driven By Adwords

turan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:14:54 +0000

Google has released a new AdWords feature that will help generate and measure phone calls directly from the ads – AdWords call metrics that will be fully launching in the UK on 17^th of October.

Using the technology behind Google Voice, call metrics generates a unique phone number for each of your campaigns. When your ad appears on Google.com, this phone number is automatically inserted into your ad. Then, when a potential customer calls this number, they’re redirected to your business and AdWords notes that the call took place. When you view your AdWords reports, you’re then able to see how many calls you’ve received as well as other data points, including call duration and, in the near future, caller area code.

Call metrics ads can appear on Google.com, on both desktop computers and high-end mobile devices. One of the benefits of using call metrics is that your phone number is included in addition to your ad text, leaving you free to create ads as you normally would, highlighting unique information about your business or special offers. On high-end mobile devices, the phone number itself will be clickable, making it even easier for users to reach you when they’re on the go.

Using call metrics is an easy and effective way to get insight into the value that your ads are bringing to your company beyond just clicks and impressions. The phone calls that you receive using AdWords call metrics will have a charge. Currently in the US, where the product was first released, the charge is $1 per manually dialled call to a Google forwarding number.

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Google Tweaks Quality Score in Favour Of Landing Pages

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:43:29 +0000

This week Adwords announced a tweak to its Quality Score algorithm that will see the relevance and quality of an advert’s landing page given a far louder voice than it has ever had before. As Google has long claimed its mission to be to serve the user and improve the search experience, this is a clear “money where your mouth is” move.

We’ve all seen, and in many cases demonstrated, the old QS graphic with each determinant in a an equal sized bubble, implying each is allocated equal weight. We also all know this to be cobblers with, in reality, clickthrough rate massively outweighing all the others.

While for the most part this is still going to be the case – Google is not going to start favouring ads with awesome landing pages that no-one ever clicks on – we can expect that it will be increasingly worth the effort to ensure landing pages relate as closely as possible to keywords, and vice versa.

Let’s look at an example:

All three of the adverts above are approximately equal in terms of relevance, with the search term included in the title of each. The BMI and Opodo ads include the term in the body copy as well, two have Google seller ratings, while British Airways probably has the stronger brand of the three. All of these are largely cosmetic and the major difference between the three advertisers lies in the landing page.

The British Airways advert links through to a page entitled flights to London, which contains plenty of relevant text-based content (readable by the search spiders) and a pre-populated booking fragment. The BMI ad is rather less relevant to the search, taking us to the BMI homepage rather than anywhere deeper. The Opodo ad delivers to a degree but there’s not a lot of relevant content there. The BA page is, essentially, one optimised with organic search best practice in mind and, at its simplest, this adjustment can really be seen as a closer alignment of the organic algorithm with that of paid search. A relevant page will make it easier to appear in the top spots and cheaper to do so if you’re already there.

How will this affect paid search strategies? Aside from clamping down on lazy agencies and mandating that their ads are already going through to the best existing page, the bigger spenders will probably look to expand their sites and build pages around their most profitable products or most expensive keywords. Smaller advertisers can play as well and we would expect them to do so to their strengths, focussing spend on product areas around which their sites are already tailored.

As advertisers we should welcome the change, as it rewards us for being good at what we do. However, as with any changes to Adwords, this one is not quite as altruistic as it seems. From Google’s point of view, the goal is to encourage user confidence in search ads: to click, to find what they were looking for, to return and to click again.

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Promoting Your Facebook and Twitter Pages for a Snip

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:47:35 +0000

This shouldn’t work but it does. Although Google generally requires Sitelinks to be closely related to the parent domain the odds are better than even that you can slip through the net and from a user’s point of view I don’t think there’s anything misleading about either of the two links in the above example. That said I don’t think this is a concious decision on the part of the big G and my suspicion is that the Google overlords just doesn’t monitor the relationship between the Display URL and Sitelinks’ landing pages as closely as they do those with ads.

Why would you do this? If you’re not an e-retailer and you’re running PPC against your own brand, I think the question should really be “Why wouldn’t you do this?” A single visit to your homepage, although valuable, is nothing as compared to the value of a relationship which is precisely what Facebook and Twitter are in the business of delivering. You don’t need me to tell you that a fan or a follower has a much deeper level of engagement with your brand and is much more likely to make repeat visits, than a passer-by who simply looks in the shop window.

