Just a few short weeks ago, Google announced Google AdWords “Enhanced Campaigns”. Enhanced Campaigns are a new way for AdWords advertisers to engage with the ever growing mobile consumer population. If you currently have Google AdWords running, read on as we explain what’s changing and what your business needs to do to prepare.

 

What exactly are Enhanced Campaigns?

When AdWords was launched many years ago, mobile internet browsers were basically non-existent. Today more than 50% of all internet usage is done with a smart phone or mobile device such as an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, tablets such as iPads and other portable devices. This means more and more people are searching for information on the go and there are a growing number of ways to engage with these consumers.

The new updates use data based on location, time of day, behavioural profiles of mobile users and search queries to attract and engage new customers in a way they prefer at that very point in time.

For example:

Café owners can target smart phone users within certain distance from their store at lunch time with lunch time special ads and at dinner time with dinner ads – targeting the content to what the user is looking for at that time of day.

Perhaps they could consider targeting the keyword “coffee” when searched on a smartphone in the morning as a way to lure customers into their cafe?

In addition, business owners can choose to pay more for a click on a keyword based on the same criteria – increasing their ad prominence when a user is closer, and therefore increasing the likelihood of that user going to their store and turning into a customer.

 

As Google explains:

“This creates great opportunities for businesses, but can also make marketing more complex and time-consuming. For example, a pizza restaurant probably wants to show one ad to someone searching for “pizza” at 1pm on their PC at work (perhaps a link to an online order form or menu), and a different ad to someone searching for “pizza” at 8pm on a smartphone a half-mile from the restaurant (perhaps a click-to-call phone number and restaurant locator). Signals like location, time of day, and the capabilities of the device people are using have become increasingly important in showing them the right ad.”

This simple video will give you an overview of how these new updates will work:

How it affects business:

All Google AdWords accounts will automatically switch to enhanced campaigns in 6 months’ time, so you will want to be prepared for the impact this will have on your campaigns.

Separate mobile campaigns will be no more. They will be rolled into the new enhanced campaigns.

Of course with all these mobile customers seeing your ads, you should be directing them to a mobile optimised website with the information they need – opening hours, specials, directions in an easy to read thumb friendly page. You have one of these, right?  Of course you do.

 

New reporting features:

Best of all, there are new reporting features to track things such as calls, digital product downloads and other mobile metrics to ensure you’re keeping track of where your money is going and how mobile users are behaving.

Google will be releasing tools to help transition the campaigns. Best to speak to an expert AdWords account manager to make sure that your campaign is prepared.