| You've probably been there, it's 1:30 am and your | | | | set to either "Search Match" or "Content Match" (but |
| best friend is about to make a big mistake. It's up to | | | | not both). The simple reason is the ads that will |
| you to be the bigger man (or woman) and step up. | | | | appeal to individuals actively searching on a phrase will |
| Well AdWords is no differtnt because friends don't | | | | be quite different from the types of ads that will |
| let friends... | | | | appeal for browsers who see "Content Match" ads. |
| ...have too many keywords in a single Ad Group. | | | | ...Always Bid for Position No.1. |
| Since an Ad Group is Google's lowest level of | | | | I often see new AdWords advertisers over paying |
| segmentation, it should ideally be used to express a | | | | for clicks because they are pursuing the No. 1 |
| single idea or theme. Generally, I find that the more | | | | position. I think they assume that being in position No. |
| specific, the better. Typically, I find that any Ad | | | | 1 is always best', but I think when you consider the |
| Group with more than 50 keywords is probably too | | | | additional cost for position No.1, often times positions |
| broad. The exception would be Ad Groups with a | | | | 2-5 are a much better value. |
| large number of misspellings. More specific Ad Groups | | | | ...Run a single ad for an AdGroup. |
| do mean more management - but it will also mean a | | | | I'm a huge fan of split testing - both on websites and |
| much better ROI. | | | | for pay per click management. New advertisers |
| ...use "Broad Match" without negative keywords. | | | | should create two or three ads for each Ad Group, |
| The default setting for keywords in Google is Broad | | | | and after about a month, take a look which ad has |
| Match. That means that any search phrase that | | | | the best cost-per-conversion. Ad split testing should |
| contains your keyword can trigger your ads, whether | | | | be a continual process. One tip I like to use is to |
| they are relevant or not. I recall working on a | | | | pause my old ads rather than delete them, that way |
| campaign for a printing company, and finding that its | | | | I can see what ads I've already tested. |
| ads describing silk-screen t-shirt printing were showing | | | | ... use AdWords without tracking conversions. |
| up for the very popular search phrase - wet t-shirt. | | | | This might be the cardinal sin of Google AdWords |
| Setting "wet" as a negative phrase was a simple fix. | | | | optimization. Conversion tracking only takes a little bit |
| ...Not understand the difference between "Search | | | | of effort to set up, and it is a critical step in |
| Match" and "Content Match" (and setting single | | | | identifying which keywords create conversions, and |
| campaigns for both). | | | | which ones just create clicks. Without conversion |
| Google does a nice job of allowing a site to | | | | tracking you're really flying blind. |
| determine where its ads will show. But many | | | | 2:04am - There, isn't that better? I promise, you'll |
| AdWords advertisers use these settings | | | | thank me in the morning... |
| indiscriminately. I would suggest that campaigns be | | | | |