Declining Google Impressions

[GetReal]

Our Google impressions for critical keywords have dropped significantly since the beginning of the year. I’ve been looking at potential causes for these declines. We currently have many of our top keywords with quality scores of 10/10, CTR’s similar to our traffic in the beginning of the year, our CPC are in line with other top competitors, and our budgets are significant for handle much larger traffic. I’ve used the Google AdPreview tool to make sure our ads are being shown. We come up consistently using this tool, with our main keywords. Yet our impressions and subsequent clicks are down significantly since May.

So my question is it possible to have all my ducks lined up, (Quality score, CTR, budgets, etc.) and yet still see a decline in traffic? Are there parameters that affect impressions that are out of the advertiser’s control?

[LucidSW]

There's not much you can do about impressions. If people stop searching on your keywords, they stop. Is your product/service seasonal? That might explain it. Is it a high-priced type of product that, in this recession, people will put off buying till later?

Sometimes, it's hard to explain these things. Just yesterday, a client (a landscape designer) complained that clicks are much lower this month. I thought impressions were down but they're not. CTR is just half this month what it was last month. Not much has changed, in fact, nothing has. People just decided not to click this month.

[SanDiego Art]

Most businesses experience seasonality... Have you looked at past years to see if there is a similiar decline? Think swimsuits in the summer vs. winter. Or ski equipment in the winter vs. summer.

In LucidSW's example: Landscaping in September/October most likely doesn't see the CTR in Spring-Summer months b/c people don't need the service as much. (getting cold, not outside as much, plants die during the winter, grass doesn't grow as much, etc...)

[AdWordsAdvisor]

Is your product/service seasonal? That might explain it. Is it a high-priced type of product that, in this recession, people will put off buying till later?

Most businesses experience seasonality... Have you looked at past years to see if there is a similiar decline?

Very good points - and these (free) tools may prove to be of some use in that regard, GetReal.

Google Trends
[google.com...]

Insights for Search
[google.com...]

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I am going to tag a note on some of my posts today and tomorrow to mention that I will be away from AdWords all of next week. My goal is not go to any AdWords related site at all (including my work email!) for as long as possible during that time - in an effort to get refreshed a bit. It'll be a challenge, believe me - and it will mean that I am neither reading nor posting here all of next week.

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AWA

[LucidSW]

> Think swimsuits in the summer vs. winter.

Strange you mention that. I have a client who has a swimsuit line and they do better in the winter than the summer. He says it's always been that way. I can't explain it.

[AdWordsAdvisor]

I can't explain it.

His customers hang their stylish new swimsuit next to their full length mirror as a Winter inspiration to eat lightly? ;)

AWA

[GetReal]

What’s really odd is I promote swimsuits as well….

No just kidding…

Mucho thanks for all that contributed….most certainly appreciated…

I have checked the last three year’s data, and our traffic is well below what we’ve experienced in the past…could be seasonal, could be I’ve killed the Google search partners from our listing, not sure, but I’ll continue to work it…

AdWordMan, thanks for your input, I’ll start to look at the Google Trends & Insight tools to see what I can uncover…