Search Engine Watch Forums

AussieWebmaster · #1 03-22-2005

BlowSearch and the CPV product. I actually posted favorably about these guys today and by the afternoon I am handed our weekly spend which included their new Cost Per View for the first time (which James Vaugn had told us would not run more than $10 or so).

And there it was: $1,240 for the week from BlowSearch...

we get 200 clicks for around $10 with their PPC and all the bells and whistles make this a tight buy that converts well.....

But CPV gave us 240,913 impressions.... now here is the rub....

Our tracking only counted 91,224 impressions ....

Spoke to them but was told they do not consider third party tracking valid... so I guess that was a quick flush and another small engine gets written off the list.

It's a pity since I really like their aggressive technology and the features I had blogged about earlier in the day. Even always stop by and say hello at the conferences....

Longer will they be mygeek....

PhilC · #2 03-25-2005

I've never heard of BlowSearch so I don't understand the CPV product (cost per view - impressions?). It is something completely seperate to the PPC product and, if so, how are you able to record impressions? A graphic taken from your site for each impression?

AussieWebmaster · #3 03-25-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilC

I've never heard of BlowSearch so I don't understand the CPV product (cost per view - impressions?). It is something completely seperate to the PPC product and, if so, how are you able to record impressions? A graphic taken from your site for each impression?

It is basically exit traffic that automatically loads when people leave who have searched in your area.

PhilC · #4 03-25-2005

Gotcha. Presumably it opens a new window.

Is it possible that the new windows content isn't especially fast to load, and that a lot of people close the window as soon as they see it? That shouldn't stop the page from your site from starting to load, but, if the tracking is via something lower down in the page, a link to a graphic for instance, then windows could be closed before that part of the page has been rendered and the item requested.

Maybe I'm barking up a tree in a completely different forest. I'm just wondering how they could record such a huge difference....AH!!!!

If it's a popup system, then stacks of people wouldn't even request your page because of popup blockers, and you'd never know. Another wrong tree?

AussieWebmaster · #5 03-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilC

Gotcha. Presumably it opens a new window.

Is it possible that the new windows content isn't especially fast to load, and that a lot of people close the window as soon as they see it? That shouldn't stop the page from your site from starting to load, but, if the tracking is via something lower down in the page, a link to a graphic for instance, then windows could be closed before that part of the page has been rendered and the item requested.

Maybe I'm barking up a tree in a completely different forest. I'm just wondering how they could record such a huge difference....AH!!!!

If it's a popup system, then stacks of people wouldn't even request your page because of popup blockers, and you'd never know. Another wrong tree?

Yes loads in separate window and also code is at bottom of page...

PhilC · #6 03-26-2005

Then popup blockers and people closing them before the counter system operated may be the reason for the huge difference in figures.

I they operated a system whereby the tracking system refers to their site (an image from their site for instance), and the customer is only charged when the image is acquired, then the numbers would tally. It's wrong to charge for all exit popups these days. The system would require both sides to implement it though, and they probably wouldn't trust the customer - rightly so.

AussieWebmaster · #7 03-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilC

Then popup blockers and people closing them before the counter system operated may be the reason for the huge difference in figures.

I they operated a system whereby the tracking system refers to their site (an image from their site for instance), and the customer is only charged when the image is acquired, then the numbers would tally. It's wrong to charge for all exit popups these days. The system would require both sides to implement it though, and they probably wouldn't trust the customer - rightly so.

I have a hard time giving a pixel to anyone apart from a third party independent site.
That way I restrict them getting info about all other PPC companies I advertise with etc.

PhilC · #8 03-26-2005

Maybe they have already factored non-views into the pricing, so that each view is a lot cheaper than it would be if popups weren't being blocked and people didn't close them as quickly as they can.

BlowsearchRep · #9 03-28-2005

Aussie, BlowSearch does have ROI tracking available for CPV. If you implement it it may help. I highly suggest that every advertiser use ROI tracking as it helps the Rep who is working on your account optimize it better. You already know what we are doing on our end as per my reply to your blog entry.

BTW, we're not interested in any other campaigns you might have going with other engines. Frankly that data is extremely useless to us. The performance of each adnetwork is different. What works on one may not work on another.

If we're interested in the peformance of any other engine we "pony up" the cash like everyone else and run campaigns ourselves with private sites that some of us in the company own individually. We get much more detailed info this way. Also, it's just the right thing to do. If we want data on other engines we should pay for it, not our advertisers.

If it worries you regardless of what I have to say simply make a copy of the landing page, rename it, and re-point the URL's in your campaign to it so that it is dedicated to BlowSearch traffic alone and and tracking becomes a non-issue for you (I hope). When doing this please make sure you use the right meta tags or .htaccess rules on the page so you don't get hit for duplicate content by the organic engines.

Lastly. If you can move the tracking you are using up to the top of the page. It may help to correct some of the tracking differences. Again, we are looking into the cause of the difference in numbers, I am out of the office today but I'll be checking in on it.

Joe

AussieWebmaster · #10 03-28-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlowsearchRep

Aussie, BlowSearch does have ROI tracking available for CPV. If you implement it it may help. I highly suggest that every advertiser use ROI tracking as it helps the Rep who is working on your account optimize it better. You already know what we are doing on our end as per my reply to your blog entry.

BTW, we're not interested in any other campaigns you might have going with other engines. Frankly that data is extremely useless to us. The performance of each adnetwork is different. What works on one may not work on another.

If we're interested in the peformance of any other engine we "pony up" the cash like everyone else and run campaigns ourselves with private sites that some of us in the company own individually. We get much more detailed info this way. Also, it's just the right thing to do. If we want data on other engines we should pay for it, not our advertisers.

If it worries you regardless of what I have to say simply make a copy of the landing page, rename it, and re-point the URL's in your campaign to it so that it is dedicated to BlowSearch traffic alone and and tracking becomes a non-issue for you (I hope). When doing this please make sure you use the right meta tags or .htaccess rules on the page so you don't get hit for duplicate content by the organic engines.

Lastly. If you can move the tracking you are using up to the top of the page. It may help to correct some of the tracking differences. Again, we are looking into the cause of the difference in numbers, I am out of the office today but I'll be checking in on it.

Joe

I have tracking in place - I use KeywordMax... I do not feel it good practices to use anything other than third party tracking as I do not want to tempt my ad and link providers to see what works for their competition.

PhilC · #11 03-28-2005

Hi Joe (BlowsearchRep),

Can the new windows be blocked by popup blockers? I see odd ones that get past them. If they can be blocked, does your system take account of it in some way, or do you charge for every time that a new window should open?

BlowsearchRep · #12 03-28-2005

Well to be frank with you CPV is not my forte so I had to ask about that for you. As it turns out most of the partners who are involved in CPV use a "kind of" proprietary browser to launch their pops. It's not based on IE or Mozilla for example. Because of this very few if any pops actually get blocked.

Of those that are blocked the advertiser is not charged. Seems the technology is smart enough to know if the pop was not displayed. I think Aussie's problem is unrelated to pop up blockers however. So we're looking into it. 3rd party tracking is always innacurate but it should not be that much off.

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