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!

4 – Using the same ad text for Content as for Search targeted campaigns

Think about content targeted ads and broadcasting your message – sure there may be contextual relevance to the page your on, but you need to craft your content ads to capture the users attention, strong call to action, benefits of you product service etc.

5 – Not testing Placement Targeting.

So placement targeting lets you select sites that you wish to advertising on. Sort of like a normal media buy, but much, much simpler! I often see a site on the content network that is performing well and then craft a specific message or creative tailored to that audience/site, and target the ad to that site specifically. It can work wonders.

6 – Bidding CMP vs CPC (!).

I hate CPM bids on Google. Why? Because I like to Pay Per Click! Simple as that – It’s transparent, and know what I’m paying at a CPC level, and I know what my conversion rate need to be generate positive ROI.

Why would I waste my time on CPM rates that can often be very high?

Test if you dare, but don’t come crying to me when your stats suck!

7 – Not expanding keywords list for content matching.

You’re not targeting search queries any more, your matching against content on a page. The jury is still out on the best way to structure your ad groups and keywords, so test, test, test.
I’ve had some good success with broad keyword list of ~50 themed terms, but I’ve also had massive hits with ad groups with just one keyword phrase… go figure…

So in short, you don’t know till you test it.

8 – Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) on Content Ads?

Why?! If you’re going to spend the time setting up an awesome content targeted campaign, the  least you can do is write some kick ass headlines to capture attention (refer point 4). Don’t be lazy!

9 – Not leaving the content campaign running long enough.

Like it or hate it, Google needs to build up a history for your content campaign just like search, but it seems content campaigns can take longer to hit their stride, so be sure to run your test for 4-6 weeks minimum.

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.

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.

While most people agree with these three points:

- Separate your Content bids,
- Separate content Campaigns from search,
- Build themed in ad groups,

The answers start to change when you dig a little deeper.  ‘How many keywords?’, ‘Do I use the same ad groups as for search?’, ‘How much should I bid?’

Here are some of the concepts I’ve heard and read…

- Add 10 keywords per ad group,
- Actually, add 50 key words per ad group,
- Don’t just replicate the search campaign for content
- Just replicate the search campaign for content…
- Only use 2-4 highly related terms per ad group, and have 100′s of them

The way I like to look at it is simply that there’s no ‘one size’ fits all when it comes to maximizing results for contextually targeted ads. There are simply too many variables in play.

In short, I don’t think anyone can actually tell you what works best because the simple truth of the matter is that the only way to truly maximize the content network is to test everything, and try multiple tactics.

The product or service YOU are advertising will have success on the content  netword in different ways to another products or services. And to make matters worse, some campaigns will never do well on the content network no matter how hard you try!