Using Ad Groups to Improve Your AdWords Quality Score
According to Google, quality score is a measure of relevance. I’ll cover Google’s definition of quality score and a specific tactic to improve quality score.
And here is a great video from Google explaining the AdWords bid auction process and the impact quality score has on bid cost and placement.
According to Google, quality score is influenced by:
Historical Click through Rate (CTR)
Historical CTR of the display urls in the ad group
Click through Rate of your account
Quality of your landing page
Keyword relevance to the Ad Group ads
Relevance of the keyword and ad to the search query
Ad Words account performance
Other AdWords relevance factors
So to improve your keyword quality score, those are the levers to pull.
There are several articles out there on ways to improve your AdWords quality score. One of the simplest methods I know is to create highly targeted, focused Ad Groups. But in the end, you need to improve your click through rate – quality score is, in my opinion, a way for Google to optimize the ROI of their Ad Words revenue stream, but that is a separate topic.
How Ad Groups Can Improve Quality Score
If your AdWords keywords are experiencing low quality scores you are paying more money for the same placement. Here is an easy way to give your quality score a boost.
Identify your AdWords keywords suffering from low quality scores
Group those keywords into relevant clusters, for example
Widget Keywords separate into clusters: Blue Widgets, Red Widgets and Yellow Widgets
Create highly targeted Ad Groups for each cluster – 3 to 5 keywords per Ad Group
Create ad versions using the targeted keyword theme for each Ad Group “cluster”
Direct each ad version to a landing page
Optimize the landing page for the targeted keyword for the Ad Group
More Ways to Improve Quality Score
There are many resources out there on improving your Google AdWords quality score. Remember, your click through rate (CTR) is going to have a large impact on improving your Ad Words quality score so fundamental marketing principles come into play. Here are some other resources to help you improve the quality score of your AdWords keywords:
Google AdWords has allowed image ads (display ads) on its content network for some time now. But you may have noticed image ads ocassionally showing on Google AdWords search network.
So what is this all about and more importantly, how can you start showing images ads within your own search network campaign?
Example of Image Ads on AdWords’ Search Network
Recently I did a search on Walker Trays in Google and these results were shown:
I know it’s a little tough to read but trust me, the word in those red circles is Target. They are showing in the #2 position for the Google AdWords text ad. And Target has the first and third position on the right hand bar – typically reserved for AdWords text ads but currently displaying Image ads on the search network (i.e. PlusBox ads). Not bad if you are Target, but if you are trying to sell walker trays is not a good sign if Target owns 3 of the top spots – and two ads are images!
Also note the Google Shopping results for Walker Trays – the five small boxes below the shaded sponsored links box. Guess who has three of those five images – you got it, Target.
The Google AdWords PlusBox Ad
Image ads on the search network are called PlusBox ads. And they are appearing more frequently in searches. So how is this done?
According to Google, PlusBox ads are part of a small Beta test offered to select advertisers. So outside of asking your AdWords account manager to try and get you in, it’s on an invitation only basis.
But here’s basically how it works:
The images that are displayed are fed from your Google Merchant Center Account. So you need that first.
Then, by selecting Ad Extensions in your Google AdWords account, you allow the product information in your Merchant Center Account to by shared with your AdWords account.
In my opinion, it’s a huge differentiation to show an image ad among a sea of text ads – so hopefully this will be expanded beyond the Beta testing stage. Or the testing will stop so the select advertisers who can run images don’t continue to benefit from an uneven playing field. It depends on the product (or service) but I know several clients that would love to serve image ads on the AdWords Search Network.
Google AdWords includes some powerful tools to improve your campaign ROI, but many people rarely, if ever, take advantage of these free and readily available options. If you are new to pay per click marketing – why not take a moment to review our AdWords Tutorial.
Search Query Reports are great for finding the keyword search terms people are actually using to find and click on your AdWords ad. We’ll cover how to run the report and what the practical applications are in improving Google AdWords ROI.
Using Search Query Reports in Google AdWords
You can run this report through your reports section – which allows you to set up a recurring report and have it emailed directly to you (once you set up the parameters). But Google makes it even easier for you to access this information within your Google AdWords account.
First go to your Campaigns and then select the Keywords tab. Next click on the “See Search Terms” menu and select “All”.
Search Query Reports
After that, your report will appear and look like this:
AdWords Search Query Reports
Improving Google AdWords ROI
So what does this information mean for your Google AdWords campaign? Sure it’s a neat report and easy to use, but how is this information practically applied to increasing revenue and reducing costs?
Here’s how:
This report is showing actual search terms that lead to a click on an ad in your Google AdWords campaign. When you review the report you will see that the actual clicks may or may not have matched up with the keyword you selected in your AdWords campaign – especially if you are using broad match. There are many things you can do with this information, but here are a couple tips to improve your AdWords profitability:
Search Query Reports and Negative Keywords
As you review the report – do you see any search terms that don’t make sense? Are you attracting unqualified visitors (and paying for them) only to have them bounce off your landing page once they get there? Review the search terms and identify those that just aren’t good matches – then identify the word or words that may have triggered the unqualified click, and add that term as a negative keyword to your campaign. This reduces cost – which improves ROI.
Search Query Reports and Match Types
Now review your report to identify search terms which appear highly relevant (resulting in a high quality click) – these are the type of visitors you want more of. If it’s a keyword you haven’t used add it to your campaign using the various Google AdWords Keyword Match Types.
Now you are accessing real click through data to develop your AdWords Keywords – which is better than any online tool in my opinion.
Search Query Reports and Improving Google AdWords ROI
Hopefully this gives you an idea of how search query reports can be an effective tool for improving Google AdWords ROI. Let me know if you tried this and how it has worked for your AdWords campaign! For more tips and advice – contact Marketing Practicality.
In most cases, using dynamic keyword insertion will improve your Google AdWords click through rate. And if your text ad creative, landing page, offer, etc. is well constructed and thought out – your AdWords ROI improve.
If you are not using dynamic keywords I strongly recommend you test them for your business’ Google AdWords campaign.
What is Dynamic Keyword Insertion?
Dynamic keywords show the specific search term in your ad, providing it meets certain criteria.
For example, you have an ad in Google AdWords with a title like this:
“Buy Widgets”
Depending on your keyword match type, bid amount, geo targeting, etc. your ad would show if the searcher typed in “widgets”.
But what if you have many different widgets? How do you target that?
Well, there are ways to do this within Google AdWords – but dynamic keyword insertion allows you to cover the various related search terms in your ads – and show those terms in bold face type – making your ad immediately appear more relevant and ideally suited for what the individual is searching for.
How To Create Dynamic Keyword Insertion
It’s simple, and can be used anywhere within the displayed text of your ad.
Instead of writing “widget” put {Keyword:Widgets} in it’s place. The default word will be widgets, but if the search term meets Google AdWords parameters, the targeted search term will be shown.
And that sort of relevancy improves click through rates.
![[del.icio.us]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Furl]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/furl.png)
![[Google]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Propeller]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/propeller.png)
![[Reddit]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/reddit.png)
![[Sphere]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/sphere.png)
![[Sphinn]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/sphinn.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://www.marketingpracticality.com/smallbusinessmarketing/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
