Top 3 PPC: Where does AdWords Rank for You

Rank 'Em

[RockSolidWes]

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords (#1 by leaps and bounds)
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN adCenter
2) Google AdWords
3) Yahoo Search Marketing

Ease of Use
1) MSN adCenter
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) Google AdWords (They change all the time, and require constant care to manage accounts. Learning curve is very high for new users.)

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Google
3) Yahoo

Technical Support
1) MSN (The support staff getting better every day. At first they were had to look stuff up all the time)
2) Google
3) Yahoo

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

versatile
1) AdWords
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

Overall
1) AdWords
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Best Thing About Each Service
AdWords - Level of sophistication. Smartest and most relevant advertiser can win -- not just the person with the biggest pocket book.
MSN - Very easy. Recommended for beginners.
Yahoo – If you don’t have a lot of time to manage accounts, you can pretty much place your bid and leave it alone if you got deep pockets. You’ll be able to get number one with bid price alone. Don’t have to worry too much about CTR so you can qualify your visitors more with adText.

Worst Thing About Each Service
AdWords – Unexpected changes to a ‘computer algorithm’ can change the game fast.
MSN – Interface not for those with large accounts.
Yahoo – Human reviews are often inconsistent. Their policy seems to be interpreted differently by each reviewer.

[RhinoFish]

Nice, I agree almost entirely. But your ease of use seems way off to me. When I look at the speed of account creation and campaign setup, choice of beginner or regular account, ease of keyword list creation and entry, room for lots of ad group plus campaign negatives, CPA and CPM and site blocking and other targeting choices options, error checking (of things users enter), tools and utilities, ability to paste lists, report flexibility and simplicity, ability to manage bids quickly and efficiently, dayparting settings, options for budget and ad delivery and many, many other items - I conclude that AdWords blows the others COMPLETELY away for 'ease of use'.

Good stuff you posted though, and I think it's a good way to help users decide where to start and where to focus their time and money.

[RockSolidWes]

Agreed. I was focusing on Ease of Use for new beginners, to train and get started.

But I totally agree, once you learn the ropes it is so much more easier to manage an account and make changes in AdWords.

Ease of Use should have two categories:

Ease of Use: Learning Curve
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google

Ease of Use: Manage Your Account after Learning Curve
1) AdWords
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

[AdWordsAdvisor]

I hope you don't mind my jumping in, RockSolidWes, and complimenting you on an outstanding topic. This is the sort of conversation that attracted me to WebmasterWorld in the first place, years ago.

I hope lots of folks weigh in.

AWA

[bostonseo]

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords (#1 by leaps and bounds)
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN adCenter
2) Google AdWords
3) Yahoo Search Marketing

Ease of Use
1) Yahoo
2) Google
3) MSN

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Yahoo/Google a tie

Technical Support
1) Yahoo
2) MSN/Google tie

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Yahoo/Google tie
2) MSN

versatile
1) Yahoo
2) Google
3) MSN

Overall
1) MSN
2) Yahoo/Google tie

[beren]

This is a good topic, but are you kidding about the Ease of Use for MSN? It's horrible, very difficult to use.

My Answers (pretty similar to OP's):

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN adCenter
2) Google AdWords
3) Yahoo Search Marketing

Ease of Use
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Google
3) Yahoo

Technical Support
1) Google
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

versatile
1) AdWords
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

Overall
1) MSN
2) AdWords
3) Yahoo

Best Thing About Each Service
AdWords - Versatile. Many options. Good reports. Easy to use.
MSN - No affiliates! Therefore, lowest cost per action.
Yahoo – Gets you valuable yahoo.com traffic.

Worst Thing About Each Service
AdWords – Some bad affiliates, although they look good compared to Yahoo.
MSN – Bad interface. Hard to manage and control.
Yahoo – Huge number of low quality affiliates and getting worse all the time. Yahoo.com makes up only 20% of clicks. Many too many parked domains make up about half of clicks. Also, can't run more than one creative per word.

[ebuilder]

I'll put in my 2 cents, no make that $10.00.

Traffic Volume
1) Google
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google

Ease of Use
1) Google
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google (By a long shot)

Technical Support
1) Yahoo
2) MSN
3) Google (A definite no show in this category)

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

versatile
1) Google
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

To summarize:

1) Google has the trafic
2) Yahoo has the conversions
3) MSN has the customer support

Give me MSN/Yahoo platter over Googles Drive By Users

[koncept]

OK, here goes...

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN adCenter
2) Google
3) Yahoo
(but all fairly close)

Ease of Use
1) Google
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google (due to highest prices)

Technical Support
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google (more people please, less automated emails)

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google AdWords
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

versatile
1) MSN
2) Google
3) Yahoo

Overall
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google

I put google at the bottom for overall, due to factors not weighed in on here... such as reliability, stability, and consistancy. Plus, click fraud... Google scores lowest for that one too.

God bless PPC.

