For an agency today, it's very difficult to reach a client's customers online because their customers are consuming media everywhere. To reach users as they browse millions of websites across the Internet, agencies need to buy and to tailor ads across thousands of websites, and they need to measure how well these campaigns performed on all of these sites as well. At Google, we've built tools and platforms to address these challenges for agencies. Google is focused on delivering performance to advertisers and agencies through the Google Content Network (GCN), our ad network of over a million AdSense sites, which includes some Google properties like Google Finance and YouTube. One of the ways we deliver high performing ads is through contextual targeting, the science of matching the right ad with the right website content. For example, we might show an ad from a tech company on a tech review site because the ad will be relevant to the user and therefore, perform well for the advertiser. We've been working on helping agencies match the best ad through more precise contextual targeting that enables advertisers to focus on very specific themes. Over the past year, we've made over 60 improvements to our contextual targeting technology. In August, we enabled advertisers and agencies to do more precise contextual targeting , and we've seen that it can be used to effectively drive conversions. MediaWhiz tested this strategy for American Laser Centers to promote the client's hair removal and aesthetic services. The agency used both text and display ads to raise brand awareness as well as to drive customer action. Instead of creating a few ad groups with many keywords, it created hundreds of small, very specifically targeted ad groups containing around four to six keywords each. The highly targeted groups cut across a wide range of American Laser Centers’ business areas, covering laser hair removal, skin aesthetics spa treatments, at-home hair removal and many more related topics and themes. By using small, focused keyword lists in each ad group, the team was able to increase the relevance of the client's ads on the Google Content Network, helping to attract the exact customers interested in the services American Laser Centers offers. Using the Google Content Network Placement peformance report , MediaWhiz could optimize and measure exactly how well American Laser Centers' campaign did. According to Erick Maks, advertising director at American Laser Centers: This strategy of multiple ad groups containing tightly grouped keywords helped American Laser Centers raise its campaign conversion rate by 233 percent in the first three-month period. During the same period, by fine-tuning at the ad group level and reducing waste, it also cut impressions in half—while simultaneously increasing conversions by 365 percent. The complete case study is available for download here . If you're interested in additional resources, be sure to check out this post on using the Wonder wheel to generate ad group themes, and watch the recording of last year's webinar on more precise contextual targeting. Posted by Jesse Nichols, Agency Team
Go here to see the original:
Case study - Perfecting the art of matching the right ad to the right site
Imagine your client is a travel company, and they're trying to excite users about deals to tropical Caribbean destinations. Users may come to the website, browse the offers and think about booking a trip, but decide that the deal is still not cheap enough. Then, they continue to browse the web. If your client later decides to offer discounted deals to the Carribean, how do they reach users who have already expressed interest in traveling there? To help you to do this, this week we're rolling out a new feature called remarketing. Any AdWords advertiser can use remarketing to reach users as they’re browsing the web on sites within the Google Content Network. Remarketing is a simple way to connect with users, based on their past interactions with your clients' websites. We began trialing remarketing last March as part of our interest-based advertising beta . We’ve received a tremendous response from the hundreds of advertisers who’ve been using it in recent months, across all industries - including automotive, retail, local and finance. We’ve seen that remarketing has worked well for many different kinds of advertisers - whether they’re looking to boost brand awareness, or drive clicks and sales, and whether they use display or text ads. For example, if you support search advertising clients, you can use remarketing to create an integrated campaign strategy for them. After driving traffic to their sites with search ads, you can then remarket to the users who reach their sites by showing them tailored ads on sites throughout the Google Content Network. You can easily set up and create a remarketing campaign for clients through the new “Audiences” tab in AdWords. A remarketing campaign allows you to take advantage of the same features and reports you can use today in AdWords - it’s really just a new way to reach the best audience for your clients' ads. (click for full size image) Here’s an example of how it works. Let’s say your client is a basketball team with tickets to sell. You can put a piece of code on the tickets page on the client's website, which will let you later show relevant ticket ads (such as last minute discounts) to everyone who has visited that page, as they subsequently browse sites in the Google Content Network. In addition to your own site, you can also remarket to users