How to Slay the Adwords Content Network Beast and make a killing!

[Sipboy3000]

Hello my Warrior Peeps,

I have a post I made on another forum about the content network that seems to have provided a lot of value to others there.

So I figured I would post it here as well and hopefully some of you will get some value out of it as well.

Disclaimer: I am in the process of creating a product on this which is why I was over at JVNotifyPro. I wanted to point that out because if the moderators see this, I hope they will see the value in it and not as a shameless plug or simply self promotion.

Here is the link: Cut Your PPC costs in half

The post I made was in reference to someone else so that is why you will see that. This the post in its entirety. Enjoy!

First off, I want to thank you Brian for all the valuable information you have delivered that I have been consuming throughout this forum.

In another thread of yours, I asked you for some advice about what I could do to get off on the right foot. You said I should either offer to help others or share some knowledge.

I want to share some knowledge on this subject because the content network is my claim to success in internet marketing.

What Brian is talking about is reading your placement reports or using placement targeting to find out what sites are giving you the best quality traffic.

The trick is knowing which ones convert the best. You have to be able to track your advertising and do a lot of testing.

I call it Placement Research and here is how I do it:

1. The first thing I do is keyword research. For content network though, I don't necessarily use the exact keywords of the particular product or service. I do demographics keyword research to find out where my target market likes to hang out online. Since banner advertising is more like interruption marketing, I have found this technique to be very effective because I am interrupting my target market with a very specific product or service that is highly relevant to them.

2. I create a keyword list of all the broad match terms that I find that are related to my target market. In the content network, you don't need to use phrase match or exact match, but long tail keywords are also good to use.

3. I use a tool like Adsense Finder or software to search Google for sites to place my ads on. This tool will find sites that have adsense ads based on the keywords you use. This is particularly important because you can then scope out these sites to make sure they are quality sites. You can use sites like Alexa or Quantcast to get a really good idea about the quality of the site.

4. In adwords, I setup 3 content network only campaigns with banners ads and text ads separated into different adgroups. In campaign 1, I use only the placements that I found while searching for sites related to the keyword list I created. In campaign number 2, I setup a campaign with only the keywords from my list. Be sure to never use over 20 keywords per adgroup. I usually stick to ten or less and I try to group related terms together to create a tightly themed adgroup. In campaign 3, I use both keywords and placements.

5. I track my results and monitor the placement reports I generate on a regular basis. Another note is that you should give your campaigns a fair enough time to make an informed decision of what to do next.

Once you have determined the sites you want to go to directly, you will know exactly how to negotiate a price you are willing to pay because you can use your stats and your revenue information to determine the most you are willing to pay. I then take that price and discount it at least 50% to have a number on the low end to begin your bargaining. Never pay over the price you set that is the high number. Remember, you can always just continue to use Google if that is working. However, I have yet to find an advertiser that I could not strike a deal with because they would rather have the money I am going to pay them compared to the peanuts they receive from Google.

Last but not least, I am sharing this knowledge because this is something that I know very well. I came to this forum to find jv partners because I have a product in which I teach my entire content network strategy. I was finding it very difficult to add value to this community because I know absolutely nothing about joint ventures because I am new to the product side. I have been doing PPC with affiliate marketing so I never took the time to learn this stuff.

I hope whoever reads this information will find some value in it.

And thanks Brian for your encouraging words and starting a thread about something I can add value to.

Tommie

[oscarkool]

I am surprised that no one responded to this post because it is a very good post about the content network.

[actionplanbiz]

very cool tip
will this work on yahoo?

and isnt there a lot of click fraud in content network? how do you determine?

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by oscarkool

I am surprised that no one responded to this post because it is a very good post about the content network.

Thanks for the comment.

People are sleeping on the content network as a traffic source!

I am not surprised because too many marketers don't think outside the box to find alternatives to get things working.

Most of us just listen to what the experts say rather than testing things out for ourselves.

