Converting & Importing Google AdWords Campaigns?

How to import campaigns from Google AdWords into Yahoo

[6Smark]

Hi there,

I am in the process of copying over somr Google AdWords campaigns into the new Yahoo Panama platform. I want 2 identical campaigns running. One in Google AdWords and one in Yahoo Search Marketing.

I was doing this through the Import campaigns tab in Yahoo no problem until recently. Has anyone else experienced this and able to help out?

I walk through all the steps and no problems until I reach the Import Campaign section (after converting thrid party campaign). After importing campaign warning comes up 'INVALID HEADER'. Seems like Yahoo is not converting third campaigns into their template but not sure.

Does anyone know what I need to do?

Thanks!

[arieng]

Hi 6Smark,

I messed with this darn conversion tool for hours. It is technically possible to convert your campaigns from Google, but its really tough to get everything exactly right.

The conversion process is 2 steps:

1. Convert your AdWords campaigns - you'll want to start by exporting your campaigns from AdWords editor, this will get you the right layout. If you don't have editor, download it before continuing. Any layout from the 'Reports' section will start you off on the wrong foot. Once you have your whole account in a spreadsheet, you'll need to modify your columns to correspond to the 'header' definitions in Yahoo. Once you have it set, try sending it to Yahoo's conversion tool.

2. Import the campaigns - If you don't get any errors, you'll receive a message that the conversion was successful and you can download the converted file. Why download the new file so you can turn around and upload it? Good question that no one but a Yahoo programmer can answer. Just save it and load it back up, you shouldn't get any errors here if it made it through the conversion process.

Alternatively, just call Yahoo's support. They offered to have me email the file to them and they would handle the conversion. It took 3 days, but ended up being worth it. (Well, kind of worth it. The AdWords campaign was imported, but over 1/2 of it was declined during the editorial process. If Google likes how you have everything set up, you can rest assured that Yahoo won't!)

[arieng]

Oh yeah, and welcome to Webmaster World. (Nice, first time I've gotten to do that). :)

[mzb8]

Hi,

to add on:
1. Negative Keywords. I had a hard time with these. I ended up deleting the campaign level ones. The adgroup ones, make sure they have a status in them. ie active. I think even removing them is a good step.

2. Start Date. It is import to put a start date in column line 2. This is not documented.

I can now update but there seems to be a lot of tweaking afterwards. I found that downloading the campaign to excel and updating bidding, etc in it to be faster as Yahoo's interface is not the most efficient for editing / tweaking.

good luck
Mike

[6Smark]

Thanks everyone for your input! Appreciate the help. I'll try out the tips mentioned.

[Great White Shark]

I thought I could rejoice fter working for 5 days on a Bulk file which was actually a google campaign converted to Yahoo format. I discovered that the import tool doesn't even exist anymore when I intended to import it. Can someone explian what on earth is going on?

[netmeg]

As of today, I've given up and pulled all my clients out of Yahoo. It's just plain more trouble than it's worth - never did get any of the Google campaigns to import, and I just don't have time for it. Someone from Yahoo called at one point, but wouldn't leave an email address - said I had to call to get support, and I don't have time for that either. I'm amazed at how little MSN or Yahoo want our business. Good thing we're doing fine with Google.

[arieng]

Is there anybody out there who has converted a Google campaign to Yahoo (and MSN for that matter) and had a sizeable portion get accepted?

Are my ads not relavent enough to the keywords? Is it the landing pages? How I have my ad groups organized? Or is it that I'm trying to load up too many and once in an automated way when Yahoo wants me to handcraft each individual ad?

[mzb8]

1. Yahoo is very fussy with the landing page and the density of keywords. It simply will reject your ads and kw's and give generic descriptions of why.

I got the Import to work but I crossed my fingers many times. What I noticed is once I did get working, I downloaded the entire campaign to an excel file and modified the ads, bidding, etc from the xls. The user interface is just not up to snuff yet. It is cumbersome and bulky.

If you need someone to email at Yahoo try this email address:
[e-mail]

2. Customer Service with Yahoo and MSN ... What I learned:
I found I got different answers from different people. Some people would not email me, give me their extensions, follow-up, provide service. So what I do now is ask a few questions and if I do not like the answers I am getting, I say thank you and end the call. Then I wait a few minutes and call and get another rep. Ask them. see if they are useful, if yes ask a lot of questions, if not .. hang up and repeat.

3. Yahoo and MSN - I have found that the staff on the phones are not properly trained and they do not know how to do imports. If you get on the phone, ask the person their level of experience in doing imports. If it is low, end the call and call again.

mike

[arieng]

Thanks for the input MZB8. I've had so many keywords declined, I'm thinking of deleting everything and starting over from scratch. You customer service strategy isn't the most efficient, but I think its the best game in town right now. Thanks again.

[mzb8]

I would email them at the above address and ask why. If your kw's are drugs (prescription) Yahoo is very picky compared to Google. So ask Google to audit the reasons behind the KW's being declined and then come up with a strategy. If you re-do them, they will probably just get rejected again.

Here is an example they said to me yesterday. I have prescription drugs kw's that are getting declined. They said I need to make them their own adgroup and put DKI (dynamic keyword insertion) in the title and the description. If not it will will get rejected. Not easy ..

Google is still the KING in PPC. It is just so much easier and the support if amazing.

best
mike