HubShout | Online Marketing Solutions

So have you seen this? Google is changing the game again. If you do PPC then you should know about this.

This link is to the thread New Adwords Enhanced Campaigns, so that you can see both what Google is saying and other people in the marketplace as well.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=New+AdWords+Enhanced+Campaigns&search_sort=relevance&search_category=0&page=

This makes our job all the more relevant, since I am sure you are seeing that it is becoming impossible for a small business person to even hope to keep up with all the changes that have and are happening.

Rebecca... yes big changes on the Adwords front. I've thought for several years that Google is at odds with itself on Adwords. On one hand, they want to make it simpler so that they can get more small business in the platform... but at the same time they want to add more features for existing advertisers.

They have Adwords Express, but it is too basic (you can't even pick keywords) OR the full blown Adwords interface which continues to get more and more complex. Yes, I think the agency world is safe for now :)

Thanks for bringing this up, Rebecca. The PPC team here has had a chance to speak with our Google representative about these campaigns so we have a bunch of our questions answered. We also have had some accounts white listed to try out the enhanced campaigns although I haven't personally tested them out yet.

There are going to be some webinars on the new enhanced campaigns. Definitely check them out if you're interested: http://www.google.com/ads/experienced/webinars.html

Chad, I have found that Adwords Express is really only relevant for an urban campaign. For my town a small business has so solicit as far as 50 miles to cover the other towns around us that regularly funnel into town. So Google defines LOCAL way to narrowly.

Paul, thanks so much for that link to Google's webinars..now if I can clone myself to have time to watch and learn them all.

I so want to consider outsourcing my PPC but after my awful experience with the Adwords team member assigned to me and my MCC account, who knew NOTHING about PPC and almost got my clients account banned with improper ad wording along with trying to charge them for a broad word campaign that would have cost them a lot of money...really who told them that spending over $100 a day is something a small business can sustain?

I would LOVE to outsource this, but I am very very afraid to as you can tell. But at some point it becomes impossible to keep up on everything.

I really don't like adwords express at all. Google broke it out into it's own interface a couple of months ago, but it was originally tied to Google Places (now known as Google+Local). My favorite analogy for AW express is a gambling reference. It's like playing blackjack, but you let the dealer (Google) play your hands for you. You're essentially just handing money over to the casino because you haven't optimized at all. All words are broad match, and of course spend a lot of your money.

If you have the choice, ditch AW express and actively manage the campaigns (or get another professional to manage them). Your clients will be happier with the returns, and you will be happier when those clients continue to work with you.

On another note about AW express, you can do exactly the same thing (location targeting) within the full AW interface that you can with express. You can even connect the Local listings (google+local listing) to your adwords account. It's actually quite simple as long as you have the log-ins for both AW and local.

Eric, I can't even use Adwords Express since you can only use it for a 15 mile radius, but also recommend that YOU DON"T ALLOW GOOGLE to manage any of your adwords campaigns no matter what level you are using. Their people are poorly trained and know nothing about using another persons money. I have my MCC running and have used Adwords for some time, but your words of warning should be headed by others that may think about using Express..it is an expressway to bankrupting your client.

I agree, don't use Google, use HubShout!