The experts have been telling people to stay away from the Content Network for so long that people are scared of it.

However, if you follow Perry Marshall you will see that his focus for 2010 is all about the content network.

Check this post out from his blog and you will see what I mean: Google Image Ads and the Pixel Power Principle

[EndGame]

Nice post.

Can I ask, how do you demographic keyword research?

Any good tools to do this with?

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by actionplanbiz

very cool tip
will this work on yahoo?

and isnt there a lot of click fraud in content network? how do you determine?

Yes it works on Yahoo. The only problem though is that Google is the only one of the big 3 that allow you to use images.

Images on the Content Network it the secret weapon. Works like gangbusters!

Originally Posted by EndGame

Nice post.

Can I ask, how do you demographic keyword research?

Any good tools to do this with?

Thanks!

For demographic keyword research I mainly use Quantcast, but there are several others I can't seem to think of at the moment.

Also, here's another killer tip!

It's called Psychographics (Psychographic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and it is not demographics, but rather it focuses on the behaviors of like minded individuals.

For example, a U.S. beer drinker is much more likely to also like American Football.

This is huge when it comes to finding out where your target market likes to hang out online.

Why do you think Budweiser spends $3 million on a 30 second ad during the Superbowl?

This is the same thinking you need to have when trying to find out what content your target market is likely to be consuming online.

Tommie

[Christian Fox]

Yes it works on Yahoo. The only problem though is that Google is the only one of the big 3 that allow you to use images.

Yahoo! My Display Ads | Create an ad targeted to your customers

This is Yahoo image ads, most don't even know about it. It's not very lucrative however IMHO as they set high minimum CPC's.

I am very interested in your info, I am aware of the content network potential. Now if I could EVER get my ads reviewed I might be able to get something done. Waiting over 2 weeks now....

[EndGame]

http://google.com/adplanner

Just thought I would throw that demographic media buying research tool up for everyone in this thread as it may be useful. Apparently you can use keywords as well. I haven't tried it yet, but from what I hear, it is a pretty powerful tool.

[GeorgR.]

Wow..i read that a few times today but JUST got what you are actually saying.

I had my fair share with ALL kinds of advertising on AW...including custom made banners, content NW, you name it. But you are basically saying you use content NW to test conversions and then make a decision to media-buy banners etc. on those site which work out?

This is slick!!

Furthermore, i listened up since you mentioned that software to find ads. This is a very interesting post!!

1. The first thing I do is keyword research. For content network though, I don't necessarily use the exact keywords of the particular product or service. I do demographics keyword research to find out where my target market likes to hang out online. Since banner advertising is more like interruption marketing, I have found this technique to be very effective because I am interrupting my target market with a very specific product or service that is highly relevant to them.

2. I create a keyword list of all the broad match terms that I find that are related to my target market. In the content network, you don't need to use phrase match or exact match, but long tail keywords are also good to use.

i understand what you are saying, so you're basically saying you are targeting a DEMOGRAPHICS instead of a niche. Using the example of what fatloss4idiots recommends, say "target niches which appeal to women over 30".

But now we have a problem: In 2) you say you create a KW list relevant to your target market. If i were to advertise WEIGHT LOSS on sites dealing with fashion, according to you i would use a relaxed set of "fashion" related keywords [correct ?] and NOT make the mistake using adwordsdigger and search for WEIGHT LOSS keywords.

The problem now: if my 20 keywords define such a fashion "theme" they are 100% and absolutely NOT relevant to my landing page and ad (which is about weight loss) <--- ?!

I understand it doesn't play a role if you use your list of your researched placement (because they don't use keywords/themes, only placement URLs)...but you also mention additional campaigns where you use keywords. Wouldnt Google penalize those ads already because you displays apples on a site which features bananas? Just wondering...

For demographic keyword research I mainly use Quantcast, but there are several others I can't seem to think of at the moment.

