Do You Click On The Ads?

So you're an affiliate and you want to research your competition...see what they're doing. Do you click on the ads?

I hope you said no. If you said, "duh, how else am I supposed to see what my competition is doing" then read this post in its entirety.

By now you know that clicking on the ads charge some good affiliate out there for that click. If you're an affiliate yourself and use adwords its kinda unfair because you wouldn't like someone clicking on your ads now would you? Especially if they're not going to complete the desired action.

So how do you actually see the landing page without charging your fellow affiliates?

Here's how:

1. right click on the ad you want to view.
2. Select properties
3. Copy the url and paste it into the browser.

At this point you should have something looking like this:

google.com/pagead/iclk?sa=l&ai=BDqCsGsxtR4byojee&num=4&adurl=http://www.beatingadwords.com

Note the part on the end with the destination url.

4. Delete everthing else in your browser leaving the destination url (bolded in the above example)
5. Click enter and you see what your competition is doing...without charging them for the click.

Another way to do this is to use research tools like Wealthy Affiliate's Research Top Listings tool. The tool shows the top listings and their destination urls so you can look at their landing pages without charging the affiliate or advertiser for the click.

So the next time you're doing some research...be considerate to your fellow advertisers...competition or not.

Steve Goltiao's Ad Infiltration

I recently got a copy of an ebook by Wealthy Affiliate member Steve Goltiao called Ad Infiltration.

The ebook reveals how Steve was able to get some rather low cpcs of under 1 cent! No, really...I read the book. He also reveals how he managed CTRs of up to 64.70%!

Yeah its pretty amazing and not many people are doing PPC like this. Steve is stealing (legally) from his competitors and they are allowing him...jeez, do I sound like a liar, already?

The ebook is pretty eye opening and although the method has been around for a while now, there's not much material written about it and is pretty much unexplored. Steve's Ad Infiltration is a really good read and anyone who gets their hand on this is going to make a lot of money in highly competitive niches.

The limited release of 100 copies sold out in just under an hour but Steve's gonna be launching pretty soon as a WSO on the Warrior Forum. You can get on the notification list by going to Ad Infiltration.

Ad Writing Techniques To Increase Your Adwords CTR

Having a high click thru rate (ctr) on your ads is very important. Google will hand you some low minimum bids if you have a high click thru rate on your ads. Your quality score will also improve and so will every thing else including roi providing that you're making money on your campaign.

Click thru rate is measured by the ratio between the impressions on your ads and the clicks your ad recieves. Simply put, for every time your ad is shown, how often is your ad clicked on?

Here are some things you can do to increase your click thru rate:

• Don't be boring like everyone else. Sure its hard to be unique and still keep your keyword in your ad but being unique will usually stand out and therefore get more clicks. Google will reward you regardless so inject humor in your ads and try to be as relevant as you can.
• Use symbols - Google will usually disapprove certain symbols but there are some that you can use to get eyes on your ad. One of the most common is the "?". Using the "?" on the end of your ad headline can jump your ctr since people generally respond to being asked a question. Also your competition may not be using these symbols. Other symbols such as "™", © , ®, #, $ and % can also work wonders for your ctr. Remember to split test your ads.
• Use numbers. Same as with special symbols the eye usually gets drawn to numbers as they stand out from text. Combine them with special symbols. eg. Top 10 Widgets Under $10
• Put your keyword in the display url field if possible. Keywords are usually bolded and this will add relevance to your ad. eg. ConquerAdwords.com/IncreaseCtr
• Start each word in your domain with a capital letter. Drop the www so you can have more character for the keyword on the end in the above example.
• Offer a bonus right in your add. Most advertisers don't do this and customers want something extra. Make sure customers can get the advertised bonus.
• You can use the price in your ad to get your ctr up and your bids down. Using the price usually gets rid of freeloader and curiosity clicks.

There are other ways to increasing your adwords ctr other than ad writing techniques. Starting at the first stage of exposure is a great way to get a good campaign going.

Turn Off The Adwords Content Network.

One of my Wealthy Affiliate friends learned the hard way. She had just set up a campaign and activated it and left for the bathroom. When she got back 3 minutes later, she had already racked up over 800 clicks...must have been one good looking ad.

