Google Adwords, PPC, Bing and Yahoo
By now, you will have noticed the highlighted ads that appear alongside the search results of your favourite search engine’s results page (Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc.). Online paid advertising is one of the easiest ways to increase web traffic, particularly on a short-term basis (e.g. if you are running a promotion).
However, before you go jumping in with both feet, it is worth taking the time to understand how this form of online advertising actually works. We’ll start with Google AdWords.
What is AdWords?
AdWords is Google’s paid advertising platform. It includes adverts placed on search pages (the Search Network) and on third party websites (the Display Network).
Although AdWords offers alternative cost models, the most popular one is pay-per-click (PPC). Advertisers choose relevant keywords, create an ad using a template, decide on a budget and either set an amount they want to pay per click or allow Google to make that decision for them.
The decision on whether your ad is displayed (and where) is determined in an automated auction. Once your ad is shown, your budget is reduced when – and only when – someone clicks it.
Why Optimising Ads Saves You Money
When business owners hear that Google AdWords runs on a bidding process many naturally assume that the biggest bid will secure them the space (as in eBay, for example). This is a misunderstanding of how AdWords operates and can be harmful to your bottom line.
Although your allocated budget does play a big part in how often your ads are displayed, AdWords is far more sophisticated than that. Google takes into account other aspects of your ad before determining the result of an auction. These include your ad quality score, based on ad relevance, and its expected impact, which can be increased by using features such as ad extensions.
A high quality score is achieved by using popular keywords in your campaign and ensuring your landing page (where the clicker ends up) is both relevant and mobile-friendly. High quality ads can outweigh bid price, enabling an advertiser to win an auction despite not being the highest bidder. Google may not always utilise your highest bid price either since the ad rank of the preceding bidder is included in the calculations.
If this is starting to sound complicated then here’s a simple suggestion. Let 360 Spin help with optimising your ads and save you money on your bidding strategy.
What About Bing Ads and Yahoo!?
At the time of writing, Google AdWords held just under 80% of the global search marketing market (according to NetMarketShare). In contrast, Bing came in at just over 7% with Yahoo! at around 5%. Baidu – a Chinese search engine – sits between the two.
Nevertheless, some marketers have claimed better results from Microsoft’s Bing and Yahoo!
Bing Ads works in a similar way to AdWords but uses the Bing Network consisting of Bing, AOL and Yahoo! Bing’s keyword-matching strategy is often cited as a key selling point.
Yahoo! also currently offers its own ads on its Gemini mobile platform but with Verizon recently buying up both AOL and Yahoo! (now rebranded Oath), there is a lot of change on the horizon.
Optimise Your Campaigns With A 360 Spin PPC Package
Whether you want to stick with the tried and trusted AdWords or throw Bing Ads and/or Yahoo! into the mix, 360 Spin offer a selection of flexible PPC packages that can help to set up and manage your ad campaigns. We can also include social advertising platforms such as Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads and LinkedIn advertising.
For more information or a free quotation, please get in touch.
