Site Targeting - Should I have ago?

**moogie** · 14-12-05

Hi all
As a relatively new PPC affiliate I was wondering about the Google Site Targeting option. I have been doing really well on the normal CPC Google and I have found some really good merchants to promote that have converted well and I am surviving; Beginners luck I think?!?

Anyway I was wondering about designing a few banners for these merchants and having ago at this Site Targeting as an affiliate. I have read and done all of Googles tutorials and it looks okay to me.

Q1: Has anyone done particularly well with this?

Q2: Any horror stories you might want to scare me with?

Q3: I presume I need express permission of the merchant I am promoting if I want to design an ad for them?

I have a few more questions but it will be nice if anyone could let me know the initial SP on this before I go full speed ahead with it.

Thanks
Lee

**ChrisM** · 14-12-05

Hiya Lee,

In answer to 1 and 2:

My guidance would be to have a play but set a small daily budget until you've got the hang of it. Its amazing how quickly you can get 500,000 impressions delivered, and at (for example) 50p CPM you've just blown 250 quid.

Ive had mixed success with it - some losses and some nicely profitable campaigns. My experience is it works as a pricing model for some sectors but not others. I also found the CTR's very different to keyword targetted campaigns. My suspicion is the big G's system sticks site targetted ads into units where it will earn more than keyword targetted ads - so primarily below the fold. I'd certainly give it a go though if you can afford to throw away a few quid to test the water.

As for 3) I dont see this being any different to keyword campaigns. So if you PPC on keywords then why not on site target?

HTH

Chris

**moogie** · 14-12-05

Thanks for that Chris, do you use the banners the merchant provides or do you design your own on behalf of the merchant?

I have done a lot of banner designs working from the affiliate manager's side of things and through experience I know what works and what doesn't. Lets say the banner creative on offer isn't the best, are there any issues with doing your own?

Lee

**ChrisM** · 14-12-05

I tend to use my own creative as a rule - occasionally merchants have asked me to change wording or images but as a rule if you let them know what you're doing first as a courtesy they tend to be fine.

**moogie** · 14-12-05

Hi Chris

This begs the question which size of banner works best? In the past I have managed some big campaigns and the standard banners were as a rule better overall. However, there were always the exceptions and I found it depended on who was using what and on which pages they were shown.

Do you use independant tracking on your ads or not? I hope you don't feel I am trying to grab all your secrets, but when I go for something I like to have done as much research as possible. At least if I loose money I can't say I didn't know what to expect!

**ChrisM** · 14-12-05

Is there a reason you're using banners? I tend to go for text ads in general (although not entirely text - have a play and see what works best - probably a bit of both).