Peak behind the content curtain to learn what AdSense sites are doing for you
Posted: May 15, 2007
Google is finally allowing advertisers to see where their ads are shown on the content network.
However, Google even goes further and allows advertisers to see the conversion and click through rates by content site.
Google’s newest beta report allows advertisers to run reports that are specific to the content network. Finally, advertisers can have full visibility into the often hidden world of the content network.
This will finally allow advertisers to learn:
- Where their ads are being shown
- What sites are converting
- Understand if they wish to use site targeting
- Which sites to block from displaying your ads
- What smart pricing is really doing for your costs
This will mean very different things for both publishers and advertisers. Today, the focus is the advertiser.
How to find Content Network Information
In your AdWords account, go to the ‘reports’ tab and find ‘placement reporting. Selecting this button will let you run a content network report.
There are several options for segmenting the data under the ’settings section’.
- Level of detail
- AdGroup
- Campaign
- Account
- Domain or URL
- Time View (summary, daily, etc)
- Date Range
- Which campaigns or AdGroups to include
Next is the good part, customize your columns. You can also view conversions! Finally, advertisers will have the ability to view conversions and clicks by site across the entire content network.
Finally, you can filter, save the report template, etc.
While you’re waiting for the report to run, Google displays the following box:
Placement Performance report tips: This report shows performance metrics (including impressions, clicks, and cost) for content network sites displaying your ads. When you review these metrics:
- Don’t focus on clickthrough rate (CTR): Content network CTR doesn’t affect your ad ranking on the search network. Learn more.
- Think in terms of conversions: You can use Google’s free Conversion Tracking tool to determine whether site performance meets your ROI objectives. Learn more.
- Consider the site targeting feature: You can increase your exposure on top performing sites. Learn more.
- Wait for statistically significant data: For sites without much performance data, wait a while before making a final judgment. Learn more.
Some of the above information is very important to remember. One should never worry about the click through rate for content. It’s not one of the quality score factors.
And then finally the numbers. You will easily be able to compare site targeting to pay per action ads to every site on the content network where your ads are showing.
No longer will advertisers be in the dark about where their ads are showing. You can now have visibility into the network, block non-converting sites, and even target sites directly that are converting.
This is a huge win for advertisers. Many thanks to AdWords for finally introducing this report. Next, because there’s always more that advertisers desire, would be visibility into search partners.
The key to a successful AdWords campaign is account organization, visibility into numbers, and then optimizing based upon that data.
Finally, advertisers have visibility into the content network numbers. It’s time for content network optimization.
Related Information:
- AdWords shows more content network visibility
- Is AdSense cleaning house before advertisers see all the data?
- Some Suggestions from Google About the Content Network
- Q&A - Why & how do I separate content vs search information in AdWords Reporting?
- Smart Pricing Info from Inside AdSense
Comments
11 Responses to “Peak behind the content curtain to learn what AdSense sites are doing for you”
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I clicked under my report tab and did not see the “Placement Performance” option.
Is this only available to certain Adwords users?
[...] Of course, if you've got a quality laser focused site, then there's no need to worry. For some of those still building page scraping, spam filled "sites" this could be a final kick in the teeth. Check out the original article here. [...]
Steve,
It’s currently being tested in beta. Hopefully, it will be rolled out to all accounts soon.
Your site is perfect!
[...] I find it very interesting that this is occurring before Google rolls out their new advertiser report which lets advertisers run stats across the content network. [...]
Awesome!
Since I don’t yet have this feature I was wondering if you could check something out.
From the screen shot above it doesn’t look like you can tell which of your ads is performing the best (headline, description, etc) on the content network from this new report.
If you run an “ad performance” report, do you now have the option of seeing the sites your ads show for on the content network? This way if you are split testing ads you will know which ones do better on the content network.
Thanks for such a great resource!
Hi Brad.
Any news on when this fantastic, fabulous, amazing (and lots more) reporting tool will be available for “non-VIP”???
Looking forward to see you in Vegas at the seminar, this wednesday.
Best regards
Soren J ;o)
Soren-
Since this ‘Placement Performance’ report is still in beta, you must request it. I contacted my Google Rep and asked that a handful of my clients were included in the test and a few days later I had access to this “fantastic, fabulous, amazing reporting tool!”
Hope that helps!
Brad-
As always, thanks for the spot on description and analysis.
[...] eWhisper’s article about the release [...]
[...] Peak behind the curtain to see to learn what AdSense sites are doing for you [...]
[...] Content network and reports Related Information: Overture to allow separate content vs search bidsSome Suggestions from Google About the Content NetworkPlease Track Countries IndividuallyQ&A: Does the content network follow location targeting rules?Hitbox’s Conversion Information Only Tells Half The Story « AdWords Changes Roundup Coming to Dallas - AdWords Seminars for Success » [...]