I would highly appreciate it if you could expand on this a bit, how exactly do you use this? Let's stay with the example, say, you want to research niches "which appeal to women over 30"? I could also just simply ask my wife...but i dont think she complies to the norm

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by Christian Fox

Yahoo! My Display Ads | Create an ad targeted to your customers

This is Yahoo image ads, most don't even know about it. It's not very lucrative however IMHO as they set high minimum CPC's.

I am very interested in your info, I am aware of the content network potential. Now if I could EVER get my ads reviewed I might be able to get something done. Waiting over 2 weeks now....

Yeah, I have seen this from Yahoo.

It is actually run by a company called Adready.

In my opinion, it is not designed for beginners. It is also a beta program and it really sucks compared to all the other places you can buy banner traffic from.

You are right, it is not very lucrative.

Also, there could be a million reasons why Google is not approving your ads. Usually the longer it takes for them to approve you, the higher the likelyhood you will not get approved.

Google manually approves all their banner ads and they are getting very strict lately.

Originally Posted by EndGame

http://google.com/adplanner

Just thought I would throw that demographic media buying research tool up for everyone in this thread as it may be useful. Apparently you can use keywords as well. I haven't tried it yet, but from what I hear, it is a pretty powerful tool.

Yes, this is a very powerful tool!

If you know how to use it, you can do so many things with Adplanner. But that is the problem, not many people know how to use it or even that it exists.

The biggest opportunity with this tool is that when you already know who your target market is, you can easily identify where they are online and exploit that very easily using Adwords and the content network.

Tommie

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by GeorgR.

Wow..i read that a few times today but JUST got what you are actually saying.

I had my fair share with ALL kinds of advertising on AW...including custom made banners, content NW, you name it. But you are basically saying you use content NW to test conversions and then make a decision to media-buy banners etc. on those site which work out?

This is slick!!

Furthermore, i listened up since you mentioned that software to find ads. This is a very interesting post!!


i understand what you are saying, so you're basically saying you are targeting a DEMOGRAPHICS instead of a niche. Using the example of what fatloss4idiots recommends, say "target niches which appeal to women over 30".

But now we have a problem: In 2) you say you create a KW list relevant to your target market. If i were to advertise WEIGHT LOSS on sites dealing with fashion, according to you i would use a relaxed set of "fashion" related keywords [correct ?] and NOT make the mistake using adwordsdigger and search for WEIGHT LOSS keywords.

The problem now: if my 20 keywords define such a fashion "theme" they are 100% and absolutely NOT relevant to my landing page and ad (which is about weight loss) <--- ?!

I understand it doesn't play a role if you use your list of your researched placement (because they don't use keywords/themes, only placement URLs)...but you also mention additional campaigns where you use keywords. Wouldnt Google penalize those ads already because you displays apples on a site which features bananas? Just wondering...

I would highly appreciate it if you could expand on this a bit, how exactly do you use this? Let's stay with the example, say, you want to research niches "which appeal to women over 30"? I could also just simply ask my wife...but i dont think she complies to the norm

I mention using keywords for two reasons.

The first is to build a campaign around keywords and then filter those campaigns and adgroups based on what domains work and the ones that don't.

Until recently, Google did not penalize you that much on the content network for quality score like they do on Search. The main things they wanted to see was high click through rates on your ads because this lets them know this audience is very interested in your offer.

If your click through rates are higher, Google is willing to show your ads instead of somebody else's ad at a lower price because you will actually receive more clicks. Even at a lower amount per click, not only would you make them more money but you would also help them deliver quality ads to that audience because higher click thrus let them know this audience is highly interested in your offer.

Google understands that content is based on what people like, but they also can fit a certain profile to like other things. For example, an American beer drinker is more likely to also like American Football. That is why Budweiser buys ads during the Superbowl at an enormous expense.

On the other hand, I think in the future Google is making relevance and quality score a bigger deal on the Content Network so I recommend having relevant landing pages for keyword only content campaigns.

