Search Marketing Sage

As you may have learned in my last blog post about Display Targeting Methods, there are multiple ways to target ads in Google’s Display Network. Each type of targeting needs to be done a different way. Today we’ll get more into placements. Placements are locations on the Google Display Network where ads can appear. It can be an entire website, a specific page on a website, an individual ad unit, a mobile phone app, and many more. Placement targeting can be beneficial to any account because, if done correctly, can show ads to searchers who are already interested in what you are selling.

Placement targeting is choosing specific or relevant sites where you would like to show your ad. In the example above, the Volkswagen Jetta Car and Driver page was specifically chosen to show the Volkswagen Jetta ad, because they are so closely related. The main goal of placement targeting is to show your ad where interested parties may be looking. Someone who is looking up the specifics of a Jetta is probably starting the buying process for a new car, so they could be interested in the Volkswagen promotion!

Advertising with Google AdWords’ Display Network is a great way to entice potential customers who are browsing the web. The Display Network is a collection of Google partners and affiliates who allow Google to show ads on their websites. According to the Google Help Center, the “Google Display Network reaches 92% of all Internet users in the U.S,” so it’s definitely something worth looking into. The Display Network has useful targeting options so advertisers can capture interested users. Advertisers can target ads to specific sites, based on website content, or to specific audiences based on user interests. Ads on the display network can include text, image, rich media, or video formats.

Contextual Targeting

Contextual targeting uses a keyword list to show ads on sites that are relevant to the keywords. The goal is to show an ad that is relevant to the content on the page, and thus relevant to what the user is looking for. Advertisers can use keyword level bidding and exclusions to make certain ads are showing in desirable locations.

Google AdWords has introduced another exciting product in the long line of updates coming with the new Enhanced Campaigns rollout. One of the new, potentially phenomenal, features currently in a limited release is Offer Extensions. Offer Extensions allow businesses to add a promotion or offer at the end of their AdWords ads. Customers will click on the offer and be taken to a Google hosted landing page where they can either print the coupon or save it for later in Google Offers. Here’s what it will look like:

Cost & Benefits

Costs for Offer Extensions are the same as traditional clicks, so advertisers can look to Offers for a low-cost way to spread the word about certain promotions or sales. This could be potential competition for the likes of Groupon and LivingSocial, who have high cost for businesses as they take a large percentage of the revenue made with their deals. Offer Extensions provides simple, low cost alternative that could drive traffic, as Google so often reminds us, of people who are actually looking for related products. If advertisers start using Offer Extensions on a mass scale, it could be huge for businesses and customers!

Online marketers are constantly clamoring for more accurate audience segmentation within their Google Display Network campaigns. This “hyper-segmentation” is something that Facebook has been able to do very well for years, thanks to its massive aggregation of information in regards to every aspect of your digital life. Have no fear though fellow marketers; Google has a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to audience segmentation. You could make the argument that they’re kind of a big deal…

Ahh AdWords… For some, it’s music to your ears. For others, it’s nails on a chalkboard. AdWords is an incredible tool that, if leveraged properly, can provide you with excellent conversion and revenue tracking data. While the interface and processes may seem daunting at first glance, have no fear… I’ve laid out a foolproof method to get started with conversion tracking below.

What is Conversion Tracking?

An AdWords conversion occurs when someone clicks on your ad and performs an action on your website that you see as having value. Setting up conversion tracking lets you keep an eye on important statistics such as cost-per-conversion and conversion rate, giving you a glimpse into how successful a specific campaign or ad group is. This conversion tracking will help you begin making informed decisions on how to best optimize your account.

A conversion can be anything you want to measure. It can be something as simple as a visitor requesting more information and submitting contact information, a prospective buyer downloading a case study, all the way up to a purchase of a good or service. What you choose is completely up to you, as long as it isn’t milk…

How do I Get Started with Adwords Conversion Tracking?