I’ve had a few good conversations lately around a recent news article, “Google sued over advertising program”.  This article describes a lawsuit around the way Google AdWords users publish their ads on third party sites known as the Google content network (which is part of the Google AdSense program).

The issue is that some AdWords customers may be syndicating their Ad Groups on the Google content network without actually knowing it.  The only way to ‘opt-out’ specific Ad Groups on the content network is to:

1) In the “Edit Campaign Settings” screen under “Networks” select “Content Bids”.
2) When prompted, click on “Add new content bids now”.
3) Enter a value of ‘0’ into the “Content” bid price for those Ad Groups you do not wish to appear on the content network. 

If you don't enter a $0 bid, all of your Ad Groups will appear in the content network, and the cost will default to your average cost-per-click (CPC). Not very straight forward.  Another problem is that content network ads typically have a much lower click-through-rate (CTR) and on-site conversion.  Click fraud is also much more common on ads displayed in the content network.  Altogether, this means that ads on the content network typically have a lower ROI than standard ads on the search results page. 

So, if these content network ads don’t typically perform as well as standard ads on a Google search - and they are more likely to be subjects of click fraud - why would anyone advertise here?   I think the answer depends on a couple of factors: 

a) It ultimately depends on the ROI of each campaign.  Ads on the Google content network generally have lower minimum CPC rates, so even with a lower conversion rate, the campaigns may be doing well considering the cost.

b) Probably more common, advertising on the content network can be a great way of boosting volume to your site.  My advice: concentrate your budget on the highest performing search campaigns first, and if your budget allows, drive additional traffic through the content network.

In Lyris HQ, we have several tools to help marketers get the most of their pay-per-click (PPC) ads. First, within BidHero, Lyris HQ’s bid management tool, the option to bid on ads in the content network is clearly presented.  We also offer complete campaign tracking, including ROI and ROAS, as well as the Click Fraud Report to help identify possible instances of click fraud.  Even if there is no click fraud, you’ll be able to use the forensic report to identify areas of improvement such as geo targeting and day-parting.

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