15 tips for setting up contextual advertising

If contextual advertising is configured incorrectly, then all the funds invested in it will be thrown to the wind! How to set it up correctly, what to consider and how to get the most out of contextual advertising? Read the recommendations from Google Adwords below.

1. Name ad groups as simply and clearly as possible.

Keep it simple, don't create ad groups like "red t-shirts", "white t-shirts", "printed t-shirts" or "sandals". Call it simply: "t-shirts - red", "t-shirts - white", "t-shirts - with a print", "shoes - sandals" and so on. This will simplify the work and allow you to deal with product groups within one advertising campaign. Plus, it will be possible to easily categorize ad sets by simply sorting them alphabetically.

2. Use multiple remarketing lists.

Don't use one remarketing list. The most effective would be a separate remarketing list for each section. Create separate lists for visitors to these pages and attract them with enticing ads.

3. Update your list of negative keywords regularly.

Once you have compiled a list of negative keywords, do not forget to correct and supplement it. Here are typical ones: “used”, “free”, “inexpensive”, “comparison”, etc. A list of these and many more stop words can be found on the Internet. But, let us remind you once again, do not forget to check, correct and supplement it. Detailed lists will help to eliminate waste of the budget as much as possible.

4. Be sure to experiment with ads.

Do not stop at the selected type of ads, experiment. Try video ads, search ads, text ads, and banner ads. Explore which ones work most effectively. It is also worth experimenting with ads on different days of the week, at different times of the year. It is worth noting that in order to obtain objective data, your advertising campaigns must generate enough traffic.

5. Compare search traffic.

Compare and analyze Google search traffic and partner search network traffic. Keep in mind that regular text ads cover two different networks. Compare and analyze which network works best.

6. Remember to adjust rates depending on performance at different times during the day.

It will greatly facilitate the work of setting up bid adjustments depending on the conversion of keywords at different times of the day. This is much easier than changing bids manually or, for example, setting automatic bid changes with the highest cost per click.

7. Adjust bids for those who have already visited your site.

While you are throwing all your efforts at potential customers and trying in every possible way to draw attention to your site, do not forget about those who have already visited it. Use more aggressive targeting methods and remind yourself.

8. Implement remarketing from social networks, such as Vkontakte and Facebook.

Integrate cross-channel remarketing instead of regular. Cross-channel remarketing allows you to combine search engines with behavioral based platforms.

9. The exact occurrence of the most converting keywords is important.

Select for yourself the keywords with the most favorable cost per click or with the highest number of conversions (it all depends on the goals). Analyze them using the exact match. This will help you allocate your budget in the most efficient way and study the top keywords more carefully.

10. Adjust bids within the same campaign, depending on the region.

Remember to adjust your bids for the same keywords in different regions. Keep in mind that any request has different rates, depending on the region in which the advertising campaign is conducted.

11. Don't forget the benefits of video ads.

Today it is the most affordable and often highly convertible way of advertising. A video made taking into account generally accepted recommendations will definitely give its result.

12. Customize your columns.

If you have a full understanding of what columns such as "Relative CTR" and "Percentage of impressions" are needed in the report, and how to interpret them, then you definitely need to configure them. This will give a great advantage at the start of an advertising campaign.

13. Only use A/B testing to increase conversions.

Many people spend time testing all the content of the site. Don't test everything in the same test. Set up split testing solely to increase your conversion rate.

14. Import remarketing lists from Analytics.

As strange as it may sound, by linking Adwords to Analytics, you will get different data than if you link Analytics to Adword. Therefore, a bunch of these tools is essential.

15. Don't forget about the need for A/B testing of landing pages.

There are several split tests to improve your landing page quality score in Adwords. Definitely, split-testing ads is important, but don't forget about the need to split-test landing pages: their design, content, and element layout. Testing will help you find ways to optimize your Adwords accounts.