Keyword matching options vs. content placements

keyword matching options,content placements

[akatinic]

Question: How do keyword matching options interact with content placements?

In the following scenario, where will my ads appear:
--Networks: Search and managed placement content
--Keyword: broad match = arkansas hair salons (hypothetically speaking)
--Managed placement: example.com (which is all about hair salons, including some in Arkansas)

Will my ad only run on pages about *Arkansas* hair salons, or will it run sitewide? If I want it only to run on pages about Arkansas hair salons, should I be using phrase match instead?

[LucidSW]

For the content network, automatic placement, a theme is determined by your keywords. Your ads are shown on pages of sites that match that theme.

If you use the managed placement, you are telling Adwords you only want your ads to show on the sites you specify. You should not use keywords. However, if you also have keywords, your ads will show on the sites you specify but only if pages within that site match your theme. It may therefore not have the intended effect.

As for match types for content network campaigns, it doesn't matter. You should only use one type and most people use broad match. You should also only have 5 to 20 tightly related keywords. Negatives apparently have an effect as well in determining your theme.

[akatinic]

Thanks. That partly answers the question, but there's still a point I'm unclear on.

Case in point: My ads are titled "Arkansas hair salon." I used managed content placements to target sites about hair salons. My keywords are all variants of "Arkansas hair salon" (broad match, all including the word Arkansas).

What I have observed is that my ads are showing up on pages about, say, Florida hair salons, choosing a hair salon, etc.--not just pages about *Arkansas* hair salons.

Is there any way (other than designating specific URLs within each site) to limit my ads to pages about *Arkansas* hair salons? I was thinking if I used phrase matching for "Arkansas hair salons," ads would only appear on pages that matched that phrase. But what you say suggests that isn't so.

[koncept]

Why not limit your ads geographically to arkansas? I assume you want to target people who are actually looking for a hair salon in Arkansas and that would do the trick.

And really, how many sites do you think are specifically about arkansas hair salons AND running adsense?

[akatinic]

Thanks, koncept, but in my peculiar case it wouldn't work, because I'm already using geotargeting to *exclude* Arkansas.

I realize that this makes no sense in the context of the fictitious hair salon example. The real product, however, is one that is (a) always booked in advance and (b) sold both to residents and to tourists. The advertiser wants to target tourists specifically, hence the use of geotargeting.