Making Cents with Google AdSense
How Google paid advertising works
Have you ever had the sensation that you’re being followed?
The Google Display Network (GDN) is a powerful advertising platform reaching 90% of internet users daily.1 Ads are viewed by a worldwide targeted audience at relatively low cost. Potential buyers can be reached on any device, anytime they browse the Internet, at any stage in the purchase cycle, and at reasonable bid prices.
The AdSense program provides a free, simple way to earn money by matching website ads (based on content) with visitors. Website owners make ad spaces available and advertisers bid for placement via auction. AdSense will automatically deliver relevant ads served by Google, and charge for ads displayed based on clicks, impressions and other user interactions.3
How Google display ads work:
Display ads rely on cookies and information from signed in users to gather data. A cookie is information sent from a visited website to your browser which helps the website remember details about your visit to make subsequent visits more productive.2 Ads can use data gathered from cookies to target users in several ways:
- Retargeting. A common method of targeting is to advertise to a specific audience profile of recent visitors and likely potential buyers. Audiences can be segmented by level of engagement (i.e. specific page views) in order to tailor ads and bid amounts. For example, an advertiser would bid more to target a visitor who has reached the checkout page of a website within the past two weeks than someone who viewed the website homepage within the last month.
- In-Marketing. Google can target users who have deviated from their normal online behavior patterns. If a behavior pattern is interest related, Google can categorize the user as a potential target. For example, if someone only browses news sites and suddenly has an interest in Florida real estate, they can be targeted accordingly.
- Affinity Marketing. Affinity audiences are defined by Google as having a particular affinity towards a specific behavior pattern or interest, and are likely potential buyers of whatever sites they commonly visit. For example, users who shop or visit home improvement websites would be the ideal target audience of stores in this category.
- Custom Intent Marketing. Google will automatically gather data necessary for In-Marketing and Affinity marketing. However, Custom Intent Marketing requires specific keywords and placements (or landing pages) from the advertiser. For example, users who have visited a competitor website can be readily targeted as potential buyers. Ads should be created to market compellingly to this specific audience segment.
Google Display Advertising can be a powerful tool in any marketing arsenal when surrounded by strategy. For best results, take the time to identify your ideal target market and design advertisements to communicate quickly and effectively. Segment and retarget to attract potential buyers and measure performance.
If you are finding digitial advertising a challenge to navigate, we can help you develop a strategy to promote your business. Contact us today.
Reference:
1 https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/11/18/google-display-network-tips
2 https://policies.google.com/technologies/cookies?hl=en-US
3 https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/160525?hl=en&ref_topic=1628432