The second reason for using keywords is to tell Google, I only want my ads to show up on specific pages related to this particular subject for the placements I choose.

This is why I say build a placement targeted campaign and use keywords. This is the same as a regular placement campaign, you are just being more specific about where you want your ads to show on the sites you have selected rather than run your ads on the entire website.

For example, you may have found that ezine articles work great with your ads. But articles can be about many different topics. Your keywords would filter out all the irrelevant content and only allow your ads to show up on pages about the topics you choose based on your keywords.

I hope that clarifies it a bit more.

It gets a lot more complex the more you learn, but it all makes sense.

You just have to understand that Content Network and Search Network are two totally different animals. The stuff you learned about doing Adwords for Search is almost completely useless for Content Network.

Most people try to make Content Network make sense based on what they already know about running Search campaigns and that is why many people fail on the Content Network.

Hope that helps.

Tommie

[bobmcalister]

thanks for the information Sipman..that isnt from sipping the ol moonshine down home is it ?

I am in Mississippi with friends in Atlanta.

wanted to ask about the content network per the demographics...
is this an effective method to use when getting ads on gmail ?
you are using the content network ads to determine the profitablility of using the banner ads?

hmmmm

thanks for the tips..I bookmarked this one

visited your blog and watched the video on twitter on google search ...have you discovered how to get this done for local searches...? glad I bought Twitter at 2 dollars a share...lol

[ksburgess]

Thank you for your post. I'm going to use your suggestions to work on my own content network campaign. I've just finished running my first one, with banners, to "test the water" so to speak, and I made back my investment but still feel a little confused about just how it went. Seeing a good comprehensive strategy like this is helpful. I'm going to look at it in light of my own experience and see how things go!

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by bobmcalister

thanks for the information Sipman..that isnt from sipping the ol moonshine down home is it ?

I am in Mississippi with friends in Atlanta.

wanted to ask about the content network per the demographics...
is this an effective method to use when getting ads on gmail ?
you are using the content network ads to determine the profitablility of using the banner ads?

hmmmm

thanks for the tips..I bookmarked this one

visited your blog and watched the video on twitter on google search ...have you discovered how to get this done for local searches...? glad I bought Twitter at 2 dollars a share...lol

Thanks for the comments and glad to see somebody from home in here!

Can't sip the ole' moonshine anymore because of health reasons. Sipboy is short for Mississippi Boy.

To answer your questions about Gmail, yes the content network placement targeting option is exactly how you target Gmail. Can be a very effective strategy when done properly.

As for banners, I use them mostly for all my ads and profitability is based on a case by case basis.

The main reason for banners is to totally dominate ad blocks on Adsense websites. Once I can identify the winners based on optimization and running placement reports, that is when I cut out the middleman (Google).

Hope that answers your question.

[GeorgR.]

i try to "slay" the content NW for a week now but i simply dont get impressions. Now i remade the ad on a new URL...and the ad is "review pending" for several days now.

Months ago when i still did actively adwords, text ads on content started to run IMMEDIATELY...not anymore. I wonder whether my testing ad will ever occur impressions...

Or maybe i should bid more than the measly $0.21...but i wont, for sure not on content.

This is an ad test for demographic bidding on content using placements by the way.

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by ksburgess

Thank you for your post. I'm going to use your suggestions to work on my own content network campaign. I've just finished running my first one, with banners, to "test the water" so to speak, and I made back my investment but still feel a little confused about just how it went. Seeing a good comprehensive strategy like this is helpful. I'm going to look at it in light of my own experience and see how things go!

Thanks for the comments and good luck on your campaigns.

Originally Posted by GeorgR.

i try to "slay" the content NW for a week now but i simply dont get impressions. Now i remade the ad on a new URL...and the ad is "review pending" for several days now.

Months ago when i still did actively adwords, text ads on content started to run IMMEDIATELY...not anymore. I wonder whether my testing ad will ever occur impressions...

