Optimize Google Adwords Content Network Ads for Conversions

I wrote Adwords content targeting optimization for Google’s content network in 2007:

Since then, Google has made improvements to Adwords content ads optimization and concluded satisfactory results:

What is Google Adwords Contextual Targeting?

Google Adwords offers Contextual Targeting, an ad serving technology, that places ads by matching keywords (including keyword phrases, synonyms and variations) to websites within Google’s content network (or display network). Google analyzes websites’ content and determine a central theme for each website, by considering several factors:

  • Text
  • Language
  • Link structure
  • Web page structure

Adwords ads are served to web pages based on keywords, language targeting and location targeting.

Google Adwords Content Network Optimization

Before running Google Adwords content targeting campaigns, you should:

  • Expect to have low click through rates (CTR)
  • Focus on ROI (return-on-investment) and/or CPA (cost-per-action)
  • Set cost-per-click (CPC) low (i.e. lower than search ads’ CPC)

Brad Geddes, the author of the Advanced Google Adwords Book, explains how to increase your total conversions, how to increase your company’s reach, and how to expand the number of users who enter the buying funnel through Google’s content network:

Adwords Contextual Targeting Tool

Adwords Contextual Targeting Tool allows you to create tightly themed keyword lists for your Google content network (or display network) campaigns.

  • How Google’s content targeting works: Google analyzes all the keywords in an Adwords ad group to identify a theme, matches the theme to related web pages, and shows ads to the web pages related to the theme
  • Adwords Contextual Targeting Tool suggests a set of keywords related to the words or phrases you have entered – Google’s Wonder Wheel tool also suggests related (or themed) keywords to your Adwords content campaigns
  • Adwords Contextual Targeting Tool groups the suggested keywords into themed ad groups
  • PPC Hero explains how to use Google’s Contextual Targeting Tool in 3 steps: Edit keyword list, expand ad groups and predicted placements

Adwords Conversion Optimizer for Display Ad Campaigns

Google offers Adwords Display Campaign Optimizer which is Adwords conversion optimizer for Google’s content network.

The Display Campaign Optimizer is a tool that automatically optimizes both targeting and bidding to find additional conversions for your Display Network campaigns.

To use Adwords Display Campaign Optimizer:

Adwords Display Campaign Optimizer:

  • Takes your CPA goal and budget, monitors campaign performance, learns what work and what doesn’t work for your campaigns, and makes bid updates in real time
  • Increases your campaigns’ conversions
  • Can be opted-out from any campaigns at any time

Google Adwords Remarketing / Retargeting

Adwords Remarketing for Google’s content network is a feature of Adwords interest-based advertising.

  • Adwords Remarketing allows you to serve custom ads to users who have previously visited your website based on users’ cookies.
  • Google’s Remarketing can increase conversions and reduce cost-per-conversion for your websites.
  • BG Theory describes the strategies when creating several (positive and negative) remarketing lists and mapping out Adwords ad groups

Google’s Official Guide to Adwords Content Network Optimization

Google provides an official guide to optimize Adwords content network ads.

Comments

2 Responses to “Optimize Google Adwords Content Network Ads for Conversions”

  1. Tweets that mention Optimize Google Adwords Content Network Ads for Conversions -- Topsy.com on January 4th, 2011 3:32 pm

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Suzan Gray. Suzan Gray said: Optimize Google Adwords Content Network Ads for Conversions – http://tinyurl.com/2d85x2h RT @gordonchoi [...]

  2. The Best PPC Blogs – The Definitive List of Pay-Per Click Blogs on February 2nd, 2011 10:22 am

    [...] Optimize AdWords Content Network Ads [...]

Leave your comments

  • Your first comment will be reviewed before getting posted.
  • Your subsequent comments will be posted without review.
  • All spammy comments will be deleted.