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Google AdWords in search results

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Google AdWords in search results
Not sure when Google changed their policy, but they will now allow AdWords ads to be placed on search results pages. Also not sure if the AdWords displayed will be relevant to the search term.

see here

Any chance that an Affiliate PPC Plugin can be developed for Google AdWords?

I once read that a man only gets on his knees to either work, pray or propose... but I'm adding begging to that situation. Would it help if I begged?

Thanks,
ronzo
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Re: [ronzo] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
What do you want the plugin to do? Can't you just put the AdSense code on your search results page?
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Re: [afinlr] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Hi Laura,

Yes, in fact I was just about to edit my post to question whether a plugin was really necessary.

I'll certainly try to do that. I'm hoping to make the first 3 or so links to be "sponsored" links in the normal links results list, with a slightly different format, rather than the Google format. I will give it a go and see what happens.

And ideally, I would also like to have the AdWords appear at the top of the static category pages.

Regards,
ronzo

Last edited by:

ronzo: Mar 27, 2004, 6:33 PM
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Re: [ronzo] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
The only way you can really get the ads to appear to be sponsored results is to use the inline rectangle formats here:

http://www.google.com/...nse/adformats#inline

And set the background to white. I'm not sure how accurate the ads will be though, because Google's MediaBot typically spiders static pages to determine the best ads to show, but considering the page is dynamic, I guess you'll have to see if the ads change based on the keyword searched for.

Robert
http://www.pcprofiles.com
PC Profiles and hardware reviews
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Re: [Robert_B] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
I've tried inserting the AdSense code in the search results template, but unfortunately the results were not at all relevant to the search term... mostly the ads were untargeted "Public Service Ads". Left the code there for about 24 hours just to see if it could work, but no go.

Looked all over their site, but couldn't find any documentation to support this feature.

Makes me wonder why they now permit the code in search results pages if the search term can't be passed to produce relevant results... where's the benefit?

Guess that unless someone can write a plugin with Google's co-operation (similar to GT's BidFeed plugin), or they change their code to allow dynamic results, that it's just a tease. Of course I may also be overlooking something Crazy

ronzo
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Re: [ronzo] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
I would imagine that google will start to keep track of the query=string portion of the URL, and after repeated searches on the same keywork, it will start to show targeted ads.

I set up a test of this.

If this is true, using the advanced/improved search logger, you can track what people are searching for, and how often, and then use the google code in an include file. Create a simple global to return the count of the search term, and then:

<%search_count (query)%>
<%if search_count_results > for_example_10%>
<%include google_ad_page.html%>
<%else%>
do nothing, or <%include default advert or logo%>
<%endif%>

Once a search term hits a level you are comfortable with, it will start showing google ads, and if google does index via the query= string then after a short time those queries will show up with valid, targeted ads.

I'm running a test now... but the more people who check this concept out (ie: if google will spider the query string) the better.


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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
hi pugdog,

Interesting to see whether Google can be trained.

I've re-inserted the Adsense code and emptied my Search Logger table after dumping it to get a clean start on tracking the search terms.

Hopefully Google will spider the query string and this will work. Ideally I hope that they will eventually allow the search term to be passed directly to their adwords database.

ronzo
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Re: [ronzo] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
For some reason their servers seem over burdoned today, so it may tak 48 hours to catch up. But I too wonder if they can be "trained" as you put it <G>


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Re: [ronzo] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
It apparantly can be trained :)

Just not very well <G>

take a look at http://greekrow.com

http://greekrow.com/...cgi?query=greekpages

There is targeted advertising on that page.

The other "popular" searches (the site's only been open a week, and is pending sale) don't give any targeted ads, primarily, I think, due to lack of hits.

So, to update the logic for including a google adwords block on a page, would be if link count > 5, and there have been at least 10 (or more) searches for that keyword.

for performance reasons, it might actually pay to write a small plugin, that will tally keywords via a cron job, and create a separate table of "valid_adwords".

So, all your global will have to do, is search the "Valid_Adwords" table, and if there is a hit, show adwords code, otherwise show default (or no) code.

Done this way, you can also make a "Black_Hole" list (or flag) of keywords that only return PSA's even with the other criteria met.

Done this way, other "rules" could be added to the cron script for determining what is a valid keyword -- eg: your templates and globals would not have to be changed, but editing the script/plugin would change the criteria for a valid keyword.

Comments?

(ps... sorry about the typos I don't catch in my posts. I have a dell laptop, and after a year... quite frankly... it's had it. POS from day one. Keys stick, the silkscreen is coming off the keys, keys fire late, POS. <fume off>)


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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Quote:
It apparantly can be trained :)
Just not very well <G>

That is what I've been finding. A day and half ago I was getting semi-relevant results... yesterday it was back to the Public Service Ads... this morning, semi-relevant results... and now PSAs again.