Or maybe i should bid more than the measly $0.21...but i wont, for sure not on content.

This is an ad test for demographic bidding on content using placements by the way.

Dude, $0.21 sure won't get you any impressions.

The strategy is to bid high and budget low in the beginning to get your ads showing and then make adjustments.

You gotta show Google you want to be a player. Remember, you are bidding in an auction.

There are many people who are bidding really high on the Content Network and don't know what the hell they are doing. The reason most of the time is they are not separating Search and Content campaigns which means whatever they are bidding on Search is the same on Content.

If you are using images though, there will be drastically different situations because many Adwords advertisers are not using them effectively.

Still though, you gotta bid high enough to get your ads shown.

Basically, what you initially pay for is the data that tells you what works and where.

Based on the data, you must then optimize your campaigns over time to really make it work.

If you are not willing to spend a little dough testing in the beginning to gather the data you need, then this is definitely not the strategy for you.

You simply cannot be afraid to invest and test.

I hope that makes more sense.

Tommie

[tony1kenobi]

thanks for the very informative post. I am just looking at placement targeting at the moment and this helps a lot

cheers
Tony

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by tony1kenobi

thanks for the very informative post. I am just looking at placement targeting at the moment and this helps a lot

cheers
Tony

Hi Tony,

Thanks and good luck on your campaigns.

Tommie

[zoulkifl]

Great post Sipman.

I'm currently experimenting on the content network myself and today after spending $2 i made a $26 commission and that was just from 14 clicks. My campaign is very small for the moment and i have about 5 adgroups. I have a several more adgroups to add it's just that the process of actually building the campaign takes a lot of time for me.

I wish i could find an affordable to way to do this automatically (keyword rockstar... y are you so expensive)

I noticed that some of my campaigns get little impressions i thought it was because i was targeting small traffic keywords but after reading this thread i will try and increase my cpc from $.20 to a more reasonable cpc maybe $.50

I currently average about $.22 cpc and my conversion rate is close to 22% something i'll try to improve.

The content network is something that works but there's a lot involved with it. Your strategy is exactly what i'm trying to implement. I've already located some sites to advertise on from the content network. I know my niche's psychographics all i need to do is find the best converting ads, and the sites that bring the best traffic.

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by zoulkifl

Great post Sipman.

I'm currently experimenting on the content network myself and today after spending $2 i made a $26 commission and that was just from 14 clicks. My campaign is very small for the moment and i have about 5 adgroups. I have a several more adgroups to add it's just that the process of actually building the campaign takes a lot of time for me.

I wish i could find an affordable to way to do this automatically (keyword rockstar... y are you so expensive)

I noticed that some of my campaigns get little impressions i thought it was because i was targeting small traffic keywords but after reading this thread i will try and increase my cpc from $.20 to a more reasonable cpc maybe $.50

I currently average about $.22 cpc and my conversion rate is close to 22% something i'll try to improve.

The content network is something that works but there's a lot involved with it. Your strategy is exactly what i'm trying to implement. I've already located some sites to advertise on from the content network. I know my niche's psychographics all i need to do is find the best converting ads, and the sites that bring the best traffic.

Based on this post, I think you are definitely on the right track and you seem to have the right mindset to really do well on the Content Network.

Good luck!

Tommie

[Croz]

Hi Tommie!

Hope you doing good. I have a quick question for you. How long does it take you to actually start getting traffic to your image ads on the Google Content Network?

I got my image ads approved about a week or so ago but no impressions as yet.

Cheers!

[Croz]

Originally Posted by Mad Dogg

I have a campaign in the health niche, have 3600 keywords related to my niche....My running image only ads and bid is currently at $.15...and I have only gotten 75 impressions in a couple days...some of the keywords may have higher cpc's but the majority of the longtails I wouldn't think they would have much competition at all since this is a specific medical condition I'm targeting....any ideas?

