Google AdWords is an amazing advertising platform but, like most things, there is always room for improvement. I will take a look at various AdWords features and voice my concerns while explaining why improvements are necessary. As a precursor, I have spoken with my Google representative about my concerns and she has assured me that they are being taken into consideration.
Improvement 1: Better segmentation within the Search Partners Network
Whenever you set up a new Search Network campaign, by default you “opt in” to the Search Partners Network. This means that your ads have the ability to show on Google’s partner sites such as Amazon and AOL. Within the subset of the Partners network your ads will still show alongside or above the search results—as would a regular search in Google.
Unlike a Content Network campaign where you can exclude your ads from showing on certain sites, you cannot exclude your ads form showing on individual Search Partner sites. In fact, until October 2008, you could not separate metrics from the Search Partner Network in the Adwords interface. Even then you could not view stats from individual sites. Luckily, there is a filter in Google Analytics you can use. You either opt into the Search Partner Network or you do not, there is no in between.
By not being able to exclude sites you cannot capitalize on what is working. You may have a site that is bringing in conversions, but another one that is eating your budget. You have to determine if the benefit of opting into the Search Partner Network is worth the cost that the ineffective site is incurring.
Improvement 2: More granular conversion tracking
Within the AdWords interface you are able to see conversion metrics by 1-per-click and many-per-click. In other words, you can see if a keyword accounted for one conversion per a click or if the user converted more than once per that one click. For example, a user may click an ad and just download a whitepaper accounting for one conversion per that one click. Another user might click an ad and download a whitepaper, but also fill out the contact us form for two conversions per that one click. Many-per-click conversions were introduced in April 2009 and are a great feature.
You are able to segment 1-per-click and many-per-click conversions by keyword, text ad, ad group, and campaign, but you cannot decipher by type of conversion. When you click on the conversions option under the reporting tab you see a screen that breaks out conversions by type of lead (ex: purchase, webinar download, contact us form submission, etc.). The issue is that you can only view the lead breakdown by many-per-click conversions. I often want to break down the leads by 1-per-click conversions, but cannot. I use analytics and review the leads, but this extra layer of tracking in AdWords would be much appreciated.
Improvement 3: Target Ad Sitelinks at an ad group level
I previously wrote about my affinity for Ad Sitelinks. Though I still value this feature I believe it would be better utilized at an ad group level instead of campaign. As currently constituted, sitelinks can only be added at the campaign level. Let’s say I have a golf-themed campaign consisting of three ad groups:
Men’s Golf Shoes
Women’s Golf Shoes
Kid’s Golf Shoes
If a user searches for men’s golf shoes I want these additional links to show up:
Premium Men’s Golf Shoes
Men’s Golf Shoes for Under $100
Black Men’s Golf Shoes
White Men’s Golf Shoes
However, because I can only target these sitelinks at the campaign level, the link for “Premium Men’s Golf Shoes” has the potential to show up for a search for women’s golf shoes. In this case the link does not relate to the user’s search and I have lessened my chance for a click. By allowing sitelinks at the ad group level you can target your ads that much better.
Improvement 4: Make session-based broad match optional
Google explains the keyword match type, session-based broad, like this:
“When determining which ads to show on a Google search result page, the AdWords system evaluates some of the user’s previous queries during their search session as well as the current search query. If the system detects a relationship, it will show ads related to these other queries, too.”
*Full Google explanation can be found here
In theory, session-based broad match sounds like a good system, but it is essentially taking control out of the advertiser’s hands. Google is using its best judgment to show additional ads, not yours. This may lead to less targeted ads for user queries. Currently, you cannot turn off session-based broad match. You can run search query reports and add negative keywords to combat this match type, but the feature is always on. For further reading, John A. Lee does an excellent job of explaining session-based broach match and its ramifications.
Conclusion
My hopes are that improvements are made to these features in order to better target ads and utilize budget. In the end the more effective the advertising platform the better Google is as a paid search engine.
Are there features that you believe can be improved? I encourage you to share your thoughts.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 10:13 am and is filed under Search marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Thanks for including my session-based broad match post in your list here! I would also strongly agree with improvement # 2 – “more granular conversion tracking.” The limitations set forth in the AdWords interface for dealing with action types, etc. is endlessly frustrating. Most often I work around this with external tracking (as you suggested) via analytics, etc., but that isn’t the solution for everyone. Hell – I still run reports in AdWords and yes, I shout expletives when I remember how little I can do to segment the conversion data!
February 9th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
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February 9th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Thanks for the response, John. The conversions tab used to show 1-per-click conversions, but not anymore. I do like being able to see many-per-click conversions as it gives a good sense of how many goals are actually being hit, but I’d like to easily segment out a unique visitor to the specific conversion.
June 28th, 2010 at 11:39 am
Just to add to or clarify your improvement #2.
I’d like to have the ability to filter or segment based on the type of conversion.
I have one conversion type set as the actual purchase receipt, and another conversion type set as the people who reach the newuser account created page via the basket funnel.
Since the visitor comes in thru an ad, puts an item in the basket, creates a new user account to view the basket, I consider this to be an adwords funnel conversion. Even tho the funnel was abandoned because they didn’t buy, they did create an account and I will have the ability to send a discount offer email to entice them to come back and actually purchase what is in the cart.
Similar funnel for wish list.
As it is now, I have to turn these conversion types off because it messes up the metrics.
Since it is pointless to view these conversion types in aggregate, the ability to filter or segment these conversion types is the feature that will allow me to actually turn these conversions back on.
At least I have my funnel data in GA, but still, it seems like a trivial addition.
Thanks for the blog. I landed here trying to see if there was a way to do this.
June 28th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Good point, John. Luckily there is GA to get the most accurate picture of how well AdWords is helping you reach your goals. Just out of curiosity, has the new AdWords beta in GA helped with this task at all?
Thanks for reading.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Can I revive this thread for a minute?
I’ve been stuck in a loop with Adwords (and customer service) that is driving me nuts.
I have relied on a single conversion type (landing page=invoice only visible to completed purchases) for about two years.
My client began using a mass mailing vendor who couldn’t tell us how to track their performance in GA because the “traffic was too high.” (We won’t be using them anymore). I tried several ways to detect their traffic, including setting up a GA referral=xxx goal, which I imported into AdWords as a second conversion type. My plan was to track these new conversions alongside our historical conversion data, similar to the sign-up action John mentioned above.
So, two conversion types: one for purchases, one for visitors from a specific referrer.
Suddenly our conversion rate was exploding! Naturally I checked to see if these conversions were purchases (as a result of so many new email referrals) or were simply landing page conversions.
Guess what? AdWords was now reporting “conversions” that were a combination of both conversion types!
To complicate matters, when our conversion rate went up, Google sent me a notice that we were now eligible for “focus on conversion” bidding (I’m assuming that means CPA, but that’s not the term they used.) I figured I was getting something special, for top performing accounts.
So now I can’t separate the two types of “conversions” in my reporting data, and the month of July will always look like we sold products like crazy (and our bid calculations and performance statistics are now wrong!)
So… was it MY mistake to assume that I could segment my reports by conversion type?? Have you ever encountered this confusion before?