Since the launch of the “Quality Score” by Google, the dynamic keyword insertion feature has become one of the most common aids at the moment of writing ads. In a nutshell what this does is that it takes the term searched and places it on the desired part of the creative which could be on the headline, Description 1 or 2 fields, display URL or destination URL, as long as this keyword is part of your campaigns and doesn’t exceed the character limit. If the searched term is too long, then the default text inside the code will appear instead.

The following code has to be used {KeyWord:default text} and it can be combined with other terms outside the brackets. Also, make sure that the K and W are capitalized in order to make sure that the searched term on your ad appears like that.

This is how it works:

Somebody goes to Google and types “search engine marketing” (low caps) and trigger the following ad:

As you can see, not only the keyword is now your headline, it is also bolded for containing the terms that were entered on the search for the user. This has resulted not only on a huge help to improve click through rate (CTR), but most importantly the Quality Score.
But what happens if that person searched for “search engine marketing company” which obviously exceeds the allowed 25 characters on the headline? Well, in that case our default text will be used:

You can see the difference now when the searched term is not part of your ad and the title is not bolded. Your ad will be less attractive, which could translate to a low CTR and, ultimately, a low Quality Score.

So next time you are creating ad variations, go ahead and try Dynamic Keyword Insertion!

The new Google AdWords interface continues to see improvement in features and usability.  One of the new features is the tab called Opportunities.  Google reviews the current budget, keyword list and campaign performance for each campaign and automatically generates ideas for each ad group.  Google identifies related keywords, showing the additional estimated monthly searches that can be generated with these new keywords.

While reviewing each new set of keywords, you have the ability to select which additional keywords you would like added to your ad group.   You are able to preview your ad text while reviewing the keyword list to make sure that the new keywords fit logically into this ad group.  Please be aware, that this is an automated process and you should not select to add all of the keywords without reviewing carefully first.

I haven’t actually been presented with a budget or campaign setting idea yet, but I’m sure this will provide very helpful optimization suggestions.  As always, Google is trying to help advertisers be more successful in their marketing campaigns.  True, Google benefits as well, but it is a win-win situation.

ONLINE MARKETING FIRM PRIME VISIBILITY MOVES FAR UP INC. MAGAZINES’S 2008 LIST OF 5,000 FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES

Jumps 358 Spots from Last Year to Rank 794^th on Prestigious List, while Placing No. 66 in the Top-100 Advertising and Marketing Companies Category

(Melville, N.Y., Aug. 22, 2008) – For the second consecutive year, Prime Visibility, a leading search engine marketing firm specializing in search engine optimization (SEO), and pay-per-click (PPC) management, has joined the elite ranks of high-powered, fastest-growing private companies in America with its selection to the prestigious INC. Magazine 5,000 List for 2008. Prime Visibility Founder-CEO Andrew Hazen made the announcement today.

In its benchmark of the most innovative, dynamic and successful companies in the nation, INC. has ranked Prime Visibility No. 794 overall, up 358 spots from last year, and 66^th on the Top-100 Advertising & Marketing Companies category.

“We are extremely honored to be a part of this select group for the second straight year,” says Andrew Hazen, founder-CEO of Prime Visibility. “Our improved standing on the INC. list serves as recognition for all the hard work that everyone here has put into growing this company.”

The INC. list singles out companies that have posted dramatic growth despite a sluggish economy. It cites Prime Visibility’s appearance on an A&E special about Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brine with turning the company into a leading player in the SEO and online marketing space.

The magazine’s 2008 list measures revenue growth from 2004-07 for 5,000 privately held U.S.-based companies with at least $200,000 in revenue in 2004 and a minimum of $2 million in 2007. Many of today’s most profitable public businesses were on the list before going public.

Prime Visibility LLC (primevisibility.com), founded in 1998, is a leading, full-service Search Engine Marketing (SEM) firm committed to increasing traffic, sales and ROI for its clients. A division of PV Media Group, Prime Visibility provides integrated online marketing plans and individually tailored services, including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC), email marketing, conversion tracking solutions and other SEM services. Based in Long Island, N.Y., Prime Visibility has developed outstanding revenue growth and is on the 2007 and 2008 INC. lists of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Melville, NY (Practical E-commerce) -

My philosophy on pay-per-click bid management has always been to manage each keyword’s performance in each engine individually. Knowing a keyword’s impact makes it easier to determine the next steps to take in improving the account’s overall performance. I start by looking at a current month’s worth of data and sorting the data based upon three criteria: Cost per conversion, cost per click and number of clicks. The first section is for keywords that have generated conversions sorted by cost per conversion from highest to lowest. The next section is for those keywords that have had clicks but zero conversions sorted by cost from highest to lowest. Lastly, I group the keywords that have had no clicks in descending order of impressions.

Here’s how it works:

1. For the converted keywords, compare the cost per conversion with the optimal cost per conversion that you want to achieve. Modify bids to alter position if the keyword’s cost per conversion is too high.

2. For the keywords that have clicks but low conversions, look to improve the landing page call to action. The searcher is interested enough to click on your ad, but either he didn’t find what he was looking for, or the landing page did not reflect the ad’s message. Make sure the call to action on the landing page is clear.

3. For the keywords that have had impressions and zero clicks, the searcher is actively looking, but your ad is not enticing him or her to click. Rewrite the ad with multiple versions and be sure to A/B split test.

I am currently working with SearchForce, a portfolio-based bid management tool, which is a completely different approach. I absolutely recommend it. I can apply a strategy to any grouping of keywords I choose, even across multiple search engines. I can then apply a different bid strategy to different subsets of keywords. Brand name keywords can be maintained at position one, while broader keywords can be constrained to a maximum cost per conversion. I can decide that any keyword that spends a certain amount of money without converting should either have their bid reduced or paused. The tool will decide how to bid and position each keyword to maintain the criteria I have defined. I can spend more time strategizing on a higher level and let the tool do the testing of bids and positions to meet the desired goals.

Author: Pamela Nelson, Prime Visibility

July 1, 2008

Original Article in Practical eCommerce:

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/769/Pay-Per-Click-Bid-Management-Strategies/