5 advanced features to improve Adwords performance
I have been experimenting with Google adwords over the last couple of years. While I have not grown rich from my internet sites I have learned a trick or two. I also realized I rarely use all the tools available to me in Adwords. So I thought I would put together a list of overlooked features web marketers may be missing as well. I have not seen any of the “gurus” mentioning these in their free info but I’m sure it is there in the paid info.
1) Ad Variations - If you’re like me you think up your one brilliant or standard ad that defines your niche and hopefully draws visitors to your site. So you create your campaign, add your keywords, set your max bids and budget, define your ad for english speaking countries, and submit it. A few days go by and you get few hundred impressions and a couple of clicks on the key words you least expected. Adwords however lets you test variations of your ads. Click on the campaign, then the adgroup, then select Ad Variations. The ad variations will utilize the same keywords and monetization you have already selected.
Below your current ad you can click a link to create more ads. You can change your ad slightly or dramatically, in fact it may be worth testing the standard expected verbage which is all positive marketing speak vs a negative add like “Dont by this product until you get ripped off by all the other guys” or some other clever alternative to the standard expected verbage. Create at least two ads. Google will alternate the ads for you. They can be set to rotate evenly or by key word density relevance.
Once you have tested your ads you may find one is performing better than the other from a leads generation while the other may convert better or pre-qualify better. It may take 15-30 days to perform adequate tests. Once you find an ad that works for you begin testing variations of it which are more subtle or are aimed at increasing conversion or traffic. Sometimes simple verb changes lead to exciting or devistating results.
2) Settings and Position desired - Once you have a little history you should be able to determine your cost per click for certain positions. For example you may get positions 3 - 5 on the search page right side for a cpc of $0.15. However if competition begins increasing prices for key words your positions may drop and take you out of the top 5. This may not be desirable. Google Adwords will let you pick your desired positions or take the ad out of rotation. If you desire to be in positions 3,4, or 5 you can set that.
Edit your campaign settings by checking Enable position preferences. Go to your key word list and change the position preference for each keyword. You may desire that some are in positions 1-3 while other are in position 3-8. This may reduce your overall impressions but puts you in control over your ad placement. If competitors enter the market you may be able to avoid overpaying for your keywords.
3) Unique URL landing pages - Another advanced setting you can use is to set unique landing pages. In the key word settings you can point each key word to a particular landing page on your website. For example this sites key words might be HTML and CSS books or PHP books. A unique page could be created for each of these keywords explaining the unique attributes of the language used, and the list of books that are available for that language. You may even wish to split test landing pages verbage by using slight variations of keywords (for example “HTML books” vs “HTML and CSS books” might have different landing pages.)
4) Pricing individual keywords - Higher volume keywords or keywords that tend to convert are desirable. While you may set your overall max CPC at $.20 some keywords may require $0.40 minimums to compete in the desired positions. There is also a practice known as arbitrage where you buy low cost keywords to attract visitors to your site in hopes they will click other ads on your site for higher paying keywords. Unless you have done extensive testing it is difficult to predict a user will click your ad then click someone elses on your site.
5) Ad Scheduling - Adwords allows you to pick your timezone and hours that your ads will run. You may observe that the ads convert better in the afternoon but get a lot of non-converting clicks early in the morning and weekends. If you tend to use up your daily bid it would make sense to control the timing of your ads to those hours which are most productive. This may also prevent ad click by those in time zones not likely to buy your products.
Books about Adwords:
