Google AdWords has updated its existing Keyword Tool to Keyword Planner, which is now available in all AdWords accounts. The search engine says that the new Keyword Planner combines data from its old Keyword Tool and Traffic estimator.
With the launch of the new Keyword Planner, Google will be deprecating the Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator very soon. In addition, the external version of Google Keyword Tool will soon disappear. Those who wish to use the new Keyword Planner must sign up for an AdWords account and must be logged in to use it.
Google says that the new tool was designed to make it easier for advertisers to create new paid search campaigns and ad groups straight from the Keyword Planner.
The new Keyword Planner has the same functionality of the old tool but is more user-friendly. In addition, because advertisers must be logged into their AdWords account to use the Planner, advertisers can choose to hide keywords in the Planner that are already in the account; thus eliminating duplicate keywords.
Google has added a new ad extension format called Review Extensions, saying that they are a way for advertisers to incorporate positive endorsements, ratings, or awards from reputable third party sites. The reviews will be scrutinized to confirm their validity and must comply with AdWords policies.
The Review Extension within the ad will link to the third party site, where there must be a reference to the review. Clicks from the Review Extension will not be charged to the advertiser.
Google said that in two rounds of testing, they saw a 10% lift in click-through rate across 250+ advertisers and 50 million impressions.
Review Extensions differ from Seller Rating Extensions in that Seller Rating Extensions are reviews from the advertiser’s customers. Review Extensions should be from publications or other third party reputable sites.
Review Extensions are available via Beta globally, in English only. In order to implement the Beta, advertisers must contact their AdWords representative. There is a 67 maximum character limit for Review Extensions, which includes the name of the publication.
Below is a screen shot that Google provided of a text ad with Review Extensions.
We recently announced that Google released Dynamic Remarketing to all Google AdWords advertisers. In addition, the advertising platform has opened Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) to all advertisers as well within its new Enhanced Campaigns.
With Remarketing Lists for Search Ads, advertisers can show search ads on Google.com to their past website visitors based on their activity. RLSA campaigns combine a user’s search intent with an advertiser’s remarketing audience lists. With this new feature, advertisers are able to tailor maximum cost-per-click (CPC) bids, ad creative and keywords based on previous visitors.
For example, someone comes to an advertiser’s website that sells laptops and this visitor browses a selection of laptops and does not make a purchase. Later, this same visitor is searching for laptop related terms on Google.com; the laptop advertiser can choose to bid higher for laptop terms and even change the ad copy for this specific person based on the fact that the visitor has already been to the laptop advertiser’s website.
RLSA campaigns work very well with products or services that have a longer conversion funnel where searchers may conduct several queries or do some price comparison before ultimately converting.