Google’s Content Network More About Branding than Performance?
RANT WARNING
Ever since content match became an option on Google AdWords (you used to not be able to opt out), many advertisers have treated this piece of the AdWords Empire with a great deal of skepticism. Who can blame them? Most of the AdWords content traffic we get is of much lower quality than search traffic, as our conversion numbers support.
Google, in there never ending quest to make as much money as possible help advertisers deliver relevant ads to the users of various web properties, is constantly trying to improve the click-through-rate of contextual advertising (since higher CTR = More $). Even with a fleet of certified Stanford geniuses on the case, Google has yet to up this conversion to a point that is worth much attention for many online marketers, and more importantly to you, affiliate marketers.
After years of using engineering brainpower to try to get AdWords’ content match feature utilized by more advertisers, it seems like Google might have switched tactics to using marketing brainpower instead. In their most recent Inside AdWords post called Google Content Network Tips: Part 1, Google uses a lot of space talking about using contextual advertising to:
“raise awareness for your business and create demand among your potential customers that can be captured later by your search campaigns.”
HUH?
So you’re telling me that the best use for content match is for branding? That we should be using our contextual ads, not to drive conversion, but to be remembered for later searches? I wonder what those AdSense publishers in the CPA program think of this angle?
From an affiliate point of view, this may give you another reason to avoid messing with content match. I mean, Google is pretty much pointing out that their content network would be better served with banner ads (can you say AdWords image ads?) and not text based advertising – and that you might not want to expect those clicks to convert. I don’t know about you, but as an affiliate in the insurance world I would want to pay for clicks that will become conversions…not try to build a brand on an affiliate budget.
I also find it interesting that the author of this post, Feng, quotes the founder of an SEM agency in this post when it comes to the importance of using content match. Here’s the quote:
There is no doubt that if we were to take our clients' campaigns off of the content network today, we would see a decrease in their conversions on search tomorrow.
Not surprisingly, the case study leaves a lot of detail out…I’d like to see some hard numbers, not just a broad statement about a 25% increase in revenue. What about gross margin on that revenue? And how much is being spent on content vs. search?
How about a quote or case study from a company who actually makes money when things are SOLD, not when they get paid a percentage of an ad spend? Oh, that’s right, because aside from the few unfortunate AdSense souls who got pulled into your CPA experiment, GOOGLE REALLY DOESN’T CARE IF PEOPLE ACTUALLY BUY STUFF AFTER THEY CLICK.
SHIPOOPI!!!
End of Rant…for a cool down let’s watch some Vern Fonk:
[Disclaimer: I know that there are affiliates out there who make a killing on content match…although most of them are actually just making the killing on the AdSense side of things ;) ]
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Comments
James, interesting, I was just reading the Mona Elesseily's "Mastering Panama" book, and she stated similar opinions about content advertising, that it helps with branding. I was rather surprised, but can understand a little that if you show up everywhere, you are branding in a sense. So if you show up in content, natural and sponsored ads, you will capture people at any time in the purchase or conversion process. It also makes the SERPS a lot of dinero.
Posted by: Apes | November 14, 2007 08:03 AM
A new PPC ROI solution called ContentCleanser Beta is now available from http://www.contreo.com. It will identify contextually irrelevant websites, MFA’s and parked domains where your ads have or currently appear. Most importantly, it has shown to lower one’s cost per lead on Google’s Content Network.
Posted by: Hans Riemer | November 18, 2007 05:52 PM