Not sure if anyone else is using "target" links (URLs with an embedded pound sign "#") to take searchers to specific areas of a page, but these appear not to work properly in AdWords. We use these extensively to take individual searchers to a specific part of the page so they can see the item number they're searching on right on the screen, rather than having to scroll down a potentially long page.
For example, we promote cell phones and have anchor links embedded in the page for each phone and each carrier. To send someone directly to the phone section, we use this URL: [example.com...]
The insidious thing about this is that using the URL in AdWords produces no errors and, in fact, it works properly in the AdWords campaign management when you test the link. However, seeing very low conversion rates lately, I decided to test the actual ad by doing the search and clicking on the link in my paid ad. Sure enough, everything after the pound sign was dropped and the visitor is taken to the top of the page instead of the targeted link.
I don't know if this has ever worked properly, but it would certainly explain why our conversion rates have been so low for the last few months on these types of links. I believe we are entitled to some credit for these ads not working properly and I believe Google needs to fix this ASAP.
Is anyone else here using these kinds of links in their Google ads?
Thanks,
-Chris
[edited by: eWhisper at 2:39 am (utc) on Oct. 6, 2004]
[edit reason] Changed link to example.com [/edit]
boylan13, perhaps you would consider writing from within your account, providing details as what is happening and where (i.e. the campaigns and Ad Groups involved) - and ask that the email be forwarded to the tech team at the request of AdWordsAdvisor. An actual example would be very helpful in tracking down what is happening.
AWA
Thanks for the reply. I already sent the complaint from within AdWords last night and have not received a reply to that complaint. Although one of my ads did get taken offline due to an unrelated display URL problem, and I also mentioned the problem in the reply e-mail. Earlier today, the editor who replied to my offline ad told me she also forwarded my URL complaint to the tech team.
We use this linking technique for probably 10% to 15% of our ads, which means this problem has impacted at least $15,000 worth of advertising (possibly much more). I've shut down all of the impacted ads until this gets resolved.
An example is very simple - set up any AdWords ad with a # in the URL, like, for example:
[example.com...]
Test the URL in AdWords - works as expected. Do a real Google search that would display that ad and, although the pound sign is visible in the properties of the ad URL, it is truncated when the user actually clicks through to the site.
I'd appreciate any additional input or help in getting this resolved quickly.
Regards,
-Chris
[edited by: eWhisper at 2:40 am (utc) on Oct. 6, 2004]
[edit reason] Changed link to example.com [/edit]
