Question About Ad Groups in a Campaign

[ericbramlett]

There's a specific neighborhood that I'm going after right now & there is 0 competition for it in SEO or PPC. So...I've created unique profiles on 4 of my websites for the neighborhood. I have the SEO aspect under control, but I need some help w/ the PPC. My question is this - do I have to create 4 separate campaigns in order for all 4 of my websites to pop up on the sponsored results? Right now, I have one campaign created with 4 ad groups in it. When I search for the terms, all I'm getting is one website per search query. I'd like to figure out how to make all 4 pop up on the query.

Thanks!

[RESteve]

There's a specific neighborhood that I'm going after right now & there is 0 competition for it in SEO or PPC. So...I've created unique profiles on 4 of my websites for the neighborhood. I have the SEO aspect under control, but I need some help w/ the PPC. My question is this - do I have to create 4 separate campaigns in order for all 4 of my websites to pop up on the sponsored results? Right now, I have one campaign created with 4 ad groups in it. When I search for the terms, all I'm getting is one website per search query. I'd like to figure out how to make all 4 pop up on the query.

Thanks!

So you are saying when the user searches "____ neighborhood", four PPC links (all your sites) come up on the right hand side? I think you will need to make four separate campaigns. Not too sure though - it's been a while since I did PPC.

[ericbramlett]

Yeah - that's what I'm doing. I've gotten in good w/ some of the onsites & they're sending me their move-ups, so I'm showing them what I can do for them. I think you're right Steve - I set it up the other way & it's rotating which site pops up on the sponsored results.

[RonnieG]

It doesn't matter whether you do multiple ad groups or multiple campaigns, only one of your ads will ever be displayed for any one user query. That's one of the most basic AdWords functionalities. It is partially to allow AWords to pick what it thinks is the best ad for the particular keyword phrase and user location, and partially prevent one advertiser from monopolizing the sponsored search results for any one user query. The only way around it is to have multiple AdWords accounts, and if they catch you at that, you could be totally banned from the AdWords program forever.

As it is, if there is no other competition, then you are competing against yourself to some extent. Once you get enough long term stats to see which ad and site generates the best CTR and conversion results, you should probably stick with that one, and pause your other competing ads.

[ericbramlett]

Wow...that sucks. I'm legitimately posting for my website, my company's website, and 2 other agent websites. Ronnie, do you know if they would allow multiple ads in this situation if I contacted them?

[RonnieG]

Eric,

In that case, there is a way, but there is a trade-off. You would have to relinquish exclusive control of their AdWords setups and accounts.

Each client would have to set up their own private AdWords account, billed in their own names and to their own credit cards. You can then do what you want by creating a new master account, known as a "My Client Center" (MCC) account. The MCC account can be in your name, since it has no direct billing of its own, but it has to be under a different email address / userid from your own existing AdWords account. Through your new MCC account, you request access to client's AdWords accounts, and to your own account, for management purposes. Once your clients grant that access, you can easily view and manage all of their accounts in one place, including access to their Analytics reports. All billing goes directly to them, and not through your own credit card. They can see all of their own campaigns, ad groups, keywords, stats and reports, and can manage their own budgets and credit card billing details. The MMC account does not have access to any of their credit card info, and your MCC access to their account can be canceled by them at any time.

I use this for all of my AdWords clients and projects, and it works very well. It is a great setup for open client / consulting relationships. But since the clients have full access to their own accounts and setups, it may not be so great for a situation where you don't want them to know your AdWords "tricks of the trade". In your case, it would also mean that you would have to pause all client campaigns and/or ad groups in your old account, to retain prior stats info, and so you are not caught "double serving" the same ads. Then copy the client's existing campaigns and ad groups from your current account into the new client owned accounts. Just be careful to always keep the old ads deactivated, since if you are caught double serving, even accidentally, Google could permanently cut off all the accounts affected, not just your own, and ban you and your clients from any future AdWords participation. Just read some of the pitiful threads by others who have suffered that very fate in WebMasterWorld's AdWords forum if you have any questions or doubts about the severity or impacts that penalty!

[ericbramlett]

Thanks Ronnie - you're the man!