[briggidere]

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN adCenter
2) Google AdWords
3) Yahoo Search Marketing

Ease of Use
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Google
3) Yahoo

Technical Support
1) Yahoo
2) MSN
3) Google

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

versatile
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Overall
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

[AdWordsAdvisor]

This is such an interesting thread that I'll be passing on the URL in this week's Advertiser Feedback Report - so hundreds of folks here at Google will see it.

I hope that a bunch more of you will post before then (then = Thursday around 10:00 pm), because you'll have a big audience.

Really good stuff, here.

AWA

[flobaby]

I used to be pro-Google all the way, until QS happened, now they're at the bottom of the pile...

Traffic Volume
1) MSN adCenter
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) Google (until July 12, hands down #1)

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN adCenter
2) Google (used to be #1 but now they don't want my money...even so, still better than Yahoo)
3) Yahoo

Ease of Use
1) Google
2,3 tie) Yahoo Search Marketing & MSN

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Google
3) Yahoo

Technical Support
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google AdWords
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Versatile
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Overall
1) MSN
2) Yahoo
3) Google (would be #1, but now I'm bitter)

Best Thing About Each Service
AdWords - Exceptional interface and tools. Easy to get new campaigns running. High CTRs and conversions before clicks became $10.

MSN - LOVE the low prices and conversion is good. Also, seems like a low occurence of fake clicks. Wish they had more traffic, or I'd skip Yahoo altogether. Lastly, they actually called me about a customer service problem and fixed it quick.

Yahoo – Love the no-guessing about where I'll rank in the listings. They too called to rectify a customer service thing and also fixed it quick.

Worst Thing About Each Service
AdWords – They decided to eschew my sites despite great CTRs and conversions. I'm soooo mad about this, can you tell?

MSN – Slowest interface around and logs you out too quickly.

Yahoo – Their clicks are overpriced and often from bogus sources. Hate that there's no geo-targeting so many wasted clicks due to that alone. Also, their review process can be terrible, but at least they're generous with refunds when they screw up.

[npang]

should someone make this an automated poll - much easier to view the results. but the results are AWESOME - thanks!

[gregbo]

Yahoo – Their clicks are overpriced and often from bogus sources. Hate that there's no geo-targeting so many wasted clicks due to that alone.

Since geotargeting doesn't work reliably, you may be better off than if you were paying for it and getting the same poor results.

[ebuilder]

Thursday night must be darts and beer night at the plex. Heh, who wants to discuss the latest advertiser satisfaction reports, nah, lets eat wings and drink beer instead.Wait there is this really cool thread I want you to read over at Webmasterworld, nah, lets eat wings and drink beer instead. Ok, what the hell, as long as the stock is over $300 I'm goooooood to go.....Wait what if it it dips below $300.00? We have to send out customer satisfaction surveys to seem as though we give a rats ass...Where is the CEO, oh he is over there kissing Jobs ass...He must really dislike Bill Gates and Microsoft and I think he may be a liberal what t=with the Al Gore #*$! and all......Oh well, it beats bowling.....I can't stand the smoke and pickled eggs, goodnight, I have a massage appointment at 9. Gotta run. But all in all I should give props to the G and the 500k I made using there beta machine....

[ryanfromaustin]

Whoa, we must be using different services. Anyway, I'll play:

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) Yahoo Search Marketing
2) Google AdWords
3) MSN adCenter

Ease of Use
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) Google
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

Technical Support
1) Google
2) Google
3) Google
4) Yahoo is getting better just because we got a good new account manager
5) MSN does not deserve to make this list. Their reps are nice, but they don't have a clue what is going on.

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

versatile
1) AdWords
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

Overall
1) AdWords
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

[kevgibbo]

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) Google AdWords
2) MSN adCenter
3) Yahoo Search Marketing

Ease of Use
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo (I find Yahoo awful for ease of use, Google is far more intuitive)

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Technical Support
1) Yahoo
2) MSN
3) Google

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

versatile
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Overall
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

[PPC_Summit]

Here's my vote:

Traffic Volume
1) Google AdWords
2) Yahoo Search Marketing
3) MSN adCenter

Quality of Click (Based on conversion data)
1) MSN adCenter
2) Google AdWords
3) Yahoo Search Marketing

Ease of Use
1) Yahoo
2) Google
3) MSN

Lowest Cost per Conversion (Lowest is better)
1) MSN
2) Google
3) Yahoo

Technical Support
1) Yahoo
2) MSN
3) Google

Has the Options for Your Needs
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

versatile
1) Google
2) MSN
3) Yahoo

Overall
1) Google
2) Yahoo
3) MSN

The MSN interface is just too buggy, but it's getting better everyday. I think they're going to give Google and Yahoo a run for their money. Once they get a better volume of traffic (and the key here is good traffic) they'll really be a viable option.

I think with Panama, Yahoo will really step back into the game, now if they can just get rid of some of their crummy partners, we'll all be happy.