Expand Your Reach With Google’s Content Network

Sonya Wood - January 15, 2009

We have all heard this saying or perhaps have said it ourselves in the past couple of months, in this economy. Advertisers are looking for ways to keep their name out there without the expense of advertising.

One such option for advertisers to take advantage of is the Google content network from Google Adwords. Google’s content network is a large network of Google properties, including gmail, websites, news pages, and blogs. Sites such as About.com, TheNewYorkTimes.com, Lycos.com, FoodNetwork.com, just to name a very few, are all part of the network.

Google’s content network reaches 642 million or 75% of worldwide Internet users per month; more than any other property or network. The content network is a great way to expand the reach of your message or brand.

Unlike the search network, where specific keywords and search terms are designated to ads, content network ads are targeted based on user themes.  Getting started is easy. New campaigns are automatically opted into the content network so when creating campaigns, you do not need to do anything to begin advertising there. You can even target your potential customers by actually selecting websites with the most relevant content to your products or services. By running a placement report you can determine which websites are getting the best results and then optimize your campaigns by removing underperforming sites. Google also has the option to bid more for specific sites that perform better by using the placements feature. Other ad formats are accepted, such as image and video ads. The content network also allows for more creativity when it comes to ad copy. Remember that your audience is not actively seeking you, so you need to grab their attention and generate interest and excitement about your products or services.

If branding or attaining maximum traffic is one of your advertising goals, create a content campaign and test it.  With over 700 billion impressions every month, you will see that your reach is dramatically increased. Most advertisers would agree that while Google’s content network has its benefits, it is best to compliment content campaigns with search campaigns.