Landing page quality update

[Micromag]

AdWords Staff just announced some changes in Quality Score algorithms for the next days.

Basically the landing page relevancy has now even more power on Quality score calculation

So is a good idea to make you landing page very relevant for your keywords if you do not want to see these keywords inactive for search

Landing page quality update

Yesterday, we sat down with Andrew C., a product marketing manager, who gave us a heads-up regarding an upcoming AdWords 'landing page quality' change. This change to the algorithm will affect a small number of advertisers -- while having a positive impact on the quality of ads that our users see. Here's a little background, and a look at what's coming up:

"As you may recall, we began incorporating advertiser landing page quality into the Quality Score back in December 2005. Following that change, advertisers who are not providing useful landing pages to our users will have lower Quality Scores that in turn result in higher minimum bid requirements for their keywords. We realize that some minimum bids may be too high to be cost-effective -- indeed, these high minimum bids are our way of motivating advertisers to either improve their landing pages or to simply stop using AdWords for those pages, while still giving some control over which keywords to advertise on. Although it is counter-intuitive to some who hear it, we'd rather show one less ad than to show an ad which leads to a poor user experience -- since long-term user trust in AdWords is of overarching importance.

From time-to-time, we improve our algorithms for evaluating landing page quality (often based on feedback from our end-users), and next week we're launching another such improvement. Thus, over the coming days a small number of advertisers who are providing a low quality user experience on their landing pages will see increases in their minimum bids. It is important to note, however, that the vast majority of advertisers will not be affected at all by this change, as they link to quality landing pages.

If you do see an increase in minimum bids and you feel that your landing page is providing a great user experience, please contact AdWords support and we'll take a look. Also, for useful guidelines which will help to define what users look for in a high quality site, we hope you'll take a look at the landing page and site quality guidelines, from the AdWords Help Center. "


Posted by Blake, Inside AdWords crew

http://adwords.blogspot.com/2006/07/...ty-update.html

[vlad7]

This is good news.

[T0PS3O]

I have loads of campaigns with 100-200 words and phrases for one ad / one landing page. Considering it's impossible to have thse 100-200 phrases on that page, news like this will probably mean I'll have to break up a lot of campaigns in to smaller chunks, with more landing pages.

[GeorgeB.]

Translation.... "We aren't making enough money so we figured out something else to charge you more for. This will make our shareholders happy for another quarter. Thank you for taking it in the a#$ for us."

[ScottBannon]

I see a benefit in this to the advertiser, especially those on smaller/tighter budgets, but really to all advertisers.

As it is now, the adwords user who can't spend over $0.20 per click has to devote hours and hours of time into finding peripheral keywords that often have lesser conversion rates -- or have their daily budget eaten up in 1 or 2 clicks on prime keywords because advertisers with larger budgets just blanket bid all related keywords in their industries and drive up the prices.

If you look at this right, not only could it open up more keywords to those with lower budgets but it will also save the bigger fish money on secondary keywords too as advertisers across the board have to narrow their focus.

It's also better for the end users too. If I'm looking for information on Red-tipped Flap Widgets I don't want to end up at "Fred's World-O-Widgets" and have to search his catalog again for the Red-tipped Flap Widget, I want to click from Google onto a page about Red-tipped Flap Widgets, period.

Sure, this will mean more work for advertisers, but it should lead to a better experience for end users and more opportunities and savings to advertisers as well.

Just my take on the silver lining...

[Micromag]

Originally Posted by T0PS3O

I have loads of campaigns with 100-200 words and phrases for one ad / one landing page. Considering it's impossible to have thse 100-200 phrases on that page, news like this will probably mean I'll have to break up a lot of campaigns in to smaller chunks, with more landing pages.

They will spider your landing page but you do not need to have the exactly keyword phrase on landing page. You need to:

1) Match content: have relevant and related topic with the keyword - not the exactly landing page

2) Be focused: Do not have several to much different topics on the same landing page.

example: a web hosting provider landing page is very relevant for the keyword "How to build your own website" but do not need to have any of these keywords on landing page - is used the same algorithm for suggestion keyword tool to detect relevant keywords.

But the quality score will hurt if the landing page also is not focused: like begin to talk about other things like web design, web templates - also this prevent keyword stuffer sites.

[Micromag]

Originally Posted by GeorgeB.

Translation.... "We aren't making enough money so we figured out something else to charge you more for. This will make our shareholders happy for another quarter. Thank you for taking it in the a#$ for us."

Probably this will lead to a better result to all AdWords users.

