Google Plans AdWords Algorithm Change; Expects Complaints
Friday, February 16th, 2007;
-- Andy Beal |
UPDATE: It looks like Google’s pushed the button too early - and it could be the wrong button too. Lots of people are complaining that their Quality Score has gone crazy.
———-
I just got off the phone with Google’s Nick Fox, Senior Business Product Manager for Ad Quality, and got the scoop on the upcoming changes to the AdWords Quality Score.
As we reported earlier today, Google is indeed planning a change to the Quality Score, with two major updates.
- The addition of a new column in AdWords campaigns, showing the Quality Score.
- A change to the Quality Score algorithm.
Fox explained the addition of the new column was Google’s effort to “improve transparency” and “make it easier to understand the quality score.” He also explained that Google hoped the new Quality Score information would “help advertisers optimize their ads.”
The new data will be available as early as tomorrow afternoon, which is a key move in anticipation of an algorithm tweak to the Quality Score in the next week or two. By being more transparent with the scoring, Google hopes to prevent any backlash that may come with the new algo.
While the new algorithm shift won’t be as dramatic as when Google introduced the landing page factors, Fox does expect to hear some complaining from advertisers. He confirmed that the new algo “will impact a fairly large number of keywords”, which might lead to a knee-jerk complaint by a large contingent of AdWords advertisers. However, Fox stressed the “bulk of the impact will be on keywords not driving traffic.”
To try and offset some of the complaints, Google’s also trying to provide “more benefit of the doubt, when data is not available,” says Fox. Effectively, some advertisers will find that their minimum bids actually go down.
The side-story to this update is Google’s effort to try and reach out to advertisers before they flick the switch. They’ve learnt their lesson from previous changes to the Quality Score and are keen to get the message across that while the change will impact a significant number of keywords, they believe only poorly performing keywords will be affected.
That said, it’s clear that Google is on an aggressive campaign to try and reach advertisers and bloggers before the sh*t hits the fan.
So, if I were you, I’d try and get a good grasp on the Quality Score data now, so you can be prepared for the new algo next week.
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February 14th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
[...] Information from Andy Beal. [...]
February 14th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
[...] Marketing Pilgrim [...]
February 15th, 2007 at 4:10 am
[...] Attention scoop de la part de Marketing Pilgrim ! Il semble que Google soit entrain de préparer une modification majeure de l’algorithme de calcul du quality score dans Adwords. Après avoir porté son attention sur les “landing pages“, Google souhaite continuer à rendre plus transparent la manière dont est calculé le quality score (à partir duquel le minimum d’enchère sur un mot clé est calculé, ainsi que le rang d’affichage de vos publicités). On s’attend donc à deux changements majeurs: [...]
February 15th, 2007 at 11:28 am
[...] Andy Beal spoke with Nick Fox, Google's Senior Business Product Manager for Ad Quality, and he said the company is expecting complaints on the new algorithm. Fox told Beal that the change will effect a "fairly large" group of keywords. But he also said that the majority of the keywords effected will be keywords that aren't big traffic drivers and the post on the Inside AdWords blog offers these suggestions: [...]
February 15th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Andy, it’s quite possible I didn’t pick up on your criticism. I’m rarely a subtle person lol. And as I said, it surprised me a bit since I almost always agree with you. I just think we cut G too much slack. Especially some of the big name bloggers, in hopes of staying friends and getting to go to the plex and getting inside info etc. I’m sure they have great people working for them, but the company’s actions as a whole have left me very skeptical of anything any of their employees say.
P.S. Thanks for commenting on my take on this…
http://www.seorefugee.com/seoblog/2007/02/15/googles-quality-score-rel ease-not-about-transparency
February 15th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
SEOrefugee - I think most bloggers - and journalists - feel some angst about biting the hand that feeds. That said, I pick and choose my battles. I could have gone a lot more negative with this story - linkbait? - but without actually seeing the new algo changes, it’s hard to tell if it’s worth it.
