There’s an interesting debate on the newly introduced Smart Goals going on. Although this is the opposite of “Advanced AdWords”, I’d like to add a few points that haven’t been made yet.
How Smart Are Smart Goals?
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A Little Progress with Google Shopping
A few days ago we stumbled upon something new in the shopping campaigns interface that I would call a step in the right direction.
New AdWords Report Editor: How to Gain Access
The new AdWords Report Editor has rolled out to all accounts. Yes it has. Months ago.
However, only few of them actually provide a link to the get to the editor. Still, as long as you know the URL, you can use the editor without any further problem or limitation. So until Google gets around to give you the link, let me help out.
Migrating to Upgraded URL’s the Easy Way
Many AdWords advertisers have already upgraded their URL’s. For those who haven’t, I’d like to share the highlights of what we’ve learned during the transition. I’ll cover the gist of what you should know, along with some nice tricks to make the upgrade easier.
Taking Google Shopping to the Next Level
Over the year I’ve witnessed a lot of frustration about the lack of keywords in shopping campaigns. Oftentimes I wanted to to say, “Hey, actually…”. But it was too soon. I had to keep the secret.
A few months back, Kirk Williams published a 2014 Google Shopping Wishlist with keyword targeting being the number one wish. As it turns out, with Christmas shopping in full swing, Google still hasn’t fulfilled this wish and has given no indication that they ever will.
But now the time to reveal the secret has come. Let me show you how it’s done.
Google Hints at Upgraded URL’s
When Google announces new versions of their AdWords API this is usually only relevant for developers. This time, however, the API is ahead of the interface, which offers an interesting glimpse at an upcoming new feature that will likely affect all of us: Upgraded URL’s.
I went through the corresponding API guide to summarize what’s likely to come.
Why Impression-based Metrics Are Misleading
Profit per Impression, or PPI, is a popular metric in PPC. So popular that it sparked a little side discussion during last week’s #ppcchat when I called it misleading. Let me explain why.
What Really Happened in the Latest Quality Score Update
It’s been two weeks since Google announced to change the reporting of keyword Quality Scores in AdWords. The stated intention was to provide more transparency about those scores – a traditional problem for Google. Failing at that, the announcement has lead to some confusion among marketers. Let’s look at what really happened. Continue reading
Using Mobile Keyword URL’s in Enhanced Campaigns
Some advertisers use keyword level destination URL’s for tracking and other purposes. And some advertisers need different destination URL’s for mobile and desktop. With Enhanced Campaigns advertisers who need both now face a problem: You can have either device-specific destination URL’s at the ad level, or keyword level URL’s with no regard for device. Fortunately, there are a few workarounds. Continue reading
AdWords Quality Score Tracker Version 2.0 – Now with Labels
Google just made some very helpful additions to AdWords Scripts. One of them is that you can now use labels within scripts. To demonstrate how powerful this feature is, I’ve rewritten the Quality Score Tracker.
The first version required a spreadsheet with a list of keywords to track. It also required you to get the spreadsheet first. This new version relies on labels to mark keywords for tracking and the setup is much easier. Continue reading