who visited your YouTube brand channel or clicked your YouTube homepage ad. You can also run a number of remarketing campaigns at the same time. For example, you could promote discount game tickets to users who’ve previously visited your client's tickets page, advertise VIP hospitality packages to users who clicked on his “How to get to the arena” page, and advertise a sale on team merchandise to users who’ve previously visited his YouTube brand channel. Remarketing is a great way for businesses to reach users who are likely to be highly receptive to their ads and special offers. For example, Intercontinental Hotels Group has used remarketing to reach potential customers who have visited one of their hotel websites: Ad by InterContinental Hotels Group using remarketing to offer incentive to users (click for full size image) It helps advertisers and websites get higher returns. It also means more relevant and useful ads for users, and more opportunities to receive special offers and discounts that may be of interest. As we announced when we launched interest-based advertising, we want to put users in control of the ads they see, so anyone can opt out of remarketing by using the Ads Preferences Manager . Our remarketing product complies with industry standards developed by self-regulatory groups such as the NAI and IAB and IAB UK. To get started with a remarketing campaign, visit the AdWords Help Center . Posted by Aitan Weinberg, Product Manager
See more here:
Now available: Reach the right audience through remarketing
This week OMMA Global takes over the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, and Google will be there. Here's an overview of what's in store. On March 17th, get a complete view of the art and science of rich media advertising from Google's resident rich media experts, Peter Crofut and Chip Scovic. Next day listen to Neal Mohan, Vice President of Product Management, deliver his keynote presentation on opportunities in online display advertising. He'll cover changes in the display ecosystem, and how everyone can embrace these changes and achieve their goals. If you miss his keynote, be sure to catch the panel right after on Online Advertising - Rapid Recovery or Recession 2.0? , or the afternoon session Connect with the Google Content Network . Later in the day, Baljeet Singh, Senior Product Manager, Video Monetization will participate in the panel Can Online Video Reach Scale for Clients Budgets in 2010? Hear what he, and other experts, have to say about definition, scale and measurement when it comes to online video. Our DoubleClick, YouTube and Google Content Network teams will also be at the Trade Show to let you know what's new and to answer your product questions. Interested in attending? Register here , and if you’re a MediaPost member, your full-conference pass is FREE. You can also sign up for private networking sessions here . Use the code OGSF20 for a 20% discount. Posted by Sally Cole, Marketing Manager
Continue reading here:
DoubleClick, Google Content Network and YouTube at OMMA Global
You may have seen Google's Superbowl ad this past Sunday and have gotten a taste of what a love story might look like when told as a series of search results. Of course, that was just one example; it's certainly possible to find romance outside of Paris. With total 2010 Valentine's Day spending expected to reach $14.1B 1 , there are ample opportunities for you to inject a little romance into your own clients' campaigns to ensure they have the biggest impact in the next few days. Here are some quick tips: 1. Ad Copy: Activate and create new text ads that specifically mention Valentine's Day. This serves as a reminder for users that the date is almost here. In addition, create a sense of urgency in your ad text. Shipping deadlines, or a Valentine's Day countdown (i.e., Only 5 Days Until Valentine's!) may make your advertisement that much more compelling and drive panicked, last minute shoppers to your clients. 2. Budget: Search traffic for "Valentine's Day" and "Valentines Day" is trending upward year over year. Ignoring this increased traffic is a missed opportunity for conversions. Increasing budgets where possible will ensure you capture relevant traffic and capitalize on all conversion opportunities. Consider using the Bid Simulator to simulate various scenarios based on your bidding strategy and improve profitability of campaigns. 3. Keyword expansions: Capture additional traffic for your clients with expanded keyword lists. Try the Search-based Keyword Tool and take a look at the organic search queries reported in Google Analytics for new keyword ideas. Use Google Insights for Search to understand where your clients' products or services intersect with increased search activity. In addition to category specific opportunities, remember to target consumers looking for gift ideas. Women may be particularly interested in such suggestions - searches for "gifts for boyfriend" were up +250% y/y . 4. Expand reach: Use Ad Planner to reach your clients' target demographic on the Google Content Network and compliment search campaigns for maximum impact. Combine relevancy and targeting with eye catching visuals using Google's Display Ad Builder . For additional resources, be sure to visit the AdWords Help Center . Happy Valentine's Day! [1] the NRF 2010 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted for NRF by BIGresearch Posted by Yael Davidowitz-neu, Retail Team and Evan Ortiz, Agency Team
Read more here:
Help clients spread a little love this Valentine's Day