I dont know about you, but I have yet to achieve consistent success using Googles content advertising network.
About a year ago when I first started dabbling in PPC, I naively decided to give it a try—having absolutely no clue what I was doing. Once I figured out I needed to drastically lower my bids as compared to search, I did have short-term success.

At the time, I chalked it all up to good content (as any good writer would do); but when the bottom fell out several months later and I found myself deleting content bids entirely, I decided I really had no idea what the content network was all about, and I stopped trying altogether. Sound familiar?

Since that time, things have improved. I think Im getting the gist of it now, as are some of my fellow employees using content bidding. Maybe it really is about good content; maybe its about minimizing bids; but then again, maybe Google is just improving its site matching process and boosting conversions along with it. (I tend to believe the latter, but then again, who knows?)

There really is an art to getting it right though, Im convinced about that. And Im determined to figure it all out—Google will not get the better of me!

Some advertisers believe the content network is the wave of the future for successful PPC. Others, like me, just hope we can keep up and make the most of what contextual targeting has to offer. Meanwhile, Google has released the Google Content Network Guide to answer our questions, explain how content advertising differs from search, and how we can use it to draw in customers on major news and smaller niche sites the content network tends to target.

This 7-minute guide is “hot off the presses,” according to Google. So if you just dont “get” contextual advertising, watch it. You just might find the answers you need—and increase your profits along the way!

One last note: If youve been able to achieve success using content advertising and youre willing to share, please pass along any helpful tips or tricks! None of us has all the answers, and well all appreciate the helping hand.