My first campaign is throwing an average 4% CTR.
I think is too low but I'd like to hear your experiences about what to expect.
Refined the search terms the CPC and so on... can't do more than that... and my CTR is some 4%...
Is that a normal percentage, what is realistic to expect 10%? 20? more?
Depends on the market, competitors, unpaid search results.
For my campaigns, 4% is pretty high. I regularly have words in the top spot, premium position, with below 4% CTR. Some words occasionally go higher, over 8% and higher, but the campaign as a whole is typically 2-3%.
There are probably people on webmasterworld.com who claim they regularly hit over 10%, and maybe that's true in certain markets. I just can't believe there are many markets where all ads combined bring in 10% of the clicks. It seems to indicate poor performance of the search engine (i.e. the SERPS are not relevant, so users click on the ads.)
Although there is one campaign that I've had running for about a year now that has a consistent year-average CTR of 37% (premium spot).
My first campaign is throwing an average 4% CTR.
I think is too low but I'd like to hear your experiences about what to expect.
Just as a point of reference, I'd say the average CTR across all keywords system wide is about 2%. So in this context, your 4% is well above average.
Still, I can understand the desire to increase it! I often see advertisers who have the majority of their keywords in the high single digits to mid double digits. Most often, their accounts are characterized by careful matching of keywords and ads.
In other words, they're using very targeted Ad Groups - in which keywords on a particular subject are collected together, then a carefully crafted ad is written on exactly the same subject - usually with one of the more important keywords in the headline.
AWA
Just as a point of reference, I'd say the average CTR across all keywords system wide is about 2%.
This number has been mentioned before. However, any idea of how many ads are shown per search query? And/or how many times a surfer didn't click anything and just searched again? That would give an approximate number of adwords clicks vs organic clicks.
In other words, they're using very targeted Ad Groups - in which keywords on a particular subject are collected together, then a carefully crafted ad is written on exactly the same subject - usually with one of the more important keywords in the headline.
U da man.
I really think Google should employ you :)
Shak
so what about the price? is there difference between being #1 or #2?
I guess I'm paying the double just to get the #1 position... should I?
with some cents I've got the #2... but with the double I get #1...
Different products do well in some positions.
Here's a post I wrote about a test I ran, and it might give you some insight to testing positions and price to find what's best for you.
[webmasterworld.com...]
It is a bit like asking "should I spend $40 or $60 a bottle of wine"....
Well...
Which wine?
Do you like wine?
Are you getting your other bills paid?
Does your roof leak?
Have you ever had wine before?
etc.
My advice is get out your spread sheet and make some best case and (more importantly) worst case scenarios and plug in CTR, CPC etc. Try to determine your "Cost of Conversion" how much will you have to spend to get each sale on average.
Add that to your other costs of business and see what your profit will be. etc.
...However, any idea of how many ads are shown per search query? And/or how many times a surfer didn't click anything and just searched again?...
Sorry to say that I don't really have a feel for these stats eWhisper, as they live very much 'behind the scenes'.
I've acquired a feel for average CTR, though, as I've been looking at many, many accounts daily for the better part of two years.
AWA
Also, I think the average CTR across Google is lower than 2%, again from looking a large number of campaigns. I'd bet it's closer to 1% than 2%.
And can't avoid asking me:
Is there something useful in setting the daily budget too high? I mean: with U$20 daily I hardly spend U$1... so does it help to set that daily budget higher than that? Will google show my ads more often because I will pay in case they click all those ads?
(that will never happen seeing my stats, but if that helps it's just a matter of changing that parameter)...
DISCLAIMER: BE VERY CAREFUL, NOT FOR THE WEAK STOMACH! YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER. JUST CAUSE IT WORKS ON OUR ACCOUNT, IT MAY NOT ON YOURS.....
But that said, our actual spend has been *very* consistant and our adss all get 100% delievry.
DISCLAIMER: BE VERY CAREFUL, NOT FOR THE WEAK STOMACH! YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER. JUST CAUSE IT WORKS ON OUR ACCOUNT, IT MAY NOT ON YOURS.....
Nice disclaimer, nyet!
Yeah, to avoid unpleasant surprises, I always suggest that newer advertisers in particular shouldn't set their daily budget any higher than they are really comfortable paying - at least until they have come up-to-speed on the program.
Because this is the Internet, traffic can vary a lot depending upon who has been featured on Oprah, what Britney is doing, what celebrity was seen recently wearing the widget you sell, and on, and on, and on.
;)
AWA
