Problems with Exact and Phrase Match

[SteveLaLonde]

Hi Everyone,

I recently built a new campaign for a client in a high CPC, competitive space, competing for keywords against some blue-chip big advertisers. I conducted extensive keyword research, and built tightly-knit ad groups of mostly exact and phrase match keywords. All keyword tools indicated my chosen terms do get considerable search volume. My bids are high, and appear to be "high enough to display on the first page of search results".

I activated the campaign, and searched for my ads a few hours later, searching my exact keywords which were installed as exact match. My ads were nowhere to be found, even several pages back.
Quality score is excellent, bids are very high, the ad diagnostic tool says 'YES!' your ads are displaying. They are not. I contacted Google, they reviewed my account, and confirmed the problem, but had no answer/cause/solution. They said they'll get back to me. It's been a few days now and I can't wait to hear back.

Now remember, this is not a geo-targeted campaign, my bids are very high (far higher than first page estimates), my budget is very high, and ad serving is set to accelerated. Everything possible indicates that ads should be displaying, and they're not. It seems like Google does not like my exact and phrase matches.

The reason I bring this up is because I want folks to be aware that even if Googles diagnostic tools say your ads are displaying, they still might not be.

I'll post here as soon as Google gets back to me, as this is a bit odd. (I'm having a lot of problems with exact and phrase match lately in general).

Thanks!

Steve LaLonde

[Mel66]

Steve, you probably have this covered - but is your daily budget high enough to display on all searches?

[Discovery]

Could you have done your KW search looking at broad match volume and all your KWs are phrase and exact match?

Did you accidentally use a negative keyword at the campaign level that is blocking most of the ads?

Discovery

[SteveLaLonde]

Originally Posted by Mel66

Steve, you probably have this covered - but is your daily budget high enough to display on all searches?

Yep, Its very high and serving is set to accelerated. I wish it were something like this. I've communicated this problem to Google now, and they couldn't figure it out, and said they'd get back to me within 48 hours; it's been longer so I'm on the horn with them again as we speak.

[SteveLaLonde]

Originally Posted by Discovery

Could you have done your KW search looking at broad match volume and all your KWs are phrase and exact match?

Did you accidentally use a negative keyword at the campaign level that is blocking most of the ads?

Discovery

I created an entirely separate campaign with no negative keywords, so it's not that. Also, I'm searching with the same match types implemented, so thats not either.

I've never encountered this before.

To make things even weirder, I'm seeing weird display activity which is not really representative of an auction. For example, the ad diagnostic tool (the "playground") where you can test your ads, shows that "YES" a lot of ads are displaying, when they are not. I'm searching a term, seeing one single ad, then searching again, same term, and seeing a ton of ads. It's like the ads are being "throttled" on these terms. It's really weird.

[michelle car]

I'm searching a term, seeing one single ad, then searching again, same term, and seeing a ton of ads. It's like the ads are being "throttled" on these terms. It's really weird.

I sometimes see this too. Its usually fixed by deleted cookies, closing browser and opening a new one.

Sounds like you've covered off all the obvious things as to what could be causing your campaign not to run. You trafficked it as a keyword targetted campaign and not a placement targetted campaign with content off?!

[Discovery]

I have run into a similar situation just yesterday.

I created a new adgroup with about 10 keywords (exact, broad and phrase). There is absolutely NO competition for these terms. The ad and landing page are optimized and are in synch with the terms.

After the ad is on for about an hour I get a prompt within the interface stating that I must increase my bid to $17 to get page one results....

THERE ARE NO OTHER ADVERTISERS THERE.

WTF?

Discovery

[searchengineman]

Check the Google Editorial Policy Page.

I got surprised by fireworks about 4 months ago. (No ADS for Fireworks!)
The editorial policy changes frequently.

Check the magnifying glass if the word has Low Search Volume (LSV) -
If there are no competitors it could mean there's hardly any traffic.

What does the Traffic Estimator give you for your GEO-Target? Go Wider.

It sounds like your page one position problem is a quality score problem.
If you're using the ADWORDS editor view the old campaign minimum bids and see if you got the old $1.20 -$6.00 -$12.00 (Bad Quality Score)

If this doesn't help 1-866-2GOOGLE (Be nice!)

Searchengineman.

[SteveLaLonde]

Originally Posted by searchengineman

Check the Google Editorial Policy Page.

I got surprised by fireworks about 4 months ago. (No ADS for Fireworks!)
The editorial policy changes frequently.

