SEO
Google Lets You Disable Targeted Ads & Keep Personalized Searches
Google’s new My Ad Center lets users disable targeted advertising without giving up helpful features like personalized search results.
Previously, disabling targeted ads meant you had to go into your account settings and block Google from collecting Web & App Activity and YouTube History data.
Without permission to collect personal data, Google can’t serve personalized results in its main search engine, Google Maps, YouTube, and other platforms.
Now, you don’t have to compromise.
My Ad Center lets users customize the ads they see in search results, YouTube, and Google Discover. That means you don’t have to adjust account-level settings to stop seeing certain types of ads.
Jerry Dischler, vice president of ads at Google, states in a blog post:
“You can decide what types of your activity are used to make Google products work for you — independent of the ads you’re shown. In the past, if your YouTube History was on, it automatically informed how your ads were personalized. Now, if you don’t want your YouTube History to be used for ads personalization, you can turn it off in My Ad Center, without impacting relevant recommendations in your feed.”
Here’s more information about turning off personalized advertising and other ways you can use My Ad Center to control the ads you see.
How To Disable Personalized Advertising In Google
My Ad Center is designed to be easy to find and utilize. You can access it directly from ads shown in Google Search, YouTube, and Discover.
Tap on the three-dot menu next to an ad to bring up the My Ad Center panel, then select “Customize more of the ads you see.”
That link will take you to the central control center, where you’ll see a button to turn off personalized ads at the top of the screen.
With this setting turned off, you’ll continue seeing ads, though they may be less relevant.
The option to turn off personalized ads in My Ad Center applies to ads you see on and off Google and will automatically apply on any device where you’re signed in to your Google account.
How To Disable Specific Ad Topics Using My Ad Center
If you don’t want to turn off all personalized advertising, you can adjust how individual categories of information inform the ads you see.
For example, you can choose not to allow your relationship status to influence the ads Google shows you.
Another alternative to turning off personalized advertising is to disable ad topics you don’t want to click on.
With My Ad Center, you can choose to limit ads related to the following topics:
- Alcohol
- Dating
- Weight loss
- Gambling
- Pregnancy
- Parenting
It’s worth noting that Google never uses the content you store in apps like Gmail, Photos, and Drive for ads. Further, Google never uses sensitive information to personalize ads — like health, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Source: Google
Featured Image: Screenshot from blog.google/technology/safety-security/my-ad-center/, October 2022.
SEO
Best Practices For Keyword Localization
As brands expand into new international markets, the challenge of running successful PPC campaigns becomes increasingly complex.
Navigating the differences in culture, language, consumer behavior, and market dynamics requires a more nuanced approach than simply translating ads.
For PPC marketers using platforms like Google or Microsoft Ads, it’s critical to adapt campaign strategies for these global audiences.
This article will cover best practices for optimizing international PPC campaigns, with a specific focus on keyword localization.
We’ll explore four key themes that can drive more successful international PPC results:
- Keyword localization.
- Geo-specific bid adjustments.
- Market-specific creative adaptation.
- Leveraging automation tools for international scaling.
1. Keyword Localization: Translating Intent, Not Just Language
Keyword localization is a cornerstone of international PPC success, but it’s often misunderstood as a simple translation exercise.
When translating keywords from one language to another, it’s not a “2+2=4” equation most of the time.
In reality, it’s much more complex.
Keyword localization involves understanding the intent behind searches and adapting keywords to match the local language, cultural context, and user behavior.
Steps To Effective Keyword Localization
- Market Research: Before diving into translation, research how consumers in the target country search for products or services. This involves understanding search intent, popular terms, slang, and regional dialects.
- Translation with a twist: Work with native speakers or linguists familiar with the market. Tools like Google Translate can give you a starting point, but they won’t capture cultural subtleties. Manual keyword research in local search engines is vital.
- Use local search engines: Google may dominate globally, but other regions may favor different search engines. Baidu in China, Yandex in Russia, and Naver in South Korea have distinct algorithms and keyword trends. Tailor your keywords to the dominant platform in each market.