I'm sure she probably meant to turn off the Adwords content network but that 3 minutes she had it on for cost her a pretty penny. Its one of the biggest mistakes advertisers make when starting an adwords campaign. They leave the content network running.

Always turn off the content network.

The Google Adwords content network is used to show ads on relevant websites in the form of adsense. The network is plagued by click fraud and advertisers can recieve very untargetted and unwanted traffic. There's actually a right way and a wrong way to use the adwords content network.

Leaving on the content network feature will get your ads tons more impressions and this usually means lower click thru rate (ctr). As you know, having a low ctr can have damaging effects on your quality score and other aspects of your campaign including roi.

If you're going to use the content network then its best to use a separate campaign so you can track the results and maintain the different variables related to both the content network and the search network.

Setting up a placement targetted campaign is also much better than letting an adwords campaign run with the content network on. Placement targetted campaigns (formerly site targetting) places your ads on websites which you select so you have more control over where your ads are shown. You can also pay per click instead of by impressions if you like. This is the only recommended use of the content network.

So next time you start that new campaign, remember to save your self some money by turning off the adwords content network.

Direct Linking or Landing Page?

When I first got online in early 2006, I was introduced to Google Adwords through Google Cash. Being that it was my first time trying to make money online, I had no website and no experience - the hot buttons Chris Carpenter pushed to get me started.

I was taught the direct linking method, and I happily went to Clickbank, picked an affiliate program and grabbed my link.

I direct linked to the merchant and....I had problems!

I didn't know how to use landing pages but I later on learned. I used to think, "Why the hell would anyone use a landing page? Doesn't that just get in the way of the customer and the merchant?"

Well I later learned that landing pages were the way to go. Here's why:

Direct linking Problem #1
Google does not allow any two advertisers to use the same url for any given keyword.

Solution - Use a landing page so that you can advertise using that keyword. You might even beat out the advertiser if your landing page is better optimized then the direct-linked lander.

Direct Linking Problem #2
Google asks you for some rather high minimum bids. You're told to optimize your landing page. Trouble is the landing page is not yours.

Solution - Using unique landing pages for each of your keyword ad groups can earn you very low cpcs since you can build relevant landing pages to suit your keywords. Most merchant landing pages aren't optimized for the keywords that perform very well.

Direct Linking Problem #3
The customer hates being sold to.

Solution - When you direct link to the merchant its hard to show the customer the benefits of purchasing the product. The merchant may have this on his page but the customer might prefer to know that he is making his own decision to buy and may need opinions other than the merchant's. Its the job of the affiliate to presell or to tell the customer what to expect. Presells usually convert higher than direct linking campaigns. The affiliate can also offer bonuses on his landing page.

Direct Linking Problem #4
Cant track conversions and other variables.

Solution - Unless the merchant is willing to insert your conversion code on his thank you page, there's no way to track conversions. Tracking is very important and having a landing page can help you to track which keywords convert since you can put the code on your own landing page. This will usually be landing page to merchant click thru rate. You can also go into your hosting logs and find keywords that you may not have thought of and add them to your campaign. With direct linking the merchant usually benefits from you sending him traffic with keywords you don't even know about yourself.

Direct linking campaigns can also be profitable as well (especially when there is little or no competition). In some cases its better to direct link. However using landing pages has its benefits and generally work better than direct linking straight to the merchant.

Using Negative Keywords To Increase CTR

One overlooked aspect of setting up a campaign is using negative keywords. If you're not using negatives keywords you are most likely paying for unwanted or untargetted clicks.

Having negative keywords in your adgroups or campaigns can also increase your CTR exponentially since you are getting rid of some of those unwanted impressions. When you set a negative keyword you are telling Google not to show your ad for certain keywords.

Some negative keywords you might want to use are listed below along with the searchers who you want to elliminate.

1. To hide your ads from freeloaders:

• -free
• -crack
• -torrent
• -keygen
• -p2p

2. Hide your ads from researchers:

• -picture
• -wikipedia
• -jpeg
• -image
• -pics
• -video
• -youtube

3. Hide your ad from other marketers:

• -forum
• -forums
• -affiliate or "affiliate program"
• -blogs

You might also want to hide your ad from being displayed on the broad term although Google is up on its game and would usually stay very relevant. For example if you're advertising 'Chow Mutt German shepherd dog food' you could take out the broad term 'dog food' by using the negative keyword for the exact phrase -[dog food].

