We pay for 'widgets', Google show on 'wodgets'...

Can they do this...

[pardo]

Checking up a clients performance of their ad campaign this morning and comparing the stats with the logfiles I noticed some really strange behavior:

Our ad on 'widget' is shown when 'wodget' is used as a keyword. Wodget is related to widget but we have not selected it on purpose for the company is not selling wodgets, they sell widgets.

This is causing 2 problems:
1. the adwords statistics are by far not accurate anymore
2. our client has to pay for non-converting keywords that are picked by Google Adwords themselves.

Anyone experiencing the same problem...?

[mike_ppc]

I have 2 ideas:

1/ If you bid on "widget" - broadmatched - that could be the result of expanded match.

2/ "wodget" could simply be a misspelling of "widget"

[pardo]

It's definately no misspelling.

It's like having a fruit store only selling apples and ananas. We have words like 'apples', 'apple', 'apple type 1', 'apple type 2'...

But now Google is showing the ad that is specified for 'apple' on 'bananas' and 'oranges'...

[Shak]

pardo

are you bidding broad "phrase" or [exact]

?

Shak

[pardo]

broad matches.

[sem4u]

It is either this:

1/ If you bid on "widget" - broadmatched - that could be the result of expanded match.

Or the clicks may be from sites in the content network?

<Edit - or something else that I can't think of right now...>

[edited by: sem4u at 8:47 am (utc) on May 17, 2005]

[HitProf]

There's your answer. Broadmatch causes Google to show your ads on synomyms as well.

[pardo]

Thanks for all help and suggestions!

[Karmatar]

You might get somewhere by listing "wodgets" as a negative keyword to counteract the effect of the broadmatching.

[Tropical Island]

listing "wodgets" as a negative keyword

Surprised it took 8 posts to come up with this solution.

[zeus661]

I am surprised also. EVERY ad I have has negatives in it. Many have more negatives than actual keywords. I thrive on negatives. Many are missing the boat by not using them.

[mike_ppc]

Yes, but can you think of all expanded matches G provides?

Isn't it easier to replace the broadmatch with 2-3 phrase matches?

[HitProf]

easier yes, better no

[Lady_helix]

Hi guys....
I have a much worst nightmare with google adwords. We currently having a meeting on what we can do to increase the traffic in the website.Were running some of the words we use for the campaign and none of them showed up. Even though i used the keyword "ibcjapan" which showed a 1.1 average position it didnt appear on the sponsored links.Actually no compnay showed under the listing at all!
I tried to experiment by increasing the CPC 10x more than what was currently used, and guess what ALL MY KEYWORDS GOT DISABLED! IS THIS SOME KIND OF A JOKE?