You’re Doing it Wrong

5 common mistakes that can hurt your ads’ performance

No one likes to be told they’re doing something wrong. And most of the time we try to focus this blog on the positive changes you can enact to help your account run better. But our Advertiser Solutions team sees advertisers make the same mistakes over and over when they set up their accounts, and so in this post we’d like to review the top five—just to make sure you’re not making them, too.

1. Using geo-modified keywords in geo-targeted campaigns
This can result in a lot less traffic, since there is a strong chance the ads will not display due to a “geo-targeting mismatch.” One solution for this: use geo-modified keywords only in campaigns not using geo-targeting. To know when to use geo-targeting and when to use geo-modified keywords, read our post, “Geo vs. Geo.”

2. Duplicating keywords across ad groups or campaigns
When you have a good keyword, it may seem like a smart move to spread the goodness around to all of your ad groups and campaigns. However, duplicate keywords won’t help your performance—in fact, they can hurt you quite a bit, because our systems de-dupe on multiple levels. (That’s a fancy way of saying it looks for duplicates and removes them.)

For example, if you want to test Advanced and Standard match types by running both concurrently in identical ad groups, your keywords will compete against each other and drive up your cost-per-click. We’ve also seen advertisers duplicate keywords with multiple landing pages. The duplicated keywords can result in a lower quality index score and a higher cost-per-click.

3. Jumping the gun
“All we are saying, is give bids a chance.” Many times, we’ve seen advertisers make bid adjustments, or pause or delete keywords well before enough data has been collected to make an educated decision. For example, your cost-per-acquisition (CPA) target might be $40, and because you think your keyword isn’t giving you enough impressions or clicks, you pause it. Our experience has shown that many advertisers do this too quickly. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t reached your $40—or whatever the amount was you set for your target—it’s too early to judge your metrics.

4. Putting your phone number in your ad
This one may sound odd—why wouldn’t you want to give your prospects another way to contact you? However, a phone number in your ad can decrease your click-through rate and quality index score, which in turn drives up your cost-per-click and pushes the ad further down in results. With search advertising, you want people to click your ad. That’s the way to get them to your website, and ultimately convert. It’s also the way to improve your quality score and get all the benefits that come with that.

5. Bidding on competitor’s keywords
Nope, it’s not OK to see what your competitor is using and then simply copy them. Doing this will result in your irrelevant keywords being removed by our guidelines review team, and could have legal consequences, as well.

So, do any of these mistakes seem familiar? Fortunately, they’re not too tough to fix. If you run into trouble, just contact us—the Advertiser Solutions team is here to help you with your questions, troubleshooting, and optimizing your account.

— Kastle Waserman, Communications Manager, Advertiser Solutions

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17 Comments Add your own

1. SEO Company | April 24th, 2009 at 11:09 pm

The search engine marketing information you have provided is really useful and help us to increase the performance of the website advertisement. It can brings us more targeted traffic and increase our click through rate.
2. David Pascht | April 26th, 2009 at 3:48 pm

Hello,

Does Yahoo have a tool like the google adwords tool where I can mass modify a campaign? I’d like to upload campaigns that have in excess of 500 adgroups, with thousands of ad’s. Do you have any tool that would assist with this?

Also, Google has a feature that allows me to manage multiple accounts. We are a marketing firm and currently work with over 100 advertisers to market their services or products. Google allows us to have a master account and manage their google adwords account. Does yahoo have this feature?

Regards,
David Pascht
3. Jack Zufelt | April 28th, 2009 at 2:42 pm

I’m for putting your phone number in ads. The decrease as of a result is negligible.
4. dK | April 29th, 2009 at 5:26 am

“You’re Doing it Wrong” ?!

Yahoo wanting to explain marketers how to advertise online??? common, help yourself first.

Advertising on your platform and optimising campaigns is a nightmare!

“Nope, it’s not OK to see what your competitor is using and then simply copy them.” ?!

