Change is afoot in the paid search arena! We outline the impact of more up to date impression share data on the plight of the AdWords advertiser.
Google AdWords used to refresh its campaign auction insights and impression share data every 24 hours.
Advertisers just got used to the fact that they had to wait a little while for the latest information, although this did mean that they were always slightly behind the curve (which was a real pain point for those in fiercely competitive industries).
Now, however, AdWords will be updating its impression share stats multiple times throughout the day. The move was announced by Google via Twitter.
It’s a relatively small change to the platform, but it’s big news for paid search marketers who need to react quickly to stay ahead of the game.
Impression share refers to the number of impressions your paid ads actually received, compared to the amount of impressions they could have received.
To work out the impression share of any given campaign, you need to divide the number of times the ad was shown by the number of auctions the ad was displayed in.
How does Google calculate your ad’s eligibility?
Of course, to generate any kind of impression share, you need to ensure your ads meet Google’s eligibility criteria. When deciding whether or not to rank your ad, the algorithm will look at:
- Your targeting settings
- Your approval statuses
- Your bids
- Your Quality Score
If anything seems amiss, or Google doesn’t think that your ad is a relevant match for the search query, it won’t be considered for the auction.
What are Auction Insights?
Auction Insights help users compare their performance with other advertisers. Once advertisers have reviewed this data and gauged how their ads are ranking in comparison to other companies, they can adjust and optimise their bidding strategy for better results.
There are different Insights for Search campaigns and Shopping campaigns. Both will provide:
- Impression share
- Overlap rate
- Outranking share
But when you run a Search campaign, you’ll also get information on your:
- Average position
- Position above rate
- Top of page rate
More information on Auction Insights can be found on Google’s official support page.
What’s the big deal?
These changes essentially mean that marketers can make more informed decisions as to how to spend their AdWords budget, without waiting hours for the data they need. Those who are running campaigns in sectors that are particularly competitive will revel in the chance to glean an advantage over their biggest rivals. If they are willing to keep a close eye on their Auction Insights several times a day, they’ll be able to spot trends faster and react to potential gaps in the market with accuracy and tenacity.
For example, an advertiser might find that there’s a weak point in their competitor’s strategy at a certain time of day, in which case they’ll be ready to swoop in and claim the listing for themselves.
Have you been able to improve your AdWords campaign as a result of faster Auction Insights? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Drop us an email or share your experiences via Twitter – we’re @freelanceseosx. If you’d prefer to outsource your campaign management to the professionals, you can always ask us about our PPC services.