We've moved! Check out the new Google Ads blog.

The initial test covered mortgage-related queries in the US. Today, we're delighted to announce that the test is being extended to cover credit card-related queries in the UK and that some major issuers have signed up to be part of the initial run.
Comparison Ads improves the ad experience on Google by letting users specify exactly what they're looking for and helping them quickly compare relevant offers side by side. There are no long forms for users to fill in, and Comparison Ads will not send advertisers any personally identifiable user information (in fact, we don't send any user information at all unless the user explicitly applies for an advertiser's offer).

It's part of our continuing effort to make ads more relevant and useful to our users and to help you, our advertisers, reach the people who are most interested in your products and services.



What mobile device are they using?
Ensure that your ad is only displayed to the right mobile audience. For example, if you sell iPhone accessories, your ad is likely not relevant to Android device owners. With advanced mobile device targeting options, you can ensure that only users with an iPhone, as seen in this example, will see your ad.


Where are they located?
With Google Analytics, you can also see where your mobile traffic is coming from. If you notice that a lot of visits are coming from a place where you have a physical business location, you may want to display your business address or phone number alongside your ads. This makes your ads more relevant. It also provides mobile customers with the ability to click to call your business from within your text ad so they can take action right away.


We hope these tips help you mobile-ize your campaigns to help you reach the right audience while they're on-the-go.


AdWords system maintenance typically occurs on the second Saturday of each month from 10AM to 2PM.

We'll continue to update you via the blog as we always have, but please make note of the February 20th date and of our scheduled maintenance further down the road.

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You can use the toolbar to quickly apply a filter to the data you're viewing or customize the columns on each tab. You can also gain important insights into performance across different networks or time periods by using the "Segment" option:

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Controls to show or hide paused or deleted campaigns and ad groups are also now available in this toolbar:

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Just like the integration of the popular Search Query and Placement Performance Reports in the Campaigns tab, our hope is that this new toolbar will further streamline reporting and help you to get the most out of your AdWords data and your advertising campaigns.


You’ll see bid ideas in your account if we determine there's an opportunity for you to:
  • receive significant additional clicks without a significant increase in cost
  • save money without sacrificing a lot of clicks
Bid ideas will be visible in some accounts starting today, and available in all accounts in the coming weeks.

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Bid ideas are shown with their estimated cost, impression, and click impact. When you click on a bid idea, you'll see a graph showing clicks versus cost for a range of bid amounts. The graph will include your keyword's current bid (marked in gray) and the proposed bid (marked in yellow). If you're raising a bid, consider whether the extra clicks and impressions are worth the potential added cost. If you're decreasing a bid, consider whether the saved cost is worth the potential loss of clicks and impressions.

The estimates you see are variations on your past performance over the last 7 days and are not attempts to predict or estimate future performance. Also, traffic patterns are always subject to fluctuation, so keep in mind that your future performance may shift over time. If you have reason to believe that next week's traffic will be significantly different from the last week, due to seasonal reasons for example, then it's a good idea to incorporate that information when selecting your bids.

While this tool doesn't know enough about your advertising goals to make a recommendation of which specific bid is best for you, it does provide useful data and gives you bid ideas to consider. We suggest that you use the data we provide to gain insight into how different bids could affect your performance. If you'd like even more information on bid ideas, including information on how they're generated, you can read our detailed article in the AdWords Help Center.

You should think of the Opportunities tab as your homepage for account optimization. You can view all your customized optimization ideas in one place, allowing you to make informed decisions before adjusting your account. We suggest checking the Opportunities tab every few weeks to look for new ideas. Continue to look out for new features in the coming months as we work to make the Opportunities tab an even more robust resource.

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Who's coming to your site?
More and more users are accessing regular websites through mobile phones with full internet browsers. These users may be looking for different information or want to take a specific action more quickly than those who visit from a desktop computer. Do you know how many are visiting your site from mobile devices?

You can easily find out with Google Analytics by looking at the Mobile Devices report in the Visitors reporting section. If most of your traffic is coming from the iPhone and Android operating systems, ensure your AdWords campaigns are reaching that same audience by checking that your AdWords campaign settings are enabled to show on iPhones and similar devices.

What are they looking for?
Google Analytics helps you see which search keywords drove the most traffic to your website from mobile devices. Simply select "Keyword" as the secondary dimension on your Mobile Device report to see what they're looking for. You can then take advantage of these keywords by setting up a separate mobile campaign and including mobile-targeted ad copy.
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Where do they go?
Customers on-the-go may be looking for different information on your website than customers who are at a desktop computer. Within Google Analytics, you can see exactly what mobile customers are doing differently on your website. Simply create an Advanced Segment for mobile devices and apply it to the Content reports. You can then optimize your AdWords campaigns by setting up mobile-specific campaigns with a different landing page URL. For example, if the top visited page for mobile users is the Store Locator page of your website, you may want to choose that URL as your landing page.
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Get Started
We hope these tips are useful to help you Go Mobile! To get started with Google Analytics, visit www.google.com/analytics.

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You can get free, hands-on online training on key AdWords topics, delivered by our own AdWords & Industry specialists.

We're offering a great selection of live and recorded courses, including:

* Improving your AdWords performance with key tips
* Reaching more potential customers
* Getting the most from your website with Website Optimizer
* Using Google Analytics reports to improve your AdWords return-on-investment

To view all upcoming live and recorded courses for North America, please visit our North America Online Classroom site.
To view upcoming live and recorded courses for the UK and Ireland, please visit our UK & Ireland Online Classroom site.

We look forward to seeing you in class!


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If you're an API user, you might want to follow the AdWords API Blog. It's a great place to learn about what's changing with the product and find migration resources.

If you're not an API user, but would like to learn more about it, visit the Google Code website.

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