Well, thats exactly what Yahoo Searchmarketing should do…
5. Mike | April 29th, 2009 at 11:14 am

Dave P.
Yahoo has both of the items you’ve requested available to advertisers. try their bulk import tool which may/may not be active in your account. I believe there’s a $1500 spend over a 3 month period before it’s activated. Otherwise you may not have access to this feature.

In regards to master and sub accounts, speak to your rep about having this implemented.
6. David - National Positions | May 3rd, 2009 at 5:44 pm

“in fact, they can hurt you quite a bit, because our systems de-dupe on multiple levels. (That’s a fancy way of saying it looks for duplicates and removes them.)”

I’m not sure I understand that one. Even if the search volume on the keyword goes down, how would it effect the performace when that keyword / ad mixture is turned on?

Many times a systems “automated matching system” matches you to keywords that are irrelevant. By duplicating the keyword, one with advanced and the other with standard matching allows me to have a red flag if there’s a keyword that needs to be negatived out. (Search Query in Adwords has saved my clients tens of thousands of dollars.)

Are you saying that the system automatically lowers the quality score of a duplicate keyword? Can you tell me a better way of addressing the above concern?

Additionally, when I optimize a clients campaign, I don’t want to do a volatile change, I just want to gradually test my ads and keywords vs. his. Having me use his existing ad group structures and keywords kills me, so I just create a new campaign with some matching keywords…
7. Avoiding the Top Mistakes&hellip | May 27th, 2009 at 6:09 am

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8. Should You Use The Same K&hellip | July 20th, 2009 at 1:21 am

[...] Yahoo! Search Marketing’s blog tells you why: For example, if you want to test Advanced and Standard match types by running both concurrently in identical ad groups, your keywords will compete against each other and drive up your cost-per-click. We’ve also seen advertisers duplicate keywords with multiple landing pages. The duplicated keywords can result in a lower quality index score and a higher cost-per-click. [...]
9. Why You SHOULD Put Your P&hellip | July 20th, 2009 at 1:22 am

[...] I thiought I had written about this topic earlier, but I decided instead to cover another topic. But for the record, I agree with Amber at PPC Hero. Yahoo! IS giving bad advice. [...]
10. ken | October 27th, 2009 at 9:48 am

Agreed adding your phone # is beneficial and what the user wants
11. Should You Use The Same K&hellip | October 28th, 2009 at 7:59 pm

[...] Yahoo! Search Marketing’s blog tells you why: For example, if you want to test Advanced and Standard match types by running both concurrently in identical ad groups, your keywords will compete against each other and drive up your cost-per-click. We’ve also seen advertisers duplicate keywords with multiple landing pages. The duplicated keywords can result in a lower quality index score and a higher cost-per-click. [...]
12. Why You SHOULD Put Your P&hellip | October 28th, 2009 at 7:59 pm

[...] I thiought I had written about this topic earlier, but I decided instead to cover another topic. But for the record, I agree with Amber at ppc Hero. Yahoo! IS giving bad advice. [...]
13. Kalamazoo Web Design | November 30th, 2009 at 1:57 pm

Regarding number 2, I agree that you should not duplicate your competitors keywords, but it is a good idea to study what keywords your competition is using.
14. Kalamazoo Web Design | November 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

Also, I agree that putting a phone number in the ad is a bad idea. It takes up valuable space where text should go.
15. Los Angeles SEO Services | December 15th, 2009 at 10:01 pm

Duplicate keywords is something I see a lot of. Duplicating waters down the power of a good set of keywords.
16. Mindfull | January 11th, 2010 at 12:09 am

I am new to Yahoo Search marketing, but this has been a great place to start my focus, and my question for you guys, is what is this the best way for coming up with your bid on a specific keyword or keyword phrase? I have heard of bid management, but is there a simpler way to determine your bid? thanks ,) and thank you for posting all of this wonderful insight!
17. Kukri | March 2nd, 2010 at 9:54 pm

Great! Thanks for the great informative post and you effort.
I think the above article is valuable for all concerned people. For me the Informations are really really useful. I’ve Bookmarked this page for future reference.

Thank you
Robin Kukri

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