TRAFFIC
9 WAYS TO GET THE
MOST OUT OF GOOGLE’S
DISPLAY NETWORK
Webmasters often dismiss display activity through AdWords, but they are wrong to do so, argues
Mike Dodgson of Digital Fuel, who provides his thoughts and tactics on getting the best out of the
Google Display Network.
I ASKED A POTENTIAL client recently
if they were doing anything display-wise
through AdWords, this was the reply: “We
don’t do anything on the Google Display
Network (“GDN”) because it doesn’t work
as well as our other AdWords activity”.
I’ve heard this, and similar comments,
over the years. Intriguingly when I ask if
they are running any other display activity,
the answer is almost always: “Yes, we’re
spending a gazillion on DSP XYZ”.
I’m exaggerating, but you get the picture.
It’s a trap that seems to be more common
than usual, the thought that just because you
can advertise display on Google, you should
be achieving the same ‘last click’ conversion
rate, which logically isn’t the case.
The thing that a lot of people don’t
seem to grasp is that AdWords is a DSP,
and it’s probably one of the easiest
and most powerful tools for display
advertising you will have in your arsenal.
If you’re starting out in display
advertising, or you would like to try it
yourself then one of the best places to start
is the Google Display Network via your
Google AdWords account. Here are some
of my thoughts and tactics around using
this to your advantage:
1. Use view-through conversions
Why wouldn’t you use this? That’s all you
ever hear from DSP providers, and AdWords
is no different. Don’t allow yourself to be
blinded by how good your search campaign
converts on a ‘last click’ basis, we’re
comparing apples and pears here.
View-through conversions can be found
by adjusting the columns within the Ad
Group view, and it’s the best way to judge if
you’re getting return on ad spend (if that’s
your goal). Rightly or wrongly, view-through
(or post-view/post-impression) conversions
take a lot of flack, but think about this
“TrueView advertising is by far the most cost-effective
mass medium, and the beauty is it’s all under your
control and there are no set budgets if you’re using the
five-second ‘skippable’ version”
Some demand-side platforms love to
make things complicated and sometimes
the basic information is all you ever need
i.e. “Tell me a list of sites we are bidding
on? How can I protect my brand? What
age groups are you targeting?” That’s
not to say DSPs don’t give you this
information, but with the GDN, you’re
in control.
for a second, if you were to see all of the
customers who converted on your site after
seeing a TV advert, we’d be singing from
the rooftops, or most likely looking for an
alternative marketing channel!
2. Use location targeting
A great way to beta test a new product
or offer is to trial it in a specific location.
Once you’ve finished, you’ll probably
find you were able to buy impressions on
premium publishers with high volume
traffic for a cheap price. For example,
you might find it easier to generate more
impressions on a high-volume news
website in one area of the country than
another. This is particularly prevalent in
places like Australia or America where
publisher legislation or governance differs
by state.
3. Up-weight on best performing
keywords and placements
If you’re going to get involved in GDN,
get stuck in! Analyse the data on a daily
basis and when you see something working
for you after a period of time, then go
for it. If something isn’t working for you,
simple, switch it off. You’re in control of
your display advertising; there’s no point
in getting anxious about where your ads
might be appearing and what impact it may
or may not be having on your brand.
4. Use the ad schedule
An impression is an impression? Well kind
of, but you want the right impression at the
right time. If you’re selling toupees online,
you better make damn sure you’re bidding
on the right sites the next time Donald
Trump says something enlightening.
Also bear in mind that if you don’t
look after your schedule, you’re likely to
be winning impressions that usually don’t
turn out to be financially viable. However,
this would depend on your business, of
course. Casino affiliates will find they can
iGB Affiliate Issue 59 OCT/NOV 2016
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