Exclude those Content Network Parked Domain Ads
From the “now they tell me” file comes a surefire way to exclude your Content Network ads from “Domain Ads,” a.k.a. parked domains. Registrars often monetize parked domains to generate ad revenue, and considering there are a limited number of popular domain registrars, all those pennies and dimes do tend to add up to big bucks. How do you exclude those parked domains?
Well, when it comes to excluding your ads on parked domains I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news.
The good news is, if you’re a large enough customer of Google Adwords to have a dedicated account team and are in constant contact with your rep, excluding parked domain ads on your content network campaigns is relatively easy. Google Adwords isn’t perfect, and the Adwords representatives and relationship managers know that, so if you’ve got a decent argument about your ads not converting on Parked Domains, you should be a prime candidate for a little TLC from Adwords.
Now the bad news…
If you don’t have a dedicated Adwords team just yet, you’re probably going to have to suffer the slings and arrows for a while. Why? Your budget probably doesn’t show a vast dependence on domain ads that supplement natural placements on real content pages. Does that mean you can’t ask? Of course not, sick ‘em Cujo!
Unfortunately there is more bad news, this time for the rest of us as well…
- Adwords representatives are likely to give you the run around if you haven’t tried a number of tactics to optimize your content network campaigns.
- You better have a solid business case for requesting the exclusion of domain ads. Keep in mind that if domain ads DO convert for you, you’d be silly to turn them off and if they DON’T provide ROI be prepared to prove it to Adwords.
- Excluding domain ads is only possible on Google’s end, meaning you may have to escalate matters to relationship managers from account representatives, or optimization specialists.
- Excluding domain ads is only possible on the Campaign level. Therefore, if you have Ad Groups that are finely tuned and some convert well on domain ads whereas others do not, you may have to migrate Ad Groups out of a campaign.
- Get ready for a bumpy ride, those parked domain placements are the stabilizing mechanism Adwords uses to complement the ever changing traffic figures on real content placement territory.
Another word to the wise, some time ago there were rumblings on SearchEngineLand – I believe – that stated you could exclude the majority of parked domain properties by entering the registrar TLDs. I’m going to have to disagree there – been there – tried that – failed miserably.
A final note to all of us search marketers as well, treat your Adwords Reps nicely! They can make your job so much easier!