Make sure the "keywords" you are using have a high search volume. On the content network you want to concentrate on eyeballs and demographics.

Let your campaign run for about a week and then start optimizing. I hope this helps.

Cheers!

C

[wkathome]

Wow, some killer info here, and thanks for sharing. I've been studying the difference between a PPC search engine campaign and separating a content only campaign. Not wise to pay the same for the content network as you would for the Search Campaign, you could go broke and never get a hot lead.

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by Croz

Hi Tommie!

Hope you doing good. I have a quick question for you. How long does it take you to actually start getting traffic to your image ads on the Google Content Network?

I got my image ads approved about a week or so ago but no impressions as yet.

Cheers!

If you have your ads approved already you should be getting traffic.

There is no way to know exactly why you are not getting any impressions without seeing the campaign, but I am willing to bet your bids are too low.

You have to bid high at first to get a position and then you can reduce your bids later.

Traffic usually starts for me right after my ads get approved.

Originally Posted by Mad Dogg

I have a campaign in the health niche, have 3600 keywords related to my niche....My running image only ads and bid is currently at $.15...and I have only gotten 75 impressions in a couple days...some of the keywords may have higher cpc's but the majority of the longtails I wouldn't think they would have much competition at all since this is a specific medical condition I'm targeting....any ideas?

There could be a hundred reasons why you are having this issue, but your bid price is the main one.

$.15 won't get you many impressions at all unless you are targeting worldwide.

You have to bid high in the beginning to get a position and let Google know you want some action. Then you optimize your campaigns and reduce your bids over time.

Hope that helps

Tommie

[Aussie_Al]

demographics keyword research

Can you recommend a good tool for this?

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by Aussie_Al

Can you recommend a good tool for this?

Google Insights

Quantcast

There are others, but these two are good for starters.

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by Mad Dogg

I increased my bids to 50 cents cpc, also grouped + lowered my keywords to 10 well grouped ones....all content network only image ads....got 4,000 impressions yesterday...today not an impression yet...increase cpc again?

I recommend bidding high and budget low in the beginning, then optimize based of performance data.

Also, your landing page conversion rate and ad copy are critical.

If you can achieve a high click thru rate on your ads with good copy to sell the click and a decent conversion rate on your landing page, Google will reward you.

Then you optimize based on the performance data you receive. Once you feel good about how well your campaign is performing, you can scale it up by increasing your budget.

The current strategy you are using will cause you to have the problem you are having almost every campaign you launch.

I hope this helps.

Tommie

[zoulkifl]

Originally Posted by Mad Dogg

I increased my bids to 50 cents cpc, also grouped + lowered my keywords to 10 well grouped ones....all content network only image ads....got 4,000 impressions yesterday...today not an impression yet...increase cpc again?

Impressions are not always typical. Some days you get a lot of impressions and on other days the numbers differ. Same thing can be said about the optin rate. Try to get an average position of 1 to 1.7. Avoid any other positions.. the higher up you are the more impressions and the more clicks you'll get.

Also try contextual ads. Test ads somettimes get way more impressions than image ads.


Hope that helps.

Zoul

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by zoulkifl

Impressions are not always typical. Some days you get a lot of impressions and on other days the numbers differ. Same thing can be said about the optin rate. Try to get an average position of 1 to 1.7. Avoid any other positions.. the higher up you are the more impressions and the more clicks you'll get.

Also try contextual ads. Test ads somettimes get way more impressions than image ads.


Hope that helps.

Zoul

Good points

However, in my experience the bidding strategy and how well your campaigns perform overall are usually the key to getting impressions.

My experience has taught me the following:

• Focus on the proper bidding strategy
• Get high CTR's on your Ads
• Increase your conversion rate on your landing page
• Overall campaign optimization

Google will reward you if you follow those concepts.

Tommie

[Christian Fox]

I have heard the content network is slapping image ads that link to straight squeeze pages and they are wanting an optional no email needed to get info.

