Software that optimizes AdWords performance

Are there any existing software packages or scripts out there that helps advertisers enhance their Adwords campaigns?

 

Ads are "enhanced" when it gets a good ctr. You could write the best ads, but until it's not been click, it's not "worth" it for google. So no software will really make the difference.

 

So you're saying it's pretty much all trial and error currently?

 

well, yes and no. You won't get better CPC until you get a good CTR and you don't get a good CTR if your ads aren't good. Ads that are good are based on the creativity of the one who wrote it, not structure or for x factor. So yes, it would be trial and error. That's why many online marketing guru say to always test two ads at the same time, after enough results, keep the one with the highest CTR, rewrite the other one, repeat.

 

How much CTR do you think as a good one ?
3% - 5% - 10% ?

 

on adword? If you can get 3% it's EXCELLENT. 10% is quite rare.

 

The keywords are very important as well. How about software the optimizes the ad 'trial and error' process?

 

Do you have any idea how that would be possible? Every ad is unique, it's hard to get a computer to select keywords for humans.

The current problem is that everyone is exploiting the overture search term and they take the top 100 list, copy and paste it in the adword campain and they are done. Just do some extra work and you'll get better results.

 

I'm working on a script to "push" the learning curve. I'll make an announcement once we're ready for heavy testing.

 

The firm I'm with (Efficient Frontier) is managing US$200M in annual paid search spend, 60% of it on AdWords, and we feel very strongly that we have the best solution on the market for optimizing large Adwords campaigns.

I don't want to sell here in the forum, but if you'd like to know more, ping me.

What we do to optimize AdWords:
1) Bring to bear our traffic estimation models for AdWords. Unlike Google's own Traffic Estimator, our traffic estimation/modelling capabilities for AdWords are accurate, which is key when trying to figure out the right operating points for individual keywords and overall keyword portfolios.
2) Leverage your own historical impression, click, cost and revenue data to understand where opportunities exist for more volume of revenues and/or more margin.
3) Use (1) and (2) above to model trade-offs in how to best spend *across* keywords. Unless you're look at the data for a large set of keywords *in the aggregate*, you're unnecessarily capping ROI at the knees in order to make sure each keyword meets the ROI target, and that shouldn't be the case.

-Shorebreak

 

So it's a passive model using only 1 source of data inputs?