Secrets of the Content Network Revealed

The Google Content Network is best described as a powerful mysterious beast that many affiliates fear to even turn on.

We’ll if you haven’t figured it out yet, let me tell you:

There’s a FREAKIN’ FORTUNE to be made on the content network. So ALWAYS TEST IT.

I’ve had a lot of success with the content network and still learning more about it all the time. My friend Geordie Carswell recently wrote a fantastic post about the Content Network, based on Google’s blog post on Content Keywords.

A lot of what Google finally ‘revealed’ about the content network I had more or less suspected:

1. Google bases your ad placement based on the theme of the keywords in the adgroup (not the individual keywords), so it’s good to have a tightly targeted theme. If you have tightly targeted adgroups then this is not a problem.
2. Broad, phrase, and exact match don’t matter for content, that’s a given based on point #1

It’s reassuring to hear these above points-which I had long suspected were true-from the horses mouth itself!

Now here what surprised me:

1. Adding duplicate keywords into multiple adgroups to capture a theme such as flowers!
2. Adding negative keywords, and lots of them.

I wouldn’t recommend the duplicate keyword method unless your content network traffic is converting REALLY well and you’re looking for ways to increase your traffic.

However, adding negatives is a killer idea.

Haven’t touched the content network yet?

Here’s what I suggest:

1. Get your stuff on Google Search FULL OPTIMIZED first. I mean the whole ball of wax: adjusting bid positions, split testing your Google ads, expanding your keyword list, adding negative keywords, etc, etc.
2. Use Adwords Editor : Go to the ‘Campaign’ tab and select the campaign you want to switch over to the content network. Hit Ctrl-C (Copy) and then Ctrl-V (paste). This will make a copy of your campaign. Now add ‘-Content’ at the end of your campaign and change the campaign setting so it’s Content ONLY!
3. Now just upload your new Content campaign to your Google account and let it run . You’re going to have to adjust the bids since the conversion rate on Content and Search are different – even at the adgroup level. Just collect data and made adjustments as necessary.

Do you know what’s REALLY cool about the content network?

You don’t have to worry about minimum bids.

SO SWEEEET!