5 Kickin’ New Google AdWords Features to Try

A whirlwind of upgrades, information, and new features have been spilling out of Google AdWords of late. Consider these five new features that will have advertisers and PPC managers excited about the progress.

1. Upgraded Sitelinks

With the launch of the enhanced campaigns in AdWords, we're also seeing upgraded sitelinks. In the past, a set of sitelinks were created at the campaign level. Now individual sitelinks can be created and then assigned to ad groups, the “override” at the ad group level offers the ability to mix and match and gain a precision new to the ad extension feature.

Mobile specific sitelinks open up opportunities for additional massaging with a local emphasis like directions or local specials. Scheduling sitelinks is great for promotions, and anything seasonal.

2. New Keyword Planner

We reported on the recent announcement of the keyword planner in April and are really looking forward to this new feature. The keyword planner takes the old keyword tool we all know and love and bumps it up to the next level by combining the keyword tool and traffic estimator.

The functionality is very similar, but improved. In-line you can change the match type before adding to your plan, and the tool gives traffic estimates in line next to the keyword.

Also available is a feature to multiply keyword lists to get estimates. Combine two or more lists of keywords automatically into new keywords, and then get performance estimates for the new list. This can save you the time of manually combining keywords.

I can see a great application of this being to easily add geo or purchase modifiers to a campaign.

3. New Google Display Planner

Google's new Display Planner has the look and feel of AdWords with additional data and estimates of the Google Ad Planner. Advertisers can find topics, interests, or placements to target with information on audience opportunity.

AdWords tells you how many “cookies” are available to target, as the cookie is representative of a device that's been cookied, rather than a person. Impressions per week estimates are also a great piece of information.

4. Ad Group Mobile Bid Adjustments

Mobile bid adjustments for AdWords enhanced campaigns are made at the campaign level. You could see how the same bid adjustment may not be applicable to all ad groups. No worries! Between now and the next few weeks, Google is rolling out ad group level mobile adjustments.

It's good to see a granular level of customization. Depending on past performance, if one ad group has CPCs much different from the rest of the campaign, use the ad group level bids to even the playing field and limit losses.

5. AdWords Upgrade Center

Recently released, the upgrade center for enhanced campaigns can make upgrading easier for advertisers. With just a few clicks, several campaigns can be updated.

However, do a little research before taking the easy way out. In this tool, AdWords has a default bid setting “Use the Google-suggested default, calculated for each campaign”. If you know your mobile CPCs are a percentage of spend, use that to guide you and avoid defaulting as much as possible.

The upgrade center rolls out to all accounts over the next few weeks, accessible from the left nav bar on the Campaigns tab.

Many of these updates are now available to experiment with and others will be released in the next few weeks. What are your favorite new features, tools, bells and whistles in Google AdWords?

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