askHowie.com - AdWords Help, Advice and Tools » Content Network http://askhowie.com Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:53:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Content Network Opportunities and Hazards http://askhowie.com/2010/05/13/content-network-opportunities-and-hazards/ http://askhowie.com/2010/05/13/content-network-opportunities-and-hazards/#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 18:28:54 +0000 Howie Jacobson http://askhowie.com/?p=4124 The other day I interviewed Shelley Ellis, the Content Network Queen, for my Ring of FIre members.

Here's the first part of the interview:

For as little as $20 a month, the Ring of Fire is an unmatched bargain in online education. You get answers to your questions, cutting edge content, and a network of supportive and friendly people, many of whom have the answers to the problems you're facing today. (And you probably have the answers to some of their problems as well!)

This month alone, we have a mind-bending presentation by Mike Marshall on the future of SEO (hint: it's already here, and if you're not aware of the gamechanging rules, you're playing the game with three hands tied behind your back), a live Intro to SEO webinar with Lyena Solomon (I learned the meaning of a "canonical" web site, among other things) and dozens of questions and answers in the forum.

Next week features a group coaching call, and whatever else the Ringers want. (I aim to please.)

So won't you give the Ring a try for a month? Sign up here for the Ring of Fire online support club.

]]> http://askhowie.com/2010/05/13/content-network-opportunities-and-hazards/feed/ 0 Excluding Nasty Content Categories http://askhowie.com/2010/05/12/excluding-content-categories/ http://askhowie.com/2010/05/12/excluding-content-categories/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 18:23:28 +0000 Howie Jacobson http://askhowie.com/?p=4119 Had a wonderful interview today with Shelley Ellis, the Content Network Queen. (I wore my best t-shirt and minded my manners, not to worry.)

One of her basic strategies for Content Network success is NOT showing your ads where they shouldn't be shown. 

Like certain categories of web pages: crime, profanity, violence, error pages, and my personal favorite, "juvenile, gross, and bizarre" content.

Here's how you do that:

1. Within a campaign, click the Networks tab

2. Scroll to the bottom and click the Exclusions link

You'll see Campaign level exclusions on the right. 

3. Click the Add exclusions button and choose Exclude categories… from the dropdown menu

(No, your eyes aren't going. Click the image below to clarify and enlarge.)

Next you'll see a list of the categories, along with any stats you've accrued in those categories so far:

Check the boxes next to the categories you want to exclude, click Save at the bottom, and you're done.

Thanks, Shelley!

]]> http://askhowie.com/2010/05/12/excluding-content-categories/feed/ 1 Coming Soon: Tidal wave of Content Network competition http://askhowie.com/2009/08/27/new-content-competition/ http://askhowie.com/2009/08/27/new-content-competition/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:46:46 +0000 Howie Jacobson http://askhowie.com/?p=2965 Google’s AdSense program allows website publishers to make money by allowing Google to place AdWords ads on their pages.

If you advertise on AdWords Content Network, most of  your traffic comes from these sites. And your click price is determined, among other things, by the competition for those advertising slots. Just like in the Search networks, the more other advertisers want to show their ads on a given content site, the more you’re going to pay for the privilege and the harder it will be to make a profit.

So it’s a big deal when Google quietly tells its AdSense publishers that it’s opening the floodgates to dozens of other advertising networks. That is, if you own a website and you show Google ads to generate revenue, you can use Google as a broker to bring you ads from dozens of other networks. Big networks.

How many networks? After reading this post, check out the vendor list below, copied and pasted straight from Google.

Prepare Yourself – 5 Steps to Start Taking Right Now

In addition to increased competition, Google is moving toward much more integrated demographic targeting – all the way to ads meant just for you. As in, if you use a Google toolbar or have cookies on your computer from any of the research companies listed below, Google knows more about you than your mother does.

So now is the time, AdWords user, to get really good at the content network. Here are 5  actions you can start taking so you don’t get capsized by the wave of third-party competition:

1. Separate your content and search traffic into different campaigns.

You can do this in seconds using the free desktop AdWords Editor. Once they’re separated, split test ads to find the messages that work in each medium.

2. Find out what sites on the content network are currently showing your ads, and how much traffic and revenue each one produces.

Do this right in the new interface. Click the Networks tab and view Automatic and Managed Placements. To drill down into a single domain, select that site and click the Find URLs button at the top of the list. You’ll be amazed at where your traffic is coming from, and how much of it is just garbage.

3. Visit those sites and learn about their visitors.

Who are they? What are they doing on those sites? Should your ad be showing there? What can your ad promise them that they want right there and then?

4. Find additional sites using the revamped (and still free) Google Ad Planner.

Enter a site that’s already working and find more sites like it. Sort by the Comp Index to see where else the visitors to that site go on the web. Click the site name to discover a ton of visitor demographics.

5. Start creating image ads.

Base the text on your best performing text ads, and spend the time testing colors, images, fonts, buttons, etc. so you’re at the top of your game when the hordes of competitors join the party.

Time is Running Out

You have time to get this right. But don’t dawdle. Google says, “Please note that we’ll gradually be adding new ad networks to AdSense accounts over the next few months, so you won’t see any immediate impact on your ads or your earnings.”

If you’re currently using the Content Network but know you could be making more money by testing and optimizing the process, check out the free AdWords Ball web clinic on Wednesday, September 2, 2009. Seats are limited – register here to reserve yours. (If you can’t make the live event, register anyway for a copy of the video to watch at your leisure.)