Also its a good idea to go to the keyword tool and do a search for your base keyword. Any irrelevant words used with your base keyword could be used as a negative.

Check your hosting logs too. You'll probably find some there too.

Add your keywords to the campaign if you aren't going to use them at all or add them to the adgroup if you'd like to use them in another adgroup but not that one. You'll see your impressions dropping way down and because you'll only have relevant searches even if you get the same amount of clicks you normally get then you'll have a better ctr which will give you a better quality score and as a result lower cpc.

The Buying Cycle

Who are you targetting?

Are your keywords bringing you any revenue? If not then you may be targetting the wrong searchers in the buying cycle.

So what is the buying cycle? Basically there are three types of searchers. There is a fourth aspect of the buying cycle but lets focus on the three types of searchers.

Searcher #1 - The researcher - The researcher is very early in the buying cycle. He may not even make a purchase or have the means to do so. He is looking for information on how his problem can be solved and would use very broad keywords.

For example if he might have heard about people making money on the internet using Google.

His searches may be "make money on the internet", "make money with Google", "google make money". With these searches, you may be getting clicks on your ads without him making a purchase because he is just looking for information.

You can take advantage of the researcher if you set up an opt in and offer a free 7 day course, a free sample, a free guide or newsletter or something of use to the researcher.

Searcher #2 - The Informed - Searcher #2 used to be a researcher and has found what he is looking for - the information he came online to get in the first place. The interest is now building up and he is now an informed searcher. He is getting closer to the end of the buying cycle but may not even buy (might be a cheapo).

His searches using the above example, would be keywords like "adwords guides", "best adwords ebook", "google adwords coupon" and so on.

Again it might be possible to get him to your website and turn him into searcher #3 but why not spend your money on searcher #3 instead.

Searcher #3 - The Buyer - The buyer's interest has been peaked and he has his credit card in hand or has logged into his paypal account already. He is looking for reasons to buy (or not to buy) something that could solve his problem. He definitely is going to spend money.

His searches using the above example are now very targetted. He has seen some adwords guides and has heard suggestions on 'best adwords ebooks' and has singled out one. He searches for "Beating Adwords review", "buy beating adwords", "beating adwords + bonus". If you advertised on "buyer type" keywords your conversions are going to be much higher.

Buyer type keywords contain words like 'review', 'buy', 'purchase', 'bonus', 'coupon' etc and the brand name.

7 Common Adwords Mistakes Newbie Advertisers Make.

When introduced to Adwords for the first time I probably made all the mistakes in the book. Other adwords newbies have also asked me questions about their campaigns too and I've notices that they also make the same mistakes.

Lots of people are throwing away their money and making these common Adwords mistakes.

1. Not using a unique landing page for each adgroup - Most 'new to adwords' advertisers are direct linking. There is a right way and a wrong way to direct link. Direct linking can be ok for testing a campaign but only for that reason. You should always try to get a domain and make a separate landing page for each adgroup that is relevant to the keywords you are using.
2. Keyword dumping - Possibly the most common mistake is getting a large list of keywords that don't have anything in common with each other and dumping them all in one adgroup. If Google cant see any relevance they will give you high bids so if you're wondering why your keywords are all $5 and $10 then this could be the reason. Your Ctr will also suffer.
3. Not using negative keywords - Its possible that you're paying for keywords that you're not advertising under but Google is showing your ads for anyway. This means that you're paying for unwanted traffic and using negative keywords can save you a ton of money on clicks. Negative keywords tell Google not to show your ad if the person types your keywords along with the that negative. eg. your ad wouldn't be shown for "free adwords guide" if you chose to use -free as a negative for the adgroup 'adwords guide'.
4. Not split testing - When you're using your money to generate traffic then you must split test in order to get the best results you can. Split test your ads by making two and replacing the poor performing one. Split test landing page headlines, offers, call to actions, layouts but only changing one variable at at time. You will be able to see what is causing you to lose conversions and split testing can be the difference between a losing campaign and one that makes you $100 a day.
5. Advertising on broad keywords - 'make money' - possible the most common keyword advertisers try to jump on when they now start out. Broad keywords usually have a lot of traffic which is untargetted. This means wasted clicks and very low conversions. Instead try to use targetted keywords that are close to the end of the buying cycle. These are usually long tailed keywords that have less competition and thus you will pay less for each click.
6. Not researching the competition - If you're not researching your competition then you are letting them take advantage of you. Its like picking a fight with a blindfold over your eyes. Your competition is watching you - they're looking at what you're offering, they're looking at your ads to see how they can do a better one, collecting opt ins so they can take your potential customers and sell to them anytime and a lot of other things that you may not be aware of. Because they're looking at you they might be having a better campaign than you are and if you do the same you could end up being the winner in your niche.
7. Fighting for #1 - Studies have shown that the #1 spot is the not the best spot to be for conversions. If you want traffic then this may be the spot to be but conversions should be your main focus. Searchers usually click the first result they see and won't usually buy without checking out a few more offers. The best positions to be are usually positions 3 - 7 on the first page. If there aren't any other advertisers then this is the only excuse for being in position #1 providing that the keyword brings you money.

