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Google Changes Paid-Search Ad Rotation

Google has said it will change the paid-search ad rotation. Beginning next week, the setting for ad rotation will change to 30 days, rather than an indefinite period of time. Then the setting will optimize to show the ads expected to generate the most clicks. Every time a creative is enabled or edited, the ads in that ad group will rotate more evenly for a new period of 30 days. Evidently, this has got paid-search marketing experts in a tizzy. Greg Habermann tells us why.

Read the whole story at Search Engine Watch »

1 comment about "Google Changes Paid-Search Ad Rotation".
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  1. Chris Nielsen from Domain Incubation, May 5, 2012 at 6:12 p.m.

    If you look at this change, you may think as I did that it's geared to help those searching, but really it only helps Google.

    Here is why I say this:

    The setting for even ad rotation has been one of three options. The other two are optimize for clicks and optimize for conversions.

    I pressed Google for years for the optimize for conversions and I don't think they added that just because I wanted it. Clicks may or may not result in conversions and may or may not be how an advertiser wants the campaign to run.

    Optimize for clicks may or may not help users, but it is not so likely to. Why? Because if they don't convert, one reason may be because the ad sounded good, but then the site did not deliver for the user.

    Optimize for conversion, however, is an indication that both the user and the advertiser got what they want. So why isn't this option preferred by Google? Because they don't make as much money...!

    And they don't like the even rotation because it places the control in the hands of the advertiser. The one paying the bill gets to decide which ads stay and which ads go. True that Google, the user, and advertiser may all have a less satisfying experience, but who is paying the bill, after all...?

    My opinion is that if Google is going to limit the time you can have even rotation of ads (which makes sense) they transition them to optimize for conversion, not for clicks, since this is the most beneficial to their advertisers and the users.

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