My AdWords account is very simple. I have BLOGGER as a search term.
If you use Google to search, everything works fine. Searches like "blogger sites" or whatever display my ad. Searches on "blog" or whatever do not show my ad --just the way it should work.
I noticed today that I am getting traffic from AOL, Jeeves and everyone else on search terms with "blog" anywhere in the title.
So I have to pay for this crap? My bill last month for AdWords was over $800, so I'm pretty sensitive about what I pay for.
Now I guess I'll have to go into my AdWords account and take out my authorization for content targeting since they obviously don't seem to be getting this right.
Here's a few more that came in while I was typing, each one costing me money:
new+blogg
whats a blog?
<"blog" as a partial string in a domain name> - edit
You get the idea. About twenty like this in a couple of minutes.
[edited by: tedster at 5:17 am (utc) on Dec. 16, 2003]
Yes, it is wrong of google's search partners to cheat by using content ads on SERPs instead of search ads in order to get higher CPCs.
Google has no control over content targeting?
I don't understand this since Google should just be passing on the parameters to other search engines. When I turn off content targeting, it stops immediately.
If they can't control what happens, why bother giving us users the ability to target and to allow content targeting? Why not call it shotgun targeting?
Shouldn't Google have a large disclaimer: "We have no control over what happens --except we are damn good at controlling the billings you get." Seems to me that when you click on "content targeting" you should get a message that says "forget about the search terms you just entered."
My keyword is "<snip>"
I don't see any excuse for my ad appearing at Netscape with this search someone did:
"<snip>"
[edited by: tedster at 5:10 am (utc) on Dec. 16, 2003]
[edit reason] no specifics, please [/edit]
If your keyword is not in quotes "phrase match", or in braces [exact match], then you are using broad match. If this is the case, the problem is not content targeting at all. AOL, and Netscape, Ask Jeeves, etc. are Search Partners, showing results based on search terms.
I'm not sure why you aren't seeing the same ads on Google, but I would guess by putting your keyword in quotes, you could avoid the problem.
-Archie
To Archie's comments I'd add that you'll want to consider creating a list of negative keywords, for the searches you do not want to appear on.
For a start, based on what you've said above, the list should begin with:
-blog
-blogg
-blogspot
and so forth.
This'll go a long way towards eliminating ad appearance for keyword searches you deem inappropriate.
It's worth mentioning that negatives work for both broad and "phrase matched" keywords. They apply to all keywords in the Ad Group, BTW.
AWA
I have used braces, quotes and negatives for getting exactly what I want in ad campaigns. Having the term BLOGGER works perfectly within Google for getting every variation in which the word BLOGGER appears (other than the negative I mentioned earlier).
Now, I really don't see how blogspot is a legitimate return on BLOGGER. The fact is, it is not a proper return and is not returned with a Google search. It apparently is returned with AOL, Netscape, Jeeves and the other search partners. My solution is to turn off content targeting. Trying to prepare a list of every possible combination and every possible exclusion does not seem like a viable solution. Why should you have to list -blogspot with the search term blogger? If that is the case, something is very, very wrong.