Anyone else know of this?

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by Christian Fox

I have heard the content network is slapping image ads that link to straight squeeze pages and they are wanting an optional no email needed to get info.

Anyone else know of this?

I think Google is slapping campaigns for many reasons.

Just because you have a squeeze page doesn't mean they will slap it.

Your page needs to be relevant, have good quality score, deliver on the promises in your ad copy, connect to a content rich website, has clear navigation links that lead to real content, provides a good user experience, etc.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but that's the game if you want to play.

I think too many people are trying to get over by not following proper guidelines for what Google expects from their advertisers.

If you really have a vested interest in building a real business instead of trying to make a quick buck, then you will find that this stuff is really not that difficult and can pay off huge dividends.

The people getting slapped are either following the wrong advice or not taking the time to find out what Google really wants.

Sometimes I hate the way Google operates, but I can honestly say that they give you all the information you need to be successful with Adwords if you just read and follow their directions.

Tommie

[junkdna]

Good thread. Lots of useful info.

[Intrepreneur]

Originally Posted by Christian Fox

I have heard the content network is slapping image ads that link to straight squeeze pages and they are wanting an optional no email needed to get info.

Anyone else know of this?

It's not necessarily true but depending on your offer will ultimately decide their decision on what they do with your ad.

[Christian Fox]

I think too many people are trying to get over by not following proper guidelines for what Google expects from their advertisers.

This is great advice.. I know this has been the case with their search results and expected this to happen with the content network sooner or later.

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by Christian Fox

This is great advice.. I know this has been the case with their search results and expected this to happen with the content network sooner or later.

Thanks for the compliment!

You would think people would do this automatically, right?

I have purchased many courses on Adwords in the past and there are a very few people who actually insist that you read Google's TOS and guidelines if you really want to be successful.

I usually find other misinformation in many of these products as well.

This is why I follow Perry Marshall very closely and there are a few others as well.

75% of what you need to be successful with Google Adwords is given to you by Google in their Adwords help section.

Tommie

[junkdna]

A simple rule of thumb is to look at it from Google's perspective. They are into AdWords to make money. So if you are into a very competitive keywords, that cost a lots of money per click, and you are only messing with what seems to them are a small amounts, they slap you with 'Quality Score'.

'Quality Score' is just a polite way of saying 'we are not making enough money from you, mate'.

[LookB4Leap]

Hey Tommie

Thanks for laying it all out. My thanks is long overdue, since I actually bookmarked this page WAY back when you wrote it but didn't read it until today. Back then I was making hundreds a day on Content then the big Dec 3 killed account. But I eventually snuck back in...

But the methodology you're spelling out is pretty much applicable to media buys and ppv/cpv; know your demo and the value of the space you're trying to buy. Toolwise I agree with Jason's Adwords/Adsense Digger for free or Matt's Site Sniper Pro (free and paid).

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by LookB4Leap

Hey Tommie

Thanks for laying it all out. My thanks is long overdue, since I actually bookmarked this page WAY back when you wrote it but didn't read it until today. Back then I was making hundreds a day on Content then the big Dec 3 killed account. But I eventually snuck back in...

But the methodology you're spelling out is pretty much applicable to media buys and ppv/cpv; know your demo and the value of the space you're trying to buy. Toolwise I agree with Jason's Adwords/Adsense Digger for free or Matt's Site Sniper Pro (free and paid).

LookB4Leap, thanks for the feedback!

Glad you thought enough about the thread to bookmark.

I still think there are a lot of people who are sleeping on this method and the Content Network overall.

Good luck and be sure to come back and post any results you have.

Tommie

[subse7en]

Hey Mr. Tommie, I just created my first batch of adgroups (7 of them), but I was wondering how many adgroups you recommend (per campaign) as a minimum...is 7 adgroups not enough, or is that a good enough amount since this is my first AdWords Content Network (now the Display Network) campaign?

