I finally decided to re-enable -all- keywords I've used since I started this campaign on the 3rd (I believe). I figured maybe it would show me which were in trial and which were on hold, or maybe "disabled", since I've never seen those in this campaign but most of my "ad diagnostics" searches say I'm slowed because CTR is too low. I'm hoping I can then find the KWs, and then change them to more appropriate matches, thus still preserving the ability to be found by these necessary but expensive KWs.
So, I re-enabled and they all show as "Normal" - a standard Google search for a previously "slowed" phrase or phrase with generic words added to it which used to be disabled does yield my ad, and more-or-less in the position the estimator expects it to be. However, the ad diagnostic tool tells me (for the specific ad I see on the search page) that "Our system is experiencing technical difficulties" instead of whether or not my ad is show. Screenshot available at:
[home.earthlink.net...]
I thought you all might like to see this, at least it proves I'm not completley nuts ;) I'd email technical support about it, but I'm not interested in waiting 5 days to get a cut & paste page out of the knowledgebase on "Optimizing My Keywords".
Interesting, while I've been writing this and prepping the screenshot, my account stats have updated (campaign - the "keyword stats" haven't changed in 4 hours except for the additions and deletions I've made) - not a single change to impressions or clicks. I know I've seen it at least three times from Google searches, and I know I've seen -my- ad because it's got some unique wording no other ad would have. That, and it links to my site...
With "blue widget" in my KW list (as a phrase match), and the word "purchase" not even in my deleted list, I get:
(running the Ad Diagnostic tool without quotes, quotes shown only for readability)
"blue widget" - ad shown but not on first page
"purchase" - no ads match search term
"purchase blue widget" - does not meet CTR, slowed
There must be some third "secret" metric Google tracks to block me from being found under all but the most generic searches - i.e. "blue", "widget", or "blue widget". Although adding the word "purchase" to the search term would make the search more specific on paper, we all know that's not of course the case.
I've tried adding "purchase blue widget" as a phrase as well as exact match, it won't show any status but "Normal" - which it obviously isn't.
If I cancelled this account and came back in a few months, would this bias still exist? Does anyone have any experience with this? I need to be able to specify "purchase regular blue wiget maintenance" as a phrase or exact match, and have it shown - if I can't, I don't want the hits for "purchase blue widget".
