Google Content Performance

[Discovery]

We have now spent two months testing between using Google content controlled by site exclusion against using placements only, and against using placements with specified keywords.

Unfortunately, I have to be fairly vague here, due to potential competition.

Results:

Google w/site exclusion only: Bad
Google w/placements: worse
(using our top 50 performing sites YTD)
Google w/Placements and Keywords: worst.

Bottom line is that Google content has been steadily going down hill. Regardless of the techniques to control click fraud, poor content matching or demo/geo targeting, the results are dismal.

I believe the reasons are twofold and I would like to hear your thoughts on this issue.

1. Content partners have been bailing out of Yahoo and signing up with Google. So now all the junk that was on YPN is now growing on Google.

2. The incremental price increase for targeting inside of Google's content network far exceeds the expected conversions that targeting creates.

And perhaps a 3rd.
The tight economy may be convincing more and more publishers to stretch their tactics a bit more into the dark gray area.

Sometimes I think the time and effort spent targeting, segmenting, breaking down campaigns into small unique campaigns and going after the long tail is all for not.

Could it not be more cost effective to simply create a handful of generic campaigns, turn off content and go after only the top 10 KW terms?

[luckyluc]

I'd add another one: the fact that broad matches are getting "broader" with everything creating more intense competition AND less-focused targeting.

My experience with the content network shows the same data as yours. The best content campaigns I have going are strictly keyword based, not site/placement targeting and not a hybrid of the two. I wonder, do you think Google is charging for the extra layer of "targeting" (i.e. you want to target this site directly instead of through keywords, so you'll have a $2.10 CPC instead of $1.80)?

[AussieWebmaster]

there is more and more need for using good negatives within campaigns... also filtering to add the actual search terms inside of all ppc accounts so you can do advanced negatives

this is a good start http://www.seoptimise.com/blog/2008/...ould-know.html