important developments in paid search

Important Developments in Paid Search

Matt Van Wagner, Find Me FasterBarb Young, ppc-Strategies

Ad Innovations

Google Places– New developments for search & mobile

Google Sitelinks– Target 5 audiences in a single ad

Google Product Extensions– Display product image ads for paid & organic listings

Google Mobile Advertising– The new frontier is here!

AdWords Extensions

• What they are• How they work• How to enable• Performance results• Coming soon

Enabling Ad Extensions• Campaign level/Settings tab• Same PPC pricing as click on traditional text ad

Enabling Location ExtensionsSynched to Google Places (formerly Business Local)

Just Announced: Replacing Google Local Business Ads! More flexible & scalable for multiple locations Ads eligible to display:

• Google Search Network, Google Maps & Google Maps for Mobile• Phones with full internet browsers (iPhone, Android, etc.)

How-to video w/step by step instructions: http://www.google.com/intl/en/adwords/lbamigration/

Location Extensions in Text Ads• Multiple locations permitted• Location/phone closest to user will be displayed

When Google Places Synched w/PPC• Google Search Network• Google Maps & Google Maps for Mobile• Phones with full internet browsers (iPhone, Android, etc.)

Google Places Now Supports “Service Area”

Specific location address no

longer required

Enabling SitelinksDisplay up to 4 additional links in one ad

Aligned to website navigation Unique tag

will pass to URL report

Sitelinks Performance

Branded Campaigns/Ecommerce• Links receive 2-4% higher CTR than Headline• 1.5 fewer page views• 1:30 Less time on site• 6% Increase in conversion rate!

Reporting• URL report• Should have “auto-tagging” enabled in both AdWords & GA• Add a unique tag that passes to the URL report, i.e., SL=name of

anchor text

Enabling Product Ad Extensions

Display up to 6 images within one ad One data feed supplies both PPC ads and Google Product Search

(organic) Be sure to “verify and claim URL” by May 18th

Verify at Google Webmaster Tools Claim at Google Merchant Center

Google Merchant Center

Important:• Synch with AdWords to enable Product Extensions!

Ad Extensions w/Plusbox

Be Sure to Include Images in Data Feed!

Qualified Buyer Primed for Purchase• Model-specific query serves one extension result• Be sure to optimize your data feed titles, descriptions & images!

Recent Observation: New Hybrid?

Clean Up Your Act!

Product Extension Reporting

AdWords “Ad Report” – data selection items

Product Extensions Rock!

Performance Results• Plusbox Show Rate: 10% to 80%

50%+ on our most heavily trafficked campaigns

• Headline CTR when ad showed a plusbox: 5.3%vs. 5% regular CTR

• Avg. Plusbox Expansion Rate: 6.5%• CTR when plusbox was expanded: 30%• Overall increase in conversion rate: 13%• Specific products showed increase of 22%

Impression Share Up!

Google Ad ExtensionsWhy enable Extensions?• Improved CTR (30-80% vs. 2-12%)• Speak to multiple buyers ( 5 links in 1)• Drive traffic to categories & specific products• Increase Conversion Rate• Stay above the fold!

PPC rewards:• Improved position• Reduced cost per click

One client saw position increase and cpc decrease by 10% with Ad Extensions

What the Heck is This?Product Listing Ad from Google’s Affiliate Network

Smartphones with full HTML browser capability• Android• iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad• Blackberry

WAP Cell phones• Everything else• Do you have a mobile version

of your website?

Pricing• CPC• CPM in the works

Google Ad Extensions: Phone

Why bother with mobile??

•1.5 billion devices shipped thru ‘09•2.25 billion estimated thru ’14•Smartphone sales growing at a faster rate than WAP*http://www.abiresearch.com/press/1570-Mobile+Device+Shipments+Will+Nearly+Double+Before+2015

Enabling AdWords Phone ExtensionsStep 1: Select Your Device & Carriers

Enabling AdWords Phone ExtensionsStep 2: Enable Click-to-Call feature

Nothing else required for full browser capable devices!

Creating Mobile Ads for WAP Phones

Different Devices = Different Ads Full HTML browser capability (Droid, et al.)

• Full text ads on Search network with “Click-to-Call”• Image ads on Content network• All types on Downloadable apps on Content network

(adsenseformobileapps.com)

WAP Cell phones• Create mobile specific ads• Opt in to content network for image ads• Best practice: create mobile specific campaigns!

What’s best?• Targeting “Smartphones” & MIDs is easiest & growing fastest!• Do you have a mobile version of your website?• Are you likely to engage with local users?

Mobile Ad Performance

• 105% higher CTR (3.5% mobile v. 1.7% pc)• 19% CTR for Brand campaign (pc)• 47% lower CPC

Mobile text ad reports:• Ad Reports & Placement Reports (content network)• Note Avg CPM – CPM pricing coming soon!• Mobile image ad data currently not available in reports

Coming Soon!

Customer reviews in Product Search Results • Specify canonical URLs• Bazaarvoice - currently enabled• More review platform providers - coming soon• Submit reviews directly – coming soon

Video Extensions!• Now in Beta mode

How to Stay Current

Google AdWords Blog• http://adwords.blogspot.com/

Google Merchant Blog• http://googlemerchantblog.blogspot.com/

Google Mobile Blog• http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/

Google Business Solutions• http://www.google.com/services/

Search Engine Land/SearchCap• http://searchengineland.com/library/searchcap