Separate Campaign on Google for Content Network ONLY

can you do it?

[CaliGirl Abroad]

Hello,

Great forum! I'll make this quick, although no doubt as a new member I will be a nuisance here for awhile to come :-D

Are you allowed to set up a campaign on Google and ONLY opt in to the content network?

Thanks,

CaliGirl

[DamonHD]

Hi,

Welcome to WW!

The minimum you can appear on for your purposes is Content Network and Google's own Search.

However, if you select manual bidding and use low enough bids then you will in practice never appear on Google Search.

Note, though, that NONE of your ads will get shown until manually approved by G in that case, whereas you would get at least some stats/feedback (eg CTR) from the Google Search ads immediately.

Rgds

Damon

[TMF_Melissa]

I think you are mistaken. I currently run seperate campagins - search vs. content. With no issues.

Hint: Make sure you put up some graphic ads - the exposure isn't huge depending on your product etc but the CTR is much better then the text ads and I'm finding the conversion is higher as well.

[Khensu]

If you copy the content/search campaign and then split them do they retain the keyword history and pricing? I am looking to run both during the day and only content overnight.

[robertskelton]

In Edit Campaign Settings, you can select either content, search, or both.

What you cannot do is select Search network without selecting Google search as well.

[DamonHD]

Hi

You will *always* run on Google's own search pages whatever you select (unless you set your bids very low as I suggested) IMHO.

Rgds

Damon

[CaliGirl Abroad]

Thanks for the feedback.

My rational behind having two copies of the same campaign (one just on search and the other just on content) was so that I could track conversions seperately by setting different urls - but I guess that's not going to work!

So here's another question, is there another/better way of going about it that anyone is willing to share?

Thanks!

Cali

[Khensu]

Damon

If check only content you will end up on Google Search too?

Does a duplicated adgroup or campaign still retain the search and content keyword history of the original?

[jdancing]

Good question, because of poor ROI compared to search many webmasters opt out of the content network.

[fischermx]

DamonHD:
That's an old advise, I mean, that's the way it used to work, but things have changed.
A user can easly setup a campaign that will run on network sites only. I have six campagins like that. No google search, no search network.

Just setup your campaign like this:
[ ]Google search When users search for my keywords on Google
[ ]Search network When users search for my keywords on Google's search partners
[X]Content network When users visit sites that match my ad on Google's content network
[X]Content bids Let me set separate prices for content clicks

[rbacal]

I just checked adwords interface, and darned if you CAN deselect the google search option.

I could have sworn this wasn't possible before, but there it is.

It only seems to complain if you don't select any network.

Didn't try to save the prefs, but it looks like you can do it.

[Cladson]

If I'm not mistaken, this has been an option ever since they introduced separate content bids.

[DamonHD]

Hi,

OK, maybe things have changed, but I just set up a new campaign (within the last fortnight) and didn't see that possibility.

I'll check later today. Interesting.

I believe that half my answer is still right at least: that you'll have to wait for manual review before ads will show up anywhere otehr than Google's own search...

Rgds

Damon

[fischermx]

I just set up a new campaign (within the last fortnight) and didn't see that possibility.

Didn't see the posibility of click a checkbox? :)
Well, honestly those option are not thrown in your face in the campaign setup, but they are there, on the right side.

[Khensu]

I am just saying you can geo, time and keyword target both content and search separately to get the best performance out of both.

[MikaelTC]

CaliGirl,
You can add custom elements to your url using the destination url box. For example, you can add a tag to differentiate search vs. content traffic with "...?source={ifsearch:search}{ifcontent:content}"

Then, when someone clicks on a search ad, the url that will be passed to your analytics is "http://www...?source=search" and you can sort it however you like.

[CaliGirl Abroad]

MikaelTC,

Great, thanks for the info, that is exactly what I was looking for!

Cali

[edited by: CaliGirl_Abroad at 2:38 pm (utc) on Aug. 25, 2006]