How can I not be in the top two listings above the main search results

[sparticus]

I hope this isn't a dumb question, but I haven't been able to find the answer anywhere so I thought I'd ask...

Google is now pushing the top paying advertisers into the top two listings above the main search results - the spots where you used to have to pay big time. Yes?

A client has recently found their ad appearing in those top spots and I made the comment that I hadn't noticed because I never look there, I only look in the main adwords on the right.

Now the client doesn't want to be listed at the top anymore.. How can we get back to the top of the right hand column? Can we specify that we don't want to be above the main results?

[Robsp]

These spots are filled by ads that have a high CTR and a high enough bid. If you do not want to be there, lower your bid and your position will go down.

[Shak]

Now the client doesn't want to be listed at the top anymore.. How can we get back to the top of the right hand column? Can we specify that we don't want to be above the main results?

why?

Shak

[sem4u]

You will have to try and shoot for the #3 position then - try lowering your bids.

[eWhisper]

Premium positions historically get much higher CTR rates that right side ads, and they are pretty coveted positions.

Before changing anything, might want to make sure you don't want that position before lowering your bids and being relagated to a right side ad.

[fidibidabah]

Your client is crazy in teh coconut.

[AdWordsAdvisor]

I do love the diversity of opinion amongst advertisers!

I've fielded many a phone call or email from advertisers who are quite upset at appearing in the 'G-spots'.

I think human beings are most comfortable with what they are used to. Change is painful, and to be avoided. (I know this from personal experience!)

Sometimes the results of change are positive, though.

Hmmm. Philosophy. Must be Friday. ;)

AWA

[sparticus]

I think my brain has inbuilt ad blocking software and those two 'G Spots' have always looked too much like banners to me so they never really grabbed attention... I liked the AdWords column on the right because it's not offensive...

Perhaps I need to update to brain 1.2

[nerowolfe]

Hey, AWA, wrong thread for another feature request I suppose, but.. If advertisers have been asking to not have their ads shown in the top spots, why not give them a per-campaign setting to disable it? Unless there is some sort of concern about unfair CTR comparisons (?) this seems easy!

By the way, does Adwords have some sort of release schedule that Google could share with advertisers? Even a couple week heads up about what's coming down the line would be nice to see.

nerowolfe

[widget]

I don't think the client request is necessarily crazy. The top 2 seem to be either very obvious, or completely invisible, depending on who is looking at it and when. I have missed my own sometimes when they were "up there." Top two gets you more clicks, but lower conversions per click than right side.

[Widestrides]

I agree that the top two ads are like banner ads and as a searcher I usually ignore them. I think of them as big corporate ads and I think of the right hand column sidebar ads as more nimble and creative merchants.

[eWhisper]

The problem with adding a feature to not be promoted to the top spot, is that if you're number one, and the 2nd ad meets the criteria, it won't be promoted either.

It is possible under the current system for the number 2 advertiser to meet the premium criteria, and the top one not to, which blocks the number 2 ad from being show there.

[webdiversity]

Anyone that doesn't want a northern ad position, must not understand the metrics.

Typically, the conversions will be the same as side positions, but the difference will be in volume. When we see a jump in traffic, that is the number one cause.

So if you convert 1 in 50 say (2%) and you might make 2 sales a day, if you spent the whole day up top it would generate up to 10 sales (4 times as much traffic in some cases).

Eventually someone will knock you off the perch, although it might be your daily budget limit that stops it.

I'd be more inclined to sit tight and enjoy the ride. January was an awesome month for traffic levels for all our clients with Google, mainly due to the levelling of the playing field.

[Hardwood Guy]

For what it's worth, before I got into google adwords I never looked at the ads to the right. I wonder if that's true with Joe Surfer?

[trillianjedi]

I think my brain has inbuilt ad blocking software and those two 'G Spots' have always looked too much like banners to me so they never really grabbed attention... I liked the AdWords column on the right because it's not offensive...

I agree with you, and I tend to ignore the top two also. I find ride hand side ads better as an end user.

But that's you and me, not joe public with his warm credit card. I would roll with the top spots you have for a week or two and see what happens.

TJ

[transactiongeek]

If you're going to be in the spotlight like that, then you want to write a spotlight type ad (major calls to action).

If you are amongst the peanut gallery than you work on an ad that focuses on your differences and competitive advantages.

I had an ad that magically went up there as well and I turned my Ad off immediately as I was looking for comparison shoppers (I compete on price, not features).

As for AWA's comment - planned change is good, unplanned change is bad.