First off, we just want to thank everyone for attending the Product Listing Ads webinar last week. Even though the webinar started at 2pm ET on the dot, we still only had enough time left for a few questions.
NetElixir University is all about sharing knowledge and with that in mind, here is the Q&A segment of the webinar designed to answer all the questions you need to know about how to successfully run your PLA campaigns.
Q&A
I’ve heard one of the advantages of using PLA shopping campaigns is product level reporting. How do I gain access to product level reporting, including conv. rate, CTR, CPC cost, etc.?
We can view the product inventory in Google Adwords and create product groups for the items we want to bid on. This grouping can be done using product attributes like Google Product Category, product type, brand, condition, id, and custom labels. Once the grouping is complete, Adwords will provide statistics for each product group so you can see how well each group is performing. You can find more information here: http://adwords.blogspot.in/2013/10/introducing-shopping-campaigns-better.html
What does product feed data quality mean?
Higher data quality is measured by whether the required and recommended attributes are completely and accurately filled out for every product in your feed. You should make sure to submit all required attributes along with as many recommended attributes as possible. You should also optimize the attributes like titles, description lines, Google Product categories, and unique identifiers to ensure your products will match the search query.
Is becoming Google Trusted an arduous process, particularly for a company that takes special orders with long shipping times?
When you become a Google Trusted Store, it ensures that your store provides reliable shipping, great customer service, and a good returns process. Google will validate the above processes and decide on providing the Trusted Store endorsement. It is a lengthy process of about 20-25 days, as Google takes its time to validate all these activities.
Is there a concept of negative keywords in PLA campaigns? If so, how can we avoid illegitimate traffic?
Yes. The concept of negative keywords does exist in PLA campaigns. Negative keywords are used to filter the illegitimate search queries triggered by broad keywords. In PLA campaigns, query match attributes like titles behave as broad match keywords, so the more products we have per product target, the less control we possess. Hence, negative keywords are necessary.
A slide in the webinar listed the Avg. CPC for Jewelry Product Listing Ads at around $0.20. Since its closer to $4-5 during the holidays, is this technically correct?
The statistic we gave reflects the industry estimates. Keep in mind this may vary from company to company. While $4 – $5 is a bit surprising and there can be fluctuations during certain time periods, Google has confirmed this Avg. CPC to be correct.
Will PLAs get phased out with the reintroduction of Google Shopping?
No, PLAs and Google Shopping are not at all different. With the new campaign type that was recently introduced, you get more streamlined reporting. In Oct. 2013, Google introduced “Shopping Campaigns”, a new campaign type for product ads. Shopping Campaigns streamline how you manage and bid on your products, report on your performance, and provide opportunities to grow your Google traffic.
My business has a closed network where only certain people can shop and only authorized shoppers are allowed to see product pricing. Because of the pricing nuance we have, would you recommend we utilize PLAs or even Google Shopping?
We will have to get more information on your business model, especially on the authorization and the authentication processes. However, we do not think PLAs would be the right path for your business since they are meant to attract as much attention as possible for your pricing and do not allow for displayed pricing for specific demographics.
We hope everyone enjoyed the webinar! If there are any more questions, please email scott@netelixir.com. There are also still 3 PLA 7-Point analyses left, so contact Marinn Hersh at marinn@netelixir.com to reserve your spot today.
