Best way to track ROI of specific campaigns/keywords?

[tomld2]

As I first started on Adwords I was just worried about tracking adwords as a whole, but as I expand to dozens of campaigns and thousands of keywords, what's the best way to track the ROI of specific keywords and campaigns? Does googles built in ROI tracker do a good job of this? I assume to enable it I just need to add their tracking code to my order confirmation pages?

Thanks
Tom

[ragtop2004]

Tom

We've not used Google or Overture's traking system. I'd prefer not to share with our advertising vendors the degree of success we've seen. Of course lack of success I'll share all the time.

What we have done is to add unique tracking codes to each ad URL. For example to identify a Google ad we'll add?s=1 to the end of URL. That tracking code is then stored into a database so we can track visitors. If a visitor converts... that same tracking code is stored into the database to track conversion rates as well.

Mike

[tomld2]

Your method however doesn't track individual keywords, which would be necessary for proper ROI tracking. Anyway to track both campaigns and keywords? Does googles built in tracking do this?

[sem4u]

Yes it does. You do not even need to add tracking URLs just some code (and a graphic) to your confirmation pages.

[ragtop2004]

Tom,

We actually go beyond a single tracking code going instead down to the specific search phrase. For example let's say that the searcher searched on "alarm clocks". The url that we'd have might be www.Clocks-R-Us.com?searchengine=google&campaign=clocks&keywrd=alarm_clocks

The & ties together multiple tracking codes. The full URL is stored and parsed so we can track the Search Engine, campaign and keyword results.

So far this seems to be the best way to tie down the results of the PPC efforts.

Mike

[tomld2]

Mike that sounds like a good solution. So do you have to manually create that link URL for EACH keyword to pass the phrase or is it automatic?

How do you view your results? Are they stored in a database and viewable?

I DESPERATELY need some better traffic, my current affiliate system that I am using for tracking is terrible.

What I would like is something that tracks the total sales and the sales/conversion by campaign and keyword and presented in an easily viewable form. I have looked at existing services but the prices are up to $1000 a month for the volume I do. Can anyone assist me in setting up a tracking solution to track conversions for my adwords campaigns?

Thanks
Tom

[ragtop2004]

-So do you have to manually create that link URL for EACH keyword to pass the phrase or is it automatic? -

We've manually added each of the the tracking codes to the various keyword campaigns.

-How do you view your results? Are they stored in a database and viewable? -

When a visitor comes to our site, we look at the URL that they land on and provide them with a cookie that I believe stores that landing URL or an encrypted version of it. Then when the visitor converts i.e. completes a purchase or form or whatever we're tracking as a conversion, we read the cookie, parse the tracking codes and add that information to the record that includes the particular conversion.

With the information in a database we then report on the data to analyze what's working and what's not.

[moneymancn]

We use Hypertracker and Index Tools combined.
Looks like HT might do what you want though.

MM

[tomld2]

Does Hypertracker have ability to track individual PPC keywords without a new URL for each? And can you track ROI by inputting your carts variable for the order total within the trackings script?