Today I was going to talk a bit about the Yahoo Conversion Counter…which basically serves the same purpose as the Google Conversation Tracking tool. The thing is, with the Yahoo Panama update coming out, I have no idea what the Conversion Counter is going to look like once Panama is fully rolled out. So for that reason I figured I would go in a different direction.

Hopefully yesterday’s post got you excited about using tracking scripts. They really are a PPC affiliate’s best friend when used correctly. And with that in mind, I thought it would be helpful to give you some tips for using your tracking script data.

So without any further ado:

1. Make sure you have a relevant amount of data built up before you start looking at your conversion data. I would say you should wait two weeks before you start seriously using the data. As any PPC practitioner knows, sometimes your account just has a bad day. If you start looking at conversion data too soon, you might make some incorrect assumptions about your keywords.
2. To find your most troublesome keywords, look at your cost-per-conversion at the campaign and AdGroup level first. Find the areas where your cost-per-conversion is the highest, then drill down to the keyword level to find problem words.
3. Know your magic numbers. Figure out what you consider a reasonable cost-per-conversion, and then focus on finding the terms that have a cost-per-conversion above that number.
4. Before you erase a term, take a good look at your ad text and landing page. Does the keyword work with the landing page? Is the ad compelling enough to encourage a conversion? If not, you might want to modify the landing page and/or ad before you erase the keyword entirely.
5. Cut out the fat. After a month or two, go out and look for keywords that haven’t drawn and clicks or have some clicks and no conversions. Ask yourself it they are worth keeping or not - if not delete them or take them offline.
6. Don’t just focus on the negative! Check out your best performing keywords and ask yourself why they are doing so well. Is it the landing page? The ad? The keyword? A combination of all three? Conversion tracking is an amazing way to see what works best - so look for your best terms and figure out why they do so well. With that knowledge, you can be more successful in the future.

Alright! There is my list - hopefully it helps. I am sure I am leaving something out here, does anyone else have any suggestion to make the most of your conversion tracking?

SHAMELESS PLUG: Once again, the InsureMe affiliate program does allow you to use Yahoo Conversion Tracking scripts. And contrary to popular belief, getting your scripts up and active is a pretty painless process and only takes a few minutes. There is a help section in your account that explains the process, but if you would prefer to talk to a person, give me a call at 720.548.6190.