Even if you are an e-retailer I still think you should give it a try, but I understand why you might be reluctant to siphon brand traffic away from your main site. It’s important to bear in mind that just as your Facebook and Twitter pages are not a substitute for your main site, the paid search links to them are a mere accompaniment, diversifying your offering, if you will. The searcher who is actively intent on a purchase is unlikely to be distracted from the task at hand by a Facebook link, while those more interested in interacting with your brand will likely deliver you more long-term value, if not a sale on that visit.

With its $5,000 per month starting price a Twitter advertising trial is, understandably, out of reach of all but the bigger brands. Advertising on Facebook is comparatively accessible but remains a daunting prospect for many and is, at the moment at least, no small task to do properly. Adding in sitelinks, on the other hand, is child’s play for anyone familiar with Adwords and will take you five minutes at most – and that’s if you stop for a cup of tea. In terms of cost, on a per click basis Facebook advertising is also almost always more expensive than your brand terms are likely to be in search.

I know what you’re thinking and yes, tracking is an issue. Not only does AdWords lump all of your Sitelinks’ search data together – anyone from Google want to explain that one? – but once the user has arrived on your Facebook or Twitter page, there’s no way of measuring the extent of their interaction. Did they become a fan? Did they post on your wall? Are they following you? Have they retweeted?

Although Facebook’s own advertising reporting interface, like AdWords conversion tracking tracking, is actually really smart, user friendly and works to a reasonable level of granularity, neither Facebook nor Twitter have Analytics equivalent to tell you anything meaningful about external sources of traffic. Until either site opens up its back end, those questions will go unanswered and you’re just going to have to do this the old fashioned way: Firstly you should benchmark the rate of follower or fan uptake (or decline) prior to the links being added. Next, take note of your Followers and Fans on the day you add the links. When you’re up and running I’d also recommend alternating days on/off during the first week and comparing the difference.

I did, in a reckless moment of blue sky outside the box thinking, briefly consider driving all my brand searches to Facebook but ultimately settled on this, much less dramatic way of combining search with social. It’s may not be refined but it is a little bit nifty.

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Google “Offer Ads” Go Live in the U.S

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:34:30 +0000

After scrolling through a few SEM websites this morning, I have discovered that Google have a brand new feature that is available in conjucture with Ad Words named “Offer Ads”.

Here’s what they look like:

As you can see, an “Offer Ad” acts like a virtual discount coupon, similar to what you are used to seeing in newspapers (which your lovely grandma cuts out and takes it to her favourite restaurant for 50% her oxtail soup and prune juice.) After clicking on the “Offer Ad” you are redirected to this;

You can then choose to print the offer or save it to Google Offers (which is Google’s own version of Groupon, read more about Google Offers here), which will appeal in the Google Offers dashboard.

This shows how Google will connect AdWords to Offers for a kind of “closed loop” transaction. Google will likely provide analytics on the number of CTRs that lead to “saves” that in turn lead to redemptions — online or off. Indeed the Offers-Wallet “value chain” will lead all the way from the SERP to the point of sale.

So is Google on to a winner with Offers after their failure to buy out Groupon? I’m not sure yet, but this is an exciting feature for Google Adwords advertisers and I’m looking forward to checking this out once it becomes available in the UK.

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Google Adwords Now Permits Specific Targeting to Tablets

admin — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:13:56 +0000

Over the past few years we have seen the rise of mobile/smart phone technology. We have also seen the creation of Tablet personal computers, with every major player worth knowing bringing out their latest version for our eyes to behold. Google has accommodated for these advances in technology, especially Google Adwords and their targeting features.

Google Adwords has kept itself updated with the times and allowed anyone using Adwords to be able to specifically target the device of their choice. This started off with the capability of targeting mobile devices as well as the usual desktop pc. Then as more and more devices and networks were given the ability to use Google Adwords advertising, Google allowed you to fine tune your targeting as specific as you desired.

A recent blog post from Google HQ has confirmed that they now allow Google Adwords users to target Tablet personal computer users, which will come as great news to all Adwords advertisers because tablets are extremely popular and in many cases becoming the sole household computer, making desktop and laptops become a thing of the past.

