Adwords Best Position? 1 or 2?

by consultant1027

Posted: 9 years ago 8 replies

PPC/SEM

We've been doing some experimentation with Adwords ad positions and have found that the ads appearing in position 1.x perform the best - produce the most conversions.

Let's take cost per conversion out of the picture a second as obviously position 4 on top on the side might have lower clicks and conversions than position 1 or 2 up top left.

Position 1.x is a blend of position 1 and 2 so hard to tell which one is performing better. So on conversion rate alone, what have people generally found to produce the higher conversion RATE, position 1 or 2?

One could argue position 2 in that position 1 gets a lot of impulse clicks of people just clicking the first ad up top and not really reading it carefully. By the time they get to position 2 either they've already clicked position 1 and determined it wasn't what they were looking for so now they are reading the ads more carefully, or they are reading the ads more carefully from the get go and decided to click on 2 alone or in addition to 1.

Yes, yes, I know there are many variable that effect these things but I'm just curious people's own experience.

#adwords #position

mkgg 9 years ago

Obviously position 1 is the only position that matters, it is really stupid to think otherwise.

Position 2 does worse than position 1 and so on.
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- consultant1027 9 years ago
  
  I assume we are all talking about number of conversions. Yes, it makes sense the higher up the higher the number of conversions.
  
  You really see higher conversion RATE too? I've seen a higher percentage on lower positions simply because they get less clicks but not a 1:1 proportionately less number of conversions, Not by much though.
  
  I know some people think, including myself when on the other side of things, that whom ever can afford position #1 must be doing something right to have the most money to spend. Not everyone but it is one take on things.
  
  Originally Posted by mkgg
  
  Obviously position 1 is the only position that matters, it is really stupid to think otherwise.
  
  Position 2 does worse than position 1 and so on.
  
  Thanks
  
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LucidWebMarketing 9 years ago

I noticed and been telling clients this for years: shoot for top position as you not only get a higher relative click rate, the conversion rate is higher too. Was my own little secret but you let the cat out of the bag which could lead to bidding wars if word gets out. Compiling the data further to tenths of a position yields the same results. Position 1.3 is better than 1.5 and so forth.

Google itself published a stat that said that ad position does not matter as far as conversion rates are concerned. So either we are doing something wrong or they are. Until now, you are the only one to mention and confirm my findings. Surely others have done so but keeping that fact to themselves just as I'm keeping one fact to myself for now but that surely others have noticed.

The argument some years ago was that the first position is the one getting impulse clicks simply because it was the first ad. I believed it for a while. But comparing the data by position of different ads in a group, it's clear that people are actually reading the ads and reacting differently to each, both for CTR and conversions.
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consultant1027 9 years ago

Then there's always this issue though:

https://www.warriorforum.com/pay-per...-bid-gaps.html
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winnermarketing 9 years ago

AdWords is a sorte of Auction: more you are able and you seems to be willing to spend and you better will obtain good results
(Of course times 1st position in the best about I think 90%)
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LucidWebMarketing 9 years ago

It's not about spending. It's about doing things smarter than the other guys. You can get higher position than someone bidding more with higher QS and lower bid. It is an auction but not one where the highest bidder wins. It's the one with the higher value of bid and quality. That's why it's called Quality Score.
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streamerguy 9 years ago

#1 position if you have a positive ROI.
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brieunier 9 years ago

It all depends. If you are looking for maximizing your winnings, then you need to get the most traffic you can. So first place is your only play I cant say i have seen a drop in conversion from being first place.

The campaings i am working on right now have automatics rules to target 2nd position. I did that because i maximize the budget everyday and with that budget i need to get as many leads as possible. I discovered that when i reach first position my Cost per conversion gets to high and when i got under second position average i had a lot less trafic. I found that my best spot was second position.

It all depends on what you are working on.
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