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Google Conversion Optimizer - Rubbish!!

by GuerrillaIM
9 replies
Hey Guys,

Over last few weeks google have been constantly phoning and emailing me to give their new "Conversion Optimizer" a go.

Now, I have put a lot of blood sweat and tears into getting my google account a lean mean sales generating machine (with lots of help from perry marshall training products), so I was a bit skeptical to let an automated system take over.... boy was I right!

A week ago I relented and agreed to test out the conversion optimizer on my highest traffic campaign to see how it fared as my account manager said it would give me a lot more conversions.

I monitored the success and was appalled at the results. My ad box went from being the very last box on the page to the highest. It frequently showed ad boxes from different campaigns and the long and short of it was my CPA went up 30%.

I suppose that some accounts that have perhaps not been set up in such a painstaking methodical way might benefit from it but I thought I would share my experience with it so if you give it a try you know to keep a close eye on it.

Peace out,

G
#conversion #google #optimizer #rubbish
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    G, it sounds like the Optimizer experiment was a rousing success - for Google.

    Maybe I'm paranoid, but I liken what happened to you to allowing the IRS to optimize my tax bill - not gonna happen...
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Hancox
    This is the main reason I won't use Google Website Optimizer in conjunction with AdWords. They would then know, not only how much you're paying for keywords, but how much you're making (from the conversion data)... might as well just tell them how much you're earning, and tell them to take out what they want!
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    • Profile picture of the author Kenneth L
      Originally Posted by Paul Hancox View Post

      This is the main reason I won't use Google Website Optimizer in conjunction with AdWords. They would then know, not only how much you're paying for keywords, but how much you're making (from the conversion data)... might as well just tell them how much you're earning, and tell them to take out what they want!
      I'm pretty sure he means the Conversion Optimizer which is for optimizing PPC Campaigns, not split-testing websites.

      You can learn about it here: The Conversion Optimizer - Google AdWords - Maximize Your Advertising ROI

      It supposedly optimizes campaigns, although I wouldn't ever let it manage my campaigns.

      Your point about GWO is still very relevant and using 3rd party software is a good idea.
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    • Profile picture of the author MIB Mastermind
      Originally Posted by Paul Hancox View Post

      This is the main reason I won't use Google Website Optimizer in conjunction with AdWords. They would then know, not only how much you're paying for keywords, but how much you're making (from the conversion data)... might as well just tell them how much you're earning, and tell them to take out what they want!
      couldn't agree more if Google sees your working on a 100% ROI what's to stop them hiking up your bid prices, they will be able to see you can afford it.
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  • Profile picture of the author GuerrillaIM
    I've been advertising with google since 2003 and over the last couple of years they have definately seemed more money hungry. They regularly call me up as they discovered ways of "improving" my campaigns, which basically result in my CPC going up and my ad boxes showing up for non relevant keywords. Getting a good CPA these days means fighting their settings and features at every turn.

    Every now and then I pause my account while I do maintenance work on sites and accounts etc.. I love it when within a few hours I get a panicked call from my account manager asking if everything is ok. I like to joke that yahoo is now giving me a better roi and I've stopped advertising (wish this was true, their geotargetting system is flawed, I select UK and 50% of my leads are from india and nigeria). I think the google reps must be on some sort of performance related bonuses these days.

    It would have been nice if Microsoft bought out yahoo as then they would have a decent search offering. The support at microsoft ad center is top notch, but I guess its because they are not as busy.
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    • Profile picture of the author Shevd
      I ve got to agree google conversion optimizer has not worked for me either.
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  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    As there ROI goes down, opportunity increases for people like us, because it allows for more products to compete with google's products. I hope they keep moving in that direction, as more competition is good.
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    It is okay to contact me! I have been developing software since 1999, creating many popular products like phpLD.
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  • Profile picture of the author Magicooll
    theoretically i had been very positive about the conversion optimizer ,, I really think it should work out better for all Google and advertisers,, with all the data they have they can sure optimize a campaign if they use there data and by doing that the sure would secure more surviving profitable campaigns that would keep paying them again and again..

    However trying it out few times and for long time I have discovered surprisingly again and again it is just not working at all for me !@?!
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    • Profile picture of the author GuerrillaIM
      Originally Posted by Magicooll View Post

      theoretically i had been very positive about the conversion optimizer ,, I really think it should work out better for all Google and advertisers,, with all the data they have they can sure optimize a campaign if they use there data and by doing that the sure would secure more surviving profitable campaigns that would keep paying them again and again..

      However trying it out few times and for long time I have discovered surprisingly again and again it is just not working at all for me !@?!
      Its the biggest pile of crap ever. It is blatently designed to make you spend more money. If you have no clue about google and perhaps are seriously overpaying at the moment then it might help you. But if you are not a total noob then you should avoid it like the plague.
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