Tools can’t completely replace human action, but they sure can make things easier. Google is a brilliant example of this. Can you imagine trying to find a particular Web site on the Internet without a powerful search engine? How long would that take you? The best tools, though, offer at least a small degree of automation, and that’s what Google’s Dynamic Search Ads are all about.
How Dynamic Search Ads Work
It’s a basic premise. Well, as basic as a premise can be when it’s based on one of the most complex algorithms in the world. Here’s how it works: When someone performs a search in Google that is relevant to the products or services on your site, Dynamic Search Ads will automatically generate an ad. The ad’s headline is taken from the keywords in the search. The ad’s text comes from the landing page on your site that is most relevant to the search, which Google determines by crawling your site. The dynamically generated ad is then added to your AdWords auction. During testing, many advertisers reported a 5% to 10% increase in clicks, as well as conversions.
They Don’t Replace PPC Management
To be clear, Dynamic Search Ads are not a replacement for a standard AdWords campaign, or for any kind of pay per click management you may engage for your site. The program is meant to complement manual management by creating ads for the keywords that may have been missed in your campaign.
This doesn’t mean anyone has been remiss, though. According to Google, 16% of the searches performed through its engine on a daily basis have never been performed before. Dynamic Search Ads allows you to take into account the unforeseen, and to be prepared for the unexpected.
Content is Key to Relevance
An automated program also doesn’t mean you can sit back and relax while Google makes all your money for you. The dynamically generated ads are based not only on the searches being performed, but on your landing page content, so that means—you guessed it—you still need to ensure your site contains the highest quality content possible, and that it’s been optimized. This is the only way Google will be able to tell what’s relevant when it crawls your site. If your pages have too little content, no keyword optimization, or they’re just poorly written, it’s less likely that Dynamic Search Ads will function properly. Neglect your content, and you could be missing out on a lot of conversion opportunities.
As of this writing, Dynamic Search Ads is still in limited release beta testing, and we’re trying it out. We may be sharing our findings, so keep an eye on the blog!
