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(Article first published in November '10. It has been modified slightly to suit its publication on our site)
Google has revolutionised so many aspects of our lives, both business and personal, that it's not hard to be a fan. I am a self confessed fan of Google, making use of a great deal of their products and services. One of these services is Google Adwords; in fact it's the main vehicle in our advertising strategy and it works extremely well for us. However it's the only area in their business strategy that I feel somewhat exploits naive customers and causes them to waste a great deal of money. I have written a number of articles on Adwords and how to maximise the potential of it (go to http://www.thedggroup.ie/Online-Marketing-Related-Articles.asp to read them all), but today I want to focus on how to use one aspect of this system.
Known as the "Content Network", it places your ads on other websites that have content that is related to your ad. So if you sell car parts, your ad will appear on car enthusiast sites, etc. But is the content network for everyone? Not in my opinion, but for many it can be extremely effective. But what's the problem with the content network? Well, it's going to get you LOTS of clicks and that's great for Google, but is it great for you? You see it's only when someone clicks your ad that Google gets paid, so obviously the whole system is setup to get you as many clicks, which equates to visits to your site, but there is no quality element taken into account. This means that whether someone clicks on your ad and you make a sale from their visit or they click on your ad, leave your website within 5 seconds of it loading, makes no difference to Google, they clicked, so you pay.
The key therefore is in getting the RIGHT clicks from genuine possible clients. But even with the best written ads, I have noticed that you still get many more clicks, which do not equate to business. To address this Google introduced different CPC (cost-Per-Click) levels for the content network, which definitely helps to minimise wasted funds, but you still need to evaluate whether the content network is right for your business.
So let's look at 4 examples of businesses and evaluate whether the content network might work for them:
1) Mass Market Online Retailer.
If you own an online store selling MP3 Players, Cosmetics or other products that have extremely broad appeal, then the content network is good for you. The reason for this is that it extends your reach beyond just searches and your ads will be shown to people of which a high percentage will be interested in your products
2) Supplier To A Very Vertical Market.
If you have a business that provides products or services to a very vertical market then the content network can work well. Firstly, your ad should appear on sites related to your vertical sector, secondly your a will be sufficiently clear about what you provide that it should dissuade unwanted clicks and thirdly you now have the option to exclude websites that are not relevant or perform poorly.
3) Supplier Of Niche Products/Services.
If you supply niche products or services then the content network can work well. Because of the keywords you choose your ad should appear (for the most part) on very targeted sites and should draw specific clicks, while excluding timewasters.
4) Anyone Else.
If you run an average business supplying general services or products that are neither broad-appeal nor niche, then you need to be careful. For example my company supplies web design and print design services, but these are general services that only certain people will need at certain times. As such I have found that the content network does not work particularly well for us.
In summary, the content network can be a great source of extra clicks, but you must be sure that your business, products or services are suited to being advertised across a network of websites. You also need to implement the campaign carefully, because setting it up is as easy as ticking a box, but making sure you make money from it requires a lot more work.
Franco De Bonis has worked in the field of sales and marketing promotion since 1990 and was most recently the global marketing manager for a major international technology company before setting up DG Group in January 2007.
DG Group is dedicated to delivering all the marketing solutions any company may require. Whether it's a website or leaflets and brochures, or even some product packaging; DG Group will manage the whole project and even provide guidance along the way.
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