- Test and optimize: International markets are fluid. What works in one month might need refinement in the next. Regularly review performance and optimize based on search trends, conversion data, and shifting customer behaviors.
For example, in Spain, the keyword “coches baratos” (cheap cars) may seem like a direct translation of its English counterpart.
However, further research might reveal that “ofertas coches” (car deals) or “vehículos económicos” (affordable vehicles) performs better depending on user intent.
2. Geo-Specific Bid Adjustments: Tailor Bids For Performance By Region
International campaigns are prone to fluctuations in performance, driven by differences in local competition, purchasing power, and user behavior.
Geo-specific bid adjustments allow you to tailor your bidding strategy to the realities of each market, maximizing return on ad spend (ROAS).
Below are some best practices for geo-specific bidding:
- Analyze Regional Performance: Use data to assess performance on a country or even city level. Look for patterns like higher conversion rates in certain regions and adjust bids accordingly. This is especially important in diverse markets where sub-regions may perform differently, like the UK or Canada.
- Adjust Bids Based on Currency Value and Buying Power: Regions with lower purchasing power or fluctuating currency values may require different bid strategies. In some markets, a lower cost-per-click (CPC) approach could help maintain profitability.
- Consider Time Zone Differences: Adjust bids based on peak performance hours in each time zone. A broad international campaign can benefit from time-based adjustments that ensure ads show during peak periods in each country.
For instance, if your campaign targets both New York and Berlin, you may find that your peak performance hours vary drastically, necessitating different bid adjustments to maximize efficiency.
In this instance, it’s likely worth segmenting your campaigns by region to account for maximum return on investment or ROI in each region.
In larger enterprise accounts, most regions have different audience sizes, which require different budgets.
If your brand falls into that category, it may be worth creating a separate Google Ads account per region, which can roll up into one MCC account for easier management.
3. Market-Specific Creative Adaptation: Speak The Local Language Through Ad Copy
One of the most common mistakes in international PPC campaigns is failing to adapt ad creatives to local contexts.
Just as keyword localization requires cultural adaptation, ad creatives must be tuned to resonate with local audiences.
A few approaches to localized creative to think about include:
- Ad Copy and Messaging: Localize ad copy to reflect cultural preferences, holidays, humor, and common phrases. Avoid literal translations that may miss the mark. Collaborate with local copywriters who understand the nuances of language and sentiment.
- Visual Adaptations: Imagery that works in one region may not resonate in another. If your ad visuals feature people, clothing, or settings, make sure they align with local norms and expectations.
- Calls to Action (CTAs): CTAs should be adapted based on local shopping behaviors. In some regions, urgency works well (“Buy Now”), while in others, a softer approach may perform better (“Learn More” or “Discover”).
For example, a successful ad campaign in the US using a humorous tone may need to be entirely rethought for a market like Japan, where subtlety and respect play a bigger role in advertising.
4. Leveraging Automation Tools For International Scaling
Managing international PPC campaigns across multiple markets can quickly become overwhelming.
Automation tools, both native to ad platforms and third-party solutions, can help streamline campaign management while still allowing for localized control.
Automation Tactics To Help Scale International PPC Campaigns
- Smart Bidding: Utilize Google or Microsoft’s automated bidding strategies tailored to individual market performance. Smart bidding leverages machine learning to optimize bids for conversions or ROAS, adjusting bids based on real-time data.
- Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs): Dynamic Search Ads can help expand your reach by automatically generating ad headlines based on your website’s content. For international campaigns, ensure that your website is properly localized to ensure the DSAs serve relevant, accurate ads.
- Automated Rules and Scripts: Set up automated rules or scripts to adjust bids, pause underperforming keywords, or raise budgets during peak times. For example, you might set rules to increase bids during holidays specific to individual regions, like Singles’ Day in China or Diwali in India.
Automation tools should be used to complement your manual efforts, not replace them. While they can help manage large campaigns more efficiently, regular oversight and optimization are still essential.
