Public Keyword Prices?

[woop01]

Threads like this are what scare advertisers away from Adsense. What legitimate reason could you have for this information?

[beren]

^
Yes, that might be true in the long run. I think part of the reason Google AdSense is upsetting advertisers is that AdWords was such a quality service, and only recently has deteriorated.

For one of my campaigns, the CPC is literally 100 times higher on Google AdWords than on Kanoodle and Ah-ha, and that’s because advertisers (me and the competitors) have learned the relative worth of the clicks. AdWords got you real potential customers searching on AOL, Ask Jeeves, Netscape, while the minor PPC programs got you a lot of trash clicks.

Now with AdSense, Google AdWords affiliates include sites created by Jim Bob sitting home on disability insurance looking to make a little pocket money. And paying the high CPC for fraud just isn’t worth it.

I think the solution is for advertisers to create separate campaigns for search sites and content sites and to set the maximum bid for content sites significantly lower. Right now, I suspect many of my competitors haven’t woken up to AdWords’ deterioration, so if I advertised on the content sites at an acceptable CPC, my ads would never show up. But in the long run, things will reach an equilibrium. Of course, that supposes that SOME of the AdSense affiliates are worthy. Because even Kanoodle and Ah-ha occasionally brings in a real customer, but in my experience, AdSense has been a total bust.

[alika]

Of course, that supposes that SOME of the AdSense affiliates are worthy.

Wow -- such a heavy hitting statement there.

[loanuniverse]

Yes, that might be true in the long run. I think part of the reason Google AdSense is upsetting advertisers is that AdWords was such a quality service, and only recently has deteriorated.

Beren, I see no factual evidence of this. In fact, The Lord of the Adwords Manor just came in favor of content site advertising. Have you been reading the same forum that I have?

For one of my campaigns, the CPC is literally 100 times higher on Google AdWords than on Kanoodle and Ah-ha, and that’s because advertisers (me and the competitors) have learned the relative worth of the clicks.

First, you are welcome to compare Adwords to 2nd tier programs, but that would just be another mistake. Second, Google's clout with 150,000 advertisers is upsetting your pricing equation.

[edited by: loanuniverse at 11:09 pm (utc) on Nov. 25, 2003]

[beren]

What are you talking about, loanuniverse? Yes, I said Google AdWords was better than 2nd tier PPCs, and that's why advertisers were willing to pay higher CPCs. Now with many more affiliates, the disparity isn't so great. Google isn't so superior anymore. The pricing hasn't yet come into an equilibirum that reflects the decline in AdWords quality.

[europeforvisitors]

Of course, that supposes that SOME of the AdSense affiliates are worthy. Because even Kanoodle and Ah-ha occasionally brings in a real customer, but in my experience, AdSense has been a total bust.

Have you thought of hiring a copywriter? There's something to be said for having a professional write your ads, especially if you're unfamiliar with writing copy for a "content audience."

Or maybe you're just in an industry that has no real content sites. That's hard to believe, but I suppose it's possible.