Google AdWords Content Network
Google AdWords is a widely used Internet-based advertising program which allows business owners to create advertising according to their own budgets and target markets. Google offers several platforms for advertisers to place their ads. One is placing AdWords advertisements at the top of the screen and on the right hand side of search engine results. These ads display based on the keyword phrase for which a person has searched and for which the advertiser has bid.
What is Google’s Content Network?
But the Content Network is different. Through the Google content network, you may be able to reach an unmatched amount of market segments, because your ads are not correlated to a search term. Instead, your ads are shown on various information sites, blogs and email newsletters—wherever a site publisher has contracted with Google to display AdWords ads (the program for the publisher is called AdSense). Your Internet business can optimize its advertising budget by understanding and utilizing the opportunities found with the AdWords content network.
Many of the same types of ads created for a typical search campaign can also be used with a content network campaign. There are no additional fees for adding a content campaign with a search network campaign. Google has built in the flexibility to allow advertisers to use both search engine and Content Network campaigns. Most experts in the field recommend keeping your search engine AdWords campaigns and your Content Network campaigns separate, so you can compare results and select the approach that provides the best return on investment for conversions.
Using Managed vs Automatic Placements
When you choose to use the Content Network, you’ll see options for selecting Managed Placements or Automatic Placements. With Managed Placements, you select which content network partners should show your ads, such as a particular blog or information site. This takes some research. Check out potential sites and see if the site is a good fit.
You can bid on a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) basis or keep the bidding structure you have for your search ad campaign. With Automatic Placements, you can opt out of being placed on identified partners and allow Google to select the best ad placement locations. Try both options and see which works best for you.
There are several reasons ad Managed Placements can help to optimize the advertising for a small business including:
- Advertisers can review analytics to determine which sites offer the most business for them and in turn focus their advertising dollars to increase their placements on that site
- An advertiser may know other partnering content network sites that they want to choose for placement, rather than leaving it to Google’s placement process.
- By reviewing the analytics to determine the best areas to target, business owners can optimize their spending by declining to be featured on sites that simply are not generating website traffic.
The key to using managed placements is using the data to help determine the best areas for your advertising spending.
On the other hand, the benefit in using Google’s Automatic Placement process is that it may link your ad to a site you would not have readily considered, which could drive significant traffic to your website. For a new Internet-based business, consider starting with Automatic Placements and trending information over time. Then use Managed Placement to focus on the highest volume sites.
Effectively using Google’s Content Network can generate high levels of visibility that might likely be out of reach for a small business. The ability to customize ads and focus on even the most specific product and market niches also allows business owners the opportunity to maximize their advertising dollars.