A Holistic Approach To International PPC Success
Expanding into international PPC campaigns presents both challenges and opportunities.
Success depends on taking a holistic approach that incorporates keyword localization, tailored bidding strategies, localized creatives, and effective use of automation.
By adapting your strategies to each specific market, you’ll be able to tap into the unique search behaviors, cultural nuances, and competitive dynamics of global consumers.
Remember that the global PPC landscape is constantly evolving, and regular monitoring, testing, and optimization will be key to staying ahead of the competition.
Whether you’re managing campaigns in-house or as part of an agency, these best practices will help you optimize your international PPC efforts and drive better performance across borders.
More resources:
Featured Image: Mer_Studio/Shutterstock
SEO
Google’s AI Overviews Avoid Political Content, New Data Shows
Study reveals Google’s cautious approach to AI-generated content in sensitive search results, varying across health, finance, legal, and political topics.
- Google shows AI Overviews for 50% of YMYL topics, with legal queries triggering them most often.
- Health and finance AI Overviews frequently include disclaimers urging users to consult professionals.
- Google avoids generating AI Overviews for sensitive topics like mental health, elections, and specific medications.
SEO
Executive Director Of WordPress Resigns
Josepha Haden Chomphosy, Executive Director of the WordPress Project, officially announced her resignation, ending a nine-year tenure. This comes just two weeks after Matt Mullenweg launched a controversial campaign against a managed WordPress host, which responded by filing a federal lawsuit against him and Automattic.
She posted an upbeat notice on her personal blog, reaffirming her belief in the open source community as positive economic force as well as the importance of strong opinions that are “loosely held.”
She wrote:
“This week marks my last as the Executive Director of the WordPress project. My time with WordPress has transformed me, both as a leader and an advocate. There’s still more to do in our shared quest to secure a self-sustaining future of the open source project that we all love, and my belief in our global community of contributors remains unchanged.
…I still believe that open source is an idea that can transform generations. I believe in the power of a good-hearted group of people. I believe in the importance of strong opinions, loosely held. And I believe the world will always need the more equitable opportunities that well-maintained open source can provide: access to knowledge and learning, easy-to-join peer and business networks, the amplification of unheard voices, and a chance to tap into economic opportunity for those who weren’t born into it.”
Turmoil At WordPress
The resignation comes amidst the backdrop of a conflict between WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and the managed WordPress web host WP Engine, which has brought unprecedented turmoil within the WordPress community, including a federal lawsuit filed by WP Engine accusing Mullenweg of attempted extortion.
Resignation News Was Leaked
The news about the resignation was leaked on October 2nd by the founder of the WordPress news site WP Tavern (now owned by Matt Mullenweg), who tweeted that he had spoken with Josepha that evening, who announced her resignation.
He posted:
“I spoke with Josepha tonight. I can confirm that she’s no longer at Automattic.
She’s working on a statement for the community. She’s in good spirits despite the turmoil.”
Screenshot Of Deleted Tweet
Josepha tweeted the following response the next day:
“Ok, this is not how I expected that news to come to y’all. I apologize that this is the first many of you heard of it. Please don’t speculate about anything.”
Rocky Period For WordPress
While her resignation was somewhat of an open secret it’s still a significant event because of recent events at WordPress, including the resignations of 8.4% of Automattic employees as a result of an offer of a generous severance package to all employees who no longer wished to work there.
Read the official announcement:
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Wirestock Creators
-
WORDPRESS4 days ago
WordPress biz Automattic details WP Engine deal demands • The Register
-
SEARCHENGINES7 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: September 30, 2024
-
SEARCHENGINES5 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 1, 2024
-
WORDPRESS6 days ago
How to Easily Add Snapchat Pixel for WooCommerce in WordPress
-
SEARCHENGINES4 days ago
Programming Note: Rosh Hashanah 5785
-
AFFILIATE MARKETING7 days ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Praises Nuclear Energy to Power AI
-
SEO6 days ago
Bing Expands Generative Search Capabilities For Complex Queries
-
SEARCHENGINES3 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 3, 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login