Are site-targeted campaigns worth it?

I have only just found out about site-targeted google adwords campaigns and was wondering if anyone has tried using them?

I guess it is a little bit more work finding the sites and making a campaign suited to it but I like the fact that it is all CPM driven which makes me think it could prove to be a valuable tool.

Would anyone else consider using it? I reckon it would make content match a little bit more reliable in terms of quality traffic, how about you?

 

It can be VERY productive when you pick the right site(s) to target.

 

Thanks, would you recommend it over traditional content match? not for traffic i guess but for conversion?

 

For me it's a "complimentary" marketing method I use in conjunction with CPC. So I wouldn't recomend it "over" cpc, but I would suggest that it's worth a try if you're looking to expand your reach, or, promote a specific product/service to a very specific audience.

 

Thanks GFC, have some green

 

One last note...read up on it (threads in this forum will be helpful) as there are some things to watch for.

1) It can be a pain to get the ads running.

2) When you do get the ads running you can burn through a budget in record time.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the advice, i'll try and be cautious and get to know the system first.

 

Do all the conversion reporting/optimizing tools still work on site targetted campaigns?

Are they ONLY CPM, or are there pricing options?

 

Also, how do you know what CPM to bid? Are there traffic estimation tools for site targetted? I'm setting up a test right now and I'm a bit confused.

 

You don't, that's one reason why it's kind of a hassle. I suggest entering a bid and if you don't see any activity (impressions) within 24 hours up the bid and repeat the wait. Continue with this pattern until you get some impressions.

 

Thanks for the info. Ugh, not real efficient to do, is it?

 

Nope, but it has improved over the last year. 12 months ago it could (and often did) take days before cpm ads were approved and would start running.

Another alternative is to start with a high CPM bid then reduce it after you start seeing some activity. Watch things closely if you take this route as after a campaign starts impressions can accrue quickly.

 

Do you have any experience which might enlighten on what a "high" vs "low" CPM might be in this context?

 

It varies from market to market but in most cases if you're not at $5+ you won't see any activity. I've run in spaces where it it took $10+ top get things rolling.

 

I've had great success with it. 90% of My adword is site targeted. I pay about .30 for my conversion as compared to over 1.50 with CPC. It works as long as you target your ads on the right sites.

One more thing. Pay close attention to your budget.

 

Site-targeted campaigns are very powerful. You can optimize your ad copy for click-throughs without worrying so much about whether it draws clicks that don't convert. Just know the difference and target specific pages when you think it will benefit. Keep in mind that page targeting won't work, for some reason, on pages more than two directories deep.