There are other mistakes being made but these are the most common. Correcting these mistakes can greatly improve your campaigns and increase your roi so if you're guilty log into your Google Adwords account right now and do something about it.

It also means that you would greatly benefit from reading Beating Adwords which will allow you to save a lot of money by giving you a solid approach to building winning adwords campaigns.

Google Ads For Free?

Yeah it all started with the release and hype of GetGoogleAdsFree earlier this year and they somehow tried to make people believe that you could actually get Google Adwords for free.

Most likely the persons who would want to get a break from having to pay their adwords bill would be people looking to save money. Well here's the kicker...

The system was designed for you to spend more!

Well if you are curious I would save you the trouble of having to purchase the product. In a nutshell the system has to do with offering ad space on your landing page or website and promoting your site with adwords.

This would mean that you would have to pay for the Adwords but you would pay with the funding from the advertiser who now has space on your site and sharing your visitors. So you see you are not really getting free PPC advertising but rather offsetting your expenses.

This method in itself is completely legitimate but the advertising of the GetGoogleAdsFree product is in itself very misleading. Who didn't think that there was some loophole you could use to take advantage of Google? I would put my hand up but to be honest it never excited me.

Some things wrong with this system though.

Why would you want to distract your customers further by allowing some advertiser to place a banner on your landing page? You will get lower conversions and you could use that space to capture email addresses in an opt in form.

Jeez, who the hell thought that was a genius idea?

Using Google Adwords Coupons.

More than likely if you're here at this blog then you have an adwords account already.

If however you are thinking about getting an adwords account then you might want to think about getting a Google Adwords coupon for when you sign up.

Google Adwords coupons allow you to get some free money for PPC so that you can do some test campaigns and try out adwords. Maybe you will burn through the extra credit before burning your own money but hopefully you will make some money off it and be profiting before using your own money.

You can do a search on Google for Google Adwords coupons or if you have hosting or know a friend that does some webhosts include them.

Don't ever buy Google Adwords coupons... its really amazing how some people make money off innocent people just because they don't know any better. Coupons are always free.

Conquering Adwords.

Conquering adwords was no easy task for me (is it for anyone), but after 2 years with one year which went absolutely terrible, I think I have finally done what I didn't think I could do - beat adwords.

When I started out I thought I could just put my link in, put thousands of keywords in an adgroup and call that a campaign. Well I would get sales but the $30 I would earn would have usually costed about $30 to get. But I was happy though until those sales dried up and I was just feeding Google dollar bills. This was around the time when the Google Cash method was popular.

Of course we know Google didn't like that and started slapping people. Ouch - thats when I quit.

Until this year when I joined the best membership site I would call home. Thats when I finally shook off the fear and went back into those waters...and it happened.

I was finally putting up relevant campaigns that were researched, with relevant landing pages, tight adgroups that matched my ads with a catchy headline and click pulling call to actions. I tracked landing page to merchant clickthru, assessed my click to sale ratio - tweaked and benefited from some nice roi.

I felt comfortable with Google again - I had conquered adwords.

I'm now here to help you do the same...