As a Media Specialist, I regularly receive queries from advertisers about the visibility of their campaigns, the need to optimise account performance, and techniques to make account management faster and more convenient. As many of the same queries are surfaced to me on a frequent basis, I have compiled the top 5 queries I’m currently receiving, with tips and advice on how to action them. I hope you find them useful!
Why can't I see my ad online?
1) Check that your account has a status of Active on the Accounts and Billing tab in adCenter, then check the Campaigns tab to ensure that your campaigns and ad groups are also set to Active.
2) Check that the Keywords and Ads tabs within an ad group displays your ads and keywords as Active. An ad or keyword with an inactive status is still under Editorial review, and is not live. An ad or keyword with a disapproved status has not met Editorial guidelines, and will not be displayed.
3) Verify how much budget remains in your campaign by clicking Edit Campaign Settings.
4) If your keywords were submitted recently, check again within a few hours - there may be a short delay between the time you submit the ad and the time it is displayed.
5) Look beyond the first results page. Depending on your bid price and CTR history, your ad may be showing on the second or successive pages.
If you still can't find your ad, contact the support representatives for your market for assistance. You may also wish to view our “Where Is My Ad?” flash tutorial.
How can I increase the traffic on my campaign?
1) Take steps to improve your ad’s position. Increase the relevance of your ad, include unique selling points in your title and description, and consider increasing the bids for your keywords (including incremental targeting, if appropriate).
2) Increase your keyword list.
3) Consider opting into all keyword match types.
Why has my keyword or ad been rejected, and what can I do about it?
A keyword or ad that has a status of Disapproved in adCenter has not passed Editorial guidelines – but the good news is that most disapprovals can be easily fixed. adCenter displays rejection reasons when you click on ‘Disapproved’ in the Status column of the Keywords and Ads tabs. You can then take action as follows:
1) Review the Editorial guidelines for the rejection reason you see in adCenter.
2) Change the ad content and keywords to conform to the Editorial Guidelines.
3) Resubmit the ad group by clicking Save on the Keywords page.
If you need clarification on a rejection reason displayed in adCenter, contact Microsoft adCenter Support.
Can I import my keywords and ads from Yahoo! and Google?
Yes! adCenter supports the import of campaigns from other online advertising programs with all related ad groups, keywords, and ads, using the Import Campaigns functionality on the Campaigns tab.
Do you have an offline editor that I can use myself?
Yes! Microsoft adCenter Desktop allows you to edit campaigns offline, and then publish changes at your convenience when you are back online. This tool will be available for download from the adCenter user interface in the coming weeks for the UK market. If you are a US customer, and your combined accounts meet the requirement of containing less than 100,000 keywords, you will see a download link on your adCenter home page.
If you still have questions after reading these tips, our support teams are always happy to investigate your queries! You can also leave your questions or comments on the adCenter Forum.