“In the next couple of weeks, the “Networks and Devices” section of your Settings tab within your AdWords account will include a new targeting option titled “Tablets with full browsers.” While you’ve been able to specifically target Apple iPad devices in the past, the new capability will enable you to easily target your ads to the entire tablet device category. In addition, you’ll be able to select more precisely the types of devices and operating systems on which your AdWords ads will show. For example, to display your ads on the Apple iPad, you’ll be able to choose “Tablets with full browsers” as your device targeting setting and “iOS” as your operating system setting. Tablet targeting will be available initially for Apple devices only, but we’ll expand ad serving to other specific devices in the near future.”

This new functionality will work with AdWords text and image ads for “mobile web” and in-app advertising as well. Advertisers will be able access the larger canvas of the tablet but with the location-targeting precision and capabilities of Google ads for smart phones.

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The Beginning of PPC without the use of Keywords

David — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:41:44 +0000

Alex Cohen of Search Engine Watch has written an article about the future of paid search without keywords. The following is from the article:

“As search marketers, we’re used to buying based on intent as expressed in the search query. We do that primarily through keywords paired with match types and bids.

In paid search without keywords, intent is just one of five ways we’ll target prospects:

Intent: Search behavior, as expressed through search queries.
Audience: Demographics and psychographics, similar to traditional media and display ad buys.
Business Type: Certain verticals (personal finance) and markets (small businesses) will have special targeting.
Product: Online retail is one of the biggest spenders online and Google’s Merchant Center can bridge products and ad space.
Behavior: Prior behavior and interests can make some audiences more valuable than others.

We’re seeing this already today in various forms, such as Product Listing ads and buying on the Display Network. Kevin Lee offers a compelling vision of how real-time bidding could further expand the way we buy paid search.”

Read the rest at Search Engine Watch.

Here at Tug we’re always looking into new technology in Search and this is definately something we will be looking out for.

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Alcohol Advertising AdWords Policy Change

admin — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:07:53 +0000

There have been a lot of major changes in the AdWold’s advertising policy in the last few years. Most of the changes seem to aim to increase the number of advertisers and boost the company’s revenue, not rocket science!

Only two years ago, gambling advertising was allowed in the UK by AdWords and we have seen the industry min CPCs increasing to as high as £50 for some casino terms. However, the return was well worth it for a lot of the industry advertisers.

This month, it was announced in the AdWords Policy Change Log that the AdWords policy on Alcohol will change around late November 2010. In addition to currently allowing ads that promote hard alcohol branding, the new policy will allow ads to promote hard alcohol sales. “To maintain ads quality and to comply with local laws and regulations, Google AdWords will only allow ads that promote hard alcohol sales/branding when they strictly abide by certain advertising restrictions.” The change will affect 32 countries including the UK.

The ads and websites will also have to meet a longer list of criteria than a regular advertiser:

do not target minors
do not include endorsements from athletes, cartoon characters, or any other icons/people appealing to minors
landing page must have an age gate and include statements about drinking responsibly
do not imply that drinking alcohol can improve sexual, social, or professional standings
do not imply that drinking alcohol is relaxing or therapeutic
do not indicate that drinking alcohol in excess is good
do not show people consuming alcohol while doing anything illegal, violent, or dangerous; or being inappropriate in other ways, such as acting in a degrading manner
do not contain sexual content

It is still very uncertain how the ads and websites will be going through the editorial review and if there are any specific registration procedures involved as it was with gambling advertising.

It is to be expected that the competition will be very aggressive and the CPCs will reach it’s peak at the start of the campaigns. However, there is a great opportunity for all major alcohol manufactures and resellers to increase their online presence and reach their potential customers in a very efficient way.

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AdWords Reporting is almost retired

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:43:55 +0000

Google announced a while ago that they were changing their reporting system in AdWords for the better. As most agencies and advertisers have probably noticed by now, the reporting tab is no longer available in AdWords. From now on you will be able to download all statistic tables and reports directly on the Campaigns tab. Apparently, the change is meant to save advertisers the time and effort of manually pulling reports every week, I am not sure if it’s doing it yet! However, Google have provided plenty on information and guidelines on how to use the new reporting system. Google Help centre is probably the main source of information: