Topic Targeting

What is Topic Targeting?

Topic Targeting allows you to place AdWords Advertisements on website pages relating to those topics. There is no limit to the topics, they could be anything from agriculture to computer programming, to sports, or something completely different. Topic targeting ads are only eligible to appear in the Display Network with related content. Since web pages are constantly revising and changing their content, the locations which you advertisements appear can also change. Additionally, you can also use topic targeting in combination with individual placements and keyword targeting.

Example: When targeting computer hardware, you can find your ad on Display Network websites that include content about computer parts and hardware. You can also choose more precise subtopics such as hard drives, motherboards, or processors.

Why Should You Target Topics?

  • you want to rapidly generate traffic or reach a broad audience
  • you have a flexible or unrestricted campaign budget
  • want to increase your ad delivery
  • want to prevent your ads from appearing on certain pages with specific topics that aren’t performing well or are unrelated to your business

3 Ways Topic Targeting Can Improve Your Display Advertising Campaigns

Fixing The Multi-Intent Keyword ProblemTopic Targeting

Certain keywords have different meanings for different users. Many times words are used for different intents in completely different topics. When topic targeting is used in combination with keywords you can refine your ad environment so your ads are shown in the correct context, to the correct target audience.

Example: Companies selling bleach often experience targeting problems. While bleach is primarily used for laundry, there are also a few TV shows titled Bleach. If you are trying to sell DVD copies of your TV show Bleach you wouldn’t expect to compete against a laundry website for the keyword “bleach DVD.” However, some companies like Clorox have done large scale promotions with TV shows like Mad Men. So, in fact, there has been competition between the two brands for the keywords “bleach DVD.”

Finding More Inventory On High Traffic WebsitesTopic Targeting

Using placements and keywords is a great way to generate traffic, however, keywords can often narrow your search results too much because of Google’s theme matching. This is where topic targeting proves to be extremely beneficial. Using placements in combination with topics can help find a larger relevant audience than keywords.

Example: The New York Times has over 540 Million page views per month. Few companies would want to buy ad space on the entire website, but buying ad placements in the right section could narrow your search down to say 10,000 impressions. Suppose you are an airline company selling tickets. You could set up your campaign to advertise in the travel section of the magazine. While this precise targeting is nice, you might be limiting yourself too much. There could be relevant articles in the business section regarding traveling. Therefore, topic targeting can ensure your ads are in the most relevant locations to generate a larger number of interested traffic.

Remarket Only To People Interested In Your TopicTopic Targeting

Remarketing is an incredibly effective way to encourage people to revisit your website. Unfortunately, there are many instances where visitors are retargeted when they have no intention of buying. They might have previously visited your website because a friend told them too. This can lead to inflated impressions with very few click-throughs. Combining remarketing with topics can help target users when they are researching a product and visit a website about your topics. Therefore they are not shown ads every time they visit a page on the Display Network. This will help you get a more accurate impression, engagement, and conversion metrics.

How Much Does Topic Targeting Cost?

Pricing works the same way for topic targeting as other placement-targeted ads. You select a maximum amount you’re willing to pay each time your ad appears. Adwords will display your ad on pages with relevant content where you can win a position based on your max bid. Popular topics with a high maximum bid have potential to appear on thousands of web pages.