Overture Content Match

[bostonseo]

Watch out if you are using content match on Overture. Their click levels are seeing dramatic fluctuations. Not to mention the quality of clicks seems awful.

Our content click traffic spikes every now and then to over 600% the previous days levels and then levels off again for a week or more. I've shut off content match because it's been horrible traffic for us. Not to mention the prices are basically the same as on the targeted match...that is ridiculous.

Head's up out there all

[sem4u]

I haven't used the Content Match yet, although I do turn off content ads on AdWords. I don't think I will bother now, although it may work better in different industries/markets.

You can of course have different bids to the 'normal' ads so this could be of help.

[bostonseo]

Thanks I am quite familiar with the content program. I just thought it would be helpful to inform others' that their content match option is behaving what I would call 'erratically'. Meaning levels and quality of traffic are subject to change dramatically at any time; which is not the case with the standard program option.

[sem4u]

Have you had a look in your logs to see where the traffic came from? Was it a forum where a topic was being discussed?

[iDKris]

i have a 2 word term that received 38k impressions yesterday in the precision match, of which i got a decent number of clicks. they're showing a huge difference in the content match... the impressions for the same exact term are just about 288k, of which i got a terrible % of clicks in the same spot.

where are these coming from?

i have another similar term that received 16k impressions in pm and only 1400 in cm.

anyone have any thoughts on this?

[bigjohnt]

Amen.
Just had account tapped out with 3x usual actiity for a weekday - on SUNDAY - all content match, all on three "high fraud" phrases. I know they are high fraud phrases, as I tracked this at several providers whom we no longer use. Beware.

I do not even recall opting in to USE content match. They are investigating.
Note: ZERO conversions on this "junk spike" Client will be furious.

Not to mention that OV's funding mechanism was requiring 3 days worth of click costs at thiis inflated level to re-start the account.

(Customer service handled this and manually "allowed" one days click costs - client is gold advertiser. I'll just have to do this two more times . (Doing the math, without the junk spike from content match, the average three days will take two more days to go down to normal.)

Be aware. I am sure that some sites distributing content match are not monitored as closely as they should