Keyword Level Destination URL's

Before I get to some information on CSE's I thought I would go into a bit more detail of how keyword level destination URL's are set on the top tier Search Engines, and why they are important. The importance of using destination URL's is three fold. First you get more granular data when you use any analytics package to track at the keyword level and this results in better insight. With increased insight you have more actionable data which if used correctly should result in better ROAS. Secondly you should gain a higher conversion rate from correctly using keyword level URL's. If you direct traffic from search results to the most appropriate page or most appropriate sorting for the products on that page it improves conversion and quality score. Thirdly with improved quality score you will save money by having a higher quality score you can pay less for the same placement or pay the same for a higher placement on the SERP. Below are examples of how to set up and use keyword level URL's in Google AdWords, Yahoo Sponsored Search, and Microsoft adCenter.

Google AdWords:

Google says it pretty subtly and logically they will use the most granular destination URL available. When you edit keyword settings below is exactly what is displayed.

Edit Keyword Settings
“This optional feature helps you track individual keywords and their costs. You may enter individual CPC bids or destination URLs for any keyword. (These bids will apply only to search clicks and not to the content network.) Fields left blank will take the default ad group CPC or URL. To enter an entire list of keywords, URLs, and bids all at once, try the Edit Keywords and CPC page.”

Yahoo Sponsored Search:

Yahoo makes it pretty easy as well in the screen shot to the right you can see that there is a check box that has to be set that allows the use the keyword level destination URLs. That box gets checked as soon as you start typing in the field, and is unchecked if there is nothing in the text field. This makes it fairly idiot proof but gives you the option to do A/B tests on ad copy without losing the keyword level destination URL settings and tracking parameters.

Microsoft adCenter:

MSN has a good setup once you understand it and know how everything is linked together. However, it is not well documented and hard to understand if you only look at one piece of the puzzle. When you set a keyword level destination URL it is under the heading "Destination URL {param1}" that is only 1/2 of the puzzle.If you just set that and think that it will work like either of the above search engines you will not be collecting the data you desire.

The other half of the puzzle is in the ad level destination URL. You have to set the ad level URL to keyword destination URL and below that will appear {param1}. This is shown in the screen shot below. Now that you know both sides of {param1} this should make tracking a bit easier.

MSN AdCenter Nuances

Last week I learned a very valuable lesson for anyone who thinks they can learn the in's and out's of Google AdWords and apply that knowledge to other Paid Search campaigns.  At Sierra Trading Post we use a third party tracking and bid management system from Channel Advisor.  With that redirect tracking system and setting internal  tracking tags as well as Google Analytics tracking parameters you really need to know what you are doing.  Needless to say that day I assumed I did, but I didn't.

Google AdWords and as far as I know Yahoo Sponsored Search there is a hierarchy of destination URL's. Shown to the Right. This shows that it will use the most specific destination URL possible (usually keyword level destination URL) and if that is not available then use the next most specific and so on.  This way you can put all the tracking and redirect parameters at the keyword level and have very granular data to observe later, and ad level destination URL's are just a backup. With time constraints always lurking I usually leave those without proper tracking.  This is a bad practice and you should always place tracking on all destination URL's that way it is easier to find and solve problems if they do arise.

Well getting to the point Microsoft AdCenter does not function this way.  It uses the ad level destination URL unless other wise specified in the ad by using {param1}.  {param1} in layman's terms means use the destination URL at the keyword level.  Well therein lies the problem for me.  I made ad copy changes to Microsoft AdCenter ads to reflect our new branding just like I would have done in Google or Yahoo interfaces and didn't append tracking to the ad level destination URl. Without any tracking all the revenue that was generated by those ads went directly to SEO revenue and Paid Search ROAS went down the tubes.  Trust me on this one it is a hard thing to explain when the higher-ups ask "So why is the Paid Search revenue down this month?"  Your only response is "Well, because I'm an idiot."

More on the differences of the major search engines and a comparison shopping engine relationship chart to come in the next couple of weeks.

Introduction

First things first, I am by no means a marketing expert nor will I claim to be.  This blog is only to share the lessons that I have had learn the hard way.  Hopefully along the way it will reduce the hardship for at least a few.  

My Background:

I have a bachelors degree in Computer Engineering from Montana State University (Bozeman) and graduated just after the dot-com bubble burst and there were still layoffs happening in the technology sector, so I took a job building and maintaining websites.  After building websites for two companies over the course of 4 years the natural progression led me into marketing.  I got my first marketing job with Sierra Trading Post as an Affiliate Marketing Specialist or otherwise known in the marketing community as an in house AM (Affiliate Manager).  I worked with our affiliate network team from LinkShare for about 6 months in which time found a couple of ways to save the company significant operating costs.  Turnover in the company opened both Paid Search Marketing and Comparison Shopping Engine Management, so with proven detail oriented success in the AM position the company bestowed upon me the responsibilities of both open positions.  That is still where I am now 6 months later.  So take this blog with a grain of salt I have only been in the marketing industry for about 1 year.