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by subse7en

Hey Mr. Tommie, I just created my first batch of adgroups (7 of them), but I was wondering how many adgroups you recommend (per campaign) as a minimum...is 7 adgroups not enough, or is that a good enough amount since this is my first AdWords Content Network (now the Display Network) campaign?

I don't really recommend a minimum.

It's really about how comfortable you are with using Adwords and the ability to manage your campaigns.

The more involved you get in the beginning, the more management and optimization time you will need to put into your campaigns.

It really only takes one good adgroup to get a ton of traffic.

My advice is to do as much as you can handle and gather as much data as possible because the data will tell you what to do in terms of optimization.

The main thing you need to do is just stay with it and understand that optimization is the key to really doing well.

Tommie

[subse7en]

Originally Posted by Sipboy3000

I don't really recommend a minimum.

It's really about how comfortable you are with using Adwords and the ability to manage your campaigns.

The more involved you get in the beginning, the more management and optimization time you will need to put into your campaigns.

It really only takes one good adgroup to get a ton of traffic.

My advice is to do as much as you can handle and gather as much data as possible because the data will tell you what to do in terms of optimization.

The main thing you need to do is just stay with it and understand that optimization is the key to really doing well.

Tommie

Hey Mr. Tommie, do you think I can get CHEAP clicks in the life insurance/health insurance niche, bro'?

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by subse7en

Hey Mr. Tommie, do you think I can get CHEAP clicks in the life insurance/health insurance niche, bro'?

CHEAP is relative.

It depends on what you mean by cheap.

If you mean $.05 or $.10 clicks, anything is possible but good luck in that niche.

If you mean 50-75% of the normal Search Network CPC, then I think that is very attainable if you spend the time and money necessary to gather data.

Again, optimization is key. Cheap clicks don't mean anything if you cannot convert them.

Tommie

[Dayne Dylan]

Ok, so this week I had run two campaigns for a site/product of mine in Google Adwords...one in search, the other in content. Then a few days ago, it looks like my Search campaign got slapped.

A day later, my Content campaign which was working fine, stopped showing impressions.

How can I tell if this has been "slapped" by Google? I've increased my bid now to see it that works. How long can that take to tell?

Thanks!
Dayne

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by Dayne Dylan

Ok, so this week I had run two campaigns for a site/product of mine in Google Adwords...one in search, the other in content. Then a few days ago, it looks like my Search campaign got slapped.

A day later, my Content campaign which was working fine, stopped showing impressions.

How can I tell if this has been "slapped" by Google? I've increased my bid now to see it that works. How long can that take to tell?

Thanks!
Dayne

Hey Dayne,

One way to find out is to download your campaign into Adwords Editor.

If your search campaign was slapped, its highly likely your content campaign is in the same boat. Especially if they both point to the same domain.

There is also a Quality Score on content campaigns and they are also highly dependent on your landing page quality.

Good luck with getting answers from Google.

If I were you I would delete both campaigns, fix your landing pages or whatever issues causing the slap, and start all over.

Also, be sure to read the Google Adwords Advertising Policy to be certain you are following all the rules so that you don't get slapped again.

Tommie

[sargshep]

Excellent information on the CONTENT network.
Shows a simple strategy to using the network to roll out direct advertising.
What sort of tracking software do you use to find the most profitable?
Steve Shepherd

[Sipboy3000]

Originally Posted by sargshep

Excellent information on the CONTENT network.
Shows a simple strategy to using the network to roll out direct advertising.
What sort of tracking software do you use to find the most profitable?
Steve Shepherd

For Adwords, I mainly use Google Analytics and reports that you can run inside Adwords. For example, the main the reports I run for my Display Network campaigns are Placement Performance Reports.

You must also have Google's conversion tracking setup as well in order for Google to report the information that is most critical.

I also employ other tracking solutions such as Hyper Tracker for my own internal tracking and data collection efforts.