Benefits of Content Network (Marketers’ SEM Guide Part 8)

This is part seven of a series of posts on Search Engine Marketing for marketers. This part discusses the benefits of search engine content network.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Content Network Introduction

Take Google for example,

The Google Network is a large group of websites and other products, such as email programs and blogs, who have partnered with Google to display AdWords ads. Advertisers have the option of running their ads on Google as well as the Google Network for no extra cost.

its advertising network primarily consists of search network and content network.

Search network consists of Google itself and its search partners; ads are targeted based on a user’s search terms on search results pages. Content network consists of hundreds of thousands of websites and products that display Google ads by contextual matching. Generally, search network delivers more targeted advertising with higher ROI.

Benefits of Content Network

• Reach. If you want to reach broader audience, content network helps. Just Google AdWords content network reaches over 70% of unique Internet users around the world.
• Awareness. The content network has the advantage of reaching potential customers at different points of the buying cycle. If you are to launch products of a new category, search can hardly help (unless you run off-line campaigns) without content network driving awareness.
• Branding. Most search networks (one exception is Baidu) only allows text ads, which makes content network more valuable for online branding campaigns. You can run text ads, image ads, and video ads on content network pages.

Google recently analyzed conversions, cost, and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) on the Content Network, and compared them to performance metrics on the Search Network across thousands of accounts and many geographic regions. It published a whitepaper, which suggests the following conclusions:

1. Ads on the Google Content Network can be an effective way to gain additional conversion beyond those you get via search.
   • When used in combination with Search, the median advertiser has a content CPA that’s within approximately 2% of their Search CPA.
   • The Content Network drives nearly 20% of total conversions for the median advertisers
2. Conversion rates are higher for advertisers who used either of two AdWords campaign management controls: the Conversion Optimizer and site exclusion.

In a follow-up, Google recommended the following actions:

• Consider complementing your search campaigns with campaigns on the Content Network, if you haven’t done so already.
• Use tools for content optimization such as the Conversion Optimizer, Placement Performance Reports, and the Site and Category Exclusion tool. They can help you further tailor your Content Network performance to meet your advertising goals.

You can find some tips on optimizing content network here, here, and here. It’s more important for marketers to realize the value and benefits of content network.