1 – Not separating campaigns to target the ‘content network only’.

Ok Google do allow you to view a single campaign’s data split out into ‘search’, ‘content’, and even ‘search partners’. And you can even set separate content bids. So why would you bother splitting the campaigns out and duplicating your work? Answers are obvious as you read below, but essentially it’s about optimization, bid strategies, and adgroup structures…

2 – Not changing bidding strategies for the Content Ads.

Conversion rates will most likely be lower than for search (not always) so you need to ensure that you’re keeping your eye on the prze and the CPC bids reflect how they relate to the ROI calcs.

3 – Not making use of the site exclusion tools available.

So important – If you’re getting a tonne of clicks from a certain site/domain and very low, or no conversions. Exclude it!

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The single biggest mistake you can make on the content network is not actually understanding that you’re not on the Search Engine Results page anymore…

Contextual advertising is disruptive, you’re not responding to the searchers desires, you are trying to grab their attention, and fast!

So think Ad Text, Think Image ads, think call to action, think about the demographic, think about the sites, study the placements and ad slots.

Have you ever asked Google how to best optimize for their content network?

Try it – ask your Account Manager… I dare you!

It’s a bit of a running joke between me and my google buddies because I always pull them up on the fact that their ‘content targeting’ strategy changes almost ‘every week’.  It feels as though sometimes the best practice approach may well be more of a best guess than anything else.

Of course there are definitely basic things you should do from a campaign structure and bidding strategy perspective, and I’ll cover these in a later post, but in short, the only real way to optimize for the content network is to test everything.

Below are just a few of the ‘strategies’ I’ve heard over the years… guess what? They’re all correct in some cases, but can be so wrong in others.

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