Besides a healthy amount of confusion stemming from Adwords changes and algorithm functionality, there have been a few more “permanent” implementations thrown in lately. The recent “update to the display URL” which restricts to a greater extent how one can play with what the user glances at while clicking on an ad, has, been causing confusion. Here is what Google says about it from adwords.blogspot.com:

In response to advertiser and user feedback, and in an effort to provide more relevant advertising results and a higher quality experience for our users, we have made the decision to no longer allow certain exceptions with regards to our display URL policy. This includes, but is not limited to redirects and vanity URLs. This policy will be strictly enforced regardless of past approvals and will apply to all advertisers, beginning on April 1st.

In line with our existing policy, we will continue to require that your ad’s display URL match its destination URL (the URL of your landing page).

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Use your name in your SEM ad copy and searchers will click (and even buy) more.

Between Managing countless paid media campaigns over the years, and our team’s ongoing research on search behavior has led to certain similarities between SEM campaigns creeping up. These similarities, and how you react to them, end up becoming the tactics that allow brands to truly grow their opportunity.

As many of you know, Google’s AdWords algorithm is getting tougher, even for legitimate advertisers. Your click through rates and how quickly your ad copy can achieve success is paramount in keeping an old campaign profitable and in some cases, a new campaign live. One of the many strategies that seem to work in most cases is including your brand and/or site within your copy.

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