HELP - Ad is being served on negatives

[kjripp]

OK - I'm more than a little concerned here, and I hope someone can shed some light (sorry for the kind of long post)...

I'm currently going through my search query reports to expand my negative lists. I have an ad group that contains a phrase-matched, single term keyword (which also happens to be a big revenue driver). It has always been kind of a catch all for keywords I haven't added yet to other ad groups, and the ad directs to a general page on our site; but I keep the bid on that keyword relatively low and have always maintained an extensive negative list.

My problem is twofold:
1) I have found that my general ad is being served for keywords that I already have in other, more specific ad groups, and which have a higher bid than the catch all keyword. My understanding is if a long tail keyword is also "covered" by a phrase match "short tail" keyword in another ad group, but the long tail has a higher bid, than the long tail ad will be shown - what's going on?

2) I have also found that my ad is being served on several negative keywords that I have already added.

I'm starting here for possible solutions - I don't want to ask Google because I'm afraid I'll just get the same old "it's not our fault and here are some more ways to spend more money" spiel.

Thanks!
Kari

[AussieWebmaster]

How are you using the negatives? -word?
Are you using broad match?

[kjripp]

Some of my negatives are broad negatives and some are phrase negatives (so -word or -"two words"). I also do not use broad match keywords in my campaigns - only phrase and exact.

For example's sake, let's say the general "catch-all" keyword is "distributors". I have "clothing distributors" in another clothing-specific ad group, and my max bid is higher; however, the general "distributors" ad is being served for "clothing distributors". Do I need to add clothing as a negative for "distributors"?

Using the same example, I have -car as a broad negative for "distributors", but my ad is still served on "car distributors". What gives?

[AussieWebmaster]

do -car distributors

[Mel66]

and -[car distributors]

Melissa

[kjripp]

Really? Do you think that's the problem? I always thought that if you have a keyword like "distributors", that adding a negative like -car would do the trick.

If I do that, should that be an exact, phrase, or broad negative?

[abbottsys]

Originally Posted by kjripp

Really? Do you think that's the problem? I always thought that if you have a keyword like "distributors", that adding a negative like -car would do the trick....

You might want to keep all match types the same. So, if your keyword is "distributors" i.e. phrase match, then use -"car" as your negative.

[kjripp]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I'm questioning now what the "right" way is to use negatives? Do I use exact match negatives and include the actual keyword (-[car distributors]), or do I just phrase match all my negatives (-"car")? I'll test them both and see which works. In the meantime, keep your suggestions coming!

So what about my other problem with the general ad being served for keywords I already have in other ad groups?

[AussieWebmaster]

they will broad match and grab whatever pays best.... so sometimes this happens

[chris1]

http://adwords.google.com/support/bi...91&ctx=sibling

[chris1]

Originally Posted by kjripp

I always thought that if you have a keyword like "distributors", that adding a negative like -car would do the trick.

That should do it. If it doesn't, you can just add the actual terms tht keep displaying as exact match (i.e. [car distributor] and [car distributors]).

Make sure you have plurals and other permutations of the terms you are having trouble with and make sure that negatives cover all your ad groups and campaigns. It could be the case that if you are using ad group negatives rather than campaign negatives, a term in one of your other ad groups is triggering this ad. Or it could be another campaign, etc. Just double check all that.

[kjripp]

Originally Posted by chris1

That should do it. If it doesn't, you can just add the actual terms tht keep displaying as exact match (i.e. [car distributor] and [car distributors]).

Thanks Chris, but I don't think I want to do that, because I want the negatives to apply to all the keywords in the group - like if I have "wholesale distributors", for instance, I'd want -car to apply to that as well. If I have to put in exact negatives in the manner you're suggesting, I'd have to come up with every incarnation of negatives for each one of my keywords in the group.