I just started promoting a new site using Adwords, I started with 298 keywords and now I am left with 53 keywords. WHY??? Because Google Adwords have set most of my keywords as inactive and I refuse to pay .50 cents + for clicks that may or may not convert. I would say about 90% of the inactive keywords are stating that I would need to raise my bid at least $1.00 or more, I have seen some for $5.00. The other 10% of my inactive keywords are asking for bids of 0.20 cents - 0.50 cents. I am willing to pay 0.20 cents per click, even though I believe this is even too much, but I refuse to pay 0.50 cents per click or any more. Am I missing something? Is Google the worst option for Pay Per Click? I remember when I first started using Adwords my keywords would get fair treatment and I would pay no more than 0.15 per keyword at any given time. Is Adwords just that overcrowded that the bids are now out of control? Or does Google look at your previous history and inactivate your keywords based on your previous spending habit? Because I have over 20 sites (paused and active) on Google and had consistent spending habits for these sites. Someone please help me understand! Which PPC platforms are the best, besides Adwords, Yahoo!, and MSN??? At one time I used to get good results with FindWhat, but it seems since they became Miva it has been a downhill slope. 7Search, Kanoodle, and Searchfeed just don't cut it on ROI. Where are you having luck?? Or is PPC a dead cause if I don't have a $1000 a day budget?
Google Adwords is what converts best for me. Smaller PPC platforms are giving poor results for me as they´re based on their content network where click fraud is more common than in big Search Engines. It´s true that Adwords is getting really competitive and the bids are getting very expensive in a number of industries. I think that it is because big corporations are taking PPC seriously and they can afford a Cost Per Adquisition much higher than smaller players, which drives the prices up. It´s all based on the CPA that you can afford.
If the minimum cpc is very high, it means that: Your clickthrough rate isn't very good Your advert isn't very relevant (are these keywords in the advert title?) Your landing page is completely irrelevant (unlikely - this doesn't tend to have a huge impact, in my experience). I'd suggest moving some of these keywords to a new adgroup, with the exact term as the top line of the advert. See if this gives you a better minimum, and remember, the minimum bid is probably a very good guide to the overall quality score, so even if you're willing to pay $0.20 per click, you REALLY don't want this to be your minimum, as your advert will appear far lower than if the minimum bid was $0.02...
adwords has gotten way too expensive, but because everyone is ready to pay that price then it will be that price. Its not like everyone is gona join together and boycott adwords until the price is dropped. But it is still worth it, and is the best option.
My keywords have been relevant. I must admit out of 298 keywords maybe 5% - 10% were not 100% on target, but they still relate in some way (kissing cousins). CustardMite, I might need to take your advice and create a new adgroup with only relevant keywords and try to see if this helps. I think the smaller networks don't produce the right results. I have noticed this in the past as well. Adwords is monopolizing the PPC industry and need to put forth an effort to make sure all players get a fair chance and the little guys are not crushed by the corporate giants. $5.00 for a click is outrageous, especially since it is not guaranteed to convert and/or guaranteed to be a valid click, with all the click fraud out here. I thought Adwords started with the idea to give the smaller fries a chance to reach the masses and advertise inexpesively without having to spend the big bucks on TV and print advertising. 1000 clicks for $5.00 is $5000, now multiply that by 30 days....$150,000....doesn't sound inexpensive to me.
give your example; "1000 clicks for $5.00 is $5000, now multiply that by 30 days....$150,000....doesn't sound inexpensive to me." Those results do happen, for lets say a Legal site, lets say the conversion rate was 20% thats 200 customers for $150,000 and lets say each customer brings minimum $2000. Work out the profit
Yeah! that works but still at the end of the day the target advertiser is the corporate giant, the small fries aren't making $2000 off of each sale, most are lucky if they make $20.00 off of each sale. My point is have Google redirected its energy to the corporate giant and no longer a platform for the small guy? Has Google became this corporate giant that it is starting to overshadow itself? I remember the days when Google was out to help the little person and wasn't 100% about the almighty dollar, the dollar didn't influence the way they did things, they were more concerned about the people, advertisers, visitors, etc. the true grut that make Google go round. I remember Google was good at being the best not being the most profitable, but it seems those days are gone, they are just becoming another corporate giant with no care in the world about those who helped them reach the top!
The way I see it is that you need to track the conversions from every single keyword, set up an targeted cost per adquisition and then keep the keywords that are profitable. Make all your decisions based on the historical conversion and cost per adquisition.
Really good idea. I guess Google gives us all the tools, its just up to us to use them. I think tracking is the best way to get quality ROI. Do anyone recommend any software for tracking ROI or PPC campaigns (per keyword)?
The simplest way is through the Google conversion code. You just place on your Thank You page when someone converts and then Google Adwords will add the conversion rate column. If you want a more complete analysis sign up to Google Analytics. Both tools are free and easy to implement. You can obtain both codes within your Google Adwords account.
I got you. I used these before but never to its full extent. I went with a third-party to track my clicks, but the third-party software seemed to be a bit unreliable. I will look more into the Google tools, it may be a step in the right direction.
i think you need to sit down and go through your ads,landing pages and products. Adwords is by far the best for ppc (for the time being) a because they have the volume, they have a massive network (adsense) and probably the easiest interface.
i did not know this. I was just searching through this forum thinking about my adwords and how some of them have ballooned to over $1 to be active. thanks for the advice
Atleast its not $10 per word. Yes thats right, to activate some of my words Adwords wants a minimum $10 dollar bid. I would kill for a $1 minimum bid. Well perhaps not kill.... I would shake my fist really hard!
I couldn't fathom. I thought $5.00 was the max bid because I have only seen that much. I thought Adwords would regulate on the maximum bidding so large companies who have money to waste couldn't monopolize keywords. $10.00 is a hefty price to pay for 1 click which may or may not convert, especially from an industry which treat click fraud as just the nature of the business. Anyway, I have received some good advice from this board and think I may have a brighter future if I adhere to some of the mentioned advice.
Keep in mind that Adwords is not designed to help the little guy (you and I) compete, it is designed to earn income for Google. If big players drive up prices then prices will be driven up... end of story. The best thing to do is work on relevancy. Google's automated systems do not see this the same way we do. So, you can't just look at the keywords and think to yourself that they are relevant to you. You also have to imagine how those keywords could be used by people that aren't interested in your ad - perhaps as part of phrases that don't deal with your offer.
Adwords is still very much alive. The thing is that if you want your keywords on low cost per click than my suggestion is that try getting a better CTR and in case of a new campaign I dont find it difficult, if your ad copy is good and your keywords are relevant than definately it will work. Don't keep at minimum bid if bid is somewhee around 0.50-1.75 than keep at 1.00. Just keep it for some days ... but if your CTR is not working out to be good than stop this practice than and there only.
Not at all. In my experience, Google Adwords is the best pay per click program. I think you need some guidance with something like wealthy affiliate
You guys need to work on improving your quality score to get the bid price down. Also - once a keyword is flagged for the $10 (as an example) you're most likely better of removing it and work with it in a different campaign or even account. Do some reading on the quality score and then revisit your ads, your landing pages and your keywords. Christoph