I am very frustrated, it just seems they don't want our ads.
They complained about lots of things, after we resolved the problems, now they complain about something which has been there since the beginning, but was not complained about.
What is wrong with top-notch? And how the hell can you have third party validation for top-notch? I understand that you might need third party validation for "larges variety" etc, but top-notch?
I've divided every single keyword, each of which are very specific as it is, into a new ad group making sure the key words are all perfectly repeated in the title. Now I can't even open my edit view because it times out - too much stuff on the page to even open it anymore. All this on a cable modem with an amazing computer. I've really had it with Google. I'm considering just giving up and going Overture all the way.
I've been running at about $300 a month for 2 months now on PPC - Google and Overture - but have had not one conversion. Have had maybe 3-5 leads, possibly less. What other options are there? I looked into banner networks, but word on WebmasterWorld seems to discourage this. I'm willing to pay for advertising that works, but don't have the money to throw away on things that don't.
Any advice from non-newbies?
My first question would be, how targeted are your keyword phrases? From what have read on this forum, I think the #1 mistake a newbie makes with adwords is trying to tackle a very popular broad term. Yes, it has a alot of traffic, but the traffic is so general and the comp. is so high that you are doomed to failure. It would be like trying to rank #1 for the term "casino" your first time out doing SEO. Granted with adwords, you can spend your way to the top, but you are still better off starting simple. Find a keyword phrase with less traffic and fewer comp. to get your feet wet with. You will find conversion better, too.
Focused would be the next one. You actually are on the right step with seperating out your keywords. I have found (and I believe that most experienced people here would agree) your ads should average around 6 - 10 keyword phrases each. Each ad keyword groups should be based around one main phrase and the other phrases should be variation of that phrase (misspellings, alternative spellings, additional words). The ad should be focused on that main keyword phrase and should be in the copy at least once (twice if you can get it past the editors).
Now, google will not credit me a double charge. I had one impression and 2 clicks - they said this:
Thank you for your email. Users may occasionally hit the back button and then click on an ad a second time. Our system will count the second click in this instance. Should there be suspicious patterns to the clicks, our system will not count them and will disregard them as click spam.
Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Rob
The Google AdWords Team
So, regardless of the fact that im paying sometimes $1.50 per click, they don't even refund you a double click.
I'm definitely shutting down my google account immediately - that is WHEN i can even reach anyone. I called - they have no phone support. I emailed - they don't respond. I try the site - I get timed-out from so much stuff trying to load.
Overture brings much more interested, targeted clicks to my sites.
I am on the right track with my ads as far as I can see, I am seperating them, but I guess I have just been unlucky. I used "largest", they told me not to, then I used "top-notch", they asked me to stop, and then we had something on our site they didn't like (we have more than 3500 products), and I had to remove it.... this goes on for weeks. And no, we are not selling pornographic material, just computer games.
After they told me they didn't like some products, I started to understand why some people see a potential risk for the world in google, no joke. I actually loved google till last week, and still now, I want to have our ads there ;)
But you may want to think of other ways people may be looking for sites like yours. Check your logs. See what languge your comp have on their site that you don't.
OV may work better. I have some items that sell better through OV than adwords and vice versa. But if I had to guess, if there are 8 advertisers on adwords, there will be 20 on OV due to the fact that up until this past weekend, OV didn't weed out underperforming ads.
I think you will also find OV's cust. ser. to be just as unhelpful. Unless you are a big spender, they don't want to talk to you. And even if you are a big spender, unless you are a REALLY big spender, they don't want to spend too much time on you.
For some other options other than ads, take a look at directory listings. I am not sure how much better the click/conversion would be but it is another option.
That's a step in the right direction. Reading a single book won't magically allow you to create fantastic copy but it may help you improve your copy. Every step you take that helps you improve your writing skills is a step well taken.
Ad Words don't allow much room so every word needs to work. Words like "top-notch and "superior" are used so often that they get a ho-hum response.
Stick with the 5 motivators.
Ad Words will force you to write copy that works.
Do this. Write down or talk into a recorder about what makes your business unique - the best. Then, do your AdWord. Don't generalize - stay just as specific as you were, but with very, VERY limited space and fewer words.
Feel free to message me if you have something you'd like to bat back and forth. I write for a living. :)
I have to write some Unique Sales Propositions and benefits for the customers for the new web copy, so I guess this will be very helpful also for Adwords.
Thanks again!
As for good copy, there are several online resources that have tested and have information available on specifically that. Doing research online is an invaluable resource.
As for good text, we've found that a "transparent marketing" strategy works very well. Tell the users exactly what they're going to see and you get lots of qualified traffic. Combined with a healthy dose of negative keywords, you can get great click-thru rates without having to use hype.
I like to use OV and Google's keyword suggestion tools as "negative keyword suggestion tools" instead (:
