As expected with the updated landing page quality score factors, Google advertisers are extremely mad and hurt (financially) by this change to AdWords. We expected this to happen, because it happened the first time Google updated their quality score to include the landing page factors. In fact, we titled our article AdWords Landing Page Quality Score Causing Epidemic.
We are just at the beginning of a new Google AdWords epidemic.
Steven Bryan of eWeek was the first to post on it with his Google: Screwing Advertisers Over Before Christmas? Then Threadwatch wrote Adwords Quality Update II = Price Gouging Round II with some very convincing details.
As you know, I get my results from the masses, the forums.
WebmasterWorld has three threads on this, I'll put quotes from each of them...
(1) Changing Algorithm on Content Ads
I think it just started today. One of my content ads campaign is down from >100K impression/day to 30 today :(
We have seen a dramatic drop in Content impressions in the past week. From >200 000 impressions per day through August and September, we went to a very volatile period in October - up to 1.8 million on some days. Since 30th October we have seen < 150 000 per day.
Done today for me. I'm death. My content-only campaigns has less than 100 impressions today at half-day, no clicks.
500 relevant, targeted keywords going to relevant, targeted pages in the site. Hardly a shotgun approach. 5% CTR over several months. Bids were .04. Today, wake up and Google wants $1 - $5 per click. So that is the final straw. We are done, done, done and I hope someone comes soon to knock Google off its arrogant perch. I will not spend another dime with them ever again.
From an Adsense publisher's perspective, I'm certainly seeing evidence of this on one of my sites, as all my regular "little guy" advertisers, who have small, local businesses relevant to the site, have suddenly disappeared.I can only conclude they've been priced out of the market. Not good for them, and not good for me. :(
(3) Here we go again
I have a keyword, "fish" (for example), it gets 40% CTR, no other bidders on it (exclusive trademark usage), page is as optimized as it can be (Fortune 100 website) ...... bid used to be $0.03 -NOW- $0.25.
But as normal, some advertisers are not affected.
I am going to be honest, when I see other sites get knocked out but my campaigns remain in good shape, I appreciate it, from a purely selfish standpoint, as it means less competition for me.
My predictions, AdWords advertisers will adapt to the new algorithm and Google will change things to adapt to some of these complaints. But I think AdWords advertisers will have to do most of the work here.
