As you likely know by now, Google has launched AdWords Enhanced Campaigns. But as an AdWords advertiser, just what does this mean for you?
And as you listen to and read the various criticisms, critiques, denials and denouncements that are now making their way around the online marketing world…should you really be worried? And are you really being “forced” to do things you don’t want to do with AdWords?
Well, here at Amplitude Digital, we suggest you simply sit back. Take a deeeeeeep breath. And read the following. Trust us…you’ll feel a lot better afterward.
Then, you’re free to call us and thank you for soothing some of your concerns. And discuss how we can help you do more with your business.
Google is “forcing you to do mobile” with Enhanced Campaigns.
Wrong. Not true. Patently false. No way. Even if other agencies contact you insisting you will now be “forced” to advertise “across all devices” (something we recently were made privy to by a trusted client). Technically, they’re forcing you to do desktop, but you’ll still be able to use the “multiplier” within the campaigns to turn down mobile completely. Plus, if you use Conversion Optimizer, there’s a good chance that if any of the devices in a given campaign were actually bad…then Google would optimize them out of existence anyway.
The cost of advertising on mobile devices on Google AdWords will go up.
Maybe…but that’s not technically Enhanced Campaigns that’s jacking the ad prices up. No, it’s the “marketplace”. Google AdWords pricing is based on a combination of demand side pricing and relevance. The concern here is that now that more advertisers will be on the mobile and tablet platforms on AdWords, the prices should go up. However…maybe not. Mobile and tablet were always a default setting in AdWords campaigns before, and most likely, the people who would be “forced” into mobile…were already there. If the cost of CPCs goes up, it won’t be because Google made this happen. It will be because the marketplace got more crowded.
This “changes the game” for search, mobile, etc.
Again…false. Enhanced Campaigns didn’t introduce the concept of advertising on mobile and tablets. Those concepts have been there. For awhile now. Enhanced Campaigns change the way you’ll need to manage a portion of your campaigns, but not what campaigns are about. In fact, there’s a really good chance that things are going to get a lot better…especially with the new contextually sensitive ads.
This “puts the focus squarely on mobile.”
Nah. Remember when Netflix started charging people for streaming movies on their computer, game units, tablets, etc…and people freaked out and started saying, screaming, typing and Tweeting, “OMG! Netflix raised their prices! I hate them!” Well, Netflix didn’t raise their prices. They just started charging you for something you were getting for free before – because, well, you know, they’re a business that’s trying to stay in business, and make money. Enhanced Campaigns are kind of the same thing when it comes to mobile. Mobile was always there with AdWords, and it was always a default setting, so saying that this change puts a focus on mobile is only true if…well, if you were totally blind to the fact that you could advertise on mobile before.
Enhanced Campaigns are going to cause a “loss of control” of your AdWords campaign.
False. Well…mostly false. I’m not going to lie to you, we are losing a few things here…like, the ability to bid down tablets entirely, or the ability to target specific device OS or carrier. However, in reality, we’re actually gaining a lot more control over things – it’s just that we’re going to have to do it all within a single campaign, rather than silo-ing them out separately. The multipliers for devices and geography are bound to be huge improvements, plus the tracking for site links and a ton of other improvements will probably make you forget about the other “losses”.
Google is doing this just to get more money out of you.
Very doubtful. Mostly due to item No. 2 above, but also because that just never seems to be the case. It’s easy to vilify Google because they’re the biggest kid on the block. But nine times out of 10, what people think is “evil”…is really just a screwup…or just not anything like evil at all.
What do you think? What have your experiences with Google AdWords Enhanced Campaigns been like so far?
We’d love to hear from you. Leave some comments below the blog, contact us directly, or both.
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