Cost-effective AdWords Management just became easier with the release of a new Performance Segmentation report
Before now, only by using Google Analytics could you see how your ads were performing differently in the Top and Side positions.
It's pretty commonly accepted that top position ads "do better" than side position – and many advertisers go after these slots above all else even if they don't realise what it actually translates to in terms of conversions and profits.
The new segmentation report dispels this myth forever, and now at last you can make decisions based on data.
(Richard Stokes of AdGooroo shared some very interesting data about top vs side position ads and costs earlier this year at the Perry Marshall AdWords Elite Masters Summit in Maui)
And this important new source of data can allow you to test entirely different bidding strategies
- "Lurk" – hang out in side positions and lower cost, but at the penalty of reduced conversions (sometimes drastically or even totally)
- "Go for Broke" – bet the ranch and go for maximum visibility and test whether your site conversion rates and Economics make it viable
I have one client where "Lurking" failed, and "Go for Broke" is working just great.
But you'll only know by testing.
The other related dimensions to this are Ad Extensions, Headline Promotion, and Domain Promotion, which only come into play in the top positions – we've seen these do good things for CTR and consequently Quality Score, and of course, Quality Scores and bid prices are the key to this.
And I have some interesting experience relating to "Demographics" that ties into this very well (these are general principles only and market exceptions will apply):
- the smaller the demographic, the higher the need for "Going for Broke" and
- high Quality Scores
- occupying top spots
- high site conversion rates
- high sales prices
- narrow focus
- the larger the demographic, the better the chances of "Lurking" and
- lower Quality Scores
- lower and side positions (even page 2)
- lower site conversion rate
- lower sales or lead prices
- casting a wide net
(click image for full size)
Read the full post at the Inside AdWords blog