Google Adwords Site-Targeted CPC Ads Coming Soon!
Oct 25, 2007 Google Adwords
Recent mumbling around Google indicate that the initial site-targeted CPC beta test is just about wrapped up. Testers are in the feedback phase, and depending on the overall success of the program, we might see a public release into mainstream Adwords accounts or it might be reinvented and introduced to new advertising beta testers. Here’s what you should know about site-targeted CPC.
Site-targeted CPC Ads have been on my Adwords wish list for some time now. As opposed to their CPM-based bidding cousins, pay-per-click models are bid and won using cost-per-click models. So what makes CPC-based site-targeted ads better?
- CPC-based site-targeted ads enable tighter control over conversion costs.
- Enables advertisers to run finely tuned short-term campaigns on specific sites.
- Minimizes the guess work of how many potential clicks campaign budgets will generate.
- Clicks can be tracked easily on client-side analytics, whereas impressions (in CPM campaigns) are provided by a third party through Google (another third-party). Which path do you trust?
Now the corollary. If CPC-based site targeted ads are so great, Google would have implemented the model long time ago. So why didn’t they?
- The current CPM model attracts high-trafficked sites, not many sites will want to change formats.
- The CPC model may in fact use Adsense-subscribed sites, and we know what that means, more invalid clicks.
- Most traditional offline marketers are comfortable using CPM models, and CPC models might not make sense for particular business models.
As I said, I’m anxious to get on board with CPC-based site-targeted Adwords placements, but without testing and ROI analysis, it’s too soon to tell whether it’s a good idea or not.
Leave a Reply