AdWords Updates and Misconceptions

By Tom Daly

Account Executive

Interactive Return was one of the few Irish Agencies that were invited to participate in Google's recent Above and Beyond day at their European headquarters in Dublin. The Above and Beyond day included presentations and essential updates from Google about their products and services to their largest customers.

The day included presentations on core search advertising, opportunities for agencies, updates to AdWords and market research. The day also included a fascinating session that challenged common misconceptions about designing AdWords Campaigns.

 

AdWords Updates

Adwords Editor 4.0: Google has released a new version of their program that allows you to manage your campaigns offline. New features include support for the management of mobile ads and geo-targeting.

Preferred Cost Bidding allows you to set the average amount you wish to pay per click (as opposed to the maximum amount) and AdWords does the rest.

Impression Share Reporting: Tells you the share of the impressions you are getting compared to total impressions for keyword set.

Placement Performance Report: Breaks down campaign data by AdSense publisher site. You can see exactly which websites your ads have been showing on.

Search Query Performance Report: You can now see the exact search term that a visitor to your site searched on. This information can enable a user to further enhance an AdWords campaign.

 

AdWords Misconceptions

Misconception: Changing keyword match types can alter my quality score

Fact: [red flowers], “red flowers” and red flowers all have same quality score

Misconception: Showing up in a higher position will benefit my Quality Score.

Fact: Quality score is normalized to compensate for difference in performance for ads in different positions on the page

Misconception: My QS suffers when my ad/keyword is paused

Fact: Quality Score is partially based on performance of that keyword and ad text within your account and partly on all keywords in that space. When you restart your paused ads, the portion of the Quality Score determined by your keywords/ads is preserved but the portion determined by the general population of ads may have changed.

 

The day also included information about the future of YouTube. In August 2007, YouTube had 600 million page views and is set up overtake the BBC in terms of views. Also included was an update on Google’s InVideo Ads that allow advertisers to place ads on specific videos on YouTube. The Ads are currently been trialied with YouTube’s largest clients but is most definitely a sign of things to come.