Google AdWords™ For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Muddying Search and Display Results

Joel reports that when he's brought in to consult for a company that can't figure out why their AdWords account isn't working, nine times out of ten, one single check box is the culprit.

Many beginners rely on Google's default settings when creating campaigns. These defaults usually serve to simplify your account and to increase Google's revenue. Sometimes those two goals are compatible with your goals, but most times they aren't. Now, about that check box (which even advanced users sometimes forget to uncheck because it's hidden): One of the campaign settings you need to change right away is in the Networks section. For search campaigns, make sure you clear the check box next to the Display network (see Figure 18-1).

Figure 18-1: Separate Display from Search network from Google traffic on the Edit Campaign Settings page.

If you run both search and display traffic through the same ad group, you lose the ability to distinguish among the very different kinds of traffic. Display Network Traffic consists of people who were interrupted while they were reading or surfing or watching something else. Search Network Traffic consists of people who are actively looking for your keywords. Not only do they arrive at your site driven by different motivations and desires, but they respond differently to your ads and offers.

In many cases, Display Traffic overwhelms ...