As I hinted at, Google is doing a lot to try and prevent any backlash when they change the QS - they admitted that on my call with them.
I try to call it like it is. Sometimes that ruffles feathers at Google/Yahoo, but most of the time they understand they can’t really control us, they can only hope to contain.
February 15th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
[...] Andy Beal and Search Engine Land also wrote about this issue. [...]
February 15th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Andy, that’s a very valid point. It’s much easier to bite when that hand isn’t feeding you
I think it will be VERY interesting to see the changes in the next few weeks. If they start trying to make me pay even more for words that no one else is targeting (and yet still manage to convert for me) I’m going to have to spend more of my time at Gevi.org than at the refugee…
February 15th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
er… that should have been Gevil.org
February 15th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
[...] read more | digg story Bookmark to: [...]
February 15th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
[...] Andy over at Marketing Pilgrim has received confirmation from Google’s Nick Fox that Google Plans AdWords Algorithm Change. Nick Fox is the Senior Business Product Manager for Ad Quality (Wow, what a long job title). [...]
February 15th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
True. This is always an ongoing cat and mouse game.
Continual vigilance and attention to sources of relevant intelligence and information is vital in an ongoing sense.
February 16th, 2007 at 10:50 am
[...] Google Plans AdWords Algorithm Change; Expects Complaints [...]
February 16th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
[...] Andy Beal did his best online version of Paul Revere yesterday after talking to staff at Google about changes in AdWords Quality Score. Google is indeed planning a change to the Quality Score, with two major updates. [...]
February 16th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
[...] Google Plans AdWords Algorithm Change; Expects Complaints via Matt [...]
February 16th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
[...] Google Plans AdWords Algorithm Change; Expects Complaints via Matt [...]
February 17th, 2007 at 10:17 am
[...] Google Plans AdWords Algorithm Change; Expects Complaints | Marketing Pilgrim It looks like Google’s pushed the button too early - and it could be the wrong button too. Lots of people are complaining that their Quality Score has gone crazy. [...]
February 18th, 2007 at 10:39 am
[...] Google is planning on providing advertisers more information, in preparation for a major change in the coming weeks. Google claims advertisers will see their minimum bids drop, however, the last time they tweaked these settings, many saw drastic increases to their spending. I guess time will tell.read more | digg story [...]
February 20th, 2007 at 1:34 am
The QS Column is an improvement but how much light does Great, OK and Poor really shed on things. Plus the new column helps SEMers see the minimum bid but gives no info on what it’ll take to move up in the site’s rankings.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:44 pm
[...] Upcoming Change To Google AdWords Bringing New Headaches Published February 15th, 2007 in Marketing. Tags: Marketing. Today In History: BBC Wikipedia Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim had an opportunity to speak with Google’s Nick Fox, Senior Business Product Manager for Ad Quality, about the upcoming changes to the AdWords Quality Score. Google is indeed planning a change to the Quality Score, with two major updates: [...]
March 1st, 2007 at 6:35 pm
[...] March 1, 2007 at 11:35 pm · Filed under Uncategorized Google Plans Major AdWords Shakeup Google is planning on providing advertisers more information, in preparation for a major change in the coming weeks. Google claims advertisers will see their minimum bids drop, however, the last time they tweaked these settings, many saw drastic increases to their spending. I guess time will tell.[news][entertainment][world & business][business & finance] [...]
May 16th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
[...] To sum up, there is no single answer on SEO. I’d suggest all of these, as well as being ever vigilant of Google’s next change, be part of a beginning SEO strategy. [...]
August 20th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I think they will improve the algorithm and the effectiveness of quality score in time..
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
[...] they tweaked these settings, many saw drastic increases to their spending. I guess time will tell.read more | digg story Related post: Hello world!Unsecured loan For endless wedding expenses6 Signs you are [...]
November 24th, 2007 at 12:41 am
[...] they tweaked these settings, many saw drastic increases to their spending. I guess time will tell.read more | digg story Share This Related post: Annual St. George marathon set for Saturday; 6,800 runners [...]