http://www.pointit.com - This presentation examines Google's content network, with the purpose of clearing up all the confusion surrounding it. It begins with some useful search engine marketing stats and tips on increasing lead conversion rate, and concludes with a case study.

1. Demystifying Google’s Content Network
Jon Lisbin – Principal
Frank Coyle – VP of Sales
May 20, 2009

2. Webinar Logistics
• Being recorded
• Email with link will be sent out later this week
• Ask question throughout via chatbox

3. About Point It
Presentation Agenda
• Launched in April 2002
• PPC & SEO
• Seattle’s largest independent
search marketing firm
• 12 team members, 40+ yrs
of SEM experience
• Servicing clients across all
verticals and revenue
models

4. Content Network – Old View
• Cheap CPC
• Poor lead quality and conversion
• Suspect clicks
• Runaway costs
• Avoided by many
• So what’s it like today

5. Content Network - Today
• World’s largest online advertising network
• Millions of web pages displaying ads
– Google AdSense, Pulse 360, etc.
• News, Forums, YouTube, About.com, etc.

6. CNN.COM

7. Forums

8. Best Practices
• Campaign structure
• Keywords
• Ads copy
• Bid strategy
• Performance measurement

9. Creating a Content Network Campaign
• Create separate Content campaign from Search

10. Keywords in the Content Network
• Google places your ads based on KW themes
• The more themes, the more placements
• Create Ad Group keywords themes
– Example: Fitness
• Abs
• Muscle building
• Aerobics
• As few as you need for a theme
– 5-10 is OK, 25-50 KWs max
• Broad match only

11. Eye Catching Ad Copy

12. Display Advertising
Replacing These Three Ads With This Single One
• Need to bid 3x, BUT will not pay 3x.
• Only pay what it takes to beat the highest single ad
• And if CTR is better, then CPC will be lower than single text ads
• Only do this when you know you get traffic from a site

13. Ad Quirks
• All ads approved by humans
• May take 24 hrs, but usually just a few
– Weekends can be slow
• Impressions will be low initially then gradually
build
• Do not pause! Starts back at the beginning
again.
– Lower bid or ad schedule

14. Bidding
• Bid to get in the top 4
• CPC acts like PPC on Search
– Only pay for clicks
• CPM just impressions
– Can go through impressions
very fast
– Need to monitor carefully
– Branding

15. Placement Strategies
• Let Google choose for
you
• Select placement:
– Topic
– URL
– Demographics
– Google categories
– By site or by page

16. Best Practices Summary
• Separate Content from Search
• Theme your keywords into different ad groups
• Make your copy standout
• Bid high enough to get shown
• Track and measure performance

17. New Google Adwords UI
Network Tab

18. Sample Placement
`

19. Placement Performance Report

20. Site & Category Exclusion

21. Case Study
• Membership Club goal to
1200 increase conversions
1000
• Ad Group had over 1,500
keywords
800 • Broke down into 29 ad group,
600
because Google only looks at 50
keywords per ad group in the
400 content network
200
• In one week, the conversions
increased 391%
0
Cost Clicks Conversions • Subsequently we have doubled
Apr 22 - 27 83.56 276 33 that using “keyword Grouper”
Apr 29 - May 4 314.89 1010 127 tool.

22. Summary
• Content network well worth testing
• Start with small budget
• Track where ads are being placed
• Measure carefully

23. Q&A
• Jon – jonl@pointit.com
• Frank – frankc@pointit.com