For example, I might bid on "blue widgets", but then google should see that your CTR when broad matched for "high quality blue widgets" is 10% and your CTR for "cheap blue widgets" is 2% and then automatically optimize the rank of ads accordingly, and not simply take the average of all broad matched phrases.
Having to manually type in negative keywords because Google's AdWords search engine isn't fast enough seems kind of sub-optimal.
Obviously we should still be able to come in after the fact and still apply negative keywords, but it seems silly that we are doing all the heavy lifting..
I also have to say that for me the value of negative keywords are debateable. It's very challenging measuring incremental improvements or declines in CPA/CTR/etc as a factor of keyword manipulation because of the already volatile nature of PPC marketing.
However, I would have to disagree that "the value of negative keywords is debateable"...
Having added a list of ~180 general negative keywords & ~50 industry-specific keywords to a number of client campaigns, CTR has increased & average CPC is less =>
Better quality visitors at lower cost = greater ROI
Using negative keywords to compensate for AdWord's inability to measure CTR on an exact phrase by phrase basis when you are broad matching is of value much in the way hobbiling around on crutches is your only alternative.
Also, making minor non obvious negative keyword additions is usually the work of an artist rather than a tradesman. I was just trying to say that where one person might see an improvement in CTR/CPA .. another might see seasonal purchasing or organic growth.
It's just a machine. It can only react to data. Only humans really know what is relevant.
But It does require quite a bit of time and reserach to do it right. I usually get 500-100 negatives that apply acrooss a campaign and use the negative keyword tool to save time on the general negatives that apply. Then go in and add more specific at the ad group level.
I think with a limited character Space in the ad (less than overture) you NEED to use negatives. In overture the Ad can weed out the bad traffic for you.
Let's say I only had one keyword in my campaign:
blue widgets
Because there is no [] or "" this is broad matched.
Lets say it broad matches: "blue widgets", "free blue widgets", "Expensive blue widgets"
Google, internally, should automatically record the CTR for each phrase and rank you accordingly. Lets say your store is called "High Quality Blue Widgets", it doesn't make sense that you should get dragged down by the poor CTR that you are getting on "free blue widgets" when you're getting such a great CTR on "expensive blue widgets".
And if you don't want "free blue widgets" traffic, use negative keywords or exact match. That's how it works (& how it *should* work IMHO).
I get pissed with google every day.
Do you ever notice that some words with a CTR over 1% get disabled? It makes me think they are in over their heads.
cut/Paste everything from the keyword tool into our campaigns so that CTR gets appropiately assigned to the right phrase, thus really making the whole point of broad match go away.
If you ever get irrelevant results in AdWords it's probably because something is ranked highly because it's 'borrowing' CTR from a bunch of other phrases matching the same broad match and have high CTR.