They are just putting more focus on landing page relevancy. A lot of people has its keywords inactive due they have the right landing page but the wrong ad - now this will change.

Keep your landing page related to your keyword and all will be fine.

[KLB]

I'm wondering if this is part of the reason why AdSense eCPM has droped for me over the past several days. I do hope that in the long run this improves AdSense eCPM, but I really hate the short term pain caused by lowered ad revenues as people adjust to this.

[Micromag]

Originally Posted by KLB

I'm wondering if this is part of the reason why AdSense eCPM has droped for me over the past several days. I do hope that in the long run this improves AdSense eCPM, but I really hate the short term pain caused by lowered ad revenues as people adjust to this.

Quality Score do not affect content Network but could affect your Google Search Box on your site.

Also this is an announcement for the next coming days - not for the past.

Anyway this would affect the order of position of the ads placed on Google Search sponsored Links: giving more priority (position) for the sites that have content related to the keyword typed on search box. Theorically it do not change the average cpc value.

[dougadam]

Sounds good to me.

[Yellowberry.org]

I am doing just that now. Fixing landing pages. I am so tired of all you click on Thailand Massage and you come to a page with that word on it. Like the bestweb and many more. The customer will never click on my sites after that.

[bara]

Don't you think that new landing page requirements will effect mainly MFA pages?

[KLB]

Originally Posted by bara

Don't you think that new landing page requirements will effect mainly MFA pages?

One can only hope that this takes a bite out of MFA sites.

[GuyFromChicago]

Originally Posted by T0PS3O

I have loads of campaigns with 100-200 words and phrases for one ad / one landing page. Considering it's impossible to have thse 100-200 phrases on that page, news like this will probably mean I'll have to break up a lot of campaigns in to smaller chunks, with more landing pages.

I have the same and so far this change doesn't seem to have impacted those groups at all. Are you seeing any deactivation in those ad groups?

[ContentWorth]

It's also better for the end users too. If I'm looking for information on Red-tipped Flap Widgets I don't want to end up at "Fred's World-O-Widgets" and have to search his catalog again for the Red-tipped Flap Widget, I want to click from Google onto a page about Red-tipped Flap Widgets, period.

Exactly. Now, it's even more important that these pages EXIST.
Anyone need help turning out some quality landing pages for keywords PM me. I do this sort of thing for a living.

It's a good thing. Think long run benefit if you're going to hurt short term or if you're not really affected short term. It will be beneficial, in theory, in the future.

Plus it will make our own searches more relevant and I'm all for that!

[explorer]

I have a broad search that I discovered had been deactivated in the last hour.

The ad was averaging position 5 on search and 2.5 on content.

I've had to raise my bid by 66.7% to reactivate it. I'll be keeping a careful eye on actual costs in the next few hours.

In the last few minutes I've changed the title and h1 of my landing page for this broad campaign to try to match them better with the title of my adword ads.

Tomorrow the task begins of building more landing pages and cutting up the campaign into smaller chunks.

[cormac]

Originally Posted by ScottBannon

It's also better for the end users too. If I'm looking for information on Red-tipped Flap Widgets I don't want to end up at "Fred's World-O-Widgets" and have to search his catalog again for the Red-tipped Flap Widget, I want to click from Google onto a page about Red-tipped Flap Widgets, period.

This is exactly why I like this move as me being the end user and also a publisher.

I have already used up my 200 url blocks to stop crappy landing sites being advertised on my sites.

[explorer]

Originally Posted by turfsniffer

I have already used up my 200 url blocks to stop crappy landing sites being advertised on my sites.

The higher minimum bids only apply to the search results on the terms I'm interested in. Ads on the content network still seem to be readily purchased at lower prices - this means we can probably expect to see lots more MFA sites trying to place their ads on the content network.

[KLB]

Originally Posted by explorer

The higher minimum bids only apply to the search results on the terms I'm interested in. Ads on the content network still seem to be readily purchased at lower prices - this means we can probably expect to see lots more MFA sites trying to place their ads on the content network.

If this is true, it could drive a lot more advertisers to advertise on content sites which would be very good for AdSense publishers.

[ssl]

Originally Posted by Micromag

AdWords Staff just announced some changes in Quality Score algorithms for the next days.

Basically the landing page relevancy has now even more power on Quality score calculation

So is a good idea to make you landing page very relevant for your keywords if you do not want to see these keywords inactive for search

I dont think having a relevant landing page will help you - it did not help me.

see my posts here:
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showt...=106546&page=2