According to Googler, we maybe the reason why google is so expensive.
How many of us checked our keywords using our toolbar or going to google.com?
“Every time we do that, along with our competitors, for our top/niche keywords we add an impression”, says Google.
I'm against clicking on competitor ad listings unless for initial research but I know our competitors our clicking our ads. Everyone is doing it. This also increases our avg. cpc.
So then, what is Google's answer to all of this?
“stop,” says Google with an all lower cased letter emphasis, “and use this url to do your checking along with all those within your organization.”
www.google.com/adpreview
In closing, I asked google why I get all their emails about their service and have never received an email, press release etc to all their advertisers and what kind of answer do you think I received.
According to google, “That's a good idea but we only tell people on a case-to-case basis.”
Well, I don't think that is good enough. What are your thoughts?
Mark
If you look on the right side of that page, you'll see that you can subscribe to receive future blog posts by email. Or you can use your favorite RSS reader, of course.
“Every time we do that, along with our competitors, for our top/niche keywords we add an impression”, says Google.
Unless it is a very uncommon term it shouldn't hurt that much.
I'm against clicking on competitor ad listings unless for initial research but I know our competitors our clicking our ads. Everyone is doing it. This also increases our avg. cpc.
Not everyone is doing it and all AdWords advertisers should refrain from doing it to others even once!
If you want to see where the ad takes you then view the source to get the redirect url or copy the url in the ad and paste it in a new browser. I use a toolbar that removes the redirect through Google and takes me to the landing page directly.
No matter what your preference is...don't click the ads...it's just not right to do even if it is your competitor!
But I do agree that more comunication from Google in a proactive way would be nice.
JAG
This is tough to do these days with the crack-down on automated queries. You would get your IP banned real quick for this manipulation.
Google uses other ways to communicate to its advertisers besides just the occasional emails.
Agreed, and thanks for linking to the blog post, Rehan, since I can't. ;)
[...] Well, I don't think that is good enough. What are your thoughts?
namifiers, as I mentioned in another forum in which you also posted your observations, I've talked about the Ad Preview Tool a great many times on this forum, and on others. I actually love getting the word out there, as I think the tool is practical, valuable, and easy-to-use.
In addition to the post mentioned by Rehan, it has actually been discussed at least five other times on the Inside Inside AdWords, going back to late 2006. Although the charter of this forum prevents me from linking to the blog, here are the subject lines and dates of those other five posts, starting with the oldest first:
* View where your ad is showing around the world (Sept 2006)
* New Features in Ads Diagnostic Tool (November 2006)
* Our top 10 of 2006 (January 2007)
* Improved location targeting for the Ad Preview Tool (July 2007)
* A common misconception revisited (October 2007)
All that said, I do tend to agree with you that not enough advertisers are aware of this tool. I'll continue to do what I can to change that, both here and elsewhere. ;)
AWA
www.google.com/adpreview
Well, adpreview tool SUCKS!
The reason - i like to see the competitors landing pages and in adpreview links are disabled.
I'm against clicking on competitor ad listings unless for initial research but I know our competitors our clicking our ads. Everyone is doing it.
Google claims they filter out most of invalid clicks – year right!
Proof:
I was logged in to my MCC, I have a google toolbar installed to see PR. I clicked on my own add, by the way the only click that day for that keyword and google did NOT filtered that click and i had to pay for it.
If google can’t detect that - I feel adwords filtering is a joke! ( I don’t use proxy to change my ip)
Now, I check my competitors’ ads/pages daily and sometimes I click several times to see landing pages under different keywords – just part of the research. And I know my competitors keeping an eye on me also. AND all of these clicks are invalid! My competitors should not pay google for my research, I will not buy anything.
In addition, sometimes we just want to copy shortcut (location in Firefox) and see the code in destination, rather than landing page.
Even Google AdWords specialists sometimes miss it when I ask them to "see" destination URL. Most of them end up with stating "yes" for checking the URL of a landing page, not the actual destination URL of an ad (or keyword).
I am guessing that Google needs some time to technically resolve whatever they need to, in order to make links in a preview tool "live", without recording clicks back to accounts.
That would really help in reducing unnecessary clicks and impressions.
I am guessing that Google needs some time to technically resolve whatever they need to, in order to make links in a preview tool "live", without recording clicks back to accounts.
That would really help in reducing unnecessary clicks and impressions.
When profit conflicts with morality it is seldom that profit looses.
This is a good example of that.
Google is fully aware of the issues with advertiser's clicks, and they been aware of them for a very long time it is part of "Do no evil" (To Adwords Profit) strategy.
google did NOT filtered that click and i had to pay for it.How do you know you did (or will) not get a refund for that specific click?
You can see refunds for invalid clicks in your adwords billing page where you see the invoices.
There is no way to determine if you did or did not get a refund for the specific click.
How do you know you did (or will) not get a refund for that specific click?
Actually i can be sure because:
1)That was a testing account with only 10 clicks that month, and i was responsible for the 2 first clicks in the first 3 days and the other 8 clicks came later that month.
2)Total adjustments and fees are equal to $0 for that month.
I am not a Sherlock Holmes, but i am 99.999999% percent sure i paid for those 2 clicks.
