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Microsoft adCenter & Google AdWords Resources to make your life easier when Yahoo Search Marketing is replaced by adCenter

With the recent Yahoo and Microsoft agreement, Microsoft will take over both the search results and PPC ad serving from Yahoo. This gives Microsoft adCenter enough search share, you need to open an adCenter account and move your Google info there.

adCenter is a fantastic platform, with many features similar to Google. The biggest difference between Google and adCenter is that at Google, all the targeting options live at the campaign level. With adCenter, the targeting options live at the ad group and campaign level.

For instance, on Google you need to set a budget per campaign. However, you should separate search and content reach into two different campaigns; and thus you need to split your budget. On adCenter, you can have one budget for the campaign and then ad group is search and ad group 2 is content within the same campaign.

While most of the adCenter features are also in Google. The notable exception is adCenter’s param system (resource links below). With adCenter you can have multiple variables that show up in ad text for each keyword. It’s amazing how custom you can build your ads per individual keyword. Google only has basic keyword insertion, and the only thing you really get to choose is the casing.

Google does have many content targeting options that aren’t available on adCenter. With video ads, image ads, fantastic placement options, Google’s content network is fantastic.  adCenter just doesn’t have the reach or the options with the content network.

Below is a chart that has some base comparisons between Google AdWords and Microsoft adCenter. Below the chart is a list of adCenter resources to help you learn their system quickly.

	Google AdWords	adCenter
Match Types	broad, phrase, exact	broad, phrase, exact, content
Negative keywords	campaign, ad group	campaign, ad group
Keyword Bids	Keyword, placement, ad group	keyword, ad group
Content bids	ad group, placement	keyword, ad group
Budget	Campaign	Campaign
Budget types	daily	monthly or daily
Budget spend	accelerated or standard within day	same options, different names but can choose daily or monthly
Content enabled	Entire campaign	Campaign or ad group
Excluded sites	campaign or ad group (new UI)	campaign or ad group
Location targeting	campaign	campaign or ad group
Targeting by time of day	campaign	campaign or ad group
Changing bids by time of day	campaign	campaign or ad group
Changing bids by day of the week	campaign	campaign or ad group
Conversion tracking	yes, account	yes, account
Ad types	text, image, video, mobile	text, mobile
Ad serving	rotate or optimize (campaign)	ads are automatically optimized to show the highest CTR the most

Here are a collection of articles that should help ease the transition to get started with adCenter:

Importing AdWords campaigns into adCenter

adCenter Match Types

• adCenter match types official help
• adCenter match types article sets

Dynamic Keyword Insertion

• Dynamic Keyword Insertion on adCenter
• Using Params (adCenter allows some interesting customization of the ad text by keyword). To see these, in your ad group, select a keyword (or multiples) then hit the ‘add or edit keyword button’. Here you can edit the params by keyword. If you are doing a lot of param editing; then use the excel add-in.

adCenter excel-ad in. Similar to the AdWords Editor

adCenter adExcellence program. Similar to the Google Advertising Professionals program. Lots of good videos.

adding parameters to links. Similar to AdWords value track-like options.

adCenter community portal. This is where adCenter shines. Microsoft has an amazing set of individuals who have done a lot of hard work in engaging the search community. I can’t say enough good things about Carolyn Miller, Mel Carson, Jeanie Dumont, and many more over at Microsoft. These people are not the ‘old conceited’ Microsoft. They are the humble, smart, knowledge, eager-to-help, Microsoft could win if they adopted their attitude, Microsoft.  Even if you didn’t use adCenter, you should follow this community as there’s just good info there regarding search and advertising in general.

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Related Information:

• Microsoft adCenter Resources...
• MSN adCenter Resources...
• Microsoft adCenter Supports Dynamic Parameters for Links...
• Microsoft adCenter advertising on TV...
• What’s new with Microsoft adCenter?...

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