Check the magnifying glass if the word has Low Search Volume (LSV) -
If there are no competitors it could mean there's hardly any traffic.

What does the Traffic Estimator give you for your GEO-Target? Go Wider.

It sounds like your page one position problem is a quality score problem.
If you're using the ADWORDS editor view the old campaign minimum bids and see if you got the old $1.20 -$6.00 -$12.00 (Bad Quality Score)

If this doesn't help 1-866-2GOOGLE (Be nice!)

Searchengineman.

Hey thanks for trying to help out!

Its not any of the above, but those are all good thoughts/possibilities. I don't think I can use AdWords editor to see old minimum bids, as this campaign was created just after the new QS changes took place. But, the new QS are are 7/10 or 8/10 (OK, GOOD) for these terms.

It's very odd. I've double checked every setting and even cranked bids VERY high, with a very high daily budget, and serving set to accelerated. All systems go, no negative keywords, etc. etc.

I'm perplexed! Even my Google rep is, apparently. Maybe I've found some problems with the new QS?? Who knows. I will keep everyone posted as soon as I hear from Google.

[shaneekirk]

There are definitely issues with the new QS system and I know that they are trying to work it out...

I've seen a BUNCH of time in my accounts where I am in a 1-2 average position, and it's still telling my my min bid needs to be $2.00 higher to be on the first page!! But, there I am continuing to have a great position and great CT's. Silly!

I've also seen some weird, random min bid $100, with a good QS.

They surely haven't worked out all of the kinks, but I hate playing the role of guinea pig on my (or my client's) dime.

[SteveLaLonde]

Originally Posted by shaneekirk

There are definitely issues with the new QS system and I know that they are trying to work it out...

I've seen a BUNCH of time in my accounts where I am in a 1-2 average position, and it's still telling my my min bid needs to be $2.00 higher to be on the first page!! But, there I am continuing to have a great position and great CT's. Silly!

I've also seen some weird, random min bid $100, with a good QS.

They surely haven't worked out all of the kinks, but I hate playing the role of guinea pig on my (or my client's) dime.

MIN BID $100!!!!!!!! ouch. Yes, definitely some 'bugs' to work out!

[jimbeetle]

MIN BID $100!

I've seen a small handful of these reports, all by folks who I wouldn't think to have problems working the AdWords system. Sounds like a bug, but if it ain't, it's a huge jump from the old 10 buck "we really don't want you bidding on these terms" minimum.

[Mel66]

I found a couple $100 "first page bids" yesterday, as well. Definitely a bug, imho.

[KSew]

SteveLaLonde

Reduce the bids and see if they are showing.

And/Or,

Pause the search network, and try content network.

And/Or,

Pause your ads. Create a new Ad to one of your competitors whose ads are being shown. Then see if they are being shown. Pause this add or edit the URL to point to yours.

The idea is to keep trying/testing.

BOL! (Best of Luck)

[MarkKennedySEM]

Originally Posted by Mel66

I found a couple $100 "first page bids" yesterday, as well. Definitely a bug, imho.

I'm seeing this for a few different accounts, too. I agree (hope) that it's probably a bug. I am seeing my ads on the first page for these keywords and Google is giving impressions.

[Xurxo]

Hey Steve,

Sounds like most bases are covered and your ads should definitely be showing.

We had a client who experienced this as well except that we could see his ads and the ads of his competitors while he could not.

The problem seemed to have something to do with Google's search retargeting feature and how they display ads based on individual users' search bahavior.

Since our client was repeatedly searching directly on Google (instead of using the ad preview tool) for keywords he was bidding on, Google was trying to display ads that were most "relevant" to him. So over time with repeated searches, he was seeing less and less ads including his own.

The Solution? Clear your cache and delete your cookies and try searching again on the same keywords. When our client did this, he was able to see all ads again including his own.

Don't know if this is what you are experiencing, but it's worth a shot.

Let me know if it works...

[SteveLaLonde]

Hi Everyone,

Still not seeing ads displaying for many of these new keywords, although all indicators suggest that the ads should be showing. I'm thinking it certainly has something to do with the new Quality Score changes. However, some ads that did not trigger for over a week, have begun showing VERY intermittently, even though bids were set VERY high, and budget was quite unlimited. This leads me to really believe it's a Q Score related phenomenon.

I have a feeling bugs are simply getting ironed out in AdWords. Who knows!