Always at the TOP of Google Adwords PPC section?

masterjere · 09-03-2011, 05:06 PM

I have a competitor of mine that consistently (for just about EVERY keyword I type in), showing up at the TOP OF THE LIST in the PPC(Paid Ad's/Adwords) section of Google.

So my question is, how on earth is he getting that number one spot, EVERYTIME without fail???

I have automatic bidding selected (with NO MAX Bid set)... is this what I should be doing? Also, there is an option below that says "Use my conversion tracking data and bids to optimize for conversions" (I don't have that selected, is that the difference?) Is that something I should have selected and that will have me showing up above him? Or do you think my compeititor is doing MANUAL bidding and just bidding an extra couple of dollars on every keyword?

Also, what about the "Ad Delivery" section, I have it set to the default option which is "Optimize for clicks" - Do you think my competitor has it set to something else? Optimize for conversions? - rotate ad's more evenly... etc? Does this affect him showing up in the top spot? I'm really just trying to find out WHICH option he's selecting that is guaranteeing him that top spot. (Budget is no issue for me and I have a HIGH daily budget set, but this competitor is ALWAYS first??? What are they doing? I can't understand it for the life of me, and I would really like someone to explain it, I appreciate it!

Thanks!!!

Defunct · 09-03-2011, 05:15 PM

Don't worry about your competitor, position 1 is often not worth it.

Depending on budget I usually go for positions 2 - 4, leave position 1 for your high converting keywords.

In the end if you have a better ad in the top positions, people will click on it.

You get a lot of happy clickers on the top advert too.

If you really want first position, just jam up your bid price and make sure your CTR is decent.

Google knows the average CTR for each position, if yours is much less they will just charge you more to be there.

thecableguy · 09-03-2011, 05:16 PM

As I understand it they factor in click thru rate, quality score, etc. It's not the highest bid that wins. If your competitor is bidding half as much as you but getting over twice as many clicks they'll be ranked ahead of you. Bottom line is which ad will makes the most money for Google based on performance.

09-03-2011, 05:06 PM	#1
masterjere Active Warrior Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 45 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Always at the TOP of Google Adwords PPC section? I have a competitor of mine that consistently (for just about EVERY keyword I type in), showing up at the TOP OF THE LIST in the PPC(Paid Ad's/Adwords) section of Google. So my question is, how on earth is he getting that number one spot, EVERYTIME without fail??? I have automatic bidding selected (with NO MAX Bid set)... is this what I should be doing? Also, there is an option below that says "Use my conversion tracking data and bids to optimize for conversions" (I don't have that selected, is that the difference?) Is that something I should have selected and that will have me showing up above him? Or do you think my compeititor is doing MANUAL bidding and just bidding an extra couple of dollars on every keyword? Also, what about the "Ad Delivery" section, I have it set to the default option which is "Optimize for clicks" - Do you think my competitor has it set to something else? Optimize for conversions? - rotate ad's more evenly... etc? Does this affect him showing up in the top spot? I'm really just trying to find out WHICH option he's selecting that is guaranteeing him that top spot. (Budget is no issue for me and I have a HIGH daily budget set, but this competitor is ALWAYS first??? What are they doing? I can't understand it for the life of me, and I would really like someone to explain it, I appreciate it! Thanks!!!
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09-03-2011, 05:15 PM	#2
Defunct HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 254 Thanks: 23 Thanked 47 Times in 33 Posts	Re: Always at the TOP of Google Adwords PPC section? Don't worry about your competitor, position 1 is often not worth it. Depending on budget I usually go for positions 2 - 4, leave position 1 for your high converting keywords. In the end if you have a better ad in the top positions, people will click on it. You get a lot of happy clickers on the top advert too. If you really want first position, just jam up your bid price and make sure your CTR is decent. Google knows the average CTR for each position, if yours is much less they will just charge you more to be there.

09-03-2011, 05:16 PM	#3
thecableguy Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: , , . Posts: 1,184 Thanks: 63 Thanked 92 Times in 84 Posts	Re: Always at the TOP of Google Adwords PPC section? As I understand it they factor in click thru rate, quality score, etc. It's not the highest bid that wins. If your competitor is bidding half as much as you but getting over twice as many clicks they'll be ranked ahead of you. Bottom line is which ad will makes the most money for Google based on performance.