If you are just starting with AdWords, or haven’t even found a market to sell to, then you should check out the free Traffic Surge web clinic on Thursday, September 3, 2009.

The Content network is much bigger than the search network, and requires a very different set of strategies to be successful. In fact, some businesses simply can’t make the Search networks work for them, and give up on AdWords before giving the Content Network a fair try. Don’t make that mistake – attend the Traffic Surge web clinic and gain an intelligent foothold in whatever market you decide to enter.

Again, seats are limited, so register here. (If you can’t make the live event, register anyway for a copy of the video to watch at your leisure.)

Appendix: Supported third-party vendors on the Google content network

North America: Ad servers

North America: Rich media

North America: Research

EMEA: Ad servers

EMEA: Rich media

EMEA: Research

]]> http://askhowie.com/2009/08/27/new-content-competition/feed/ 4 Mastering the Content Network http://askhowie.com/2009/07/02/content-master/ http://askhowie.com/2009/07/02/content-master/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:42:37 +0000 Howie Jacobson http://askhowie.com/?p=2864

If you’re advertising on the Content Network, you want to find out which web pages are showing your ads. Before, the only way to find this out was running a report. Now, you can see this crucial info within the new AdWords interface.

You can do it for the entire account, for a specific campaign, or even for an individual ad group. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to do it for an entire campaign.

Go to the Networks Tab

Go_to_the_Networks_Tab.png

From within a campaign, click the Networks tab.

Check Automatic Placements

Check_Automatic_Placements.png

If you’ve used the default settings, you’ll be showing your ads on Content Network pages relevant to your keywords. These are called “Automatic Placements” and will be shown by default. If you can’t see the list, simply click the Show Details link next to Automatic Placements.

Check out the Placements List

Check_out_the_Placements_List.png

In this view, you’ll see the web domain, ad group, and performance statistics.

View Individual URLs

View_Individual_URLs.png

Check the box next to any domain/ad group combo and then click the no-longer-greyed-out See URL List button to view all the URLs where your ad has appeared on that domain.

Which Pages aren’t Worth It?

Which_Pages_aren_t_Worth_It.png

For each page, you can see the conversion statistics. The highlighted page above has received 89 clicks and 0 sales. Maybe it’s time to stop wasting my money on that page…

Exclude Poorly Performing Pages

Exclude_Poorly_Performing_Pages.png

To exclude a page, check the box to the left of the page URL and then click the Exclude Placements button above the list.

Exclude the Page at the Campaign or Ad Group Level

Exclude_the_Page_at_the_Campaign_or_Ad_Group_Level.png

Decide if you want to exclude the page for the entire campaign, or just the ad group you’re looking at right now.

My recommendation is to exclude the page just for the ad group. It’s possible that the very same page could be generating conversions in a different ad group.

You’ve Just Excluded Some ROI-Negative Traffic

You_ve_Just_Excluded_Some_ROI-Negative_Traffic.png

If you’ve succeeded in excluding the page, you’ll see a bright red Excluded sign next to the URL.

Come to the Breakthrough Profits Roundtable (Camp Howie) in Durham

OK, so this isn’t exactly the next step, but maybe for you it should be ;)

Here’s the deal: Yesterday I decided, impulsively, to host a very limited Camp Howie on July 23-24, in Durham NC (yes, in 3 weeks). I’m only taking 6 people, and we’ll spend two full days working on your online business. Plugging the leaks. Find valuable new traffic sources. Increasing conversion on existing traffic. Basically, massively improving your online business, not with theory, but with hands-on coaching and action plans.

I’m certainly not doing another Camp Howie until October or November 2009 at the earliest, so if you think your business could benefit from two focused days of expertise and action with me and 5 other serious entrepreneurs, don’t delay. First 6 people who apply and get accepted are in, everybody else has to wait.

Oh, and each of the 6 gets a free copy of my hot-off-the-press, not yet released to the public AdWords Checkmate Course ($467 value).

I didn’t have time to write a persuasive sales letter and all that, so the information is on a short web page with a video description of the Roundtable, as well as a few short videos of past participants.

Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

Can’t spare the travel time right now, but still want coaching, guidance and support? In that case, consider joining the Ring of Fire – see below for why now is the best time.

Join the Ring of Fire

Join_the_Ring_of_Fire.png

If you found this tutorial helpful and would like a lot more where it came from, please check out the Ring of Fire, my online membership and monthly coaching club. For as little as $20/month, you get personal access to me with your questions, as well as live coaching calls, interviews with experts, and connections with fellow AdWords users.

http://askhowie.com/join

July is a big month in the ring. I’ll be sharing my 3-part Blogging for Authority web clinic (only available to members of the Ring of Fire), as well as an interview with AdWords master practitioner Dan Perach of PPCproz.com.

Come join the fun!

http://askhowie.com/join

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]]> http://askhowie.com/2009/07/02/content-master/feed/ 1 Content Network Misconception http://askhowie.com/2009/04/16/content-network-misconception/ http://askhowie.com/2009/04/16/content-network-misconception/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:13:10 +0000 Howie Jacobson http://askhowie.com/?p=2121 A reader wonders:

Some of the networks I am interested don’t belong to Google’s Content Network (specifically craigslist.org and kijiji.ca). Will I have to make another campaign only for these 2 sites, choosing the option in the content network, "Relevant pages only on the placements I target" instead of "Relevant pages across the entire network."

My response:

If the sites aren’t in Google’s Content Network, then you can’t specify them. They don’t give Google permission to place ads on them.

If you want to place advertisements on a non-AdSense site, then you have to contact the site directly or find the ad serving network they use.

 
 
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