|
 Over the past few years, many search gurus advised their clients to avoid the Google Content Network. Heck, we even dished out that advice … but now we're officially eating our words. We've recently been able to produce a high volume of conversions at a relatively low cost using the once-derided content network – and we recommend that you give it a second look.
What's Different About Today's Content Network?
The Google Content Network is part of the Google AdWords paid-search offering. When you visit a blog or a Web site or even Gmail and see "sponsored links," you're witnessing the content network firsthand. Google displays ads on participating sites by analyzing the words on a particular Web page and then placing relevant ads on that page.
This is different from the other component of AdWords, the search network. The search network displays ads on Google.com when you type a specific query into a search bar.
For years, content-network ads had pitiful conversion rates, prompting many industry experts to advise clients to focus exclusively on the search network and to shun the content network.
Part of the problem was a glut of garbage Web sites that existed just to make a buck from the Google AdSense program for publishers. Unscrupulous site owners crammed their pages with popular keywords to drive traffic, but the sites had little meaningful content. They were merely holding stations for content-network links, because the site owners got paid for each click.
Google has successfully cracked down on these riffraff sites through a variety of strict policies that help ensure that content-network ads now appear only on real sites with real content.
The other change has been more subtle. At a recent meeting with Google, we had an off-the-cuff conversation about the content network. Our contacts intimated that Google hadn't done anything revolutionary in terms of new bells and whistles, but had focused on making continual behind-the-scenes improvements to its content-network algorithm.
The bottom line is that the content network has gotten noticeably better at displaying ads that truly match the actual page content – ultimately resulting in more conversions when visitors reach your site.
High Volume, Low CPC and Decent Conversions
Why should you consider advertising on the content network as well as the search network? For the same reason you might invest in a TV spot as well as a Yellow Pages ad.
Like a TV spot, the content network has vast reach, spreading your message to millions of users on all types of Web sites, both large and small. The search network, like the Yellow Pages, reaches the much smaller, more motivated group of people who actively come to Google to find something specific.
So how do the content network and search network match up in a head-to-head comparison? We've come up with some rules of thumb based on results we've produced for ourselves and our clients. But as you know, PPC metrics like CTR and CPC vary widely based on keyword quality, maximum bid and other factors, so think of these numbers as general guidelines only.
-
Impressions. You can easily generate 100 times more impressions on the content network than the search network. This makes the content network an excellent vehicle for building brand awareness, as well as for generating click-through traffic.
-
Clicks. It's not uncommon for a content-network ad to have a CTR that's 30-50 times lower than an identical search-network ad. But what the content network lacks in specificity, it makes up for in reach. Even with the much lower CTR, the content network often produces 5-10 times as many clicks as the search network.
-
Cost per click. You'll pay less on the content network than the search network, but it's not pennies on the dollar. You might pay $2 per click on the content network if your average search network CPC is $5.
-
Conversion rates. While you can expect a lower conversion rate from the content network, we've generally found that the actual number of conversions tends to be evenly split between the content network and the search network.
-
Cost per acquisition. When you put everything together, the content network tends to be less expensive on a cost-per-conversion basis than the search network.
Getting Started with the Google Content Network
-
Create separate ad groups and campaigns for your content-network assets. As the metrics above demonstrate, the search network and the content network are an apples-to-oranges comparison when it comes to CTR, CPC and CPA.
-
Use different keywords. While the search network is all about bidding on specific phrases that people might type into search networks, the content network is about using keywords to signal which pages your ads belong on. Brad Geddes' recent Search Engine Land column eloquently explains how to generate relevant keywords for the content network.
-
Start slowly with controlled experiments. You can ease into the content network by focusing on a finite set of keywords and putting strict caps on your budget. As you discover which campaigns produce the highest CPA, you can ramp up accordingly.
-
Set ads to run on specific sites. You can create placement-based bids that specify how much you're willing to pay to have your ad appear on certain sites. The Search Engine Land article referenced above describes how to do this.
-
Take advantage of image ads. The content network, unlike the search network, allows you to display banner ads, in addition to text ads. We've personally found Google image ads to be perennial high performers, producing higher CTRs and lower CPCs than comparable text ads on the content network.
Low-Cost Conversions? That's Reason Enough to be Content
If you haven't already done so, we recommend adding the Google Content Network to your search-marketing mix. It's a powerful way to get your brand in front of millions of eyeballs, while also generating a steady stream of quality, low-CPA traffic.
###
About the Author
Dane Christensen is the SEM manager for Lyris. He is responsible for optimizing the company's PPC advertising spending across seven different search engines.
Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter for online-marketing best practices.
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