Certainly not consistent.

ronzo
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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
You can always utilize alternate ads, which works quite well if you can find one that covers all aspects of your site's niche. Google also released a way that if only PSA are displayed, then you can display a solid color background in place of the PSAs, such as the color of the table the ad is appearing in. So if the ad is not targeted, your visitor won't get one at all.

Robert
http://www.pcprofiles.com
PC Profiles and hardware reviews

Last edited by:

Robert_B: Mar 31, 2004, 1:27 PM
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Re: [Robert_B] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Because of the way the ads are, if you have two different formats in the same account, you can't use a default banner.

The default color is a way around that -- but only marginally. If you are using the ads on several sites, you are limited, unless the colors are the same.

In reality, the only way to not show the PSA's is to remove the code.


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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Not sure why you have that idea pugdog.

The code for a default banner and background color can be changed for each ad. I can place an AD on site A or B and set the default color differently in the Javascript for each site. Heck, I can change the color of the default background and banner on a page by page basis.

You can also utilize channels across multiple sites, but this is not necessary for changing the appearance of the ad on the different sites. I can create many types and flavors of ads all under one account. These settings aren't stored in a database at Google, you can adjust these in the javascript code provided by Google on manually on each page or by using the account manager to generate the appropriate code.

Robert
http://www.pcprofiles.com
PC Profiles and hardware reviews

Last edited by:

Robert_B: Mar 31, 2004, 3:32 PM
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Re: [Robert_B] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Hmm.
I've never inserted a default banner, but with the one-line, it seemed to be like some other agencies, one default.

Do you mean it inserts that into the javascript, rather than in the main account? If so, I will have to play with that :) I have plenty of defaults I can serve up in lieu of PSA"s if the format is on a location by location basis.


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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Yep, both are entered in the javaspript. Smile The default banner has to be the address to an HTML page. Then on that HTML page the only thing you should put on it is an image (same dimensions as your Google Ad) and then link that image to wherever you want.

Robert
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PC Profiles and hardware reviews

Last edited by:

Robert_B: Apr 1, 2004, 4:41 AM
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Re: [Robert_B] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
I see that. I guess I should have played with it more, but this has all been a crash course. Their interface is a bit odd, and takes some getting used to.


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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
I agree, it is a bit clunky. Hopefully they'll get everything more streamlined as time progresses, considering they still are "new" in this arena.

Robert
http://www.pcprofiles.com
PC Profiles and hardware reviews
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Re: [ronzo] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Google has changed again.

They are finding ways to cut the prices served to sites, again.

This was the death knell for the original banner/ad system, and it seems google is arbitrarily doing it.

They put a new "smart pricing" thing in, that is based not on hard data, but on supposition.

"Improved smart pricing
We are adjusting the price of certain clicks based on expected value to help ensure better performance for advertisers"

The _expected_ value is the problem. There is no data to support that those clicks actually perform worse - or better.

We've already noticed a drop in per-click averages over the whole system. I don't have site/targeted data yet, but in a few days I'll be able to see which channels have started taking hits.

It seems they are playing one side off against the other, and that is bad. The system was full of potential, and I didn't see how it could be "rigged" but they just came up with a way :(


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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
Early impressions shows that some of my $ per click has actually gone up. What needs to be considered is Adwords advertisers will be paying less per click as well, which is good for them. This entire market is advertiser driven, if the adwords users don't contribute as much to their accounts, then we don't get compensated. Google has to walk a very VERY fine line to keep the Adsense users happy and Adwords advertisers happy, after all, if the advertisers don't get as good results, then we'll make less.

Their wording on "expected value" is very vague, but compared to other per-click programs, Google has always performed better than the rest.

Robert
http://www.pcprofiles.com
PC Profiles and hardware reviews
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Re: [Robert_B] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
The problem is, they do not actually know if your clicks lead to sales or not. So, it makes sense for them to cut their high-dollar outputs -- even if they convert. The publishers will never know.

Actually, unless you have both an adsense and adwords account, you would not have known they changed how they are paying you.

Some of their assumptions are invalid -- such as their examples. I do not buy from a "reviews" page, I buy from a tips or examples page. I scan reviews for information, then move on to find a better price, or examples. They are penalizing those sorts of actions.

"clicks" was hard data.

This "expected revenue" is not.

Web publishers were getting a reasonably fair shake, and positioning was was being paid at what were 'posted' standard rates 2-3 years ago. Now it seems that is dropping again.

It's too soon to really tell, as weekend revenues are always lower, as are start of month revenues for some reason.

But I'm comparing same monthly time periods to same periods, and am seeing a ppc drop.

Micro managing is never a good thing -- trends are what is important, but coupled with the posted change, it does not look good. My CTR's are up, higher than theyve' been in years, and have gone up steadily through the program, but now the ppc is dropping, while CTR is rising.


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Re: [pugdog] Google AdWords in search results In reply to
The world should be fair to advertisers, they should get a decent return on their investment - thats what matters
Rahul Jain