Top 2 positions!

How to get there?

[KyleTroy]

I've been optimizing my ads for quite some time now but what ever I do I can't reach the top 2 positions. The CTR on my 2 most important KW:s is between 6 and 9%. The CPC is $0.60 and the daily budget is $60. The thing I can't figure out is why I can't reach the top. Earlier, when I was working my way up, my ad gained positions when the other ads above on the same KW reached their daily budget or were not shown for some other reason. But I NEVER reach the top 2 positions. Some times one or both of the 2 ads on the top position were not shown but then one or two of the ads below me get pushed up to the top positions. I got stuck on the third position. I have one ad with the Gen. Pos. 2,0 witch what I thought meant that the position was nr. 2 of the top 2, but then there was only one ad shown of the top 2 and my ad was still on third place. The second place was empty!

The question is:
Is there any specific criteria that has to be fulfilled to reach the top 2 positions?

Can it have anything to do with that I used to be bee in the top position when you could pay to be there and now I got blocked from those positions when G no longer sells those positions except threw adwords!

[skibum]

There seem to be some minimum thresholds to get bumped up that one would assume include the CPC and CTR. I've gotten bumped up with ads that would generate a CPM for Google of $5.00 for cheap keywords. If its just a matter of cash paid for the ad based on max CPC and CTR the threshold isn't very high, but, its probably a lot more complicated than that and may vary by keyword.

Welcome to WebmasterWorld KyleTroy!

[eWhisper]

Can it have anything to do with that I used to be bee in the top position when you could pay to be there and now I got blocked from those positions when G no longer sells those positions except threw adwords!

No. The old premium position ads are totally unrelated to AdWords.

[KyleTroy]

Thanks skibum.

Can any one explain the phenomena that my ad never reach the top 2? Even the ads below me pass my position when the top 2 reach their daily budget and are not showed any more. I'm like glued to the 3:rd place. In the cases when I have a gen pos 2, I'm still in the 3 place and the second place is empty. Sometimes there's no ad at all in the top 2 and there's no ad below me and I'm still in 3 place.
Very confusing to say the least.

There has to be something else then CPC and CTR that I don't fulfill!

Hoping for some explanation...

[mcavic]

Can any one explain the phenomena that my ad never reach the top 2?

I'd say go for the highest CTR you possibly can, and give it some time. I wasn't showing up there at first, but now I am (sometimes), and I haven't done anything special.

The keyphrase in question has a 7-day CTR of 14%, all-time of 16%, 59 clicks, 364 impressions, and average CPC of 0.08.

[skibum]

Just did a few searches on keywords where some familiar campaigns are running. When there are no ads in premium, the top right hand spot is an untargeted (compared to the rest showing) ad with about half a green bar.

When there are no ads in premium, this ad is always at the top on the right. When there are ads in premium for that particular search, the second place ad (CTR of around 10%) gets bumped up above the untargeted one with what has to be a MUCH higher bid price. Could it be that to get bumped up, the ad has to generate a certain CPM for Google and meet a certain CTR, regarless of how much the advertiser is bidding?

[chicagohh]

A Google rep told me through email that in order to be in premium positions an ad has to have been hand approved. They went further to explain that if my ad is in a premium position (mine ads are often in the premium positions) and I change *anything* on the ad > it will need to be reevaluated.

So, if your not getting up to #1 or #2 - simply email Adwords support and ask them to evaluate your ad.

It just might work.

[the_beest]

I have been told by my Google rep (in the UK) that to get to the top 2 positions you need an effective CPM of £25. Maybe this varies from keyword to keyword, but from what I've seen this rule holds true.

[Chndru]

right from AWA:- [webmasterworld.com...] (msg#19)

[Shak]

I have been told by my Google rep (in the UK) that to get to the top 2 positions you need an effective CPM of £25. Maybe this varies from keyword to keyword, but from what I've seen this rule holds true.

interesting, but i dont think thats true.

I have stuff all over the place from £10 cpm upwards...

shak

[cayenne]

The algo to get promoted to premium position must vary by KW. That is the only reasonable explanation as to why some KWs make it with low CTRs and actual CPC.

-c

[KyleTroy]

Thanks everyone.
It looks like what I needed was a combination of CTR, CPC and "staying cool and wait" to get passed the pos 3 barrier.

Today I'm finally in Premium. It's great up here. Starting to receive the same amount of clicks I used to get when I payed to be there.

Thanks again.