We want to ensure that your keywords get a fair chance to run and that we do all we can to properly gauge their performance. Therefore, borderline keywords slightly below our minimum clickthrough rate (CTR) of 0.5% may accrue at least 1000 impressions or more, depending on their actual performance.
Okay, so now like a lot of advertisers, I've suddenly got kw's on hold.
I posted here recently that I had targeted a very specific ad at the Australian market using highly specialised medical kw's. Traffic volumes were and are still are so low as to almost make it not worthwhile doing.
Now I see that one of these ultra-specific terms is on hold, based on the following:
All time (two weeks) is 5 clicks via 344 impressions giving a ctr of 1.4%. Obviously these results include traffic/clicks from the Content & Search Network (because very annoyingly G will not provide results for its own performance!).
However, in this instance there are no other advertisers using the kw on google.com.au. So, compared to what is this kw put on hold?
The kw is so obscure that it rarely gets searched for - just 344 times in two weeks across Google Australia & their entire content & search network. That strikes me as being borderline...
How can I improve its performance when it's in the number one spot - and I'm the only advertiser using it?
How can Google determine the performance of a kw that no-one else is using?
If we don't have much keyword data to work with, we increase our predicted CTR to give your keyword the benefit of the doubt.
How does raising the predicted CTR give the benefit of the doubt? Shouldn't that read "lowering"?
And to repeat; why won't Google give us their own performance metrics - still?
Obviously this particular, and very specialised kw is working elsewhere, but not on Google. If kw's don't perform on Content, I can drop this as an option. Isn't it about time then that I was allowed to drop Google from the Network options when in some instances it obviously isn't bringing me the results that the Search and Content Network are?
Goodness, when adwords is good it's very, very good, and when it's bad it's horrid!
AAarrgghh! </rant finished>
Syzygy
No comments?
Syzygy
First of all, how can they predict a kw's evolution in your account if you haven't previously used it? Yes, maybe others have, but with a different ad, different purposes, etc. It is somehow illogical, but you can only "take it or leave it" . Unfortunately..
About "benefit of a doubt" : they mantain the 0.5 CTR threshold, but increase your predicted CTR (if they predict CTR=.45 - they would increase it and let your kw run). So it's either an increase in your predicted CTR, or a decrease in the threshold CTR...
Yes, Google should do something. But they can afford not to. What can you do? Drop Google and move to Overture and others? They also have some disadvantages.
If we had another three options like Google, the situation could have been different.
But it's not.
