Getting More Conversions Out of Google’s Content Network

If you market your business online, there is a good chance you may be using Google. But are you taking advantage of the Google Content Network? According to Google, customers spend 95% of their time browsing sites beyond search engines, so this is probably a good idea.

There are things you can do to manage your ads effectively across the web, and Google has laid some of these out. Ciarán Russell from Google’s AdWords Team breaks it down in to four steps:

1. Ensure your ads are eligible to show on relevant websites

2. Build a strong campaign

3.  Monitor your performance

4.  Focus your advertising

You have to ensure your campaigns are opted into the Content Network, of course. This can be done through your AdWords account. Just click the name of the campaign you want to adjust, click
"edit" in the "networks and devices" section in Settings, opt in to show your ads across the network, and save it.

"Create specific keywords and ad texts in separate ad groups for each product or service you want to advertise," says Russell. "Then we’ll place your ads on web pages that are relevant to your business and your customers. By creating themed and specific ad groups, you get the best performance on Search and the Content Network."

Monitor you campaigns by selecting the "networks" tab and clicking "show details" beside automatic placements. You can compare the performance of ads on different sites where they’ve appeared. Monitor clicks, impressions, cost, and conversions for each site. This will help you determine which sites are the most profitable.

You can select the sites that are performing the best and focus your budget on them by selecting the "networks" tab, clicking "show details," selecting the sites you want to manage separately, and clicking "manage placement and bid." You can reduce bids on certain sites or exclude them altogether if you’re not getting anything out of them.