Tips for success on the Google Display Network
Take advantage of the Google Display Network to expose your keyword-targeted ads to a wide and qualified audience.
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Here are some recommend strategies to improve your ads' performance on the Google Display Network:
Campaign structure: Create themed ad groups - an ad group for each product or service that you're advertising.
and to the ads in the ad group.
compelling ad text to attract users browsing pages on the Display Network.
Site and topic exclusion: Prevent your ads from appearing on specific sites or on pages about specific topics in the Display Network.
Campaign structure
Each of your keyword-targeted advertising campaigns is composed of multiple ad groups. An ad group is the basic family unit of AdWords - a collection of ads and keywords built around a common theme.
To determine whether to place your ad on a Display Network page, the AdWords system considers the theme of all the ads and keywords in the ad group. For this reason, it's important that each of your ad
store, for example. Instead of creating a general 'movie merchandise' ad
group, Sarah set up several ad groups, each focusing on a different
product. This helps each of Sarah's ads reach a targeted audience.
Ad groups in Sarah's "Movie Merchandise" campaign:
Spiderman Games
Star Wars Toys
Keywords. Your ad group's entire keyword list helps determine where your ads show on the Display Network. Each ad group should have a tightly themed set of 5 to 20 keywords that relate closely to one another and to the ads in that ad group. The more closely related your keywords are, the more likely it is that your ads will be targeted to the right audience.
Here are some example keyword lists in Sarah's 'Movie Merchandise' campaign that would and would not work well on the Display Network:
Effectively structured ad groups
Ads
On the Search Network, ads are shown to users who are specifically searching for results using one of your keywords.
Since users on the Display Network are in a different mindset than users visiting sites in the Search Network, it's important to use direct, compelling ad text. This will maximize the qualified clicks you receive on the Display Network. Keep the following tips in mind when writing your ads:
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If your target user visits pages with fashion-related content and you sell purses, relate the product (purses) to your user in the ads.
Include call-to-action phrases.
Phrases like "Register now," "Get a free quote," and "Call now" can help set expectations for the person who's about to visit your site. Your call-to-action should be what you consider to be a conversion.
Highlight any special offers or features available on your site.
We've found that advertisers often experience higher return-on-investment (ROI) on the Display Network when they include product prices in their ads. The pricing information you provide can help you stand out from competitors and showcase your best deals. Be sure to also highlight any special offers that you might have like "free shipping."
Link your ad to customized landing pages that match the information in your ad text.
For example, if your ad highlights a special deal on mobile phones, make sure that ad directs users to a page about mobile phones. Your landing pages should be clear and easy to navigate.
Test multiple creatives and ad formats (text, image, video) in all available sizes.
Testing multiple creatives and formats allows you to gain better insight into what sort of ads will perform the best for you.
Clearly tell your audience exactly what you offer on your site.
Make sure that your ads are clear on the product or service that you actually offer. This will help you filter out unwanted clicks and help users avoid clicking an ad that is irrelevant to their browsing experience.
Here are two examples of effective ads from Sarah's "Spiderman Games" ad group:
Spiderman PlayStation
Get all Spiderman Games at Great
Prices - Satisfaction Guaranteed!
www.moviemerchandise.com/spiderman Spiderman Video Games
New and Used, Games for All Systems
Buy Now and Get Free Shipping!
www.moviemerchandise.com/spiderman
Display Network Bids
Display Network bids are a quick and easy way to help meet your ROI objectives on the Display Network. This feature lets you set a maximum CPC bid for clicks that occur on Display Network pages in addition to the maximum CPC bid(s) you set for the Search Network.
You may wish to use Display Network bids if you find that you pay different amounts for conversions that occur on the Display Network versus the Search Network. Increasing or decreasing your Display Network bids in accordance with your conversion costs will help maximize your ROI.
To enable Display Network bids, you'll first need to opt your campaign in to the Display Network on the Settings tab. Enter a Display Network specific bid and save your changes. You can choose to leave your bids on Auto or specify a unique bid. If you leave your bids on Auto, we'll use the bid you've set for each keyword.
If you're having trouble deciding what to bid for ads shown via the Display Network, you can choose a bid based on the ad group's network performance. For example, if you see that you receive a better return-on-investment from ads shown on the Display Network rather than on the Search Network, you can raise your Display Network bids to increase Display Network traffic.
To monitor and measure your ad group performance you can use conversion tracking or Google Analytics, two free tools that will help you track your conversion metrics. Once you've reviewed your performance results, you can set your bids accordingly.
Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are a great way to help prevent your ads from showing on pages about irrelevant topics. Choosing the right negative keywords will protect your ads from receiving untargeted clicks, thus improving your ROI. Your ad will appear less often on pages where your negative keywords are used, or won't appear at all if the page demonstrates a strong use of that theme or keyword. (Due to the nature of contextual advertising, keep in mind that it's still possible for your ad to show if the particular keyword appears a few times on the page.)
For example, Sarah sells 'Star Wars' apparel, but not 'Star Wars' jewelry. To avoid unwanted clicks, she adds these negative keywords to her campaign:
watch
jewelry
ring
These negative keywords will help prevent her ad from showing on Display Network pages that focus on jewelry, rather than on clothing.
Site and topic exclusion
Another way to keep your ads from showing on irrelevant sites is by excluding placements.
You can either enter the URL of a specific website that you'd like to exclude, or select certain page types to exclude because they may be viewed as sensitive. You also have the option to exclude many pages about a specific topic at once.
Winning placement
Most sites in the Display Network only display two, three, or four ads per page. Placement is won on a Display Network page based on two factors: Quality Score and bid. If you find that your ads don't show often on the Display Network, try improving your Quality Score by taking the steps described in the other sections of this article. You can also try adjusting your Display Network bids to be more competitive.
Next steps
We suggest that you use this page for guidance when creating and refining your campaigns. However, these tips aren't exhaustive, and we encourage you to experiment with your own ad text and targeting techniques to find what works best for you. To learn more about the Display Network, visit our Display Network
GETTING STARTED GUIDE
