For a
few years it seemed that “display advertising” had become something of a dirty
word for many in the Internet marketing community.
Perhaps
they only tested contextual targeting on the Google
Display Network (GDN) – throwing a few keywords up and hoping for the
best? Maybe they tried some large buys from a demand side platform (DSP) and
didn’t see the best ROI? Or maybe they signed on with a self-service DSP only
to find the platform was confusing and lacking in features?
Whatever
the case, there are so many
options available for display advertising that you should be out there testing.
Google
is pushing the envelope with their offerings on the GDN. But that is just one display network! Peel back the curtain and
you will find a big world of networks, DSPs, and remarketing services – all of
them offering their own special sauce of algorithms, self-service platforms and
generally raising the bar for the entire industry.
Google AdWords – Google Display Network
(GDN)
The GDN
is the most well-known display
network given that it is a part
of the Google AdWords platform. However, the consensus among an alarmingly high
percentage of advertisers is that GDN doesn’t work. My gut instinct is that the
advertisers crying the loudest know the least about how to leverage the range
of GDN features to target their customers.
So, if it has been a while, here is a
sampling of the myriad ways you can tweak GDN campaigns to generate quality
traffic – and yes, conversions:
·
Contextual Targeting: This is
the basic foundation of the GDN. Input some keywords that are relevant to your
product or service, and Google will match your ads to websites. This is where a
lot of advertisers stop. But you have to dig deep. Segment your keywords.
Google has given us the ability to bid on individual keywords. Review placement
performance reports and exclude poor websites. Add demographic settings to gain
another layer of relevancy.
·
Placement Targeting: Cherry-pick
the websites that are most relevant and/or convert the best. Layer on keywords,
demographic settings for even more detailed targeting.
·
Topic/Category Targeting: Need to
increase your ad reach? Try Topics or Categories relevant to your product or
service. This will open you up to a much larger portion of the GDN. Be sure to
control performance with site exclusions, keyword targeting, and demographic
targeting.
·
Remarketing: Where do
I start? The possibilities are endless! Tag your website and landing pages.
Segment those visitors into audiences. Create targeted ads. Voila! –
watch the conversions come in!
·
Search Companion: Bridging the gap between search and
display, Search Companion is a unique feature for the GDN. You create a
campaign leveraging keywords you would normally target on search. Google will
cookie anyone searching for those keywords on Google.com – regardless of whether they click your ads. You
can then target ads to those searchers on the GDN. This is an extremely
relevant way to run display ads!
·
RLSA: Otherwise
known as “remarketing lists for search advertisers.” This is another way Google
is bridging the gap between search and display. RLSA functions like typical
remarketing, adding a cookie to anyone who visits your website. However,
instead of triggering ads on display, your ads are remarketed to these visitors
on Google.com. Unfortunately, this beta test is closed. Ask your Google rep for
more details.
·
Similar Audiences: Already running remarketing? Great! How can
you gain even more impressions, clicks, and conversions? Run ads on audiences
that are similar to your existing remarketing audiences. Google reviews your
audiences and will match you to an audience that expands far beyond
those visitors who have already been to your website.
DoubleClick Bid Manager
By now
you likely know that Google bought DoubleClick a few years ago. That’s why we
now have the Google Ad Planner and now DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBA).
DBA is a
demand-side platform that gives you access to ad exchanges with reach far beyond the GDN. Why would you choose DBA over
another DSP service?
·
DBA is a platform that is similar to AdWords. So there is
familiarity and a lower learning curve for managing campaigns.
·
Options include contextual, placement, and category targeting.
However, you can up the game by targeting third party data segments – which are
essentially demographic levers you can pull.
·
Want to make a direct buy on a premium website, but don’t have
the resources or time? DBA allows for “private exchange deals” which are
self-service direct buys on premium websites.
Broader World of Display
Outside of the world of Google, there are
countless options for display advertising. Here is a brief sampling:
·
DSPs: Also
known as demand side platforms, DSPs are the backbone of the display
industry. Familiar names include The Trade Desk, Media Math, AppNexus among a
host of others. Offerings range from utilitarian display buys (budget, CPM, bam
you’re done!), convenient self-service platforms and emerging real-time bidding
options (RTB).
·
Remarketing: So many advertisers have made the
unfortunate connection that Google is the only name in remarketing. Not true.
If you want to be a remarketing pro, Google is only the first step. Services
like FetchBack, AdRoll and Perfect Audience (among countless others) are
changing the face of remarketing every day. Target your previous website
visitors on ad exchanges and websites far outside the reach of the GDN. AdRoll
and Perfect Audience are specializing in Facebook remarketing, too.
So, even if you have been burned with a
poor display experience in the past – or were just too scared to try – know
that now is the time to test display again. There are so many options, it is
truly like being a kid in a candy store. Options, reach, flexibility and – best
of all – great performance
Source:http:searchenginewatch.com
